Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Oh, the irony of this assignment. While I did not witness any of my co-workers deliver a microaggression, I was the guilty one. That's right, it was me! This past Monday morning when I arrived at work, I was greeted by the children in my room with lots of hugs. One child (a little Caucasian girl) was dressed in cowgirl boots, and her hair had been combed into two pony tails, split down the middle. While I did not mean any harm, the first thing I said out of my mouth with a southern slur, was Yehaw!  I guess we will have to do line dancing this morning. As Dr. Wing Sue (Laureate Education Inc., 2011) stated, often times, microaggressions are not intentional, but contain hidden messages that can cause the recipient of the microaggression discomfort and or harm. From this statement, it was evident that I had developed stereotypes and biases about southern whites. My hidden message was any white person dressed in Western attire uses undignified speech and likes to Line dance. Fortunately this was a child who was oblivious to what I said, but now that I think about it, the Caucasian teacher in the room that speaks with a southern accent could have been offended by my comment. But thanks to this class, I was aware of what I had did, and verbally apologized to and corrected myself in front of the teacher.

The time when I was the recipient of a microaggression, was when I lived in Fort Worth, TX in 2004, but  I attended church in Dallas. After church one Sunday, I and my grandson (2 years old at the time) went to a Denny's restaurant. Dining there also, was a Caucasian police officer. My grandson was moving around a lot like any typical toddler, and I was getting him to sit down. When the police officer walked past our table  to leave, he turned and looked at my grandson and said, I'll see you in a few years! This was truly a racial microaggression, an intentional microinsult. This comment made me feel angry, offended, and degraded because I knew that he was implying that African American boys grow up to be criminals that need to be behind bars. This was a perfect example of racial bias and white supremacy. I can only imagine all of the racial profiling this police officer probably engaged in.

 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). “Microaggressions in Everyday Life”

Baltimore, MD: Author.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this assignment I spoke with several co-workers during my lunch break in the staff lounge. All of them had cultural backgrounds very different from mine. For starters, the first co-worker, Lucy Sovereign was a Caucasian woman from Alabama in her early fifties, the second co-worker named Yukari Moriyama (AKA) Yuki , was a young Japanese woman in her early twenties and the third co-worker, Helene Quasi was a Kurdish woman and practicing Muslim in her mid twenties, all of which I classify as close acquaintances. 

Ways in which we differ mostly is by race and age. I was the only African American and the oldest in the group. My co-workers and I differed in our religious beliefs/ practices. I say practices because Lucy and Yuki were Christians like me, however our denominations were diverse. Like me, Lucy and Helene have children, but Yuki does not. Like me, Yuki is single but I am single due to divorce and I was the only grandmother in the group. All of us were formally educated in Early Childhood education or a related field but as a teacher/ Preschool Educational Coordinator, my job position differed from their teacher positions. The list of differences and similarities could go on and on, but for the sake of completing this assignment, I must move on.

(Lucy Sovereign, personal communication, January 17, 2012) defined culture as the way people live, the food they eat, how they dress, and their values. This definition supports what I have learned in this course as Derman & Edwards, (2010) state that culture is how groups of people live their lives; it is everything we do (i.e.,) how we decorate our homes, dress, celebrate life events, raise our children, practice religion, etc. 

(Lucy Sovereign, personal communication, January 17, 2012) defined diversity as the differences in things that make us different, individually and or corporately. This definition is very much aligned with the Family Systems Theory presented by Garrison, L. G. (2006). Operating within each family are six systems, boundaries, roles, climate, hierarchy, rules, and equilibrium. Although all families engage these systems in their everyday lives, within each family are varying degrees to which each one of these systems are carried out, making each family unique.

(Yukari Moriyama, personal communication, January 17, 2012) defined culture as a melting pot, an overflow of different traditions, a way of life, all melting together, so we can learn from each other. Yuki also stated that diversity is the original and unique way in which people live their lives. Yuki’s definition reminded me of the comment Julie Benavides made in the course video that although there are ethnic groups in a community, within those groups exists variations of adherence to their cultural group. This is how diversity differs from culture. (Laureate Education, Inc. 2011).  

(Helene Quasi, personal communication, January 17, 2012) said that she believed that culture and diversity encompasses people from all over the world having different religions. Helene’s definition was somewhat limited as I have learned from this course that culture and diversity is everything we do. In the video, Laureate Education, Inc. (2011) Nadiyah Taylor states that culture is very broad encompassing all our mannerisms, how we posture our bodies, how we perceive the world, and the way we live in the world. 

In response to ways in which thinking about other peoples definitions of culture and diversity have influenced my own thinking about these topics, is that our individual thoughts about culture and diversity is very limited, but by sharing our thoughts and pooling them together, we are able to develop a greater awareness of how vast and broad culture is.

References

Christian, L. G. (2006). Understanding families: Applying family systems theory to early childhood practice. Young Children, 61(1), 12–20. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the ProQuest Central database: http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdweb?did=1042679491&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Perspectives on Diversity and Equity:
Family Cultures: Dynamic Interactions. Baltimore, MD: Author.

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).

Lucy Sovereign, personal communication, January 17, 2012

Yukari Moriyama, personal communication, January 17, 2012

Helene Quasi, personal communication, January 17, 2012

My Family Culture

If I were uprooted from my home country and could only choose three small items to take with me, I would take my iPad, my driver’s license, and my birth certificate.

My iPad is a multitasking communication apparatus that connects me to the world via Wi-Fi, Verizon and or AT&T connections. The importance of this tool means that I would be able to access information about the country/ city I am in, including translating the language(s) so that I could learn how to speak the language of the country, learning about the currency in the country, employment opportunities, and hopefully a church home. Also for entertainment, I would be able to access television, games, and stay current with the evacuation status in the U.S. Another feature on my iPad that would help me adjust to my new home would be its navigation system. This feature would provide me with directions to specific locations such as schools, churches, and other business establishments especially for seeking employment.

At first the second item I chose was my Visa credit card, but I figured that if I had to evacuate my country and potentially never return, the banking system would not be accessible. So the second item I would take would be my driver’s license. I would explain to others that this piece of plastic with my photo, date of birth and physical address is important for proving my identity. I am sure this will come in handy for receiving aid, gaining employment and so forth.

The third item I would take would be my birth certificate which documents the date, time and place of my birth as well as who my parents are.  The significance of this piece of paper would affirm that my driver’s license is authentic. Also if I were to return to the United States, I would need these documents to reestablish myself.

Wow! Being told that I can only take one of the three is very difficult. With not knowing if the iPad would have a connection, and because my birth certificate would not have my photo, by process of elimination, I would take my driver’s license because this would prove that I am who I say I am. Being in another country I would think that if I had nothing else, I would at least have something to identify myself.

Although this exercise was kind of fun, limiting myself to taking only three small things with me was more difficult than choosing just one out of the three. Using the process of elimination made this task easier. Also so there where so many “what ifs” that ran through my mind. I wanted to take my college degree to increase my chances of getting a decent job. But  I thought what if the employers need an original college transcript? So I figured within time, as long as I could prove who I was, I could eventually have my transcript mailed if necessary. Then I thought what if I end up in a place where my iPad could not get a connection! What anxiety!

This exercise says a lot about my culture, that I am use to living life with the aid of many systems, and things where as some cultures live the simple life without amenities. And all I know, is that this would take a lot of getting use to. I am sure I would experience symptoms of withdrawal! But, since this exercise is about my culture, I have to mention that I am sure that my personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ would get me through this transition. I firmly believe that my  footsteps  are ordered by God and that all things work together for my good. With all of that said, God would provide everything I needed even if I ended up living in a hut! Smile

Cheryl Byrd