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Countering Bias Against Arab American,
Muslim and South Asian Students:
Suggestions for Educators
by Tom Roderick
As
educators, it's our responsibility to act boldly and courageously
to ensure that our schools are safe places, physically and psychologically,
for all of our children. Since September 11, one group of students
- those with Arab, South Asian, and Muslim backgrounds - have
been in special need of a sense of safety at school. The wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq put these students at further risk of
being targets of bias and misunderstanding.
All
of us, including our young people, need to deepen our understanding
of Islamic, Arabic, and South Asian history and culture. The suggestions
below address two related challenges: to make our schools safe
and supportive environments for youngsters with Arab, South Asian,
and Muslim backgrounds; and to prevent and counter expressions
of bias against these groups in any school.
STOP
OPPRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
Oppressive behavior can take many forms, ranging from hurtful remarks made in ignorance to insults, threats, and physical violence. The appropriate adult response depends on the behavior and its intent. Below are some things to keep in mind:
- Don't
let offensive behavior go by. No one deserves to be insulted,
threatened or mistreated for any reason, including his ethnic
or cultural background, religion, or beliefs. Arab American,
Muslim, and South Asian American youngsters may feel especially
vulnerable.
- Interrupt
inappropriate behavior in a positive, matter-of-fact way.
If you make an "international situation" out of a minor incident,
you may further embarrass the targeted student and induce guilt
and defensiveness in the student responsible for the offending
behavior. Neither of those outcomes will be helpful long-term.
Normal school policies and practices (for example, rules against
put-downs or fighting) apply to most of the situations that
arise, and should be invoked as appropriate. Whenever possible,
try to give the impression that you are going about business
as usual.
- See
the incident as a teaching opportunity. Your
first responsibility is to protect the targeted student by stopping
the behavior or supporting the student in standing up for herself.
Your second task, equally important, is to educate the student
who made the offending remark or action (and any other classmates
who might have observed the interchange).
- No
shame, no blame. We
all have misinformation and uninformed attitudes about people
from other cultural backgrounds. None of us were born with these
attitudes. We've learned them from growing up in our society.
It isn't our fault that we have these biases. But it's our responsibility
to educate ourselves and others so that our views correspond
as closely as possible to reality.
- Maintain
a positive and non-judgmental tone. A student who has made
an offending remark will be most likely to learn from your intervention
and change his or her behavior in the future if you don't appear
overly serious or agitated.
- Use
strategies to reduce defensiveness. If
it seems appropriate to have a discussion with a student who
has made an offensive remark, try to have the talk at a time
and in a setting where the student will feel most comfortable.
For example, a one-on-one chat in a private setting at a later
time may be more productive than a confrontation in the heat
of the moment where the student may feel the need to save face
in front of his peers.
- Listen
actively. To
help a student who is acting inappropriately toward other students
because of their background, you need to establish rapport with
the student and find out where she is coming from. To do this,
you need to open up communication. This may involve acknowledging
the student's feelings ("I can see you're angry"); asking the
student to share more ("Please tell me more about what you're
feeling"); probing gently ("Why are you angry at your classmate
_______?") If the student is willing to open up and give you
insight into what motivated the behavior, you'll be in a better
position to give her a hand and ensure that the behavior doesn't
occur again in the future.
- Be
firm in asserting that students must treat each other with respect.
By
listening actively, you will communicate that you care about
the student and his feelings. You will understand better why
the student acted as he did. But understanding where someone
is coming from doesn't mean you accept the behavior. ("I hear
how upset you are. But your classmate _______ had nothing to
do with the tragedy on September 11 and you must not say things
that imply that it was her fault.")
- Recognize
your own need for support. Feelings
will come up in your students and in yourself. Feelings go with
the territory when you deal with issues of diversity. The experience
of 9/11, and its legacy, has been difficult for all Americans
and for people all over the world. Adults need emotional support
themselves--from family, friends, and colleagues--to help them
deal well with children's feelings--and with the misbehavior
that may sometimes be related to them.
- Don't
be paralyzed by fear of making mistakes. In
working on issues of diversity and developing relationships
with people whose backgrounds are different from our own, we
will inevitably make errors. We'll say things that we wish we
could retract. But most people are eager to look beyond our
mistakes and give us the benefit of the doubt if our interest
in them is genuine and our minds and hearts are open to understanding
another culture.
- Share
experiences with colleagues. Don't
work in isolation. The work is too challenging to go it alone.
Let your colleagues know about what's happening in your classroom.
Share your feelings. Brainstorm effective solutions to problems.
- Educate
yourself about
issues related to the U.S., Iraq, the legacy of 9/11, religious
diversity, Islamic, Arabic, and South Asian history and culture.
etc.
PREVENT
HARASSMENT
1. Convene a meeting to engage
staff in addressing the issue
At
a meeting of all adults in a school (or after-school program),
the principal or program director should make a strong statement
that it's the responsibility of all adults in the school to ensure
that the school is a safe place for all children. Harassment,
insults, and hate speech are not acceptable responses to the tragedy
of 9/11, the Iraq War, or other global developments.
The
staff might then share any incidents that have already occurred.
If time permits, the staff might discuss these incidents. For
example, the adult sharing an incident might describe how she
handled it. Then staff might work in pairs or small groups to
discuss their ideas for dealing with the incident. Following their
conversations in pairs, the staff might discuss the pros and cons
of various approaches.
The meeting should produce agreement on concrete steps the school
will take to prevent harassment. These steps might include communicating
a clear message to students, engaging student leaders, reaching
out to parents, and mobilizing community support. (See below.)
2. Communicate a clear message to students
The principal might appear in each classroom, make a brief statement,
and co-lead a discussion with the teacher. Or teachers might make
the statements and hold discussions with their classes. The particular
needs of the school will determine the best approach. It's tricky:
You don't want to put ideas in students' heads; but you don't
want to wait for a negative incident to occur before you do something.
3. Engage student leaders
A student council already in place may or may not be the best
vehicle for mobilizing student leadership. After 9/11, we heard
of a middle school with a large Arab American population in which
a dean brought together a representative group of student leaders
to engage their classmates in raising funds for victims' families
and creating a "wall of peace" of students' artwork. The group
included Arab American students, but also, intentionally, some
"negative leaders" ("my troublemakers," as the dean called them).
The dean's approach was excellent, for research shows that one
of the best ways to overcome bias and stereotypes is for people
of different backgrounds to work together toward a common goal.
4. Reach out to parents
The principal can write a letter to all parents expressing the
school's commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all
students, outlining the steps the staff is taking, and asking
for the parents' support.
The principal, teachers, and guidance counselors might also organize
a school-wide parent meeting to hear parents' concerns.
5. Mobilize community support
We have heard of instances in which Arab American children were
harassed on the way to school, not by other students but by members
of the community. To address this kind of harassment, the principal,
parent leaders, and school staff will have to reach out to community
leaders, storekeepers, police officers, local clergy, and other
people influential in the community, and enlist their support
to ensure children's safety.
PROVIDE
COUNSELING AS NEEDED
After 9/11, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee noted
that "Arab-American and Muslim students may be experiencing anxiety
and confusion," including "fear of the danger of personal harassment,
and a sense of shame or stigma from being identified with the
suspected perpetrators of the attacks." US wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq later added to these problems.
Schools should make counseling available for students who need
extra support in facing these challenges. Arab American students
can be referred to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
(ADC) for information, consultation, and support. ADC, 4201 Connecticut
Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C., 20008; tel: 202-244-2990;
e-mail: adc@adc.org; web: www.adc.org. In New York City, the Arab-American
Family Support Center provides support for students, families,
and schools. AAFSC, 150 Court Street, 3rd fl; Brooklyn, NY, 11201;
tel: 718-643-8000; email: aafsc@aol.com.
ORGANIZE
FORUMS AND DIALOGUES
Schools are natural places for young people (as well as school staff, parents, and members of the community) to learn about political and social issues that affect them. Schools can organize teach-ins, forums, and video presentations, drawing on experts from local universities and community leaders of Arab, South Asian, and Muslim backgrounds.
Useful resources can be found through:
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) 4201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20008; tel 202-244-2990; email: adc@adc.org; web: www.adc.org.
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University - ICC 241, Washington, DC 20057-1020; tel: 202-687-5793; fax: 202-687-7001; e-mail: ccasinfo@georgetown.edu; web: www.ccasonline.org
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This
lesson was written for TeachableMoment.Org, a project of Morningside
Center for Teaching Social Responsibility. We welcome
your comments. Please email author Tom Roderick at
troderick@morningsidecenter.org.
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