Misspoken in Arizona: Latina/o Students Document the Articulations of Racism

This article reports on racism expressed by school personnel (administrators and teachers) and experienced by Latina/o students at a high school located in Tucson, Arizona. Students in a specialized social science research program, called the Social Justice Education Project (SJEP), documented personal encounters with racist articulations at their school. After students conducted observations of their own interactions on campus, they would write (weekly) field notes as part of a research assignment to document racism in education. Most verbal exchanges influenced by racism can be categorized into direct racist statements or racial microaggressions. Both of these racist articulations are tantamount to derogatory comments or slurs that attempt to make an individual from a marginalized group feel inferior to or different (in a negative sense) from the dominant group. This article focuses on the SJEP, implemented at one particular Tucson high school, during the 2010-2011 school year. Excerpts from the students' field notes present evidence of racist articulations. The article concludes with recommendations on how to ameliorate the educational experiences of students of color with culturally relevant and responsive policies and practices that will move the discourse on marginalized groups in a positive direction.