Race matters: Groundbreaking agreements put racial bias front and center
by Helen Gym on Dec 16 2010
December 15th marked one year to the day that a historic boycott by Asian immigrant youth endedafter gaining national and international attention to racial violence at South Philadelphia High School. The groundbreaking agreements by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission make clear the responsibility of school officials to protect students from racial and ethnic bias and harassment.
The decision to seek remediation through the Department of Justice was a conscious one by many community members who sought not money or lengthy lawsuits, but lasting change and acknowledgment for the suffering of Asian immigrant students and families at the school. Below is the statement released by the South Philadelphia High School Asian Students Advocates (Asian Americans United, Boat People SOS, Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund). On behalf of all the students
