Racial bullying roils a Philadelphia high school

[cali]

By PATRICK WALTERS
The Associated Press
Thursday, January 21, 2010; 6:32 PM

PHILADELPHIA -- The blocks surrounding South Philadelphia High School are a melting pot of pizzerias fronted by Italian flags, African hair-braiding salons and a growing number of Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesian restaurants.

Inside is a cauldron of cultural discontent that erupted in violence last month - off-campus and lunchroom attacks on about 50 Asian students, injuring 30, primarily at the hands of blacks. The Asian students, who boycotted classes for more than a week afterward, say they've endured relentless bullying by black students while school officials turned a blind eye to their complaints.

"We have suffered a lot to get to America and we didn't come here to fight," Wei Chen, president of the Chinese American Student Association, told the school board in one of several hearings on the violence. "We just want a safe environment to learn and make more friends. That's my dream."

Philadelphia school officials suspended 10 students, increased police patrols and installed dozens of new security cameras to watch the halls, where 70 percent of the students are black and 18 percent Asian. The Vietnamese embassy complained to the U.S. State Department about the attacks and numerous groups are investigating, including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

The New York-based Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund joined the fray this week with a civil rights complaint to the U.S. Justice Department.
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The Philadelphia school district acted with "deliberate indifference" toward the harassment and failed to prevent the Dec. 3 attacks, according to the complaint. It says Asian students' pleas for help and protection were ignored by school employees.

Asian students say black students routinely pelt them with food, beat, punch and kick them in school hallways and bathrooms, and hurl racial epithets like "Hey, Chinese!" and "Yo, Dragon Ball!"

Community advocates repeatedly told school and district administrators of that bullying, according to the legal defense fund's complaint, which was based on accounts and statements by unidentified students and teachers.

Black students say they all are unfairly being blamed for the actions of a few.

"They just want to look at everybody" for blame, said Ali Bailey, 15, a sophomore. "That's not cool."

Principal LaGreta Brown, the school's fourth principal in five years, was cited for a discriminatory attitude, particularly for referring to the advocacy groups' efforts as "the Asian agenda." On the morning of the attacks, the complaint says, she escorted about 10 frightened Vietnamese students past a large group of youths on a sidewalk.

"If you are afraid, then I will walk with you," the advocacy group says she told the students. But she soon walked away and returned to school, the complaint says, and the Vietnamese students were assaulted by 40 students, most of them black.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/21/AR2010012104001.html

sad and disturbing story

[vadawg]

1. people seem to always assume that the only racists are white and wear hoods

i see enough racists in all the colours every day to make sure that i dont think that....

[CreekDog]

3. most people know that any idiot of any color can be prejudiced

and act like thugs and goons.

victims should be protected and the behavior should be dealt with in a strong manner.

[vadawg]

5. yup but you know as well as i do, there is a blindness to racism when its practiced by minority

groups...

[meow2u3]

12. A racist is a racist. A hate crime is a hate crime.

I don't care what color the racial bully is--white, black, yellow, purple, polka-dotted, or striped. Those bullies should be locked up for ethnic intimidation (Pennsylvania's legal term for a hate crime) because their attitudes toward the Chinese kids were blatantly racist.

It's high time to end this double standard of racism where only whites are stereotyped as racists, but minorities can get off scot-free when they show racist attitudes--even when one minority shows prejudice against another. Hold all racists accountable and call them out on their in-your-face racism!!

[Mopar151]

6. Got that right! And it's not just race, especially in high school

In this case, need an Asian undercover cop for a week or 2.
And I would highly reccomend the SPLC "Teaching Tolerance" program - which is free to the schools, and teaches respect for all cultures.

The principal should spend a week or so in Quebec City - that might straighten her up about how it feels to not speak the language, and be treated rudely for it. (Most French Canadians speak English - but they prefer French. Apoligizing in advance for being a stupid American helps a LOT)

[Union Yes]

2. That principle should be fired and equality is never an 'agenda'. knr for the heads up. nt

[cali]

4. Yeah, the principal sounds like a dolt

someone who just doesn't want to deal with the problems her school is facing. Time for the 6th principal in as many years.

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. It's the era of 'rent-a-principal'.

The political class calls it "reform".

>>>>>>Time for the 6th principal in as many years>>>>>>

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. I believe this:

>>>>>Asian students say black students routinely pelt them with food, beat, punch and kick them in school hallways and bathrooms, and hurl racial epithets like "Hey, Chinese!" and "Yo, Dragon Ball!">>>>>>

I also believe this:


>>>>>Black students say they all are unfairly being blamed for the actions of a few.>>>>>>


I *absolutely* belleve this:


>>>>school officials turned a blind eye to their complaints.>>>>>

The human comedy rolls on. 'Cept it ain't so funny.

[cali]

8. Absolutely.

At this point most of the blame for this situation rests squarely on the shoulders of the administration.

[tblue]

9. Horrible! I am black and Asian.

I know what this is like. My elementary school was like 70% black and 30% Latino. I used to get beat up by the black girls for being different. My sister, too. It was vry scary. I would yank my child out of a school if that was going on, but of course, most people do not have that option. But the school needs to immediately implement a serious zero tolerance policy. They should mandate schoolwide sensitivity training. The principle should be fired and the Asian students must be provided physical protection (escort) if they want it. I know funds are tight everywhere, but people die in situations like this, and safety at school should be the highest priority. Who can learn in that envirornment?There's a lot a creative principle could do leveraging the community, including parents, and social service groups in the area. But, above all, the Asian students' right to feel safe sn be safe must be protected. Stupid principle. I'm sure she has her side of the story, but you don't abandon children who run to you in fear.

[cali]

11. Thanks for your perspective on this

you're right about the bottom line: "you don't abandon children who run to you in fear".

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. One of my daughters went through something like that when we returned to the US

Turned out the solution was violence. She was set up for a beat down but beat all of her attackers handily. No one ever touched her again.

She is also mixed race.