White Resistance to Latino Leaders

OALA Conference 2013

John Lenssen

Carlos Perez

Parallels with President Obama

• Not qualified

• Not an American

• Not a Christian

• “You are a liar!”

President Obama was accused of racializing (racism) in response to Trayvon Martin’s killing:

What President Obama actually said: “When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids, and I think every parent in America should be able to

understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every

aspect of this, and that everybody pulls together.”

In small groups, share some stories and examples of white resistance to Latino Leaders.

White resistance shows up in many forms including:

• Subtle– not that experienced– not inclusive– “that’s not the way we do

things here”– won’t be here long– leading in a way that is

uncomfortable for staff– too direct or too indirect– too emotional or not

emotional enough– personal life highly

scrutinized

• Overt– affirmative action hire– does not respect the

experienced white staff– focuses too much on Latino

and bilingual students– reverse racist– not smart enough or skilled

enough– pushing own agenda– not focused on preparing

students for the white world– biased

Racial Microaggressions

• They are brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to people of color because they belong to a racial minority group.

• They involve a pattern of being overlooked, under-respected, and de-valued because of one’s race.

• They are often unconsciously delivered in the form of subtle snubs or dismissive looks, gestures, and tones.

• These exchanges are so pervasive and automatic in daily conversations and interactions that they are often dismissed and glossed over as being innocent and innocuous.

Microaggressions

• Microassault (often expressed in private situations)

• Microinsult (How did you get this job?)

• Microinvalidation (I don’t see color.)

White Consciousness(from Singleton and Linton,

Courageous Conversations About Race)

Color blindness

Universal perspective

Individualism (often accompanied by an unexamined belief in meritocracy)

Avoidance

Decontextualization

Ways to Respond• Direct - name it• Offer another perspective, a counter story• Notice the impact• Ask a question• Follow up conversation• Recommend deeper exploration• Phone a friend• Other responses?

• Silence is not an option!

Skills and Strategies to Respond (Interrupt)

• In small groups, select one statement and create a scenario for it. (You may come up with a different statement.)

• Develop some responses, considering the following roles:– as the Latino Leader – as a Person of Color– as a White Ally

Thank you.

John Lenssen

lenssenj@mindspring.com

Carlos Perez

cperezmax@comcast.net