Racial discrimination and racism. One could argue that Suzette lack of resources and money in comparison to the affluent. To hate school across town represents an institutional or persistent prejudice that identifies Suzette and the academic institution primarily based on race/ethnicity rather than need.

This reinforces the idea that one is constantly viewed via a racialized pistol. Changing numbers. To negotiate the differences between her town and school and the dominant culture portrayed in textbooks and society, Suzette might discover herself adopting the contextual code-switching behaviors and viewpoints that Dubois discusses developing. She becomes twice as aware as before. Hybridity of cultures. Suzette most likely possesses a hybrid cultural identity that draws from Latina and American cultures due to her bicultural upbringing and experiences. "In this meaning, he wishes neither of the old selves to be lost." (p4). In reality, Suzette wants to maintain her roots in who she is.

However, the uneven resources provided by her institution cause an internal struggle or doubling of self as they push and tug these two aspects of her identity. A feeling of "differentiation."Suzette is probably painfully aware of how she and her community are perceived as other in comparison to the wealthy, white institution because she attends an underfunded, lower-resourced school. Due to her differing points of view, this makes her feel alienated even in her community. Suzette's complex, therefore, serves as a practical example of Dubois' theories of double consciousness.

First I'd like to say that Suzette's story sounds familiar to me. At my school, there are many Suzette's, black and brown students who are mostly taught by white women, some with little or no care/concern if the student is understanding.

In Suzette's case, she is Latina and attends an underfunded school in an impoverished community. She faced many challenges such as a lack of resources, outdated textbooks, no advanced courses, or extracurricular activities. The circumstances Suzette faced made her feel excluded and treated less importantly. These experiences for Suzette made her feel like she didn't belong.

Something that struck me was Suzette's teachers - who are mostly white middle-aged women lacking the necessary experience and knowledge to even connect with the students, noticed Suzette's disengagement, but instead of finding out why Suzette and her peers were disengaged, they assumed the students just lacked interest, had apathetic parents, and a lack of care. Suzette's first language is Spanish yet the school didn't even consider that by offering her some kind of dual language immersion program. This made me see that Suzette's language was not valued at all. This disregard for her language and the use of English in classes contribute to her sense of double consciousness.

DuBois' theory of double consciousness helps me understand what is happening in Suzette's school. She doesn't have enough resources, and her teachers don't understand her or value her language. This makes her feel like she doesn't belong and that her experiences are not important. It also shows me that there are unfair systems in place that are affecting the educational system right here in NYC.

Soc 335/Spring

Padlet 1

In Suzette's sad unfortunate story, there are many students going through similar situations today. Suzette is a Latina but just like black folks we are still considered minorities in society. She attends a secondary school in an economically dispossessed community. Today many of our kids, nephews, nieces, and neighbors' children attend these public schools. With what Suzette mentions about her outdated textbooks and used donations from a white and affluent school across town, many schools are using materials just like this. The same way she compares the wealthier schools across town that do offer AP and honor classes due to them having the resources. Unlike her school not offering such courses because of financial problems and the school being underfunded. We see the unequal educational system and we can compare what Dubois said in regards to “offering double-consciousness as a theoretical framework for understanding the self in relation to the experiences of Black folks. Double-consciousness is about how Black folks identify in relation to white folks’ perceptions and interpretations AND in distinct contrast to those perceptions and interpretations! Double consciousness is a dual awareness of how the white imagination constructs Blackness and how Black folks imagine, define, and construct Blackness outside of the white imagination”. We can say that Suzette was imagining a better educational journey or experience comparing those in a higher society and better opportunities. “Then it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like, mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil”. Dubois caught my attention with this specific sentence because that is exactly how many scholars feel today. Very much alienated from the world and everything that doesn’t look or fit to their everyday accustomed daily lives. Suzette according to the reading was feeling very much different, for numerous reasons. Such as language barrier, her ethnicity, economic dispossession! Which in the view of society already stigmatizes us in a disadvantage before even spoken to as minorities. Sometimes in life our difficult circumstances and situations lead us to put on a mask to fit in and look apart or even feel normal at times. Although we can try to keep up with putting on that mask everyday to please society, we're humans and become tired. A great observation Dubois makes regarding the veil/mask is “I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through; I held all beyond it in common contempt, and lived above it in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadows.” This is what Suzette was trying to do in the reading. Another point Dubois makes here that we can compare is this sentence “The veil, according to DuBois, is a partition that divides the Black and white worlds”. In addition, it divides all minorities or other ethnicities from the white world. The knowledge his people needed was a twice-told tale to his white neighbors, Double aims is about the internal struggle experienced by Black folks to meet the needs, wants, and desires of Black people while also trying or having to to appease white folks’ distorted and misguided expectations. Sadly Suzette in her personal life was experiencing this struggle in school and her life. The white folks in this reading are her judgmental professors who cannot relate or empathize with her. They put students according to their looks, engagement under a low assumption, such as disinterested, apathetic parents, and students who to their knowledge simply did not care. Who were unmotivated, when in fact that was not the issue on the contrary they were having other difficulties like comprehending due to the language barrier. For example in Suzette’s case her first language was Spanish and the school staff showed no interest or care about that. Even after knowing all the courses were given in English, the school still had no language immersion programs to help! Suzett’s demoralization and feelings due to her interactions with her teachers and their personal perspectives she still worked diligently. Even after trying hard but still struggling leads to what happens in society today. Suzette said it perfectly, she reached the point where she was contemplating leaving school, feeling so misunderstood and unseen! In many different cases this still goes on today students dropout of school, professors continue getting paid. Funded schools with rich parents funding them continue to see their students excel in life. One question though: who's taking the time out to help those struggling? Due to poverty, ethnicity, language barriers, or lack of resources. There are so many Suzette’s today who are seeking better but need help.

Now that my sons attend my old elementary school, I see all those teachers that I had begin to retire and I worry that their school will soon lose control of their students.

As proposed by Dubois, the concept of double consciousness is a way to understand how race and identity are perceived in American society. This theory suggests that people of color often feel a sense of "twoness," or the need to balance their personal sense of self with how the larger society views them. For Suzette, this dynamic plays out in her interactions with her teachers, who sometimes view her and her peers as lacking motivation or having disinterested parents despite her efforts to excel academically.  She is determined to succeed, but her middle-class white teachers often place blame on Suzette and her classmates rather than acknowledging the systemic issues that impact their performance, such as underfunding. Teachers must take responsibility for their biases and the reasons behind their perceptions of students like Suzette and her peers. 

Suzette's school has been described as underfunded, and as a result, they have received donated books from a neighboring school. However, this neighboring school is not only affluent but also predominantly white. When comparing the lack of funding for Suzette's school to the resources available to her white counterparts, we can see evidence of Dubois's theory of the veil. This veil is a partition that separates the Black and white worlds. We can see it in the discrepancy of updated textbooks between the schools.  This further supports the stance taken by Dubois regarding the veil, which he believed was formulated and perpetuated by white people to uphold injustice and retain resources for their benefit at the expense of the black population.

Additionally, the practice of withholding resources in Suzette's school, as described by Dubois' veil, is mirrored in the lack of experienced teachers. Based on my experiences, many predominantly white affluent schools do not hire teachers with just a few years of experience. Instead, they prefer teachers with many years of experience, as this ensures their students a higher quality of education. A veteran teacher brings with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise, which has the potential to translate into a better quality of education for their students. Unfortunately, Suzette and her peers did not have access to such teachers. This argument highlights the imbalance of power and resources between the two groups and the need for reform and equitable distribution of resources for all students.

The school administration and teachers' inability to understand Suzette as an individual reflects the concept of double consciousness. Suzette recognizes the value of her family connections, culture, and fluency in another language. Yet, those in charge of her education see her as unmotivated and lacking a supportive network outside of school. This discrepancy in perception is indicative of a more significant issue of racial and socioeconomic discrimination that many students of color face in schools, and this further widens the gap in the inequality that is seen in American education.

In his article, W.E.B Du Bois argues that those who are oppressed are not allowed to understand their true selves fully but must view themselves through the lens of the dominant culture. He introduces the concept of double consciousness to describe the experience of seeing oneself both as an individual and as others see them. Du Bois explains that African Americans face the challenge of preserving their connection to their culture while navigating the white majority's expectations.

Suzette, who originates from a Latinx background and solely speaks Spanish, has been subjected to stereotypes by her educators. Unfortunately, her teachers have preconceived notions that students of Latinx descent lack interest and are disengaged. It is disheartening that in this situation, the teachers attribute student disengagement to the students and their parents not valuing education.

Looking at Du Bois' theory of double consciousness, Suzette is well aware of her teachers' stereotypes about her. She is aware of the interactions that she has had with her teachers daily. So much so that Suzette is considering dropping out of school; also, she knows what her teachers think about her and her family. On the other hand, she is also aware of herself in this situation. The scenario mentions Suzette as a hard-working and committed student who continues to try her best despite the barriers she faces. These barriers include language, outdated textbooks, and inexperienced teachers. She is well aware of the socioeconomic discrimination that she is facing, and she continues to persevere through it. 

In Dubois's double consciousness, he explains the struggle of the working class. In his writing, "Of our spiritual strivings" he states, "To be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardships."

Suzette's first language is Spanish and not only does her school not accommodate her with the resources that she needs to succeed in school, but her teachers are stereotypical. The teachers see Suzette as apathetic and disengaged based on her ethnicity. When a child struggles with language, it is a challenge to instruct or guide them. Dual language is a must in schools. This is what prepares children for the real world. I currently work with a child whose parents are affected by this, as they are Spanish-speaking. The child is bilingual and has an IEP. It is difficult to assist with all that he needs, especially since where he is lacking, an interpreter is needed to relate to his parents.

Finally, DuBois wanted to be seen as being Negro and American, without being 'cursed and spit upon by his fellows.'

The Barrier that Suzette struggles with is getting the education she deserves without being categorized because of her background. Her teachers do a disservice by making her feel uncomfortable and unworthy. She should be allowed to thrive.

W.E.Dubois spoke about the double standard. "Why did god make me an outcast and stranger in mone own house". I feel like this statement relates to Susan because she suppose to be able to receive an education without judgement and its instead her lack of capalibilites are being used against her.

Double consciousness helps us understand why Suzette is having a lot of difficulty despite working really hard. Being a Latina student in an underfunded school where the teachers can't understand her experiences and are mostly middle-class white teachers, makes it hard for Suzette on a daily basis. These teachers look at Suzette and her classmates as students who are disengaged and don't want to learn.

There are also language barriers that Suzette has to deal with at school because her school doesn't support her first language. She realizes this and it just adds to her struggles in the school.

Even though Suzette has strong connections with her family, she can't help but feel unappreciated because she isn't valued by her teachers. The teachers having negative perceptions of her makes her feel misunderstood and is a huge reason why leaving school has become a consideration. Being aware of how her teachers view her and her family definitely affects her self-esteem and her success in school. 

Suzette's surroundings contribute significantly to her emotional state. She is in a setting that appears indifferent to her success, molding her self-perception and leading her to question the value of her hard work.