Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I recently overheard a conversation between two women and as I reflect on what I learned this week, I realized I witness a microinsult. Woman A complimented Woman B’s perfect Spanish and asked, where did you learn to speak Spanish, your accent is perfect?  Woman B responded my family is from Honduras. Women A then responded but you are so dark! The hidden message is Woman B’s skin complexion is too dark to have a Spanish heritage. Although at the time I was unaware of the specific terminology, microaggression, I knew in my heart that comment was wrong and discriminatory. I was offended by the comment and I did not understand why Woman A, thought it was appropriate to make such a comment. As we have learned, she is unaware of her actions and the effects of her comment.

 

After learning about microaggression, I am more conscious of the things I say, hear and see.
It is important to be aware if microaggressions to avoid unintentionally offending anyone. I am also
more motivated to research various cultures to avoid microinsults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

This week’s assignment was very interesting! I enjoyed discussing culture and diversity with my friends and colleagues. I asked for their definitions of culture and diversity, here are their answers...

LB-“Culture is race, religion, heritage, and socioeconomic status (SES).” “Diversity means different groupings of cultures.”

NS Stated “culture is beliefs, language, religion, customs that are transmitted by society.” “Diversity is different cultures interacting or interactions of different societies.”

CQ Said “culture is religion, race, SES, also your morals and values you are raised with. So basically how race, religion, ethnicity, etc. factor into shaping not only a person but the community as well.” “Diversity, I feel is a mixture of all cultures within a setting that provides opportunity to learn and grow from. One that expands the culture you’ve been exposed to either in a negative or positive way.”

The answers I received included many of the aspects I studied in this course. Examples of deep and surface culture were given such as customs and language. NS definition of culture reflects the influences of the “dominate culture” in society. CQ’s definition of culture explained how individuals are shaped by their family culture (values you are raised with).

Thinking about others definition of culture and diversity influenced me to think about my definitions of culture and diversity. I agree with all of the answers listed above. To add to the definition of diversity; I believe diversity is awareness of your culture and the cultures of others. I believe diversity is a celebration of cultures interacting.

My Family Culture

The three items I would take with me, if I had to take refuge in an unknown country is a Bible, my family southern recipes and a CD of my family’s singing group, Chorus of faith.

These items are important to me because it is the foundation of my family culture.  My grandmother was from Memphis, Tennessee and she had thirteen siblings. She moved to New York with three sisters and they brought their southern style cooking. My grandmother and great aunts spent a lot of time together in the kitchen, talking and cooking. Our family would gather together monthly and on holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. We would cook and bring different southern dishes such as fried chicken, candy yams, collard greens and sweet potato pies. On Sundays after church my immediate family would have a family dinner.  My grandmother and her sisters also brought their deep faith in God and were very passionate about teaching their children and grandchildren about the bible. Their passion and faith birthed a choir called the Chorus of Faith, the sisters sang at different churches and events. Their children and grandchildren were recruited to sing in the group.

I would be disappointed and fearful, if I arrived to a new country and was told I could only keep one of my three personal items. I would be concerned that my culture would be lost and I would be forced to adapt to the new country’s culture. However, it would motivate my family and I to uphold the stories behind the personal items I had to give up.

As a result of this exercise and this week’s topic, I realized the importance of maintaining my family’s culture. In the past years my family’s gatherings are dwindling and I am motivated to reunite my family.