Poly Student Ambassador Blog: Anti-Racist Reading With Paige L. ’23
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By Paige L. '23
During the summer in my sophomore English class, English II: Global Voices, we were assigned to read Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, the successful comedian and talk show host, as well as Pachinko by Korean American author Min Jin Lee. In the books, Trevor Noah reflects on his life as a person of color during apartheid in South Africa, and Min Jin Lee illustrates a Korean family saga during the Japanese occupation of Korea and World War II. Both books portray the perspective of the oppressed during racist historical times. Especially now with conversations about racism in our country, my English class does its part in shaping me as both a better student and person by breaking down the basis of racism and provoking me to consider multiple perspectives of the same story in order to formulate and communicate my own opinions on current issues.
On discussion days, my teacher, Ms. Kenny, usually starts class by asking us to type out our reactions to a certain article, documentary, book chapter, or other forms of media on our class blog site. After, she sends us into breakout rooms on Zoom in groups of 3-4 people to collaborate and voice our own opinions in an attempt to gain different perspectives and possibly find common points with each other. To create a safe environment where all opinions can be shared, guidelines to maintain respectful discussions are expected to be followed which also allows conversations to be more productive and engaging.
As one of my classmates pointed out during a discussion, “History is only told in the perspective of the winners,” which supports why having a different perspective, such as in Trevor Noah’s and Min Jin Lee’s books, can act as a way to escape the preconditioned ideas that our own cultures have the power to instill in us. The structure of my English class has challenged me to think outside of the box about racism, and while that may sometimes be uncomfortable, getting the conversation started and recognizing other perspectives is a step in the right direction.
As a part of a younger generation, I hope that our country can always strive for improvement, but must be able to civilly communicate with others and maintain an open mind to actually create change. It must be my responsibility to become aware of the world around me and adapt accordingly, which is exactly what my English class helps me do. Looking past the grammar, vocabulary, and lessons that my English class provides, my classmates and teacher push me to thoughtfully compose my own ideas, build confidence to stand for my own beliefs, and keep challenging myself and others to always look at the full picture.
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By Paige L. '23
During the summer in my sophomore English class, English II: Global Voices, we were assigned to read Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, the successful comedian and talk show host, as well as Pachinko by Korean American author Min Jin Lee. In the books, Trevor Noah reflects on his life as a person of color during apartheid in South Africa, and Min Jin Lee illustrates a Korean family saga during the Japanese occupation of Korea and World War II. Both books portray the perspective of the oppressed during racist historical times. Especially now with conversations about racism in our country, my English class does its part in shaping me as both a better student and person by breaking down the basis of racism and provoking me to consider multiple perspectives of the same story in order to formulate and communicate my own opinions on current issues.
On discussion days, my teacher, Ms. Kenny, usually starts class by asking us to type out our reactions to a certain article, documentary, book chapter, or other forms of media on our class blog site. After, she sends us into breakout rooms on Zoom in groups of 3-4 people to collaborate and voice our own opinions in an attempt to gain different perspectives and possibly find common points with each other. To create a safe environment where all opinions can be shared, guidelines to maintain respectful discussions are expected to be followed which also allows conversations to be more productive and engaging.
As one of my classmates pointed out during a discussion, “History is only told in the perspective of the winners,” which supports why having a different perspective, such as in Trevor Noah’s and Min Jin Lee’s books, can act as a way to escape the preconditioned ideas that our own cultures have the power to instill in us. The structure of my English class has challenged me to think outside of the box about racism, and while that may sometimes be uncomfortable, getting the conversation started and recognizing other perspectives is a step in the right direction.
As a part of a younger generation, I hope that our country can always strive for improvement, but must be able to civilly communicate with others and maintain an open mind to actually create change. It must be my responsibility to become aware of the world around me and adapt accordingly, which is exactly what my English class helps me do. Looking past the grammar, vocabulary, and lessons that my English class provides, my classmates and teacher push me to thoughtfully compose my own ideas, build confidence to stand for my own beliefs, and keep challenging myself and others to always look at the full picture.
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