Mr. Eaton’s April 1st letter was sent to Chinese parents at Blackwell Elementary in response to their letter on March 21st. 62 parents from the Chinese American community at Blackwell Elementary co-signed the letter. We obtained Mr. Eaton’s letter from the District and confirmed that Mr. Eaton’s letter is the District’s official position on this incident. In Mr. Eaton’s letter, he said “I want to apologize for the impact that this incident has had on you. I have come to understand from our correspondence and meetings that the way one of our teachers wore traditional Chinese attire in celebrating the Lunar New Year was considered a form of appreciation. “

Dr. Ross also indicated in her response on June 8th that “all public records requests concerning this matter will be forwarded to you immediately. ” After some follow-ups, we received the first batch of PRA (Public Records Act) records. However, the internal investigation communications/documents are not included in the first batch. We are still awaiting the remaining PRA records. We will update the public on the PRA findings after we receive and review them.

The post LWSD Blackwell Elementary Chinese New Year Incident Update appeared first on WA Asians For Equality.

Dear Superintendent Holm and LWSD board,

We filed the below discrimination complaint against LWSD on March 31. On May 2nd, Mr. Richard Patterson sent us his response on behalf of the district (see attached).  We are not satisfied with the response and are filing a formal appeal against Mr. Patterson’s decision.  

Ground of our appeal:

1) Mr. Patterson’s investigation was flawed. He stated that Director Sue Anne Sullivan sent us a letter on March 23rd. We never communicated with Ms. Sullivan on the matter, not to mention receiving any communication from her. We are now questioning how thorough Mr. Patterson’s investigation was. Did he conduct the investigation himself? Did he talk to people who initially complained about Mrs. Nicholson? Did he talk to parents who complained about  the school and district’s decision? 

2) Mr. Patterson denied our complaints about the district withholding information. Yet he failed to provide supporting evidence. On the other hand, we have evidence that parents’ requests for information were not met. In Superintendent Holm’s 3/1 email, he stated that“I have asked Associate Superintendent, Matt Gillingham, to review the situation and provide a response to your questions. Given the time to evaluate the situation, you can expect to hear from Mr. Gillingham early next week.” Yet, no one received the requested information from Mr. Gillingham. Several parents filed PRA requests, yet none received any requested information back. One PRA request was filed as early as 2/18. If the district did not withhold information from the Chinese American community, please show the proof.

3) Mr. Patterson claimed that for our community members to get information, they should submit PRA requests. Is there a written district policy supporting this practice? If not, what is the district’s proof that all other community members are treated the same way and are requested to submit PRA requests in order to obtain information from the district?  

4) Mr. Patterson denied our complaints about Chinese culture being singled out. However, he failed to answer why Mr. Eaton wearing a turban posing for photos was OK, why teachers wearing Hawaii Hula outfits waving goodbye to students was OK, yet Mrs. Nicholson wearing a Chinese traditional outfit while teaching Chinese tradition was not allowed? 

5) Mr. Patterson claimed that our demand for a public apology was not a proper remedy under 5010. We would like to ask the district to clarify if the district still considers Ms. Nicholson wearing a Chinese traditional outfit while teaching Chinese tradition “cultural appropriation” and if the district still thinks that Ms. Nicholson should apologize. If the district now thinks the Blackwell Chinese New Year incident should not be labelled as “cultural appropriation” and Ms. Nicholson’s apology was unwarranted, we can work with the district and school to seek a mutually agreeable solution to heal the community wound and move forward.

Regards,

WA Asians For Equality

LWSD’s response to the discrimination complaint:

The post Appeal to LWSD’s Response to Discrimination Complaint appeared first on WA Asians For Equality.

Dear Mr. Patterson,

Recently, we received reports from the Chinese American community about a Washington Civil Rights Act violation at LWSD. After trying to resolve this violation concern with LWSD without success, we are now following the steps listed on the OSPI site (https://www.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/equity-and-civil-rights/complaints-and-concerns-about-discrimination ) and filing a formal discrimination complaint against LWSD for violating the Washington Civil Rights Act.

RCW 49.60.400 (Washington Civil Rights Act) states:
“The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” 

What happened at Blackwell Elementary School surrounding the incident of teaching Chinese culture and tradition during Chinese New Year clearly violated RCW 49.60.400. 

Background: 
On February 1st, the Chinese New Year, Mrs. Nicholson wore a Chinese gown to teach Chinese traditional culture to her class. According to the information we obtained, it was a very high-quality lesson. Mrs. Nicholson explained to her students that the outfit was gifted to her by a former student family. She talked about the student family and how she developed a relationship with them. The students watched Discovery Education videos about the Lunar New Year, then talked about Chinese tradition, talked about why things are red in Chinese culture, wrote numbers one to ten in Chinese, made Chinese lanterns, etc.  

The school and district leadership, none of whom are of Chinese heritage, not to mention having lived experience of Chinese culture, later claimed that Mrs. Nicholson’s act of wearing a Chinese gown while teaching Chinese traditional culture was “cultural appropriation” and offended the Chinese American community. Mrs. Nicholson was made to issue both a verbal and a written apology to her class on February 11th.  

Contrary to the school and district leadership’s false claim, “cultural appropriation” is a foreign concept to Chinese culture. Through its thousands of years’ development, Chinese culture has always been open and inclusive. Chinese culture actually welcomes people learning and experiencing their culture by wearing their traditional clothes, especially during the Chinese New Year. 

WA Asians For Equality website has more than 100 comments from the Chinese American community supporting Mrs. Nicholson wearing the Chinese gown while teaching Chinese traditional culture.  

More than 60 parents of the Chinese American students at Blackwell Elementary signed a letter supporting Mrs. Nicholson and requested the school and district issue an apology to Mrs. Nicholson and the Chinese American community.

We have identified the following violations of RCW 49.60.400:
1) Withholding information in an attempt to cover up discrimination against Chinese culture and the Chinese American community.
Evidence:
Many members of the Chinese American community have reached out to the school and district and requested detailed documentation on what has exactly happened since February 1st at Blackwell Elementary. None of them has received any documentation from the school or district.  Requests for clarification of the district’s standard policy and procedure were not answered either.  The school and district claimed that there were complaints against Mrs. Nicholson’s act, yet they were not able to provide sequenced details to back up their claim: When, where, and who complained? What were the exact complaints? How were the decisions made? Etc. The Chinese American community has not been treated fairly by the school and district. The school and district’s non-Chinese leadership made false claims about Chinese culture, damaged the reputation of Chinese culture, and threatened anyone who would want to experience Chinese culture, yet prohibited the Chinese American community from having equal access to the source of those false claims. 

2) Chinese culture was singled out and targeted, and the Chinese American community was made an example of. 
Evidence: 
1) Mrs. Nicholson wore the Chinese gown on the morning of February 1st. She spent most of the morning in the classroom teaching students about Chinese culture. It was a fully packed morning, and she was only in and out of the classroom very quickly.  In the afternoon, after Principal Eaton raised the concern with her, she changed back to her regular clothes. Given that not many people even had the chance to see what Mrs. Nicholson was wearing that day, and that she was cooperative after Principal Eaton talked to her, if the school’s goal was to address concerns, then anyone with common sense would agree that what Mrs. Nicholson did that afternoon timely and sufficiently addressed the concerns. Why did the school and district continue to make this an issue and make Mrs. Nicholson issue apologies to her class two weeks later? 
2) There are only two Chinese students in Mrs. Nicholson’s class. Neither the students nor their parents complained about Mrs. Nicholson wearing the Chinese gown that day. As a matter of fact, not one single student or parent from Mrs. Nicholson’s class complained about Mrs. Nicholson’s act that day. Why did the school and district make Mrs. Nicholson apologize to her class on February 11th?
3) According to many Blackwell Elementary parents, it is very common to see the school’s teachers and staff wear other cultures’ clothes. Last June, during the aloha parade, school teachers wore Hawaii Hula outfits when handing out goodie bags and waving goodbye to students on the last school day. Even Principal Eaton was caught wearing a turban while posing for a yearbook photo. No one was made to apologize in those incidents. Why was wearing a Chinese outfit for teaching purposes labeled as “cultural appropriation”, while wearing outfits from other cultures for fun or photo opportunities was acceptable?  Principal Eaton insisted that wearing a turban for a photo was acceptable, while wearing a Chinese outfit for teaching Chinese culture was not.

More than 48% of Blackwell Elementary’s students are Asian, and the majority of them are of Chinese heritage. Clearly, Chinese culture was singled out and targeted by the school and district.  They wanted to make an example out of the school’s largest minority student body. As a result, Chinese culture was portrayed as unwelcoming, and people are now scared away from even considering sharing or experiencing Chinese culture. The entire Chinese American community feels the chilling message: stay away from Chinese culture.

If the school and district truly cared about the feelings of the Chinese American community, and were truly interested in learning about Chinese culture, they would have consulted with the school’s large Chinese American community. The fact is that the school and district did not consult any members of the Chinese American student families before they made the false claim about Chinese culture. And the school even put up road blocks to prevent shocked Chinese American parents from finding out the facts afterwards.

The Chinese American community denounces the false portrayal of Chinese culture and strongly condemns the school and district for targeting Chinese culture and penalizing the Chinese American community for their own agenda. “Cultural appropriation” runs in direct contradiction with everything that Chinese culture represents and stands for.

What we demand:
1) The school and district should immediately release to the Chinese American community detailed documentation of the entire incident since February 1st. We request access to the same information that the school and district have. We request the names and contact information of every single one of those who claimed that Mrs. Nicholson’s act offended Chinese Americans and Chinese culture so that we can conduct a full interview with them;
2) The school and district should issue an open apology to Mrs. Nicholson and the Chinese American community for falsely portraying Chinese culture and for falsely labeling Mrs. Nicholson’s act and wrongfully making her apologize. The school and district should make it clear to everyone that Chinese culture is open and welcome. People are encouraged to live and experience Chinese culture. 

Regards,
WA Asians For Equality

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Not satisfied with principal Eaton’s “apology” letter, 62 parents from the Chinese American community at Blackwell Elementary sent LWSD a co-signed letter with their requests on March 21. Below is the full content of their letter.

Dear Principal Eaton,

We, members of the Blackwell Chinese community, are seeking redress regarding how you responded to Mrs. Nicholson wearing Chinese traditional clothing at Blackwell.

What happened in the classroom

On February 1^st, in recognition of the Chinese New Year, as you know Mrs. Nicholson introduced the holiday to her class while wearing a traditional Chinese gown and hat as part of her teaching materials. Mrs. Nicholson is well known to wear a variety of hats and costumes as part of her engaging and uniquely effective approaches to teaching. On this occasion she gave her students a wonderful lesson on Chinese tradition and culture in which she explained that the outfit was gifted to her by a former student family. She talked about that family and how she had developed a relationship with them. The students watched Discovery Education videos about the Chinese New Year and discussed Chinese traditions such the meaning of the color red. They wrote numbers from one to ten in Chinese, made Chinese lanterns, etc.  Mrs. Nicholson demonstrated and taught appreciation and respect for Chinese culture and the diversity our beloved neighborhood has to offer.    

The school’s response

Instead of praising Mrs. Nicholson’s culturally sensitive teaching and inclusive embracing of Chinese culture, you shortly thereafter determined to label her wearing of a Chinese gown while teaching Chinese culture as “cultural appropriation.” Citing a complaint of undisclosed origin, you apparently believed Mrs. Nicholson’s behavior would harm the Chinese community and caused her to believe she had committed an offence. You led her to apologize to the class and send a letter of apology recanting her behavior to parents of students in the class, none of whom complained. In all this, you did not consult with any members of the school’s Chinese American student families. It is hard to fathom what the children learned from this experience.

What it meant to the Chinese community

Had you involved us, the Chinese community, in your response, you would have learned that people of Chinese origin are open, inclusive, and proud of our culture, and as such are delighted when others celebrate it, whether through wearing our traditional clothing or in any similarly respectful manner, especially during the Chinese New Year. To us, Mrs. Nicholson’s wearing of this clothing and teaching were gestures of appreciation and inclusion to be welcomed. As done by a person of authority, such as a teacher, these gestures go even further in setting a positive example toward teaching children the importance of open mindedness and appreciation of diversity. Those of us who saw Mrs. Nicholson greeting students wearing a Chinese gown at Blackwell that day felt proud to see their school joining the celebration and valuing our traditions. Our hearts were warmed to learn how she had celebrated the Lunar New Year with her class including the wearing of these gifts from another Chinese family. We felt welcomed and included by this positive gesture of recognition of our tradition and celebration of the diverse culture of our community. We must assume that the family who gave her these gifts would have likewise wished her to feel completely free, as an American, to wear them in a public school. We felt reassured by Mrs. Nicholson’s cultural appreciation, all the more so in these difficult times in which hatred and violence toward Asians is increasingly evident.

On the contrary, we found the act of making Mrs. Nicholson apologize for this to be deeply disturbing and beyond our comprehension. Her letter sent a message opposite to what Mrs. Nicholson had conveyed in the classroom, effectively revealing a reprimand to those who show affinity to Chinese culture. While we can’t speak for other cultures and communities, this twisting of the definition of cultural appropriation to apply it to Chinese culture is baffling. It has been difficult to refrain from questioning the motive, having seen Blackwell teachers and staff wearing costumes or outfits of other cultures on many occasions. Even you, as the chief authority of the school, have worn a turban of another culture at a social function, as immortalized in the yearbook for all to see. In doing so we must assume that you had learned about, expressed appreciation for, and shared about the culture it represented, as did Mrs. Nicholson, or that it was for a teaching purpose, as it was for Mrs. Nicholson, and not merely for a photo op.  We in the Chinese heritage community at Blackwell assume only the best of intentions on the part of others when they celebrate others’ cultures. So receiving a letter effectively condemning this celebration of Chinese culture created for us not a feeling of belonging, inclusion, nor of being “protected,” but rather a feeling of stark alienation from the broader celebration of diverse cultures we have otherwise witnessed at Blackwell.

We moreover find it patronizing that others took it upon themselves to speak for and be offended on our behalf.  While we have heard that whatever person or persons complained about Mrs. Nicholson included an ”Asian American,” regardless of his/her background and heritage, whoever complained that this was “cultural appropriation” clearly has not lived nor truly understood Chinese culture. It is frankly stereotyping us as “minorities who must be offended,” and is a direct insult that the school took action against a teacher to protect our community without having heard the voices of the very community you supposedly intended to protect.  By excluding us from whatever conversation led to the apology you have effectively marginalized us.

Finally, we are confounded by the lack of transparency about the complaint and how the decision of the school was taken or how cultural appreciation got confused with cultural appropriation. What rule or policy did Mrs. Nicholson break to warrant such a public humiliation? If there is one, who was it designed to serve? Without understanding what happened, we are left to wonder and be afraid of whatever other actions of cultural suppression we and our children may be subjected to in the future.  Will our children be safe from persecution should they choose to wear Chinese clothing? What if they don’t “look Chinese” enough? Will Mrs. Nicholson feel compelled to further edit her collection of hats? 

How we can move forward, and what we expect to see from the school and district:

1. An immediate written apology to the Chinese community at Blackwell, acknowledging that Mrs. Nicholson’s behavior was appropriate, and her letter of apology unwarranted.  Come also to the classroom and explain to the children what was learned and why it was wrong to make Mrs. Nicholson apologize for it.  Make it clear the school fully supports such culturally appropriate expressions of appreciation as Mrs. Nicholson demonstrated. Rescind the previous judgement mislabeling Mrs. Nicholson’s clear actions of appreciation as appropriation. Recognize that it was insensitive to the Chinese community and wrong. Ensure teachers and students of all backgrounds, as our Chinese heritage children whether or not they “look the part,” are safe from harassment should they choose to embrace and respectfully display evidence of their cultural heritage through clothing or otherwise. Ensure culturally appropriate expressions of cultural appreciation are not suppressed, and no feelings of intolerance were given credence to fester by the school’s response.

2. Get to know Chinese culture and the Chinese community, one of the major ethnic groups in our district. We believe there is a lot more to be learned by engaging in dialog with other communities than by engaging in acts of imperious censorship or reprimands that effectively suppress the rare opportunities for learning about differences in minority cultures, cultural expression, and preferences of expression by those cultures. Educators and leaders charged with the responsibility of promoting diversity and inclusion should especially recognize the importance of understanding diverse cultures before jumping to potentially harmful conclusions counterproductive to DEI goals. Going forward, actively involve members of communities you serve before making judgements about how they might be offended or censoring respectful free expressions of culture by others.  

3. Have the district conduct a full and transparent investigation and report back to the community on what exactly happened (a time lined detail since 2/1) on how this happened, what principles or guidelines were applied, what process was followed, and who was consulted, so we can avoid such incidents in the future. Clarify school and district policies relating to cultural expression. What are the rules or guidelines by which teachers and students can celebrate culture and diversity?

4. Become familiar with, and educate staff about, the differences between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. Appropriation involves taking an aspect of a culture not one’s own without consent or any cultural context or relationship to the item or practice—solely for personal interest, such as to gain popularity. Appreciation and sharing a culture being celebrated by respectfully wearing clothes, when seen as desirable by the community being celebrated, is not appropriation.  

5. Mrs. Nicholson is an exemplary teacher in her approach to inclusiveness and teaching in general. Her educational methods are greatly valued to broaden every child’s horizon, enhance their interest in learning and promote friendship. Please find an appropriate way to honor her contributions, ensure her record reflects this, and that she is left feeling fully respected and appreciated for her unique style and contribution to learning, including about other cultures. Ensure she and other teachers at Blackwell feel completely free to continue their own unique and respectful styles of teaching so that our children continue to learn to appreciate other cultures and feel the sense of belonging and inclusiveness that we are confident the school and district are trying to inculcate.

Respectfully, Families of Blackwell Students of Chinese Heritage:

The post Blackwell Elementary Chinese American Community’s letter to LWSD appeared first on WA Asians For Equality.

Dear Director Ortega,

As I mentioned in my letter to Mrs. Nicholson last night, we are requesting a formal investigation into the Blackwell Elementary Chinese New Year incident.

Background:
Upset Chinese parents contacted us, and sought our help in resolving the Chinese New Year incident at Blackwell Elementary School. According to the parents, Mrs. Carol Nicholson, a much loved first grade teacher, was forced to issue an apology letter for wearing a Chinese gown during Chinese New Year. According to the letter, In the letter, Mrs. Nicholson was made to say that she offended Chinese American culture by wearing the Chinese gown, which was gifted to her by a former student’s family. The irony is that the Chinese American community at the Blackwell actually welcomed Mrs. Nicholson’s gesture of cultural recognition and cultural appreciation. The Chinese American parents at the school only found out about this incident AFTER the apology letter was issued. And they have been trying to advocate on Mrs. Nicholson’s behalf, but they have hit the stonewall from the school and district. Their questions remain unanswered. The school and district’s only answer is to label Mrs. Nicholson’s cultural recognition gesture as “culture appropriation”. 

Request for investigation:
We’d like the school and school district to thoroughly investigate this incident and provide answers to the following questions: 

1) Who and what triggered the action to label Mrs. Nicholson’s action of honoring and recognizing Chinese American culture during Chinese New Year as “culture appropriation”?

2) Who and what parties were involved in the decision process? 

3) Who did the school and school district consult with? 

4) Did the school and the school district communicated/ consulted with the Chinese American community? If so, what was the reaction?

5) Who wrote the apology letter? Was Mrs. Nicholson threatened with losing her job if she did not issue the letter? 

6) On what ground is this labeled as “culture appropriation”? What is the school district’s definition and policy? Please show us the actual document.

7) What did the school and the school district do to recognize Chinese American culture during the Chinese New Year?

As the receivers of Mrs. Nicholson’s gesture of cultural recognition, Chinese American parents apparently do not feel her action was offensive. It is the school and school district’s decision that offended the Chinese American community. The school and school district’s decision sent a chilling message to everyone who celebrates and recognizes Chinese American culture – they may be punished for showing their recognition in the open. Being inclusive starts with understanding each and every culture. Chinese American culture welcomes people to wear their traditional dresses during Chinese New Year, regardless of race or background. The school and school district should learn to accept it. 

Copying ACE Foundation as they expressed interest in joining this investigation request.

Regards,
WA Asians For Equality

Update:

Culture Appreciation vs. Culture Appropriation

According to the comparison on the University of British Columbia’s website , Mrs. Nicholson’s decision to wear a Chinese gown gifted to her by a former student’s family during Chinese New Year, falls under the Cultural Appreciation category, NOT Cultural Appropriation.

Cultural Appreciation is appreciating another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally, while cultural appropriation is taking one aspect of a culture that is not their own, such as culturally distinct items, aesthetics, or spiritual practices, and mimics it — without consent, permission, or any cultural context or relationship to that item or practice — solely for personal interest, make money, gain popularity, or because they like the way it looks.

The primary difference is that of consent or permission to share in a cultural exchange. For example, appreciating and sharing the culture being celebrated by wearing culturally appropriate clothing at a celebrated event — as opposed to appropriation, such as going to a music festival wearing a costume the imitates a culture that is solely intended to get attention or likes on social media.

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The post Request a formal investigation into the Blackwell Elementary Chinese New Year incident appeared first on WA Asians For Equality.