Responding to Xenophobia in Schools

Overview
What is xenophobia, and what is the difference between xenophobia and racism? While the global COVID-19 pandemic has brought to surface the longstanding history of the intersection of racism and xenophobia, more specifically Sinophobia, in U.S. history against Asians and Asian Americans, less is known about what xenophobia means, what it looks like in a school setting, and its impact on the socioemotional well-being of immigrant-origin students. The purpose of this virtual training is to examine xenophobia as more than an attitude, but rather a systemic ostracization that is compounded by ethnicity, culture, religion, and race. At the end of the virtual training, educators will be able to define xenophobia and recognize examples in a schooling context, distinguish xenophobia from racism while understanding their intersection, and name strategies in responding to xenophobia in school.