Racism

In a country built on the dependence of war and violence, racism is just another problem that started with our ancestors, and is continuing with our children today. It is true, racism affects everyone all over the world; we’ve heard it all before. But not many people question who racism affects the most, and whose lives it impacts greatly. Adolescents absorb sights and information quickly, and if no one tells them that not everything they see or hear is right, these young children of our future will keep doing what they think is right. The point is that children in school are the ones most affected by racism because they are at the core of where racism begins.

Racism exists on a vast scale in our schools, and not just high schools, but mostly elementary and middle schools. When a child is in third grade, they are at the very beginning of their life, and they have not seen the real world and what it has to offer. Because of this, these adolescents most likely do not know that racism is immoral and unjust. Racism is most seen in primary school children because they are easily influenced to do something, especially if they see their older brother or sister doing something. If a young child sees his older brother making a racist comment, it is likely that the next day he will go to school and make the same racist comment. And because he does not know better and no one has corrected him, he will be the same way in middle school, high school, college, and for the rest of his life.

Racism is a problem in our schools because our learning institutions consist of a wide variety of cultures and races. Especially in high schools, there are large groups of cultures and they clash very easily. For example, there are massive groups of both Armenians and Hispanics at Birmingham High School. And because both cultures have a great pride and respect for their country, culture, and history, any little comment can provoke an altercation between the two. And this is not only for Armenians and Hispanics because there are other majorities of ethnic and racial groups. These altercations lead to tensions and hostility between those who are fighting, and it also allows tensions to arise for the whole student body and faculty. In extreme cases, the altercations rile up other ethnic