Who Are We?

AHS is one of the most successfully diverse schools in the nation. Twenty five percent of the students come from 75 countries other than the United States, speaking 51 languages at home other than English. The homes where English is a second language comprise fifty-one percent of the student population.
According to Hubert Lu, of the Douwei Times, population trends indicate that by 2050, no ethnicity will comprise more than 50 percent of the overall population in the United States.
AHS students have varied experiences regarding their ethnicity. Some, such as African-American senior Wala Elami, experience no problems. In her own words, “Nobody has ever discriminated against me because of my race or color. I feel like I am accepted and everyone just treats me like everyone else.” Recounting a type of reverse discrimination, junior Cristin Filipczyk says that, “At school, everyone always generalizes about the Caucasian race, and thinks just because I’m white I am smart.”
Two students have experienced overt prejudice and discrimination.
Junior Amir Razjouyan, who was originally born in Tehran, Iran, came to the United States eight years ago for a better life. He recalls a time when he was discriminated against based on his race. “When I was in fifth grade, during 9/11 as my class heard about the attack, my teacher looked directly at me and said “those Middle Eastern people attacked the Twin Towers.” I was very upset when hearing those words come out of my teacher’s mouth,” said Razjouyan. “Til this day, I won’t ever forget those words my teacher said.”
Michael Ejigu, a junior from Ethiopia, also recalls a moment when someone discriminated against him based on his race/color. “I came to the United States in 1996 when I was five years old. I remember during third grade, as I was getting off the bus, walking to my house, my Caucasian friend and I decided to cut across a Caucasian person’s lawn. My friend did not get yelled at as he walked across the person’s lawn, but I did,”  recalls Ejigu. “I think it was pretty messed up, but hopefully nothing like this ever happens again.”
It is readily apparent that many students segregate themselves. Students have a tendency to group themselves based on their ethnicity. “I think here, during lunches especially, many people segregate themselves. The Caucasians sit together, the African Americans sit together, the Asians sit together, and the Latinos sit together,” said freshman Marissa Uriarte.
All races and ethnicities are effected. According to biracial junior Samantha Dade, “Many times, I get really upset when people deny my race. They are like, ‘Oh no, you are not white, you’re only black.”
Junior Tien Nguyen feels like he is not accepted as an Asian. “Sometimes I feel that many African-Americans and Latinos don’t really accept my friends, and as I walk past them in the hallways, they act as if I don’t exist,”said Nguyen.
English teacher Teidra Taylor sums up diversity: “Diversity is important because you learn many different things. You learn how to relate with others who are different in order to be successful. It teaches you to be confident of who you are after being placed with others who come from different ethnic backgrounds. In today’s workforce, there is no homogeneous population, especially here at Annandale; there are just people from all over the world,” said Taylor.