Can kids be racist?
The N Word: Turks, Arabs, and Skin Color.
And do I have a say?
Context: Hocam means Sensei in Turkish.
“N*ggers. Lots of n*ggers. They are everywhere there.” Mehmet says as his friend sits back and listens. My ears are on fire, and I’m not sure what to say. I’m only here twice a week. Why bother getting involved? These high schoolers are someone else's problem. I’m just a stand-in until something better comes along—well, someone cheaper.
“N*ggers are everywhere in Miami, too.”
“HEY!”
I shout in my deepest voice. I strike the table as I rise, a big no-no in the teaching world, but I am beyond angry. I can’t let this go.
The class goes silent.
Dead silent.
I’m not as young and strong as I used to be, and the high schoolers all tower over me, even though I’m 6 feet, but fear enters their eyes. I catch myself, take a deep breath, and think hard about what I am going to say.
