“Racism Isn’t a Problem”? Exploring Racism, Colorism, and Whiteness in a Predominately Latine School Community

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Micro/Macro Contexts of Racism (Table 25)

Abstract

White supremacy and racism are deeply ingrained into the institutions and fabric of our nation, permeating our educational systems despite their egalitarian and democratic purposes (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). Much of past research on racism in education focuses on the Black-white binary, examining racialized interactions between white teachers and students of color. But what does this look like outside of this binary and within school communities predominantly composed of teachers and students of color? Drawing on critical race theory and case-study methods, this study directly undertakes this question to examine how, if at all, white supremacy and racism manifest in a predominantly Latine school community. Our findings highlight patterns of race-evasiveness, incidents of colorism, and fear of addressing racism.

Authors

• Jayme M. Albritton, University of California - Irvine

• Julieta Georgina, University of California - Irvine

• Jomar M. Lopes, University of California - Irvine

• Dana Marie Conlin, University of California - Irvine

• Adriana Villavicencio, New York University