NCJ Number
178959
Journal
Social Justice Volume: 24 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 1997 Pages: 77-95
Date Published
1997
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article investigates the role of teachers, the structure of schooling, and how some schools actually promote violence and the criminalization of Latino and African American teenagers.
Abstract
Latino students experience prejudice in many forms. Teachers look at external factors such as style of dress and home address and assume the students are criminals--gang members, thieves, or prostitutes. Latino students sense that teachers prefer Asian students, and resent that many spots in gifted programs seem to be reserved for Asians and whites, but limited for Latinos. Many teachers seem to confuse behavior and attitude with intellectual ability, and they view street-wise adolescents in a negative light. In addition, teachers’ frequently low expectations of Latino students make a strong (negative) impact on students’ expectations of themselves. The article devotes special attention to individual and institutional racism in school. Notes, references