Perspectives on Diversity & Culture

Professional Hopes & Goals

"We find these joys to be self evident:  that all children are created whole, endowed with innate intelligence, with dignity and wonder, worthy of respect.  The embodiment of life, liberty and happiness, children are original blessings, here to learn their own song.  Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream and belong to a loving 'village.'  And to pursue a life of purpose."  ~Raffi

Retrieved from: A Covenant for Honoring Children 

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You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

With great pleasure, I have the honor of serving a new family at the local community outreach program.  The Natomos family recently emigrated from, Kouakourou, Mali; located on the continent of Africa.  In preparation to be culturally responsive towards this family I will first research their country of origin and develop a basic understanding of their customs, traditions and beliefs.  (Retrieved from: Capital Bay).  Areas of primary interest will include any language barriers, as well as the educational and vocational goals of the family.  Additionally, I will assess the current resources we have on-site, and make a determination as to whether, or not it is necessary to access additional support services to better serve the family.  Every effort will be made to ensure their family structure remains intact, and their transition to the region is both welcoming and stress-free.

It is my hope that the preparations made for the Natomos family will be a tremendous benefit to the family, and the organization as a whole.  Demonstrating the ability to represent and serve children and families with diverse backgrounds is a true testament of the commitment to family preservation, and community enlightenment.  Such opportunities are not only vital, they are necessary in order to affect global change. n♥

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The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Shortly after graduating from college, I found a part-time job working at a local retail store selling women's clothing.  The retailer, who I shall not name, is one that I later discovered can only be located in the southern region of the U.S.  It was during the time that I was in training to become a cashier, that I learned the two registers were labeled, "Master", and "Slave".  The Master register being the mainframe, and the Slave register a drone.

Nearly twenty years later, I am ashamed to admit I did not initiate a formal civil rights complaint.  Although, I did submit a letter to the corporation, I have always felt I should have exercised my right to do more.  This incident that I experienced diminished equity for employees who have endured countless years of institutionalized oppression; systemic marginalization; and, economic hardship at the hands of the dominant culture's plight to underrate and undermine individuals of color.

At the time that this incident occurred, I recall vacillating between a range of emotions that primarily stemmed from anger and resentment.  I have often times been asked the question, "Why did you move down South?" Native to the New York City Metropolitan area, I have grown to love and appreciate the many shades of me.  All the while, appreciating the unique and incredibly different aspects of individuals who do not look like me, worship the same as me, or for that matter, love in the same manner as I do.  Combating racial bias, prejudice and oppression has been one of my greatest challenges as an African American thriving in the South.

In order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity, the corporation would have to adopt fundamental policies and practices to include a basic level of respect for all human kind, and implement anti-bias education to safeguard and support operations throughout.  As I share my free flowing thoughts with the world, I realize this is likely to never change.  So long as there is hate in the world, incidents similar to this will continue to occur in some form.  Meanwhile, I will continue to believe one day we all will be free from hate, guilt, shame and defeat. n♥

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Practicing Awareness of Microaggression

   

A microaggression that I detected this week involves a story that was told to me by a family friend.  As the parent of a young African American girl that stands 6'1" in height, he was asked the question, "Does she play basketball?" by a Caucasian woman.  While some may argue the question is harmless, and unassuming, to me and her father it was a bit of an insult.  

According to Dr. Derald Wing Sue, Professor of Psychology & Education at Columbia University, "Microaggressions are brief everyday indignities that are verbal, behavioral or environmental that may be intentional or unintentionally communicated to women, to people of color, to gay/lesbians that have an insulting message behind them that often time causes severe psychological distress and harm" (Laureate, 2011).  In the case of a Caucasian individual assuming that an African American child who is tall in stature naturally aspires to play basketball, it can be perceived as an example of microaggression.

My initial impression of this incident was that it further validates what I already knew about the dominant culture; it is insensitive, and bias.  While I would like to think the person asking the question had no ill intentions, I am compelled to believe her actions of marginalization and microinvalidation is embedded in her subconscious.  My perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes on people has changed no more than the misnomer that African American children only aspire to become athletes and hip-hop artists. n♥

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

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After discussing culture and diversity with people who have varying views, vantage points and perspectives, I was challenged to consider how their responses were in alignment with my own thoughts on the two topics, and how they were dissimilar.  In doing so, I realized the topics mean many things to different people.  As I mentioned to each of them, there is no wrong/right answer.  What I received in response is what I believe to be an organic expression of what came to mind first--without a filter.

In a response I received from a cousin, diversity was defined as "the difference of all things on all levels."  A close friend, and former colleague expressed diversity as acknowledging all the "different ways we are packaged" with regard to spirituality, sexual orientation, etc.  

Concerning culture, the responses I received were equally thought-provoking, and interesting in context.  For example, my cousin views culture as "a life-style pattern", that can also be "altered and rewritten."  My friend explained culture is "a collection of traditions, customs, and ways of being passed-down to you."  In a conversation with my husband, he stated "Traditions, and the way I celebrate ties into the piece of the world I come from."

In the viewpoints shared there are aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course.  More specifically, the commonalities include attention to the use of the word "different", and the theme of patterns, and traditions.  There were not, however, aspects of culture and diversity learned that were omitted from the responses received.  Further, with respect to the dominant culture and (dis)ability, my cousin addressed this in his all-inclusive response, "To conceptualize the idea of creating something, one's thought process in itself must be diverse to consider the idea of combining elements in manners unconventional."

Thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity has influenced my own views on these topics in several ways:  neither are limited in interpretation; both are relative to individual perspectives; and, they each are representative of a personal experience, whether it be a human experience, or one that as my cousin describes as indicative of the animal kingdom.  Regardless of individual thoughts, beliefs and opinions, an individuals' culture and diversity thereof is deserving of the respect and recognition of others. n♥