HIGH LIFE : Does Your School Suffer From Any Racial Tensions?

Twenty-five years ago this August, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now-famous “I Have a Dream” speech before 250,000 marchers in Washington.

King, the most influential civil rights leader of the 1950s and ‘60s, was assassinated five years later in Memphis, Tenn.

Despite the efforts of King and many others, there still can be found forms of racial and ethnic prejudice in many areas of our lives. Here are some of the responses to this week’s hot topic: “Do you find there is any racial tension on your high school campus?”

Cypress

“Racial tension here at Cypress is pretty low, but it still exists. It often doesn’t come out blatantly; however, a little joke here and there can build up a lot of anxiety in the person who is the object of the jokes.”

--Randall V. Preclaro, 17, senior

Esperanza

“There’s no racial tension here. There’s so many different cultures that they all just blend together.”

--Myla Cortes, 17, senior

Garden Grove

“Until recently, I would have thought that there was no racial tension at Garden Grove High, (but) only a few months ago there was an outbreak of racist propaganda on campus. I believe that the majority of students and teachers at my school accept the truth of racial equality, but there is definitely a small remnant of people who do not realize yet that ‘all men are created equal.’ ”

--Heather Harkins, 17, senior

Mater Dei

“Yes, there is definitely racial tension on campus, where we are an above-average-income school situated in a below-(average) income area.”

--Steve Stanowicz, 18, senior

St. Michael’s Prep

“There exists no severe racial tension on our campus. Up here we must live with each other 24 hours a day. Living with each other gives us an insight on what kind of person one is, not just what color.”

--Dan Browne, 16, junior

Santa Ana

“No, because I think everyone takes each other as is. We have almost every race.”

--Damon Bland, 17, junior

Servite

“Presently, I see no racial tension on campus. I think principal Father Charles Motsko was instrumental in ameliorating racial tensions I noted in my freshman year (1984-85) following an incident involving a Halloween costume contest. White students had dressed up as (Ku Klux Klan) members and had chased a white student costumed as a black. The ‘black’ student ‘shot’ the KKK members with a cap gun. Surprisingly, much of the student body found the action humorous; however, my best friend, who is black, left Servite because of this incident. Father Motsko’s order to discontinue the contest since then and his subsequent actions have squelched any racial tensions.”

--Robert Morissey, 17, senior

University

“It is not blatant, it is real subtle. They’re not going to tell you how they feel. But there are always actions that people do to make you know how they feel. People aren’t going to say what they feel openly, but instead they just label you into different stereotypes. For instance, they’ll say, ‘Gosh, he’s black, he must be a faster runner.’ Or ‘Gosh, she’s Chinese, she must be smarter.’ Or ‘Gosh, this guy’s Iranian, he must have more money.’ So I’d say that school is really not a friendly type of environment for everyone. People will say “hi” to you, but I know that if I didn’t have football and if I wasn’t an open person, I’d be drowned.”

--Roger Sanders, 17, junior

Woodbridge

“Definitely. I am South African so I come from a place where it is totally prejudiced and so I see a lot of what goes on at the schools here, and I compare it to what goes on there. I see how people stereotype South Africans and blacks, and it’s really sad that people who don’t know the truth start rumors.”

--Robyn Solomon, 14, freshman

Next Week’s Hot Topic: “How do you feel about the use of undercover police on campus in an attempt to stop the use and sale of drugs?”

Hot Topic responses gathered by Lynda Kim, Michele Mitchell, Julie Cosgro, Laurene Harding, Tanya Diaz, Jon Kern, Gabriel Saldivar, Anthony DeFalco, Margaret Suchan, Rebecca Leung and Rebecca Evans.