Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

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This week we learned about Microagressions. Microagression can be defined as the following: brief everyday indignities, that can be verbal, behavioral or environmental, that unintentionally (or intentionally) deliver insulting messages to others that may cause severe psychological distress and harm. Most often, these messages are centered around race, gender, sexual orientation, ability or religious affiliations (Laureate Education Inc., 2011).

These microagression however unintentional have long lasting and far-reaching consequences. Because racism is taught and not innate, the scars of microagression can be oppressive, cumulative, cyclical, and multi-generational.  There are several forms of microagression. They are:

·         Microassult—is outright and deliberate racism. This equates to blatant attempts at racial slurs in order to hurt and belittle.

·         Microinsults—this form of microagression attempts to demean a person’s racial heritage by suggesting the personal is intellectually inferior.

·         Microinvalidation—the final form is ignoring or making light of someone’s experiences in terms of racism; invalidating their feelings of being discriminated against.

The hidden message within these microagressions is the oppressive lording over another person. “I am better and more valuable as a human than you.”  Microagression works because in our competitive nature there is always someone trying to “one up” the next person. One person’s success means someone else must fail, or come out as substandard and subservient.

I have witnessed and been party to many microagressions in my lifetime. Obviously most of them have been those innocent enough “ribbings” that we give each other about being this or that.  “What a redneck!” “Where’s the flood?” “Hey nerd, what’s up?”…all those labels we toss around to describe our friends and acquaintances.  As we grow up that doesn’t really change—only the words we use. We think we are being funny, but the truth is sometimes this “kidding” hurts.

Probably one of the most common microagressions I am guilty of even today is by microinvalidating others. I think I am usually guilty of invalidating feelings of others because I am a problem solver by nature. Most people just want you to listen to them and understand how they feel in the situation and not solve or under appreciate what is being said. I want to fix everything for everyone.  I have been aware of this for quite some time and realize it is a problem.  It doesn’t show empathy.  I had no idea it was a form of microagression. Learning from our expert, Dr. Sue, has been a real eye opener.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

This week I asked several friends and colleagues about their idea of culture and diversity; these are the responses I received:

“Cultural example might mean that I serve fish every Friday, or a music fest involving parents. Or having children in posters from different cultures around the world. Diversity means I might want to have a lesson on all the differences with people. Different eye color, skin color, parental systems....etc.”

“Culture: the socio-political context of a particular place at a particular time. Diversity: recognition of the differences within an established group or place.”

“Diversity... acknowledging the differences we all have. Culture... a group of people with similar beliefs. For example...teaching culture or school culture or religious culture...”

As you can see there are several variations on each words meaning. Cultural and diversity is very personal to each person and family.  No matter the definition, its understanding at that language level hangs on a continuum. Some view culture and diversity on a broad scale and think of it as everything we see, say and do. Why others hold it a little narrower and look at it from the perspective of a single family unit. In either case, it is important to understand that children will notice these differences and sameness’s and pretending they do not exist, is not best practice. In order for children to learn acceptance and tolerance we must expose them to their world in a safe, caring and engaging manner, be there to answer their questions and most importantly we must be that positive role model.

My Family Culture

This week’s blog assignment (MISSION) should I choose to accept it…[mission impossible theme plays in the background]…

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

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What if’s are always a hard game for me to play, as a person who is already over analytical, it is a never ending process of over thinking, and re-over thinking. After an hour of “deep thoughts”, I can only think of one thing I would want to take with me, besides my family.  The only thing I think I would miss of my physical possessions is my family’s photos. I would also need my pets. Other than that if I have my family that’s really all I need.

My pets are like family, and the family photos would help me keep my memories, and allows me to share those memories with future generations. I can’t really tell you which one of those items is really more important than the other, and I would be deeply saddened if I had to choose just one. 

Throughout the history of the United States, this has probably happened more often than could be documented.  So many families show up with hopes of freedom and opportunity and meet resistance, misunderstanding, and an unwillingness of the “native culture” to learn about the culture that the individual brings with them.

 It would be extremely hard if not impossible, for me to come to a strange country, be expected to practice new roles, learn a new language, and even wear clothing that I wasn’t used to, trying to fit in. I am pretty set in my ways, I don’t honestly know if I could start over with nothing!