Practicing Awareness of Microaggression

Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

One example of microaggression that I remember from another time was when my friend from medical school was stopped at the airport in security a few months back. It was a bunch of us that was leaving to go home for break. I can remember my friend being behind all of us and we all went through security with no problem.  We all were beginning to walk and we noticed that Roza was nowhere in sight.  So we stopped and waited for her for about a minute or town and then we saw her walking up towards us. We asked her what happened and she said that she was stopped and was being checked for gun powder residue on her. She wasn’t even upset because she said that she was use to this happening to her when she goes to the airport. She is an Ethiopian and she wears a scarf over her head and to me this was ridiculous. She is always being racially profiled as being a terrorist when she goes through security at airports.

In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people

                My observation experiences this week affect my perception of the effects of stereotypes and discrimination on people makes me feel very disgusted when I hear and see these things happen to people. Sometimes I wish that everybody in the world could just wake up and see that we all are equal. I also wish that people could see that this behavior is really unacceptable and not only that they should see that the same thing that are doing to these people (the ones that are prejudice, discriminating against people and stereotyping people), the same thing is going to happen to them.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Their definition of culture

After asking a few of my family members what culture meant to them, one of them defined culture as being something that we as people all have to develop to. The other two defined culture as something that we are just naturally born in and have the ability to adapt to no matter what race ethnicity one may be. One person that I would say who I believe is culturally different from me is my two nephews. They are somewhat culturally different from me because they speak totally different from everyone in the family, even their own parents. They are very proper and I just do not understand where they get it from.

Their definition of diversity

      When a few of my family members were asked to define what diversity meant to them, each of them gave me a totally different answer. One of them said that diversity meant that each and every person even in the family is all different from one another because of the way they act. For example, they said that my nephews seem to be very diverse from everyone in the family because they are the only two proper speaking ones in the family. Then another one of my family members defined that diversity means being able to express yourself in a way that makes you feel comfortable. My last family member said that being diverse means displaying several different social identities or as many as one can have.

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?

            An aspect of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers that I received for culture was the fact that there are different ways to define it. Culture does not have to be perceived as a person that is of a particular race has to belong to a certain culture because of that. For example, in a sense refers to how particular groups of people live and every day, in every action, we express our particular group culture and our individual relationship to our culture (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010, p. 55). As for diversity, the aspect that has been included in the answers that I have received was the fact that being diverse has many social identities that come along with a person. It is the total opposite of culture. For example, our social identities are what make each and every one of unique and diverse, which was something that I learned by reading the course materials and getting a better understanding of it.  

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

            The aspects that have been omitted were the fact that they say that no one mentioned that culture can be broken down into several different subcultures. For example, there is dominant culture, which means that it’s a culture of the people who hold the social, political, and economic power in society and necessarily or always meaning the culture of majority (Derman-Sparks and Edwards, 2010, p. 57).

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

            Some of the ways that other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics is that they make me see how everyone does not view culture and diversity the same way. Also it gives me a deeper understanding as to how I can relate to different ideas of what it means to belong to a culture and how I can be very diverse in my own culture and still feel comfortable knowing that my social identities are what make me part of a culture and being diverse.

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

• If there was a major catastrophe that almost devastated my country and I could only take three items with me would be my phone, my bible, and my bank card.

How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

• I would take my cell phone with me because it would be the only way that I would be able to get in contact with my family. Not only would I be able to get in touch with my family but it would be a way for me to stay updated on all of the information and destruction that has gone on. It would also allow me to know if I would be able to get back to my country once everything has settled.
• I would take my bible for religious regions. My bible really means a lot to me because I would need some other way to stay in touch with God. He is my main source and provider and I know that he would be able to keep me calm and give me a peace of mind, so I most definitely feel that I need to be able to read and stay close to him. In another way other than praying.
• I would most definitely need my bank card. I would need my bank card because that is the only way that I would be able to buy things that I would need. I would most definitely need food and water and hygiene products.

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 I were to be told that I could only keep one personal item and had to give up the other two items that I bought with me, I would most be upset, frustrated and a little stressed out. I would be upset because my phone I most definitely need to make sure I know everything that is going on with my family. So, if I did not have my phone I would not know how I would manage. I would not be to upset if I did not have my bible because with the technology now and days everything could be downloaded on my phone. I would be able to download a bible app on my phone. If I had to leave my  bank card, this would really suck because I need my bank card on my that way I could have food and  water.

Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,

• After doing this exercise the only insight that I have gained is the fact that I really value my family a lot. My phone is the main thing that I feel would be the item that I would feel most upset about if I could not have that particular item on me.