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Alexander de Arana
Dr. Harper
EDUC 545-006: Race & Racism in Education
October 11, 2016
Race Response Journal 1
I am studying in the teacher education program at Penn GSE. Aside
(KHSA). The student population has a large African American and Latino
happy to be placed at KHSA because I can use my Spanish fluency with the
Castilian Spanish and American English at home. I do not truly have a first
I have always brushed off comments in which people say that my Spanish
fluency makes me less white. This comment has already made its way into
my experience at KHSA.
I have only taken over one block period in which I teach social
sciences. During the other blocks, my host teacher observes and includes
to form as close of relationships with the AP students that I have formed with
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classes or in the halls to get to know each of the students that my host
teacher teaches.
One day, a group of AP Government students were walking in the
hallway on their way to class. I began engaging them with small talk to pass
the time when a freshman student walked by us. I asked him how he was in
Spanish. The group of students that I was with noticed that I spoke Spanish
and they began asking me questions about how I knew the language.
After realizing that my dad was born in Spain, one of the students
asked me, So, youre half White and half Spanish? I hesitated at first and
answered yes to their question. It was not until the next time that I saw the
group of students again that I decided to ask them a few questions about
their statement.
Before class began, I approached the group of students and asked
them if they remembered asking me that question. After they confirmed that
they remembered our conversation, I asked them why they assumed that I
was half White and half Spanish. The student that asked the question was
confused. They told me that since my dad was from Spain and since my
mom was from the United States that it only made sense that I was half
White and half Spanish. In order to get deeper into the conversation, I asked
country of Spain. I wanted to make sure that they were not using the term
or identifies as Latino/a or Hispanic. I have had friends and strangers use the
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term Spanish in this way before. After making this distinction, the students
Hispanics or Latino/as were (at least linguistically) from Spain. Rather than
getting caught up in the linguistic or cultural ties between Spain and Spanish
identify myself.
I explained to the students that because many people assume that I
am White (and unable to speak Spanish) that I have benefited from the
identity rather than it all being tied up into how I define myself racially. The
although I could tell they were growing anxious or uncomfortable with the
conversation.
At first, I felt nervous about approaching the group of students. I have
brush off the original question. I grew more comfortable in the conversation
at KHSA. Not only must I correct the thoughts that people have towards my
racial, linguistic, and ethnic identity but I must also learn how to do so in the
different capacities that I serve as. If I had been more comfortable and
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confident about the role I have at the high school, I believe the conversation
would have gone smoother and the group of students would not have been
have challenged me more than they did. I must think about this as I move
forward and how different scenarios will play out as I begin teaching in a
larger capactiy.
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Alexander de Arana
Dr. Harper
EDUC 545-006: Race & Racism in Education
November 8, 2016
Race Response Journal 2
My second disruption occurred in the classroom. Rather than speaking
the Social Sciences class that I have started to teach. The students come
one of my students that is Black (I will call her Tiffany) yell, You cant say
that! to another student that is Cuban (I will call him Mark). After
approaching them, I found that Mark had told Tiffany to Go back to Africa.
Both students were smiling and laughing during this exchange but I realized
that the girl that received the comment was trying to hide her discomfort.
I explained to the students that the comment was disrespectful
because it implies that Tiffany is not welcome in this country. Mark quickly
understood what I was saying and he agreed with me. However, he made
sure to point out that he was kidding and that because he also has dark skin,
that he felt that it was only a joke and it was otherwise harmless to say,
especially given her reaction of laughter. Both students began to talk about
their ancestries and its relation to Afro-Latino history in the Caribbean. I was
glad to see that Tiffany and Mark could think about the historical implications
of their dialogue but I felt that the conversation between the students began
to justify Marks comment rather than critique it. I felt a bit frustrated when
and jokes from my students that followed seeing my Tiffany and Marks
and joke with him about the situation. Perhaps I did not do enough to disrupt
Marks comments. However, I must recognize that there are certain things
that play into the scenario that I cannot control. Tiffanys relationship with
Mark may alter how she reacts to his comments. If she did not get along
with Mark, perhaps there would have been no laughter or jokes that followed
for dismantling part of the racial framework that my students and myself live
in, but I also thought that it would be helpful in creating a safe classroom
There are a variety of students that identify with different races, ethnicities,
conversation like this could be helpful in establishing a safe place with such a
understand the jokes that are being made, is it possible for me to dismantle
their mentalities and challenge them to think about their comments more
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when they are having conversations with their friends. One day, one of my
students used the N-word when he was telling me a story after class. This
was not the first time I had heard a student use this word in the school
other bad language. While telling me his story, he referred to one of the
people he was talking about as the N-word. He continued on with the rest of
his story as if choosing the N-word had zero impact on the weight of his
statement. I paused him and asked him if he realized what he had said. He
responded by telling me that the N-word was not a curse word and therefore
could be used in his story. I tried to have a conversation with him about the
words meaning and impact it could have on some people but he did not
him and that I was otherwise unprepared to have this conversation with him.
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In hindsight, I believe I could have asked him some questions that would
entrance into unpacking the words meaning in the students mind. I could
have asked him why he thought it was okay to use the N-word. I also could
have asked him if he thought his use of the word was justified in any way. In
previous classes, I have heard students that are not Black say the N-word
students of color believe that they are allowed to use it because they are not
students use of the N-word. I felt that no matter how I approached the
I knew I should react in some way once the student said the N-word but I also
froze for a brief moment on how I should attempt to unpack the meaning
students share scenarios that they felt they could have disrupted. Many
times, these students are given advice and asked to go back and disrupt it
more effectively. However, I do not believe going back and talking to this
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effective way to disrupt his use of the N-word. If I were to bring up a short
discuss it further rather than listening to my disruption. For that reason, I felt
that I should have acted in the moment. However, I quickly realized that
when I acted in the moment I felt very unprepared to attempt to address his
perspective.
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Alexander de Arana
Dr. Harper
EDUC 545-006: Race & Racism in Education
December 6, 2016
Race Response Journal 4
In order to finish the government portion of the Social Sciences course
school systems operate, I asked them what they thought the benefits and
drawbacks were for each of the four categories. During this conversation,
facilities, and resources that my high school had. During this time, one of my
students told me that I was one of those. I knew that his comment was
He, along with many of his classmates, attached me with the stereotypes
that often accompany a suburban lifestyle. Rather than growing upset with
with the students in this class, I felt very challenged during this moment. My
host teacher jumped in after the students comment and explained why
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some families choose to move to the suburbs despite the high prices in
mortgages and taxes that they must pay. We connected this to the school
districts in many of these areas and the students understood our explanation
right away. However, after this, I felt like I had to defend my background and
experiences.
I shared with my students that my father grew up in a neighborhood
was able to do well in school and enrolled in a PhD program in the United
States. Upon moving to this country, he had very little money and had to
experiences are not my own, I felt that they have influenced me in how I
feel that I should grow angry. Part of me thinks that when I shared my
great if my students felt that they could relate to me and that our
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whiteness and the privileges that are attached to it. I must learn to
Alexander de Arana
Dr. Harper
EDUC 545-006: Race & Racism in Education
December 6, 2016
Race Response Overarching Statement
I noticed that all of my race response journal entries took place in a
am being exposed to a lot of things at once. However, I find that I notice the
I have heard over and over throughout my time at Penn GSE. I recognize
that I must be aware of the race relations that exist between my students
and myself but I believe that the message from this narrative has caused me
the experiences that my students live with. I have almost only been paying
attention to race and its affect on my professional life rather than viewing it
neighbors, and anyone else that I encounter in my life. Races impact is not