is code switching bad?

Perfect illustration! And the site it comes
from is pretty great, too. 

A few weeks ago, one of my White classmates brought up the idea of code switching. It was in response to an article in which the author expressed disdain for concerted efforts to make college campuses more diverse, citing the fact that students of color don't know how to speak proper English and therefore don't deserve to attend elite universities. (Paraphrasing, but not much.) My classmate was obviously disturbed by the idea that students of color have to change the way they (we) speak just to be accepted in school. When I mentioned that I do it all the time (including the present time) and have been since I was a kid, she was shocked. "That just seems like so much effort!" When I said that it was pretty natural at this point in my life, she looked visibly upset.

My classmate's reaction has been gnawing at me ever since. Is code switching bad? Having been explicitly taught this behavior at a rather young age, I never gave it much thought. I grew up knowing that the how you act in public has to be better than how you at home because people who don't know you will think you're [whatever] if you act like [whatever]. While an understanding of the racial and social implications of this came later, my parents were very deliberate with this message. My mom modeled this behavior at work and even gave my brother and me phone answering lessons. (Like, for real. It was that deep.) My parents, just like their parents and all the other parents who do/have done this, were just trying to give us a leg up.

It is no secret that Black students are treated better when they (we) can mimic the White, middle-class values and norms that the American public education system values. Researchers like Lisa Delpit and Gloria Ladson-Billings (two of my favorite favorites, by the way) write extensively about the ways that African American children are perceived as deficient and uneducable because their normal is not the same normal as their teachers who come from majority groups. As a result, they lose out on valuable educational experiences (like learning) because their teachers either don't teach them well because they don't think they can learn *or* spend so much time teaching them away from their cultural norms that they don't get a quality educational experience.

[FYI: As of 2007, the teaching force was ~87% White, while the student body was 40% non-White and growing (Renzulli, et al., 2007). So, while every White teacher doesn't do this, it happens a lot.]

My justification for teaching kids to code switch is that it makes things easier. Successfully doing this means that they can avoid these issues with teachers and focus on learning. They won't be judged negatively by their teachers and will probably get treated better than their peers of color who cannot connect with their teachers this way. Even in non-academic settings, like the workplace or just in public, code switching has its benefits. People who do this have an easier time moving through the world because they know what is expected of them. Or, as my mom puts it, "they know how to act."

I do agree with my classmate on one point: It really sucks that this has to happen. Why do not-White children (people) have to bifurcate in order to be accepted? I wish we could get to a time when the White, middle class norms aren't "normal" and everyone can be who they are and it's all good in the hood... but that time is not now. Code switching is necessary, and those of us who can successfully master it will be the ones who benefit the most. So, while I hate being called "articulate" and being told that I "speak so well", I'd rather have these (non)compliments than be dismissed outright for not properly forming a sentence. It is a trade off that I will take any day of the week.

Sorry, classmate. Code switching is here to stay. Lucky for you, you can always just be yourself.

---
citation:
Renzulli, L., Macpherson, H., and Beattie, I. (2010). Racial mismatch and school type: Teacher satisfaction and retention in charter and traditional public schools. Sociology of Education, 84, 23-48.

never too early.

Sean Carter/Jay-Z didn't go to college, but if you want
that for your child, it is best to start early! [photo credit]

Whenever parents find out that I used to be a high school guidance counselor, the second question that I am asked is "When should I start planning for college?" (The first question is typically "What is the craziest thing you've heard?" To which I reply: I can't disclose that information.) The answer to the college planning question is way less cryptic: Start planning when your child is born.

My response has zero to do with competitive admissions and everything to do with indoctrinating your child with the expectation that they will go to college. This is especially important if you live in a community or your child will go to schools where college is not the dominant message... Or if you think that, for whatever reason, this message won't be directed towards your child. You need to promote this ideal early and often if you want it to actually happen. As much as we like to think that the whole point of the K-12 education system is to be a pipeline to college, it is not. It has been shown over and over that the this system does more to reproduce inequality than to break the cycle. It is no one person's fault that this happens, but it is definitely up to the parents to make sure that the system doesn't keep their child in place.

But how?

For one, talking about higher education as an inevitability is crucial in naturalizing college as the next step after high school. Thinking back, I don't remember a time when my older brother and I didn't know that we were going to go to college. I recall my brother checked one of those '100 Best Colleges' books out of the public library in elementary school and declared that he wanted to go to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas because the weather was nice and he could 'ride a moped all year long.' (Really, a moped.) Even though he went to Rutgers and never got a moped, the point is that attending college was always on the horizon. The message was never one of "if." Rather, it was always one of "when."

You can also engage your child in exploratory activities that allow them to see the connections between things that they like to do and what that hobby looks like in the world of work. You don't need to have a lot of money to do this. If your child likes art, get books from the library about different artists or find free art classes in your community. If your child likes to build things, take them by a construction site and let them watch the workers. Who knows, they could become an architect or an engineer. Whatever your child is into, be sure to be supportive and application-oriented. Understanding their natural interests and inclinations will allow you to tailor your activities to cultivating their talents.

I have talked to many parents who are concerned about the quality of the schools that their children will likely attend. To them, I say this: If the schools that your child goes to aren't up to snuff, supplement! My parents faced this situation when I changed schools in 4th grade, and they picked up the slack through library books, PBS, and National Geographic. Outside of school education is just as important than what goes on inside of the classroom. This is especially crucial in the summer, when the majority of school year learning is lost.

A final tip may seem obvious, but it is still worth noting: Make sure your child gets the best grades possible from day one. Since the vast majority of schools in the United States engage in some form of tracking, how they perform in elementary school has bearings on their schedules in middle school and high school. Good grades are a must. Also, taking the time in elementary school to instill good study and learning habits in your child will pay dividends in high school and college. I was one of those kids who never had to study in K-12, but was at a severe disadvantage when I got to college. Picking up habits on the fly is really hard. Also, good grades = scholarships, and free money is always a good look!

In the early stages of your child's life, college planning is more about setting them up to have the best possible options later on. The typical process of narrowing lists and deciding on majors is way easier if your child knows what they like to do, what they (might) want to do with it, and are in the academic position to act on these goals. Trust me, I was a high school counselor.