A Message from the Executive Director
By Jon Osaki, Executive Director
Our Children Should Know
In 2017, I wrote an article titled, “What Do We Tell Our Children?” The article was an attempt to rationalize the inauguration of a President who unabashedly blurted out inexcusable comments and exhibited unconscionable behavior. Somehow, eight years later, we once again find ourselves asking the same questions and searching for answers.
Of course, the world has changed over those eight years and yet as a nation we find ourselves at the same place, where hate, intolerance, and fear will be allowed to drive public policy and scapegoating will be used as a regular practice to deflect any level of accountability. Over the next four years, I am concerned about many facets of society, the threats to democracy, the targeting of our immigrant communities, the list is long and disturbing. Given our work with children and youth at JCYC, I cannot help but to also be deeply concerned about the education policies that are promised by the new administration.
The viral video of George Floyd’s murder in 2020 unleashed a visceral reaction to the systemic racism that has and continues to plague America. Suddenly, racial justice was thrust into the forefront of America’s consciousness. The sudden awareness by the majority of Americans that racial groups are in fact not treated equally gained momentum and many marginalized groups launched efforts to address the inequities that persist in this country.
Unfortunately, in recent years many political leaders in this country have successfully turned diversity, equity and inclusion into a flash point for what’s wrong with education. The in-coming President and his allies have masterfully twisted the narrative of inclusion for marginalized groups, opportunities for advancement, and leveling the playing field and weaponized them with labels such as “wokeness” and “leftist indoctrination.” Programs which offer marginalized communities a seat at the table were rebranded and demonized as “divisive and exclusionary” and sadly America bought it.
Instead of addressing the inequities of our educational systems, the in-coming Presidential administration is threatening to cut off federal funds for any type of instruction that they generalize as critical race theory or the teaching of how systemic racism has affected various communities throughout the history of this nation. In other words, lessons about how system racism once led to the incarceration of my father and mother and 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII should not be taught in-favor of what some have characterized as “patriot education.” Proponents of patriotic education favor focusing only on the successes of this nation without acknowledging that America wasn’t always so great.
At the core of these education policies is a very basic playbook to maintain a fundamental truth in America, the racial wealth gap. In this country, there are two kinds of people, those who want to make progress towards equity and those who are happy to maintain a society of have’s and have not’s. Tragically for most of us, billionaires and others who embrace the racial wealth gap and have no intention of contributing their fair share to society, just bought themselves the oval office.
For those who suggest that everyone in America has the same opportunities for success, they are reluctant to explain how the racial wealth gap not only persists but is growing exponentially. In 2024, the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan research organization published a chart of wealth distribution by race from 1989 – 2022. The results demonstrate the truth with full clarity.
I would not suggest that affirmative action or DEI programs are the all-encompassing way to address this wealth gap but increasing educational access and ensuring inclusion for underrepresented students are in fact part of the solution. What does not help underrepresented communities make progress in this country are false narratives that all students have access to the same educational opportunities.
Our children should know there’s further evidence that our new President has every intention of maintaining this wealth gap from his goal of abolishing the US Department of Education. What does it say to our children that many of our nation’s leaders want to dismantle a department that was established to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” Despite the rhetoric that education should only be handled by states, eliminating the federal government’s role would further ensure that communities with a smaller tax base would have less resources for low-income students and those with special needs.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the top 10% of wealthiest households in America possess two-thirds of this country’s total wealth. Our children should know the proposed educational policies of the new Presidential administration have made it abundantly clear that those with the means to access privileged education will continue to succeed and those in poor, resource-starved educational environments will struggle to survive. It is convenient to talk about school choice when you have one, but for many, the suggestion that a plethora of options exists is just not reality.
Our children should know that America isn’t perfect. Democracy is hard and there are times when our country loses its way. Though we’d like to have faith in our leaders and view them as role models, it is far more important for each of us to choose to do what is right and never lose sight of how we should treat one another.
And our children must know that diversity is a value that all of us at JCYC will continue to stand up for and never stop believing that we must respect and embrace the differences that make all members of our society unique. Our children should know that they are powerful and beautiful and our future and can one day lead this country the way it should be.
