Background Info: I'm a half-white and half-Mexican girl, but I'm often perceived to be completely Mexican.
Situation: It's the beginning of my junior year in high school, and I walk into the career center to see about information on potential universities, scholarships, etc. As I walk in, the counselor looks up at me and says "The tutoring center is across the hall." I mention to her that I'm actually here to pick some information on college, and by the look on her face, she is surprised. So without asking important questions like, What kind of college? Where?, she hands me some pamphlets on nearby community colleges. Looking at the pamphlets, I think to myself, "I'm one of the top students at this school, shouldn't I be getting more options other than Mt. SAC and Chaffey. Where's the colleges like UCLA, CSU-Long Beach, etc.?"
- Would this interaction be different if I was different race?
- Has this ever happened to you?
- Please share your thoughts and questions about the impact teacher/counselor stereotypes have on students' expectations of themselves and their attitudes about school achievement.
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