My name is Tiffany Martínez. As a McNair Fellow and student scholar, I’ve presented at national conferences in San Francisco, San Diego, and Miami. I have crafted a critical reflection piece that was published in a peer-reviewed journal managed by the Pell Institute for the Study of Higher Education and Council for Opportunity in Education. I have consistently juggled at least two jobs and maintained the status of a full-time student and Dean’s list recipient since my first year at Suffolk University. I have used this past summer to supervise a teen girls empower program and craft a thirty page intensive research project funded by the federal government. As a first generation college student, first generation U.S. citizen, and aspiring professor I have confronted a number of obstacles in order to earn every accomplishment and award I have accumulated. In the face of struggle, I have persevered and continuously produced content that is of high caliber.
I name these accomplishments because I understand the vitality of credentials in a society where people like me are not set up to succeed. My last name and appearance immediately instills a set of biases before I have the chance to open my mouth. These stereotypes and generalizations forced on marginalized communities are at times debilitating and painful. As a minority in my classrooms, I continuously hear my peers and professors use language that both covertly and overtly oppresses the communities I belong to. Therefore, I do not always feel safe when I attempt to advocate for my people in these spaces. In the journey to become a successful student, I swallow the “momentary” pain from these interactions and set my emotions aside so I can function productively as a student.
Today is different. At eight o’clock this morning, I felt both disrespected and invalidated. For years I have spent ample time dissecting the internalized racism that causes me to doubt myself, my abilities, and my aspirations. As a student in an institution extremely populated with high-income white counterparts, I have felt the bitter taste of not belonging. It took until I used my cloud of doubt and my sociological training to realize that my insecurities are rooted in the systems I navigate every day. I am just as capable if not more so than those around me and my accomplishments are earned.
This morning, my professor handed me back a paper (a literature review) in front of my entire class and exclaimed “this is not your language.” On the top of the page they wrote in blue ink: “Please go back and indicate where you cut and paste.” The period was included. They assumed that the work I turned in was not my own. My professor did not ask me if it was my language, instead they immediately blamed me in front of peers. On the second page the professor circled the word “hence” and wrote in between the typed lines “This is not your word.” The word “not” was underlined. Twice. My professor assumed someone like me would never use language like that. As I stood in the front of the class while a professor challenged my intelligence I could just imagine them reading my paper in their home thinking could someone like her write something like this?
In this interaction, my undergraduate career was both challenged and critiqued. It is worth repeating how my professor assumed I could not use the word “hence,” a simple transitory word that connected two relating statements. The professor assumed I could not produce quality research. The professor read a few pages that reflected my comprehension of complex sociological theories and terms and invalidated it all. Their blue pen was the catalyst that opened an ocean of self-doubt that I worked so hard to destroy. In front of my peers, I was criticized by a person who had the academic position I aimed to acquire. I am hurting because my professor assumed that the only way I could produce content as good as this was to “cut and paste.” I am hurting because for a brief moment I believed them.
Instead of working on my English paper that is due tomorrow, I felt it crucial to reflect on the pain that I am sick of swallowing. My work is a reflection of my growth in a society that sees me as the other. For too long I have others assume I am weak, unintelligent, and incapable of my own success. Another element of this invalidation is that as I sit here with teary eyes describing the distress I am too familiar with, the professor has probably forgotten all about it. My heartache can not be universally understood and until it is, I have to continue to fight. At this moment, there are students who will never understand the desolation that follows an underlined “not.” There are students who will be assumed capable without the need to list their credentials in the beginning of a reflective piece. How many degrees do I need for someone to believe I am an academic?
At this moment, I am in the process of advocating for myself to prove the merit of my content to people who will never understand what it is like to be someone like me. Some of you won’t understand how every word that I use to describe this moment was diligently selected in a way that would properly reflect my intellect. I understand that no matter how hard I try or how well I write, these biases will continue to exist around me. I understand that my need to fight against these social norms is necessary.
In reality, I am tired and I am exhausted. On one hand, this experience solidifies my desire to keep going and earn a PhD but on the other it is a confirmation of how I always knew others saw me. I am so emotional about this paper because in the phrase “this is not your word,” I look down at a blue inked reflection of how I see myself when I am most suspicious of my own success. The grade on my paper was not a letter, but two words: “needs work.” And it’s true. I am going to graduate in May and enter a grad program that will probably not have many people who look like me. The entire field of academia is broken and erases the narratives of people like me. We all have work to do to fix the lack of diversity and understanding among marginalized communities. We all have work to do.
Academia needs work.
TIFFANY MARTÍNEZ 
I am far from being academically intelligent haha but I admire you, I admire your strength and commitment!!
Just keep battling! Hopefully one day this won’t be an issue in the world.
I am a typical white aussie, so I have no idea the struggles you would face or anyone would face coming from a different background.
However, before reading your blog, just this morning, I wrote a blog detailing this very issue!! Check it out if you like…
Let me know if I’m just being naive!
http://wp.me/p82GNB-Q
Titled “in a box”
Xxx much love xxx
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Please, PLEASE, tell me that you stood up to your professor in class and used those eloquent words of yours to explain just how condescending, bigoted and uneducated HE sounded by making those statements. Please tell me that you went to his superiors and explained in minute detail how unqualified he is too teach, since he is incapable of wrapping his microscopic brain around the idea that sex, race, religion and a million other factors do NOT decide how intelligent someone is. If you did not do these things, I beg you to think about it. I beg you, on behalf of ALL intellectuals and academics, that you prepare a fantastic speech so that the next time he does this to you, you can show him, by using that language that he claims is not yours, and those phrases he says are not your words, that they are indeed yours and that he is the one that should second guess his thoughts, ideas and words. From this post alone, I can see you are highly intelligent and qualified young woman. The fact that you are prone to writing in the same why I am (I absolutely love the word “hence”) makes me commiserate with you to at least some degree. I say some because I will never face the exact same trials you have faced, are facing or will face. I have had people assume I should not be as intelligent as I am, not because of my race, but because I come from a small rural town in the midwest and apparently (at least according to some people who are from larger cities from around the country) towns like the one I grew up in are inherently incapable of producing people who can think for themselves, love reading and like to keep themselves academically and intellectually challenged. Obviously, I pride myself in proving them wrong, as I hope you will also continue to do as well. What is funny is how some of those people who are quick to judge and make assumptions are the first to run to a dictionary after talking to me because I refuse to “dumb down” my way of talking. Actually, I only found this last part out a few years ago when an old friend asked me to do just that because she didn’t understand half of what I was saying when I thought I was just talking normally. I asked others about this, and they said, “Yup. After a night of talking to you we need to look words up.” I felt bad, but they assured me that it was okay and that I was not being condescending and that they liked the opportunity to learn new things. Who knows, maybe your professor just needs that kind of a kick in the butt, so to speak, in order to get his head screwed on straight.
Please post more when you have it on how this gets resolved. And thank you for showing that one should not be judged so easily based on what others simply perceive but do not actually know.
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You’re probably much more mature than I, considering the fact that I would love to see this professors job taken from her. Someone like her doesn’t deserve to teach without much more work done.
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You are obviously very articulate and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that you can write at a level consistent with your earned accolades. I do, however, question your philosophical underpinnings. There is no “social justice,” just justice. YOU were unfairly accused of copying and pasting. All non-white non-high-income, non-males were not accused. All who have Hispanic last names were not accused. YOU were. I commend you for standing up for yourself. I’d not hesitate to stand up for you, as well. Feeling the need to defend the entire set of people with last names containing diacritical marks, however, because “the system” is automatically rigged against them, is paranoia. I don’t blame you for it. It is a very popular meme, though the narrative is false. What’s more, it perpetuates racism (or xenophobia, or clanism, or whatever euphemism or related phenomena you’d like to include). You are no more “other” than any individual. Any talk of “the system” or “the patriarchy” or “white people” or “black people” or any other over-simplistic generalization is absolutely the same thing as saying “you people!” You latched onto a couple perceived similarities of the swath of your counterparts as “white” and “high-income,” and therefore you “don’t belong.” Such superficial dimunizations of real people is not unlike someone who would form generalizations about you based on a your skin tone or last name. I encourage you to transcend the superficial categories. Don’t let others reduce you to a group and don’t stuff others into these categories, either!
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How dare you minimize another person’s experience. There are definite differences between the white male experience and everyone else’s.
Too bad you are incapable of entertaining the idea that others have different experiences.
You do not get to blithely reject other people’s and other group’s reality and insert your own.
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How would you know? You are either a white male or one of “everyone else.” Not both. So how could you compare the experiences? How could you or anyone possibly know whether there are differences and, if so, where the differences lie? Also, how can you reduce a white male’s experiences down to something he has in common with all other white males (and does not have in common with “everyone else”)? The truth is that EVERYONE has different experiences from every other person on Earth from every generation of humanity’s existence, even if they share with someone else the same color hair or a religious guru or a similarly-shaped 23rd chromosome pair or a celebrity crush. People are individuals. Not groups. And how do you know what category to thrust me into? How do you know I am not a member of the very superficial category in question? You obviously don’t, so STFU.
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You are completely unaware of her experience. You are so out of touch you can’t even see your own hypocrisy and the irony of what you just did. You call her deduction false just like her teacher beleived her work was false. You have replicated her exact experience. You see the coincidence? You see the trend? You see the systematic component?Exactly as Tiffany has so elegantly predicted it, you did not understand.
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I disagree with you. I’ll go further than that and say that I know you are completely wrong. Your argument reminds me of every Fox News show I’ve seen where they sweep the existence of racism under a rug by asking those who are its victims to not complain about it…because if they complain it is they who are perpetuating racism.
There is no social justice? So a black person being asked to eat at “colored only” diners, a gay person being unable to marry whomever they please, a woman being dismissed because she lacks a set of male genitalia, a Mexican being labeled a racist because of where he was born…are not social injustices?
You have obviously bought into the myth that we live in a post-racial society. Asking someone to ignore the discrimination they feel in their bones is what perpetuates these problems. You do not know what it is like to be in her shoes. If you do not understand please do not pretend to offer advice. Especially when that advice is clearly asking someone to silence their grievance.
You really have some nerve, don’t you?
If this wasn’t social injustice then where do you think this professor’s response came from? What other reason would a professor have to dismiss the work of an intelligent student with extensive intellectual credentials? Given that we just read a piece that is more than enough evidence of her ability to concisely and articulately write a coherent essay.
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Juan, I’m trying to make some sense of your post. It seems gibberish to me, but obviously represents some important point you were trying to make. I cannot comment on your experience watching FOX News, as it seems you have much more experience with that network than I do. I could make an attempt at distinguishing true victimhood from professional victimhood, or discuss how race baiters and so-called “Social Justice Warriors” propose to represent superficial categories of people as a substitute for individual people (token icons notwithstanding). You proceed to list hypothetical individual cases of injustice to prove the existence of social injustice. When the hypotheticals become real, I am always ready to advocate (to put it lightly) for individuals unjustly denied a place at a diner or individuals being denied the right to marry or individuals being unjustly dismissed (do you mean fired?). Of course you use these hypotheticals to represent “protected” groups of superficially-similar (in one way or another) people. Tellingly, you have to dig into the archives of history to accomplish your virtue-signalling (Colored-only Diners? Really?). “Social Justice” advocacy lets its participants off the hook. They shout false narratives or beat drums instead of dealing with actual injustice with actual individual victims.
No, I do not know what it’s like to be in her shoes… except that I was a university student who had to deal with difficulties and injustice in that context. I also share some superficial “protected” labels with her… but so what?! No one knows exactly what it’s like to be in anyone else’s shoes. On the other hand, as a non-psychopath, I certainly do possess the capacity for empathy. I can “put” myself into her shoes, as can most other thoughtful people who would care to do so. That doesn’t mean I have to agree with her. I could understand why a father of young children might want to blow his brains out if he lost one of them. That doesn’t mean I can’t look beyond that and advise against that impulse. “Advice” by definition is one person offering another person some spiritual food, some insight, some wisdom from the adviser’s experience, ostensibly lacking in advisee’s experience. It is precisely that difference in experience or education or wisdom or understanding or interpretation between the two that makes advice even possible.
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You’re far from the first to experience this. If you look up the Carl Gustav Jung Face To Face interview on YouTube, you’ll see him describing how he encountered a teacher who accused him of plagiarism and how this infuriated him. Jung ended up having quite a distinguished career and so can you. Don’t let this deter you!
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As a first generation Chinese growing up in the country, I feel your pain.
Still, what exactly does “this is not your word” mean?
If this isn’t your word then whose word is it?
That is the question I would ask the professor.
If this is to imply you had plagiarized, then certainly he/she must have evidence of that and can trace to just whose paper you “copy and pasted” from. I would demand proofs.
If this is to imply that “hence” is a word too proper for an immigrant to use, then who would be appropriate to use it? I would demand an explanation.
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So many of us in academia are clueless about the ways we hurt our students. Thank you, Tiffany, for sharing your story. Based on your work here, it’s clear that you have all the strength, intelligence, energy, focus, power, heart, fortitude, creativity, will, etc. that you’ll need to keep pushing toward your goals. And your story may help other people who’ve faced simliar racist BS to keep on pushing as well. Again, thank you.
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I like to hope that most of us know better than to shame a student in front of the entire class. When I taught, I would always have a private conversation with any student who I thought was guilty of plagiarism – it kept the issue confidential and gave me a chance to figure out the situation a little better.
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SK, because that is effective classroom management, which I applaud you for! This “professor” needs to take a seat at seminar on tact and etiquette, though. You NEVER do that to a student even if said student is obnoxious, as it is very unprofessional.
Thank you for having been a good teacher. ^_^
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Something similar happened to me as an undergrad at a top college, except my professor thought my Spanish was too good and the paper too well written for an undergrad. He made me sit in his office and write 2 more pages on the same topic under his gaze to make sure I hadn’t plagiarized my paper. He then said everything was ok, didn’t apologize and gave me an A- on the paper (and a B for the class). It upset me because I had sat in his class all semester raising my hand and participating often and apparently he never noticed the content of my interventions. He hadn’t even realized Spanish was my dominant language. I want to tell you something though, I had so many other great professors that this never held me back, today I teach Spanish Literature myself. That experience taught me never to be influenced by my prejudices when grading a student and to look more objectively at their work and make sure I’m grading the paper, not the student. I know how you feel, but I’m sure your professor gave you a valuable lesson without intending to.
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Remember that in other langage there are gonna be colonial battles everywhere. I’m glad that you are trying to make the study than other people can’t just do. No me parece justo que aquel profesor te haya tratado de esa manera; sigue adelante y no te rindas.
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Your constant use of the plural “they” to refer to an individual makes me wonder just how much you actually do understand how to use the language.
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‘They’ is used for individuals in an informal context, and increasingly in formal contexts.
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Don’t be a dick, formally or informally.
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She is obviously using that pronoun instead of the correct he or she to avoid identifying he sex off the professor in question. That information would aid in identifying he or she and the poster evidently is avoiding that.
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They is an acceptable gender agnostic pronoun. If she had used hir or zie or some other gender agnostic pronoun coming into use, you would have pissed around that too just to make it seem like you are smarter than they non-white but probably better educated female.
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Wow. Again, dismissed so quickly.
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Catch up with the times. The singular “they” is coming. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/08/donald-trump-may-win-this-years-word-of-the-year/
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There is a trend in some areas to make documents gender neutral by using the plurals instead of the singulars. He or she becomes them, and so on.
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This usage has recently gained acceptance when referring to a person of unspecified gender.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/08/donald-trump-may-win-this-years-word-of-the-year/?client=safari
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You cannot be serious.
If however you are serious, I’d advise reading the following wikipedia page : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they#Contemporary_use_of_he_to_refer_to_a_generic_or_indefinite_antecedent.
And no, I won’t take the ‘a wikipedia page as proof?’ excuse…
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The use of he as the gender – default in language is part of the problem. Better to use ‘one’ or refer to the person by role or action.
I personally don’t like they as it is the word used by people to other people. “THEY are lazy. THEY are dangerous. Kill THEM” It removes the speaker from the person or groups being referenced.
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“They” is a gender neutral, singular pronoun. You should have looked it up before you displayed your own ignorance in an attempt to project it onto someone else.
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Like the entirety of her writing, she is perfectly on point with her wording. Here, educate yourself: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/language-blog/87915039-132.html
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“They” is correctly used as a singular pronoun when referencing the professor. This has existed in English for centuries when discussing someone of undetermined gender.
Ms. Martínez obviously used “they” to conceal the gender pronoun of the said professor for their privacy or because it is the professor’s chosen pronoun (many choose to use “they” instead of “he” or “she” if they don’t fit into the gender binary). Of course, there may still be small instances in which the grammar isn’t perfect, but it’s becoming more and more acceptable to use the singular “they” in everything from academic to journalistic writing.
It’s truly sad that the only thing you managed to gain from this thoughtful and important piece is your incorrect linguistic assumption.
Oh well. You can never really stop a troll.
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So this is all you take away from this piece? Not the hurting? Not the injustice? You must not have any humanity in you…and that’s a sad thing.
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Your criticism of the usage of the pronoun “they” as singular makes me wonder how much you actually understand modern adaptations of English to accommodate modern sensibilities toward gender and identity. In reality, singular “they” has become the most common option for a neuter singular pronoun because it is already an existing word (unlike s/he, ze and other newly minted options) and because it was used for centuries as a singular until an academic imposition of “he” in the 1850s. It was in fact selected as “word of the year” by the American Dialect Society. It is accepted by the style guide of the Washington Post and many other journals. All that aside, your snide attitude of superiority is exactly the topic the writer was opposing. To read a lengthy, well-written article and feel the need to pedantically comment on the singular “they” is obnoxious. Do you think most other people didn’t notice it? I certainly did, and thought to myself “oh, look, she chose singular they to avoid identifying the sex of the rude teacher – that’s smart”. You, on the other hand, doubly reinforced the author’s argument.
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Your feigned obliviousness to English’s fluidity and constant evolution as a language (and common vernacular usages, esp. in a personal essay) makes me wonder if you’re just being a fucking troll. Also nobody cares about whether you question anything.
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I assumed she was using “they” and “the professor” in an attempt to protect the identity of the professor…
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Umm so what did you say to the professor
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I’m a former professor, and my mouth fell open when I read what you wrote. What an ignoramus that teacher was, not only for writing that in the first place, but for pretending to be an academic when he doesn’t check his facts before showing his bias. I don’t usually advise such things, but you might consider sending a copy of your paper and this entry to the department chair (or the dean, if the prof happens to be chair) with a specific complaint of insensitivity to minorities, and ask a copy be placed in his file. (If you’re going to have to deal with him a lot in grad school, get advice from colleagues.) The reason I don’t usually advise doing that is, obviously, you have to cope with dealing with these profs later. The reason I think you should consider is that, with this bias as baseline, you may well want something on the record before he ends up on your committee or otherwise screws you over. Good luck! I’m really sorry you have to mess with even thinking about it.
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I think it is great that you spoke up! But I’m wondering if we are becoming too sensitive and politically correct as a society. As an educator and grad student of color, I understand the struggles you are describing and the way you may be feeling. But do you know for sure that the professor wrote these comments simply because of your background? I think we can sometimes be too quick to call foul because of past experiences. I hope I don’t seem as if I’m trying to invalidate your feelings and reaction to this situation. Just another way of looking at the situation. I give students feedback and, at times, talk to them about their writing style because the words don’t flow naturally or sound how the person typically writes. Perhaps this is what your professor meant but chose a poor choice of words? But perhaps they didn’t, on the other hand. I think we need to think crictically before we accuse people of being racist and bigoted, when maybe they are unaware of their harsh delivery. Additionally, criticism is a part of the real world and work force. We need to be able to handle it and not always think that we are being pigeonholed due to our race. Just my thoughts! Good luck moving forward!
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Public accusations of plagiarism are not criticism; they are defamation. No student should be so accused without appropriate investigation and proof. I would love to represent this woman in court, as the educational institution would have only one option: settle.
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Saying, “This is not your language,” to a student does not clearly lend itself to public accusations of plagiarism or “defamation.” Again, I understand where the fear that this may be the case comes from, but perhaps, we as a society, are jumping to conclusions too soon, blaming racism as the underlying cause. As I mentioned, I am an educator and grad student of color, and I am also a millennial. I feel that this kind of blame on the professor, without investigation, is unfair. What kind of society will we become if everyone is forced to walk on eggshells? There are far worse things the professor could have said out loud besides “This is not your language.” If we really want to get technical (as it seems many do), we do not know WHOSE language the professor was referring to. What happened to two sides of the story? What happened to students considering feedback and discussing it with the professsor before jumping to conclusions? These kinds of conclusions will lead to a society of adults who cannot accept any kind of feedback, as well as create some who are too afraid to give feedback for fear of offending. The sense of entitlement is not acceptable. But this is only my opinion.
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I absolutely can’t believe your professor did that. You sound like an incredible person and I only hope this doesn’t set you back because it certainly sounds like you’re destined for great things. Seriously hope this has repercussions on your professor as this is inexcusable behaviour towards a student!
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Before I finish my statement, I am currently working on my bachelor’s in Public Affairs…This society is built and strives on racism and schools are social constructs that educate members of a society on how to behave. Therefore, an education system in this country will never equip a non white person with tools empower themselves. Our very essences disproves most if not all of the theories repeated as facts. I have and am working a solution. Get what you want yet do not be fooled into thinking assimilation with get you inclusion. Salute!
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Everything has to be racial these days smh. Maybe he just thinks youre not that bright regardless of race? Ive seen plenty of white kids be questioned. In fact probably more as its often assumed with them that theyre riding mom and dads bank account and dont really “want” to be there learning. Everyone makes assumptions based on certain things you included.
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Maybe she realizes you’re not that bright and has written this article to educate you. If you can’t see the blatant racism in her professor’s assumptions, you’re not paying enough attention.
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I see where you’re coming from but think for a second. How likely would it be that if she were ‘white’, she’d be publicly accused of plagiarism ??
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Thank you for this article. I hope you will soon get the respect you are entitled to as a human being in addition to the respect you deserve as an academic.
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I don’t actually know what you look like, Tiff. I also don’t care. (Is the pic at the top you?) Presumably you are some minority, and if so, you’ve got some challenges, both past and future.
I hope you don’t let this get you down. I am a 5th grade science teacher, and I work in an area where white males (like me) are the minority. The students desperately need to start seeing themselves, so they can grow up assuming that they belong in positions of authority, of respect, of quality, of education. Where mere success is not a worthy challenge or a goal, but a simple confident expectation.
Please fight this. Do not allow more white males to continue to put down and degrade those like you. Please help them by exposing their flaws and giving them the opportunity to change.
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As a professor I am horrified by this. As a woman I understand part of this, but because I am white I cannot know how hard your struggle is. As a fellow Boston resident all I can do is reach out and say that there are good people out there in academia who will support you. Although I am not in your field I have several students from underrepresented groups, including a first year Latina PhD student, in my lab. I work hard to support all of them them in every way that I can because your voice matters in academia. If you want someone to talk to help navigate these waters, or to just shoot the shit, I can get you in touch. You are not alone.
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Thank you for sharing that, Tiffany. I have only scratched the surface of how much pain is experienced by the minorities that live around me, but I am trying to have a deeper understanding. We intentionally moved to a poverty-strickened area of Richmond, VA, and love how it is forcing my wife and I to face the injustice that has been going on for many decades.
Keep up the good writing and the pursuit of advanced degrees. You are making a difference now and in the years ahead.
Boyd
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Thank you for sharing your story, as a white male graduate student in have never felt this, but it is so important for me to hear stories like this so that I don’t make the same mistake as your professor some day. Keep up the good work and get that PhD!
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I am sad, but not surprised. Recently I watched a group of college professors do this very same thing to a new colleague. His last name, his appearance, obviously didn’t support the kind of good writing he was getting published (and which had earned him his PhD). According to them, they could not possibly be HIS words. Sinvergüenzas.
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I remember when I was younger in grade school, I always had vocabulary that was more advanced than my peers. Almost always, I would get bullied about it, and basically it lead to me “dumbing down” my vocabulary to fit in. Even at time I remember, educators (the same ones who should be teaching me these words and more advanced ones) would sometimes chime in on the bullying. One time in particular, I believe I was either in the 9th or 10th grade, I had a paper that I had to write for my social studies class. I poured my heart and soul out on that keyboard and then I proudly hit “Ctrl + P” (after proof reading of course) and handed in my paper. When I finally got it back, I had a C. When I asked my teacher why he had given me such a low score, his exact response was, “I honestly did not believe that you wrote that whole thing. So I’d rather give you something instead of nothing”. Honestly, I am one of those people who when I actually really care to, I write better than I talk. A couple of years later when I got into college, I had an assignment that was very similar to what my high school assignment was. With the change of the date and a few tweeks here and there, I sent off that paper and received an A. Just do what you have to do and fight for what you believe in.
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I am so saddened to read this honest and heartfelt critique of modern academia. I have never experienced this, but through your words, I understand the detrimental and horribly belittling impact these all too common instances have on minority students. I am a white female student, and I want to know what someone like me can do to create a healthier and safer space for classmates who feel this way? I appreciate The bravery it took for you to shed light on this problem. I want to think that aknowledgement of this type of systematic and pervasive racism is the start to disassembling the types of thinking and behavior that perpetuate it. If I say something in a classroom setting that is hurtful or not consistent to someone else’s experience, I want to know. But I know not everyone is like me. How can we create a safe space for you?
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I’m so sorry you experienced this. I don’t have any words that seem adequate, but please, don’t give up. You are a bright light. Keep on writing and shining.
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I had a law professor who failed me in Water Law…..so I was very surprised as I’d earned not only mostly a’s and b’s…but a 100% exam in Torts….which is rather UN-heard of. My water law prof would NOT see me for a whole month. Meanwhile, in sheer frustration I”d gone to another professor I trusted who read the exam, checked my citations…and said he’d not been able to figure out what was wrong with it.
When I could finally see my water law professor….he told me that “I have to give out some of every grade for the curve to be valid and women don’t need water law” —-and the time to ask for your exam to be re-read expired yesterday. So the men in this class who need that grade will have a good grade. I’m sorry if it hurts your average.” I looked at him in disbelief…..then I responded: “I ll never forget you, Professor Trelease. However my average can more than eat 2 units of F with 4 units of 100% A in a much more important class.” That was 1984. I now farm. My background in water law has come in quite useful, grade notwithstanding. These old dinasaurs are a dying breed, literally….and it is up to the rest of us to limit those who exist from procreating their fears and hatreds of women.
These people cannot define you….if you refuse to let them. Take your paper, NOW….with notes, rough drafts….all of it and make a huge fuss at your administration. Do NOT go quietly into that good night!
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I cannot speak to the experiences of being discriminated against, but I do not doubt that it exists in academia, whether explicitly and with intent, or by ignorance. I attended a small liberal arts college, which lacked diversity, and I was often shocked by the language used by my peers when referring to cultures and ethnicities other than their own.
With that said, your post requires the reader to make a logical leap that because of your ethnicity, the professor deems that you are incompetent or insufficiently qualified to use language such as “hence,” and in turn, has accused you of plagiarism. Has your professor made inappropriate comments in the past that would lead you to reach that conclusion? Did the professor say anything else besides “this is not your language?” I would assume in an English class, at around the halfway point of the semester, that you have written numerous papers, and this professor has grown to understand how you write. Is it not equally as likely that the tone, syntax, or language used therein does not match what your professor has come to know as your style?
If your professor is indeed accusing you a plagiarism, and announced so in front of the class as you described, then I do believe his or her conduct is unprofessional, and you have a legitimate case against your professor as others have described in the comments. However, in any serious case of plagiarism, I have never heard of a professor being so cavalier with his or her comments. If the professor did believe plagiarism occurred, it would be YOU who would be immediately reported to the dean and academic review board.
Being accused of plagiarism or writing above one’s perceived intellectual level is hurtful, and your response is justified. However, as an aspiring academic, you are going to be critiqued–at times to a brutal extent. This is par for the course for all academics, at least in my experience. You will at times question your abilities, and others will do the same. It is up to you to persevere and prove your intellectual worth. Good luck.
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Stop mansplaining that. Unless you are female and most definitely unless you are a PoC, you can’t even begin to understand her perspective. The proof is in everything she wrote. It doesn’t have to be specific and blunt.
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Tiffany,
Many teachers can’t believe that any student can write better than they can. Maybe your professor isn’t a bigot, but just an a-hole. Or maybe both. Good luck.
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The struggle continues. You are resilient, smart, capable and amazing. You’re a trail blazer. I know it’s exhausting. I felt the same way, so I left the world of academia once I earned my BA. I went into business thinking it would be a change from the exhaustion of having to constantly prove myself in academia but I found that it was just as tough in business. Unfortunately there is still bias and racial discrimination in this country; that has been proven throughout the events of 2016. We must keep going. No ay de otra. Sigue luchando por tus sueños. Ay niños como mi hija atrás de ti. The fact that you exist in these spaces is a protest in and of itself and you are blowing the door open not just for you and other kids like you, but for all people. We Have reached Dr. King’s dream but we are working towards it everyday. Keep up the good work. Know you are not alone. Many blessings and much love.
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20 plus years ago, I too was accused of something similar in college. I was enrolled in a mandatory composition class in my sophomore year (which, frankly, I found rather pedantic). Upon turning in the first draft of my term paper, my professor threatened to turn me into the Dean of Students for plagiarism. “My paper was too polished” to have been written by me, a latino from the poor side of town. This was in the early days of the interwebs, thus well before the existence of online “plagcheck” sites. But had such a service been in existence then, the professor would have found that I indeed was the original author of that paper- two years prior. As a junior. In high school.
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I’m sorry you had to deal with this. I understand how frustrating it can be to work so hard and get put on front street for not being average. Especially when you are passionate about writing and sharing ideas. That said, I have a few suggestions.
1) Use an online plagiarism checker and upload your paper to it. It will let you know what percentage of your paper is similar to the database and web. It should be easy to access as a student. If you can’t find one online ask a librarian. Review the results and print multiple copies.
2) Write a formal complaint (a less emotional version of this article) and take it to your campus diversity rep. This is normally an office that is dedicated to outreach and basically advocate for minorities. Attach a copy of your paper and the plagiarism checker report. It is IMPERATIVE that you have solid proof to support your claim and not just your words/emotions.
3) Be clear about what you want. From reading this, you want an apology and credit for your work IN FRONT OF THE SAME CLASS!!!
4) Follow up and follow through! The professor may have clout that you don’t so make sure people do what they are saying they will do.
5) Lastly, stay encouraged! If you are doing your best, that’s all you can do. In the long run, excellence out runs prejudice. Just ask Oprah! 😉
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As a professor and as a woman I am appalled at the treatment you received. Please do not allow this to cause you to doubt yourself or your goals. In the end, you will be vindicated. I would also urge you to go to your university ombudsman and complain. This sort of abuse, and it IS abuse, thrives in darkness and secrecy. Open this man’s ugliness to the light of public scrutiny and professional censure. Please, please don’t let this one unenlightened individual silence your voice.
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Never listen to those who want to humiliate you, never ever believe a word they speak. Who cannot admit to be a human being him/herself with flaws, ambition, and desperate moments, can never be a good teacher or guide in life and education. Keep going. Keep fighting. Cry, write, and return to work. And yes, you are not alone. Also, think of the future students who will need you and your support. Do not run against this individual, climb for your own sake, your future self, and for those future students.
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it’s funny…I joke sometimes that I only ‘have’ English (the French and Latin I do have is useless) but I have a whole lot of it…and it took only the brief article that led me hear to notice that you wrote with a grace uncommon even among the highly educated.
Maybe your teacher was having the worst of all possible days…
but I am embarrassed, as a white girl with a solid private education, that none of your classmates called bullshit on this immediately.
You deserve better, because you clearly do better.
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wow. I can certainly see how your feelings were hurt, and how one could take his hurtful comments to be culturally and racially demeaning.
I was stuck though by his comment about cutting and pasting – it seems that perhaps he was accusing you of plagiarism, not of appropriating anglo culture words. Either way, he treated you with disrespect, which no student deserves.
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jeffyd, that’s precisely what she’s talking about — being accused of plagiarism. “Anglo culture words” aren’t the issue. The racial dimension comes into play not because she’s “appropriating” words (which is nonsense), but because she’s being stereotyped as not being smart enough to use words like that.
With respect, the fact that you read this article and came away believing that she misinterpreted the professor’s intent also reflects kinda poorly on your own judgment of her intelligence.
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Excuse the expression…but fuck academia. And I know it’s not as easy as that if you are pursuing studies but one of you is in the wrong place and since the professor won’t be leaving you’ll need to find a place that appreciates what YOU have to offer. Maybe that’s not with a PhD. Maybe that’s with your voice and the obvious audience you already have. Maybe you can fight the good battle (and likely lose) by trying to educate the small minded professor. Academia is not a place for different, sadly. It should be, but its’ not because it is all too often filled by old, white men who never had the guts to make it in the real world, or the talent.
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I know people want to make Tiffany feel better by pointing to the racism of the professor, but please don’t isolate him as being an anomaly. I wrote a book, Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses, that deals with campus racism, and what Tiffany experienced is simply ONE incident in systemic racism that minority students have to navigate every day. It is a disservice to her experience, and the experience of millions of minority students, to think this is an exception.
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I would document the incident. Go to the chair of the department. The Dean of the college or department. If the professor does this type of behavior in his/her classroom get support from those students. The use of the word ‘your’ does seem to be a personal rather than a generic grammar correction. I have 2 post grad degrees and worked in an Ivy League library for a decade. Some of the smartest, most hard working and dedicated people I know are not white, not wealthy, and are often the first in their family to go to college. At graduation they have the largest, loudest, most supportive groups. Use your support system. Believe. You are not an imposter and you’re there because you belong there.
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Tiffany,
If you want to study creative nonfiction (at which you already clearly excel), I have a place for you at Eastern Washington University in Spokane. Any teacher would be fortunate to have students like you in class. Your language is yours. And it’s magnificent.
Rachel Toor
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Dear Tiffany,
I applaud your perseverance and stand behind you. I to had to validate myself. I remember telling supervisors that yes, Latinos knew polysyllabic words and that I had an excellent command of the English language. It is a shame that thirty something years later you are still required to list your academic credentials to support using certain words. Shame on your so-called teacher!
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I am so sorry you had this experience. I hope you can find it within you to address this offensive behavior with your college, by whatever path is open to you. Unlike others here, I do not suggest that you confront this professor yourself, or at least, not by yourself. You have been hurt enough. Let someone else deal with retraining the professor (who does not deserve the title).
And never forget – being underestimated is a huge competitive advantage. 😉
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Hi Tiffany, thanks for sharing your story. I am too a Latina, in prestigious grad school and your words deeply resonated with me. I hope you have the substantial basis to make your case be heard beyond this blog. It is important that what happened to you does not happen to anyone else that would came after and may take that class with this bigot. I think that is our duty. Just as others have paved the way for us to be where we are now, we should try and make it easier for others to come.
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Hello im a fully latina born and raised in Nicaragua with a Law Degree in Nicaragua a Master in Business from South Korea and ongoing another master on Finance in Panama. Never before a teacher made that comment scared of how educated you could be remember a thinking person is a treat to the system. I had never been questioned if my english is ok.
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As a black female living in the US I have been there and I am sorry. Sorry that we still live in a society where our work, intelligience and abilities are constantly questioned solely because we don’t fit the stereotype.
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Dear Tiffany,
Don’t let how others’ view of you matter for the decisions you make in your life and career. Don’t let their biases and bigotry get in the way of your dreams.
Be strong and pursue your academic career dream. We need more women in academia. We need more people of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. We need inclusion. Young students need new role models.
Whatever others think, don’t let that become a limiting factor. Instead of taking it upon yourself when you feel devalued and underestimated, look at them with the pity they deserve for being so limited.
I hope you can turn this hurt into fuel to be your best self and move forward!
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As a woman of color I stand with you and I am so disappointed at the ignorance of your professor. You’re clearly a resilient student and woman. Continue to persevere and never be silent about this kind of prejudice. It is all too common and needs to be exposed.
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Please don’t stop. Please keep going. Please keep sharing your story. Please get your PHD. The world needs you!
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My thoughts exactly. Keep going. Please.
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Words have not owners. I’m Italian, I live in Italy and teach in English in an international University. My students come from around 50 different countries. We use English as a “hub” language, but everybody is more than welcome in contributing with whatever language, culture and vision. Whatever can be understood by the others is simply perfect. I speak Spanish and (a bad) French too, and I am ready to mix all the four languages (I speak also Italian, of course) in order to keep going with the lesson. We put together our diversities as a collective treasure and every lesson is a wonderful opportunity to create and share knowledge. Please, do not waste not even one hour in thinking what to do with that professor. Go ahead. Keep stealing words from whoever. We (your teachers included) are all thieves. Proudly.
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To be honest, to make a judgement either way, you’d have to hear the instructors side, as well as read the whole paper submitted, and see what other papers she turned in previously. Unless you do, there is no other way you could to see her “voice” in the works as a whole, not just by just one word usage in a single paper. Maybe it was plagiarism. Maybe it was racism. Maybe there was nothing wrong at all on her part, maybe the instructor was having a crappy day, and this is what lit the fire for them both. But, I have say the instructor was quite out of line making a scene in front of the class. To what purpose did it serve, other then to make her feel bad and to question her abilities and her own integrity as a scholar? Is that teaching nowadays on a post grad level? Is that woth $150k in student loans to get to the point of taking that level of classes? And just what did it teach her or the other students who had to witness the remarks? That’s not being racist. That’s just being an asshole. Ms. Martínez, you are a scholarly practitioner, part of a powerful force of positive change in this world. Don’t give up. You are not alone.
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Your professor sounds like a bigoted dinosaur.
Being unprofessional is bad enough, but when the motivation to be so appears to be seated in prejudice he needs exposing to those who allow him to profess.
Best of luck with your studies.
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