Welcoming Families From Around the World

 
I chose the country Egypt to be where the family came from. The five ways in which I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards the family are as follows:            

1- Commit and dedicate myself to learn and find out as much information possible about this family, their culture, traditions, beliefs, etc. Plan a home visit to see the child’s living environment and family culture. 

2- Encourage meaningful family involvement in the school/classroom on continuous basis, which can help the family connect with the school and feel valued. Incorporate their culture throughout the classroom, add books in the library and items in dramatic play.

 3- Create and provide a classroom learning environment where the child from this family can bring in and share experiences/activities relevant to his/her life. Invite the family to teach the class some of their language. I would also learn some phrases as well, so I can communicate with the child.

4- Believe in the child’s potential to learn and grow by providing equal opportunities that promotes the healthy developmental all around. 

5- Do a self-reflection and examination to remove any bias or prejudice that I may have. Be aware of my social identities and biases, with the goal of providing a safe, honest, caring and nurturing environment where both family/child can learn and grow. 

Preparing myself and approaching the family in such professional and culturally sensitive manner, promotes and ensures parent’s connection to the school where their family culture, language, values and beliefs are respected and celebrated. This will build a great and trusting relationship between me and the family. The child and his or her family will benefit from my preparation because their culture will be recognized and that they will be encouraged to learn also about the other cultures. They will expand their cultural knowledge and being sensitive to the culture of others. We can also learn from this child and their family. 

 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

When I was in my late teens, there was a corner store that my cousins and I went to. We were not the rowdy type of teens, we were taught to always be respectful and conduct ourselves as though our parents have eyes everywhere. When we walked into the store the Asian man behind the counter yelled and told us to hurry up and buy. We looked around to see if he could possibly be talking to anyone else but it was only us who were in the store at the time. We decided to ignore his comment/demand and continued to look through the store for junk food. The man was eyeing us very hard. He told us to hurry up or get out of his store and we better not steal because he is watching us and he will call the cops if we give him any trouble. At that moment my oldest cousin was getting angry because we did not deserve the way we were being treated. We never cause trouble but we get treated as if we steal and/or do worse. I told my cousin to lets not spend our money here and leave, but before we could my cousin being the outspoken person she is told the man that because we are Black does not mean we will steal or destroy and she said it again in Chinese which shocked the man. He looked confused and we left the store.

Making the assumption that everyone that is Black does wrong is wrong. I do not like to be judged by the color of my skin and I think it is unjust to treat anyone the way they do not want to be treated. As far as my feelings were concerned, I was bothered by what was said and how we were treated. I started thinking about my mom, dad, and grandparents and knowing they may have been treated worse when they were my age. Sometimes incidents like that make you a stronger person.

For an incident like the one I experienced to change, the Asian man does not need to make assumptions based on skin complexion. If he wasn’t quick to pre-judge us he would have gotten our service. It makes me wonder how he has treated others that have come before and after us.

 

Microaggressions and Their Impact

Microaggressions and Their Impact

Microaggressions can be hurtful both intentionally and unintentionally. It is important for people to think before they speak and realize that your words can affect the person receiving them. I have had many experiences where words and actions were harmful and hurting towards me. When I was taking my core courses in college, I remember an incident in the bookstore. I heard two females talking about hair and one of them was trying to get the other to ask me about my hair. Well, I turned around and the Caucasian girl asked me if all my hair was mine. I responded and said yes and asked her if she would like to check for tracks (weave) because she gave me an “are you serious” look. She responded and said no but touched my hair anyway. She said my hair was silky and straight and I must be mixed. I told her no I am not and both of my parents are Black. I really took the conversation offensively and the girl caught on because she seemed apologetic and walked away but never really apologizing. After the conversation I felt that since I am African American I cannot have nice hair. I have had several incidents regarding my hair even when I was in high school, not just by people outside my race but also those of the same race as me.

This week’s lesson has taught me that anybody can pass microaggressions intentionally and unintentionally, that is why it is so important to think before you speak and to treat others the way you want to be treated. I also learned about the different types of microaggressions, which I was unaware of. I enjoyed this week!