Other Minority Groups

Other minority groups experienced racial discrimination in Westerville.

Westerville’s prejudices extended towards other minority groups in ways that were less outwardly visible but still hurtful. Otterbein student Mary Shiba (née Ariki), recounted that although she experienced very little racial discrimination there during the 1940s, one exception stood out to her. A classmate came up to her & told her that she didn't want Japanese American students from internment camps coming to Otterbein. Ariki questioned why her classmate brought it up considering Ariki was Japanese. Her classmate responded, "No, you're not.” Ariki asserted again that she was indeed Japanese and that there was no difference between her and them. The classmate’s reply – “It’s because I know you” – revealed how the classmate's dislike of an entire people group stemmed from her perception that they were different & unfamiliar.[1]

Mary Ariki Shiba, 1940 Manual High School Yearbook. Image courtesy of Ancestry.com.

References

[1] Mary Ariki Shiba Vertical File, Otterbein University Archives.

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Please cite this toolkit (Chicago Manual of Style) as 'Westerville History Museum, "Racism in Westerville History," Westerville Public Library, last modified January 23, 2023, https://westervillelibrary.org/racism-history.

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Through historical collections and learning experiences, deepen your understanding of your community and its place in the world. From Underground Railroad activities to anti-alcohol efforts, the people who came before you have shaped the course of American history and given Westerville a unique legacy.
Through historical collections and learning experiences, deepen your understanding of your community and its place in the world. From Underground Railroad activities to anti-alcohol efforts, the people who came before you have shaped the course of American history and given Westerville a unique legacy.
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