How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water Lesson Plan

Consider the following passage from Session Three:

“Adonis came out blanquito, with good hair, and you can’t tell me that didn’t help his grades in school.”

What is Cruz suggesting about race and opportunity with this passage?

Students should be able to decipher that Cara is saying that because Adonis has light skin, teachers (often white teachers) gave him better grades in school. The suggestion here is layered, but ultimately it is that looking white helps a person succeed in the US because the system and society are racist. In school, that could mean teachers treat you better or they go easier on you, as people in a racist society are groomed to look at white...