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 
You should bring this in to the professor. Make him eat his words. That asshat. You are so much more! Beautiful essay!
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Tiffany: Do not give up. First generations have to pave the way for others to follow. They also have to work twice or three times harder obtain the same thing others get. The best tool you have is your pen (well, keyboard nowdays), keep using it. Some of us immigrants have work even harder. This country’s educacion is declining and ignorance is becoming the norm. We need people like you to help, that is what immigrants have done for years in this country.
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Errata: to, worked,
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Please tell me this asshole was fired. Maybe try the ACLU. This is ridiculous. It’s 2016.
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Please report this professor to your institution. This is horrible and I’m so sorry.
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Ms. Martinez,
This is one of those incidents where there is a lot on my mind to share, but idk exactly where to start. I am sorry that you experienced this frustration. Being a first generation college student myself, I also have been looked at as a “copy and paste” student. I have seen it, I have felt it, but thankfully I have never outright experienced it. Your professor fails to realize that any student in your position, regardless of background, should not be viewed with a limited vocabulary. To your credit, you stated your credentials in this piece, but you should not have had to. Any college professor should realize that their students would have been exposed to words such as “hence”, how to use it, and where to place it. I earned my master’s at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT after growing up in Arizona and earning degrees at Mesa Community College in Mesa Arizona and two BA’s from Arizona State University. Even though Arizona can be a very racist state, I have never experienced the type of oppression that you experienced. I know that others thought of me as a sub-par student, but never openly stated it. When I relocated to CT, I was much older than the rest of my classmates. But they, and my instructors quickly learned that I had a certain level of experience that was utilized in our coursework. Many were surprised to know that I have an extensive vocabulary and was not afraid to show it. Including curse words. I cannot empathize with your frustration, because no one has ever openly questioned my abilities. I was fortunate enough to have never experienced that. And I understand that it is easier said than done, but please do not give up! Only you know your self-worth even if your professors fail to realize that you have learned what you know and that is why you are where you are. It is not easy to live through the daily frustration and sometimes even anger that an ethnic college student has to live through. But please also know that however hard it may be, try to put the frustration aside because you do not have to prove anything to anyone. Only to yourself. Yes, this professor grades your work so you do have to prove something to this person. However, continue to do the best work you are capable of doing. Remember you are at Suffolk University for a reason. You are receiving one of the best educations in the country. “Hence”, go to class, kick ass, and continue to show your professor that you are the academic you wish to be! iAdelante, chica! Y recuerda, iSi se puede!
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Tiffany – I am so sorry this happened. As you so eloquently put it, this speaks volumes about this “teacher.” I hope you report this to the administration because this person should not be allowed to teach until they undergo some implicit bias training (at least). But I realize that you may understandably not feel comfortable starting that process. As a Latina immigrant, I salute you. I also went to Boston schools and am now in a tenure-track position in the area. Feel free to contact me via email if I can be of any help.
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That is appalling. Utterly disgraceful. It makes me so angry. Lazy, stupid assumptions. Would like to give that professor a piece of my mind- and some serious training in giving constructive feedback and cultural bias. It reminds me of something somebody once said to me as a fifteen year old- it wasn’t worth their time bothering with me as I would have kids before I was 20. Now 52, no kids, two university degrees and a senior lectureship with 25 years teaching experience later…. well that idiot was wrong. As we say in England ” don’t let the bastards grind you down”. You keep going.
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Dear Tiffany,
I am in academia, in Mexico, and I love you back. Lots. The pain is real and the struggle will be life-long. But remember that both modernity (including its child, “modern academia”) and “the West” are the direct offspring of a long historical process called Racism. These constructions are all around, but we are, slowly (from our one-lifetime perspective, perhaps NOT so slowly from a historical one), moving in the direction of disarming them and bringing up a better tomorrow. I despair now and then, and truly worry about my children’s future.Yet I can tell you one thing: people like you renew my hope and faith in humanity. You are beautiful, you think and write powerfully, and you incarnate the change. Don’t let the bastards grind you down. Paz y amor, joven hermana, y un abrazo de este viejo profe.
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one of my first papers in college was an argument stance on a popular topic. I chose the pro-choice stance on abortions. I went through all of the arguments for why abortions should be easy to obtain and what they mean for the health of women in this country. My conclusion included the statement that while I was personally pro-life, I would continue to fight for the right to choose. This confused the daylights out of my professor and he suggested I stick to something I know about, like goldfish.
I wrote a paper that tore him up one side and down the other for being so incredibly dismissive. I didn’t care what it did to my grade or my standing in the class. I was livid. I even drew a goldfish on the front of my paper – with my chicken scratch elementary style drawing skills.
I received an A.
You really need to call this professor on their bias and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it to their face, you might want to take it up with someone a bit higher up in the system… because that is wrong.
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When you are President, he’ll eat his words.
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I never read anything like this & I have just read this completely, you are brilliant & don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
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I’m so sorry this happened to you, truly awful!I want to offer you encouraging words to try and help counter that (I wish I had more to offer). Keep going with your quest! You are helping so many with your success and with sharing your experiences. Academia can change for the better, and it need passionate people like you to help make that a reality. I support you!
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As a (chemistry) professor, I am upset. Your professor is doing the opposite of what academics should – searching for the truth and critically evaluating the information in front of them. Bold charges of plagiarism are not the hallmark of academia. They instead represent a smallness of mind and a lack of creativity. The professor clearly does not possess the imagination to consider that a person who does not look like them could possibly be intelligent and craft a strong argument.
I am impressed by your thoughtful response.
I hope that you pursue your higher degree – it is only by increasing the diversity of academia and by pushing the boundaries that we can change the smallest of minds. Good luck in your endeavours. Your writing clearly speaks for your ability.
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Please continue being awsome to bring forth awareness n change. thank you
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Dear Tiffany, i am a 63 year old college professor who is moved to tears by the eloquence of your writing and the depth of your pain. Do not let this insufferable person define you or shake you. He or she has taught for too long in a school where many students are not as formidably smart as you. You will go on to accomplish great things. You will be a role model and helping hand to others. This pain will remind you to constantly be open to others, to see their fears and self-doubts, and to assure them that there is a place for them.
I need to tell you that grad school is a place where every student is filled with self-doubts. Some handle it by appearing arrogant and puffed up. Others ride their bikes home from seminar crying. Next year remind yourself of this. It is part of the annealing process of becoming intellectually self-confident. You will succeed. As someone who has taught in university for nearly four decades, this one blog post assures me if that.
With all respect and best wishes,
Janet Berlo, university of Rochester
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Brilliant writing. Believe me, these are your words. Don’t loose heart, and don’t put too much emphasis on your gender or ethnicity. I am a white male professor working at a university in Japan where my native language in academia is not English. I’ve lived in the country for 37 years, starting as an undergraduate. I say this only to assure you I understand the difficulties of functioning in a situation where you have to always work harder then your peers. That aside, I am an active collaborator and publisher with colleagues from around the world. The world is full of condescending people in authority of the written word. I spend considerable time editing our co-authored papers before submission and those of others who submit articles to the scientific journals that I am an editor of. Based in foreign university, and having multiple co-authors I too get the frequent “have a native speaker check the English”! Even when co-authors are native English speakers and their husbands who double check our ms are English teachers for the US Govenrment some people still feel they have to be condescending and challenge others. Hang in there, you are not alone and there are some academics out there who do understand. In all the graduate students I have mentored over the years, the non-‘native’ students, regardless of what country or ethnicity they represent do better on average then their native peers. Our perserverence and determination to succeed is our strength. I know you be fine!!!!
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We would love to have you at University of Houston. 😛
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Hang in there girl. It’s a game. When I was in college, I dealt with something similar, and in an act of curious defiance (after getting low marks on previous papers), I wrote an entire “opinion” paper, complete with flawed arguments and contradictions—just because I thought it was what my professor wanted to hear. I got a 100 and a “Great job!”
It’s a game. Win it.
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What I personally don’t get is why you did not file an official complaint against this faculty member. You would have been within your rights to do so.
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I wish I could say I was horrified, but I know and understand the realities of your situation far too well. Thank you for speaking out here and I hope (given your credentials and experience, you probably are) advocating for yourself on your campus and at your institution. Know that there are many of us in the field who are working to change the culture and change the attitudes that cause people to make assumptions based on race, ethnicity, religion, and skin-tone.
Keep fighting and if you ever need a place to vent, talk, or share, my inbox is open and I know others probably are as well.
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Tiffany, your professor is a bigot and, like all bigots, a fool. Keep on keeping on.
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Let’s look at this in a light most favorable to the teacher. If that was not her word, can It one day become her word? Isn’t language an acquired method of communication? Don’t we all accumulate vocabulary and phrases? One’s voice evolves over a lifetime. If you Google transitional words and phrases, you will find several sites for that purpose listing “hence” as a word denoting an effect, consequence, or result. Aren’t websites that supply such things free to apply on ones work?
On the other hand, such an accusation can and should be followed with at least evidence of plagiarism. Proclaiming “this is not your word” is insufficient for that purpose.
My life has been filled with such B+++s along with a heap of yeah buts and such. There is a narrow window of style that many wish upon us. We are urged not to conduct ourselves too much beyond those limits in either direction. Such a continuum is imposed on many of us in an attempt to soothe the soul of the imposer. As a professor, this disgusts me.
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Dear Tiffany,
Your school should have access to plagiarism software that will help you prove that your writing is your own. I am so sorry that you have had this experience, and you are not alone. Bias is real, and it doesn’t go away at the Professor level. But, with more of us in the professoriate I hope we can change that!
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It’s incumbent on the accuser to prove his allegation. Tiffany has no obligation to prove the writing is her own. To ask her to do so is impossible: she is being asked to prove that she has not plagiarized. One cannot prove a negative.
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Public humiliation by any educator is unconscionable. And you are right: We need more diversity in higher ed and particularly from the largest underrepresented group in the US. I’m also a first gen latina PHD (and who grew up in Miami) – and a prof – don’t hesitate to reach out. You’ve already rec’d lots of good advice from other posts above.
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It has been a long time, but I understand what you have experienced. I just wanted to express my solidarity and wish you well.
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If I put an apple on table and artist see it, he will draw it.
If I put an apple on table and chef see it, he will slice it.
If I put an apple on table and child see it, he will bite it.
The professor may merely judge you wrongly and hope you can admit it and amend it. In any different angles, there will have different feelings and opinion. Your feeling and opinion for your matter is irrelevant to your course mates and professor. What you think and judge them is different from they think and judge you. You don’t need dwelling in this matter but you can take it as beautiful moments that help you speed up your growth. Be grateful.
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That’s probably the worst response I’ve ever read. This isn’t apple slicing or character building, it’s racism. What you are doing is victim blaming.
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A friend of mine posted your essay to my timeline, knowing that I was a writing professor for 25 years, Haass Professor of Writing at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. This is what I told her: “the professor had NO right to accuse her of plagiarism until he had proven it. Simply cutting and pasting some of her sentences into a search engine would have proven it–or not. Really shitty, and the professsor needs to be called to someone’s carpet. Something similar happened to me when I was a junior in high school. I came from the poor working class neighborhood. I had really long hair, wore old clothes and had crappy glasses. All of my teachers assumed that I was a druggie or a thug; I was not. My English teacher assigned a book report on any book that we wanted to read. I chose “Moby Dick” and wrote a five page paper (handwritten) on it. She couldn’t believe that someone like could, firstly, read a novel like “Moby Dick,” and secondly, she couldn’t believe that I could write a compelling, well crafted (for.a high school junior) paper on a very complex and dense novel. She accused me of plagiarism and wouldn’t grade it. It hurts me to this day.the professor had NO right to accuse her of plagiarism until he had proven it. Simply cutting and pasting some of her sentences into a search engine would have proven it–or not. Really shitty, and the professsor needs to be called to someone’s carpet. Something similar happened to me when I was a junior in high school. I came from the poor working class neighborhood. I had really long hair, wore old clothes and had crappy glasses. All of my teachers assumed that I was a druggie or a thug; I was not. My English teacher assigned a book report on any book that we wanted to read. I chose “Moby Dick” and wrote a five page paper (handwritten) on it. She couldn’t believe that someone like could, firstly, read a novel like “Moby Dick,” and secondly, she couldn’t believe that I could write a compelling, well crafted (for.a high school junior) paper on a very complex and dense novel. She accused me of plagiarism and wouldn’t grade it. It hurts me to this day.” And this: “By the way, that experience was the one I drew on when a paper that one of my students wrote smacked of plagiarism. I caught many plagiarists in my career, but I always did the work to prove it before I accused someone of it. I also never took for granted that a person from a marginalized group couldn’t write a decent paper. Usually, when I had a black student, s/he lacked confidence (because our culture teaches them that they’re dumb and can’t do anything). All I had to do was to help that person to develop confidence, sometimes easier said than done.” You hang in there, young woman. Don’t let this ass hurt you for long. You’re going to be okay because you DO have strong writing skills, judging by this essay.
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You go, girl, you go and take ALL THE WORDS. You have already made them yours. I look forward to you joining us in the Academy.
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Report the professor. Tell the Dean of Students or whatever equivalent you have. This is bullshit and the accusations of plagiarism are literally the kind of thing used to move PoC students out of class – they accused you of an honor code violation – contest it.
Do it in a way that is safe for you, but you’ve already published this under your own name – use the process in the school because if this professor is doing it to you, they are doing it to every other woman or PoC they think “doesn’t belong there.”
Please do not let the professor be allowed to stay “undercover” with this – their action was public towards you – their accountability is therefore public.
You should never have had to go through this. Feel free to contact me offline if you’d like support or to speak about what’s the best way to handle this in your school – not everyone has the same options or personal risk levels with this kind of thing, but if nothing else your direct advisors should know confidentially.
Not “your word” >.> like that prof is the king of all words and determines ownership? There are sumptuary laws for text now?
(2015-16 McBride Advocacy Mistress at Bryn Mawr)
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You write beautifully and your arguments are concise and clear. Do not fret-you have what it takes to succeed on your terms. Your “care” is all you need to move forward.
Your “fret”, it seems to me, is based both in your age and position in life AND, more importantly, your underlying need to “fix” the professor’s attitude and thinking. Forget him–only he can fix himself and the sooner you understand this, the sooner you will free yourself to contribute more clearly to our world without limitation.
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Sorry for the less-than-helpful knee-jerk response, but f*ck that a$$hole.
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Clearly you’ve disproved your professor’s allegations quite beautifully here. I’m in awe of your writing skills.
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As a University lecturer in the UK, I’m shocked by a casual assumption of plagiarism (we have software to check this stuff), but far more shocked by the public shaming. This is not how anyone at a university (or any institution of learning) should teach. It also reminds me of the value of the anonymized marking that creates such headaches for me everday. At the risk of cultural appropriation, may I say ‘A luta continua!’ ?
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As others have mentioned, what you have described may well violate your rights to privacy under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). I agree with many who have said you should bring this to the administration. This professor should be disciplined. I would also consult a lawyer.
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Yes. This. I understand if you don’t want to escalate, but professors are not allowed to share anything about your academic performance with anyone but you without your permission.
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Hi Tiffany,
I am a ‘slightly’ older woman, in a technical career. There were very few women in my classes and had been even fewer or none in the classes before mine. I would like to tell you that the self-doubt will subside, but for me, it has not. It has lessened, but it never goes away. As you so eloquently describe, it is partially an internal message, and it is reinforced by external experiences, such as the one you just lived. The other side of that is my memories of teachers and professors who were so very supportive and encouraging. I am sure you have some of those as well. I am so sorry that these things still happen. I hoped that somehow my “slightly’ older female friends and I had paved a better path for you. And you have the added burden of being from a different culture of course. The good news is that we have control over the inner messages and can work to make those better. As those become better, we will find strength and wisdom to handle the external messages. I pray and have faith that you have already handled this well and will be making a better path for your younger sisters and brothers also. I wish you peace and joy and send you much love today. Gilda
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Thank you for writing and sharing this. I’m a professor and am sending this to all of my colleagues in addition to our Diversity Committee to distribute to faculty members in other departments. I wish implicit bias no longer existed and am so very sorry you have been on the receiving end. This is a powerful reminder of the work we white faculty still have to do. I very much hope you continue with your plans to further your studies. We need you.
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I was horrified and deeply discouraged to read this. I’m so sorry for what you have to put up with and sincerely hope it does not dampen your resolve to succeed. I will be sharing this with my colleagues, too.
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In my personal experience, college professors are some of the most narcissistic and closed-minded people I have ever encountered in life. They live in ivory towers, truly believing they are more enlightened and superior in knowledge than everyone else. And they often wield their position of authority to further personal and political agendas. Academia in the US is in a very sad state. Rather than teaching and encourage free-thinking and critical thinking skills, they seek to indoctrinate and belittle. Don’t be discouraged by this ignorant and narcissistic professor. Please realize most “regular” people are much more enlightened and not racist like so many of the professors you’ll encounter on your journey to your PhD. Best of luck to you, and don’t let people like this cause bitterness or self-doubt to fester in your heart. Look at everyone you meet with the same unprejudiced eyes you want them to see you with. That is the only way we can ever overcome these kind of people.
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A former professor of mine shared your post on FB. Know that you have people in your corner, and never let ignorance get the best of you.
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I’ve been there and the pain is excruciating. In graduate school, an African American female professor asked me, “You have to live in your white-self (ie assimilated identity) to make it in the Academy. If you don’t want to live in your white-self for the next 3 years, why are you here?” Her words struck my soul, for I truly did not expect those words as the comfort I was seeking. BUT, I heard her wisdom in asking whether I wanted to continue to “wear the mask”. My heart screamed “No” as it cringed from the years of pain from racism at predominantly white institutions. I dropped my “mask”; transferred to a Historically Black University and it was the most liberating experience of my life! The “mask” is heavy, real heavy. You don’t realize how heavy it is until you’ve lived in an academic space without it. I found freedom and joy in the Academy at an HBCU. Much success to you and I pray you’ll find that space in the Academy that affirms you.
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I’ve experienced much the same albeit coming from a different track – a writing teacher assumed that because I was high-functioning autistic, I couldn’t possibly have written the words that I did. Because they were hiding their prejudice by grading me more harshly and I wasn’t compelled to actively compare with peers, I unfortunately didn’t realize this until I had moved on and it had already irreparably harmed my grades.
I just assumed he was a harsh grader and tried to understand a bunch of critical red circles that didn’t seem to make sense – and once I shared these graded papers with the awesome people who advocated for me, they couldn’t make sense of those red circles either.
I don’t know whether it was a result of my advocates standing up for me but that teacher ended up getting fired not long after I had left the class. So my story, while not really a happy ending, at least had a bit of catharsis to it.
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Contact the University Ombudsman, if you are unable to clear this up with the professor. Students have more power than they realize.
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Thank you for writing this. I am shocked that someone would so casually accuse you of plagiarism.
Do you know this book? Lillis, Theresa M. (2001). Student writing: access, regulation, desire. Literacies. UK: Routledge. http://oro.open.ac.uk/770 Your piece made me think of it because it talks about the issues of language choice and identity and the consequences this has for non-traditional students (in UK context this means working class or ethnic minority).
Apologies if this is all too familiar to you.
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Keep writing. You are a bright woman who can change things. Writing this powerful piece, in itself, reflects your strength. I’m deeply sorry about this professor’s aggression.
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When I moved to the states from a foreign country with English language skills of preschoolers, it was very tough on me. I was a 15 yrs old girl with excellent grades from back home, failing at math because I didn’t understand what they were asking me to do. In my high school I had a terrible teacher who put me down every chance she had, and I had wonderful teachers who were willing to help me and teach me everything I needed to know in order to succeed (such as – why you should not use “pissed off” in an essay, etc). Some believed in me, some thought I was a wild rude brat who thought of herself more than she deserves.
What I learned from my experience is to dismiss and avoid the ones who disrespect you, but more importantly, lean on the ones who care and want to be good teachers and educators, and take all that you can from them. They are the ones who will make you better and more prepared for the next challenges in your life. Believe them, make THEM matter the most.
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I just don’t see any clear reference to racist behavior, and I think you’re all just seeing what you want to see. Original research is fine in a thesis and is not fine in an undergrad essay. You’re semantically attacking the underlining of a word, when it’s possible the lecture was merely using this as an indicator “This is not your language, you don’t write this way, this is BS”.
Either way we don’t know, is my main point. I asked some open ended questions that anyone who received the complaint in an academic office would ask. But of course I’m not playing devil’s advocate, I’m racist because I’m underminding the rhetoric that a singular personal experience outweighs the idea that there may be a more complex context to this scenario. It may be, indeed, that the lecturer is a Trump supporting lunatic who hates anyone not white. But let’s not assume the person who teaches for a living is a villain, let’s see what the truth is.
I’m just asking the questions. Totally fine with being wrong, not so fine with the hypersensitive circle jerk on privilege as if I’m some Middle Class American. Personally my assumption would be both are partially wrong, the lecturer seems a bit tactless but the girl also things that her credentials mean way more than they do to a faculty.
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The Girl? Fuck you. “Hypersensitive circle jerk on privilege? Also, “a faculty” is not grammatically correct; you’d say “a faculty member.” “Let’s see what the truth is.” This is an accusation of plagiarism. Which is why she received no grade. Oh, and fuck you
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“Devil’s advocate” tends to mean “I’m being an asshole for the sake of it’ in this context.
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“I just don’t see any clear reference to racist behavior”. Of course you don’t and that’s part of the problem.
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What do you make of the very public humiliation?
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The purpose of this piece is to ignite and acknowledge the problem. The specifics of this one case is just what put her over the edge and by you asking these questions you are reproducing what the author has already experienced.
Victim blaming.
I understand if you are an administrator or faculty member you would assume someone like yourself would not behave this way. The truth is, we are victims of preconceived notions or ideas towards others. We are human. But, your statements are unwarranted and unappreciated. Please listen when someone explains their feelings of invalidation.
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It could be that. But in this day and age, anyone of a colored background gets questioned for anything and everything. Her scenario is not the first and it definitely won’t be the last. What did her professor mean by “this is NOT your word”? Certainly no one owns a word and no one is forbidden to use a word. So why her? Was it a little too intellectual for someone of brown skin to use such wording? Why did her teacher assume that she plagiarized? Because that’s what it said, that her professor wanted her to go back through her essay and highlight the plagiarized material..and by the way she worded this story, it seems that she’s more than capable of using a higher vocabulary than most of us. So please, tell me how is this not remotely close to bring racism?
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“…as if I am some Middle Class American.” You may claim not to be racist, but you are most certainly bigoted, my friend. Needs work.
With love from the Lower-Middle Class American (first generation academic, dual BA, MA with Distiction) who will be graduating with her doctorate from Oxford next year.
Tiffany, you keep on writing. You will get there.
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In an effort to have a purely hypothetical argument and ‘playing devil’s advocate,’ let’s dissect this a bit.
Assuming the professor literally only meant: “This is not your language, you don’t write this way, this is BS,” what does that even mean?
That she never writes papers with polished prose? Based on this reflective piece, I doubt that.
Quick disclaimer: I’m a lecturer (one academic rank below assistant professor). I have a PhD. Do you have any idea how easy it is to see if someone plagiarized work? The simple answer is: Extremely. There are entire apps and websites dedicated to help teachers and academics spot plagiarism. Heck, it’s as easy as pasting some text into Google and seeing what pops back.
As faculty, we are also required to undergo sensitivity training. If I suspect students of cheating or plagiarizing, enough so that I will not give them a grade? Then I must schedule a time to talk to them in private, as opposed to calling them out in class.
Hence (sorry), there are multiple reasons this professor’s behavior is inappropriate and offensive. Even if his reasons have nothing to do with institutionalized racism, or sexism, or any other -ism you choose. He humiliated a student (who clearly has skill and competence) based on word choice he did not agree with. Based on phrasing he did not think she was capable of. Instead of investigating his claim before accusing her, he chose to make an example of her.
While it’s true that we can only guess at the reasoning behind such odious behavior, it raises valid question that the student absolutely should be upset by, especially when it resonates so much with the way she’s been treated in the past.
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I have no idea who you’re voting for or what is in your heart, but your post this shows me that you 1) don’t read very carefully, and 2) have an agenda you’re not willing to come clean about. If you’d read more carefully you’d realize that the circled words and written phrase were not all that was written on her paper. The professor also wrote at the top “Please go back and indicate where you cut and paste.” The professor was very clearly accusing her of plagiarism and the highlighting of the word “hence’ as an indication of it clearly shows the criteria for the accusation was simply using common academic prose. How one could interpret this as not being connected to how the professor saw her, whether it was based on her name, her appearance, or her demeanor, I can’t fathom. Your use of phrases like, “circle jerk on privilege,” and the whine, “I’m not playing devil’s advocate, I’m racist,” reveals your agenda in support of white aggrievement at any discussion of the personal experience of racism. The fact that you won’t put your name to your post hints that you know this is your agenda, and you’re unwilling to actually claim it.
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You get that PhD. And when you get that diploma, invite all those academic ass hats who put you down. Shoe them that you did it, not because of them, but in spite of them. Show them that people have value no matter their background our race or where they live. Be a shining example of the good that can come out of darkness. You got this.
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This speaks volumes! Hang in there. I am in the middle of my dissertation and I can not say it will get easier, but at least you have experience in understanding the challenges a female latina has to endure. Keep on treading, the reward is not far. Best of luck to you.
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Dear Tiffany, This is horrid behavior and must stop. Teachers should be role modes of inquiry, not judge and jury make accusations based on assumptions, in this case bias-based assumptions. I stood in similar shoes to yours many years ago and still viscerally recall the humiliation. A Junior High School teacher was handing back reports she had graded and asked me to stand up. I expected she was going to tell the class what I good job I’d done. Imagine my shock when she asked, “What encyclopedia (yes, it was back in the day) did you copy that from?” She then instructed me to rewrite the report. I was stunned, humiliated and ran out of the room in tears. I did not rewrite the report.
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Thanks for writing this, Tiffany. I’m really, really sorry to hear that you had to have this experience.
I’m a college professor. Sharing this with my colleagues as a reminder that we (people in power) need to confront our own biases.
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