M-A Bear News

Currently Browsing: Columns / Top Stories

Über Column

Photo Credit: Betsy Snow

Last 3 stories in Columns

Über Column: Viktor's Message - May 28, 2010
Über Column - January 15, 2010
Über Column: "Fat Ugly Americans" - December 17, 2009

Other stories that might interest you...

Written by Viktor Kewenig

Menlo-Atherton High School

I came to M-A totally open-minded, without any thought about segregation and separation, or anything about black, Mexican, Pacific islander, and white people. Then, when I had my first lunch I realized that where I sat were only Mexican, black,and Pacific islanders people-I was the only white person. I didn’t really think about it, I just sat down and had my lunch. Now that I think about it I may have received some strange looks, but overall they were really nice to me, and my first contacts at M-A. Then after US History, some people came to me and introduced me to their friends on the green, and all of a sudden I was surrounded by only white people. I didn’t really know what was going on; I just assumed that there were different places for different people. There was some controversy regarding a word choice we made in one of our Editorials. We called M-A a segregated school.

People were saying that M-A is not a truly segregated school, as black and white kids get treated equally and have the same chances. That indeed is true.

I think, however, the word segregation here is intended differently. It means who you hang out with, who your friends are, what people you have in your class. And I have to say it really annoyed me when people try to overlook the truth. It is possible for everyone to take AP Literature, but once you get into that class you will mostly see white people. The reason for this is not because you don’t give anyone else the chance, it is much more complicated. People with a difficult family background, with less money, whose parents couldn’t care less, don’t go in an AP class, as they just don’t get the support from home.

It is a political problem.

In Germany we are actually facing the same issues, especially in Berlin. Similar to many of the Mexicans in California are the Turkish people in Germany, who we basically invited after the Second World War, as we needed workers. We didn’t care about integration or anything, so today they basically speak their own language, keep their own culture, and meet their own people. Berlin is the city with the third highest amount of Turkish people, after Istanbul and Ankara. With this comparison, I have to say I think that M-A did a great job in integrating foreign kids. Teachers care about them, they get special programs and classes, and especially in P.E. it comes to a wonderful mix of Philippinos, Mexicans, Americans, and other nationalities. Instead of living their own lives with their own culture, different people at M-A share their culture and accept American influence. They listen to rap, wear American brands, drive American cars, and drink coke. In order to get minorities into AP classes there is, in my opinion, no other solution than to increase the programs offered for those kids. Let’s give them the support they don’t get from their family, and then hopefully the word “segregation” will in no way apply to M-A.