Though the Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, has launched an attack against specialized high schools, stating that they have “perpetuated massive segregation,” Bronx Science prides itself on being inclusive of all ethnicities. Tanisha Khan ’22 is a Bengali-American student who feels very well represented because of the “large community of Muslim students at [this] school.” Clubs like NASHA and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) help her feel the presence of her culture in its entirety.

Additionally, Rita Chen ’22, a Chinese-American student said, “I feel like everyone is treated equally here…I do know that in some other schools, they’re not as accepting of people of different races…Back in my middle school, a lot of races used to ‘consolidate’ together… The cultural environment [at Bronx Science] is very, overall, accepting.” Sophomore Sadia Ali added that “not all cultures are [at Bronx Science] but we try to represent the cultures we do have and treat everyone the same way.” 

While some may feel an overwhelming sense of inclusion, others are not as fortunate. The two most prominent racial groups at Bronx Science are Asian and white, and they make up approximately 65% and 24% of the student population, respectively. There are many different ethnicities that fall under these categories, and some don’t feel as equally represented as others. However, statistics rarely lie, and there is an overwhelming percentage gap in ethnicities that make up the general student population. Here at Bronx Science, according to U.S. News, a mere 6.2% of the population is Hispanic/Latino, while 2.5% are African American, 1.9% are Asian Pacific Islanders, and 0.4% are Native American. Uchechukwu Uwanaka ’22 is a Nigerian-American student who believes that “while you want diversity in your friend circle, it is always comforting to have people who have the same culture. The environment at Bronx Science is accepting of different races; [The school] is more curious to learn about new cultures…but there are also people that are ignorant and just do disrespectful stuff,” she said, referring to cultural misappropriation. 

Multiracial students make up less than 2% of the school’s population. I happen to fall into this category, as I am Guyanese, Scottish, and British-American. I knew that there weren’t many people of my race(s), but I did not know that I was a part of such a small percentage of the school population. Diana Campbell ’22, a Jamaican and Filipino-American student, said “I don’t feel discriminated against, but I do feel like there’s a certain expectation as to how I should carry myself that isn’t necessarily the way that my culture reflects it. I feel like I have to represent myself like the people around me would even if they aren’t a part of my culture.” Olivia Wronski ’22, who is Chinese, Polish, and Italian-American said, “My ethnicity does not really affect me in terms of my school life, but rather my social life. I feel like when people see me or hear my last name, they completely disregard the other half of who I am.”

Ignorance isn’t always bliss, especially when it comes to recognizing the cultures of our peers. Uwanaka said that “it would be better if we had something that showcased [different] cultures.” I definitely agree with her in that there should be more cultural expressions at school. For example, clubs could help with the inclusion of everyone by hosting fun, school-wide events. These celebrations of diversity could open the minds of the student body up to the various cultures in  need  of more representation here at Bronx Science. If everyone is educated on the presence and importance of different ethnic groups, there will be much more inclusion in the school.

Sadia Ali ’22 added that “not all cultures are [at Bronx Science] but we try to represent the cultures we do have and treat everyone the same way.”