2004_Human Rights Comm Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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. In the three counties, the odds of completing college in 2000, compared to Whites, was 85 percent for Asians, half for African Americans, 38 percent for American Indians, and 33 percent for Latinos. . In the community conversations, participants were concerned about the messages underlying curriculum, and particularly how this, combined with unprepared teachers, may affect the self-esteem of children and their school achievement. They also expressed concerns about the racially and culturally-based verbal harassment that children are subjected to at school. Somali and Middle Eastern respondents mentioned mistreatment based on appearance and clothing, and based on larger socio- political developments. Hmong participants recounted being harassed about language. Besides the verbal harassment, children of color also are socially excluded and experience a sense of rejection by their fellow classmates and feel singled out and treated unfairly by school administration. Finally, some teachers assume low academic ability, which may become a self-fulfilling prophecy; while some Asian parents point to unreasonably high expectations for their children. ( Responses to racism Responses to racism are as varied as the definitions of racism. Many residents in the three counties are comfortable speaking out against acts of racism. Among communities of color, responses to racism run the gamut from internalized self-hatred and depression to acting in the same racist manner. . In our survey, 60 percent of people in the general sample say they feel "very" or "somewhat" comfortable about speaking up in defense of a victim of racism. . About one-fourth of Black/African-Americans (25%) and American Indians (22%) say they have felt emotionally upset within the past 30 days as a result of how they were treated based on their race. Lower proportions of Hmong (16%), Latinos (17%) and Whites (4%) report this experience. . In our community conversations, participants and key informants across all of the racial groups had much to share about responses to racism. All agreed that racism causes much emotional, psychological and spiritual damage, for individuals, families, and communities. This emotional and spiritual harm can mflnifest itself as depression or as physical illness. One common response to encountering racism was simply embarrassment and having a sense of shame. Another common reaction was fear. For Latino immigrants, in particular, a response of fear can be related to their immigration status and their efforts to secure citizenship in the United States. . Several groups identified the internalization of racism and a feeling of self-hatred as one of the most destructive responses to racism. Both the African-American and the American Indian conversations explored this topic in-depth. ( ( An assessment of racism in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties 5 January 2004