Why are race and stereotypes such a prevalent problem within the education system? Both schools and their students have a responsibility when it comes to the safety and education of the pupils. Most people would agree that the responsibility is shared based on age --or as a general guideline, a 50-50 split. This, however, is only applicable in theory. In reality, this approach only works if every student starts in the same spot and needs the same help as everyone else. In addition to this, not everyone learns the same way, so attempting to teach every single student the same way will not result in the same outcome. It would be impossible to get the same outcome when each student starts at a different spot and requires varying amounts of help. While schools seem to do this to be ‘fair,’ it ends up leaving a large portion of the student population further behind than the rest. The assumption here is that everyone can benefit from the same support when this is rarely the case. There is a massive difference between equality and equity. Equality, as we all know, is when each individual is treated the same way, but in terms of education, this is likely to fail. Equity, on the other hand, is when each person receives the support that they need to succeed, which is how schools should run. The reality of education today, is that certain groups of students are set upon a pedestal, while others must dig themselves out of a hole they were forced into.
One of the biggest examples of this is African American students and the treatment they receive within the school system. African American students receive consistent push-back from society and the education system alike. This is primarily, if not entirely, due to the stereotypes that these students face. Society, as well as those in the education system, tend to look down on minorities with disdain. Most people are under the assumption that there is no point in providing minority groups a proper education because they are more likely to end up in jail, on the street, or something else. These views are formed through racial stereotypes and unfortunately, this leaves many students in a difficult spot. These kids are still students, regardless of their background or community. Therefore, they should be able to receive the help they need to succeed just as any other kid would want. According to an article titled “Mothers’ Academic Gender Stereotypes and Education-Related Beliefs about Sons and Daughters in African American Families,” written by Dana Wood and others, and published in the Journal of Educational Psychology in May of 2010, African American mothers also contributed to the stereotypes, whether they knew it or not, which further contributes to the idea that these beliefs start at home. In the article, it was determined that African American women were held to a higher standard academically than African American men. Though millions of African American men succeed academically, the gender gap in educational attainment is larger than that observed for other ethnic groups. African American students are not completely at fault, though motivation has been shown to play a large part in these findings, as social and economic advantages and disadvantages are often beyond the control of the student, yet they are molding the attitudes and outcomes of several students’ lives.
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A book written by Ta-Nehisi Coates in 2015 titled “Between the World and Me” goes a long way to give an insight into the view of an African American in terms of education. Coates states that “if the streets shackled my right leg, the schools shackled my left,” which in any regard can be taken as a resentment for education. Coates states that the elders introduced education as a means of escape from death and jail, rather than an institute of learning. Coates explains that it felt as if life was a trap, stating that the ground was trip-wired, and the air was toxic. Coates claims that fear ruled everything around him, and therefore was the cause of many of the negative events happening on the streets. Coates uses his book as a letter to his child, as a warning. The section of the book seems to be a warning about life in general for African Americans. Coates states that education meant being quiet and submissive whereas life on the streets was ruled by anger and fear.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only example of this terrible dilemma. In Wesley Yang’s article “Paper Tigers,” we are introduced to the real-world implications of stereotypes in Asian American communities. Yang uses his article to allow the reader a glimpse into the life and thoughts of an Asian American brought up under the influence of common stereotypes. Yang refers to Asians as “a mass of stifled, repressed, abused, quasi-robots who simply do not matter, socially or culturally.” Yang is not the only Asian American to feel such resentment for his stereotypical upbringing, as documented by his interviews within the article itself. In the article, (someone) calculated the effects of Asian American upbringing and stereotypes on SAT scores. These calculations concluded that Asian applicants must score at least 140 points higher on the SAT than a comparable white applicant to have the same chance of admission to a prestigious school. This calculation punishes the entire Asian population for the success of some of its students, while it makes it significantly easier for white students to float by academically. This, unfortunately, is based on the fact that Asian Americans are the most successful ethnic group in the country, sometimes surpassing white Americans, in terms of academics and accumulation of wealth. The stereotype that Asian American students work harder and study more often to receive such high grades is indeed true, and while it is not necessarily a negative stereotype in itself, it presents an academic dilemma that many Asian Americans are being forced to deal with. With so many Asian American students attempting to ‘break the mold,’ so to speak, we see more and more cases of Asian Americans receiving harsh repercussions for not following the racial stereotypes that have been in place for decades. According to an article titled “Gendered Stereotypes of Asians Portrayed on the Websites of U.S. Higher Education Institutions,” written by Xiaopeng Wang and Anne Cooper-Chen and published in April 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2020 ethnic minority students will make up 44% of the school-age population and 54% by 2050, effectively becoming the majority in U.S. schools.
While America holds education in high esteem and claims it is an important value in society, several students are being short-changed or even completely left out of the educational system due to racial and class stereotypes. These examples are just a few of the millions out there. Several students of all races and walks of life are left out of the academic success of others due to stereotypes placed upon them by forces that are out of the student’s control. The goal of education should not be to discriminate based on stereotypes, nor should it be a matter of simply keeping students off the streets and out of jail. Rather, it should simply allow every student to succeed, academically, and in life. Students should not feel forced to fit into a cookie-cutter mold that is only there due to racial stereotypes, rather they should feel as if they are capable of succeeding using the tools and help they are given. Students come from all backgrounds and walks of life, and no student is made the same. Some students can succeed with sheer force of will and hours of study, while others may need extra help to have the same chances of success. Why should students be forced to survive academically with such forces consistently trying to stop them from succeeding? One would assume and even hope, that such stereotypes would dissipate, but instead, they seem to be steadily growing. Not every single stereotype is negative, but several can be considered damaging. If stereotypes are a leading cause behind such academic difficulties, then it would be reasonable to assume that getting rid of the current stereotypes completely would even out this inconsistency. However, this is not the case due to the unfortunate realization that when one problem goes away, yet another will always arise to take its place. Students should be able to succeed academically without the predetermined fate of that success looming over their heads.
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