Blog wk 6: The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The memory I have of an incident that I experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as fictional ones, such as movies,books, television shows happen on the south side of town where I live in San Antonio, Texas between the year of 1979-1984. I was in my early twenties when I first unravel my privileges and oppressions when enter into a beauty Salon in my neighborhood. However, I thought that cosmetologists provided services that include caring for cosmetic condition of all types of hair, skin and nails. Therefore, I wanted to get my hair permed, so I walked into the beauty salon and I asked the hair stylist if she could put a perm on my hair and she said to me “take off your hair scarf”. So I did, and she said to me, “we don’t do that type of hair at this salon”.I remember looking around the room at the majority of client’s were Hispanic .Everyone was staring at me and I felt so uncomfortable and embarrass to be aware of the fact that I was a target of racism identity.

 I was mistreated as a person based on my self-confidence of being an African American woman. I felt at the time that I had no limitations based on categorization of my personal choice and personal growth.The hair stylist discriminated against me because of my physical appearance. I was viewed as a member of a non-dominant person or group of people of color in which she felt she doesn't want to participate in serving within her institution. Furthermore, keep in mind the one time I encounter such incident in real context, including online environments, as well as fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows. I realized this wasn’t the first incident about hair stylist that I had witnessed within my life who chooses what type person hair they chose to work on based on social identity, this type of personal side of bias, stereotyping, prejudice and oppression have existed and still exist within today’s society.

For example, I watched a movie on television name “Beauty Shop” The African American women had open a beauty salon and she hired a Caucasian woman and an African American man to work in her salon. The other African American women hair stylist was happy to get extra help and said it’s about time you hire someone to help out in the salon. However, when the owner introduces the new hair stylist who was a Caucasian they became very upset with her after they found out the lady was Caucasian women and said “Oh, no” we are not working with her and we see what you are trying to do by hiring a white girl, you trying to turn this shop in a white beauty salon.  She doesn’t know anything about black people hair.” The owner begged them to give her a chance and said she was a very creative hair stylist. However, two of the

African American women quit and walked out refusing to work with the Caucasian woman.

Later that night the owner had a celebration and invited all her hair stylist and they were at a club when a very handsome black man came over at the table and asked the Caucasian woman to dance instead of the black women. However, after she left the table some of the black women said “Did you see that all of us beautiful black woman sitting at this table and he pick the white girl to dance with him?”

The ways the specific bias, prejudice and /or oppression in these two incidents diminish equity consisted of institutional prejudice and discrimination of unfair treatment based on social identity of a Caucasian woman who was a target of an injustice act upon another person or group of people of a different race.        

However, these two incident bring up feelings of self-hate consisting of internalized oppression about another individual belief can engage in behavior of self-reflection essential to be anti-bias when stereotyping someone’s social identity. According to, “Internalized oppression or inferiority based on social, psychological consequences for people or a person belonging to more than one society, identity groups who experience any of the many faces of institutionalized prejudice and discrimination, such as limited access to opportunities or resources and constant negative messages about their groups.”Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 26 par 4).In addition, “Internalized oppression is a feeling or belief that the negative messages are true. It is learned behavior that is a response to institutionalized racism, sexism, classism, and the other isms. Which have undermined the sense of self.” Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 26 par 4).

In other words it means when a person or a group of people stereotypes about one’s own group, or identifying with a different (usually the dominant) culture’s standards of beauty regarding hair color, eye shape, body size, or skin tone as being “better” than their own group’s standards.” Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 26 par 7) According to, “How we feel personally about social identities may stand in opposition to the social realities of advantage and disadvantage.” Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 27 par 5). “For example,social discrimination and negative messages about being working class do not necessarily stop people from being personally proud of their working- classfamily background.” Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 27 par 5). 

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).