Analyzing Discrimination Faced by Students of Color in Academia

This essay examines the discrimination and marginalization faced by students of color in academia, drawing on Nancy Acevedo-Gil's article, 'Toward a Critical Race Nepantlera Methodology: Embracing Liminality in Anti-Colonial Research.' The essay highlights how, despite progress in promoting equality, subtle forms of discrimination persist, particularly in educational settings. It discusses the inequitable opportunities available to students of color compared to their white counterparts and the lack of documentation of their experiences. The author argues that academia, as a microcosm of society, often reflects and perpetuates broader societal inequalities, thereby failing to integrate students without discrimination. The essay emphasizes the need for critical race nepantlera methodology to give voice to the experiences of students of color and advocate for social justice in education. The essay also touches upon the political climate and the impact of racial attitudes on immigration and education, underscoring the urgency of addressing these issues.

Running head: STUDENTS OF COLOUR
STUDENTS OF COLOUR
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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The racial attitude which seeks to marginalize the people of colour and trample upon their
human rights function both blatantly as well as subtly in a social set up. Although the world has
progressed a lot in terms of ushering in of emancipatory ideals to deal with human inequality and
bring about harmony and peaceful coexistence among the people of various racial, ethnic and
economic backgrounds, yet social justice is still a distant dream for many. The people of colour
are still as much the victims of discrimination and marginalization as much they used to be in the
bygone era of slavery. With the progress of time and the progress in technology and also in
thought process, the style of marginalization and discrimination against the people of colour has
also become more sophisticated. This is the main issue that has been raised by the author Nancy
Acevedo-Gil in the article, ‘Toward a Critical Race Nepantlera Methodology: Embracing
Liminality in Anti Colonial Research’. The issue of the various ways in which the people of
colour are still likely to face discrimination by the white people is the focal point of analysis and
discussion in the chosen article.
The points raised in the chosen article by Acevedo- Gil are oriented towards voicing the
concerns of the marginalization of the students of colour and the fact that their experiences have
gone undocumented. Though the article, Acevedo-Gil has voiced the experiences and the
inequitable opportunities that the students of colour have faced. The point that the people of
colour are likely to face discrimination in all social spheres and that their access to opportunities
in society is quite less compared to the white people in the Western World has gained quite a
substantial amount of political and academic attention. However the point that in subtle ways, the
people of colour are deprived from the opportunities to avail of and rise in the social ladder is not
much discussed as a topic. Issues like the racial attitude of President Trump in terms of dealing
with the issue of immigration has gained much attention but the forms of discrimination that

2STUDENTS OF COLOUR
exists in the field of education gets ignored. The facilities of receiving education and upgrading
the social status of the people of colour are ill equipped and inefficient while that of the white
people are not. These experiences of the students of colour goes undocumented and thus through
the application of critical race nepantlera methodology, the students of colour could be provided
a voice.
The question raised in the article deals with the issue that the arena of education is
supposed to be free of discrimination and the ideal of equality is to be cherished therein, then
how has academia upheld marginalization of the students of colour.
From a personal point of view the, it can be said that academia being embedded in the
social structures and social order, it has failed to integrate students without discrimination.
Academia thus becomes a microcosmic projection of the macrocosmic conditions prevailing in a
nation.
The question that thus arises is whether academia is autonomous or not!

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Bibliography
Acevedo-Gil, N. (2019). Toward a Critical Race Nepantlera Methodology: Embracing
Liminality in Anti-Colonial Research. Cultural Studies↔ Critical Methodologies, 19(3),
231-239.