Poem by Caylee Chourng

Part of the Youth Story Campaign

Caylee says, “School district say they’re diverse. They don’t stand up for what they actually mean by diverse because they see students’ race, background, etc. more as like data to show how different we are.”

You don’t mean diversity.

By: Caylee Chourng

“We’re always open to diversity and welcome everyone!”
That’s what they always say until it comes to bullying kids that are not in some racial groups or sexual orientation.
They make excuses for the people who bully others for their identiy.
The way they look.
The way they show love.
The way they are different from the person that is the bully.
Just because of the features on my face, You look at me like I’m different.
Different as in my eyes, my body, my skin.
When the student was bullying me…
You tell me:
“It’s okay, kids are going to be kids!”
Instead of educating them of what’s wrong. To let them not take accountability for what they say that’s hurtful.
Instead you just punish them, then they repeat the cycle again.
How do you promote diversity, if you won’t take discriminatory bullying seriously?
Do you see diversity as just the color of our skin, the features we hold, and what background we come from?
Who we are.
How we are different from each other.
Is that what you see and find important?
If so,
You don’t mean the words:
“We’re always open to diversity and welcome everyone!”
You say:
“We are committed to supporting, developing, and enriching the lives of all children through world-class teaching in a culturally and linguistically diverse district.”
You said this, yet you don’t stand up for all of us.
You don’t support some of us.
Or better yet you don’t support us at all.
You don’t mean diversity.
You just see us as statistics for your system.