How to Teach Racial Tolerance to Teens
Never discourage curiosity., Examine your own behavior first., Racism, like other prejudices, often stems from ignorance and fear of the unknown., Show them the hard, cold facts., Teach good ways to show curiosity about another culture., Tell kids...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Never discourage curiosity.
If certain questions make you uncomfortable about saying the wrong thing inadvertently, make sure to reflect and think about what exactly to say before you start talking.
Teens are impressionable and whether they admit it or not, parents and guardians play a very important role in formulating their views on life.
Shutting down curiosity about racial diversity and racism can lead to displaced anger towards others. -
Step 2: Examine your own behavior first.
If you think it's OK to blurt out jokes about people from another culture, or if you think snide innuendos about race are funny, think again.
Aside from the hurt your own comments may cause, they are setting a bad example for your children. , Educate kids on different cultures around the world, and even within their own country, so that they can appreciate the fact that the world isn't one boring, homogeneous place.
Take them to museums, introduce them to books and real-life accounts of people who'd had to undergo severe discrimination.
Expose them through their childhood to books, toys, movies, etc. that have people who are from races and cultures not their own. , Don't talk about apartheid as a faraway historical topic that happened way back in the Paleolithic age.
Introduce them to movies like Remember The Titans, and to books like To Kill A Mockingbird that deal with racism in the present world. , Asking others to teach you a few words of their native language works.
Asking them to change their accent, on the other hand, is just plain dumb.
If someone has an accent, it simply means he or she knows one more language than you do. , It's unacceptable to name-call and discriminate against people because of the way they look. , It's up to them to not let the sheer stupidity of it all get to them.
Let them see it's what's different that makes them special.
Teach them to be proud of their own culture. , This doesn't mean you have to censor everything a teen watches, just make sure that their favorite shows don't encourage them to treat people poorly if they look, talk, walk, or eat differently.
If your kid's favorite T.V. show has a parody token minority, talk about it.
If all else fails, make them learn from every teenager's favorite teacher:
Lady Gaga.'Born this Way' says it all.
Lady Gaga is the perfect sign for teens to embrace everything about themselves. , Helping your child deal with bullying is challenging no matter the cause, but racial bullying can be particularly hurtful.
It can teach your child to resent who they are. -
Step 3: Racism
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Step 4: like other prejudices
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Step 5: often stems from ignorance and fear of the unknown.
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Step 6: Show them the hard
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Step 7: cold facts.
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Step 8: Teach good ways to show curiosity about another culture.
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Step 9: Tell kids about things that are definite no-nos.
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Step 10: If your kid has ever been discriminated against
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Step 11: help them recognize that stereotypes exist no matter what
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Step 12: with who
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Step 13: or how.
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Step 14: Keep an eye out for popular stereotypes being glamorized by the media.
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Step 15: If peer pressure is the problem
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Step 16: help them see that bullies are often just scared and resentful inside.
Detailed Guide
If certain questions make you uncomfortable about saying the wrong thing inadvertently, make sure to reflect and think about what exactly to say before you start talking.
Teens are impressionable and whether they admit it or not, parents and guardians play a very important role in formulating their views on life.
Shutting down curiosity about racial diversity and racism can lead to displaced anger towards others.
If you think it's OK to blurt out jokes about people from another culture, or if you think snide innuendos about race are funny, think again.
Aside from the hurt your own comments may cause, they are setting a bad example for your children. , Educate kids on different cultures around the world, and even within their own country, so that they can appreciate the fact that the world isn't one boring, homogeneous place.
Take them to museums, introduce them to books and real-life accounts of people who'd had to undergo severe discrimination.
Expose them through their childhood to books, toys, movies, etc. that have people who are from races and cultures not their own. , Don't talk about apartheid as a faraway historical topic that happened way back in the Paleolithic age.
Introduce them to movies like Remember The Titans, and to books like To Kill A Mockingbird that deal with racism in the present world. , Asking others to teach you a few words of their native language works.
Asking them to change their accent, on the other hand, is just plain dumb.
If someone has an accent, it simply means he or she knows one more language than you do. , It's unacceptable to name-call and discriminate against people because of the way they look. , It's up to them to not let the sheer stupidity of it all get to them.
Let them see it's what's different that makes them special.
Teach them to be proud of their own culture. , This doesn't mean you have to censor everything a teen watches, just make sure that their favorite shows don't encourage them to treat people poorly if they look, talk, walk, or eat differently.
If your kid's favorite T.V. show has a parody token minority, talk about it.
If all else fails, make them learn from every teenager's favorite teacher:
Lady Gaga.'Born this Way' says it all.
Lady Gaga is the perfect sign for teens to embrace everything about themselves. , Helping your child deal with bullying is challenging no matter the cause, but racial bullying can be particularly hurtful.
It can teach your child to resent who they are.
About the Author
Carolyn Kennedy
Creates helpful guides on pet care to inspire and educate readers.
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