magazine sk3

students. If the feeling of rejection is deep, they may develop
attitudes of resentment towards their peers and society. In this
way, the personal relationships of Afro-Colombians and indigenous
people are conditioned by the attitudes of racism to which they are
exposed.
The rejection, segregation and exclusion suffered by Afro-
Colombian and indigenous students affect the way they perceive
and love themselves. Scientific racism, that began in the 18 th
century, has proposed the existence of biological differences
between human groups that explain the inferiority of some races.
This concept remains in force consciously or unconsciously in the
society and is reinforced in educational institutions. In this way,
sometimes the university community doubts the abilities of Afro-
Colombian and indigenous students and for this reason they can
lose their self-confidence; this conception also makes it easier for
rejected students to lose their self-esteem and get accustomed to
being humiliated. Additionally, if they do not have a positive
perception about themselves, sometimes they may self-segregate
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