In February of this year, an eleven-year-old student in Texas ended her life after she was bullied about her family’s immigration status. Classmates told the young girl that her parents would be deported and she would be alone.
School attendance for children who are immigrants has dropped across the country. At a school in Jefferson County where the rate of Hispanic and Latino students is over 40% a teacher states that attendance is down, and some students return in the afternoon only after learning that ICE officials have not shown up in the morning. Imagine trying to succeed at school while constantly worrying about being deported, your family being deported, or having other students threaten “I’m going to call ICE on you.”
Bullying of Asian children increased during the pandemic. Muslim students reported a large increase in bullying from both teachers and students in 2016 and later. Increases in racial bullying follows the news cycle and is incredibly detrimental to populations of children who may already be struggling.
Being a child in today’s world comes with immense challenges. Life moves at an overwhelming pace, and with constant digital connectivity, the struggles of adults inevitably impact our children. The window for simply being a child seems to be shrinking. For those who don’t fit societal norms—especially immigrant and refugee students, or even those who simply look different—the burden is even greater. These children face bullying at alarmingly high rates, making an already difficult transition even more painful.
Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners. It can also be the belief that people from other countries are inferior or a threat to society. There are many historical examples of xenophobia including the Holocaust, Apartheid in South Africa, the Rwanda genocide, and Japanese internment camps in the US during WWII. Millions of people throughout history have be severely abused, humiliated and murdered due to the notion that one culture, religion, or race is superior to all others.
In times of unrest, it is especially important to take a stand and support those in need. It is an opportunity to grow and assist others. We can take time to see we are all more alike than we are different from each other.
There are many ways that we can take a stand against racial bullying and xenophobia. Here are a few:
1. Celebrate diversity
2. Celebrate other cultures
3. Call out bigotry and hate speech/call out bullies
4. Talk to children about kindness and respect
5. Encourage children to respect differences
6. Model inclusive behavior
7. Challenge stereotypes and myths
8. Become an ally
9. Become educated
10. Act in solidarity and support human rights movements and organizations.
By using these ideas, we can all take an active role in fighting against racist bullying and supporting a more inclusive and respectful society. Let’s commit to making a difference, one step at a time.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
