For many students of color, finding a safe space in a predominantly white school can be hard, but luckily for them, there’s a new club at Muscatine High School! The Ethnic Club, also known as EC, is a brand new club that was created to help make MHS a more inclusive, mindful, and understanding place. There’s never been a club quite like EC at MHS, though many have felt the need. The club’s sponsor, who is also the high school’s new orchestra teacher, Guillermo Najarro, affirmed that “EC is a club that’s been in the making, and this club will show the school, ‘hey, we do want this and we do want to be heard!'”
The Ethnic Club was founded in the fall of 2022 by Club President Estella Bland. Estella was among many around the school who felt that students of color needed a space to discuss common issues and experiences. While there were a lot of students who were immediately excited to join, some were understandably skeptical. Even Najarro expressed that had a club such as EC existed at his high school he would have felt skeptical at first. Oftentimes when schools try to promote diversity, they only focus on the surface and no people of color are involved in the planning. All too often, attempts at inclusivity fall short and are only empty gestures in the best cases and border on offensive in the worst. Students have found that this most certainly is not the case with Ethnic Club, these kids really want to create change.
When asked about his favorite part of the club, member Habram Garcia responded, “I’m able to have fun with my friends and feel comfortable participating in school activities while showing and expressing my culture.”
Having a space in the school to discuss common issues helps students to feel more empowered to change the problems they face in their lives when it comes to racial prejudice. Junior, Jazmin Pineda, felt that, “Ethnic Club is needed to create a safe space for those of color to find ways to work together to solve the issues of today’s society.”
The Ethnic Club already held a bake sale to raise money for the club that featured elote, baklava, tres leches, as well as many other treats homemade by the members. An event such as this gave students an opportunity to share their culture and the tastiest foods they’ve grown up with. The club’s president, Estella, voiced a desire and intent to continue to hold events to showcase the beautiful multicultural nature of the club.
By their second meeting, EC already had nearly 20 members, though it has grown since then. Should any student of color read this article and resonate with the hopes and desires of the members of EC, they are more than welcome to join. The Ethnic Club meets every other Friday during muskie time in the orchestra room and would love to see new students there!
