I cannot STAND working in lab student discrimination!

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right now I am taking a biology course with lab. Lab is the part that I hate the most because often you have to work with students who appear to be very discriminatory against students based on how they look (subtle racism, I am a minority). Everyday, I don't often sit in the same seat, depending on the time I get to class, some students get there a bit earlier than me so folks rotate around a bit so I don't always have the same lab partners. And there are times where I've been just a few minutes late and had to sit with whatever seat was available

There is a Caucasion male who seems to despise me for absolutely no reason at all. The moment I walked into the classroom, he gave me this sneer and disliked me from the get go. i am a nice person, quiet, humble and I do not bother ANYBODY, so his dislike for me is totally unjustified. I can literally FEEL his dislike for me the few times I had to sit next to him. The vibes he send are so thick you could cut it with a knife. We are seated at a table and when I sat next to him, he turned his seat totally facing the other way

Anyway, once we had to work on lab together and he was giving me a hard time. Everytime I addressed or asked a question, he gave me attitude, was very self righteous and treated me like I was very incompetent. But when the other students in our group (who are non black) asked something he was very warm, nice and friendly. I was the recorder, so I wrote down all of the results from our experiment, and he acted as if I was too incompetent to do that. Before I could even let the ink hit the sheet of paper, he's already telling me I'm ABOUT to write it down wrong. At one point I felt like just leaving class

Then again today, all of the seats were filled and the closest seat was where he was sitting. This time he just got up and moved to a bunch of white students to do an experiment with them. The other students in our lab didn't really pay much attention but I know he did it because I was there.

I had this happen a few times with other students who don't like minorities. I had to sit next to some non black students and one of the male students did not seem very happy about that. I saw him cut his eyes off at me. He never spoke to me, never made eye contact and always addressed the other non black group members

I absolutely HATE lab, and wish I didn't need it. I cannot stand the discrimination. I wish we could just work ALONE so I won't have to go through this mess

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In all lab classes I have ever taken seating became permanent the second or third meeting. This hit or miss method is not comfortable and you should address it with the instructor, now or at the end of the class. Meanwhile, you need to do something about getting to class much earlier so that you can sit with some agreeable people.

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Why are you letting the prejudices of a few students spoil your experience in school? I went to undergrad at a school with a majority of caucasions and yes there were a few students who were prejudiced but the majority of the people were not. Why are you focusing on the few people who are? Also, you have a problem asserting yourself. Why are you letting this guy who is student just like you dictate how you do your part in the lab? You need to put him in his place and tell him to back off and let you do what you need to do. If he doesn't like then so what if he joins another group...good ridance.

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Ms NA,

Why are you letting someone who happens to be in school just as you, trying to better his life, dictate your outlook?? Absolutely DO NOT allow anyone to have that type of control over you. Stay focused on your dream, he nor anyone else can determine your destiny. There will always be some insecure idiot, regardless of race. If not race, then they will find something else. Totally assert yourself, always use good judgement, and NEVER lose your dignity! He has the problem, not you. Get tough skin, do you think every patient is going to agree with your skin??? Still have a job to do. Take his ignorance, and use it as your strength and determination to better succeed....the person with cancer, is the only one who feels it. I said that to say, his problem or insecurities do not define you, nor do they create your identity..............stay focused, and chin up. His opinion of you, is not the opinion you have of yourself....Go to lab, and learn all that you can, regardless of where you sit or whom you work with....and be thankful, he could have been your husband:p

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He may just be a jerk, be carefully labeling someone as racist, unless you know for sure....i've known plenty of people who didnt like me, acted rude or excluded me, not just white, but black, hispanic, asian etc....

Hopefully he cleans up his act.

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You can't know for sure if it's the color of your skin. People are weird in different ways. He might not like your perfume for example. If you want to be a nurse that should be all that matters. Assert yourself and learn for yourself. The next time he's rude to you it's okay to tell him that you do not like to be spoken to like that. He is going to have a very hard time, if indeed, racist working as a nurse. He better get over that pretty quickly or it's going to be a miserable life for him!

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Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.

Someone else can only have as much power as you allow them to have.

It is YOUR problem, only as long as you allow it to be.

You are in complete control, If you want to be.

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I completely agree with Miss PlaneflyerRN. YOU take control. I am lucky that in my school we are very diverse and I enjoy working with everyone!! We are all part of the same race-the Human race. You will rise above this:icon_hug:

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Ignore him..Remeber you are the leader of your destiny and show in life .Do not let anyone dictate you esp another student.It is quick to note that many people dislike other races,but they cant say i hate so and so because they will be looked at as racist so they do overt things to you ,but you can tell.DO NOT LET ANYONE DETER YOU..FAILURE IS NOT A OPTION.

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He may just be a jerk, be carefully labeling someone as racist, unless you know for sure....

I can not agree with this enough. There was a hispanic man at my job who went to file a claim with the company that he was being treated rudely and ignored because the other employees were "racist". The actual reason people wouldn't talk to him and would walk away from him...he had absolutely the MOST disgusting breath on the planet and it was gag inducing to be even a few feet away from him. When someone went to HR (the "correct" thing to do in that case), HR said not to address him because that would be embarrassing for him and that she would take care of this issue. Unfortunately, she didn't get to him before he filed the claim, and it ended up being pretty embarrassing for all levels of management and this employee.

Moral of the story? Get all the information before jumping to conclusions. That experience really taught me to investigate my hunches from all angles before making a decision.

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Or, if all else fails, you can allow this to completely ruin Your experience, or,

you can attend class once a week and on that day, record the lecture or anything

that the lab prof says and go on line and find lab practicums for each exercise:)

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I totally understand how that situation can make you feel uncomfortable, but you cant let it affect you! Its sad but alot of people have the same feeling, but just work hard get your "A" and you wont ever have to look at him ever again. besides most patients wont all was agree with the color of your skin.

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