Like letter writer Gail Hornstein, I was saddened by the eloquent column written by Holyoke resident and parent, Patrick O’Connor [“Soccer team runs into white bias,” Gazette, April 15]. As a pediatrician who has had cared for children and families of Holyoke for 30 years, I have enjoyed the diversity of ethnicity, race, and culture in this community. I’ve been a proud member of the Holyoke Y, the birthplace of volleyball, with its beautiful new pool, right in the heart of downtown. At the Y, and in our office, I can hear as much Spanish as English. Our practice has been enriched by the diverse families we serve from Holyoke and neighboring Chicopee.

What a shock to read about the overt racism towards the children and parents of color on Mr. O’Connor’s team, experienced in bastions of supposed progressivism, like Northampton. Like the outbreak of antisemitism in the schools of my hometown, Belchertown, where my children were students, this fear and hatred stems from ignorance. Just as many parents above the tofu curtain seem sadly united in their prejudice towards Latino soccer players, dozens of middle school kids in Belchertown were united in their hateful bullying of Jewish students. And I worry that a lot of this is coming from the parents.

It is time for parents throughout the Valley to realize that other parents love their children as much as you do, to treat all parents and children of different races, religions, and ethnicities with respect, and teach your kids to do so, and to learn a little about other religions and the urban communities that are just a short drive away, like Holyoke and Chicopee. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Dr. David Gottsegen

Belchertown

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