April 23, 2014
^ortlanh (Obserucr
Page 9
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Children of Color in the United States
Obstacles on
the pathway to
opportunity
by the
beth
R ev . E liza
L eung
"Every parent wants
good schools, safe com
munities and access to
the services their chil-
(
dren n e e d ... [but] Afri
can-American, Latino, Ameri
can Indian and subgroups of
Asian and Pacific Islander kids
face some of the biggest ob
stacles on the pathway to oppor
tunity"... according to a 2014
"Race for Results" report on the
state of children of color re
leased in April by the Annie E.
Casey Foundation.
By 2018, children of color will
be the majority, but they, their
families and communities are dis
proportionately lacking in re
sources on their pathway to op
portunity. By 2030, these chil
dren will become the
m a jo rity o f the
w orkforce; and by
2050, they will be the
majority of the popu
lation. Our future re
quires that we help all
children and not let
children o f color be
consigned to the sidelines.
The "Race for Results" report
scores children's progress —
across racial groups, among eth
nic groups and by geographic
locations - in meeting critical
milestones for their long-term
success. Indicators include ba
bies bom at normal birth weight,
fourth graders who scored at or
above proficient levels in read
ing, children who live in low-
poverty areas (poverty <20%),
high school students graduating
on time, etc.
A frican-A m erican children
are in a national crisis according
to the "Race for Results" index
score. They particularly fare
poorly in Michigan, Wisconsin,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama,
Arkansas, and in South Carolina
where they are least likely over
all to become middle-class.
American Indian children face
some of the steepest barriers to
success, like African American
children, especially in the upper
Midwest, Southwest and moun
tain states. In South Dakota, they
fare worst of any groups in any
state. White children in the north
eastern states of New Jersey,
Massachusetts, and Connecti
cut hold the top three scores for
white children on the index. While
in the South, especially the ex
treme poor regions of West Vir Japanese, Asian Indian and Fili
ginia (Appalachia) and M issis pino children.
sippi (the Delta), white children
Fair-minded persons who be
score the lowest two.
lieve in equitable opportunity rec
Children from immigrant fami ognize that the above are ex
lies face greater obstacles than amples of the continuing impact
children in U.S. bom families o f structural racism . Though
because of the household not great progress has been made to
being fluent in English, parents' roll back overt racist laws and
lack of a high school degree, and customs, the cultural norms and
legal status that can keep them bias in our foundational institu
from accessing public programs. tions that limit opportunity for
Latino children from more children of color are legitimized
than 40 states scored in the lower over time through seemingly
half of the index. Families from "colorblind" customs, practices
Mexico, the Caribbean and Cen and policies.
tral America face bigger barri
This report helps us to see "a
ers in attaining economic secu clear picture of yesterday's his
rity than those from Cuba, Spain to ry , to d a y 's re a lity and
or South America. Asian and tomorrow's hope for the nation's
Pacific Islander children of future."
Hmong, Laotian, Cambodian,
Elizabeth Leung is Minister
and Vietnamese descent are the fo r Racial Justice fo r the
least likely to score high on eco United Church o f Christ’s Jus
nomic security com pared to tice and Witness Ministries.
Well, Mostly Vegetarian
An honest
conversation
about our food
by
J ill R ichardson
As a vegetarian, I
have to walk a fine line.
Really, I’m not judg
ing you. But I often find
it necessary to estab
lish myself as “not a
threat” to meat eaters. I also
occasionally bump up against
militant vegans.
Consider this collision I had
the other day with a devout
vegangelical. While at a potluck
among an omnivorous group that
included a woman who raises
and slaughters chickens and tur
keys for meat, I tried to politely
excuse m yself for not partaking
in most of the food.
“I’m vegetarian,” I said.
“Well, mostly vegetarian.”
Then I tried to crack a bad
joke. “I’m vegetarian except for
when I eat bacon.”
Big mistake. Vegangelicals
have no sense of humor.
“Then you’re not a vegetar
ian,” the vegan said, annoyed.
“Bacon is not a vegetable.” I
could tell from her tone that she Then I became friends with farm
was eager for a good fight — a ers and ranchers who raise ani
fight I did not want to have.
mals for food on. sustainable,
The truth is that an awful lot organic farms. Last summer, I
of thought goes into my diet, as it even spent a week on a farm,
does for much of my lifestyle. I caring for pigs, chickens, cows,
care about the world and lambs that were all heading
around me and I care for som eone’s plate. It tempered
about my health. I don’t my view of eating animal prod
want to buy products ucts.
that were produced via
These animals lived a good
human or animal suf life. They grazed on grass, had
fering, and I don’t want plenty of room to roam around,
to consume or use anything that and they were cared for by hu
will harm my health or the planet. mans who loved them.
There are, of course, limits to
To a vegan, that’s still not
this way of life because nobody good enough. To me, th at’s
in modem society can be abso pretty damn good. I ate meat
lutely perfect. I’m sure there are from that farm while I was there.
clothes in my closet that were Then I went back to abstaining
made in sweatshops. I can’t af after I left.
ford solar panels and I drive a
But complicated explanations
car. While my Prius gets good can’t be communicated quickly.
mileage, like most cars it re And emotions can run high at
quires occasional trips to the mealtime. Meat eaters wonder
pump.
if I think they are murderers
But I try. Hard.
while vegans get ticked because
And I try to be a mindful I fall short of their standards.
consumer in a way that is man
Even when meat isn’t the is
ageable and affordable, not sue, something else can become
c ra z y -m a k in g . I m ake one a touchstone.
change at a time and gradually
Why w on’t I eat processed
adjust my lifestyle.
food? Why do I prefer to eat
I gave up meat in 2005, and organic? And, do my choices
even went vegan for a year imply that others around me are
trashing the environment, tortur
ing animals, or poisoning them
selves and their kids every time
they sit down to enjoy a meal?
Here are my answers: no, no,
and no.
I usually diffuse tensions by
laughing at myself, excusing my
strange diet by saying, “I ’m
weird.” Becoming a Californian
helps. Everyone knows all Cali
fornians are weird.
I wish strident vegetarians
and vegans would chill out too.
This tension erects a barrier to
d is c u s s io n , le a r n in g , and
changing. W ould you want to
learn anything from a vegetar
ian you think is judging you for
e a tin g a h a m b u rg e r? A nd
maybe a vegan can learn som e
th in g from a ra n c h e r w ho
raises anim als for meat.
E veryone should becom e
more open to honest conver
sations about our food without
judging one another or becom
ing d e fe n siv e ab o u t being
judged.
OtherWords columnist Jill
Richardson is the author o f
Recipe fo r America: Why Our
Food System Is Broken and
What We Can Do to Fix It.
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