What make us fear the "other"? What makes us desire to separate from those different from us?
I work with kids. Sometimes kids have a frankness, and openness that adults could never have. The following is a conversation I had while driving a 2nd grade boy and a 4th grade girl to the afterschool tutoring. The two are some of the brightest children that I have ever met, and this conversation is high enlightening
We were passing by Marshall High School, a large CPS school in our neighborhood
Karl (2nd Grader): "man, there aren't no white people that go to that school!"
Noel: (at moments like this, I usually say little and wait for the real thoughts) "Thats interesting isn't it"
Karl: "I wish no white people went to my school!" (Karl goes to a more diverse school, mostly black with a few litinos and whites)
Noel: (Slightly amused silence)
Jenny (4th Grader): If there weren't no white people at our school, there wouldn't be a school...."
Noel: "Hmm, Why not?"
Jenny: "Because all of the teachers there are white..."
Karl: "I still wish no white people went to our school, Mexicans are ok, though..."
Jenny: "That's racist you know..., Isn't it Noel"
Noel: "It depends..."
Karl: "Well I'd allow some white people to come to our school, but not too many"
How early do children become aware that race is an issue in our society? When do we start to train our kids that being the majority is better...or does it just happen?
What make us fear the "other"? What makes us desire to separate from those different from us?
Friday, May 23, 2008
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3 comments:
Interesting conversation. I believe that children are highly perseptive. We don't always realize that children understand alot more than we ever give them credit for. I'msure they learn from those around them and by that i mean in the little ways and "small talk" that goes on around them. With small children of my own I know that I have be careful what I am portrying to them by the little gestures that I do everyday.
How early do children become aware that race is an issue in our society?
Much earlier than we think; kids are so perceptive even before they learn how to talk! Holy cow!
I think we fear the "other" because we don't know the "other." And just like some people may be (even unconsciously) teaching their children to feel superior, maybe others are teaching their kids to feel inferiors. Can it go both ways?
Wow, that's an incredible thought Amanda, that kids could be learning to feel both superier and inferior without even knowing it... I'm obviously not from this neighborhood, nor am I black ( again, obvious!:) But I remember as a kid, learning this a bit. For example, leaving a store before being served(whether it be a car store, makeup store, department store, etc) and not understanding why. And then when asking my mother later about why the people didn't serve us right away etc, she would explain that the sales people wanted to serve the people who looked like they had money. Because, since it was a business, they wanted to work with the people who could buy the most. So, even as a child, I was learning that for some reason we didn't get the best treatment. Now whether that treatment was real or fabricated is irrelevant, because either way its what I ( or the child) is learning. So interesting.
And Corin, I'm sure three kids definitely causes you to see their perception radars up at all times. I could see how you might even see that at the dentists offices as well. As in, kid's perceptions of what happens at the dentist.
Hmm, interesting.
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