“Hey, Chinese girl! Get the ball!”
“But I’m not Chinese?”
“Go back to your country.”
“I was born in the U.S. I am in my country?”
“You’re not Asian, you don’t have small eyes!”
“I thought Bangladesh was in Asia?”
“I know what Asian sounds like: ching, chong, chang!”
“I don’t even know what that means?”
In an age where stereotypes are often used for comedic relief, our students have shed light on the darker side of “funny”: Stereotypes not only hurt self-image and isolate students, but they can also lead to bullying. AALEAD Middle School students had the opportunity to participate in a workshop where they were able to speak their mind, share experiences and reflect on how to respond to stereotypes and bullying.
Students broke out into groups and presented skits reflecting different kinds of bullying (physical, emotional, psychological), which included the stereotyping of Asian Americans, such as the ones mentioned in the dialogues above. Each skit represented realistic situations. Following the skits was an open discussion on various stereotypes cast against the students themselves and how students have and can respond to bullying in any form. Students revisited the incidences at South Philly High in 2009 and more recently, with the death of Private Danny Chen. Thank you to our students for being open, strong and hopeful.
In light of recent events in our community at-large, AALEAD hopes to continue this discussion with our students on breaking stereotypes and preventing/responding to bullying. Please visit us again for more on how AALEADers are getting involved in the anti-bullying movement!
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