Latinx Pacifi c Islander Asian Other Lizbeth Villalobos “I’ve heard from others that teachers have asked them if they were in the right class, or anytime something about minorities came up, they’d be the fi rst person the teacher calls on. People have told me that they’re the only person of color in their AP class. Sometimes I wanted to drop a class because I felt that I didn’t understand anything going on, while others in the class understood [the content] right away. But having friends in the same AP classes helped a lot because we could help each other.” Lelani Tajimaroa “Being a minority in mostly white clases, especially advanced classes, can be hard at fi rst. Th ere is a sentiment that we don’t belong there or that we aren’t smart enough for that class. Sometimes we feel unprepared compared to other students. It’s hard when we are in a class and don’t see anyone that looks like us or from similar backgrounds. I’ve had friends who have dealt with racism and discrimination from white people. Th ere have been white students who’ve used racial slurs against them and who have treated them as inferior. It’s happened to me as well, where a white student used a racial slur and the teacher never addressed it. I’ve also heard about simple things like teachers thinking they are in the wrong class since they look diff erent. I actually did drop a class my freshman year because of the culture shock. I didn’t feel welcomed or like I was meant to be there.” Connor Low “Oftentimes I am either hesitant or feel like I can’t talk about certain subjects in femaledominated classes because I’m a guy. Obviously there are certain inherent privileges that come with being a male, but I don’t think that should prohibit us from having equal discussion on issues of sex and gender. Another thing I’ve noticed is that the way that feminism is often portrayed in the classroom seems to exclusively focus on women’s issues. And yes, this should be the focus of any feminism unit, but due to feminism’s goal of equality for all genders and all peoples, I fi nd it surprising that we don’t talk about issues that disproportionately aff ect men, such as homelessness and crime.” Juliette Dignum “One thing that I’ve noticed in general at M-A, is that the male-dominated classes are STEM material. Th e female-dominated classes are typically focused on areas relating to social sciences and the arts. I’ve never felt as if I’ve experienced sexism, but I was defi nitely insecure about being in AP Physics. In fact, I didn’t think I was even going to take it at all this year. I thought I wouldn’t do well in the class, or just that I wasn’t ‘the right type of person’ for it. I talked to Mr. Vanderway, though, and he really helped me feel more confi dent.” 16
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