Students Examine Interactions With Local Residents

Whether it is through racial slurs shouted out car windows or tense glances on the paths, some people of color at Exeter say their experiences are often tainted with a sense of “otherness.” For people of color at the Academy, a simple walk into downtown Exeter may sometimes include incidents of racial profiling.

“Off-campus, many people of color, or perceived as such, are targeted,” history instructor Erik Wade said. “I’ve heard from colleagues and students I care about dearly and those who are strangers, that they are impacted by racial profiling often.”

He added that the issues are further illuminated within the context of racial discrimination in the U.S. “I believe some students feel the pressure rising around the U.S. and now feel it encroaching on their lives on campus.”

“There are incidents of hate speech and other verbal attacks of students of color by individuals who drive through campus. These attacks, which often involve racial slurs, commonly occur as students of color walk across Main, Front and Court Streets.”

Lower Chris Agard grew up as a person of color in predominantly white cities and states. He faced issues of profiling and mistreatment, but had his family to help him. At the Academy and in the town of Exeter, he has to deal with issues “without the crutches of [his] parents.” He has come to treat the slurs and demeaning phrases he hears as a normal occurrence.

“I honestly do not feel safe in town. Being a firsthand victim of racism and seeing all of the issues in this country, I do fear that my life is at risk when I step off the Exeter campus,” Agard said.

Lower Gwendolyn Wallace said that while walking in town as a person of color she flinches every time she sees a car. She is constantly worried that she will hear the word n***** or will have something thrown at her.

“Being female and a person of color adds this whole other level of intersectionality. There is a general discomfort of being female and a person of color in Exeter. I try not to go into town at night because it really scares me,” Wallace said.

After experiencing racial profiling, prep Charlotte Polk believes she is seen “as somebody to harass and somebody who doesn’t belong, like a caricature.”

Lower Jesus Rivera stressed that statements with malicious intent are inevitable, but “the fact that the one thing they see as a flaw in me is my brown skin shows how deeply racism is ingrained into the minds of the general populace.”

Similar to Wallace and many other people of color, lower Kristina Torres has been verbally attacked on the streets. She cited one specific case, in which she was walking with a black friend. A car driving by approached the two and said, “Wow, you have a really nice body!” Then, as the car passed, the driver retracted his statement. “Oh wait, you’re black. Sorry, n*****.”

Torres explained her surprise at being called a “spic,” a derogatory slur for Latino people which she doesn’t hear in her home, New York City.

“I can’t help but feel that I don’t belong here,” Torres said. “This is where you’re supposed to be most comfortable, and if you’re not able to get to that level of comfort the way white students can, it dampens the mood for your whole Exeter experience.” 

Lower Elaney Ortiz said that if she is walking in a group of people of color into a very white area, they will joke about being more “accommodating and friendly.” “There is definitely a truth to our jokes,” Ortiz said. “It shouldn’t have to be the case that we have to act a certain way just to make ourselves seem less threatening.”

In addition to students of the Academy, Alice Ahn, a resident of Exeter,  has experienced racial profiling as a Korean American adopted into a white family. Ahn was born in California and lived there for most of her life before moving to Exeter. She recalled an incident, just last year, when a census taker visited her household.

The woman, after hearing Ahn say that she was born in the United States, looked right at her and questioned, “Really?”

“[The incident] really upset me,” Ahn said. “She didn’t mean it specifically as intentional harm, but it’s a much more subtle form of pointing out my race.”

She continued, noting similar instances of microaggressions as a constant while living in Exeter. While walking with her white parents, Ahn often receives quick, discreet glances from other townspeople.

“People tell me that [microaggressions] are not meant in any disrespect. They have to understand that from my perspective, it is very clear that they don’t see me as a normal American,” Ahn said. “It shuts down the conversation. I think it always helps to have a conversation from the side of the minority, as opposed to people coming and saying this is how you should feel.”

“They live in New Hampshire. They don’t have to think about this. They are surrounded by other people who don’t notice and don’t care,” Ahn said.

When incidents involving racial profiling are reported, Dean of Multicultural Affairs Rosanna Salcedo often acts as an associate for the students in question. “[Members of the administration] interview the student(s) to gather as much information as possible and make sure we address their emotional and psychological needs. We also discuss how to respond to the incident,” she said.

Salcedo added, “[there are] incidents of hate speech and other verbal attacks of students of color by individuals who drive through campus. These attacks, which often involve racial slurs, commonly occur as students of color walk across Main, Front and Court Streets.”

To protect the privacy of individuals involved, Salcedo did not cite specific incidents. She did, however, focus on how she and others have been trying to prevent these types of occurrences from happening in the future.

“I am interested in having conversations with church leaders and other members of the town community,” she said.

She hopes that conversations with the town of Exeter’s community will improve the school’s relationship with townspeople. In conjunction with the administration’s efforts, Salcedo also stressed how important it is for students to report incidents to an adult so that the information gets to the deans.

“To a great extent, prejudice and bigotry occurs from a lack of knowledge and experience with difference,” Salcedo said. “My hope is that, by inviting the Exeter Police and other members of the town community to get to know our students, their preconceived stereotypes of people of color will be challenged and their conscious/unconscious biases will begin to break down.”