Responding to Racism

As the world and our community look at how to respond to racism, we can use this space to share articles and other resources.

Email from Tyus Sheriff

Sun, Jun 14, 6:29 PM (5 days ago)

to Myles, Kurt, Frances

Dear SOIS Administration,

This is an email regarding our school’s response to racism and discrimination. As an international school, SOIS is uniquely situated when it comes to issues like racism. Our school community is more diverse than typical Japanese high schools and with that perhaps comes a tendency for more open-mindedness. This can be observed in our school’s participation in events such as Rainbow Week, which I believe sends a clear and positive message to students that they have the responsibility to accept and understand others, even if they might be “different” from them. While, in many ways, SOIS does a good job of uplifting such principles, when it comes to racism, there is still far more that the school can and should do.

A quick disclaimer: while I am talking about "SOIS" as a school, I can only reflect on my experiences at OIS. I don't know for sure if the same can be said about SIS, but, since the two schools work together under the same mission, I have decided to address both schools in this email.

It should not come as any surprise that racism is an issue at our school. I have heard non-African American students use derogatory slurs such as the “N-word” on numerous occasions, and many students have made remarks or “jokes” that target specific ethnic or racial groups. While it may be easy to think of such moments as “isolated incidents,” they speak to a culture of silence and unaccountability at our school. The truth is that, when it comes to race, SOIS is not that diverse. Our student body is overwhelmingly Asian and white, a fact that leads to students believing that using the “N-word” is okay so long as nobody who is Black hears it and that racism is not an issue that needs to be addressed.

From what I have observed, SOIS does not see explicit anti-racism classes or discussions as necessary because it is an international school teaching progressive curricula — in other words, I believe the administration and teachers are overly idealistic when it comes to what kind of students they are teaching. We must begin to address racism and discrimination as topics head-on. The tendency to view SOIS students as perhaps more open-minded and multicultural than certain other schools is counterproductive; this mindset has, in my view, led the school to believe that teaching and tackling “anti-racism” would be redundant since students would supposedly have already learned such skills on their own, through their everyday interactions. I am sorry to say that this isn’t the case. Our school needs to do more to educate students about racism and the many ways in which it manifests itself.

I was talking to a few students about their experiences with racism at SOIS. Many students have heard their peers use racist remarks and slurs without any response or warning. Since such remarks are often uttered within small friend circles and not within earshot of teachers, I can’t blame the school itself for not taking action. In such cases, the responsibility to call out a friend and tell them to stop using such harmful language falls on us students. However, with very little knowledge and experience learning about racism and, specifically, anti-racism, how are we to expect students to know the proper ways to address such instances of clear racism? A student who has been here at SOIS since Kindergarten couldn’t recall a single class or conversation specifically devoted to the topic of racism. When a school does not explicitly tackle such an entrenched and systemic problem in its classes, how is it at all surprising that some students will leave holding racist sentiments and viewpoints? We can’t expect students to naturally learn these issues on their own. These topics deserve significant, concentrated time and attention.

In line with what I have said above, I have a few suggestions moving forward:

Firstly, that SOIS write to all students, faculty, and parents about how the school views the most recent tragedies, making absolutely clear its stance on racism and discrimination. While our physical distance from the United States may appear to “separate” us from such issues, racism is not contained to one country. It exists everywhere, including Japan. Many other schools and organizations have taken this step, and I don’t think SOIS should choose to remain silent during these times.

Secondly, that the school implements classes, workshops, and assemblies devoted to the societal problem of racism. Any of the conversations I have had about racism in class never stemmed from the formal curriculum itself. They were often discussions that came up and died out naturally. While such organic conversations are necessary, so are structured, concentrated classes dedicated to teaching students the history and mechanisms of oppression, particularly in relation to the Black community. There should also be moments devoted to tying in such issues to students’ immediate surroundings so that they begin to understand how these problems exist in their everyday lives. Without this concerted effort, many students will leave SOIS never discussing or addressing issues like racism, inevitably having to learn the “hard way” about the consequences of their words or actions.

Thirdly, that the school creates a mechanism of accountability for students who use racist slurs or make racist comments. The school’s stance on these issues must be made extremely clear to all students. By creating safe and confidential avenues to report racist behavior and forming specific, strategic ways to implement anti-racism at SOIS, the school will become a stronger, more open-minded community. Once students are effectively taught and educated about racism, there should be zero tolerance towards hate speech. For the students who leave anti-racism classes or discussions unchanged, the school can send a powerful message to students that they must stop using racist slurs by explaining the real disciplinary consequences that may arise. At present, it appears the school has not done so.

Our mission statement calls upon students to become “Informed, caring, creative individuals contributing to a global community”. To be informed and caring, real action by the school to address racism and discrimination must be taken. This means assigning students readings, podcasts, and documentaries about racism, as well as facilitating formal debates, discussions, and classes about such issues. Like anything else, racism can be “unlearned.” If SOIS is to expect students to contribute to a global community, the school has a responsibility to cultivate open-mindedness and empathy such that students will readily engage with people from all walks of life.

There is still so much more work to be done. I hope SOIS uses this as a time to reflect on its own complicity and decide to start taking direct action. While I will be graduating from SOIS in a week, I hope that, as an alumnus, I can be proud of what my school is doing to fight injustices at every turn.

Sincerely,

Tyus Sheriff