Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Throughout this past week I have been observing and listening for verbal microaggressions on television and in person.   I’ve detected more microaggressional conversations taking place on television than in person. 

Fred Sanford is always using the microassult form of microaggression when speaking to Julio, because he is Puerto Rican or Rollo, because he is an African American who Fred referred to as a convict on the sitcom Sanford and Son.   Fred is constantly making derogatory remarks about their culture.  

In the movie White Men Can’t Jump, Wesley Snipes basically tells Woody Harrelson that he can’t slam-dunk a basketball because he is not black.  This was an example of racial microaggression. 

On the sitcom A Different World, Ron Johnson who is an African American college student, was taking bets on a football game from a couple of Caucasian rivalries.    Ron’s team won and his rivalries got upset and called him a Niger.  This was definitely a form of Microassult in that it was an overt, hostile act intended to humiliate and belittle Ron’s character.  


Another sitcom that encourages or depicts microaggressions is All in the Family; Archie Bunker plays a prejudice Caucasian who treats anyone outside of his race as though they are inferior to him.   His behavior is the result of microinsults in that he belittles minority’s racial heritage.  

Even though all of these are individuals acting out various scenarios to make the audience laugh, it sends the public the wrong message and that is that it is okay to treat people this way and that one person is superior to others.   All of my examples above are from television shows or a movie, but what happens in real life situations.  This week, I was speaking with my supervisor concerning the program’s policy of taking food back to the kitchen.    My supervisor implied that it was okay to take the food back to the kitchen to be thrown out, but I informed her that it is unsanitary practice to take the food back to the kitchen and that it should be disposed of in the trashcan in the classrooms.   My supervisor said “You people” then she looked at the expression on my face and stopped and said “when I say you people, I don’t mean you specifically, I mean the base as a whole, do things differently here.”  I told her about my assignment for this week and that I was going to share her comment with the class.  I told her that she had just demonstrated an act of microinvalidation in that her comment made me feel marginalized, even though she didn’t intentionally mean to insult or hurt me (Laureate Education, Inc,).   I felt that she grouped me with others rather than respecting my view as an individual with valid reasoning capabilities.

This remark of “You people” reminded me of the scenario in our discussion question.  It seems so easy to lose one’s identity and become viewed as a group because of society’s norms.   I felt that my supervisor felt that her way was the right way regardless of the policy and that my way was wrong.  I didn’t feel inferior because of the knowledge I had gained through my assignments and readings this week, but I did feel that she thought she was superior.   I do realize that she spoke without thinking and as a result of her unintentional act; I was able to see a glimpse of one of her hidden biases.  I hope that after sharing my assignment with her it will make her more aware of those hidden biases.   Regardless if they are intentional or unintentional, microaggressions can be detrimental to the person on the receiving end.  We all have hidden biases and prejudices that we need to acknowledge so that we can take steps to minimize them.    We must first begin by getting to know each other as individuals and learn to accept and appreciate other’s culture by integrating them within our classrooms.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Microaggressions in Everyday Life (2011) [DVD] Perspectives on Diversity and Equity. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture:

Shannon, 21 year old, African American

Culture – That’s where your moral beliefs, values and even fashion come from.  It’s your way of life.  It’s a reflection of where you live and where you are from.

Diversity – It’s an individual difference as well as a group difference. Diversity brings about a new era or a new form of culture.

Tommy, 47 year old, African American

Culture – The environment that we were raised in or became a part of.  It’s our history.  We can be in a place with many cultures and sometimes other cultures can influence our behavior and actions. We shouldn’t stereotype because of our culture.

Diversity – Is many, but different group with diverse culture. Be of acceptance that everyone has something to offer.   

Catherine, 54 year old, African American

Culture – Your family traditions.  Is the things that are important to you such as food, attending church, how you relate to the world.  How you are based on your family’s upbringing. Culture belief encompass your ethnicity, we’ve adapted to so many cultures because we were separated from our families.

Diversity – Is a melting pot; a little bit of everyone.  We embrace everyone, as a people and as a whole.  When we marry we embrace.  We embrace them all, but we ourselves are diversity.  We’ve learned to adapt to their rules.

The definitions of culture and diversity given by my family and colleagues are all embedded in the information I’ve gained in this course.   As they stated in their definitions, culture is our moral beliefs; religion, family values; integrity,  family traditions; holidays we celebrate, ancestry; race, how we relate to each other and so on.  Culture encompasses everything we do. According to Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) “The word culture refers to how particular groups of people live” (p. 55). 

My family and colleague’s definition of diversity is on point with what I have learned this far in that diversity is individual differences as well as group differences.   It is a melting pot in which we all contribute something different and unique; therefore, we need to embrace each other and accept that everyone has something to offer. Ramsey (2004) states “Likewise, language, traditions, and values of specific ethnic groups evolve as their members absorb and/or resist the influence of other cultures” (p. 4).

As a whole, I don’t think that anything was omitted in their culture definitions.  However, I think that their definition of diversity could have been expanded in that diversity encompasses all the aspects of our culture because that is the foundation in which our individual identities are formed.  Our culture and diversity intertwine in that our culture traits is what makes us unique and that uniqueness is brought to the forefront when we engage and interact with others.  Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) states “But when we find ourselves in the midst of another culture, or when we must interact with someone from a different culture, we discover that the way we do things not the only way” (p.55).

I must say I found it to be very intriguing how everyone used different ways to articulate their definitions of culture and diversity, but came up with similar meanings.  As they began to tell me what these terms meant to them, the conversation became personal and deep rooted for them.  We began discussing their ancestors and how one of the families was owned by a Chinese family.   I can’t recall ever having such an intense conversation such as this with my colleagues before this.  We made such a connection all I could think about afterwards was the possibility of everyone making a connection as powerful as this, if they would just take the time to learn about the ancestry of each other.

References:

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves.

            Washington, DC: NAEYC

Ramsey, P. G. (2004). Teaching and learning in a diverse world (pp. 3–6). New York, NY: Teachers

College Press

My Family Culture:

If I had to evacuate to a foreign country and was only able to take one change of clothes and three small additional items, I would take my:

 Family Photo Album

                                                         Letters

                                            

                                                  and Family BIBLE

                                     

I would first try to communicate with the natives by learning their language.  I would also attempt to teach them my native language, by pointing to pictures and items while pronouncing the word of the item that I am referring to in English.   I would encourage them to repeat the word to me and then ask them to teach me how to say it in their language.  After we've had a chance to learn each other's language, I would  explain to them the significance of the photo album and how it represent family and friends celebrating different ceremonies in my country.  I would read my family letters to them so that they can hear the passion in tone of the writer.  I would then explain how my family live by the guidance of the Holy Bible that teaches us what's right and what's wrong.  If allowed, I will share my culture while learning theirs: in hopes of preserving my identity as well as my culture.

It would be very difficult for me to give up any of the items that I was allowed to bring, because they are very dear to my heart.  If upon my arrival I was told that I had to give up two of the items, I would fill lost and alone.  I think I would fill very much out of place.

I gained great insight in identifying what are the most important items I would not want to leave behind.   These items are of great significant in my culture, I didn’t realize just how much until now.  Just as we want to  feel respected and accepted, so do the children and their families we serve.  This assignment made me reflect on the importance of individual cultures and it's inclusion within the classroom community.