RtR Community,
We all have those thoughts of, "If I was to do High School all over again, I would have...(insert cool story here)." For those of us who went through the LO school district, what if we had a mandatory Ethnic Studies class? Wouldn't that have helped shape our perspective from inside the bubble? I know it would have helped me navigate my brownness in Lake Oswego, and at minimum, provided a
slotted block of time to feel heard, seen, and accepted. The phrase, "Dirty Mexican" was used so casually and prevalent throughout the hallways, it evolved into a term of endearment between white male students. That's the truth. It makes me think, would having a mandatory Ethnic Studies class back then, help the student body unlearn these types of harmful stereotypes? I can't imagine it wouldn't be beneficial.
I made an entire entrepreneurial career out of sharing the philosophy that learning about other people's cultures was key to improving race relations and tightening the fabric of humanity. There's magic in learning about other cultures from the perspective of members of that culture. It creates a sense oneness as there are many similarities
across cultures, and it begins to dissolve the line in which one views their culture superior and above another. Check out these infographics below and see the last flyer to get involved in reinstating Ethnic Studies into Lake Oswego High Schools!
