Generation Z & discrimination

Are people in the Charter Oak community affected by racism, sexism or other types of discrimination? Most would probably say it does not exist on our campus, to which I would agree. However, that does not mean some people cannot be offended.

Racism in America has gone down a massive amount since earlier generations and is becoming even more minuscule as time goes on.

Since the Baby Boomers, those born in the ’50s and ’60s, racism has diminished. The next few generations stayed about the same, those from Generation X or Millennials are now today’s workers and parents. The current generation of students of Generation Z, those born in the late ’90s and 2000s, are even less racist than their parents. Racist students practically do not exist in southern California.

To see if kids from Charter Oak have experienced racism, I asked a couple of students some questions.

Junior Carmen Flores said she has never been affected by any form of discrimination at Charter Oak. It is good that our students are in an environment where they can be themselves without any pressure of discrimination.

Junior Christina Bartholomew said that she has been offended in the past by other students at Charter Oak. She said that she was moderately offended by some of the racially insensitive jokes.

It is important to remember to think before you speak, something some struggle with more than others. These days, jokes can be cruel sometimes, and it is important to remember that it can come off as not funny and offensive. Different people have different views and opinions, which can make them more easily offended, even though you might just be trying to say a funny joke.

Living in America feels like there is far less racism because of the amount of diverse culture. Other countries do not have as easy of a time; some countries in Europe have a much worse problem with racism to deal with. There have been many protests about racism in the UK. They have had a big problem with some people becoming “Islamophobes,” due to the recent outbreak of terrorist attacks.

Thankfully we live in a relatively safe space in America, far more open and friendly than most other nations around the world. We the people have helped shape America to be at the forefront of correctness and human rights. Racism is not to be tolerated on our campus, and you can help keep the school racist free by reporting any and all forms of discrimination to any staff.

–Sean Sidwell