Bigotry and Intolerance

'What’s a bigot?' Beginning with this question, Gay challenges readers to probe their own responses to difficult questions surrounding intolerance. Topics in this entry in the It Happened to Me series include religious bigotry, homophobia, bullying, racism, hate language, censorship, and hate groups, and it concludes with a chapter on ways students are reducing bigotry and hate crimes. By using actual cases, Gay creates a personal connection between the target of bigotry and the teen reader. Including quotes from many teens, she shows the dangerous consequences words and actions can have on others. Although Gay’s research focuses more on current situations, she supplies historical background on cases that have led to present-day problems. Chapter notes support her meticulous research on topics that teens face on a daily basis. * Booklist *
Bigotry and Intolerance: The Ultimate Teen Guide is designed with the high school age student in mind who wants a broad overview of the emotional and societal issues behind bigotry and intolerance of people with different cultural, social, political, and religious backgrounds. While the teenage years are a time of great emotional and psychological change, there are many issues that may arise for the teen dealing with intolerance. The work focuses on what it means to be discriminated against, the various types of bigotry (e.g., religious, cultural), the difference between bigotry and racism, and how to cope with discrimination. Information in this work is presented through the personal stories of teens and young adults who have lived through these experiences; most of the stories focus on teenagers who have experienced discrimination and the various emotions and steps they took to resolve them. Specific chapters address bullying, the language of bigotry and racism, censorship, and the role of hate groups. The volume includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter to help teens verbalize their questions, up-to-date statistics, and first-hand advice from professionals. Teens who are experiencing strong emotions surrounding intolerance and racism and who have questions about how to cope with intolerance in their lives will find this guide useful. The personal experiences shared in this book will appeal to this target audience and could be useful for students this age researching this topic. * American Reference Books Annual *