How Dutch Youth Without "Blue Eyes, Cheese, and Clogs" Experience Everyday Racism in Schooling

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Eight
  In Roundtable Session: Antiracist Educational Research for Social Transformation (Table 1)

Abstract

In the Netherlands, limited research has focused on how minoritized students’ ethnic backgrounds and racial appearances limit their access to equitable learning environments. In this study, we drew upon Essed’s (1991) findings to investigate the contemporary educational experiences of students from nondominant backgrounds. Findings reinforced Essed’s as participants encountered everyday racism within their schools in the: continuous centering of Whiteness and marginalization of the non-White other; persistent obstacles perpetuated by educators that prevented parental participation; and consistent underestimation of students’ abilities by teachers and peers. Findings extended Essed’s as participants described microaggressions related to visible religious expression. As a step toward more just schooling, participants suggest that educators become more aware of minoritized students’ backgrounds and create spaces of belonging.

Authors

• Brianna L. Kennedy, University of Glasgow
  Presenting Author

• Merel Habraken, Koning Willem I College
  Presenting Author

• Suzanne Melfor, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
  Non-Presenting Author