Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I was required to attend a week long training for my job while, there a middle aged white woman ran her fingers through my hair and said "oh wow that's all your hair" the context of this microaggression was racial, I believe that the woman was expecting my hair not to be real, although she did not exactly say that, however she was surprised to find out that an African American was capable of having long hair without it being extensions. I felt comfortable about how to respond to this woman I had only met two days prior, so I simply said yes and continued my day. The ways in which this experience this week affected my perception of the effects of stereotypes on people, is that people still believe in to them without considering that not all people are the same regardless of there background or culture.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this blog assignment for this week we are required to interview three people (one whom as to be of a different culture, ethnicity, or background) and ask them what's their definition of culture and diversity these are the responses I received.

Friend:I'd say culture is the way of life for a particular group and how that lifestyle shapes them.. environment, traditions.. diversity is what makes something different than the next.. diversity kinda makes culture.

Sibling:Definition of culture a person environment what shapes them . Diversity : different backgrounds for  example this neighborhood is diverse meaning different types of people  from different ethnicities, races, and backgrounds live here.

Some one of a different race: my definition of culture means traditions passed along from generation to generation that are still practiced today, along with how you environment effects these traditions. How I would define diversity is by identifying someone culture and determining the differences.

The aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course that are included in the answers I received is that diversity can be defined in many different way no one person has the same definition. The aspect I would omit is the stereotypes when it comes to culture that based on how someone looks you assume what culture they belong to. For example if I was to see an Indian person I can assume she is buddhist or Hindu. When think about other people's definition of culture and diversity it has influenced my thinking because it allows me to look deeper in to what the world believes to be culture and how I would be define culture or diversity.

My Family Culture

My Family Culture

If I were among surviving citizen and the emergency government decided it will best serve me to evacuate to another country whose culture was completely different from my own. The three items I would take to represent my culture would be a bible for religious purposes, a recipe book with recipes of soul food dishes, and my family scrap book with pictures and captions.  If there were questions as to what these articles mean to me I would be open and honest about them and allow for question, how I would explain the importance of the bible would be to explain Christianity and how the bible relates to it, the recipe book is important to me because I want to reserve African- American cuisine, and having my family scrap would help me explain my culture and how my life was before having to move. If upon arrival I was told could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me I would be completely sadden. I would feel as if my families’ culture would be soon forgotten. Insight I gained about myself as a result of this exercise is that reserving my culture is very important to me, and it helps support my self-identity.