Speaking out against injustice, stereotypes
Nearly a month ago, the son of one of our colleagues, a secondgrader in Albuquerque Public Schools, was assigned to bring a political cartoon to class. His family had a brief discussion at home about why people create political cartoons and the ways in which they reflect aspects of our society that are both timely and unsettling. His choice for a cartoon was one on immigration. Although he is only 7, he is no stranger to the current debates on immigration reform and border security.
On a summer trip to San Diego, the family drove by high border fences and security checkpoints, and he wondered aloud, with awe, at the efforts to keep people out of the U.S. He had been told of his own family’s history with immigration — the arduous journey, the demeaning treatment, the hard labor and the language and customs his great-grandparents sacrificed in an effort to assimilate quickly. In the post-election climate, many of his classmates talked incessantly about “the wall” — not just the scale, scope and cost of the project but its presumed effect on their families and communities. As educators, we recognize the value of political cartoons and their role in provoking dialogue and reflecting societal concerns and tensions within a democracy. Many of us have used them as effective teaching tools in our classrooms.
However, the cartoon published Feb. 7 in the Albuquerque Journal is one we hope no child would see. Imbued with negative stereotypes and racist overtones, this cartoon did not advance our civil discourse on the difficult topic of immigration. If brought into a classroom, this cartoon would only exacerbate the tensions and anxieties that already exist. Children worry every day about family members who might be deported. Children live daily with the stereotypes that depict their communities as criminal and deviant. These are the same children we hope will succeed in our schools and emerge as leaders within our state and nation.
What should teachers, principals, counselors and others say to students who see and hear these kinds of racist ideas directed at them? How does one work to build students’ sense of self and agency in the face of negative stereotypes? These are not easy questions to answer, but they must be addressed, not only by taking action in classrooms and communities, but by speaking out against injustice.
The Journal depicted Dreamers as criminals, gang members and jihadists, and white Americans as victims. The messages sent through this cartoon do nothing to solve the incredible challenges we face in this state — in education, poverty and health, to name but a few.
We also feel a responsibility to bring a fuller and more nuanced context to these issues. This means reminding people that the enormous surge in global immigration is complex and multifaceted and has been caused, in part, by the actions of other nations and of our own. As educators, our responsibility is to examine the full picture and to help our students do the same.
We ask newspapers to support us in our endeavors to foster critical thinking and encourage civic engagement by addressing these topics in ways that provoke constructive dialogue, challenge overly simplistic representations and respect the diverse groups that compose the city of Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico.
Rebecca Blum-Martinez is professor of language, literacy and sociocultural studies. Katherine Crawford-Garrett is assistant professor of teacher education, educational leadership and policy at UNM.