Blog: Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

                 

Describe at least one example of a microaggressions which you detected this week or remember from another time. 

When describing one example in which I detected microaggressions this week was an incident that occurred at my place of employment with a nutrition aid worker and myself. I am an African American woman and I work with a Hispanic woman together we are early childhood development teachers. In our early child development center we are required to work with eight children who ages are two years old in the classroom. In which, we are required to have a family style setting during meal time. It was lunch time and we began preparation for lunch. Once we sat down at the table to eat the food I tested the chicken and realized that the nutrition aid worker at our site must be unaware she had prepared spoiled chicken.Therefore, I immediately told the other teacher and children that the chicken was bad and it will make them sick if they ate the chicken. I quickly removed the spoiled chicken from the children’s plates and took the bowl of chicken and informed the director to smell the chicken, because it smelled bad and maybe it was spoiled. I understand that I didn’t report to the nutrition aid worker what had occurred, because she and I had a disagreement before between us, therefore I didn’t want a confrontation with the nutrition aid again. So I reported to the director my concern regarding the incident about the chicken and the safety of the children health.

The director addresses the problem to the nutrition aid worker after she witnesses for herself by smelling the chicken and detecting it was bad and informed staff about the incident. The director and other staff agreed with me and disposed the chicken immediately.

Next, the nutrition aid returned to my classroom and confronted me and said, “I cook this chicken this way all the time”. Which I said,” it’s nothing wrong with the way you cook it’s that the chicken smell bad” and she looked directly at me while the other teacher was present in the classroom and said to me “maybe you are just tried of chicken”.

For instance, there is another teacher working in the classroom with me who is Hispanic like herself and had also detected that it was something wrong with the chicken. Therefore, I thought to myself why would the nutrition aid worker approaches me and directly made the remark that created a racial microaggressions remark about the chicken. 

According to, Dr. Sue “There are times when verbal behaviors create feelings of uncertainty, inferiority or marginalization even though no offense was consciously intended. Such behaviors are called microaggressions.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). I am a black woman and I admit I love to eat chicken and I love to eat other meat as well, such as seafood, beef, and occasionally pork. However, her remark consisted of a brief everyday indignities which are communicated intentionally or unintentionally to people of color.

In what context did the microaggressions happen? 

What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggressions or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggressions? 

The context of microaggressions happen was that the concept of racial microaggressions took place in this particular incident. I was offended when I found myself as the target of a microaggressions. My first thought was what did she meant by saying maybe you are tired of chicken.In addition, I felt insulted because I wasn't sure why she would say such a thing directly to me and not say anything to the other teacher who was present in the classroom who also, address her concern about the chicken smelling bad.

I thought why did she pick me and I thought immediately that the nutrition aid remark and behavior created feelings of stereotyping people of racial microaggressions. That consisted of unsettling emotions in others, even though it may or may not have been intended or unintended on a conscious or unconscious level. However, though out the day I felt very uncomfortable, because of the hidden message that I felt was being communicated to me. “And that hidden message that many Asians and Latinos experience is a message that you are a perpetual foreigner in your own land. Now these two minor examples are indicators of what I call racial microaggressions.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). 

According to Dr. Sue “ Microaggressions are brief everyday indignities, May be verbal, behavioral, or environmental, Are communicated intentionally or unintentionally to women, to people of color, to gay/lesbians that have an insulting message behind them often time causes severe psychological distress and harm.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

“That’s what we mean by a racial, gender, sexual orientation microaggressions.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). “They can be based upon any marginalized group in the United States.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

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

The ways my observation experiences this week affect my perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people perceives my thought is no matter who, what, where and why you may be conscious or unconscious of racial, gender, sexual orientation microaggressions will always exist day in and day out. I learned microaggressions is a learned behavior that is intentionally or unintentionally portrayed by individual attitude towards a person, place or a thing. In which, they might have mixed emotions about how they feel about a person who are in situations that may have been exposed throughout life experiences within their environment at an early age of growth and development.

For example,a little girl in my classroom who is an Asian child was given three African American puppets a man, women, and child and her teacher who is a Hispanic said to me, “Herleen watch this” and she held up each puppet and showed them to the child. 

The first puppet was a man and the teacher said to the child who is this and the little girl said,” daddy”. 

Next, the teacher held up the women puppet and said who is this and she said, “Herleen”.

When the child was shown the child puppet the teacher asked her who is this and the little girl didn’t answer, but the little boy who was Hispanic age two years old stood next to her said, “that is me”. 

Therefore, children at an early age grow up to become an adult develop a learned behavior based on what they personally experience at an early age during grow and development. These behaviors can develop into behaviors called microaggressions. In which affect people by gender, race, age, height, Wight, disability, ability and even sexual orientation does excise day to day and day in and day out of people lives experiences learn within their environment will encounter a situation that will consist of microagressions.

Reference: 

(Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

Blog Assignment: Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

 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? 

In reflection to the aspects of culture and diversity, along with hard and soft cultural diversity that I have studied in this course and how it relates to social identities based on their personal experience and characteristic’s inherent as a tradition involving the dominant cultures empowerment referring to the spiritual, political, social, or economic expectations and individuals participation involving their ethnic background and ethnicity. I learned each individual within their own life environment and familyculture where similar but different depending on their tradition of who, what, where, when, and how things are done within a group of people during special events pertaining to beliefs, values and morals involving their personal experience within their lives. Furthermore, I learned that the aspects of their lives in which their inherent consisted of race, religion, class, language, age and gender relating to their own personal experience to participate and adapt to the changes in which their inherent from their ancestors was different from other individuals characteristic’s and perspectives in which they live their lives base of traditions within their family cultures life style.
 Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

 For example, An Hispanic women age 61 years old shared her personal definition of cultural and diversity as things that going on in the world today in celebration of the Battle of Flowers Fiesta parade, the Alamo and African Americans participation Black History Month. Involving religion relating to freedom speeches, music, soul food, singing and dancing to music relating to their family culture and beliefs. Furthermore, the Hispanic celebrates in the fifth of May in which is called in Spanish and in English it is called May the fifth in the United States and in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla. Also, in English the holiday is called The Day of the Battle of Puebla. Cino de Mayo is a tradition to cook Mexican foods, colorful clothes, Mexican music, dancing and songs in celebration of their inherence from their culture ethnicity. For instance, her perspective of what diversity was the different things she do for instance swimming, reading books hunting. Another example; given by an African American male stated his definition of culture to share beliefs, heritage, and his perspective of diversity was to have different lifestyles consisting of different groups of people involved in Hip Hop culture. For instance, his perspective on relating to diversity consisted of different ethnic groups participating in the same events such as the workforce and holiday events. 

Furthermore, a young black male age 19 years old definition of culture was passing on a tradition relating to Hispanic culture, celebrating Cino de Mayo and African American people celebrating a black holiday that is in relationship to African vibe called Kwanza. For example; his definition of diversity consisted of a group of people participating in a Civil Right Movement were a group of people come together. For instance like the Freedom Riders.

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

The ways my thinking about other people’s definitions of culture just proves to me how the complex culture really is when relating to other individuals perspectives and definitions of what they think culture mean. However, I feel culture is about everything we do that involves our lifestyles and how we relate to traditions, beliefs and everyday environment pertaining to our lives with other ethnic cultures involving a diversity consisting groups of people values and morals and how that act upon what they believe.

Blog: My Family Culture

                                              My Family Culture

    The three items I’d decided to choose holds a sentimental value and each represent my family culture. It will consist of a family portrait, bible and a hand radio.To explain to others what each of these items means to me I will begin describing My family portrait because it is a sentimental value to me and provides positive memories of what I shared with my family. Also, I can reflect back on how strong our family culture was and having a positive relationship we share together. The bible was a family tradition that will help me to stay motivated and supported about what I believe. Which is consisting of values and morals as a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for me to do in life. Having the bible is something I inherited as a child from my ancestors who read the bible to me and help me to understand about what the values and morals of life was all about. For instance, my family and I had to have a bible to attend church for bible study, Vocational bible school, Sunday school, and morning and evening services. Furthermore, the radio will help me to remember our family tradition, such as, when we listen to music and dance together in celebration of holidays or birthdays. Spending time together and having fun with my family members and friends. These items as a whole provide some of the best memories money can’t buy. Also, the radio will help me to keep updated with the latest news and current events of what’s going on within the world. In other words, the radio is another form of an open line of communication and understanding which can have connection to all diversities within the world. For instance, the radio will provide me with information about current issues relating to public affairs or public assistance and entertainment from different cultural environments.

     

My feelings would be hurt upon arrival if I was told I could only keep one personal item and give up the other two items I brought with me, because as I mention before these three items hold a sentimental value. For instance, I would choose to keep my family portrait because I can always reflect back to the happy memories we shared by looking at the picture of my family. Why? It tells about a positive story of who, what, where, and why we shared this precious memory together as a family. However, I will feel lost without my bible because it helps me to stay focus on reality, my beliefs, values and morals. Why? Because reading the bible gives me support and respect to develop a strong sense of self concept about myself and others in society.

The insights I gained about myself is knowing the important role my family culture plays into my life. Also, the diversity and cultural differences in general are as much as a part of my life, because without being a part of a diversity within my society, I can’t learn to grow within self or learn from other individual’s culture differences.