The Use of Reflection Papers and Student Autobiographies in Teaching Race, Racism and the Law

Abstract

Professor Baynes discussed the use of reflection papers and autobiographical narratives in his Race, Racism and the Law class. These narratives are used to get the students to see that their view of the law is often shaped by their own personal history. Essentially, narratives can be used to provide a qualitative dimension to the students' knowledge of race that cannot be captured by other means. It gets the students to see that although race is purely just a social construct, it has powerful meaning. Narratives are a form of expression that can lead the students to a more meaningful engagement. Narratives help the students gain insight into their own point of view and then allows them to be able to move onto legal argumentation with a better understanding of their view and how it fits in with and relates to the views of others.

Seven students agreed to publish their autobiographies as part of this symposium. They have told authentic and compelling life stories. They have been brutally honest in their experiences. Tyler Simonds and Michael Hendrick discuss what it means to grow up white and ethnic and the associated privileges that being white has. Sharon Choi and Jeremy Wang discuss their unique experiences of being Chinese American and Korean American respectively. They highlight the stereotypes of being perceived as foreign and not being able to assimilate while at the same time being considered model minorities. Nazareth Markarian and Michelle Khalife discuss what it means to be Armenian American and Arab American. Although these two ethnic groups have been defined by law as white, these students highlight that these groups were not always deemed white. Moreover, given their appearance and their culture distinct from those who ancestry is Northern European, they still face assimilation issues. Lastly, Carlene Jadusingh discusses what it is to be a biracial Afro-Jamaican-Asian Indian immigrant to the United States and how issues of race and color played out in her life. This mini-symposium on the use of autobiography should prove instructive to those who might consider the use of reflection papers and autobiographies in their Race, Racism and the Law classes.

Keywords: reflections paper, autobiographies