Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions are brief everyday indignities that may be verbal, behavioral or environmental, they are usually communicated intentionally or unintentionally that contains an insulting message and often causes severe psychological stress and harm. Microaggressions reflect views of inferiority/superiority and inclusions/exclusions and they can happen outside the level of awareness of well-intentioned individuals (Laureate, 2011).

Whether I have paid attention or not I have been a victim to some microaggressions and I have been the one to say some microaggressions to others. Just this week I was talking with some co-workers when the lady I was speaking with hollered out, "Isn't it only Africans that drive taxis?" I was so shocked because she asked the question so loud and second we sit around a lot of people that are of the African/Nigerian descent - all I could say to her was that she needed to be quiet before she ends up in the HR office.

I know I have been a victim to microaggression - I remember one time in high school a Mexican girl asked me if all we (African - Americans) really ate was "watermelon and fried chicken"? I remember being so mad and wanting to say mean and nasty things back to her but my teacher got to her before I could and sent her to in school suspension.

In my opinion I think that we as a people (country) should really pay attention to the things we say to each other and about other cultural groups and how it may affect others.

References:

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

After talking to three of my close friends and family I was very shocked to find out that we all think or see culture and diversity differently, which is not a bad thing. I decided to talk to my close friend Terrin who is African American just as I am but she was raised in a nuclear family and I wasn't so I was expecting her answers to be a just a tad bit different but it turned out to a big very big differences in what we believe or see diversity and culture as. Terrin's definition of culture was that basically culture is based on different people and their beliefs, values, and ethnicity - her definition of diversity was somewhat similar: diversity to her means that there are different people, different cultures, different sexual orientations that at some point come across one another, there are going to be people with different ideas and diversity can also include people with disabilities who are not the same as their peers or people from all around the world - they are usually treated differently because they have different needs than a person who is in tip top shape. Terrin stated that when she thinks of the words diversity and culture she imagines the picture where there are kids and people of all ethnicities and cultures standing around the world holding hands and I can definitely agree with her.

I also talked with my other friend Ahmad who is from the country Jordan which makes him Jordanian - Ahmad is very different from me and his upbringing is definitely different than how mine was. He explained to me how he thinks culture and diversity go together hand and hand - you cannot have diversity without different cultures being present in the world - no two people are the same or no two different types of culture groups are the same. He stated that they way he grew up in Jordan is a lot more stricter than the way kids are growing up here - he stated although he remember having lots of fun and good memories kids in the USA are very lucky individuals and most are not grateful which is heartbreaking to him because he knows plenty of children overseas who would die to live like Americans or just to have the same things and opportunities as we do.

Last but not least I spoke with my friend Earnest, when he was asked for his definition of culture he explained to me when he thinks of the world culture and what it actually means he thinks of people's background, how they were raised and the environment that they were raised in and how it has molded them into the adult or child that they are now. To him diversity is the difference between people, such as economic status, social stature and their level of their success in their life.

As I reflect on my friends answers I cant help but to notice that their answers are things that I have learned during this course so far or it was things that I already knew and thought for myself. The word culture refers to how particular groups of people live. It is the way we eat, sleep, talk, play, care for the sick, relate to one another, think about work, arrange our kitchens and remember our dead. It includes the language we speak, the religion or spirituality we practice (or do not), and the clothing, housing, food and rituals/holidays with which we feel most comfortable (Derman-Sparks, 2010). Culture is an everyday thing that we live - whenever you feel uneasy about something that someone may be doing that you are not used to that means they are doing things that are normal to their culture and not particularly yours.

References:
Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves
Chapter 5, "Learning about Culture, Language, & Fairness" (pp. 56–60)

My Family Culture

If my immediate family and I was a part of a major catastrophe and we had to evacuate to a different county whose culture is totally different from ours and we were only allowed to bring 3 small items with us that may represent my family's culture I would have to bring:

1. Magazine with Barack and Michelle Obama on the cover and all of the other African-American literature
2. African-American dance
3. African-American holidays and observances

When I get to the new country I would explain to others that the reason why I brought a magazine with Barack and Michelle Obama on the cover because after 43 Caucasian presidents he was the first African-American president of the United States of America and he won majority vote for both of his terms making him the 44th president of the United States for the last 8 years.  

Although African American dance is nothing tangible it would be something that I could bring with me and would never have to worry about it being taken away because again it is not tangible - I would share all of the different hip hop dances, jazz, line dances and other dances that is very popular in our culture and would explain that dancing and having a good time is good for the soul and in our culture many find peace in dancing - sometimes dancing can help relieve stress and make you forget all about your worries. Hakuna matata. 

The root of the African American culture to me would be the holidays that we celebrate every year to remind us what our ancestors went through in order to pave the way for us, again this is not a tangible thing - this would be something that can not be taken away as well. I would explain how African-Americans all over celebrate Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Black History Month (celebrated every February for the whole month). Kwanzaa happens every December 26- January 1 and on each of the seven days it honors a different principle that is believed to be the key on building strong, productive families and communities in Africa. Juneteenth (celebrated on June 19th every year) is a day where we celebrate the liberation of black American slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday that honors the civil rights leader which is celebrated yearly on the third Monday in January.

I wouldn't feel any type of way if I was told that I could only keep one item because the other two would remain embedded in my soul and brain for the rest of my life so I would have no issue with giving up the magazine with the Obama family on the cover.