Racism at Hamilton: The Voices of our Halls
Image from JS Online.
Bronwyn Rhoades, Jasleen Kaur, Olivia George
““Mentally it takes a big toll, because I feel like I’m not wanted in a place where I should not feel that.””
Jordan Thomas (JT), a Hamilton High School junior expresses the sad truth about our school when it comes to the existence of students of color: “I feel like I’m not wanted.” From excusing racist remarks made in the halls during passing time as “jokes” to labeling children of color as sensitive for calling a peer out on this unacceptable behavior, people of color (POC) at Hamilton have seen it all.
The Hamilton School District has been growing consistently over the years, and this has led to an expanded POC population as well. With a school whose purpose is branded as equity, we could and should be doing so much better. Students of color at Hamilton have expressed a countless number of times that they are not satisfied with the environment of this school because it encourages bigoted behavior and only provides a “safe-space” for its White students. Whether or not you see it, racism at Hamilton is prevalent but often goes unacknowledged and ignored, leaving students of color isolated in a space that should teach acceptance and equality.
How have people of color been impacted by racism at Hamilton?
“I don’t feel I’m wanted because of the color of my skin.” Thomas describes feelings of isolation due to the discrimination that he has experienced at Hamilton. We asked students of color how they have been impacted mentally and physically by the discrimination they experience.
Rosa Martinez, sophomore at Hamilton, writes, “There are times where I tell myself that this is just what our world is like.”
“I started to shut myself down,” conveys Brianna Miller, freshman at Hamilton. The frustration of discrimination to people of color has clearly translated into significant mental distress on students at Hamilton. Made evident in the previous quotations, racism and racial discrimination is prevelent in this high school. The extent to which this racism has impacted individuals of color is drastic.
The students interviewed above describe how they feel isolated from their community, and are forced to face these feelings before they even graduate high school. “I had a lot of self image issues with who I was and how I should act to appeal to everyone,” writes Erika Houston, sophomore.
Soumaya Drover, senior at Hamilton, further elaborated on these effects, “While these comments can seem harmless and people will claim that they meant nothing by it, that does little to ease the thoughts in my brain that I am not welcome to either of the cultures I am a part of.”
Others describe how the stress of expectations can be crippling to their health. “Over the years, my mental health has suffered a lot from the pressure of always having to live up to the expectations of others to be the smart Indian girl I am supposed to be,” expressed Jasleen Kaur, Hamilton junior.
We see this trend consistently with specifically Hamilton Asian students. Aashi Iyengar, a sophomore Indian student, makes a statement along the same lines that, “the most common example that occurs a lot is people coming up to me and saying things along the lines of, ‘You’re Indian, so you must be smart.’” The idea of attributing certain traits to certain races can be detrimental to not only the development of an accepting society, but also to the mental health of students of color.
Nevaeh Hughes, a sophomore at Hamilton, describes assumptions about her academics based on stereotypes of Black individuals. “People are shocked when I'm doing well in my classes,” she expresses. Preconceived notions on the basis of race are an evident issue at Hamilton, with students of color experiencing the negative effects of stereotyping often. Feeling forced into a box can create unreasonable and inimical expectations on young and impressionable minds.
According to the American Psychological Association, discrimination can worsen health and create more stress in individuals. In fact, “more than half of Asian millennials (51%) and 47% of Black millennials say that discrimination is a very or somewhat significant source of stress, compared to 31% of Hispanic and 26% of White millennials reporting the same” (www.apa.org). This clearly displays the dramatic impacts of discrimination on health, and explains why students of color at Hamilton feel so distressed.
Mental distress fueled by unreachable expectations are not rare within the communities of people of color. In 2019, Asian males in grades 9-12 were reported to be 30% more likely to attempt suicide when compared to White males of the same criteria (hhs.gov ). Additionally, the same trend is witnessed with death rates due to suicide for female Asian Americans ages 15-24 as their death rate is slightly higher compared to the White non-Hispanic rate (CDC ). These statistics reflect the deadly effects of excessive pressure on school-aged Asian children who go through a system that expects them to be perfect, rather than one that encourages them to learn and make mistakes.
Black Americans who experience racism have also been reported to have higher rates of hypertension, a serious condition that is associated with depression and stress (APA) with a 20% higher chance of being depressed compared to White Americans (MHA). In fact, it has also been recorded that the response to racism directed towards Black Americans is very similar to typical trauma responses that cause prolonged anxiety and stress. The mental health of individuals facing racism of form can be severely impacted by the stress of discrimination.
Furthermore, healthypeople.gov states that racial discrimination to any minority race can lead to health disparities, including higher blood pressure and general poorer health. Hamilton students of color experience many forms of racism in school, from stereotypes to racial slurs. This level of hostility in an environment that is expected to be “safe” can cause severe stress and concern to teens, who may feel isolated by their peers.
Hamilton has an obligation to their students of color to aid in the resolution of discrimination to prevent these adverse health effects.
What environment have fellow students created, and how can they help?
“They make jokes or they make monkey sounds or some kids make comments down the hallway and you can just hear them scream the ‘n-word.’” Thomas provides one of the gut-wrenching instances he has come to face as a Black student at Hamilton High School. We went on to inquire more about instances where students of color have experienced racism first-hand.
Drover recollects an invalidation of her identity, “I am mixed, and I have been told on more than one occasion by my peers that I’m not ‘truly Indian’ because I’m only half-Indian.”
Martinez writes, “I have heard people making deportation jokes like ‘go back to your country’ and so on.”
Miller goes on to say, “I get asked a lot about my ethnicity but sometimes when I am asked and I answer, I get asked questions like were my ancestors slaves or how much did I cost…little things like that.”
A common trend of discrimination at Hamilton is how blatant racism gets pushed to the side as a “little thing” which inherently invalidates the experiences of students of color. As seen within these responses, racism at Hamilton is not rare and it is not sporadic. A pattern of hate and ignorance has been built into this school’s environment because proper action has not been taken in order to address it. The repetition of discrimination without confrontation or punishment has normalized racism at Hamilton, an evident issue that must be resolved.
One may not necessarily be aware of the bias they have towards a specific race, an inequity referred to as implicit bias. Implicit bias is an automatic and unintentional bias that affects judgment, behavior, and decisions in a way that can deter one from fostering an accepting and diverse environment. The action of this bias is more subtle, but can be just as impactful as outright racism. By acknowledging that implicit bias exists, we are able to break down barriers that block us from listening to and acknowledging the experiences of students of color in this school.
“Hamilton students need to address the racist comments their friends make and call them out for those remarks. They need to listen to their peers of color when they say something is racist and accept that what they did was wrong. They need to learn not to speak over POC experience and attempt to justify racist experiences that they know nothing about,” states Kaur when addressing the question of how students at Hamilton can combat racism.
Houston addresses this question along the same lines expressing, “If they hear or see a friend doing something inappropriate, to call them out on it and shut them down. It may not be easy but it’s important to hold people accountable when they do something wrong so they don’t think it’s ok and continue to do it again in the future.”
Qamryn Ross, a senior at Hamilton, explores an interesting aspect of racism stating, “A lot of people might joke in their friend groups, which not much can be done about, but then they feel like they can say those types of things in other settings which makes others uncomfortable or is just flat out rude (slurs, accents, stereotypes such as mimicking other races or making racist jokes). These people also mock the arguments of those that fight for racial equality too, like saying, ‘That was racist/a microaggression,’ when it clearly wasn't, just to be funny.” This quote highlights the importance of confronting fellow students on inappropriate behaviors. Some students may think it is acceptable to make these offensive statements because they have not been told otherwise. Expressing the erroneous nature of these statements can both educate students and reduce the amount of racial discrimation at Hamilton.
Martinez poses the solution that “Hamilton students can educate themselves about racial discrimination and situations that go on everywhere in the world. They need to understand the meaning behind stopping racial discrimination. Students should also educate themselves about White privilege and what they can do to help others feel welcome and be treated better.”
What can students do to combat racism?
A common trend of what POC at Hamilton want to see being done to combat racism is education and accountability.
Hold your peers accountable for their actions.
Though it is not easy to call out a peer on a racist comment, it needs to be done in order to start to foster an environment that is tolerant of everyone, regardless of race. Education and accountability move hand in hand. By referring to education, this means educating yourself on certain topics and racist rhetoric that is simply unacceptable.
Be open to being educated by your peers of color.
Listen to what your peers of color are telling you when it comes to their experiences with racism; don’t invalidate their experience as a person of color; listen and learn when they tell you that something is racist and don’t try to defend yourself on something that you have never experienced. Racism shows up through microaggressions and blatant hatred, so it may not always be obvious to you that something done is racist, but when a person of color is telling you something that happened falls in this category, learn from it and don’t repeat it.
Value the impact more than the intention.
You may not intend on being racist, but if the impact of your actions display racial discrimination, then the intention is insignificant. With this you need to be able to hold yourself accountable for your actions, your bias, and your impact. By doing so, you can foster a more open-minded environment that displays an ability to change for the better.
Students of color at Hamilton deserve the same level of respect and understanding as any other member of the student body, so it is the duty of fellow students to aid in the push for equal treatment.
Please read Part II in this article series: Racism at Hamilton: A Structural Battle
Sources:
Mental and Behavioral Health - Asian Americans - The Office of Minority Health
CDC: Death rates for suicide, by sex, race, Hispanic origin, and age: United States
