Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions occur on my job everyday. I work at a college as an online recruiter. I talk to people for a living helping to change lives. I would say that 90% of the people who I talk to are not very nice. I have been called the “N” word so many times I cannot count and I have been called a “B” un-countless times. Most of the people who we talk to are of color and or from low income households we also serve a lot of people just getting out of jail.  What I find said is some of my fellow recruiters who talk about some of our student. I find it very offensive when the cultures of different ethnic groups are made fun of including my own. When my fellow recruiters change their voices to sound like the accents of the student they just talked to on the phone. I have heard my fellow recruiters say things like “that taco needs to go to school so he can learn to speak English or “Jaquittannta did not get enough chicken to eat” because that student was not very nice on the phone with them. We also have pitch-ins on the time and things have been said from some of my white fellow recruiters like we got to have fry chicken and watermelon. I have gone face to face with them and it stops for a while but it still seeps out now and then. I think prejudice is a sign of fear and stereotyping is a sign of unintelligent people.  

                                        

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I ask the question what is your definition of Culture well as Diversity to five of my firends and I am sharing want they shared with me.

What is your definition of culture?

I believe you already know the textbook definition of the word and you are also able to review current academic literature on the subject therefore I will simply provide you with my personal view. Culture to me, encompasses the entirety of human existence from the conception of ideas to the results of our actions, and it is as old as the human species.

The reason culture is so difficult to define in one simple sentence is the fact that it describes both reality and an idealistic state of human existence often locked in our subconscious. Between what is, and what ought to be, we live and express ourselves daily. Culture is commonly understood in two distinct dispositions: Behavior and identity.

Behavior: This is learned all through life; however, it shapes a person’s behavior patterns, perceptions, and beliefs through adolescence after which time only slight modifications can be made. Geographical location, economic conditions, religion, and political variables all help to shape these behavior patterns. Movies, television, and the internet have minimized the hitherto strong influence of geographic location on behavior by exposing people to many different realities giving them a broader view of the world. Behavior is a living thing and evolves based on current affairs and what realities people are exposed to; nonetheless, people don’t lose their past to current development. This leads to the second classification of culture, identity.

Identity: I will illustrate this, using identical twins with very different tastes in Music – one classical/opera and the other heavy metal rock. Apart from probably sharing the same bed/room/home growing up, they may hang out with different groups of friends.  The good thing about exposure to media (TV, Movies, Internet, Radio, Printed news) is that people are exposed to a myriad of possible identities to choose from making it possible to have a broader perspective of life and be more accepting of foreign identities. This leads to the next question, diversity.

 What is your definition of diversity?

                Diversity is the recognition and celebration of differences. It is the ability to discover harmony through our differences.  In my opinion, diversity is by intelligent design – God in three persons (Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit) is one.  For the same reason the institution of marriage was established, that two different people (male and female) shall find harmony and celebrate their differences (Matt 19:5). In the academic community, social settings, and professional environments, these differences spark healthy debates that lead to better outcomes which a single school of thought, culture, or ideological disposition cannot accomplish by itself. Diversity provides a better perspective on issues.

Vincent Van Empeh

What is your definition of culture?

Culture, to me, encompasses many things from art, music, literature and how those things interact in our daily lives and how they help shape who we are.

 What is your definition of diversity?

Diversity can describe many things from crowds of people, cities, nations, to stock portfolios. Diversity is what made our country so great. We are a true melting pot of people from all races, origins, nationalities. I welcome diversity, for it is what makes us unique.

I hope this helps! I wasn’t sure if you wanted paragraphs or just brief sentences.

 Jim Anderson

Culture consists of a group of individuals whose value systems are the same and share the same beliefs.

Diversity makes me think of a group of different nationalities in one location.

Hannah Washington

Culture is the makeup of character

Diversity is the amount of opportunities 

Dee Guyse

What is your definition of culture?

 Culture is the environment and customs you were raised in. 

Different races celebrate holidays in different ways.

Example in the United States Dec 31 is recognized as the end of one year and the beginning of a new year.

The celebrations that take place range from large parties to quit small gatherings.

An Asian lady I know says they celebrate the New Year for 3 days in a row.  They have a lot of food and women have to wear either Black or Red.  Someone wearing red signifies there was a death in their family that year.

What is your definition of diversity?

 Diversity is when different races & cultures blend and work or live in a community.

My sister recently moved from Austin, Tx to a suburb of Chicago, IL the level of diversity

In the community and school is what helped her decide which community to live in.

She wants her son exposed to different cultures & races.

 Karen Outlaw

I saw that my friends pretty much think the same way I do when it comes to culture and just a little different when it comes to diversity. I belive Your culture is a product of your enviroment, and diversity is the differents in groups of people.

Alice Guynn

My Family Culture

My Family Culture

If there were a catastrophe that had almost complete devastated the infrastructure of my country and I had three small items to take with me I would take my Bible, a family photo album, and my Family Cook book.  I would take the Bible because I live by the word of the Lord and so does my family it is the larges part of my culture. I would take family photos because my family is a large part of my culture also. I would take my family cook book again because it I a big part of my families culture.  If I were told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me. I first would give back the photo album because I would have my family with me then I would give up the cook book only because I know most of the recipes. What I would not give up would be the family’s Bible. I need to read my Bible when I am having a good day so I know I am going to have to have it with me with the destination that will be going on around me.  

I though this was a fun exercise so I sent a survey to many of my friends at work just to see what they would take with them. I survey 15 people and what the first thing they would take with them out of 15, 10 said they would take there Bible, the other five said they would take their dog, toilet paper, phone, passport and wine. The second thing they would take would be, (5) said photo albums, (6) said money, and (4) said they would take their gun.  The third thing they would take were things like computers, phones, and the wee game. I found that the survey was interesting.

The insights I gained about myself, my family’s culture, and diversity was that how much it means to me. I have a very large family and we have developed our own family culture. We have a family news paper that goes out four times a year. The news paper was developed because we were all growing older and we were having problems keeping up with each other as well as our nieces and nephews. We also have several family events through out the year so that we can get together to spend time with each other such as (Family Game Day (Christmas), 4 camping trips, Aunt Rita’s Cookie Bake, Guynn 500 Race, Big Momma’s Little Girl Overnight Cooking Weekend, 4 different golf outing, Guynn’s Bowling Day Out, State Fair, Telisa’s Day to Remember Our Love Ones, Aunt Rita’s Halloween Party for the kids, Summer family cookouts, and our every two year family Cruise). Our goal is that our children know each other and to also carry on our family traditions. Aunt Rita died over 15 years and we are carrying on her traditional holiday parties and we are hoping our children will do the same.