Chicago Teens Open Up About Race Stereotypes And Dating

Curious City

WBEZ Chicago

Society & Culture, Education, Public, Chicago, Arts, City, Radio, Curious, Investigation

4.8 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2022

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds may go to the same high school, but this doesn’t guarantee they won’t cling to stereotypes about one another. That became painfully clear a few months ago when a student at Chicago’s Lincoln Park High School made a video asking classmates what race they wouldn’t date and why. Most of the answers were offensive, with many kids laughing and talking comfortably about how people of other races smell — all of it right in the school hallways with other students watching. That video was made public and got a lot of attention. But this kind of thing happens pretty regularly. Curious City reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad and WBEZ education reporter Susie An teamed up to talk to Chicago area teens about race and relationships and what they think schools should do to help kids move beyond stereotypes.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, what's up? It's Curit City reporter Adriana Cardona McGigad. In this episode, I'm partnering with WBC's education reporter Susie Ann.
0:08.5	A parent contacted us late January about a controversial video made by a student at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago.
0:15.8	That's right, Adriana. The video shows the student walking around the halls at school asking kids, what race wouldn't you date and why?
0:22.7	Several students answered with really offensive comments about different ethnic and racial groups,
0:27.2	a lot of them focusing on Asians.
0:29.3	Some of those offensive comments are things I heard back in high school more than 20 years ago.
0:34.3	I know what you mean.
0:35.1	And the original video made the news and was taken down after
0:39.2	that. But turns out there are a ton of videos out there on social media that are very similar.
0:45.2	What race? What did you date? I'll say Asian, bitch. All right. So I don't really discriminate
0:50.6	to be honest. Okay. But I did have an experience with a black girl and when I was
0:54.9	like, when I just got in high school. I don't really care about that stuff. I, it doesn't really matter.
0:59.4	I would date all girls because I like, I think they're all hot. What race would you not date and why?
1:06.1	Be honest, be honest. Susie, did you know this was a thing? No, I can't believe kids would say stuff like this and just post it for anyone to see.
1:13.6	Yeah, the students sound pretty comfortable in those videos, including the one at Lincoln
1:18.6	Park High School.
1:19.6	They're laughing.
1:20.6	A lot of them seem to think it's funny to say they wouldn't date a certain race because they smell.
1:26.6	And it's pretty shocking because these comments can be really hurtful, even traumatic.
1:32.0	Susie and I talk to some high school students who feel the same way.
1:35.6	It was a very racist video.
1:37.0	I want to say I felt a little shocked.
	...

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