Discrimination+Project+Journal

Monday, May 17, 2010 Yesterday we started the Ethnic Project in Ethnic Relations, we were discriminated upon from out teachers and our peers alike. I left first period and ran to second once I arrived Mr. Kunsman saw that I had the Ethnic Star on my chest and made me sit on the floor with my back against the wall and I could not talk to him or anyone else, if students spoke to me I got yelled at and the students got yelled at for "associating with a dirty ethnic." If any papers were turned back to me they were thrown in my direction, if I wanted to move I had to properly ask. Afterward I went to 3rd period Journalism, Mrs. Micija doesnt participate in the project so there were no special rules given to us, we just couldnt speak to other students like you had told us. From there I went to 4th period Visual Communications, when I reached the hallway I was ased for my Identity Papers from Mr. Lillard, after seeing them he threw them on the floor. After I retrieved them I went into Mr. Siniawaski's room and sat and took attendance and was not allowed to speak to anyone, I was told to move, told to give up my chair and to not breath in there direction. Afterward I went to A lunch where I had to sit alone under the stairs and eat, I couldnt speak to any other classmates but the ethnics and I was constantly yelled dirogotory things toward me about being a dirty ethnic and things of that nature. After lunchs everyone knocked over the table chairs and the ethnics had to pick them up and put them back where they were. From there I went to fifth period Mr. Badaki doesnt participate in the project so I didnt have to do anything special during that class period, after that I went to the school store to work during my study hall, here I had to sit on the floor, under the table and wait on any customer that came in. After that I went to Mr. Butler's seventh period where the ethnic girls were not allowed to speak for quite sometime even if asked a direct question we had to stay silent. We werent allowed to look at Mr. Butler in the face and we were constantly called dirogotory things throughout the class period. After that I left to go to Mr. Siniawakis 8th period class where I was asked by Mr. Salensak for my identity papers and after seeing them he threw them on the floor and I had to get them, I then went into Mr. Siniawaski's class put my stuff down and walked back out to the hallway were again I was asked for identity papers but by Mr. Siniawaski this time, after seeing them he threw them on the floor and laughed at me, I picked them up and he asked me a few questions about the project because he has never been exposed to it, after answering the questions I went to add a few more things and he asked me "Did I ask you to talk?" I walked back into the class room and took attendence. Afterward a student came into the classroom and began to talk to me, Mr. Siniawaski directed him to leave the ethnic alone. After working on the project I was sitting in the back of the room by myself and Mr. Siniawaski directed the class to shut the computers down because the bell was going to be ringing shortly, a few moments later he says "Ethnic did you hear me I said turn off the computers." I went around and turned off the computers as directed afterward I picked up all the stools and put them on the table and stacked the chairs, I chose Mr. Siniawaksi as the teacher I have to go to at the end of the day and I have to flip up stool stack chairs and turn computers off before I can leave. After leaving that class I went to walk out the doors right before I was going to walk out I heard Mr. Hornick call my name I walked back and he threw his keys off the second floor and I had to go get them for him. After returning his keys he asked his fellow teachers if they had hand santizer so he didnt have to touch my germs.

Tuesday May 18, 2010 Today has started terrible, I get to school and I go to sit in my directed place, once I sit there I see Mr. Hornick appear on the third floor steps he looks at me and asks me if I'm the only ethnic down there, I reply that I am at that time and he throws his keys off the third floor and I go to retrieve them, I walk back down to sit on the benches were I am directed and I dont speak to anyone. Afterward I come up to my locker get shoved into my locker by a fellow student and called dirty ethnic throughout the hall. I report to Mr. Kelly's class and sit on my knees at attention and instantly I began to fill sick to my stomach. We sit at attention for about 10-15 minutes and Mr. Kelly takes attendance throws our things around takes our bags and puts them in the back and told us we could get them at the end of the day. We again had to sit there on our knees and we were then told that we could gain points back by snitching on those who broke roles. Instantly everyone began to point out everything each other was doing wrong and we all had guilt on our voices because we generally didnt want to do that because we were all friends but we had to. Once Mr. Kelly took attendance and threw any of our belongings that were on the desks off he assigned us our places, we were all set apart from each other and could not sit in a seat we had to sit on our knees, straight up and not talk, we were constantly snitching on each other blurting out every roll broken. After that class I had an early dismissal and left. I had things I had to do at home as well I had to do several loads of laundry make sure that the house was at least presentable and my room had to be spotless without that I was not aloud to leave.

Wednesday May 19, 2010 absent

Thursday May 20, 2010 absent

Friday May 21, 2010 Field Day

Monday May 24, 2010 This day started out with me again sitting at the benches below the staircase, I didnt talk to anyone because I was kind of concerned that Mr. Kelly was going to be at the rails at some point watching. Nothing happened downstairs not even any slurs, I walked up to my locker once the bell rang got called a dirty ethnic a few times and I went to tell my homeroom teacher that I was here. Before I left she called me back and requested to see my identity papers and then I was sent on my way. I went to Kelly's class and postponed entering the room because I was really nervous about loosing points or doing something wrong. I eventually entered and crawled to the front of the room and sat on my knees at attention and waited for direction, the anouncments came on and they needed me to go down to the commons area, I went down and filled out a survey then came back. I brought a pass and handed it to him but missed five points because I had a pass and he doesnt accept Ethnics' passes I then missed five points because I didnt have work record on the back of my papers. We then began to watch Shindler's List and the bell rang shortly after that. I went to Mr. Kunsman's English class and couldnt go into class until everyone was in the class, once I was in I couldn't talk to anybody and I had to sit on the floor by myself. After some time we needed to use the computers and I was allowed to go over and use a computer to do my assignment. After Kunsman's class I went to Mrs. Micija and she didn't do anything to me so I just worked on my school work. In Mr. Siniawaski's I had to take attendance and once I sat down I couldnt touch anyone and everyone basically discriminated as usual. After that it was lunch I had to wait for everyone to get there food before I did, once I did I went and sat with the other ethnics under the stairs and after eating I threw my lunch away and sat back down to talk. Awhile later once everyone had finished eating Mr. Ginther had Shaquelle Israel, Chrishod Israel and myself to come over to the tiger rug with him. He began to explain to us how he works very hard for his money and every pay taxes and other costs are taken out and given to us, that all we know how to do is reproduce and were attempting to ruin the American culture because we do not speak English and are taking American jobs. He told us that we were even trying to ruin the Star Spangled Banner so now we would have to sing it to everyone in order to show some form of respect. We began to sing as everyone got silent and locked there eyes on us, we sang sort of quiet and Mr. Ginther yelled at us several times to be louder until we eventually messed up and forgot some of the lyrics. He yelled at us some more for being uneducated and not knowing anything, he then said he would give us the lyrics in our language so that we would have no excuse not to know the words and we could then sing better, but of course in English. He gave us a piece of paper and the lyrics were in Spanish so it did nothing for us but get us into more touble, he told us if we could not perform the task he would tell the athorities. We got through it ok mumbling through the parts we were unsure of, which was only a few small words and we sang loud and clear enough in order to stay out of trouble. The singing performance was embarrassing and completely terrible, everyone was stared at us and it was something we wanted no part of, we were all nervous and felt very uncomfortable. After that Mr. Ginther came and explained to us that it sort of related to illegal immigrants and how it makes people feel how America feels about them and things like that. It put in perspective how they must feel and how weird it must be for them.Afterward I was in Mr. Budaki's he didn't do anything to me in that class and just continued on his way of doing things. Sixth period is my study hall and again nothing happened, it was just the norm. In seventh period Mr. Butler had given us our right to talk again becuase it just simply wasn't as good without us talking, we did an activity and then we went to eighth period. In Mr. Siniawaski's eighth period we were working on projects and I wasn't to speak unless spoken to, Mr. Lillard came in and said he had things for me to do before I left that day and to come over whenever I had free time. I worked on my project for a few more minutes and went over, I asked him what he needed me to do and he had told me nevermind I coudln't do what he needed anyway and to leave. I went back continued to work and before I left I had to shut down all computers, stack chairs and stools then get permission to leave. I went home that day and I had to do all the laundry clean the house and my room, later on that evening I wanted to leave and my dad told me that I would have to play ball with our dog before I left, I hated the idea but did it anyway.

This whole experience was pretty eye opening to how it feels to be discriminated on on a regular basis, you feel generaly just dirty although you know it's just a project it's a weird feeling. The students became mean and the teachers enflicted punishment for simply being an ethnic. The fact that it was an out of school project as well made it hard I always had to make sure I had the star where ever I went and often got looks because it was a weird confusing thing that I had on and no one understood, so it was uncomfortable always standing out that way whether people knew why or not. Everyone took part in making the project be worth what it was and pounding this idea into our heads that we were dirty no good ethnics, we had no mercy and everyone made sure we knew we were below them by throwing there things and making us pick them up or forcing us to move or give up our seats, little things like that made the project hard at times and frustrating because you had to do it but overall very powerful. The things I had to do at home weren't fun, I'm used to doing some laundry and cleaning a little but never to the extent that I had to this time and knowing there was no way of getting out of any of these duties. Anytime I wanted to leave originally I'd grab my car keys and say bye as I walked out of the door but now I had to make sure every job was done and they didnt need anything else, anytime I complained they said they would inform authorities of complaining about work and there was nothing I could do.