OKLAHOMA CITY
Latino students have increasingly become targets of bullying in metro-area schools since Oklahoma passed a tough immigration enforcement bill, community leaders say.
Hispanic youth across the city are reporting incidents of bullying and racial slurs, said Rey Madrid, youth organizer for the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The head of the youth council told him she has been targeted because of her race at Westmoore High School, and Madrid said it’s something all the children of the youth council speak freely about when they meet.
“These children are getting bullied and they are getting angry,” Madrid said.
He said the problems are particularly difficult for many first-generation students. Many times these students have to translate and navigate cultural complexities for their parents, who are often unable to advocate for them at school because of the language barrier.
Madrid warned that for some kids bullying pushes them to drop out, join gangs or use drugs.
