Silenced and Dismissed: My Fight Against Racism

Dani Paz

Living in an affluent New York City suburb with minimal ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, I didn’t really know who I was growing up. As someone born in Brazil to Bolivian parents, it was certainly difficult attending school in a predominately white town, where racism presents itself early. 

At a young age, I became ashamed of being Latina. I recall having a friend over who told me she felt uncomfortable when I spoke Spanish to my mother. Soon after, I started to conceal my ethnic features to fit in with my classmates, including even trying to make my lips smaller. Until my freshman year in high school, I did everything in my power to appear American. I even lied about liking Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

After Trump won the 2016 election, I began to embrace my ethnic culture. As one of the only Latinas in my school, I realized it was up to me to champion the Latinx community, otherwise, no one would. When I revealed myself as a proud Latina, however, many of my classmates manifested their true racist and xenophobic colors upon realizing I am not American. 

Making sure I always felt unwelcomed and uncomfortable, the few Trump supporters in my seemingly Democratic town called me every slur in the book. The worst part, however, is how alone I constantly felt. Neither my school’s administration nor my friends defended me. I was told by people, whom I thought were my friends, that I needed to learn how to take a joke. The blatant racists at my school received absolutely no consequences, neither socially nor academically. The more I spoke out, the more people turned against me. Someone even threatened to fight me for standing up for myself, and the school, of course, did nothing. Ironically, the school’s role as a bystander is the opposite of what the district heavily promotes in its anti-bullying campaigns. 

There are multitudes of options that the school could have taken to not only protect me but also to end the cyclical nature of racism. The easiest option, of course, is simply listening. Learning about racism must start when we are young. If children of color are never too young to experience racism, white kids are never too young to learn about it. The school needs to start hiring more teachers of color, incorporating books with characters of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds into the curriculum, and educating us on history that has not been white-washed by years of prejudice, helping students subconsciously learn that everyone is beautiful, regardless of what they look like. Uncomfortable conversations are more than necessary if we want constructive change. Additionally, the school could easily have given consequences to the racists which I reported time and time again. By not receiving any form of punishment, they are implicitly told that they can say anything, no matter how hurtful and ignorant, without consequences. In cases with racists, consequences should not equate to a call home. Perhaps, mandatory seminars and permanent marks on their records could help the racists learn about the hate they radiate. In addition, schools must create an environment where such behavior is condemned academically and students are alienated socially. Schools often believe they succeed in supporting the “Circle of Friends,” when so much more needs to be done to have it be embedded in the school fabric.

I understand that, as students, it can be difficult to stand up to our peers, especially to those who are considered more “popular”. As we get older, however, I hope we all realize that poor behavior should rule someone out from being “popular,” which is the kind of culture that we need to aspire to. It is critical for friends and classmates to realize that they need to speak up when others encounter racism and xenophobia. If you are silent, you are empowering the bigots and oppressors. Don’t be afraid to defend others and make these individuals feel outcasted and accountable. It is the only way they will stop!

Racist teenagers become racist adults who raise racist kids. We have to stop protecting them and start defending people of color. How? Education, accountability, listening, and support is the only way we can move forward as a society. We have to do better, plain and simple. I really do hope there is change. We so desperately need it. Ultimately, it starts with self-reflection. Let’s see if this particular community - and many others - can progress and truly institute what needs to be done.