This webinar was held on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 and was co-sponsored by the Asian American Educators of Howard County, the Howard County Human Rights Commission, and the Howard County Public School System.
Transcript
Min Woo: I am in blue, and I am your moderator for this webinar today. You know, in times of crisis and hard times, it is when true leaders rise.
Min Woo: And we are so happy that we have three co sponsors for our webinar today. The Asian American educators of Howard County Howard County Public School System and the Howard County Human Rights Commission.
Min Woo: We believe that well being, is crucial, especially at this time.
Min Woo: And we’re glad that you can join us.
Min Woo: For this webinar to go smoothly as possible. We’re going to ask everyone to mute themselves so that we can engage, respectfully, we’re going to ask that you utilize the chat box if you’re joining us with video and we will get to questions after the presentations.
Min Woo: We will be recording this session. So if your video is on that is your consent for the recording to happen, we will have a specific time for questions from two to 230 so hopefully you can stay with us. After all the presentations.
Min Woo: And with that, I would like to introduce to you our fearless leader, Dr. Michael martorano
Dr. Martirano: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Dr. Michael martorano and I’m the superintendent of schools for the Howard County Public School system.
Dr. Martirano: Before I begin, I want to welcome everybody to this wonderful event that took a lot of organization as we are all safe self isolating and doing the coordination of our school system virtually
Dr. Martirano: I want to continue to commend min. Whoo hoo. You already heard from James lemon Kimmy Wagner cuz Consuela Robinson Rosita Cosi and King egg born who have been instrumental
Dr. Martirano: In making this happen today and I’m very proud of their efforts.
Dr. Martirano: So first of all, I would just like to say that I’m very pleased that we are focusing on the well being of our Asian student community this afternoon. I’m extremely pleased that we are doing this.
Dr. Martirano: We are all living in very uncertain times and it has become even more important to us to lift up our families and continued in the development of our emotional, mental and physical health and well being to acknowledging that these are stressful times
Dr. Martirano: coven as many of you know has brought out the best of many of us as we find new ways to connect and support one of us and other. However, unfortunately.
Dr. Martirano: It has also brought increased levels of anxiety and some reports of misunderstanding and misinformation that someone’s culture or background could have been associated with the virus.
Dr. Martirano: Our school system, as you know, many of you know me is committed to providing a nurturing and compassionate learning environment. So I will not tolerate any kind of bullying.
Dr. Martirano: harassment or spread of misinformation related to the coronavirus or any other issue.
Dr. Martirano: Once again, I will continue to take a stance and do everything that I can to eradicate this kind of behavior from our community.
Dr. Martirano: Most recently, I signed off on a statement in solidarity entitled standing in solidarity signed off by members of our Asian American educators of Howard County.
Dr. Martirano: Community our county public school system, obviously, and the Howard County Human Rights Commission.
Dr. Martirano: That again takes a firm stance that we must always lead with kindness care love and compassion and do everything that we can to eradicate bullying, particularly in these times when specific groups have been targeted and singled out
Dr. Martirano: So today we look forward to hearing from the wonderful speakers for you. So together we can shed light on how we can move forward as a greater community to better respect and care for one another.
Dr. Martirano: I want to thank you once again for joining me. And remember that our children are always watching us they’re listening to us and we have to practice great respect.
Dr. Martirano: For everyone during these times, we have to support our young people support our educators and support our families during this unprecedented time that has created great challenges but into all these challenges.
Dr. Martirano: There are many great things happening to support our families to support our young people and to support our entire community through this in one day soon I hope to see many of you in person.
Dr. Martirano: And I miss met all of you and I look forward to that day when we once again. Can you can join together. So thank you for joining us for this very important conversation.
Dr. Martirano: To promote well being and to continue to build a safe learning environment for all of our students. Thank you very much for the opportunity. Thank you.
Min Woo: Thank you, Dr Murano hopefully if you’re joining us on video, you’ll be able to see our agenda for today.
Min Woo: And at this time, we are going to shift to receive Cosi who is going to speak about mental health and will be
Razia Kosi: Thank you, men and Warm greetings to everyone joining this Webinar. I’m truly honored to be a part of this session and share the context and talking about mental health and well being, specifically during the context of Kobe.
Razia Kosi: A general concept of mental health includes three components, how one thinks how one feels and how one x these three things are not separate but instead are intertwined.
Razia Kosi: The thinking or cognition can include confusion problems, remembering inability to focus and changes in processing. What we see or hear
Razia Kosi: Emotions include understanding and identifying the feelings. One has and why those feelings are coming up expression of emotions is often steeped when cultural perceptions of what is right and wrong.
Razia Kosi: In some cultures expressing sadness is frowned upon, and may even be discouraged the feelings of sadness. Do not go away, but rather affect the behaviors of the person.
Razia Kosi: For instance, sadness, can cause increased sleeping crying or avoiding people sadness and other feelings can also be expressed through art music by the creative means to cope with the emotions.
Razia Kosi: We’ll talk a little about well being. So if you look on the graphic to the right you see it has several dimensions that affect a person
Razia Kosi: Mental health is one of eight dimensions identified in the research ones. Well, being is affected by relationships in their family, their friendships peers and colleagues, as we know, a high amount of concern is being placed currently on physical health.
Razia Kosi: Daily practices such as going to school work have come to a halt even going to the store now involves critical decisions about risks to our health.
Razia Kosi: Finances and career are now affected as people are unable to work in industries previously doing well before code 19
Razia Kosi: Behavioral Health is another term used to describe how behavior impacts physical and mental health.
Razia Kosi: For example, substance abuse, and eating disorders are included in behavioral health. Additionally, the continuum of prevention intervention, treatment and recovery services are included in this blanket definition.
Razia Kosi: The well being of the Asian community is additionally impacted as they had been targets of anti Asian discrimination during this global pandemic.
Razia Kosi: The way one thinks feels and acts all effect aspects of one’s health fears may be amplified, not only for one’s health but also how they are perceived because of their racial or ethnic identity.
Razia Kosi: Racial discrimination has been ongoing for groups who have been marginalized in the US, the discrimination and bias against African Americans have both historical and current context and the continued targeting of this group has led to violence and even death.
Razia Kosi: At this time, discrimination and hate is affecting East Asian communities, the members of the South Asian community have expressed increased racial and religious discrimination after 911
Razia Kosi: The racial bias is affecting health disparities in black communities during
Razia Kosi: New reports show African Americans have less access to testing and higher fatalities. As a result of contracting the disease.
Razia Kosi: Psychologist Maslow proposed the needs in which he prioritize basic human needs in the original version, the physiological which is air sleep hunger, thirst and warmth were at the bottom of the foundation of the pyramid meaning their credit, most critical for human life.
Razia Kosi: While this is true. These are essential to live the social needs of belonging and love are critical to determine who is able to access food, shelter support from the community, especially during this time.
Razia Kosi: Safety and security are both essential basic needs. Safety is the primary reason we are undercurrent shelter in place orders. This is to ensure our health, our neighbors health, our community’s health and the health of our nation and world so that it’s prioritized
Razia Kosi: So when we’re thinking about children isolating at home who experienced love, affection, positive relationships, food security financial stability have access to Internet and laptops. They have many of these basic needs met.
Razia Kosi: They might be able to do their schoolwork, and even take on independent projects, however, we know that not all students have their basic needs met. And even if they did each person responds differently to trauma.
Razia Kosi: It’s important to understand how our brain responds to highly stressful situations we can even go further and describe the current situation with Kobe as a traumatic experience.
Razia Kosi: We are understand home orders, because the environment is unsafe and highly contend the highly contagious disease is causing us to make decisions that can be the difference between life and death.
Razia Kosi: All of us, including our children are responding to a situation that is new Uncharted and increases the stress hormone cortisol in our bodies.
Razia Kosi: When our brain senses danger. It goes into more primitive response system and we’re unable to access the thinking part of our brain respond and fight, flight, or freeze.
Razia Kosi: I will read the words and the boxes for each of these responses as I read them, think about your own reactions or behaviors during the shelter in place.
Razia Kosi: Fight just aggression yelling arguing defensiveness impulsiveness hitting power struggle.
Razia Kosi: Flight just avoidance fear, anxiety, hiding, not wanting to be around others daydreaming making excuses not to join.
Razia Kosi: Freeze detachment numb confused daydreaming haven’t been listening blank stare not seeming to care or not responding
Razia Kosi: As adults, we also need to attend to our own responses and to care for ourselves.
Razia Kosi: But as you look at this words and imagine what these are. What are you noticing and what comes to mind about your own children spouses friends or peers responses.
Razia Kosi: I will conclude by restating the importance of attending to the basic needs and Maslow, which are belonging and love physiological safety and security.
Razia Kosi: The top two on Maslow’s Hierarchy achievement and self actualization are important and they will occur through out a person’s life. This is not the time to solely focus on achievement.
Razia Kosi: On the right hand side of the graphic is one used in education called Bloom’s Taxonomy. This shows the different levels of thinking and processing of information.
Razia Kosi: As we discussed in the previous slide when our brains are experiencing stress and trauma. We’re not accessing the frontal cortex or thinking brain what’s most important now is to focus on meeting our basic needs and supporting the needs of our families.
Razia Kosi: To build further on the threats to belonging safety and security. It gives me great pleasure to introduce our key panelist, and my dear friend, Dr. Kevin, the doll.
Razia Kosi: Doctors or not that all is a clinical psychologist and activists in the Filipino American community and LGBT q plus communities. He’s the past president of the Asian American Psychological Association as a sought after speaker and expert and meet for media commentary
Razia Kosi: As you can see by the next slide. He has literally written the books on micro aggression and racial trauma.
Razia Kosi: He’s a tenured professor at the john Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has generously agreed to share his expertise with us for today.
Kevin Nadal: Hi everyone. Good afternoon. Thank you so much for having me here today. Thank you, especially to receive for
Kevin Nadal: inviting me to be part of this, I am also sheltering in place as all of you are. I have a two year old that’s supposed to be sleeping, but he’s entertained right now. But if he comes back in
Kevin Nadal: He’ll just join the webinar but I’m here today to talk a little bit about micro aggressions
Kevin Nadal: micro aggressions have been defined as brief and common daily verbal behavior or environmental communications whether intentional or unintentional that transmit hostile derogatory or negative messages to the target person because they belong to a historically marginalized.
Kevin Nadal: Group as we think about micro aggressions you know I want you all just to think about any of the experiences that you’ve had in the past.
Kevin Nadal: In which someone may have communicated some sort of bias towards you. It might have been because of your race because of your gender, because of your sexual orientation, your immigration status, your age.
Kevin Nadal: Your religion and so forth. And sometimes we don’t know what to do with these sorts of situations.
Kevin Nadal: So I’ll give you a few examples on think about a time where maybe somebody may have said something to you, like, wow, you speak really good English
Kevin Nadal: And if you are an Asian American who was born and raised in this country, perhaps, who has whose family has been here for two or three generations.
Kevin Nadal: That’s not quite a compliment, because the indirect communication to you is that you’re not American enough where you were presumed to not have been born and raised in the United States.
Kevin Nadal: And so this is what we would call micro aggression. It’s based on bias. It’s based on bias that usually Americans aren’t American it’s based on
Kevin Nadal: On racial bias, particularly because they they see what somebody looks like and that they make these assumptions on
Kevin Nadal: And when we think about micro aggressions. We’re also thinking about things that might be considered to be compliments, but in reality they aren’t compliments at all. So, for example,
Kevin Nadal: You know someone saying that you speak good english is supposed to be a compliment.
Kevin Nadal: But also someone’s thing while you’re Asian American. You must be really good at math and science meant to be a compliment. But in reality based on a stereotype.
Kevin Nadal: And a stereotype that isn’t necessarily true. I’m in. So when we have Asian Americans that are often struggling with educational attainment.
Kevin Nadal: When we have Asian Americans who are struggling with with school, especially students and they hear these alleged compliments. It might have significant impacts.
Kevin Nadal: On their mental health. So this is what we’re going to talk about for the next few minutes is just is micro aggressions
Kevin Nadal: And as I mentioned, they could happen.
Kevin Nadal: Based on many multiple identities. I saw someone in the chat box mentioned age micro aggressions as microcosms are very real. They could happen on different ends of the spectrum, people who are older are oftentimes communicated
Kevin Nadal: That they’re not smart enough for that they don’t know how to do certain things and then people who are on the younger end of the spectrum are communicated that same thing you you don’t know enough. What do you know you’re not old enough
Kevin Nadal: To know certain things. We know that there are gender micro aggressions women especially
Kevin Nadal: Are oftentimes talk down to or their ideas aren’t viewed as important as men, or they might share something in a meeting and not get credit for it.
Kevin Nadal: When a man gets the says the same exact thing. And then he gets credit for it and so
Kevin Nadal: These are certain things that we need to be aware of. And so what I’m going to do is talk about the various types of micro aggressions that exist. So if we can go to the next slide.
Kevin Nadal: Great. So some manifestations of micro aggressions and I’m just going to give you a few examples. So you can get a little bit more of a sense of what these types of micro aggressions look like. And I’m focusing on just these four categories.
Kevin Nadal: Even though we know that there are multiple types of categories on that exists across various identity groups. And so the first type of micro aggression is the assumption of criminality and so these are micro aggressions in which people perceive
Kevin Nadal: A person based on one of their identity groups to be a criminal to be dangerous to be violent. So as far as you had mentioned
Kevin Nadal: We see we’ve seen this a lot with black Americans African American community that a lot of times people will presumed black people to be dangerous or violence, oftentimes leading
Kevin Nadal: To their deaths. We see a lot of police brutality towards African Americans who are innocent unarmed not doing anything.
Kevin Nadal: We saw very recently videos that have been circulating around the internet of I’m not our brewery, who is simply jogging down the street when
Kevin Nadal: Two men killed him. And so we know that this is something that’s very real for people who are of African descent. However, Oh, there’s my son, baby. Okay.
Kevin Nadal: Second with with criminality. We also know that this happens to people have different groups of students down. Sorry, I’m like that guy on BBC who’s giving a report and his kid blossom. So, okay.
Kevin Nadal: But assumption of criminality is also based on can be based on other identities, too. So, for example, transgender people have been presumed to be SEXUALLY DEVIANT
Kevin Nadal: transgender women particularly are oftentimes viewed as being sex workers LGBT Q people in general are viewed as being set sexually
Kevin Nadal: Criminal. So, for example, a lot of times people presume that gay men are going to be child predators or that LGBT people in general are going to sexually assault people because of their
Kevin Nadal: Sexual orientation or gender identity, it’s specific to Asian Americans, you know, this was a. This was an older stereotype about he Asian Americans in the early 1900s with Asian Americans are sneaky on that they’re going to
Kevin Nadal: You know, to steal from you or will be sneaky be do badness is with you and then that stereotype sort of died, and then the model minority myth came and so it sort of died. But we’re seeing a resurgence of that with this coven 19
Kevin Nadal: There is a criminality of Asian Americans, this notion that Asian Americans are
Kevin Nadal: Are are preventing disease to this country that they’re spreading disease that it’s intentional in some way. And so we we see that that that this is very much tied
Kevin Nadal: To this overall overarching theme of criminality, as far as the I mentioned Asian American communities very diverse and when it comes to Asian American subgroups we experienced this in different ways. So South Asians.
Kevin Nadal: Had been stereotyped along with other Muslim Americans or Arab Americans as being terrorists. So that’s a different type of way that the method manifestation of micro aggressions may exist.
Kevin Nadal: So a second type of micro aggression that occurs towards all people on this, this idea of exotic
Kevin Nadal: Exotic sensation is this notion of treating people like tokens like objects viewing people as being
Kevin Nadal: culturally different than others and really focusing on that cultural difference and oftentimes using it as a compliment. So for Asian American people, this might be something like people saying very condescending comments like, wow.
Kevin Nadal: This. This dish is so interesting. It’s so different. I’ve never had anything like it. So really,
Kevin Nadal: uttering the person making the person feel as if their, their food in this case is something
Kevin Nadal: That isn’t normal. So viewed as as pathological in some ways on exoticism oftentimes intersects with sexualization. So a lot of times, Asian American women are viewed as sexual objects.
Kevin Nadal: And people will say, especially since gender heterosexual men will say very sexualized and derogatory comments to Asian American women. So while women in general are sexualized and to humanized and token eyes.
Kevin Nadal: There’s what we call an interception or micro aggression that can happen to Asian American women and two other women of color.
Kevin Nadal: Where they are being discriminated against, or inactive based upon based on the intersection of both their race and their gender.
Kevin Nadal: The description of intelligence is another type of micro aggression. And it essentially involves any sort of interaction in which somebody is prescribed is having some sort of intelligence. Sometimes that intelligence.
Kevin Nadal: is viewed as being negative or negligent and sometimes that intelligent is viewed as a stereotype.
Kevin Nadal: On it being positive. So, for example, with a lot of communities of color, particularly black Americans that the next Americans and even Native Americans.
Kevin Nadal: That oftentimes people presume them to not be intelligent and so people might enact this bias in numerous ways. So in research and and just in lots of different
Kevin Nadal: Media articles and so forth. Black Americans will talk about things like people saying to them. Wow, you are so articulate. Has anyone ever talked about. Or has anyone ever shared with you how articulate, you are
Kevin Nadal: And so that’s meant to be a compliment. But perhaps the reality of it is that the message that’s being communicated is I did not expect you to be articulate and so therefore I am over complimenting you on this.
Kevin Nadal: Sometimes when people of color, especially Black Americans are in college campuses. People will presume that they’re athletes and that they’re there because of
Kevin Nadal: Some sort of athletic scholarship, as opposed to thinking that perhaps they made it to college on based on their academic aptitude. And so this is something that we see.
Kevin Nadal: Among various communities of color for women. The description of intelligence is also very similar. Oftentimes, women are presumed to not be as intelligent as men. Um, so, for example, sometimes
Kevin Nadal: When a woman shares her opinion on it isn’t viewed as being intelligent enough. But when a man shares a very similar thing. His idea gets taken
Kevin Nadal: Seriously on for Asian Americans, the description of intelligence is a little bit different on and this is based on the model minority myth. So when the model minority myth.
Kevin Nadal: First started to become more popularized in the 1960s Asian Americans particularly East Asian Americans and and South Asians were viewed as being
Kevin Nadal: This model group that other minorities should should should be like on. And so in some ways.
Kevin Nadal: Some people view this as being a positive thing. Like, look at all the Asian Americans that have been able to come to this country and be able and have been able to succeed.
Kevin Nadal: Well, the thing that the model minority myth is actually not very positive. And in fact, has a lot of negative implications. So one
Kevin Nadal: Is that it’s a stereotype. Not all Asian Americans are doing well. Not all Asian Americans are doing well academically. When we look at
Kevin Nadal: Higher Education Statistics, we see that there are many Asian American groups that are in fact not doing well. If you look at
Kevin Nadal: Southeast Asians. If you look at Filipino Americans. You look at even Pacific Islanders, if we’re including them in the API umbrella.
Kevin Nadal: That their cause attainment rates actually aren’t
Kevin Nadal: As high as other Asian American groups on. And so it’s really important to understand that that for the model minority myth. It is a myth. It’s not something that is clear across
Kevin Nadal: For all Asian American groups. Another problem with the model minority myth is that when we
Kevin Nadal: When we try to glorify Asian Americans as being the model. What it does is that it pits us against other communities of color. And so by telling Asian Americans.
Kevin Nadal: That there are the model, it sends the bias messages that Asian Americans are better.
Kevin Nadal: Than other communities of color, which then many Asian Americans internalize and believe, which leads to a lot of anti black anti indigenous or anti less next bias that occurs.
Kevin Nadal: Between Asian Americans and other groups and then at the same time, it creates a cultural conflict or a dynamic in which other people of color and Asian Americans oftentimes are are in direct
Kevin Nadal: opposition to each other. So we saw this with things like the Los Angeles riots in which black communities and Korean communities.
Kevin Nadal: were fighting against each other because in many ways with the model minority myth and these stereotypes that have been imposed on us. People are taught to fight against each other as opposed to working together to fight against systemic oppression.
Kevin Nadal: The last micro aggression category that I’ll talk about is pathologies and cultural values and these are micro aggressions in which people of various groups are viewed as being
Kevin Nadal: Different in ways and are oftentimes even punished for it. So I mentioned the, the idea of food being exotic size but food could also be pathologist.
Kevin Nadal: There’s a conversation that some folks are having on Twitter about Asian Americans bringing lunch to school on and being pathologist for it that many of us who grew up.
Kevin Nadal: As Asian American, especially in the 80s and 90s that when we brought our home cooked food we would get made fun of it that we would end up
Kevin Nadal: Begging our parents to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which is kind of odd, because who would ever choose that delicious Asian dish over peanut butter and
Kevin Nadal: Or two issues a peanut butter and jelly sandwich over at delicious.
Kevin Nadal: Fish. But when you’re young and others make fun of you. You don’t want to be different. So you don’t want to be other. And so you might learn that being American and fitting in is, what would be most important
Kevin Nadal: On pathologies and cultural values could be even things like communication style. A lot of Asian American people might not communicate in similar ways
Kevin Nadal: As white Americans or as Western standards tells us to i. So, for example, for many Asian American groups, it might be more difficult to be more direct or overt
Kevin Nadal: In addressing conflict or people might not do as well in terms of participating in large groups.
Kevin Nadal: Which has many different cultural factors, depending on where the person is coming from. And so when we rely on Western standards as being
Kevin Nadal: The ways in which we grade people in which we value people then that can be something that can be very detrimental to
Kevin Nadal: Not just Asian Americans, but to immigrants in general who might not learn how to fit in to these various types of groups or situations. So we’re gonna move on to the next slide.
Kevin Nadal: And I just want to talk a little bit about the impact of micro aggressions. So as I mentioned, those are just a few of the types of micro aggressions that people can experience and Reza did an excellent job and talking about
Kevin Nadal: The many ways that people deal with mental health and how holistically. We need to approach people when it comes to
Kevin Nadal: Thinking about their mental health and their well being. But I wanted to talk a little bit about the impact of micro aggressions
Kevin Nadal: When I talk about impact. I’m talking about the ways that micro aggressions can effect people on in their everyday lives and their growth and their development on in the ways that they operate in the world.
Kevin Nadal: And this is all based on various research studies that have been occurring for the past
Kevin Nadal: 10 years on, and one of the things that we’re finding is that micro aggressions has a significant negative impact on mental health.
Kevin Nadal: So when people experience a large amount of micro aggressions and their life. So not just racial micro aggressions but also gender based micro aggressions
Kevin Nadal: Sexual orientation based micro aggressions and so forth that it has an impact on their mental health research finds that people are more likely to demonstrate symptoms of depression.
Kevin Nadal: Demonstrate symptoms of anxiety and even demonstrates symptoms of trauma.
Kevin Nadal: When it comes to safety. Oftentimes people report feeling unsafe when micro aggressions occur on which then also has a negative impact on their mental health.
Kevin Nadal: micro aggressions has a negative impact on people’s self esteem. So the more micro aggressions that people experience.
Kevin Nadal: The less likely they are to feel good about themselves, which then has other consequences like their ability to perform
Kevin Nadal: In certain environments that are impacted their ability to perform in school on and you know just might lead to other behaviors that might
Kevin Nadal: be harmful. So things like depression or suicidal behaviors or cutting and things like this when people have negative self esteem.
Kevin Nadal: And finally, micro aggressions have a negative impact on physical health. So when people carry so much discrimination with them on that it could take a toll on their physical health.
Kevin Nadal: We know that communities of color on tend to have a higher prevalence of many health disparities, ranging from cardiovascular disease to diabetes to obesity to gout.
Kevin Nadal: And many of these things have been linked directly to the amount of discrimination that people experience in their lives on. And so when people don’t deal with micro aggressions
Kevin Nadal: In ways that are healthy. So it’s not just that they’re experiencing the micro aggressions
Kevin Nadal: But they’re unable to talk about these micro aggressions with their loved ones they’re not able to fully heal from these micro aggressions when they occur or the major references keep coming up over and over and over again.
Kevin Nadal: That it causes them to feel so much pain and anguish and sorrow.
Kevin Nadal: That it will then have a negative impact on their physical health. And so this is why it’s also very important to not just talk about micro aggression in relations to to to mental health.
Kevin Nadal: But to also talk about its impact on people’s physical health and their, their whole whole whole well being, because it really does have such a negative impact.
Kevin Nadal: So I want to just tie this back in. And then I’m going to have to leave in a little bit on but to talk a little bit about what this all means now.
Kevin Nadal: So as Reza had mentioned earlier with Kovac 19 has come a lot of anti Asian bias particularly anti East Asian bias.
Kevin Nadal: To people that may manifest in many different ways. So unfortunately, we have seen an increase in hate crimes in which people are actually physically assaulted.
Kevin Nadal: Because of their race, and we have seen so many horrible instances across the entire country.
Kevin Nadal: From the family in Texas. That was slashed across their fleet their faces to the young Asian woman and
Kevin Nadal: In New York, that was had acid thrown in her face. And so these are not micro aggressions. Those are overt acts of hate overt acts of violence.
Kevin Nadal: And again, we’re seeing that increase across the entire United States. But even if you did not experience anything like that.
Kevin Nadal: That you also might have experienced a more subtle form of racial bias that we might label as micro aggressions so people across
Kevin Nadal: You know, many social media platforms and media platforms have talked about things like walking around the store and people making racial slurs or making comments under their breath or people talking about
Kevin Nadal: Stare being stared at. By by other people on in ways that made them feel uncomfortable like that other people were being
Kevin Nadal: Vindictive or were were threatening to them in some way. And so these are micro aggressions and these are things that can be harmful to. So even if you don’t have
Kevin Nadal: The or even if you don’t experience the discrimination in those more overt or violent ways that experiencing micro aggressions
Kevin Nadal: Are things that you can definitely, I can definitely affect your mental health, too, and that we need
Kevin Nadal: To address. So, what I encourage people to do is to have conversations about micro aggressions on in your everyday life to introduce this concept to your kids.
Kevin Nadal: Your kids may very well be aware of what micro aggressions are because the XP, the concept of micro aggression has been advertised and written about in many multiple forums and social media.
Kevin Nadal: On you know there have been videos on Tick tock on micro aggressions so there they might be aware of this little would be so important to have conversations with them.
Kevin Nadal: About the term so that one, you can understand the types of things that are happening in their lives, but that to you might be able to assist them and guide them when they experienced these types of things.
Kevin Nadal: So I am going to end there, and I hope that you all continue to stay safe and healthy. And when I say healthy. I’m always make sure
Kevin Nadal: That it’s not just to stay symptom free from covert 19 but also to stay mentally healthy that we need to take care of ourselves being inside can be really difficult for long hours at a time.
Kevin Nadal: Not being able to be in physical contact with people you love can be very mentally challenging. And so for you all to be able to
Kevin Nadal: To find support in others and to also find ways that you can cope best with everything that’s happening during this panel. So thank you very much marauding Lama and happy eastern Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.
Min Woo: In Canada for such a enlightening and clear message before you go. We know your time is limited, we had a question if
Min Woo: That’s before you go.
Min Woo: And Lee asked, could you address students how to deal with malicious comments directed towards them.
Kevin Nadal: Sure. I think when it, when it comes to students. I think one thing that would be very important is
Kevin Nadal: To already normalized this this idea of having conversations with students about race on it shouldn’t be something that students experience. And then they for the first time, talk to their adult in their life, whether it’s
Kevin Nadal: Their parents or their teachers about it because that might be very hard to do if they don’t know that it’s a comfortable comfortable conversation to have. So to already preemptively
Kevin Nadal: Have these conversations is something that’s very important on so that students know that if something does happen.
Kevin Nadal: That they can, they have someone to go to. But the most important thing to do when when somebody does experience any sort of
Kevin Nadal: micro aggression or any sort of racial bias is just to listen to them and to ask them, How is it making them feel to normalize their experience to tell them
Kevin Nadal: That this is something that’s been happening on that and not just with code 19 but racism has existed since the dawn of time on. And so to let them know that
Kevin Nadal: They’re not alone in this experience on to provide them with support, whether it’s emotional support or actual resources that I know they’re going to be sharing at the end of this webinar.
Kevin Nadal: But, but normalizing this conversation is very important to already say to them.
Kevin Nadal: Ahead of time as a casual conversation at the dinner table or at the classroom, like, you know, let’s talk about race. Let’s talk about
Kevin Nadal: Difference. Let’s talk about gender, sexual orientation, and so if something happens that you know becomes emotional or traumatic for them that they they see an ally and they see that you’re going to be something to someone who
Kevin Nadal: Is going to be able to listen to them.
Min Woo: Thank you so very much. Please note that his time was limited so he will not be available during the Q AMP a session from two to 230
Min Woo: But you will be able to tweet questions to him at Kevin adult all in those spaces or visit his website for those of you who are joining us by phone, his website is WWW dot Kevin adult
Min Woo: Ke VI n N a DA l.com or you can email them to us at a later time at the end of the presentation, you will have the contact information for everyone who was in the planning committee for this.
Kevin Nadal: Thank you very much.
Min Woo: Thank you. And now we’re going to switch to what are some resources that we do have. So, we will have two speakers speaking about within our county public school system and also within the community. So I hand it over to Kenny Wagner.
Kami Wagner: Good afternoon everybody and thank you so much for joining us. Welcome, today we’re really excited about today’s event. And thank you again. Dr Adel
Kami Wagner: Like men said, my name is kami Wagner and his coordinator for students support programs. I work closely with our students services stuff across the school system.
Kami Wagner: Howard County Public Schools is fortunate to have a variety of resources to support student well being.
Kami Wagner: Beginning with our students services staff. This screenshot of the Howard County support system web page shows some of the staff who work together to support your children. The link to the page is on the bottom left of this slide.
Kami Wagner: Each school has school counselors school psychologists have people personnel worker and a cluster nurse available to support
Kami Wagner: Some schools have additional resource staff, including international student and family liaisons alternative educators school social workers and title one support staff, the staff work collaboratively with teachers and administrators to meet student needs and support families.
Kami Wagner: And you can feel free to reach out to any one of those staff members mentioned to discuss concerns or questions. If you’re unsure your school counselors are offering office hours each day and are often a good starting place.
Kami Wagner: This next screenshot is of our website sharing how Howard County Public Schools supports mental health.
Kami Wagner: This page has resources, including some age appropriate behavior, what what some age appropriate behaviors look like some warning signs and when you might be concerned.
Kami Wagner: Cultural proficiency supports and other resources for additional help and support the link to the page is listed at the top.
Kami Wagner: On our school systems coronavirus web page, we have listed resources and supports available during this unique time
Kami Wagner: There are many resources for you and your families, but we specifically wanted to point out the resources supporting mental health and Community Services seeing here. Whoops.
Kami Wagner: Mr Oman is going to speak about some of these resources and on the top, the top left the top of the list is one more resource to point out from Howard County Public Schools are free meal sites.
Kami Wagner: I know this is a long list. They are listed here and can also be found on our school system website. We encourage families to utilize all of our resources and also share with friends and family who may benefit.
Kami Wagner: Next, I’m happy to turn it over to Mr. James. Lemon our executive director of Community parents and school outreach.
James LeMon: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is James Amman, and she just shared my long title executive director of Community parents go outreach.
James LeMon: Very glad that everyone joined us this afternoon. I just want to share some, some of the resources that we work with very closely as the school system.
James LeMon: Some our community resources and the county. We do know that there are a lot of different community members of faith based
James LeMon: Agencies and churches and nonprofits are doing a lot to support our community during this crisis.
James LeMon: So these are just a few of the ones that I know the school system have worked very closely with over the years and definitely during this time here now.
James LeMon: So one of the first ones I have one is our accounting Caroline. That’s our accounting department have too many resources. The Caroline is a place where you can call
James LeMon: For any kind of concern. You may have for your family and might be about your child. It could be about mental health. It could be about food access. That’s a one stop shop number you can call and they will support you to get you to the right.
James LeMon: You know program or agency that can support you. Whatever your need. Maybe we work very closely with Jackie Scott’s office.
James LeMon: The local children’s board. They work very close with road and radish program to help
James LeMon: Support more families more intensely so they have been a great, great resource. And they also have access to the language line. So if his family, you know,
James LeMon: Someone may not speak English first language, they have access to those resources through the language line.
James LeMon: Another program. We work very closely with and is between the action council and be today Hoff
James LeMon: They offer a lot of support to families energy and utility assistance to be now during this situation. We have a lot of families who typically would not need that type of support.
James LeMon: But due to covert 19 they may need it now. So can you actually Council as a resource if they need that type of support with utility even their rent or mortgage
James LeMon: They can support with that as well. They recently just yes so you may have seen a press release. They created a three week pop up and food pantry schedule.
James LeMon: Like they’ll have four different locations per week over the next few weeks where they will be offering food pantries to families that may need that type of support.
James LeMon: Again, that was sent out a press release yesterday also the Tunisian council, they are in charge of running the Howard County Food Bank. Right. And we’ll share all this information with you all later. But we have been working closely with a county governments Office of Emergency Management
James LeMon: also work with co at communities organized against disasters and they have been supporting the food bank and a pop up pantries here over the past few weeks.
James LeMon: But they are a great resource for our families.
James LeMon: Mental health or suicide prevention, we have grassroots crisis intervention center and many of us need heard already a 24 hour suicide hotline.
James LeMon: They provide telephone support and free walking counseling services by train staff.
James LeMon: They have the mobile crisis team, seven days a week, and they also offer substance abuse support to families a Trojan as well. And they also work with the language line and
James LeMon: We’re any family or any person that might need that support our county health department has the behavioral health department.
James LeMon: They have what they call behavior health Navigator. I think the person that position. I think may have taken the position, but they do have people fill in them, but they’ve been a great resource.
James LeMon: So if you have any questions about it can be a whole range of needs that you may have for yourself or your, your, your, your child you call them and they will work.
James LeMon: Work with you and they’ll figure out what what support, you might need and where that resource may be located. They also have an excellent
James LeMon: List of behavior health providers on their website at the Howard County Health Department. A couple other things we want to just bring up as our county network of care. If you go to the health department and school system use this as well.
James LeMon: We’ll send a link out with that what they do, they actually
James LeMon: Have a whole list of agencies in our county, you just use put in what you’re looking for and it will pop up a whole list of agencies in your neighborhood.
James LeMon: They also have access to over 100 language you click on the box. Pick what language you want and they will help you try to find a resource that you need the Maryland to one resources, very similar. They have services in 180 languages. Again, that’s some Maryland 211 you can call
James LeMon: The our county offices, human rights, very important offices again during this time and all the time. Do you ever have any questions about
James LeMon: Incident may have happened to you or someone you know you can always call them as a resource or also call in and make a complaint as well.
James LeMon: Our county police again it’s there’s immediate danger. You always can call
James LeMon: The police department and nominal one but also they have the non emergency number. If you have any questions, it’s always good to give them a call and talk through and they’ll work with you on that.
James LeMon: And last but not least hope works is a 24 hour domestic violence and sexual violence and dating.
James LeMon: helpline. They have a lot of resources there. So if you have any concerns about, you know, someone your family. So you may know
James LeMon: You can give them the information to call home works. And they do a great job and working with all families in regards to domestic violence.
James LeMon: So again, those are just one last thing. And we had a copy, we have an example of
James LeMon: The offices human rights. So if you do want to file a complaint that is the website on our county government site.
James LeMon: Where you go to that office, go to that site and just click on there. It’s online complaint form you can fill it out. We just want to make sure you you had a visual with that looks like.
James LeMon: Again, those are just some of the services and programs in our county school systems work very closely with
James LeMon: Many of those, you may know some of you may not. We’re going to make that available to you all. So you can have it as a resource to share with others in your community as well. So again, thank you all for joining us today and I will pass along to miss men. Whoo.
Min Woo: Thank you, James.
Min Woo: We just wanted to show those of you for joining us with video the contact information for all of us.
Min Woo: And I think I forgot to mention that we are recording this session. And after today. Those of you who register. We will be sending out a PDF of the PowerPoint.
Min Woo: And the information provided by doctrine adult. In addition, we will be
Min Woo: Modifying the recording to put it on YouTube and once it is put on YouTube. My understanding is that YouTube has closed captioning options.
Min Woo: Which families can click on and artificial intelligences use to translate the closed captioning. So, we will look into that. But we definitely will be sending out the PDFs today. And when we upload into YouTube, we will reach out to you again.
Min Woo: And now we wanted to
Min Woo: Get to our questions. There have been lots of things in the chat box. One of the first things we wanted to address was there was a question about do we have curriculum about Asian American studies. So I’m going to hand it over to Kim a born and she can address part of that.
Kimberly Eggborn: So in the L. I’m the coordinator for elementary social studies in Howard County. And so what I can tell you about that is
Kimberly Eggborn: We have been in the process of rewriting our curriculum. And as we’re rewriting we’re being much more cognizant of, including the story of all of the under typically underrepresented voices.
Kimberly Eggborn: Of American history. We’re trying to be very cognizant of sharing the true story, and the entire story.
Kimberly Eggborn: Of our country, as opposed to just focusing on the story of the victors and those who have typically written our history.
Kimberly Eggborn: And so that’s something that we are trying to embed from day one from pre K on on examples of stories of Asian Americans and the contributions that they have made to our society and are continuing to make to our society.
Kimberly Eggborn: The other thing we have is a program called the unhurt perspective showcase where we’re encouraging fifth graders to choose a
Kimberly Eggborn: Typically underrepresented voice and they can look for an Asian American innovator, or an African American innovator innovator of
Kimberly Eggborn: Their choice, who we typically don’t hear from and they’re sharing how that innovator has made an impact in their life, and they’re doing that.
Kimberly Eggborn: On a countywide stage where they get to come together and showcase their work. So that’s another way, we’re trying to uplift on the opportunities for students to study more about Asian Americans.
Kimberly Eggborn: And I know in the secondary level. They’re also working hard to make sure that we are in all of our classes, not just creating an elective class that
Kimberly Eggborn: Only some students would get, but making sure that even in all the classes that students are required to take as graduation requirements that those classes include the story of Asian Americans as well.
Min Woo: Thank you. Kim. And in addition, Kim spoke about the elementary, but for the secondary what we can do is
Min Woo: Take feedback from this webinar, back to our curriculum office and the leadership to say that this was one of the things that was mentioned in the feedback from the audience from the webinar. We are now going to open the floor to questions.
Min Woo: Consuela. Is there something in the chat box that we could address to a specific person at this time.
Consuela Robinson: Hello. Hi. I’m Consuela Robinson. At this time I did not see any other questions there were just lots of comments about showing appreciation for this webinar. There were questions from school system staff about obtaining credit for attendance than any way.
Consuela Robinson: Okay.
Min Woo: So CPD credits. I believe are something that we need to work out with human resources. So, we will take that back to see what we can do. Those of you who are
Min Woo: Joining us with video. If you could use the icon and raise your hand, then we know that we can go to you and you can use the chat box. Those of you who are joining us by phone, we will ask that you would unmute and ask questions as you wish.
Min Woo: I think we have three participants who are joining us by phone. I have one person in code three one another person area code for 10 and another person area code 717. So at this time.
Min Woo: If one of the guests. Joining us by phone once unmute and ask a question, you may do so. And then, in the meantime, we’ll monitor the chat box and see if there are questions listed there.
Min Woo: In the education world we talk about we time
Min Woo: Okay, so I’m going to assume that those of you who joined us by phone, do not have a question at this time. Do we have questions in the chat box.
Min Woo: Okay, we don’t have any hands raised.
Min Woo: I think there is a question about when do you think revise curriculum will roll out. I believe that question is for Kim inborn about the unhurt perspectives Kim.
Kimberly Eggborn: So there’s two parts. We’re rewriting the curriculum as we speak, literally, however, as you can imagine, with coven on the curriculum that we’re rewriting is looking a little bit different.
Kimberly Eggborn: And our timeline has shifted from what we initially thought the MS D or Maryland State Department of Education is releasing the new standards for social studies. This
Kimberly Eggborn: Summer is when they’re slated to do that and we’re hoping they’ll still stay on track track with that. And if that’s the case, then the first first grade. That will be
Kimberly Eggborn: redone officially is grade three and we’d be looking at doing that this year. So it would be rolled out the following year in
Kimberly Eggborn: 2021 22 and then each year following we would we roll out another curriculum. In addition, the unhurt perspectives change where students can
Kimberly Eggborn: Study about any underrepresented voice in fifth grade that it changes already been made and so students can do that now. And this is assuming that the program is able to be offered next year pending what happens with distance learning
Min Woo: We had a question from Janine Chen about will we be engaging the Asian American communities and developing the curriculum. Could you speak a little bit about the advisory committee that you’re part of
Kimberly Eggborn: Absolutely. And so we have a social studies advisory board that’s composed of about two dozen different members of our community from all different parts
Kimberly Eggborn: Including representatives from our Asian American community and we run our curriculum by them.
Kimberly Eggborn: To make sure that we are being representative of all of our community. And so they get to help. Look at that. And addition. I’m very cognizant of making sure I have diverse curriculum writers
Kimberly Eggborn: When we are rewriting the curriculum so that we can be very careful to be sensitive to the views of all of our community members.
Min Woo: Thank you. So, Kim and borns information was on that page once you see the PDF and you can contact her directly.
Min Woo: There is I’m going to try to monitor the chat box. So there was a question about what about curriculum in the works from middle or high school
Min Woo: We do not have anyone from the curriculum office with us. Currently, but, as I mentioned, we will definitely take that feedback back to the curriculum offers in leadership as well.
Kami Wagner: Just one quick note about that men. I know the Board of Education and the curriculum staff is always looking for ways to improve and
Kami Wagner: include other groups that we hadn’t considered before.
Kami Wagner: We do begin working on courses for the following year, very early.
Kami Wagner: So if that’s an area of interest or something that you’d be interested in advocating for it’s too late to advocate for next year’s curriculum, but it’s definitely not too.
Kami Wagner: Too late to start for the following year. So please feel free to contact us or other leaders that, you know, to share your ideas or concerns.
Min Woo: Thank you can me. Okay.
Kimberly Eggborn: Just add also that sorry this is Kim i’d born again I’m just that it’s great if you would, if you want to know more about the electives that we offer, including an Asian American studies course that all of that information is actually on our website, the HTTP ss.org
Min Woo: Yes.
Min Woo: And there were a couple of questions about how are we reaching out to community members who are either non English speaking or limited English speaking
Min Woo: So we have done our best to keep up with the information that is coming out and translating that in our top three languages which are Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
Min Woo: They are all on the website. However, please be patient with us as new things are being translated a new information is shared from the state and the county that
Min Woo: Those translations are in different pockets on our website. But when you search. You can find them. If you’re looking for a specific document, feel free to email me and I can direct you to that source.
Min Woo: Okay, another question. I think we answered the question on the developing the curriculum.
Min Woo: Consuela. Can you read a couple of questions that I probably have missed in the chat box.
Consuela Robinson: Absolutely. So one question I had, what or that came up in the chat box was on. Well, the school system engage the Asian American community and developing the curriculum. Not sure if that can be addressed further
Min Woo: I think Kim acorn spoke about the Advisory Committee, and we will take all these questions about curriculum back to the curriculum office and the leadership. I think there’s a question about
Consuela Robinson: We did.
Consuela Robinson: I’m sorry, we did have a question from a Joan hash mom regarding what types of incidents against Asian students are we observing and Howard County Schools and what is the nature of these
Min Woo: Can me. Is that something that you might be able to address.
Kami Wagner: Yeah, that’s possible. I haven’t seen any data on that.
Kami Wagner: But we can certainly inquire about that.
Kami Wagner: And I wonder, James might have some things to add there too. I think it’s, it’s definitely something we’re on the lookout for I just haven’t been in those conversations yet, but we’re certainly happy to share if we’re able to find that out.
James LeMon: What can you clarify what the question was.
Consuela Robinson: Sure. The question was, in regards to incidents against Asian students in the schools, what types of incidents are we observing and what is the nature of these incidents.
James LeMon: So without. What I can say is that anytime that the school system staff and administrators are made aware of a, of an incident that is like a hate bias related incident.
James LeMon: They have certain protocols that they follow and they do send it to central office for to be reviewed by central office staff as well. But in regards specific instance, I don’t have any data about specific instance, but I was just want to say that we are very, very sensitive
James LeMon: Last year we had some special training administrators someone from state of Maryland came and talked about hate buys instance around state.
James LeMon: And also in Howard County and we reviewed our protocols as a system about how we want to make sure that we are very sensitive to that and it is important even to central office when something happens at a school
James LeMon: That we’re aware of. So, but unfortunate. I don’t have the actual data in front of me, and I apologize for that about specific instance
Min Woo: One thing I would like to add this memo is that
Min Woo: Sometimes when the incidences don’t rise to a level of where they feel, please.
Min Woo: Interaction needs to happen many times, it goes unreported, there is a national organization that is keeping track of hate crimes and
Min Woo: since they’ve started collecting data in February. They’ve recorded over 1500 incidences across the US. And there was a article in The Baltimore Sun yesterday and they interviewed several individuals in our local area who have faced
Min Woo: comments being made at them on social media next cetera so we know these micro aggressions a doctor, an adult spoke about is happening.
Min Woo: But many of them may not have risen to a level where people felt imminent physical danger, and that’s why it’s not being reported, but I believe one of the participants of our webinar today.
Min Woo: Is a police officer from the Howard County Police Department, and we have been in touch with them several weeks ago and as of several weeks ago. He also said there were no
Min Woo: Incidences report it but we feel that having this seminar today will bring to light the situations where if you felt uncomfortable if you felt unsafe. We wanted to share with you what those things are how it can affect you and then also share with you what to do about them.
Charissa Cheah: Consuela
Min Woo: What I see there’s been lots of things put in the chat box. What are some things we could address
Consuela Robinson: Yes. So our next question is from Jane Zhang Potter. The question is, as we move forward. How do we support our Asian community.
Consuela Robinson: And work with other organizations to build in compassion, empathy and understanding across all minorities, that’s the first part of the question. The second part of the question is will there be more offerings to address well being across all groups.
Min Woo: Okay, so the first part, I’m going to see if razia post it could speak to that with her d i liaisons at each school. Sure.
Razia Kosi: So I don’t know if I introduce myself. Specifically, but I’m in the facilitator in the office of diversity, equity, and inclusion for Howard County Public School System. So some of the things that we’ve done in
Razia Kosi: Some high schools and middle schools are empathy days so ways for students to help engage with each other.
Razia Kosi: Break down possible stereotypes, get to know each other human to human and we do that in a combination with adults and students. Now there’s prep work that goes into that there’s a level of readiness to help facilitate these in a way that
Razia Kosi: Brings together belonging and empathy and
Razia Kosi: Larger context as well. So while we would love to have every single school be able to do these types of things. We don’t have the capacity yet to do that. But we do have in every school is a diversity, equity, and inclusion liaison that
Razia Kosi: Works with our office and also help training. Some of these
Razia Kosi: You know, teachers and educators to help facilitate these kind of spaces. So that’s something that can take place in the schools and
Razia Kosi: We’re also as a part of the Asian American educators of Howard County. We’re actually developing something that we’re bringing together the young people.
Razia Kosi: And even virtually right now coming together. Specifically, who are from me Asian community talking about
Razia Kosi: highlighting some things about the community and also some of the experiences, they’re facing. And so I think we can continue to build on these because it’s important. I think the question was also asked about
Razia Kosi: Bringing together. I think some solidarity and belonging for groups who
Razia Kosi: May may feel on the margins, but also just who are part of things. It’s really important to help bridge that and I think the foundation of that is Jane had mentioned is building empathy.
Razia Kosi: Really building a sense of belonging, but also caring compassion, but it’s also really important to understand historical context and how why
Razia Kosi: Systems have been created to keep people on the margins, or unable to access things. And the question about how did we find out who the D is each school, um,
Razia Kosi: That’s a great question. Right now, I’m not sure that it’s on their school website, but we can see that can be on their website. If you want to email me and I can certainly let you know the list the list, we have right now is for 2019 2020
Razia Kosi: So, year to year, it may change as people want to take on those roles so I can tell you who it is. Now, so people on email me, I can let you know who that di. It’s called the deal, you know, di lays on is at the school.
Min Woo: Okay, because we live. We go to some other questions that are in the chat box.
Consuela Robinson: Or there are a few. The next question was, in regards to finding the report with the Office of Human Rights.
Consuela Robinson: If anyone has information regarding how soon, someone would hear back from the office. Once they file a complaint and the next part of the question is how do we encourage people to report incidence of my progression.
Min Woo: Okay, um,
Min Woo: I believe we have several human rights Commissioners with us. Could you perhaps utilize either the chat box or or unmute and speak to that.
Yolanda Sonnier: Good afternoon. Can you hear me.
Min Woo: Yes. Amanda, how are you
Yolanda Sonnier: Good. How are you, this is Yolanda Sonia, the administrator for the Office of Human Rights, and thank you for doing this training.
Yolanda Sonnier: And this session today just to answer that question quickly when someone right now our office, you can still contact our office.
Yolanda Sonnier: To file a complaint or you can go on the link that someone sent in the chat box and then the intake investigator will give
Yolanda Sonnier: The person who has fallen the complaint a call or you can call and speak to him right away right away during the hours of eight and 5pm Monday through Friday so he, his name is David Ruiz, and he will be able to assist you right away.
Min Woo: Wonderful.
Yolanda Sonnier: And actually give you the phone number to the office. It’s 410-313-6430
Min Woo: Okay, I put that in the chat box.
Yolanda Sonnier: Excellent. Thank you. Okay.
Consuela Robinson: Okay, we did have a few other questions. The next question was will our school system teachers teach our students about how to react to other students race related harassment.
Min Woo: razia, would you like to take that question on
Razia Kosi: Yeah. What was it when they teach them about how to address it or how would they, so we have policies in place like
Razia Kosi: Discrimination sexual harassment just overall discrimination building all these types of things. So those kind of reporting measures are definitely shared with all students at the beginning of the school year, I think.
Razia Kosi: micro aggressions is something that I think is important to teach about because these are things where sometimes we minimize it.
Razia Kosi: Well, they said they were joking, but it really means something. And so, but you start to feel things and it starts to affect you and so affects how you may respond right
Razia Kosi: And how you are in that space. So I think that’s another way that we can help like just naming it is really important. Like, this is not something to just
Razia Kosi: sweep under the rug. This actually affects people and how they’re seeing how their others or how they belong. And so I think
Razia Kosi: And again, it’s this is almost like the adults are catching up to the students because young people actually know what micro aggression, like many of them understand it.
Razia Kosi: There’s a lot that’s been
Razia Kosi: Talked about it, especially in in spaces that students use that young people use. And so I think that we can continue to further it and also
Razia Kosi: Amp up teachers, being able to name it to not in a in a destructive way, but like, you know,
Razia Kosi: How that may be perceived can be in micro aggressions and micro invalidation. It’s something that makes people and also there’s another way to be
Razia Kosi: How we can validate, how we can support. So these are other pieces. And so we can continue to explore this and help our young people understand this, but also educate ourselves first two is important for me.
James LeMon: Yep. Can I follow up to receive this is James I’m on. Again, I’m Howard County schools. I want to just also lift up.
James LeMon: As a former principal myself and administrator, you know, Dr. Gilbert office and was his office. They’ve done training with our administrators on micro aggressions. I mean, it’s important that our administrators are aware
James LeMon: Of what micro aggressions are and they’re able to take that back to their schools to their staff and like Rosie said, I mean we have to educate keep educating ourselves as well.
James LeMon: So that training those trains that happened over the past year or so have been very helpful from a leadership perspective because good our principles are ones are in charge or ability, I may need to be aware of this as well.
Min Woo: Thank you both. Kick Consuela will go to the next question.
Consuela Robinson: Okay, thank you. Rosie and James because your responses just address the next question, which was
Consuela Robinson: whether there were any efforts to educate staff within HTTP SS on how to avoid inflicting micro aggressions on others. So your response was very timely, I think we answered that question unless you wanted to elaborate further
James LeMon: I would just say, I think, you know, the school system has been very intentional about making sure that we do the best we can to continue to
James LeMon: To, you know, provide professional enter even sure administrators about these very important things. As I mentioned earlier, we had some of the state of Maryland come and present about hate bias.
James LeMon: Toward administrators as well. But again, these are all very important topics to us and Dr Murano and into our leadership.
James LeMon: Here in our county. So I’m just glad that we are trying to continue to put this information in front of our administrators and our staff and ultimately our students as well as is very important.
James LeMon: Thank you.
Min Woo: Consuela. Do we have another question.
Consuela Robinson: The next question was from Bianca Chang and it was just about the communities readiness to welcome all students back to school. When that time comes.
Min Woo: Yes, we hope that time is sooner than later.
Min Woo: Okay.
Min Woo: Next question.
Consuela Robinson: Okay. And it looks like I am not seen any other questions at this time. Okay.
Min Woo: BIANCA just as is the training mandatory. And the question went to Rosie.
Razia Kosi: So Bianca, the training that we did at the start of the school year last year on micro aggressions as a threat to belonging was expected was expected all teachers attend
Razia Kosi: It was like an hour, hour and 15 minutes so it was not a comprehensive wealth, you know what, it wasn’t ongoing professional learning, which can lead to more transformative type of learning.
Razia Kosi: So know that one was mandatory but we have not been able to do another one. Since and so we do not have that type of a mandatory but it was everyone was was expected to come. So that was mandatory. They were expected to come
Razia Kosi: So for that clarifies
Razia Kosi: Thank you.
Min Woo: Okay, if there are people who wish to unmute their mic and ask question verbally, you may do so.
Min Woo: And I think there’s another question in the chat box if this was professional development. Can we get a training certificate
Min Woo: So this webinar was particularly addressed to our community members and it was shared with our staff so
Min Woo: I believe
Min Woo: In order to get a CPD credit, I believe that time was not long enough to give that credit, is that correct razia
Razia Kosi: 15 hours are usually what’s given for one CPD credit so you will not be able to get a CPD credit for this.
Min Woo: And going forward, if we get
Razia Kosi: Lots of additionally blaming. Additionally, this is still the workday. So any type of CPD credit is earned outside of work hours.
Min Woo: Thank you for that clarification going forward. If we get more feedback on this type of webinar is needed and for different groups, we’re
Min Woo: More than ready to hear the feedback and ready to do another one. As we were planning this this was new for us and we want to shout out to the Chinese community because
Min Woo: James Lamont, and I have been working with the Howard County Chinese school because they came to us to say we address mental health and well being within the Chinese community. And that’s what we have planned.
Min Woo: In end of April, and then when you covered hit. We thought that when we were having a meeting with the Asian American educators of our county
Min Woo: We thought this would be a great time for us to address all these concerns and change direction and invite all Asian community join us. So we think
Min Woo: The haircut any Chinese school for taking the lead and sharing with us and being open to changing directions, a little bit and being more inclusive.
Min Woo: And one of our speaker will sing and Dr. Noodles mentioned that it is Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month
Min Woo: And when we say that long name. We know that it encompasses 54 different countries and many different people groups multiple zillions of languages within that continent. So we believe that there are more that we help we hold in common.
Min Woo: And that our differences are what makes how a county unique. So we thank everyone for participating.
Min Woo: Giving your questions to us. So if there are any further questions for the good of the group.
Min Woo: I’ll just pause a minute to see if there are any questions for the entire group, you do have all my contact information, feel free to reach out to any one of us. And thank you so very much for joining us for this very important webinar.
Min Woo: Okay, thank you so very much. Everyone bc shelter and space. Thank you.