Made In America Chapter 5

• "For not to be able to define one's race is not really to exist on the social map of the non-newcomers."
• As a member of the "white, privileged" group, statements like these are not easy to hear.  It is hard to me to understand how much race defines other people's identities and the struggle they go through to form those identities because my race is, at least in my mind, so far from my identity.  I don't see myself as a race.  How does this "social map" play out in the classroom?  Does it hurt the student's learning when they stick with people they know and feel comfortable around?  Do the racial divides promote student learning because it creates a comfortable learning environment or does it hinder student learning (specifically in regards to learning English as a Second Language).
• "acts white"
• This is something that I've heard frequently in both my own experiences in middle/high school and during my observations at Von Steuben Middle School.  Many of the ESL students that identify with the Latino group discuss fellow classmates who do not identify with the Latino group as "acting white."  These students still talk in Spanish in class and have the same difficulties with learning English, yet they have a different presentation - they dress differently, behave differently, aren't as outspoken, and typically keep together with the few other students who "act white".  It's interesting to see the different behavioral values that are associated with each group and how those stereotypes play out when working with the students one-on-one and in group settings. 
• "Several teachers spoke about how it was divisive to 'make education an ethnic, political thing" (114).
• I was kind of shocked when I read this.  Even with my limited experience in the classroom, and my failure to notice my own race, I still see how racially and politically charged the classrooms are.  There is so much tension between what can and cannot be discussed because of those racial and political issues that fuel our education system and determine what is appropriate or not.  In Von Steuben, it is particularly easy to see that the ESL students feel separated and othered from their non-ESL peers because of how racially divided and motivated the school is.  I think that it is almost inevitable that when a group of people divide and separate themselves, that one or a few groups be favored.  It's not right, but you see it all the time in school and work settings.  It's ludicrous that these teachers failed to see that.  The students weren't making is "an ethnic, political thing" by walking out, they were responding to "an ethnic political thing". 

Made in America Chapter 3

This chapter was really eye-opening for me.  For the first time in a long time, I became aware of the impact of race and the impact of my "whiteness".  Many of the students in this chapter expressed an affinity to exploring racial issues or to exploring their own racial identities and the social consequences of those identities.  Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the chapter was seeing how the white students felt about race.  In a predominantly "white" society, where white culture is most accepted and sought out as "American," people who are white do not typically feel the social consequences of race.  By that, I mean that white people do not always understand race or what it means to be white.  It is not uncommon for people to be labelled by their race, but most white people in America do not feel racialized at all.  It is a very rare occasion that I even think of myself as "white".  We live in a culture that is so racially charged, yet whites often do not feel that pressure because of their dominant and privileged position in society.

The students who were asked to research what it means to be "white" and what "whites" experience at Madison came up with some very interesting conclusions:

• "She's black and I'm white, and that's that" (69).
• "But out in the world, I never have to think of myself as white - only here" (69).
• "We don't think of ourselves as white until someone makes us think of ourselves as white" (70).
• "It's all in how we see each other. We make each other racial"( 70).

It was amazing to me to see that these high school students were so aware of the privilege behind their race. I think that the young boy who claimed to only be racialized in Madison was implicitly aware that his "whiteness" held power and prestige outside of the diverse school walls.  He didn't feel his whiteness outside of school because he wasn't a numerical minority outside of school and he (most likely) lived in a predominantly white neighborhood.  

For me, this chapter poignantly called attention to my own lack of cultural awareness and my implicit acceptance of my social dominance because of my white skin color.  I attended a diverse high school, yet I would say that most students "acted white" if they were not white and the rest of the student were actually white.  After high school, I went to a community college that was predominantly white, and the ISU (again predominantly white).  I have been submersed into a predominantly white culture and never felt what it was like to be a minority.  The white students at Madison were a numerical minority and because of this they became acutely aware of what other students of color were "privileged" enough to receive. It was interesting to see how slighted they felt in Madison because people of other racial backgrounds seemed to be given more attention - whether it was classes offered on their heritage or a higher acceptance rate into the advanced courses. 

Coming from a "white privileged"background, this makes me wonder if all minority students feel this slighted.  Also, what can I feasibly do as an educator to be inclusive of all cultures/racial groups?  How can I ensure that a culturally inclusive atmosphere is adopted throughout the entire school, no just my classroom?