mentioning race in secondary

[echoyjeff222]

I initially planned to talk about an experience I had with an African American boy whom I knew while I was a counselor at a summer camp. This is in the context of underserved populations and interacting with people of other cultures. When I sent this out for people to review, I got really mixed feedback. Some people didn't want race to be mentioned at all, while others felt it wasn't that big of a deal. I initially replaced the race with "inner city youth," but I'm not too sure how the connection is now, since my reflection focuses on ethnic minorities. Was hoping someone could shed some light on this ... thanks.

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[vellez]

I wouldn't use either. If you want to show that you can understand a variety of backgrounds, there's likely a much more tactful way than saying you know a black/African-American kid.

 

[BurghMed]

I think it depends on how you phrase it. "I met this African American kid and it was amazing" vs "after seeing prejudice directly affect a close friend," are obviously very different ways of looking at that.

 

[nwts]

As @BurghMed indicated, context is everything. If you mention it in a context in which there is absolutely no reason that his race would make any difference at all, it isn't going to come off well. However if there is a context in which it is helpful to know his race, you can certainly mention it. Just make sure you don't make it sound like you are talking about his race for the sole purpose of letting people know that you have experience working with racial minorities.

Additionally, if mentioned in the wrong context, it can actually make people wonder if you have preconceived notions about people of certain races. For example, if you say: "I was working with an African-American child from a difficult background. His mother is a drug dealer and they live in poverty," it may sound as if you draw some connection between being African-American and being a drug dealer or being impoverished.

 

[takeurmeds02]

Yea, if your point is "underserved", then stick with that idea and nix the race because "underserved" has no race.

 

[LizzyM]

"inner city youth" is a euphemism for racial minority. People will get the picture.

However, if you experienced situations that opened your eyes to the difficulties the black youth have because of their race/appearance/accent then it might be necessary to be a bit more explicit. Eg, you and the kid go out in public and the kid is treated badly or with suspicion while people who don't know that you are together treat you with respect.