Diversity Youth Forum 2005: A student's perspective Diversity Youth Forum 2005: A student's perspective (March 11, 2005)

By Tavon Sinceno

The Diversity Youth Forum, held last week, is an event that gives students from Mountain View area schools the opportunity to talk about diversity and discuss ways to break down stereotypes.

More than 100,000 students have attended the forum since it began eight years ago. Mayor Matt Neely has now officially made March 4 Diversity Day in Mountain View.

Students from Mountain View, Saint Francis, Los Altos, and Presentation high schools, and Graham Middle School attended the event at Alza Corp., where they were greeted with open arms, name tags, and t-shirts.

We were given tasks from the start to loosen us up and get us ready to meet new people. We did activities with the whole group, like watch a diversity video which had students talking about groups and how some people make fun of them because of the schools they go to or what their race is.

One girl said: "I hate that just because you're a certain age you're not allowed to do certain things."

Another student said she didn't "think we were black or white but shades of brown."

I think what she was trying to say is that we are all the same, even if we are different colors. I just think that we are all God's children, and we are all related in some way.

Later in the day, we broke up into small groups and started discussions about racism and other topics. Our group talked about racism and how people interpret different words. The best example of this was how different people use the "N-word."

We also talked about how certain groups put labels on other groups. One Asian girl talked about how she went to a good school and had good grades and yet was labeled a bad driver, just because she was of Asian descent.

Overall, I thought the forum helped students understand the various ethnic groups that go to school. I would recommend more schools and students attend these types of forums, because they give you insight on other students and how they see things. Students who go to these forums need to spread the word to break down barriers at their own school.

Basically, I wouldn't want anyone to read this article and feel that they didn't get the same experience I had. I want you to go out there and talk to your kids about issues like these because growing up in a diverse area can be difficult. Many students or people that you pass by during the day are the ones that you should be getting to know. These are the very people who have the knowledge, wisdom or ability to help you succeed.
Tavon Sinceno is a sophomore at Mountain View High School.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.