Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggression is a new term that is discovered I was unaware of the word Microaggression with the help of this course reading and Dr. Derald Wing Sue presentation, I'm now aware of practices awareness of Microaggression. This Journey has challenged my way of thinking for me, my family connotation demeanor.

A challenge I faced in high school.

I remember riding my bike to go watch a football game nearby, as I was arriving I saw a friend of mine named Kyle. Kyle was African American and was about 6 feet tall compared to myself same ethnicities but height of 5 feet 10 inches. It so happened that we met up there at the same time. Kyle was a disturbed kid always having problems in school staying focused, and behavior issues. By all means, I was not a perfect but I rarely got in trouble, getting in trouble was not appealing to me. Long story short Kyle and I talked for a few minutes (at the football game) and we when our separated, hang out with our own friends. Meanwhile, a white woman noticed us talking for a few minutes, I didn't think anything of it because there are several people (adults and children) at the football game. No biggie on my part!

Approximately 30 minutes after arriving at the game, the same white woman was yelling something and was heading in my direction near the gate. I noticed Kyle ran right out of the front gate for some strange reason. Apparently, the white woman was calling the police, I didn't know this until she got closer to me near the front gate.  The police (white male) arrived and the white woman shared with him, that someone took something from her purse; and pointed at me. What!! After I explained to the police pleading my case, the officer put my bike in his back of his vehicle put me in the backseat and take me home.

My experience in high school of microaggression was something I had to deal with on a day-to-day basis of accusing the wrong person. For example, you look like, you fit the description of, you're smarter than the average person of your race. I was unaware of the clashing of racial realities of unintentional and visible through natural causes. I can see how society misinterprets, deliberately, unintentionally us forms of microaggression to persuade others to think a certain way.

The part that I said say What! Early, the white women accuse me of being the wrong person. This wasn't the first time I been accused, I calmly share with both adult figures the height difference and my group of friends there at the game. The white one woman was persistent it was me, and the officer was in the catch-22 to her response compared to a child's reaction. The officer was cool about taking me home. I never been in it the backseat of a cop car, and have no plans of that experience again.

What're your thoughts about the situation or how can you handle the situation differently?

Perspective on Diversity and Culture

Kevin a middle school English teacher: English

Culture is not just simply you ethnicity. It is much more than that. It is a person's religious beliefs, language, clothing, likes and dislikes. It encompasses their whole being. To me, culture cannot be defined simply. It is a person's essence of being. It is the reason I love living in the United States because I feel it makes us a stronger nation due to the fact we do not have one culture represented. It is the mixing of cultures that makes us such a strong and unified nation. With tolerance growers unity. Now if everyone can embrace individuality and accept different cultures then we would be even stronger as a nation. America is an experiment worth fighting for in my opinion.

We as Americans and as humans can learn a lot from diversity. The more diverse the more a person can learn from others. People of different cultures bring so much potential as far as the knowledge that we all can tap into. Cultural diversity is intellectual power if a person is open to it. Look at people throughout history that have tried to stifle diversity. It has not ended well for them. Diversity is not easy but well worth fighting for. I feel that a balance of diversity and equality can coexist but it takes an educated and open mind. I believe that through education you can have both. An educated society can achieve great things. I am glad I live in the time I do. Now has been a time of cultural diversity and striving for equality. Are we completely equal though?  The answer is no. We have a lot more to learn. Education, I believe is the key.

Alma a student: English/Spanish speaker

I believe culture has to do with group norms and expectations.  Diversity is found in gender, Age, religion and other beliefs systems.

Ada a teacher assistant: Spanish/English speaker

Culture diversity in the Hispanic culture was closely related to the other countries culture. Hispanics have their own culture, of working together as a family to provide traditions that are passed down.

When you gave the opportunity to ask friends about culture, each person expresses culture based on their individual experience and upbringing. That's why I believe in the United States culture, can't be small groups of individuals having different backgrounds and a religious purpose.

Culture can be simply sharing other people's interest in a small group setting, completely different from their own culture. I noticed that people are willing and open-minded to share their experience while entertaining your thoughts and ideas. For an example, in the Hispanic culture during Christmas, mothers are traditionally made tamales as a given of thinks to their family members. Regardless if you're part of the Hispanic culture or not, a token of thanks and gratitude. Which was similar to our readings in discussions of this week's assignment regarding culture.

The aspect that I omitted to was really understanding diversity. Diversity cannot be described in one word, phrase or statement, it coexists by education and having an open mindset of accepting other cultures. A journey of endless opportunities.

Video: https://grantcardonetv.com/how-to-create-endless-opportunity-in-life/

The following segment is about endless opportunities for the individual to grow and cover new grounds. Real talk. 6:29 min

My Family's Culture

The three items that I would take with me that would represent my family culture would be the Bible, a recent family photo, and a backpack of drinking water.

The Bible, represents the love of God in the fear of No Evil, through diversity and trials and tribulations. Keeping our passion and comfort alive in his testimony and Adventures of life.

Have any recent photo of family members just in case we get separated or something tragic happens to us. Each of us would have a recent photo represent the love of Christ and the togetherness of one family.

The backpack of clean water, other countries struggle with clean water. The Rice's would have a backpack of water and a water filter that cleans water through ditches canals and lakes. This can be our bargaining strategy for food and other resources.

After arriving in the new country perhaps I was told that I was going to have one item and that would be the backpack full of water and filters. The Rice’s is Walk of Life is a part of Biblical history, as well as recent photos that I can no longer take with us. Since our body is made of about 80% of water the Rice’s will utilize this resources for housing, food, clothing and other resources of Lifestyle. While sharing the gospel and creating a new family photo.

The insight that I gain from this experience about family culture, culture difference, and our family values, is the diversity ethics of cultural values of lifelong learning skills. Educators in the field of Early Childhood need to seek to understand diversity culture as a part of their Lifestyles and acceptance.