Principal Verenice Gutierrez in Portland, Oregon is the center of a controversy over her efforts to deal with racism and cultural intolerance. There is certainly plenty of such examples in most states, but Gutierrez is being criticized for finding such prejudice in the peanut butter. The principal at Harvey Scott elementary school cited peanut butter sandwiches as an example of how innocently insensitive we can be our prejudices since we do not think “Somali or Hispanic students, who might not eat sandwiches.” Frankly, I am pretty sure that Somali kids will knew what to do with a P & J without crawling in to a fetal position of fear over the latent racism contained in the lunchtime baggy. In defense of Gutierrez, she was trying to suggest an effort to reach out to learn different cultural preferences: “Another way would be to say: ‘Americans eat peanut butter and jelly, do you have anything like that?’ Let them tell you. Maybe they eat torta. Or pita.” While I question the choice of the example, the point is to get teachers to think of the cultural realities and experiences of their students. However, in my view, other aspects of the training sessions are more problematic.
Gutierrez’s comments came with a week of “Courageous Conversations,” the district-wide equity training for teachers. The program expressly tries to get teachers (presumably white teachers) to understand their own “white privilege.” It seems a bit odd to deal with latent hostility or insensitivity in the schools by demanding white teachers to rid themselves of their “white privilege” bias.
I am more concerned with the response to a drum class being offered to middle school boys of color at Scott School. Chuck Barber, who also offers boys’ drum corps at other schools, to start a lunch-time drum class that would be limited to black and Latino boys. There were objections that the group would obviously discriminate against girls, Asians, whites and Native Americans. I have serious doubts over its legality but even greater question over its underlying policy of exclusion.
However, it is Gutierrez’s reported response that is the most troubling: “When white people do it, it is not a problem, but if it’s for kids of color, then it’s a problem?. Break it down for me. That’s your white privilege, and your whiteness.”
If this quote is accurate, it is highly disturbing. I do not know of any clubs in public schools that have been limited to white children since desegregation. Moreover, the opposition to racial segregation is not a factor of white privilege but civil rights. The alleged comment struck a chord with me because of prior column criticizing the return of “separate but equal” and segregation policies in our public schools. (here and here and here and here and here). I do not understand the perceived value of a segregated drum corp or how an educator could tell girls or asians or whites that they cannot join due to their color or gender. It is a curious way to reinforce tolerance through discrimination if true.
Source: Portland Tribune
Oh give me a break lady. This is the height of absurdity (or close to it at least). Talk about looking for trouble where there is none. Sheesh.
Turn this around. Do they use peanut butter sandwiches in their classroom examples in Mexico? Japan? Kenya? NO!? Oh my god. Such terrible prejudice they have! Absurd? Yes.
I’m with Darren here. Is it any WONDER that kids grow up so stupid, with this kind of stuff being on the frontburner? Is this chick really certificated? Great DAY! Could we just stick with academics in the schools?
There is a generation gap and class consciousness that can come into play here. Genteel snobbery was endemic against non whites in American white families a generation ago and it is still a subtle measure of social racism . In the UK and the USA “poor ” children in school were more easily abused and ignored even or especially by adults who come from a a poor Depression background themselves .
i was given my first peanut butter and jelly lunch by a classmate a couple of weeks after immigrating with my family from the UK in the early 1960’s . My classmate’s ( who eventually became a friend ) mother, a teacher, laughed charmingly at my finicky response to yet another American delicacies I’d never heard of . Six years later I was astonished to find peanut butter was a common place item in British shops .
Children are all uppity when it comes to personal food phobias and I think Ms Gutterez was very smart to recognize that .
The phrase “white privilege ” should not be taught as a resentment that whites have to get over. Black people sometimes use their awful experiences by creating black privilege . You don’t have to ” get over ” your abusive history ; you change the things you can
I liked the attitude of a white English child who gave her assessment of skin color ” White people are sort of pink, really ” . We have learned in the Western world that peaceful multi culturalism is the logical way of the world .
Whites and Hispanics? Do any “White” people speak Spanish exclusively?
Are any Hispanic or Latino people “White”?
What “color” are Latinos?
If she’s talking about ethnic groups, what ethnic group would “Whites” be?
A kid who is part of an Hispanic or Latino culture, living in the U.S., wouldn’t know what a sandwich is?
So many questions, so much time.
Ms. Gutierrez needs to attend school.
She has a future as a colorist.
“Hmm…
White Privilege.
White bread Privilege.
White bred Privilege.”
OK, THAT’s a pun. Where’s Malik? What thread is Malik on? Quick!
The All-American burrito – cacahuate (PB) and jelly on a tortilla. Something to take care of your system ’til the menudo’s done.
The US is supposed to be a cultural melting pot, yeah? The way I understand this is that many varied cultures meld into the unique American culture (perhaps while privately practicing certain traditions to satisfy their conscience).
When people are genuinely offended by the American culture and are outspoken against it in favor of their own culture, you wonder how we are to agree on anything as a people. Considering this person is in a position to teach children about the very worldview that will filter various data points throughout their lives and can’t agree on basic cultural norms like a sandwich, one may wonder how any information of value is communicated in this setting.
Malisha,
If you don’t own a Mick you need to, they are very loyal.
Right point to make, bad choice on the example and method to make the point.
Food /is/ a cultural artifact so I understand the point I think she’s trying to make without necessarily agreeing with her. Her apparent accusation of there being a “white’s only” club in the school is disturbing.
I’m all for inclusiveness and sensitivity but not if it means supporting aspects of a culture that encourage inequality, either sexual or racial.
Allow me to sum that sentiment up with my white male privilege:
“I don’t care how they do it in your country; we decided that’s now how we treat people in America.”
(Now, if I can just get my fellow countrymen- ‘countrypersons’ to stop proving me wrong.)
I feel like there’s a joke here somewhere…
Hmm…
White Privilege.
White bread Privilege.
White bred Privilege.
Dung Ho, this is the grammar police.
“Mick’s” is the possessive form. Plural would be “Micks.”
Professor, I didn’t get this article. Oh I got it, but I didn’t “get” it. Would it be about the same problem if it were almond butter? Was it organic?
Leave the Mick’s alone.
Anonymously Yours 1, September 12, 2012 at 10:23 am
Dredd…..
Be careful you might be considered sexist……lol….
This story is crazy…..
===================================
Or Canadian eh?
Being an Italian in a grammar school w/ almost all Polish, Irish, Puerto Rican and Russian kids, we would all bring different kinds of ethnic foods for lunch. We would bust balls about what each other brought but invariably ended up trying each others lunches. I really got my balls busted when I brought an eggplant parmesan sandwich the first time. That was until someone tried it. I could have traded my eggplant for a Mickey Mantle baseball card after that. The poor Irish kids didn’t have much to offer, @ least until we got to high school
The closest to a segregated club are those few schools that still have segregated proms and the like.
Dredd…..
Be careful you might be considered sexist……lol….
This story is crazy…..
http://goo.gl/3LOZo
When I returned to school in 1999 to get my teaching license cultural diversity was the holy grail. Now, I agree that teachers are overwhelmingly white, middle class [and female but that was taboo]. I agree that there is a disconnect because of this w/ minority students. I saw this w/ my Colombian adopted son and most his teachers. However, much of what we were were “taught” was over the top stuff like this. Considering my age and background I was able to discern what was legit and what was horsesh@t. However, I would see my 20 year old classmates buying every word. Ms. Gutierrez was obviously one who drank the Koolaid and went back for seconds.
An example of a school setting itself up for a lawsuit
Perhaps it might be better if the schools simply abandoned making a topic of race and color and instead of focusing on academic achievement and merit. Continuing to bring up the issue and classifying people according to race and color only perpetuates the differenciation between people.
I make a case in point about eye color. No school that I know of makes rules based upon the eye color of students. Most students do not segregate themselves due to allegiance to their eye color. Yet if a school decided to give different treatment based upon eye color one would see a process begin that would reinforce itself as does with differential treatment with regard to skin color. And, it becomes an issue.
Additionally, one doesn’t see schools having band or drum clubs based upon the income of the students’ parents. Yet, somehow students seem to manage well regardless.
Perhaps it is time to just treat students as equals for a change and stay out of the social engineering game this school is foolishly adhering to in an attempt to declare itself enlightened.
It is getting harder and harder to be the U.S.eh?