In 2020, a racist incident took place at a school meeting in Michigan when a parent crudely asked another parent a deliberately racist question. Adrian Iraola was standing up and speaking about the racism his son had experienced at Liberty School in Saline, Michigan. While he was speaking about his child crying in his bedroom about what he had been going through at school, another parent interrupted to ask, "Why didn't you stay in Mexico then?"
The crowd was shocked and appalled. You can hear gasps from other members in the crowd. Some people were angry, shouting comments like, "That's exactly what these kids are dealing with!" and "You need to leave!"
The meeting itself had been called to discuss growing concerns in the school about acceptance, so it's ironic that this man choose this opportunity to make such a blatantly disrespectful and pointedly racist comment. However, it definitely speaks to what many people in this country, and in this particular community, are dealing with in the current racial climate we're living in.
"I remember when I went to his bedroom, to say good night, and he was crying because of the abuse that he was enduring in this school system," Iraola, who is Latino, was saying into the microphone. He was clearly emotional talking about what his child was going through, as any parent would be.
However, he most likely wasn't imagining he'd soon be cut off. A man behind him spoke out. "Then why didn't you stay in Mexico?" you can hear the man say. The man was identified as Tom Burtell.
People turned around to look at him. Many members of the crowd couldn't believe their ears. Some spoke out to him, demanding he leave. "That's disgusting," one woman said.
Still, the man seem confounded. He didn't seem to understand why anyone was outraged that he would make such a comment, and at a school meeting about inclusion and teaching kids how to treat people, no less. It was clear from his expression that he felt he was in the right.
Burtell seemed to have a lot to say on the matter. So Iraola ended up handing him the microphone to let him talk. When he did speak, he ended up talking about the discrimination that he feels as a white man. "Try being white and walk in a black neighborhood," he told the parents. "See what happens."
Iraola came to the US 40 years ago and owns three Mexican restaurants. The assumption that he should be OK with his children putting up with derogatory, harmful, racist comments, simply because he is from another country, is a harmful perspective. Still, he tried his best to answer the question he was asked.
"He asked me a question. … 'Why didn't I stay in Mexico?'" Iraola said. "Because this is the greatest country in the world."
"But you're complaining about being here," Burtell said.
Burtell's son went on Facebook to condemn his father's words.
The perspective is shocking, but it feels increasingly common in today's world. Reports of racist incidents are on the rise. The numbers of hate crimes have increased in massive numbers in recent years. So while it's always shocking to hear things like this, it's also important to recognize that people of color are fairly familiar with it.
The school district, which is predominantly white, was quick to speak out. It said in a statement Tuesday that "hate, prejudice, and racism have no place in our schools or our community." While it's refreshing to see that fast action, it seems the district has a lot of work to do in terms of ensuring students aren't met with this same kind of aggressive behavior in the future.
"Yesterday, February 3rd, an individual in the Saline community made racist remarks at a forum directed at one of the parents in our community," Saline Area Schools superintendent Scot Graden said in a letter. "This type of bigotry goes against all of the values and beliefs of our school system."
Hopefully, the parents who are teaching their kids otherwise or allowing racist language or comments in their own homes will take note.
