Interrupting Anti-Immigrant and Racist Rhetoric at School: Resource Roundup
by Sarah B. Ottow
As I write this in September 2024, we are in the midst of a presidential election in the United States. Unfortunately a central part of current American political discourse consists of not only misinformation but also extreme anti-immigrant, racist rhetoric along with other kinds of homophobic, sexist and other kinds of hateful rhetoric towards groups of people. Students, families and staff can be directly impacted by this social environment of hate and prejudice. As an equity-focused consultant working alongside school leaders dealing with hate in schools right now, I am compelled to write this timely article. This resource roundup will share practical supports and interventions for educators to confront this critical issue in schools.
How Political Discourse Impacts Children and Learning
We already know there is evidence of an “alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom” as explained in a 2016 report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In a post-2016 election report from the Human Rights Campaign where over 50,000 young people ages 13-18 from across the United States participated in the largest survey of its kind, “representing a diversity in gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and religious background,” we learned that:
“Seventy percent of respondents reported witnessing bullying, hate messages or harassment during or since the 2016 election. Of those, 79 percent said such behaviors have been occurring more frequently since the onset of the presidential campaign.
Among young people who reported seeing bullying and harassment, 70 percent had witnessed incidents motivated by race or ethnicity, 63 percent had seen incidents motivated by sexual orientation, 59 percent had seen incidents motivated by immigration status, and 55 percent had witnessed incidents motivated by gender.”
Hate speech goes beyond politics in harming children and communities. Haitian Americans across the US feel the repercussions of recent baseless rumors and the Ohio State Highway Patrol is monitoring schools in Springfield after 33 bomb threats. Words have consequences.
What Schools Can Do Now: Key Resources
When dealing with hurtful discourse and actions in schools, being proactive, not just reactive, is critical. Below are some of my go-to resources that I refer to when I am consulting with leaders to equip them with field-tested support:
The Language We Use to Talk about Students with excerpts from my guidebook and practical examples of conversation norms from a Confianza partner district
Embracing Change: 3 Moves for Leaders for ways to normalize migration
Responding to Hate and Bias at School from Confianza for a just-in-time proven method for addressing harmful words and behavior
A memo from a Confianza partner district where the superintendent calls out hate and prejudice, reminding educators that district policy and values prohibit this kind of rhetoric and actions
Microaggressions: The New Hate Language from Confianza for an explanation of how students and staff can be marginalized through implicit bias
Trusted guides from Learning for Justice, the education arm of the Southern Poverty Law Center (of which I am certified trainer, formerly Teaching Tolerance):
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Wishing everyone a safe and inclusive school year!
-Sarah B. Ottow, Founder and Director, Confianza: Equity, Language and Literacy