Practicing Awareness of Microagression

Microaggression has stood out more to me within this past week than it ever has before. I can recall a instance that occurred last year when I was speaking to a friend and she invited me to join a women book club that she herself had recently joined. I was extremely excited because I enjoy reading as well as meeting new people so this should have been perfect for me. I arrived at the home of the host a couple of weeks after we began reading our book. To my understanding the host did a few finger foods or a dish that everyone can enjoy and we could bring a bottle of wine if we chose to. It being my first time I brought a bottle of red and white wine. I was greeted by the host and saw my friend immediately as I entered. The first thing the host said with a beautiful smile on her face was welcome and " you're not at all what I pictured when Sandra told me about you". That should not have surprised me. I do not think that she meant to be offensive in anyway with her statement however, it was. As others gathered and greeted each other the host was interestingly attentive to me. I tried to push away my feelings of discomfort as she walked over to me and says my name and proceeds to say "I was not sure if you would be okay with what I prepared so I just ordered some pizza and wings". I am certain she saw how offended I was in that moment. It took me by surprise and was extremely upsetting that she would assume anything of me without asking first. I attempted to respectfully tell her that I appreciated that gesture however, I DO NOT eat pizza and wings really are not my thing either. My tone was a bit sharp and I genuinely tried to display a smile as I spoke those words.

This week has been emotionally stressful. I turned on the television which is a part of my morning routine when getting ready for work. Although I generally listen to it more than I am still enough to watch it I found myself staring in disbelief with watching the officer resting on the neck of George Floyd killing him. I am sadden to learn of anyone's death and one that is as senseless as this. As a result there have been protest that have evolve into senseless rioting, destroying property , vehicles and and landmarks that will not bring about the justice or a sensible resolution. I feel that while police are there to protect and serve maybe there should be an added platform of  training or skill set taught to handle situations in a more conducive manner. Resting your knee in a person neck to the point of causing their death, fist fighting, roughing up or other hostile approaches are NOT warranted for every circumstance which of late appears to be occurring more and more in the African American community. It is disappointing and upsetting that we have come so far and yet have accomplished nothing.

Reference
photo:https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamrowe1/2019/11/24/one-app-is-helping-thousands-of-book-clubs-organize-in-the-digital-age/#492f34a51b26

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I decided to inquire with my neighbor, my co-worker, and a friend what their definition of culture and diversity were. It was interesting to hear their perspectives of both.

When I asked what their definition of culture is they replied:

Culture is a way of life.
Culture is our beliefs, traditions, and overall approach of life.
Culture is the values we are taught about life.

When I asked them to share their definition of diversity I receive the following responses:

Diversity is having an experience with anything or anyone other than your norm.
Diversity is having exposure to other cultures and not limiting yourself in a box.
Diversity is being open to others way of life.

The answers I received were reflected in the responses shared with me from everyone I asked. "Every day, in our every action, we express our particular group culture and our individuals relationship to our culture" (Derman-Sparks, 2010). I was in agreement with their responses as culture entails all the elements that play a role in the way we live our lives.

Everyone provided a general response to both definition however, to be more specific what was missing from their statements were " Culture 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" (Derman-Sparks, 2010). The picture above is an example of culture, it is a picture of my eldest daughter graduating from college with her sisters by her side. Having a higher education is valuable as well as  having the support of family in your life accomplishments aids in reaching those challenging life goals in addition to that, family support is simply priceless.

The definitions I was given on diversity and culture allowed me to reflect back on all the factors that have shaped me into the person I am. It has also given me time to see how fortunate I have been and appreciate all the aspects of my culture. Being a part of a diverse family, my community of co-workers as well as friends has afford me with valued life long experience and relationships.

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

Picture this : A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

What if something like this were to really occur? What would you bring and why? Those were the first two questions I asked myself and I had to do some deep thinking. Two items came to mind instantly for me which were my Bible and my cell. The third item took me a little longer to decide upon however, it would be a blanket. The first item being my Bible will always be my go to for any situation as it provides unbiased guidance. The second of the items I would bring would be my cell because it holds memories, music, photos, videos and host of other personal things that I can view and share with my family to help with the transition of having to cope such a devastating event of not being left with a choice of where they will now call home. The third item being a blanket would be another source of comfort and shared memories. 

If I had to share with others the importance of these items to myself and my family I would provide them with purpose of each item. My Bible would be the source of myself and my families faith and helping to guide us through life's circumstances on a spiritually balance level. If we are struggling with stress due to having our lives uprooted, fear, worry or other emotions the Bible has passages to guide us through them. If I had to share with others what my cell phone means to me I would explain how the world has depended on technology a great deal over the past twenty years and it does not appear to be changing. My cell would keep us connected to others in our family that may not have gotten placed in our designated country as well as it holds those valued photos, videos along with many more tools. The third item of a blanket is another item of comfort for myself and my children. I have given all of my daughters blankets that they do not travel without. Their blankets have a piece of their baby blanket along with other pieces of clothe that have been apart of them that they could not let go. I would share with others that I decided to have those blankets made because it is something that my grandmother did for me and it is a loving and tangible way to have those sentimental memories displayed. 

I would be doleful if I were told that I could only retain one of the three items selected to be with me. I would keep my Bible because as I shared it would be the guidance needed to cope with the situation and any other circumstances. The comfort of the blanket along with having the visuals of memories from a cell would be helpful however if for some reason  the new country does not operate of power or towers are lost electronic devices would be of no use. My family culture would be fully expressed and shared from my faith and religious belief. 

Although this is a hypothetical situation it has highlighted that I am sentimental about the memories of my family past and present however, I rely on my Bible for more than anything. I am not perfect and do not have a perfect family but when we need help and guidance we have our faith to help us to make the right choices and handle life circumstances in a constructive manner. I am aware that there are a vast number of religions along with languages and cultures in the world and it would be my intention to embrace and adapt to the changes of my evacuation site. I would also fully respect the new country that we would call home nonetheless, I shall rely on my Bible to assist with transitioning to this new way of living. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” -1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

Reference

Photo : http://www.familylovefaith.com/

Quote: https://www.godtube.com/news/40-powerful-quotes-to-inspire-you-and-your-family.html

Perspectives on Diversity and Equity

As with every class I find myself filled with anxiety. I am however looking forward to challenging myself to learning something new and seeing things from others perspectives. Because everyone is not raised the same and most definitely will not think the same I am eager to see the world through the perspective of others within this next course.

Reference
https://motivationping.com/quotes/