Excited
When I began reading this article on a student who is getting suspended for refusing to take a “racist” test, I could feel my blood boil — I’m mad for this young woman who was treated in such a severe matter for taking a good and right stance, and I’m mad at myself for not having even an ounce of her gumption when I was approached in the same manner during my senior year of High School.
I moved to California from Seoul with my family in 1986. I was put in a regular fourth grade class, but had the blessing of a one-on-one English tutor hired by the school. Being put in regular class and having a tutor only helped the cause and I learned English fairly quickly. I went to middle school to later be put in an ESL/remedial English class, but by the middle of my fifth grade year my teachers were impressed with my English skills and by the time seventh grade came I was put in the accelerated language arts cluster for those who excelled in English. Thanks to my eighth grade English teacher, I received raving recommendations for the Honors English road at my high school and did my APs and Honors classes.
Let’s fast-forward to senior year: I get called into the ESL program counselor’s office. She mutters something to me about how I’m in the wrong classes. She is wondering why I’m not in the ESL cluster. She informs me that I’m listed as a student who needs can’t be instructed in English and that I won’t be eligible for graduation if I’m not transferred to the list where it says I can be in classes that are taught in English without needing translation. Asking her to clarify since I’ve been in honors classes from my middle school days, she explains that I should have been removed from the ESL student list, but because I was never removed, there was always a notation on my file that I am ESL; all ESL kids need to be tested before they can get their diploma. I once again point out the list of classes, my GPA, and the mere fact that I was speaking to her in fluid English should have made her back down.
But she goes on and on about needing to pass the test to graduate. “Which, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble passing” she adds, to try to soften the blow.
I think the shock of what was happening silenced me and it took me a few moments to reply to her pressing. In my head I was having my feisty monologue about this incredibly ridiculous situation — I honestly wanted to say no, and unlike what Lori, wasn’t smart enough to tell the counselor that I didn’t want to take this demeaning test.
The counselor opened the test materials up and I sat in disbelief. The test was a joke. I’m not sure if the counselor realized how ridiculous she looked and sounded testing me and asking lame questions that I was able to answer in my first year in America. There were story-boards that had questions that tested my English comprehension skills. I wanted to shout at her, Lady, I read a twenty page book to my fourth grade Show and Tell my fifth month here.
I admire Lori Phanachone for taking a stance against the system. Having been the fool to take a test of similar nature, albeit very different in content, I agree with her. Tests of this nature are demeaning and racist, and I’m still boiling from within at what Lori has to put on the line to do what is right. Lori’s current road is so different than the one they had me take when I was in high school, but demeaning is still demeaning, and racist is still racist.
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I agree with Tien; I honestly don't think this is a matter of racism, it's a matter of bureaucracy. I've seen these sorts of things happen all across the board... I went to a really large university where students of all races were forced to do ridiculous things to prove themselves because of mistakes that happened within the system. My friend (who is Caucasian) was kicked out of the university because of an administrative error. She was forced to go to a semester of community college before they readmitted her (to prove that she could "function on a university level"), even though she had As in all her university classes prior to the administrative screw up.
The person who made this Lori girl take the test was probably just following some stupid bureaucratic protocol because it was her job. It's stupid, but it's not racist. I don't like the idea of putting the "racist" label on everything just because it's a crappy situation... all it does is make it look like we play the race card for every problem we encounter, and people won't take it seriously when we want to call "racism" on something that's actually racist.
I agree with Tien; I honestly don't think this is a matter of racism, it's a matter of bureaucracy. I've seen these sorts of things happen all across the board... I went to a really large university where students of all races were forced to do ridiculous things to prove themselves because of mistakes that happened within the system. My friend (who is Caucasian) was kicked out of the university because of an administrative error. She was forced to go to a semester of community college before they readmitted her (to prove that she could "function on a university level"), even though she had As in all her university classes prior to the administrative screw up.
The person who made this Lori girl take the test was probably just following some stupid bureaucratic protocol because it was her job. It's stupid, but it's not racist. I don't like the idea of putting the "racist" label on everything just because it's a crappy situation... all it does is make it look like we play the race card for every problem we encounter, and people won't take it seriously when we want to call "racism" on something that's actually racist.
uumm.....i think that in this situation, you really do have to choose your battles wisely.
For this lady mentioned in the article, a first gen of immigrant parents, does she have the financial and social backing totake this action? She is so young , with so much to lose. And not much to fall back on. The article states her parents cant speak english fluently, so im guessing they work in low wage occupations.They will struggle to get the money for her college if she doesnt receive the scholarship.(which she is jeopardising by taking this action)
then, with no money for college, how can she graduate? how can she succeed? aint no one gonna respect you if you are poor without qualifications, or unemployed.
I think she needs to swallow her pride, take the goddamn racist test, graduate college with honours and get a really high paying job, make as many connections and money as possible. Show all those muthafckers. Then when she has money, power,influence, networks, she can make a more substantial long term changes to school policy, and even effect local government/or even run for localgovernment/school boards.
Right now, i think she cant win. Sure its rightous, but why lose today , when you can win tomorrow? "10 years is never too late", She can win later, and help more people on the way i think. Backing down now isnt losing.Its just a strategic plan. She will come back more stronger and powerful , once she has college education and secure employment/financial security.
uumm.....i think that in this situation, you really do have to choose your battles wisely.
For this lady mentioned in the article, a first gen of immigrant parents, does she have the financial and social backing totake this action? She is so young , with so much to lose. And not much to fall back on. The article states her parents cant speak english fluently, so im guessing they work in low wage occupations.They will struggle to get the money for her college if she doesnt receive the scholarship.(which she is jeopardising by taking this action)
then, with no money for college, how can she graduate? how can she succeed? aint no one gonna respect you if you are poor without qualifications, or unemployed.
I think she needs to swallow her pride, take the goddamn racist test, graduate college with honours and get a really high paying job, make as many connections and money as possible. Show all those muthafckers. Then when she has money, power,influence, networks, she can make a more substantial long term changes to school policy, and even effect local government/or even run for localgovernment/school boards.
Right now, i think she cant win. Sure its rightous, but why lose today , when you can win tomorrow? "10 years is never too late", She can win later, and help more people on the way i think. Backing down now isnt losing.Its just a strategic plan. She will come back more stronger and powerful , once she has college education and secure employment/financial security.
Good that you have picked up English so quickly. I don't think yo need to have an ounce of that girl's grit as the test has nothing to do with racist.
Good that you have picked up English so quickly. I don't think yo need to have an ounce of that girl's grit as the test has nothing to do with racist.
I don't think that it has to do more with race than it is with ethnicity... I think that there would be an equal amount of outrage if the said Italian, German, or French immigrant would have had a command of English and would have been told he needed to take a English proficiency test in order to graduate.
Lori, the girl in question, felt that her grades and academic record made it clear that her proficiency in English did not need to be gauged. Just because English was not the main language spoken at home, she was being made to take the test, a fact that is separate from her self-ability to speak and write in a English!
If anything, this situation just highlights the education system's inability to account for and acknowledge multilingual households. It's surprising as in a school system that encourages and provides for secondary language education in languages like Italian, French, and Spanish, those who are native speakers of another language are being penalized and automatically viewed as needing extra instruction.
I don't think that it has to do more with race than it is with ethnicity... I think that there would be an equal amount of outrage if the said Italian, German, or French immigrant would have had a command of English and would have been told he needed to take a English proficiency test in order to graduate.
Lori, the girl in question, felt that her grades and academic record made it clear that her proficiency in English did not need to be gauged. Just because English was not the main language spoken at home, she was being made to take the test, a fact that is separate from her self-ability to speak and write in a English!
If anything, this situation just highlights the education system's inability to account for and acknowledge multilingual households. It's surprising as in a school system that encourages and provides for secondary language education in languages like Italian, French, and Spanish, those who are native speakers of another language are being penalized and automatically viewed as needing extra instruction.
I'm trying hard to sympathize here, but i don't quite see it..it just happened to be a mark on your record that required you to take the test, and that's all that was asked. It has little to do with race as much as it is just a technicality..had it been a French or German or Italian immigrant who was in your situation, I certainly don't see how it would've been considered "racist" or discriminatory at all.
I'm trying hard to sympathize here, but i don't quite see it..it just happened to be a mark on your record that required you to take the test, and that's all that was asked. It has little to do with race as much as it is just a technicality..had it been a French or German or Italian immigrant who was in your situation, I certainly don't see how it would've been considered "racist" or discriminatory at all.
I was born and educated in Canada. When I was in first grade I had to take an English test to prove my proficiency in English. All the students who weren't Caucasian were selected to take this test. I was too young to realize what was going on at the time, and when you're in first grade, being asked to read at a first grade level is much less insulting. Still, I wonder why educators feel the need to single out students who can communicate in more than one language when there are students who don't have a solid grasp of the one and only language they know.
I was born and educated in Canada. When I was in first grade I had to take an English test to prove my proficiency in English. All the students who weren't Caucasian were selected to take this test. I was too young to realize what was going on at the time, and when you're in first grade, being asked to read at a first grade level is much less insulting. Still, I wonder why educators feel the need to single out students who can communicate in more than one language when there are students who don't have a solid grasp of the one and only language they know.
And on another note: They offer TRANSLATION? I know some people who are native English speakers who would need that...
And on another note: They offer TRANSLATION? I know some people who are native English speakers who would need that...
I admire Lori's stand. I for one would have rejected taking the test if they asked me to take it. Such regulations and the situation just ignores the fact that a large number of children can be proficient in more than one language. In my college-prep school in Puerto Rico, the school made every Senior take the Spanish language AP exam, mostly because it was a clear joke as most of the students spoke Spanish fluently, but might consider their native language to be English in their household. For me, that test fulfilled all of my secondary language requirements for undergrad.
Personally, when answering the questions about being a native speaker,I always view it in either technicalities or reality. Technically, Spanish is not my native language, but realistically, I spoke better Spanish than my Cantonese or Mandarin. My brother took the TOEFL before applying to college, but I exempted myself with a good score on the SAT. I remember being completely against taking the TOEFL, and would have refused if asked to take it.
I admire Lori's stand. I for one would have rejected taking the test if they asked me to take it. Such regulations and the situation just ignores the fact that a large number of children can be proficient in more than one language. In my college-prep school in Puerto Rico, the school made every Senior take the Spanish language AP exam, mostly because it was a clear joke as most of the students spoke Spanish fluently, but might consider their native language to be English in their household. For me, that test fulfilled all of my secondary language requirements for undergrad.
Personally, when answering the questions about being a native speaker,I always view it in either technicalities or reality. Technically, Spanish is not my native language, but realistically, I spoke better Spanish than my Cantonese or Mandarin. My brother took the TOEFL before applying to college, but I exempted myself with a good score on the SAT. I remember being completely against taking the TOEFL, and would have refused if asked to take it.
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