This week I had the opportunity to watch an informative program on PBS entitled Homeland: Immigration in America (Refugees). This documentary highlighted the experiences of several refugee immigrants in the United States. During the program I witnessed several forms of microaggression as the immigrants tried to assimilate to the dominant culture in the United States.
One of the immigrants was an Asian woman who spoke no English but desperately needed a job. Fortunately, there was a group of individuals from the same country who translated for her and helped her apply for a job. When she went on her job interview the translator was present to interpret the conversation between her and a white male. At the end of the interview, the white male said to the translator, "Does she know that she got the job?" The translator told the white male that she understood. The white male replied, "Well, she doesn't act like she understands she got the job." This statement was a microaggression because the white male assumed the Asian woman had no idea what was going on because she did not express any emotion. He expected her to react in a way that many Americans would (with excitement). He completely disregarded her culture, and as a result misjudged her knowledge of the situation. He also implied that she was not mentally capable of making sense out of the situation because she did not speak English even though the translator was communicating between the two of them successfully. As I was observing this microaggression, I empathized with the woman because I know what it feels like to have to conform to the dominant culture in order to fit in. You feel as if you cannot truly be yourself when you are around individuals that are a part of the dominant culture because you will be judged negatively. It seems that you have to lose your identity in order to survive.
Throughout the program, I witnessed the immigrants become victims of discriminatory behaviors. As a result, they began to isolate themselves from the outside world. Many of the immigrants stay in the house to avoid discrimination and violence. Discrimination and prejudice leads to isolation and despair. Many of the immigrants do not socialize with others and are not adjusting well to their new country. In the same way, the residents are not adjusting well to the number of immigrants moving into their neighborhood. Because of the prejudice, there is no sense of community and neither group has the opportunity to benefit from each other's knowledge and experiences. Working together is the only way we can all experience social justice.
I encourage you all to watch this program as well as future episodes on PBS. For more information please visit http://www.pbs.org/programs/homeland-immigration-america/
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Perspectives on Diversity and Culture
For this blog assignment I wanted to explore how people from different generations would define culture and diversity. I chose to ask three people (grandmother, mother, & best friend) from three different generations. My grandmother and my mother are the two individuals that differ from me culturally due to age.
Grandmother's Definitions
Culture: A part of a person's heritage; beliefs and traditions
Diversity: Different aspects of people; Different ways people do things
Mother's Definitions
Culture: Mutual traditions amongst a group of people
Diversity: Blended ethnicity
Best Friend's Definitions
Culture: Characteristics and beliefs of certain demographics within the world. There are different cultures within time periods like each decade. I also look at culture in terms of learning and exposure of the mind through experiences as human beings.
Diversity: I consider the word diversity to be complex. When I think of diversity I think of a variety of differences in terms of people and things. I think of diversity as a good thing when each of those differences are utilized and viewed as strengths. Although we have made great strides it's rare that you see people of color at the top of successful companies as well as gender and sexual orientation. I look forward to the day when we can all appreciate diversity and when we voluntarily segregate ourselves less.
All of the women's definitions of culture included shared beliefs and traditions of a certain group of people. This has been mentioned as important aspects of culture throughout this course. However, we have learned that this is merely surface culture and as early childhood professionals we have to dig deeper. My best friend's definition touched on this when she included a human beings' experiences as the basis for culture. It has been stated several times in this course that culture includes the way people see the world. In addition to dress, food, music, and religion culture includes how children are raised, views on education, and language.
When looking at the definitions of diversity the focus was mainly on the obvious forms of diversity which are race. My best friend is the only one who mentioned gender and sexual orientation.Their definitions seemed to be too narrow to really define diversity accurately. Many types of diversity were omitted from their definitions such as age, family composition, and ability. Diversity is such a broad topic because people differ in so many ways.
One thought that I have taken away from this assignment is that culture really does have an effect on the way we think. The culture of each generation was reflected in the responses I received from each of the women. I believe that being raised in different generations has a lot to do with the answers I received. My grandmother seemed to be the most uncomfortable when having this discussion with me. On the other hand, my best friend talked freely which can be seen by her substantive responses. My mom was open but kept her answers quick and precise. My grandmother was raised during segregation when culture and diversity was not appreciated or talked about. This made her reluctant to talk to me about each topic. My mother grew up during a time when the black movement was in place and blacks gained a sense of empowerment. During this time, culture and diversity basically meant race/ethnicity. This can be seen in her responses which were solely based on race. Like me, my best friend grew up when culture and diversity were discussed freely in school. The amendments to the IDEA made it possible for students of all abilities to be in the same classroom. Students dressed to reflect their personalities and expressed thoughts about their sexual orientation. My best friends' definitions reflect this thinking because she mentions gender and sexual orientation.
Another thought that I have taken away from this assignment is that we have to become more willing to talk about culture and diversity. Just like my grandmother, many people feel uncomfortable talking about culture and diversity. Early childhood educators have to be open to discussing these topics and addressing issues related to them.
Grandmother's Definitions
Culture: A part of a person's heritage; beliefs and traditions
Diversity: Different aspects of people; Different ways people do things
Mother's Definitions
Culture: Mutual traditions amongst a group of people
Diversity: Blended ethnicity
Best Friend's Definitions
Culture: Characteristics and beliefs of certain demographics within the world. There are different cultures within time periods like each decade. I also look at culture in terms of learning and exposure of the mind through experiences as human beings.
Diversity: I consider the word diversity to be complex. When I think of diversity I think of a variety of differences in terms of people and things. I think of diversity as a good thing when each of those differences are utilized and viewed as strengths. Although we have made great strides it's rare that you see people of color at the top of successful companies as well as gender and sexual orientation. I look forward to the day when we can all appreciate diversity and when we voluntarily segregate ourselves less.
All of the women's definitions of culture included shared beliefs and traditions of a certain group of people. This has been mentioned as important aspects of culture throughout this course. However, we have learned that this is merely surface culture and as early childhood professionals we have to dig deeper. My best friend's definition touched on this when she included a human beings' experiences as the basis for culture. It has been stated several times in this course that culture includes the way people see the world. In addition to dress, food, music, and religion culture includes how children are raised, views on education, and language.
When looking at the definitions of diversity the focus was mainly on the obvious forms of diversity which are race. My best friend is the only one who mentioned gender and sexual orientation.Their definitions seemed to be too narrow to really define diversity accurately. Many types of diversity were omitted from their definitions such as age, family composition, and ability. Diversity is such a broad topic because people differ in so many ways.
One thought that I have taken away from this assignment is that culture really does have an effect on the way we think. The culture of each generation was reflected in the responses I received from each of the women. I believe that being raised in different generations has a lot to do with the answers I received. My grandmother seemed to be the most uncomfortable when having this discussion with me. On the other hand, my best friend talked freely which can be seen by her substantive responses. My mom was open but kept her answers quick and precise. My grandmother was raised during segregation when culture and diversity was not appreciated or talked about. This made her reluctant to talk to me about each topic. My mother grew up during a time when the black movement was in place and blacks gained a sense of empowerment. During this time, culture and diversity basically meant race/ethnicity. This can be seen in her responses which were solely based on race. Like me, my best friend grew up when culture and diversity were discussed freely in school. The amendments to the IDEA made it possible for students of all abilities to be in the same classroom. Students dressed to reflect their personalities and expressed thoughts about their sexual orientation. My best friends' definitions reflect this thinking because she mentions gender and sexual orientation.
Another thought that I have taken away from this assignment is that we have to become more willing to talk about culture and diversity. Just like my grandmother, many people feel uncomfortable talking about culture and diversity. Early childhood educators have to be open to discussing these topics and addressing issues related to them.
Friday, July 6, 2012
My Family Culture
Just the thought of having to abandon my country and everything I know is frightening to me. Adjusting to another culture while trying to hold on to my own culture is sure to be a difficult task. To make the adjustment easier, I would take a Bible, family photo album, and a journal. Reading the Bible everyday has been a part of my daily routine since I was a young child. By bringing a Bible I would be able to keep a key characteristic of my family culture, which is Christianity. Reading the Bible everyday would be one thing that would remain constant during this time of transition. The second item that would give me comfort is a family photo album. It would include pictures of extended family members and special events. It would be a reminder of what my country was like, and I would never forget the faces of my family members. Furthermore, it would provide future generations with information about their heritage. To provide future generations with even more information, I would take a journal to record my daily experiences and memories from the past. Currently, my older family members are composing letters filled with stories and the names of relatives so that the younger members can have a reference about our family history. By keeping a journal, I would be able to do the same thing.
If I was told that I could only take one item upon arrival, I would be disheartened. It was hard choosing just three items, but to have to narrow those down to one would be even harder. My choice would be the family photo album because it would be a visual reminder of my family and country. I would never forget where I came from or my family members. It would also provide valuable information about the family. My children and grandchildren would be able to see and understand my family culture. They might even gain an appreciation for some of the traditions the family continued over the years.
This exercise has given me a greater appreciation for my country and family culture. I have also gained much respect for those individuals who have actually had this experience. I am beginning to understand how hard it is to adjust to another culture while not losing your own identity. As an early childhood professional I am committed to encouraging young children to embrace their family culture. I will do my best to maintain a balance between the dominant culture and other cultures in my classroom.
If I was told that I could only take one item upon arrival, I would be disheartened. It was hard choosing just three items, but to have to narrow those down to one would be even harder. My choice would be the family photo album because it would be a visual reminder of my family and country. I would never forget where I came from or my family members. It would also provide valuable information about the family. My children and grandchildren would be able to see and understand my family culture. They might even gain an appreciation for some of the traditions the family continued over the years.
This exercise has given me a greater appreciation for my country and family culture. I have also gained much respect for those individuals who have actually had this experience. I am beginning to understand how hard it is to adjust to another culture while not losing your own identity. As an early childhood professional I am committed to encouraging young children to embrace their family culture. I will do my best to maintain a balance between the dominant culture and other cultures in my classroom.
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