Roosevelt Students from Affinity Groups Join RARE Open Discussion

Seven students from Roosevelt’s Black Student Union, Asian Student Union, and Latin Student Union joined a RARE audience for an Open Discussion on Zoom this past May.

For a lively 90 minutes the students shared their insights, experiences,  challenges, concerns, and their successes at Roosevelt. They talked about racial equity issues in the curriculum and in the culture at Roosevelt. And they spoke lovingly of their respective affinity groups.

After the panelists introduced themselves, they were asked to give some background  and purposes of their various affinity groups. “We have space for Black students to be together,” Abby Nganga said of the BSU. “We plan events around Black History Month and Black Lives Matter Week. We invite other students who are not Black students to learn about Black culture and Black history.”

Isabella Olvera Suarez said of the LSU: ”We try to connect with each other. We invite students of other races to learn about Hispanic culture, and to recognize that we have place in this school too.”

Rei Davey struck a similar note when she said, “We (ASU members) try to make a space for Asian identifying students to connect—to be together and talk about  their experiences. And just have a shared environment where we also invite people of different ethnicities to also learn about Asian culture.”

Gauging from panelist comments, the inclusiveness and cultural connections that the students found in their respective organizations did not extend to the greater curriculum and culture at Roosevelt.

“Some teachers are putting more of Black culture in their curriculum and being more inclusive, but most aren’t,” said Kenya Lewin. She lamented that BSU efforts to have some aspect of Black culture woven into one lesson across all subjects did not garner much traction from the staff.

Isabella Olvera Suarez is saddened by the budget-cut loss of an AP Spanish class which focused on Spanish culture. To her, Hispanic culture to a large degree at Roosevelt is not recognized. She said, “A lot of people ignore that we are part of the country’s history and that we have our own history that should be taught.”

Julia Wong, a senior, reveled in her Asian American literature class. “I learned a lot more of Asian history through literature than I ever had in a history class.”

Rei Davey also loved the class but noted its fragility in that it wouldn’t have been taught at Roosevelt had not Ms. Nogi, their teacher, been there. She believed that it is the only Asian American literature class in the District. “To me that’s unbelievable,” she said.

The panelists had plenty to offer when asked about improvements that they would like to see in racial equity efforts at Roosevelt.

All would like to see a more diverse staff. Kenya said, “Roosevelt is a PWI (predominantly white institution). If we’re not there to advocate, it’s not on anyone’s mind. Everybody needs to be aware of those around them and those that don’t look like them.”

Isabella thought that Roosevelt offered an interesting array of extra-curricular activities, but cited the costs for ASB and sports as reasons many of her peers have eschewed them.

She noted that not all students are aware of scholarships for sports and programs. She said, “They see the costs and say, ‘That’s too much’, so they hold back.” Last year Isabella participated in swimming, gymnastics, and water polo.

She was the only Hispanic student on each of those teams.

A major challenge for many students of color at Roosevelt is language. Both Isabella and LSU member Gabriel Avila Avelar lauded RHS’s Multilingual Instructional Assistant, Norma Garcia Aguilar, and noted that without her support success for them at Roosevelt would be very difficult.

RARE associate Fernell Miller asked the students to name one thing that they would ask adults at Roosevelt to do to better their student experiences.

Abby asked for more Students of Color in leadership and decision-making positions. Kenya would ask that teachers get to know their students. She added, “Get to know their backgrounds and interests with genuine care.”  Julia would like teachers to focus on constructive criticism, especially in their feedback on writing assignments. She noted bilingual friends who have come to her for help rather than their teachers.

“I would like more support in classes with Spanish language,” Gabriel said through interpreter Norma Garcia Aguilar,  “and more support learning English. Right now, all I have is Miss Norma and she can’t be everywhere.  I wish that there were more Spanish speaking teachers.”

Isabella would like teachers to know that even though she does speak English, she still needs more help at times.  Viviane Joao, who is likely the only speaker of Portuguese in the school, said that she can speak English and read fairly well. She would ask for more support for her writing.

Rei Davey would ask that teachers be aware that not every student has the same experiences and backgrounds. “Everyone has different challenges.” Rei said. “I think the big one is that everyone learns in different ways. I’d ask that teachers take time to get to know their students on a little more personal level. It makes a difference of how supported one feels.”

The panelists spoke of their successes at Roosevelt and praised the teachers with whom they connected.  Fernell asked them to speak of the traits of these teachers that brought out the best in them. They responded with words like kindness, openness, willingness to listen, and understanding— especially of who the students are and what they have been through.

All are traits that help grow a more inclusive and understanding atmosphere at Roosevelt.

RARE would like to thank the seven Roosevelt student panelists for sharing their thoughts and insights on an Open Discussion. RARE also is thankful to BSU advisor Ms. Courtney Judkins, ASU advisor Ms. Amy Noji; and LSU advisor Ms. Norma Garcia Aguilar, for their help in getting the students on board for the Open Discussion.