Awareness of Microagressions

This week, I overheard a conversation in a restaurant where a group were talking about another group sitting at a nearby table. One group spoke English, the other group spoke a language other than English. One person of the English-speaking group exclaimed “why don’t they just speak English? We’re in America!” This microinsult may or may not have been heard by the group speaking a different language, but had that been me I would have felt very out of place and like I did not belong.

            Languages are beautiful and I wish I were able to speak a language other than English as that would allow me to communicate with so many other people. Just because I live in America does not mean that all people need to speak English. It is unknown whether that group were choosing to speak to each other in their home language or if they did not understand English, but either way, that microagression can definitely negatively impact the way a person feels about their own language. I can only imagine how a child would feel if they overheard someone say that about their family.  

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

After talking with family members, colleagues, and friends about culture and diversity, I can say that I have an even better understanding of both topics through the eyes of others. I was able to speak to a person that is a different gender, another that is a different age, one that is a different ethnicity, and another that is a different age, gender and race. Most of the people spoke about beliefs and interests in regard to culture, and they recognize differences in people as being a big part of diversity. We have spoken about culture and diversity in this course and some aspects were included in the answers that I received from others. Almost all talked about culture and referenced having similar beliefs, interests, or values. Some of these similarities may be religious or even from family life. When talking about diversity, some talked about differences between others such as religion, race, and ethnicity. Diversity to others means bringing together different backgrounds despite differences.

One area that one person talked about in reference to diversity that we have not touched on too much in this course is disabilities. Having a disability is one way that sets them apart from others whether it is known or not the person with that disability feels different from others. While most talked about traditions, one talked about neighbors when explaining culture. This shows me how much others, not just family, can influence you and your beliefs. One person spoke about being respectful of the history and purpose of different cultures.

Thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity has influenced my own thinking about these topics as they have given me even more insight. I think now that I have had these conversations I recognize even more the importance of being respectful of other cultures and embracing diversity.

My Family Culture

If after a catastrophic event I was relocated to another country and could only bring three small items, I would bring a small box of photos, a recipe box, and a family ring.

            The box of photographs is important as I would be able to see the faces of the people that I love but may not be able to see again as I would be entering a different country. The recipe box is important as there are so many recipes from not only myself but family members as well. The family ring is important as it was passed down to me from grandmother to my mother then to me.

            If, upon arrival, I was told that I could only keep one personal item I would have a difficult time separating with the other two items but would ultimately decide to keep the small box of photographs. I would hope to be able to recreate the recipes from my family but place a higher value on seeing the faces of those that I love and miss the most. I am constantly taking pictures and would be devastated if I did not have at least some of the pictures of my family and friends with me. Those pictures would serve as a reminder to who I was, who I am, and who I could be again.

            While deciding on the three items I would keep, I realized how important food and recipes are to my family. There are a few food items in particular that I know I would be very upset about not having with me. When my family gets together there is always food and now that I have had to think about what I would try to keep I realize just how important that food is for us!