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Meet Robert Gonzalez
WHY THEY HATE US
Reflection by Robert Gonzalez (He/Him)
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I have the pleasure of serving as the student professional for Disability and Access Services within the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As I've journeyed through college, I discovered a passion for working with college students, specifically in programs that are DEI focused. Through these experiences, I found myself looking at a career in higher education working in some aspect of DEI.
In order to enrich my understanding, I look to advisors and mentors to gain insight on current trends and research that are important to the field. Recently, my NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administration) mentor recommended the book Why They Hate Us: How Racist Rhetoric Impacts Education. This book is a collection of research essays from various psychologists, sociologists, and higher education professionals. Their main focus was conducting research on the political rhetoric during the 2016 presidential election. Diving deeper, the researchers aim to identify patterns of effects on undocumented and immigrant students ranging from elementary to high school. It is uncovered that Latinx students faced an increase of disproportionately targeted marginalization during and after the election.
In learning about the rhetorical strategies used in politics, I see how these tactics have the power to change the public view on modern racism. It not only affects society as a whole, but has drastic effects on the development of children in the K-12 public school education system. In terms of higher education, the research highlights trends in increased racism and racial violence towards members of marginalized communities. We are also given an insight in how to improve society through social justice efforts, specifically in the fields of education.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and the field of education. Those who have an affinity for politics will also enjoy this as Donald Trump's presidency is the focal point of the study.
