Minority Misconceptions

The challenges of being a student who is a minority

Janae Taylor, Coverage Editor|April 29, 2019

Minority students can often struggle in school because they do not have all of the resources they need.

he definition of a minority is someone who is part of a population different from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment, according to merriam-webster.com. There are a total of 314 minority students at West in 2018 which makes up 16 percent of the student body, according to usnews.com. At this moment in America, there are issues that are occurring with minorities, but things can be different in school for one of color.

Some students have been in a predominantly white school for most of their lives so they may feel comfortable or have a different experience in this environment, while others have moved from different schools where they might have been the majority. So coming into a different area can change how one approaches situations.

“Coming from the city, I’ve seen that out here many minorities do not stick together or seem to care about getting to know their culture,” said junior Charliyaha Meriwether.

A challenge many people face is being put in a stereotype. Many put people into them without even realizing it, and at this school it happens frequently. An often used phrase at this school for African Americans is that if one is not seen “hood” enough then they are “black white,” by that they mean you are black but act white.

“Someone actually came up to me and asked since I don’t talk black if I’m mixed. Like talking black is supposed to be talking trashy, ghetto or illiterate,” senior Perrion Jones said.

Some people think that in order to be a certain race you must act like its stereotype.

“This just shows that not much has really changed, and we are not mature enough to accept that things are different now.” sophomore Ari Jones said. “We are just trying to find another way to create a wedge between everyone.”