My Experience with Microaggressions

I have had a few experiences with microaggressions but they haven't been that many. One incident in particular that stands out at the moment would be the time that I was sitting in a college classroom completing a test. The following day, the teacher was able to grade the test and hand it back to us and this Caucasian, young woman looks at me and says, "How did you make that?" I was proud of my grade but this woman made me feel that there must have been something wrong because my grade was better than hers. It was as if people think that African-American women (in particular) aren't capable of excelling in the field of education. Having this experience makes me not want to ever subject my students to anything of this nature which is why I am mindful of the words that come out of my mouth.

"Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I have a great deal of family members and friends that I could have pose the questions to but I decided to talk to someone whom I had nothing in common with other than the fact that we worked at the same place. *Tim is Caucasian; has parents who are racist and his friends are mostly African-American. My interest in Tim continued as I found out Tim's age which is 54. He is 21 years older than I am and for all of these reasons I decided to ask Tim the following two questions: How would you define culture and diversity? I wasn't prepared for Tim's answers but I believe that when dealing with challenging individuals, it builds your character.
Tim told me that diversity relates to those people whom he grew up in the vicinity of (Caucasian). He didn't have the luxury that most of us had which would include growing up around people of different races and ethnic backgrounds. As for culture, his response was kind of vague because again, he didn't have access to other cultures. His ideals about culture is limited which is acutally kind of sad. I think that ,as adults/parents, we have a tendency to force our own beliefs onto children which stifles their growth such as it was with Tim. Tim, although he didn't admit it to me, shared some of the same beliefs that his parents did. Also, I think that when I asked these questions of him, his mind probably began to wander about all of those people that he came in contact with who weren't Caucasian and how nice and friendly those people could have been. By him being close-minded, he omitted or left out the ability to learn about others. Perhaps, it could have made him a better person. I believe that when we observe and investigate others, it forces us to look at ourselves and examine the type of people that we are and who we want to become. Tim's answers influence me because I am now looking at myself in a different light--needless to say, I am embracing who I am and what I am and I am putting my view of myself before what everyone else thinks I am.

My Family Culture

I have been recently given the task of sharing certain information about my family culture with others. There are some things that are a part of my culture that is very important to me. If I had to evacuate my country or my place of residence, these things would be something that I would most definitely take on my journey. The three items that I would take with me would be photos of family, friends, and students that I have taught, my collection of poetry, and my shoe collection. Each of these things have a story behind them. In the following paragraphs, I will explain the meaning/story behind these items.

My photo collection is important to me because these are people who have shaped and transformed my life. My family has always been there for me no matter the situation or the circumstance. The friends that I have made over the years have begun to look and feel just like family in so many ways. They have given me strength and support to complete my education and they have also provided a listening ear when I have needed advice. My students have made me realize my potential as a teacher. They push me to succeed by being themselves regardless of what that consists of. We all know the type of things that middle school children do and in the midst of it all, I rise to the challenge.

My poetry collection is one that is a true representation of who I am as a person. My poems speaks volumes without me having to say a word. I enjoy writing and I have been writing poetry since I was ten years old.

Last but not least, I would take my shoe collection. I am not a vain personality. I love shoes because as a child, my parents weren't able to afford a lot of them. We weren't rich and we wore mostly clothes that were handed down from one sibling to the next. I never want to be placed in that situation again.

If I had to choose one item to keep, it would be my poetry collection because one day, I plan to be published and those faded pages will be ones that I use as inspiration. The pictures of my family, friends, and students will forever live on in memory and in my heart. I doubt if these things will fade from existence. As for my shoe collection, I would give them up because I know that it is about time that I break this cycle. Although vanity is not my motivation, mentally, I need to get passed my childhood poverty and my outlook on the whole situation.

By completing this activity, I was made to look within myself and pull out some things that I thought I had forgotten. It made me think...