Impact of being in the (Anglo) minority at Public School? (Houston: how much, luxury)

[jenamanie]

I was a minority anglo in middle school when I grew up. My parents decided it would be a wonderful idea to send me to a magnet program located in a middle school across town from where we lived. The school was 85% African American at the time.
At first, I resented my parents for sending me there. I didn't know anyone as all of my friends went to the zoned middle school.
However, looking back on it, I think it was one of the best things my parents did. I think it helped me learn a lot of lessons about cultural acceptance and appreciation, tolerance, and empathy. I think that it is important for young people to have the opportunity to interact with those who are different from themselves and come from different backgrounds. I think it can be quite eye opening. I also think this is just an important life skill. It is silly to think one can go through life successfully in a vacuum, without having to learn how to get along with others who may have different perspectives.
Now, I think of my experience as a very enriching one. I think that in the end what does more harm is keeping young people in a bubble surrounded only by people who think, act and dress the same way they do, and who have the same SES, culture, etc.

[jenamanie]

I just think it is beneficial to be able to gain a new perspective. I think being in the minority allows one to see what it is like to be in that position - the good, the bad, and everything in between about it. That is what empathy is...a greater understanding of what it is like to be in another's shoes. That is simply all I meant. Empathy does not equal sympathy.
I also did not mean to imply that any group does not have a culture.
I also would like to say that another great part of the experience was that the magnet program had some top notch teachers. My sister went to the zoned middle school instead and she got away with a lot more slacking than I did, and suffered for it later in high school.
I simply wanted to say that for me, the experience was a good one. I felt it was a positive growth experience for me. I did not mean to start an argument.

[Squirl]

I have been always supportive of my grandkid's parents. They are not especially "young" parents, with a 5 year old and they are in their mid-30's. I was much younger when I had my son and I typically see a lot of thoughtfulness in their decisions regarding their child. The other night I did say to my son that if things don't work out they are lucky to have the option of enrolling her in Butler Elementary. But my son said if they did that, they'd have to send her to private school once she started middle school. His feeling is that sending her to private school puts her in a materially competitive socio-economic world <like what he grew up in?? was that a jab??> and he doesn't want that for his kid. So far he is ok with the school. The operations director and teacher actually came to their house -- they are doing home visits for new students -- and he was really impressed. Parents are supposed to donate 150 volunteer hours per family. My grandkid does her homework immediately when she gets home without prompting, it seems she's interested in the material so far..... again, the main concern on my part is if she will be emotionally impacted in any negative way by being in the minority.

As an adult I worked at a non-profit and I was in the minority and it was fine. But I was an adult.

Jenamanie, I've love to know more about your experience. Did you make friends that you saw outside of school? What happened after middle school, where did you go to HS?

[5stones]

being a "new kids" is always tough. Most kids at that age really don't see other kids as being much different than them (even if skin color is)
I bet by christmas she will have new friends and loving school.

we moved our kids from a township that was 98% white to a town outside DC that was 60%. It was the best thing we ever did for our kids. They learned that kids are all the same...nice, mean, smart, friendly, obnoxious etc... no matter waht color thier skin is. We laughed when my then 8 year old had a party and it looked like a meeting of the mini UN.

She's 5, she will adapt and it sounds like a GREAT school. home visit for new families? Awesome, the public schools administration could probably care less how she was doing etc...

[loves2read]

she won't be impacted negatively unless the adults fall down in their responsibilities and/or overreact

already it seems she has stopped the crying--
don't pre-judge and make problems where they don't--
and I agree with your son--
Middle school in that part of Arlington is not for parents who do want a quality education or students who want to be challenged by the academic side of education
and she is likely to be in the minority there as well--

so better school and minority OR worse school and minority--which one???
easy choice to me...

[Squirl]

UPDATE! Now in the 4th week of kindergarten at Summit International Prep (part of the Uplift Charter school program) I'm so pleased to report that my granddaughter is LOVING IT!!!! She has 3 new BFF's... all reportedly stunning,funny, spunky kids, one of the girls is African American and the other 2 girls are Hispanic. The two girls who are Mexican frequently speak Spanish to each other and my granddaughter now only wants them to speak Spanish to her as well. She is determined to become fluent in Spanish and already is speaking phrases. My son and DIL are delighted, and what makes my sweetie happy, makes Nanno happy!

[hypocore]

That's wonderful to hear and I am so glad you updated us!

[lagreeneyes03]

If your granddaughter is starting this young at learning Spanish, she'll be fluent in no time and that will be a huge asset to her in life. With the global economy being more important and (like it or not..) Spanish being used more widely in any industry she will be at an advantage for the rest of her life. I'm an anglo girl and I learned Spanish very young because I felt like it. It's helped me tremendously in my career and I can say that being billingual has been an advantage for me when being chosen the one to get promoted at my company. The sky's the limit if one is bilingual. Kudos to your family for encouraging it!

[DanielWayne]

Glad everything worked out. For most of my life, I was the only minority in my classroom from about 4th grade til graduation. I was the only brown kid, but overall life was pretty good. Then I went to U. Houston and met people from literally all countries on the globe, and now I go out of my way to embrace people from different backgrounds. I don't think being the minority is a bad thing unless you are at a bad school.

[Austownian]

Squirl- If she is growing up with these people, they will all learn to like each other and I bet ethnicity will play a minimal role. I was a minority in my school and it didn't phase me once. I faced no racism and race never played a big role in my school. I can imagine that growing up with the same 60-or-so people will really cause her to make friends and racism shouldn't be a problem!