My Teacher is Racist
I Just Got Kicked Out of College
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Dear ABC: "I Just Got Kicked Out of College"
Dear ABC,
I just completed my freshman year of college and recently found out that I have been academically dismissed from the university that I have been attending. I did not meet the minimum GPA requirement to remain a student. I can’t tell my parents. I have an older brother and older sister who both graduated from Ivy League schools, and my brother on his way to becoming a doctor while my sister is making plans for law school. I have always been the black sheep of the family and my dad is always comparing me to my older siblings. Not attending college is not an option for me, and I know that both of my parents would freak out if they found out that I got dismissed. They are going to kill me. Help!
Regards,
Kicked out of College
Dear Kicked out of College,
I assure you that you will live through this- although coming from a line of ambitious, “successful” individuals, it doesn’t seem as though you will. I hate to break it to you, but unless you have the financial means of paying your own college tuition, housing, and living expenses, it looks as though the only choice you have is to tell your parents. The damage has been done. It is likely that they will be generous and lengthy with their lectures of disappointment and disbelief, but in the end, they are your parents. There is nobody in this world that can or will support you as much as the individuals that hold the roof over your head.
That said, what you can do to possibly mitigate the throbbing of your ears once you break the news to your parents about your academic dismissal is this: research your alternatives. Whatever it is that brought you to this point in your educational career, it is apparent that it needs to be changed. This does not mean that you need to become like your brother or sister. You need to find a formula that works for you.
Contrary to popular belief, success in life does necessarily lie in the classrooms of prestigious universities. Perhaps your grades are telling you that you were not the best fit for the school you were attending, or that you were not making the most intelligent lifestyle decisions. Whatever the case may be, things need to change. It seems that if you are still intent on attending college, that community college may be your only option at this point. This does not mean that you will be scorned for the rest of your life by your peers and their parents. You would be wasting your time worrying about what they think anyway. It may not be the ideal situation that you parents had in mind for you, but believe it or not, this is your life.
If you feel that you want to continue at the university you were attending, then I’m sure there are also options for extension education. This also means that you will not have priority in terms of classes, and you will need to be active in researching the open classes, and you will also have to do well in subsequent quarters or semesters to eventually be readmitted into the university. If this is the path you should choose, then you need to have found all of the information that you need for the process. Yesterday.
Have all of your alternative paths routed out before you approach your parents about what happened. If your parents see that you have made the effort to reconcile your situation before you go crying to them with your list of reasons as to why you were not able to remain in school, I strongly believe that they will give you due credit. Be humble, be apologetic, and do your best to respond to your parents’ rage in the most mature and understanding manner. After all, you do consider yourself to be a reasonable and responsible adult, right?
Sincerely,
ABC
Dear ABC: "My Teacher is Racist"
Dear ABC,
I am in the 9th grade and I think that my biology teacher is racist and sexist. She is a white female in her thirties. She doesn't seem to like the Asian girls in our class. Every time I speak up in class to answer questions, she is very sarcastic and condescending, and doesn't seem to care whether or not I am learning the material. She's not like that at all when the non-Asian female students answer questions. Her attitude discourages me from learning, but I don't want to make a big deal and tell the school's administration, because I don't think they will believe me. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Just Wants to Learn
Dear Just Wants to Learn,
I congratulate you. Despite your teacher's bias, you never gave up on trying to understand the material. However, your silence needs to change. Many Asian Americans choose to clamp their mouths shut about personal issues. There seems to be a deeply rooted cultural belief that it is an indication of strength to solve one's own problems and not to impose them onto others. While your silence may be a sign of strength and independence, your parents' tax money is going to waste as your instructor fails to properly perform her duties as a high school teacher. The school administration needs to be informed of such an individual. I am sure that your principal and counselors would not turn a blind eye to your grievances. To strengthen your argument, you should record in writing some specific incidences of when your teacher is sarcastic and condescending towards you. You might also want to ask your fellow Asian students if they feel the same way. Remember, this teacher is not the only racist person you will encounter in your lifetime. If you take the risk in confronting such a person, it is likely that you will have the school administration and your parents to guide you. It is more than just your grade that is the issue here; you are also running the risk of jeopardizing your future if you should choose to remain silent.
Sincerely,
ABC