Is your school diverse?
L.A. Youth asked several of its staff members to tell us about the diversity (of lack of it) at their schools. “I don’t think so because I think diversity means coming from different places and not knowing what someone else is going through. People at Locke are all going through the same struggles, being a […]
<< Diversity is more than race
L.A. Youth asked several of its staff members to tell us about the diversity (of lack of it) at their schools.
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“I don’t think so because I think diversity means coming from different places and not knowing what someone else is going through. People at Locke are all going through the same struggles, being a minority living in a gang-infested place, not having the greatest materials.” Frank Reed, 16, Locke HS #3 |
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“My elementary school was all Latin people. Compared to my elementary school, my high school is diverse: Hispanics, Asians, Armenians, Bengali. It’s fine if there’s diversity but if you’re not going to interact I don’t see the point. I try to mix with everybody. I have Armenian and Filipino friends. In my English class, when we have discussions I enjoy hearing different viewpoints. Diversity matters but only when you make an effort to talk to people from other cultures and find out the way they live.” Roxana Ontiveros, 16, Bravo medical magnet HS |
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“My school is not very diverse. Racially, the majority of students are Hispanic. Economically, we mostly come from working-class families. Our parents usually leave for work in the morning and don’t come home until after we’re done with school. I’ve been to L.A. Youth and leadership programs with students from other cities. Those are really diverse because it’s like a melting pot of students. We come from different races, families, schools, social classes and experiences—unlike my school.” Adrian Rios, 17, South El Monte HS |
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“In February we had the Western Association of Schools & Colleges come to our school [for accreditation]. One of the things they really liked was the diversity. Everyone is really mixed. My group of friends is diverse not just in culture but in religions too. One of my best friends is Buddhist. Other friends are Jewish, Catholic and atheist. Our cultures are different and I really like that because I get to experience their culture when I go to their houses.” Jessica Marin, 16, Culver City HS |
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“I go to a performing arts charter school. Kids come from all over. I think we’re diverse ethnically but also in what we believe in. There are a lot of gay and lesbian students. Others are straight but everyone’s accepting. I think that’s really cool. Some of my closest friends are bisexual. I think we have that common link of performing arts but from that stems everything else. We thrive off the differences we all have.” Kiera Peltz, 16, Charter High School of the Arts—Multimedia and Performing (Van Nuys) |
