Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Hidden Suburbia
I grew up in an all white community, went to all white schools, when myself and another family, made up the Hispanic population at my school. I watched people when I was in high school (talking specifically about the negative, and that is not to say there was only negative, because that is not true), and I saw the things that they were getting into trouble with, and I also saw how easy it was for them to get out of the trouble. So when I learn more about urban education, and the negative stereotypes people have about it, it makes me question why people do not see the negative things youths are doing in suburban schools? Answering my own question, I feel that even though many of the same things that happen in suburban school as urban school, suburbia has done an extremely good job of hiding what goes on in their towns. I feel they able to hid it because they have the money to do so, they do not have negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately have, so very little attention is paid to their mistakes. This frustrates me, to know that one group is constantly being seen as “good”, while the other is seen as “bad.” I am curious to know what you guys think, is it fair to same that suburbia has done a good job of hiding their mistakes? This is still a thought I am trying to work out, so please offer your opinions.
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2 comments:
I think it's obviously not fair that suburbia is viewd as this model of what perfect America is while inner citys are shown as hell on earth. It upsets me to see that trend and knowing it will shift with the migration of minorities into suburbs and the majority into the city. Soon the suburbs will be slums and the city will be paradise. It is easier to relate to a child who has misbehaved when we can relate to that child on many levels. It seems that white kids have the trouble they cause hidden..perhaps it is because the authority there can relate to that kid and putting a harsh punishment on them is hard since they share major things in common. It is easier to use the law against a child who's a minority cause they are different and the authority, which tend to be white, cannot relate.
Yeah,I do not think that Suburban schools get the same bad reputation as some inner city schools, but I will have to disagree with the idea that people do not see the negative things that youths do in suburban schools. Also with the fact that they have the money to cover it up. I also grew up in the Suburbs, a predominately all white community, and went to schools where white people were the big majority. My school by no means was able to hide their mistakes or hide the wrong doings that went on there. When something happened it was plastered all over the local newspaper. People knew about the drugs and alcohol going around. All the schools in my area had a reputation for having lots of drugs and alcohol, and fight. So I do not think that it is fair to say that suburbia has the money to cover up mistakes because in a big way this is not always true. Everywhere you go teenagers in general will receive a negative stereotype. I think by no means would people consider the kids in my high school as the "good" ones, over inner city urban schools as the "bad" ones.
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