Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions / No I Didn't Just Hear Her Say That!

When microaggressions occur, they take you by surprise.  You think to yourself, how can anyone be so ignorant in 2011.  We have to remember that these mini attacks sometimes render us speechless and at other times start our blood to boiling. We must also realize that many times microaggressions can be intentional or unintentional. Either of these reactions and actions are detrimental to our equilibrium as human beings.

The experience I observed this week of Thanksgiving involved an activity the children were doing in the classroom.  I heard a volunteer singing and teaching this song, "1 Little, 2 little, 3 little Indians....woo, woo, woo, woo go the Indians, woo,woo, woo, woo go the Indians, now sit down like Indians do".  I could not believe my ears.

I asked the volunteer to step out of the classroom and told her we appreciate her giving her time but the song was inappropriate because it stereotypes Native Americans.  She had committed an unintentional microinsult.  She apologized but said she didn't think it was "that bad".  She then committed a microinvalidation with that statement.  I told her we would be having a workshop soon on cultural diversity and sensitivity and I encouraged her to attend.

Resource

Sue, D.W. (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life [Video](2010) Laureate Education, Inc.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I wanted to get responses on the questions of culture and diversity from a range of friends and family members.  To say the least these responses came from a diverse (no pun intended) group of people.

 

Lauren Higgins

Dr. Safisha Hill

       
                                                                                                         

Libba Murphy

       
                                                                      


The first person I asked for their definition of culture and diversity was my friend who is a professor of Black Studies at a local community college, Dr. Safisha Hill, she is 49 years old.  Her responses were, "Culture is how a people live, such as their traditions, religion, family values, even their way of dress.  It is the way they eat, interact with others and their way of life.  I am African-spiritual and it is reflected in how I live, the way I choose to wear my hair, the manner in which I worship, pray, meditate and the way I eat."  "Diversity suggests a mixture of cultures and more importantly, respecting other cultures, even if you don't accept or totally understand their traditions or way of life".






                                                                                                                   

The next person, I asked was my daughter, Lauren Higgins, a Walden University grad student studying Public Administration with a specialization in Non-Profit.  She is 25 years old.  "Culture is the way you live your life.  It includes customs, food, religion and experiences."  "Diversity is differences, mixtures and how they enhance your life."





                                                                   

The last person I posed these questions to was a friend and former co-worker, Libba Murphy, a proud, card carrying Atheist.  She is 65 years old. Culture is your way of life.  It includes traditions, celebrations, how death is mourned, how babies are welcomed into the family, just how things are done.



                                          

Diversity is the acknowledgement of differences.  Embracing diversity and allowing it in your life enhances how you experience the world.  The more you open yourself to diversity the more well rounded you are.






I chose this diverse group to see if their answers would be similar or different from what we have been learning.  I included information about them to demonstrate that diverse groups can have like thinking and be generationally different.  Their educational levels and beliefs are not the same however, their views of both culture and diversity are in line with what we've been studying regarding the subjects.

References

Dearman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J.O. (2010).  Anti-Bias Education for Young Children

      and Ourselves  (2010) Washington, DC:  National Association for the Education of
      Young Children (NAEYC)

Gonzales-Mena, J.  Culture and Diversity [Video](2010) Laureate Education, Inc. 

My Family Culture - Hurry We've Got to Evacuate

We have just been told to gather only three things from our home, as we are being rushed to a waiting boat to take us to higher ground and then to a different country to get us to safety.









I grab our family photo album

I chose the photo album because the pictures represent moments in time that can never be recaptured.  My children will never be babies again.  I will never hug my Grandmother next to the Christmas tree again.  I will graduate from college again but not with my first degree.  So having that album with those memories is priceless and cannot be replaced.



My medicine



I need my medication because it is important that I can stay healthy on this trip. 



Our important documents





 My documents are important in proving who I am.
 

 We arrive in our new country and we're told that only one of the articles, I have, can be brought into the country.  What a dilemma !  What shall I do, what shall I do?  I remember, I took pictures of all of our important documents and placed them in the photo album and I inserted copies of my prescriptions in the album too!! Whew!  The choice is easy.  I'm keeping the photo album.

The insights I gained as a result of this exercise are that I'm not as prepared as I should be for unforeseen disasters.  My family culture has always been to trust in the Lord and he will take care of you.  I believe that and I know the Lord gives us common sense to know that stuff happens.  I do have my photo album close at hand but when thinking of emergency preparedness, I now will insert copies of birth certificates, marriage license, medical information and social security cards in the album.  Better yet, scan everything to my computer and save it to a zip drive.