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In world of racial diversity, what is 'white'?
Caucasian students seek to define their culture, heritage
San Francisco Chronicle
December 8, 2003
The other students call her "white girl."
Justine Steele is a senior at Independence High School in San Jose, a sprawling campus of 4,054 students where 8 percent are Caucasian. Forget the numbers. "Look around," she says. There are Indians and Vietnamese, Mexicans and Filipinos.
Here, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes stands out.
"During multicultural rallies, when there are Indian dancers and Chinese dancers, it's a little strange to not have something, or someone, representing me," says Justine, 17, her voice growing pointed as she speaks. "I realize that outside of San Jose -- when you watch movies and television, when you read magazines -- whites are still the majority. But at Independence, I'm not."
It's a delicate situation, and Justine knows it. She's a minority on campus who's otherwise in the majority nationwide, a demographic shift especially prevalent in many schools in Santa Clara, Alameda and San Francisco counties where Caucasians, in the past three decades, have been a shrinking population. It's an indication of things to come, with implications for the next generation. Though whites as the minority is unique to California and the Bay Area now, census figures show it will soon be the reality in many regions of the country. So in discussions outside and inside the classroom, when the words "diversity" and "multiculturalism" are tossed around, there are those like Justine who wonder -- either loudly or quietly -- where they fit in.
...
Some white students assimilate, which in high school-speak translates to "acting black" or "acting Asian" or "acting Latino."
Some, like Justine, consciously or unconsciously self-segregate.
...
Full article -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/12/08/MNGRD3IDDE1.DTL
Caucasian students seek to define their culture, heritage
San Francisco Chronicle
December 8, 2003
The other students call her "white girl."
Justine Steele is a senior at Independence High School in San Jose, a sprawling campus of 4,054 students where 8 percent are Caucasian. Forget the numbers. "Look around," she says. There are Indians and Vietnamese, Mexicans and Filipinos.
Here, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes stands out.
"During multicultural rallies, when there are Indian dancers and Chinese dancers, it's a little strange to not have something, or someone, representing me," says Justine, 17, her voice growing pointed as she speaks. "I realize that outside of San Jose -- when you watch movies and television, when you read magazines -- whites are still the majority. But at Independence, I'm not."
It's a delicate situation, and Justine knows it. She's a minority on campus who's otherwise in the majority nationwide, a demographic shift especially prevalent in many schools in Santa Clara, Alameda and San Francisco counties where Caucasians, in the past three decades, have been a shrinking population. It's an indication of things to come, with implications for the next generation. Though whites as the minority is unique to California and the Bay Area now, census figures show it will soon be the reality in many regions of the country. So in discussions outside and inside the classroom, when the words "diversity" and "multiculturalism" are tossed around, there are those like Justine who wonder -- either loudly or quietly -- where they fit in.
...
Some white students assimilate, which in high school-speak translates to "acting black" or "acting Asian" or "acting Latino."
Some, like Justine, consciously or unconsciously self-segregate.
...
Full article -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/12/08/MNGRD3IDDE1.DTL
