I work in a school community which includes many impoverished immigrant families from Mexico. Recently, I witnessed a verbal microagression towards one of our families. The family, I'll give them the last name Rivera, was helping to decorate one of our school parent meeting rooms. Many of the teachers and staff were helping with the decorating as well. The Riveras, husband and wife, were heading up the project and delegating various tasks that needed to be completed. When the project was complete a teacher approached the couple and asked,
"You're English is so good, where are you from?" The Riveras responded, "Yeah, well we're from Phoenix." The teacher stated, "Oh, I thought maybe you were from Mexico and spoke really good English, but I guess you would speak good English if you're a native Arizonian." The conversation ended abruptly and the teacher left the room shortly after.
As an observer to this microagression, I felt very uncomfortable for both the teacher and the Riveras. It was akward because it was evident the teacher assumed the Riveras were immigrants and had learned to speak English "well enough." I felt the teacher's verbal microagression was unintended because after she realized the Riveras weren't immigrants her body language and facial expression showed embarassment. I also felt uncomfortable for the Riveras because the teacher's microagression caused them to "explain" their language ability and nationality.
I have always perceived discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes as "things" or "events" that happen in most places; however, not frequently on a school campus. This week's lesson regarding microagression has expanded my understanding that discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes happen everywhere. I also understand that microagressions whether intended or unintended are avenues for discrimination, prejudeice, and stereotypes to negatively impact people.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Diversity Perspectives
I interviewed three people (one family member and two friends) to discover their definition of culture and diversity.
Person #1
Culture: The ways a person/people live.
Diversity: A variety of people based on ther race, ethnicity, gender, and culture.
Person #2
Culture: The food people eat, the religion people believe in, the clothing people wear, the language people speak.
Diversity: The different characterisitics of people (religion, race, gender, ethnicity).
Person #3
Culture: The ways people live based on their race, ethnicity, religion, traditions, and class.
Diversity: A mix of people that are different in their culture, race, socioeconomic status, etc.
Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?
The responses to my interview questions included a broad perspective of culture and diversity. The people connected race, gender, ethnicity, gender, religion to culture and the idea that diveristy is a variety or mixture of these aspects.
Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?
The definitions of culture didn't include the concept of family culture or social identities. The people I interviewed did not include the idea of family culture and the ways family have a great influence on individual cultures. Also, the responses did not include the idea that society influences culture such as our indiviual identities and the "groups" to which we belong.
In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?
Talking about culture and diversity with other people helps me to take into account the perspectives of others regarding diversity. I think talking about culture and diversity with other people helps me to keep an ever expanding, working definition of culture and diversity. This assignment has influenced me to continue to talk with others about culture and diversity.
Person #1
Culture: The ways a person/people live.
Diversity: A variety of people based on ther race, ethnicity, gender, and culture.
Person #2
Culture: The food people eat, the religion people believe in, the clothing people wear, the language people speak.
Diversity: The different characterisitics of people (religion, race, gender, ethnicity).
Person #3
Culture: The ways people live based on their race, ethnicity, religion, traditions, and class.
Diversity: A mix of people that are different in their culture, race, socioeconomic status, etc.
Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?
The responses to my interview questions included a broad perspective of culture and diversity. The people connected race, gender, ethnicity, gender, religion to culture and the idea that diveristy is a variety or mixture of these aspects.
Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?
The definitions of culture didn't include the concept of family culture or social identities. The people I interviewed did not include the idea of family culture and the ways family have a great influence on individual cultures. Also, the responses did not include the idea that society influences culture such as our indiviual identities and the "groups" to which we belong.
In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?
Talking about culture and diversity with other people helps me to take into account the perspectives of others regarding diversity. I think talking about culture and diversity with other people helps me to keep an ever expanding, working definition of culture and diversity. This assignment has influenced me to continue to talk with others about culture and diversity.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
My family culture
Imagine the following:
A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.
Blog about all of the following:
A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.
Blog about all of the following:
- A description of the three items you would choose
- Family photographs- I would take as many photographs/photo albums as possible.
- Family recipes- I would take my family's favorite recipes. so I could prepare meals developed from mutiple generations.
- Books- I would take some books for me and my son.
- How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you
- I would explain that the family photographs provide a visual of my family's history for generations. Photographs provide a face to a name and a picture of places our family has lived. My family photographs are memories of moments we have had together and can be shared with future generations.
- My family recipes are important to me and my family because one o our traditions is to get together on Sundays and prepare meals to be shared with one another. Many of the recipes we prepare have been cooked for generations.
- Books are an important part of my family's value on education. I have read to my son since he was born.
- Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you
- If this was to occur, I would keep the family photgraphs because they can't be replaced. I would feel sad and disappointed to give up the other items I brought with me; however, I would be grateful to keep them.
- Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,
- As a result of this exercise I realized my family photographs are really important to me. I was able to narrow my one item to family photographs because they provide a visual to my family roots and an avenue to tell my family's story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)