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An Associate Teaching program at a charter school that serves primarily low-income students of color.
On the application, employer states: "The community and students we serve are diverse, and we are committed to reflecting that diversity in our staff. We strive to have the most diverse applicant pool possible; to that end, we encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply for any position at [___] Charter Schools. By fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, we provide the best educational experience to prepare our students for a future reflective of the world we live in."
They also specify: "When completing your application, please pay careful attention to spelling and grammar throughout the entire application process. Careless errors may disqualify you for a position in our Network."
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So I first apply as my real self. A white, transgender male. Specified that I'm from a low-income background myself and received financial aid at college. My resume: 3 years of work with Jumpstart (AmeriCorps) [2 of these years being in the position of Team Leader], 3 summers with Galileo Summer Camp, 2 semesters of involvement with volunteer teaching at both a 5th grade and 2nd grade class, 10+ years of freelance private tutoring and college application counseling. Graduated from UC Berkeley. 3.7 GPA. Wrote a stellar cover letter and answered their supplementary questions with thoughtful paragraphs detailing my experience and desire for the job.
I get an email two days later and was not invited to a phone interview. Email says: "Thanks so much for applying. Unfortunately, we have decided not to proceed with your candidacy for the current opening at [____] Charter Schools. We received many qualified applicants and have decided to move ahead with another candidate who we feel is a better match for this particular position."
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Fast forward. 11 days later, I decide to do a sociological experiment. I submit an application as DeAndre Shawn. A fictional black male that specifies "he" is from a middle-class background and did not receive financial aid at college. "His" resume: 2 years of work with Jumpstart as a Corps Member only [no leadership position], one single summer at a sports camp. That's it. That's the entirety of it. "He" attended Cal State Dominguez Hills with a 3.4 GPA. "His" cover letter was purposefully filled with minor but ample grammatical and spelling mistakes, and "his" answers to their supplementary questions were brief and error-ridden.
"He" gets an email today, the same day "he" applied: "Hello, I hope that this email finds you well! I reviewed your application for the Associate Teacher position and am excited to set up a first round interview with you. Please let me know some times in the upcoming week that work for a 30-minute phone conversation."
If this isn't racism against white people, I don't know what is. Thoughts?
In my Freshman Sociology class our teacher did an experiment.
Do you remember how the Nazi's and Hitler thought that the supreme race (Aryan race) and that people with blond hair and blue eyes was superior? Well if you had blond hair and blue eyes for the next month you were given special privileges and treated differently than the rest of the class. (If you had blond hair you were treated next best...given some privileges, but not all...if you had blue eyes, it was the same way...but people with blond hair and blue eyes were given extra special treatment and privileges.)
And people with darker hair and eyes were shunned/ostracized in the little experiment.
It was such an eye opener on how it feels to be treated differently because of something as random as
a specific genetic or ethnic trait...and how ridiculous and unfair it is to treat someone differently
because they have a couple of genes that were different. Is that really how we want to Judge/treat people and what does it say about us when we do?
In my Freshman Sociology class our teacher did an experiment.
Do you remember how the Nazi's and Hitler thought that the supreme race (Aryan race) and that people with blond hair and blue eyes was superior? Well if you had blond hair and blue eyes for the next month you were given special privileges and treated differently than the rest of the class. (If you had blond hair you were treated next best...given some privileges, but not all...if you had blue eyes, it was the same way...but people with blond hair and blue eyes were given extra special treatment and privileges.)
And people with darker hair and eyes were shunned/ostracized in the little experiment.
It was such an eye opener on how it feels to be treated differently because of something as random as
a specific genetic or ethnic trait...and how ridiculous and unfair it is to treat someone differently
because they have a couple of genes that were different. Is that really how we want to Judge/treat people and what does it say about us when we do?
How does this relate to my sociological experiment? I am in full agreement that treating someone differently---worse OR better--because of their race is ridiculous. And yet my experiment proves, that at least in some cases such as this particular company, a white person will be treated worse for their race than a black person. Clearly, this was not a meritorious hiring process. The real--white--me has MUCH more relevant experience, leadership experience, attended a more prestigious college, got a higher GPA, actually took time and care to craft my cover letter and answers thoughtfully and error-free, and yet the fictional black person is the one that got an interview.
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