Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

When thinking about microagressions that I have witnessed, I think about a little Hispanic boy in our school. His name is Pedro and he is in the third grade. When Pedro came to our school his English was very limited, almost non-existent. The other children were very curious about him and his heritage. Pedro would not speak very much and he seemed very shy and nervous. I do not think the other children meant any harm to him; however I do feel as though Pedro was marginalized. The children had many questions about where he came from and why he couldn't speak like they did. All of the teachers felt sorry for Pedro and tried to help him as much as possible. In the beginning, I think Pedro's self-esteem was damaged but later on the children accepted him and began to socialize with him and included him in various activities.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

This week when I talked with others about the different ways culture and diversity are defined, these are the responses I received.

Culture- the way people live, how people talk and dress, the language people speak, where people are from

Diversity- differences, the way people and things are different, I am not really sure what that means

While studying this course, I have come to realize how deep culture is. It is about the things listed and yet much more. Culture also includes values, health care, showing emotions, and other things.

I found that I had some of the same thoughts as the people I interviewed before beginning this class. I have realized how much more culture and diversity encompass.

My Family Culture

In the event a major catastrophe has devastated the infrastructure of my country and I along with my immediate family have no idea where we will end up. I have been told that my host country is completely different from my own and I may have to stay there permanentaly. I am allowed a change of clothes and three other small items. These are the three items I would choose. My Bible would be my first choice. I have a relationship with Jesus and my I depend on my Bible for many things including God's wisdom and direction, His comfort, and His word. My second item would consist of my family photo album. There are many pictures near and dear to my heart. The third item I would choose would be my passport in the event I would be able to get out of there and come back home. Upon arrival, I am told that I am only allowed to keep one item. I would keep my Bible and hope the Lord would supply me and my family with passports to somehow get back home.

This exercise made me really think and put things in perspective. When compiling the list of things to take, I thought about make-up, my phone, and money. Then I realized what was most important. It also made me realize how differnt other peolple's items will be. Because even though we are alike in so many ways, we really are different and have different values.