Week 4- Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

An example of microaggression in which I remember from another time was this year in my classroom. I was meeting a new family in my classroom when the secretary walked in to help register the family. She looked at the family and asked if they only spoke Chinese. The mother looked at our secretary and said, “We only speak English. We moved from Haslett (a district close by) and we are Korean not Chinese.” At this point I felt embarrassed for the building’s secretary and bad for the family. Our building is very diverse and we do have many families that do not speak English so I know that the secretary was only trying to help and was not trying to be rude. It was very uncomfortable for all of us.

My observation experiences this week affected my perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people by making me more aware and sensitive to my own comments and actions. I currently have a father of one of my students, attending school each day with his son. He is doing this due to severe behavior problems that his son has. They recently moved here from a different country. The young boy is having a difficult time adjusting.  I have to communicate with the father throughout the day about the classroom routines, schedule, activities, etc. It takes a lot of extra effort on my part and at times is very frustrating. This class has made me self reflect on how I am approaching both the father and son. I am trying to make sure that I am not being microaggressive in any way. 

Week 3- Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

My three friend’s/families’ responses:

*80 Year Old White Male

 Definition of Culture

Culture in this definition refers to human male and female behavior.   It refers to:  knowledge; religious, political, and other beliefs; language, traditions, art, law, morals, customs, capabilities, and habits acquired by members of a society (an organized community).

Definition of Diversity

Diversity in this definition refers to human diversity.  It refers to the differences/variations in:  race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, mental abilities, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other ideologies, language.

*50 Year Old White Female

Definition of Culture

How you are raised. Your customs, holidays, celebration traditions.   It is our custom to celebrate Thanksgiving at my parents’ house with my immediate family. It is the custom with Bill's family to sing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus on Christmas. It was the family custom on my mom's side to take dance and music lessons. Culture can also mean the type of surroundings that are the norm. A farming community might have a different culture than a big city. For example, kids drive tractors early and work in the fields in the country and that becomes part of your culture. A positive, loving home offers a different culture to a child than one where the parents are alcoholics or abusive. It's kind of what you get used to and it can effect who you become.

Definition of Diversity

How people are different from each other...skin color, gender, religion, socio-economic, even where you are raised (country vs city...east coast vs midwest). Diversity can affect your culture.

*40 Year Old Hispanic Female

Definition of Culture

I define culture as a group's shared customs/traditions, art, values, language, sometimes religious beliefs.

Definition of Diversity

I define diversity as having many cultures within an environment.

Each of the participants’ answers to culture I feel have been touched on in my studies in this course. They all discussed the customs and traditions, which I have learned, are the surface culture. Two responses added that culture includes values, language, religious beliefs as mentioned in my studies. Another response mentioned a child’s living environment affecting ones culture.

This course has focused a lot on the dominant culture and all three responses omitted anything about the dominant culture and any experiences concerning this. It would have been interesting to hear what each person thought. I know when the Hispanic female came to America she did not know English and she had a teacher that put her in the back of the classroom and would not support her much.

Thinking about the others’ definitions of culture and diversity has reaffirmed my beliefs/definitions. Through my discussions, reflective journals, blogs, and applications I have touched on all the same points the responses did. 

Week 2: My Family Culture

My Family Culture

If an unfortunate catastrophe happened in our country and I had to choose three items that I hold dear and that represent my family culture to take with me I would choose a family photo album, bible, and my wedding ring. The family photo album means a lot to me because it holds many dear memories I have with my family and of my children. This album would show my surface culture easily to others. The bible means a lot to me because it holds/represents my belief in God. Being a proud Christian is a part of my social identity. I would also choose to take my wedding ring as an item that I hold dear because it’s a big part of my social identity. With choosing to become a wife I have now become a mother. Being a wife and mother is my pride and joy and a major part of who I am. Upon arrival if I were told I could only keep one item and had to give up the other two items would be heart breaking. All three of these items I hold dear to my heart and it would be hard to give two up. Reflecting on this exercise reminds me how important and critical my family culture is to me. My family culture makes me unique.