Blog written by Dylan Devendran, Youth Community Animator – TERT, BCS.
When I was in elementary, middle, and high school, I noticed a lot of racism and oppression happening between students, mainly through jokes to diss each other. I usually tried not to take part in them but sometimes I became the victim of them. Some ignorant students used to assume that I was Indian because I was brown-skinned and would make racist Indian jokes, although I was actually Sri Lankan.
The jokes used to bother me, so one time I brought them up to an adult and he told me something that I still remember: “If someone says something that isn’t true and you know that it isn’t, then why should you be upset over it?” This strategy helped me overcome adversity and I share it with the students at different schools where I currently work as a supply teacher.
Another strategy that I follow is to teach my students about various cultures, so that they are more aware of them and learn how to respect the people who come from them. These are some ways that I am able to be resilient in the face of racism and oppression and continue on my path towards justice and equality.
If you have any feedback about this blog or would like to contact the TERT campaign, please email us at YouthResilient@bangladeshi.ca. Thank you!
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