Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

      The example of microaggression I observed did not happen this week. It happened during the last two months of my senior year in high school. I had just started at the high school in Germany. The bell had rang to change class and I had a few minutes to spare, so I decided to sit down on one of the benches. I was sitting there a few minutes when a black girl came up to me and said “Girl, you know you’re not supposed to sit on this side, this is not our side, it’s theirs. “Well, I did not know the benches had separate sides. She also told me that “we did not go in the restroom when the white girls were in there “Needless to say, I was very shocked. When I got home, I immediately told my mom, who got right on the phone with the principal. The principal was not aware of what the students were doing and reassure my mom that the problem will be dealt with the following morning.  When this happened, I was very surprised. I have  never experienced anything like this, as a matter of fact, I was so naïve to think that that kind of behavior only existed when my grandmother was growing up. I did not like being associated with this type of behavior, because I was not raised to associate people by the color of their skin, but by how they treated me as a human being.

      This whole experience just let me know that discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes on people was very much alive and well and I did not blame the students, because they were just practicing a behavior they learned or observed their parents practicing.                                                                             

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Their definition of culture- My sister’s definition of culture was that it is something that is within you. It is something no one can take from you. She believes culture consist of the texture of one’s hair and the type of food they eat as well as their clothes. A classmate defines culture as behavior and values that a person has based on where they are from. A friend defines culture as the way a person acts, dress eat, worships based on where they were born.  

Their definition of diversity- My sister definition of diversity is simply put …our family. My classmate could not define diversity because she grew up in a predominately white community and attended a predominately white school and really did not have any exposure to diverse groups of people. My friend knows nothing about diversity outside of their Muslim religion and faith   

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?  I learned about surface culture and deep culture .Surface culture is what we see on the outside or what is on top such as: food, costumes, artifacts and festivals are all the material things people tend to hold close to them. My classmate and friend both talked about their deep culture. This is within each of them. One does not know anything except about how their race is, because that has been all they knew until they became an adult. My friend who is Muslim believes that Muslims should only associate with Muslims and no one outside their religion that is all they were taught as a child.    

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission? No aspects have been omitted from my sister’s definition .However, as I talked to my classmate and friend; I found that the aspect that was omitted from both of their definitions was diversity. Some examples of such omission are the lack of exposure to various cultures as they explained. They were kept isolated from other cultures and therefore were only aware of their own cultures.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics? As I talked to my sister, my classmate and my friend about culture and diversity I appreciated their definitions and experiences. It got me thinking about surface culture and deep culture. How my classmate and friend were deprived of diversity within their cultures I wished that they could experience culture and diversity the way I have. That was the reason I chose them, so I could get a sense of what it was like for them living without diversity in their lives. My sister definition was no surprise to me because we come from a very diverse family although my culture was adopted into the family; it is what makes us such a diverse group. I could not ask for a more loving and caring family .Every one of our cultures are accepted and respected.  

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

My Family Culture

A description of the three items you would choose. My Bible would be the very first thing I take, because God is first in my life. Although my family will be going I want my sister to stay with me, because she keeps me grounded and focus as well as being a positive force in my life. With our diverse family culture we can make it anywhere together. My two Chihuahuas are the love of my life and I definitely would take them, because I cannot even imagine starting a new life without them as part of the change. With these items I can do anything, anywhere because I am a survivor.     

How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you. First I would introduce them to my GOD through his word (the Bible)and explain that because of him is why I am in their country. I would tell them that my sister is with me because she is my right hand and without her by my side to keep me focus, I don’t think I could have made it. My Chihuahuas are part of my family and go wherever I go.   

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. My feelings are that I would thank them, then take my personal items and leave.

Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise, This exercise has taught me that family is EVERYTHING. Material things are more important at times like these. I learned about who I am and what I need to survive if this would happen to me. The most important thing is that  my culture is not material, it is something that is on a piece of paper. My Culture is something inside of me and it is what I have been taught since I was born. It follows me wherever I go.