California Black Media
Bullying in California: In Some School Districts, Black Students are Targeted by Their Latino Peers
On Feb. 16, 2022, a Black student in the Santa Barbara Unified School District was assaulted by Latino students. His attackers called him the N-word and kneeled on his neck while repeatedly chanting the name “George Floyd.” A district-wide acknowledgment of the hate crime was sent six days later. Despite the psychological trauma this student experienced, the school did little to provide him with mental health support.
By Edward Henderson
California Black Media
On Feb. 16, 2022, a Black student in the Santa Barbara Unified School District was assaulted by Latino students. His attackers called him the N-word and kneeled on his neck while repeatedly chanting the name “George Floyd.” A district-wide acknowledgment of the hate crime was sent six days later.
Despite the psychological trauma this student experienced, the school did little to provide him with mental health support.
Connie Alexander-Boaitey, the president of the Santa Barbara branch of the NAACP, says African Americans are often minimized in her city due to being the smallest demographic group.
Alexander-Boaitey spoke during an Oct. 27 news briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services on school bullying.
She was joined by Becky L. Monroe, the deputy director of strategic initiatives and external affairs at the California Civil Rights Department; Dashka Slater, an award-winning journalist and author who has written books about child bullying victims; and Mina Fedor, a young Asian American activist who founded the organization AAPI Youth Rising.
Alexander-Boaitey said the hate crimes and incidents affecting children are all connected to “generational pain” for Black Americans. Primarily, there is “a pervasive calling of the N-word by young Latino students,” she said. “It’s every day. It’s weekly.”
She said that a Black family in Santa Barbara now walks their child to school to protect her from bullying classmates, and another has pulled their daughter out of the school system completely, opting for homeschooling.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District commissioned a survey titled “2023 Anti-Blackness and Racial Climate Assessment and Analysis” that proposed a set of recommendations for addressing the problem.
The hate incidents targeting African American children are increasing across California, according to the NAACP. These incidents, often involving physical violence and verbal abuse, are more frequent as Black families relocate to predominantly Latino neighborhoods.
In Santa Barbara, African Americans make up only 2% of the population but account for the most victims of bullying and hate crimes in the area. At 47.5%, Latinos make up the majority of Santa Barbara’s population followed by white people at 43.5%. According to the local NAACP branch, most of the perpetrators of the bullying and hate crimes are Latino children.
Alexander-Boaitey says she believes the hate incidents are rooted in historic racism and connected to a general desire to make Black people invisible — expressed through one racially oppressed group pushing out another in an attempt to get closer to whiteness.
According to Dashka Slater, 3 in 4 Americans of ages 15 to 25 have run into extremist content online. One in four students between the ages of 12 and 18 have seen hateful graffiti in their schools. About 1.3 million students were bullied because of some aspect of their identity during the 2018-2019 school year, and half of those children were targeted because of their race.
“Some forms of bullying are, in fact, acts of hate,” said Monroe. “Some acts of hate are crimes, while others are violations of other civil rights laws. Some may be lawful but incredibly harmful, nonetheless. We must recognize the civil rights issues at the heart of this discussion around bullying.”
Monroe also spoke about the state law requiring schools to provide all students with a safe environment free of harassment.
“Schools have a legal obligation to ensure that students are not denied opportunities, treated differently, discriminated against, or harassed because of their race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability,” she said.
Studies have shown that students who perpetuate racially motivated bullying don’t necessarily ascribe to racist ideologies but are simply influenced by outside sources or mirroring behavior from their parents or guardians at home.
Alexander-Boaitey says Black and Latino leaders and residents from the area have not formally met yet to resolve tensions brewing between their communities.
“I know this is where the struggle really is,” she added. “We have to actually sit down and have our own conversations. Has it happened? No, it has not happened … What supports it not happening is the erasure culture that says, no, we don’t really need to talk about that, oh, it was just a single incident.”
The state of California provides resources for victims of hate crimes or incidents. Victims or witnesses can report a hate crime or incident https://stophate.calcivilrights.ca.gov/s/
They can also call 833-8-NO-HATE; (833) 866-4283 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. or call 211.
This California Black Media report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 15 – 21, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May May 15 – 21, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 8 – 14, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May May 8 – 14, 2024
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California Black Media
Cinco De Mayo: Five Interesting Facts You Should Know About the Popular Mexican American Holiday
To explore the historical significance of Cinco De Mayo, we step back to the origins of the commemoration, share how some Mexican American Californians regard it and trace how it has morphed into the celebrations we see today.
By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
To explore the historical significance of Cinco De Mayo, we step back to the origins of the commemoration, share how some Mexican American Californians regard it and trace how it has morphed into the celebrations we see today.
Celebrations in the United States began in 1862 in Columbia, California, a small town located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Tolumne County, according to that town’s website.
Today, millions of Americans celebrate Cinco De Mayo annually with 120 official celebrations organized across the United States.
This day has become a cultural point of pride for Mexican Americans and other Latino communities in the United States. It serves as a time to affirm and celebrate their cultures with other Americans of all backgrounds as they highlight their contributions to American history and society.
Joseph Soltero, a Mexican American living in Escondido, shared his perspective on Cinco de Mayo with California Black Media. He learned about Cinco De Mayo from his grandfather and talked about the extent to which his family and San Diego County community celebrate the holiday.
“We knew September 16 was really Mexican Independence Day, but kids in my school would always mistake Cinco De Mayo as our Independence Day. [Cinco De Mayo] is not really even a Mexican holiday,” said Soltero. “It’s something people do to have an excuse to buy drinks, have fun and spend a little money at taco shops.”
Like Soltero, many Mexican Americans (and other Latino Californians) do not take the support and solidarity they receive from people of other races on Cinco De Mayo for granted. They also appreciate when people take the time to learn about the cultural significance of the day and avoid some of the cultural tropes that can easily whisper undertones of racism.
To help raise your awareness about the origins and cultural significance of the day, here are 5 little known facts about Cinco De Mayo:
- Cinco De Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. It is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla. This military victory on May 5, 1862, over the French forces of Napoleon III was hailed as a symbol for Mexican resistance to foreign influence.
- The holiday was not given much historical significance outside of Puebla, and it has not been celebrated on a large scale in Mexico. However, during the Civil War, Mexican Americans in California, Oregon and Nevada who supported the Union drew inspiration from the victory over the French-backed Confederate forces.
- The Chicano civil rights movement in the 1940s gave a new energy to celebration of the holiday in the United Sates as a symbol of national pride.
- In the 1980s and 1990s, beer companies’ marketing strategies targeted Mexican Americans by encouraging them to celebrate their heritage – and Cinco De Mayo –with Coronas, Bud Light, and Dos Equis. This created the perceived connection between Cinco De Mayo, alcohol, and merrymaking.
- Los Angeles hosts the largest Cinco De Mayo celebration in the country.
As we join Mexican American Californians to celebrate Cinco De Mayo next week, let’s deepen our cultural understanding.
Let’s use this occasion to commit to learning more about our neighbors, colleagues and friends of other races and ethnicities.
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
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