OC HIGH STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS...
OC High asks: Are different ethnic groups on your campus comfortable with one
another? Why, why not?
“I think different ethnic groups are respected, but they are not really integrated. It is not so much formal segregation but more of a de facto segregation.”
Vanessa Mason, 17
junior, University
“Certain groups only associate with themselves. They don’t know how to associate with each other. Not being around other groups make you ignorant and on edge.”
Courtney Knapp, 17
junior, Westminster
“No, just recently there were several confrontations involving students of different ethnic backgrounds. I believe that racism is far from dead, so long as there are narrow-minded members of the school community.”
Peter Mudge, 16
junior, Villa Park
“I think that within our school, different races can get along together. However, different races have their own groups that they hang out with. They really don’t associate with each other that much outside the classroom.”
Vicki Romano, 18
senior, Marina
“I think they get along. I have a lot of friends with different backgrounds. I think you can always find tension if you’re looking for it, but most people are willing to look beyond racial background.”
April Whitacre, 17
junior, Aliso Niguel
“I never see the different races together at lunchtime.”
Erin Powell, 18
senior, Capistrano Valley
“Different ethnic groups are definitely not comfortable with each other. Racial slurs, fighting is everywhere. Even though people may talk, there is still tension.”
Maggie Beard, 16
sophomore, Edison
“I think they are. The present group of students has been going to school together since kindergarten, so we’ve been in a diverse environment all our lives. We didn’t notice our differences back then, and we still don’t. To the vast majority, ethnicity doesn’t matter.”
Gary Hoggatt, 15
sophomore, Los Amigos
“I think there is tension between some different ethnic groups. I feel uncomfortable when I’m in a situation where kids are speaking a language that is Greek to me. It gives me a sense of insecurity in that I don’t know what they’re saying; they could be talking about me and I wouldn’t know.”
William Burkett, 17
senior, Ocean View
“No, they hang out in different places and hardly associate with one another.”
Paul Main, 17
junior, Huntington Beach
“I don’t think different ethnic groups on campus are completely comfortable with each other, because one can’t force a community to integrate that isn’t ready to. I don’t feel the majority is truly ready to accept change or integration.”
Elethea Locke, 17
senior, Marina
“Basically, it seems that everybody gets along. It’s rare that people get into fights over being a different race.”
Micheline Jubert, 15
freshman, Trabuco Hills
“I think for the most part the different ethnic groups put up with each other pretty well and get along together.”
Justin Donovan, 18
senior, Santiago
“John might be African American, and Joe might be Caucasian, and they might get along, but that doesn’t mean that every African American gets along with every Caucasian. You can’t judge and stereotype any particular ethnic group.”
Betty Kim, 15
sophomore, Fountain Valley
“I think the ethnic groups are still noticeably separate, yet we all get along. It is natural for ethnic groups to stay with themselves.”
Barb Demman, 17
senior, Rosary
“Different ethnic groups hang out independently of each other and, for the most part, rarely mix.”
Colleen Tobkin, 14
freshman, Villa Park
“Only when students stop distributing flyers with racial slurs and discriminatory remarks will ethnic groups on campus be comfortable with one another.”
Renee Pan, 17
junior, Huntington Beach
“On the surface level, the groups tend to intermix. But when you examine the smaller groups of friends within, you seem to find that they all have similar nationality and backgrounds.”
Jamie Francke, 17
junior, Aliso Niguel
“We don’t have many ethnic groups on campus.”
Justin McKibben, 18
senior, Corona del Mar
“In my opinion, different ethnic groups get along together very well on campus. Sometimes I’ve heard some negative things, but most of the ethnic groups feel comfortable with one another.”
Jari Makinen, 18
senior, Santiago
“Yes and no. Some people are not tolerant of each other.”
Kim Howard, 16
junior, Capistrano Valley
“I think most kids on campus believe a friendship should be based on personality and values--not race.”
Deneal Farr, 15
sophomore, Edison
“I think that for the majority, yes. Different ethnic groups are comfortable with one another because today we are in a society where we are raised from kindergarten through high school to respect other ethnic groups. We learn in school the differences and the special things about them, and we are taught to accept everyone.”
Kristi Kass, 15
freshman, University
“It depends on who the person is. Most people I know are comfortable with other ethnic groups, but a few of them can’t seem to get along. I think our campus has less racism than many others, but it is definitely there. Some people just don’t like someone who’s a little different, but it seems that the majority get along.”
Jean Lewis, 15
sophomore, Fountain Valley
“I haven’t seen or experienced any racial tension between different ethnic groups, but I believe it exists in our school.”
Renee Sarno, 17
junior, Rosary
“Compared to other schools, they are pretty good here.”
Jake Galasso, 18
senior, Trabuco Hills
“People are comfortable being around each other because they have feelings and are aware of racial tensions.”
Momoko Nakamura, 17
junior, Irvine
“Not as comfortable as they should be.”
Chis Taylor, 19
senior, Corona del Mar
“I’d say that most groups are comfortable with one another, but practically every day I hear racial slanders and generalizations about other cultures. I think it’s a shame that people are so ignorant to insult others on the basis of race, culture or creed.”
Shaun Cochran, 18
senior, Ocean View
Responses gathered by Leeza Duong, Santiago; Koreen Kalie, Westminster; Christine Monette, Rosary; Luke Fenchel, University; Cherie Chan, Marina; Tricia Michels, Fountain Valley; Michelle Pham, Trabuco Hills; Jennifer Tobkin, Villa Park; Joslin Gemsch, Capistrano Valley; David Brinkman, Edison; Judy Tsai, Huntington Beach; Robert Wenzel, Irvine; Julie Kim, Aliso Niguel; Courtney Adams, Corona del Mar; Alison Koodrich, Ocean View; Linda Dao, Los Amigos.
