Navigating Critical Race Theory and Educational Disparities in Rural America

by Xitlaly Mendoza, AES 340 student

As a daughter of immigrant, agricultural-working parents, I was mostly raised in rural Eastern Washington where many of the topics I have learned in AES 340 are lessons my school district would never consider teaching. Many members of my community are conservative and do not value perspectives unaligned with theirs. Meanwhile, there are community and school leaders who choose to hide their racism behind “family values” and “traditional views.”

Although there is not an official hierarchy written down, the power White people hold in our community is seen and felt. Many of them are farmers and ranchers whose families have lived in the area for generations. Unless you share these characteristics, there is no future in these communities. Even though there is a heavily migrant-Latinx presence, many of our parents and even ourselves, end up working for our White friends’ parents. In the process, you are stuck with small-town social norms and ideologies unless you leave and search for others on your own. By attending the University of Washington, I recognized I would receive the opportunity to meet people of different backgrounds and learn about society as a whole. After learning about the origins of race and standardized testing through Critical Race Theory, I now recognize the difference in curricula in other schools in comparison to mine. Lastly, something that has not been specifically addressed in this course is how this lack of information on students gives them a personal and academic disadvantage.

Before attending college, I never knew what Critical Race Theory (CRT) was but recognized many in my community were against it. After reading Ladson-Billings’, Toward a Critical Theory of Education, I now understand that this is because it would call out their privilege in society and how much of its systems were only built for White people in the first place. I learned that CRT acknowledges our country’s history and issue of racism and how it is embedded in the bias of individuals and in structured social and legal systems as well. For example, in my high school, you will never learn how race was initially socially constructed by White men in order to place Europeans over Asians, Americans (Indigenous), and lastly, Africans. Growing up, society led me to believe that race was something normal and good. However, in the past, I struggled choosing my race because I never felt like any of the options represented me. For many students of color who do not learn this, they continue to feel out of place without a sense of belonging and feel quite alone. However, what they do not know is that this is exactly what it was meant for in the first place. Once they do, they begin to acknowledge their identity and contribute to representation.

In addition, CRT encourages critical thinking and analyzing the ideologies that are now considered social norms in culture and schools. From my academic experiences, critical thinking is not heavily emphasized as you are taught there is only one correct answer over a wrong one. Due to this and traditional curriculum, students do not learn the other side of history. An example of this is standardized testing, many of which I took growing up and believed “it would help me understand what I did not know.” These were the exact words my teacher said when I asked her why these tests were important. Since she was a teacher, I believed her, because she was an adult and held a higher position than I. However, my experiences in standardized testing were mostly the same: feeling nervous and overwhelmed while second guessing my intelligence. Meanwhile, I did not want to disappoint my mother and be placed in low math and science classes. After reading Au’s, Meritocracy 2.0, I learned that standardized tests were initially created to help White people seem smarter and better than any other race. I also learned how low test scores of students of color benefit school’s public funding. Sometimes, students of color will continue to face standardized testing even if  they do not need it anymore. As a result, many students miss out on class time and eventually fall behind. Meanwhile, while some students are able to overcome low-test scores, many students do not. Oftentimes, this can discourage students from being academically successful and choose not to pursue a higher education or other academic opportunities. Without knowing the original intentions of standardized tests, students believe they are not capable of being academically successful, preventing them from living their utmost potential.

Learning about the origins of race and standardized testing has allowed me to recognize why students of color often struggle to acknowledge their own identity academically and personally. For the most part, this is due to the fact that the academic system and any other system in place was never meant for people of color in the first place. Meanwhile, they are taught certain curricula due to social and political ideologies held by their community and school leaders. It isn’t until they attend higher institutions that they learn concepts such as CRT while others already know this concept. For me, this experience left me shocked and feeling disappointed realizing my school and the academic system had failed me big time – I was never the problem, they were. In some instances, students struggle to grasp a concept that is new to them but essentially are able to connect it with their personal experiences. As I continue to learn and unlearn about society, I recognize that sharing these concepts with my family and friends at home is vital in order to encourage them to do the same. Additionally, it is important for me to engage with organizations who contribute to marginalized communities and also contribute to the fight for equity in education. In the process, I also recognize that learning these concepts will allow them to better understand and acknowledge their own identity as students of color in a rural community. Lastly, gaining new knowledge outside of the classroom will allow them to overcome disadvantages and live up to their utmost potential while also breaking down barriers for other students of color.