When You Say “Poor” Kids Can (Blank) Just As Well As “White” Kids, What Are You Really Saying?

16Aug
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Let’s unpack this Joe Biden faux pas. Presidential candidate (and alleged frontrunner) spoke in De Moines, Iowa this week at a town hall sponsored by Asian & Latino Coalition PAC.  While speaking, he tried to make a point about something, I don’t know what, but instead made a racist remark referring to poor kids as being only children of color, not white.  

Here’s what Joe Biden said:

“We have this notion that somehow if you’re poor, you cannot do it. Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids”

So many things wrong here. First of all. Who has that notion? White people of privilege do!  Because the rest of us know that ALL children can learn and that ALL children can be academically successful when they are not being taught by teachers who echo this false narrative. This is where we get the belief gap. And this is why it is so important to have teachers that DO NOT speak into reality this fallacy about our children.  

Secondly, what this says is that only children of color are “poor” the white are just, what?  What this ignorant statement by a man that wants to be President is saying to me is that poor kids are always something other than white. But don’t worry, they too can still be just as bright and smart as the white kids.  Hello! Maybe I don’t want my kids to be “just as” bright as the white kids. Maybe I just want my kids to be bright. Period!  

And finally. Who are you speaking to? People of Color dude! This is your message to them?  That their kids could be just as bright as white kids? Wow.  

I am so offended by this quote by Biden. And we should all be. I guess considering his history of subtle racism I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Seriously, he served with the nation’s first African American President! He should know and do better.  

Rant ends.

What do you think?
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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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