Sylvia Tellez

EDUC 380
Our Private Idaho
Reading Reaction #1

Our Private Idaho is an episode from America by the Numbers which aired on PBS. This

episode focused on the small homogenous town located in Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. The

population of the people who live there make up over 90% of whites. This segment shows a brief

look at how minorities are treated there, the reason why a large influx of white families move

there, and what is being done to promote cultural acceptance of others who may look different or

have different beliefs. This small northern Idaho town is considered a haven for white

conservative families who want to escape multicultural issues in the cities as was the case for a

retired Los Angeles cop and his family who were featured in this episode. Due to the outlook the

residents have towards multicultural issues and diverse communities, they are enclosed in a

bubble where they are not aware how their actions and beliefs are hurtful towards those who are

different from them.

Our country is considered a melting pot of people of different cultures, languages, and

beliefs and it will continue to grow. One of my favorite parts of the episode focused on a

firefighter for the town, who is considered the first black person to have that position in the small

town of Coeur d’Alene. He was not comfortable with that attention and addresses that everyone

on his team risk their lives the same way as him. They are willing to help anyone, even if they

have questionable views, because it’s what they do. I felt deeply for his family since it’s a

reflection of what many mixed families endure. His wife is Mexican American and has

experienced a time when she was seen walking with her brother in law and an older woman

asked if she was ok. Occurrences like these happen frequently and cause friction between groups

and children are growing up living in fear of the possibility of someone causing them harm,

white or non-white.
 Although the video showed some of the negative experiences people of color have been

through, I enjoyed seeing how a community came together to stand with the Mexican owner of a

restaurant. She received hateful comments, but a group came together to let her know that she

belonged. It was a beautiful thing to see and know that this woman knew she truly belonged even

after receiving such terrible threats. One thing I learned was how I can help my future school into

a welcoming environment for all my diverse students. The teacher showed in the end of the clip

is fighting for racial tolerance and acceptance in not only her school but also in her community. I

am going to adopt her way of helping everyone feel included and help fight intolerance and

discrimination against students of diverse backgrounds.