Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week has been very interesting. I never realized the amount of macroagreesions that surround us on a daily basis through television, radio, and public interaction. This week has really opened my eyes.

This week the one instance of micoaggression that really stood out what when I went with a friend to the grocery. We both needed to do out Thanksgiving shopping and thought the task would be more fun to do together. When we finally filled out carts and headed for the checkout. There were two other families in front of us; both were African-American like my friend. They both finished their transactions and it was my friend’s turn. She received her total and began to pay. The cahier said, “wow! You have cash, I thought you would have a food stamp card like every other person today;” and gestured to the other people who had left and had been in front of us. My friend just laughed it off and said, “No, I have cash.” I was shocked that this conversation took place and that the cashier did not even seem to see anything wrong with her statement. I felt hurt and embarrassed for my fiend. I also felt like I wanted to say something in defense but also did not want to make the situation more uncomfortable.

Not just this instance but also others I have witnessed this week have opened my eyes to the level of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes that I thought were non-existent. I have also come to realize that these comments made are far more hurtful than outright discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes. The comments are like little jabs to your sole that come out of nowhere and attack. 


My eyes are far more open. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I asked three people their definition of culture and their definition of diversity. I asked a middle school teacher in her mid thirties, a nurse in her sixties, and an accountant in her late thirties. 

Dana:

Culture is all the little things that make up a person. Diversity is accepting people who are different than you with an open heart.

Marcy:

Culture is your family and what you believe and holidays you celebrate and your heritage. Diversity is all the different people being in one place. Like you can have a diverse family and that would mean that you have your core white family and some Asian or Black people that have married into the family.

Amanda:

Culture is what makes a person who they are. Diversity is the beauty that makes a person special and the reaction of love from others.

I was surprised by the answers I received. I tried to pick a diverse group of people knowing that one in particular had biases. I was also surprised that most of the individuals thought of culture in a surface definition instead of deep culture. I thought that Dana gave the closest definition of culture to my reading from this week and seemed to really understand what culture was. Diversity seemed to be the most difficult for each person to define. They spent a lot of time thinking about each answer and even after giving one seemed unsure about their response. When it came diversity I loved Amanda’s answer and thought it was well stated. Diversity can be beautiful. I was also surprised how nervous people were to answer. I even had people say they would rather not answer. This was an interesting experiment of sorts to do.

            

My Family Culture

First, I would take an IPod full of music. Music has always been a part of my family’s culture. Growing up the television was hardly on unless it was for a football game and even then most of the time the television was on mute so that music could be on while the game was on. Every memory I have of my life has music involved in some way. Music by far is the most important material object I could bring with me. This is also the one item I would keep over the other two.

Second, I would take a flash drive of pictures. While memories are sometime better than pictures, pictures do help in sparking those memories. The pictures would be important to remember the places and the characteristics of my home, community, and country. Pictures also show the holidays, celebrations, people, and events of importance to my family. 

Third, or over a hundred year a 5X5 inch gold clover has been passed down through the family. The funny thing is that even though I know it is a family heirloom and that it is important to my family. I cannot even say why. I have seen is hanging in my grandmother home, then my mothers, and now I have it. When I see the clover I feel at home and comforted.

No being able to take the second or third item would not affect me as long as I had my family with me. What I have learned through my life that it is not the things and places that are important. What is important are family and friends.

I am not sure I gained any new insight about my family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences, but I have had my feeling about what is truly important affirmed through this exercise