1. D E F I N I N G T H E P R O B L E M
Racism is a well-documented issue in the United States. While the nation has indeed evolved from its genocide of indigenous peoples, slavery, and structural segregation, racism is still prevalent in the 21st century. From 9/11 xenophobia, to COVID-19-related racism, to racial policing, to the War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration, and more, ECAAR encourages readers to do their own research into the realities of racial discrimination in the modern era.
Racism is rooted in cultural and structural contexts, and solutions must therefore be conscious of both. Structural violence (structural racism) is the most deadly form of violence in the United States, and it results from hundreds of years of moral exclusion (undervaluing the concerns of minorities) in lawmaking and other parts of life. Meanwhile, cultural racism is both the cause and the result of structural violence. Simply put, racism is a major crisis that must be solved.
The solution must be comprehensive, and it is far too much for any one person or even one organization to tackle. At ECAAR, we are focusing on reforms in education: more diverse curricula are in themselves a structural solution, but they shape the culture in which we live.
A diverse curriculum will require comprehensive changes in schooling.
Racism is rooted in cultural and structural contexts, and solutions must therefore be conscious of both. Structural violence (structural racism) is the most deadly form of violence in the United States, and it results from hundreds of years of moral exclusion (undervaluing the concerns of minorities) in lawmaking and other parts of life. Meanwhile, cultural racism is both the cause and the result of structural violence. Simply put, racism is a major crisis that must be solved.
The solution must be comprehensive, and it is far too much for any one person or even one organization to tackle. At ECAAR, we are focusing on reforms in education: more diverse curricula are in themselves a structural solution, but they shape the culture in which we live.
A diverse curriculum will require comprehensive changes in schooling.
|
- pre-k
Children absorb racism early. Research shows that, at three-months, babies prefer faces from certain racial groups, and by three-years-old, children associate low-status racial groups with negative traits. Children can face racial discrimination by peers by the age of seven-years-old. Adults often adopt a color-blind approach to early parenting (i.e. not talking about race). However, children that are engaged on basic ideas of race at an early age develop empathy for children of other races, avoid engaging in discriminatory behavior, and exhibit less racial bias. Similarly, very few children's books address race, and most stories only show the perspectives of White people. Many believe that young children are too young to be talking about race (that they will not understand it, etc.), but research has shown that children can understand race, and that talking to them early will make them better citizens. |
|
- k-12
Eurocentrism has risen as one of the most elusive issues in K-12 schools. In North America, students are nearly always taught history from the perspective of White people, especially White men. Typically, diverse narratives are not even available, and if they are, they are labeled as optional, ethnic studies. This sends a message that White perspectives are prioritized over all others, perpetuating White supremacist attitudes: children of color are taught that their history is not worth learning, while their White peers are taught that they are highly valued. Integration of diverse perspectives and stories into required curriculum mitigates these issues and builds a better society for everyone. |
2. W O R L D I S S U E S
Hate incidents against Asian Americans have spiked during the pandemic. This is indicative of a larger anti-Asian sentiment in the United States: that Asian Americans are perpetual foreigners. Separately, toxic nationalism and White supremacy are on the rise.
We believe that humanization-based education can mitigate such issues. That means more than just history facts and figures, but also focusing on specific people, their stories, and the communities they represented or still represent. Furthermore, students and teachers should be encouraged to share their own experiences with race.
This is particularly important as the United States grapples with issues such as immigration, climate change, the pandemic, and economic recession, each of which disproportionately affects people of color, and may contribute to discrimination and structural violence.
We believe that humanization-based education can mitigate such issues. That means more than just history facts and figures, but also focusing on specific people, their stories, and the communities they represented or still represent. Furthermore, students and teachers should be encouraged to share their own experiences with race.
This is particularly important as the United States grapples with issues such as immigration, climate change, the pandemic, and economic recession, each of which disproportionately affects people of color, and may contribute to discrimination and structural violence.
Ignorance ≠ bigotry but not knowing can enable hate
3. B E N E F I T S F O R A L L
Researchers at Stanford University found that, from three San Francisco high schools, struggling BIPOC ninth graders who enrolled in an ethnic studies course had...
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT REPRESENTATION:
4. M O R E
Recommended Readings:
theundefeated.com/features/why-we-must-talk-about-the-asian-american-story-too/
psmag.com/news/why-are-asian-americans-missing-from-our-textbooks
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED577104.pdf
thinkimmigration.org/blog/2019/05/24/lets-break-down-the-perpetual-foreigner-stereotype
theundefeated.com/features/why-we-must-talk-about-the-asian-american-story-too/
psmag.com/news/why-are-asian-americans-missing-from-our-textbooks
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED577104.pdf
thinkimmigration.org/blog/2019/05/24/lets-break-down-the-perpetual-foreigner-stereotype
Learn more about Asian American history:
|
|
We are on Weebly because, as a student-run organization, we have several people that may need to edit the website. Weebly's simple UI makes coding experience not a requirement to help with our website. Please know that all of the information we present is backed by reputable sources, linked in hyperlinks in every paragraph.
|
