10 ways you know you attended the University of Michigan and are a true Wolverine! Go blue forever and ever!

1. You attended University of Michigan
2. You paid tuition to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
3. You took classes at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
4. You lived in the residence halls during the regular school year at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
5. You earned credits at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
6. You received an acceptance letter to attend the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
7. You put a deposit down on the tuition to confirm your attendance at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
8. You hate Sparty! Just kidding, generalizing people from Michigan like that makes no sense. What I meant to say is you have gone to classes that were held on the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus
9. You owe loans to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor for tuition
10. You have a diploma from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor

I'll put the blame on me

               I have been considering how to write a post about my recent experiences as a teacher in the Bronx. I didn't want to claim any authority as a teacher because I'm still new and I'm still figuring out how things work and how to teach. I feel comfortable in the classroom, but I never feel perfect. Who knows if I'll ever feel perfect. So I can't speak as a teacher, but I can speak as a person watching the difficulties of education from the inside. Too often there are articles and studies published describing inner city schools as "failing" and "dysfunctional". They call them dropout factories and begin the blame game. Blame the teachers first because clearly they did not do their jobs. Blame the principal for not firing them. Blame the unions who prevented the teachers from being fired. Blame the parents who didn't raise their kids properly. And the most sickening blame I see: blame the students for being lazy ingrates who did not take advantage of the social mobility put in front of them. Those casting blame often have very little experience with these areas or have only seen these areas through a 25 cent binocular stand visit. They saw one fight or one disrespectful exchange between a student and teacher and felt content with labeling all the students as failures.
            I was ready for that reality when I walked in. What I didn't expect to find was the reality painted by the media being a farce. Schools aren't always at the verge of failing. Administrations are not always lazy. Teachers are not always ineffective. Parents are excellent caregivers and role models. And my kids are spectacular. Yet some of them will still struggle and possibly fail school. But why Raymond, if everything going so splendidly what is the issue that needs to be fixed! But that's the thing, it's so complicated that I can't give you the golden formula that explains what makes good schools. The narratives I'm about to paint aren't from any specific students of mine, but what one could expect to see in an inner city classroom as an educator.
          You receive a class of 35 students, immediately over the threshold recommended for your classroom. The irony of being a school that's respected in an inner city neighborhood is it often leads to your school becoming overcrowded since every parent wants their kid there. Your students are excellent. They want to please you and will do work in the hopes to succeed and gain your praise. One student in particular has been struggling in your class. You do everything in your power to help them. Extra homework, lunchtime tutoring, positive rewards for good behavior. The only issue is the student came to 6th grade lacking basic multiplication skills. You can't teach multiplication skills in two weeks. They fail their first exam and feel betrayed by you preaching hard work and determination. They don't come to you for extra help anymore. But you have 34 other students to worry about, so as long as that student isn't a behavior issue in the classroom (which they often do become because they feel disengaged by the material), then you can focus your efforts on other students. You have a student who doesn't show up until 2 weeks later. They are doing math at a 3rd grade level and are now 2 weeks behind. They also misbehave in the classroom constantly. You find it easier to send them out of the classroom than to actually teach them. Every time you tell them to leave you feel a bit defeated. A student in your class has family issues at home as a result of lack of income. They may lose their apartment. Unsurprisingly this student has started to act up in your classroom. You're a no nonsense teacher though so you tell the student you're sorry about their situation but that behavior is not acceptable in the classroom. It doesn't work. That student who used to be an A student has now become satisfied with Cs. They also will give you attitude in the class. This is the unfortunate reality. You have a student who has a learning disability. You try to differentiate materials for them, but with so many students it's difficult to do this for every lesson. The student is still struggling and you want to offer them more support, but it does not exist at your school. The student grows more frustrated as success feels more unlikely. They begin to check out in your classes, which they cannot afford to do since their learning disability makes it incredibly difficult to catch up. You have a model student who is going to take the specialized high school exam. They could not afford a prep class and their parents would not buy them a prep book. You want to buy one for them, but your paycheck can barely afford the rent and food. The student fails to gain admittance to any specialized high school. Why didn't they go to the library? The library is too far from their house and they can't stay out late because it's dangerous. You are a teacher. Your kids aren't doing well. Whose fault is it? I guess I'll put the blame on me.
      Rewrite the narrative. Great educators exist everywhere and aren't only teachers. You have a student who struggles and seeks extra help. You do everything in your power: extra homework, lunchtime tutoring, positive rewards. You notice they struggle with multiplication and get your school to purchase an online game that teaches kids multiplication. The student scores a respectable 75 on their exam. They are determined to get an 80 on the next one. You have a student who comes to school two weeks late, who is working on a 3rd grade math level. They misbehave constantly and you find it easier to send them out of the room. But in your first day of teaching you told them you won't be sent out this classroom. You keep to your promise and the kid eventually stops trying to get thrown out. They begin the road of improving in math, but still struggle. You have a student who is starting to act up  because their family may be evicted. You bring this issue to a social worker who finds access to emergency funds that helps struggling families stay in apartments. The student recognizes your role in that process and is now grateful. They become a positive role model in the classroom. You have a student who has a learning disability. You try to differentiate materials, but they still struggle. Your school can't offer you more resources. So you give up lunches and sometime after school to keep this kid on track. They score a 70 on their exam. They appreciate your extra help and are more motivated to work in your classroom. You still can't purchase that specialized high school prep book, but that pushes you to start a specialized high school prep course in your school. The student immediately signs up and gets admitted to Brooklyn Technical High School. But you have other students who you will fail. Students you can't find a fix for. You will eventually be spent and be unable to help your students.
     The story of educating isn't a hopeless one, just a difficult one. Sometimes the resources exist to patchwork success. Other times you watch as a student fails and you can do very little to help. You keep trying. You do what ever works. And when it doesn't work you try something else. Grad school doesn't teach you how to be a teacher. It shows you how not to be one. I have only worked with my kids for two months. I work with real professionals  who have taught their kids for years. Your school is your neighborhood. Your neighborhood is a part of your school. Embrace it. Your school is not an island or an ivory tower. The best schools I find are fixtures that reflect the neighborhood they serve. This post has been a ramble about what I've seen. Of course I didn't use any of my own students experiences because I respect their privacy far too much. So the next time you want to declare outright condemnation of the education system, stop and listen to the teachers, principals, families, students, social workers, bodega owners, para professionals. They hold stories of what is both great and horrible in our schools. Some will tell tales of doom and gloom. Others will speak of immense success happening in our "failing" school system. 

The ward against White Insecurity: why millennial minorities will no longer beg

"I believe that white racial anxiety, not immigration, will be the most significant and potentially dangerous socio-demographic trend of the coming decade...." Los Angeles Times columnist Gregory Rodriguez

        This quote rings true 4 years later. Policies and attitudes concerning diversity in this country have taken a turn from general acceptance to a rapid redefining of what "good" diversity entails and what is now referred to as (fictitious) "reverse racism". Mr. Rodriguez would go on to suggest that institutions of learning abandon programs such as affirmative action in an effort to abate a white backlash. The issue with affirmative action is that institutions of whiteness are inherently threatened by the success of minorities. Whites in power have no intention of ending the oppression of minorities. 
       Now to be perfectly clear I do not believe there is a secret group of white straight men, smoking cigars as they think about how they will maintain this hierarchical racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. system. I think that there is a plethora of white straight men, smoking cigars as they think about how they will maintain their own success. This maintenance requires that policies are written to support them and their endeavors, which only serves to help their high end workers, who tend to be white straight male as well. Certainly they'll have a minority or two in the mix, but there is no way one could claim there is a rainbow ribbon that exists in the upper echelons of power in this country. This isn't conscious racism (most of the time, some of it is), but a society where minorities are consistently exploited. Even rich minorities exist to be tolkenized and held up as an icon of shame for their people, rather than be role models. The point is that privilege exists and the reason it's affecting white people is because they tend to be the ones with the power. Why do they have power? Colonialism, slavery, Jim Crow, we live in the legacy of horrible injustices. 
    If you disagree with the previous paragraph, then I suggest you read some history books and then interrogate the paragraph again. I'd suggest Howard Zinn as a good starting point. If you continue to disagree, then stop reading. You and I won't see eye to eye. In fact,  you are actively my oppressor and I'm through with tolerance for your intolerance. You and I can talk more on the political battlefield. And it is a battlefield. Minorities are wising up to the nonsense we've had perpetrated against us. The generation of minorities that came before us have been largely docile in the sense that they knew progress can only be made in baby steps. Even Martin Luther King, a radical in many of his writings and speeches, understood the rhetorical importance of making his speeches hospitable for the curious appropriating white reader (they were called communist back then). Do you honestly think MLK would sit idly by in a restaurant when he could garner enough votes in an election to win districts in his home state? The time has come for us to take back Malcom X's call for treating the ballot as a bullet. The only difference is the White backlash has begun. The hobbling of the VRA was the first mortal blow done to minority suffrage. The after effect of the Supreme Court's decision essentially resulted in a slew of needless voter id laws (check the percentage of voter fraud in this country) conveniently popping up in the absolved counties from the decision. 
     But it's too late. Too many of us are graduating and we know what's up. Millennial Minorities will no longer be complicit with our own subordination. We will be successful and have money and be well versed so that when Whites do try to bar us from the vote, we will fight politically and legally. Furthermore, when I say whites I think it's understood by all allies that I'm not referring to you. White allies will stand with us, expecting nothing in return. Minorities have no incentive to vote with each other, but we always have an incentive to not vote against each other. The oppression of one of us always results in further oppression for all of us. We end the cycle now. No longer do we bargain for our freedom and success. We will take it. 

Three things that cops should start doing

The NYPD strikes again with yet another embarrassing video that can be found in this article. The video is of a street performer being ejected from the subway by a police officer on grounds that he is now allowed to be there. Now the legality of this isn't as black and white as the article would like you to believe. Yes, musicians are allowed perform in subway platforms, but they are also allowed to be ejected by cops during peak hours or when they are obstructing the platform. The main issue with the video is the cop doesn't mention either of those reasons for ejecting him. The cop instead asserts that the musician is simply not allowed to be there. That is untrue and so naturally the musician resisted ejection and had to be forcibly removed. So how could have this been avoided? Well I have three simple practices cops could start doing that won't impede on any legitimate accept of their job.

1. Understand the rationale of the law-
     The cop in the video probably knew from past experiences that he could eject people from the platform, but did he know why? If he did then the video would have probably went far more smoothly. The officer would have explained his rationale either being a safety concern or an impending peak hours concern and the musician may have responded much better. More importantly the cop would have added the caveat that the musician could return after peak hours, framing his request as a reasonable one as opposed to the video's dictatorial order. Often cops feel like they don't need to give a rationale for the law. Citizens should follow it plain and simple. That kind of attitude is what causes people to get peeved. I'm  a teacher and even with my kids I have to explain why rules in the classroom work the way they do, otherwise my students view them as dictatorial mandates. Adults function the same way. We like to know why we're doing something and often taking an extra second to explain can save cops a whole lot of headache.

2. Keep a neutral tone-
   People get you angry. I get it. Everyday people can be ridiculous and make your life difficult. But guess what causes people to escalate? When you reveal an aggressive or combative tone when it isn't warranted. Even in the video as the cop tries to hear out the musician it is clear that the officers tone is combative. Instead of being neutral the officer reveals his displeasure by interacting with the crowd. The officer's main concern should be with the musician. I would ignore the crowd until after I am done settling the musician's issue. I know it's easier said than done, but it goes a long way. People are going to tense up if they feel you are tense and on edge.

3. Show empathy
  Empathy is a dangerous game as a cop and I am in no way saying cops should take pity on people as often described when cops choose not to give tickets and so on. In fact, having an inconsistent track record causes more crime because people don't take consequences seriously. But just because you're enforcing the law doesn't mean you cannot empathize with the people affected by it. If the cop had empathized with the musician and how this law disrupted the way he lived his life, then the exchange would have went far more smoothly. The cop should stand fast by the law, but does not need to ignore how it negatively impacted the individual, who honestly was doing nothing wrong. How many kids on the street do cops stop and frisk randomly to find nothing except distressed looks and frustration. A little empathy would help cops mend a small iota of the injustice they are imparting (though to be completely honest stop and frisk is a racist and ineffective policy, so it's hard to empathize when you know you're in the wrong).

I don't think these three things will fix the incredibly illegitimate things cops do. This ranges from unfair killings to the civil forfeitures the cops constantly use to steal from citizens. I think these things will help cops who are just trying interact with the vast majority of law abiding citizens. Cops wear many different hats and that hat doesn't always need to be one of the dictator. You can be an enforcer of the law. 

The two college model minorities

                  In college identity became a locus of turmoil and self doubt. I was in a college that held a majority of individuals that were different from my own identity. As a New Yorker I was used to a diversity that had bounds. Groups had locations that were demarcated according to nationality and race, so I always felt as if I had a choice. In the University I had no choice. What was worse is that many other minorities colluded to create a seemingly multi-faceted monolith. People of color they said! Different yet united! And there was a sense of camaraderie to be had. I mean we could always share over how we'd have to roll our eyes over the naivety of our uncultured peers when it came to eating out at our "ethnic" restaurants. But our differences were never pronounced. In college it became more about the monolith than about our own personal growth as a people. As a Puerto Rican on campus I found myself supporting movements like BBUM and UMDivest, feeling at the very least that it was my responsibility to support these movements as a fellow minority in the struggle. But I found it hard to distance myself from these movements in an objective sense. In college I feel minority groups forgot the power dynamics between them. Asian students held a significant majority in my campus and that was often reflected in the leaders I saw in much of the social justice movement. Furthermore, those Latinos who did not ascribe to every social justice tenet in existence was often set out to the side. It seemed that there were two models a minority in college could follow: assimilation into white culture or assimilation into radical social justice and borderline nationalistic pride. I wanted neither.
             If you are Latino at the University of Michigan, open your eyes to the dynamics in the minority and social justice community. Do not ignore the power dynamics that exist. I am not implying that minority groups are intentionally being oppressive of other minority groups. I am stating that the institutional privilege that some minority groups have on campus is often not discussed or accounted for. Yet we are more than willing to rally toward the monolithic term "minority" or "person of color". I am glad I very rarely hear the term person of color nowadays. I see people for their actual struggles and color has not become one universal term of oppression, but a million stories of racism that I can learn from. I do not generalize what I do not know. I can't speak for many, but if you are Latino at the University of Michigan, this post is for you. Take control of your own community. Do not assume solidarity. And do not generalize your experiences. I believe there is a model of solidarity that exists between minority groups at Michigan. It first requires the long overdue discussion of privilege and expectations that exist for certain minority groups on campus.