Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

One example of microaggression actually happened to my husband. His coworker was talking about immigrants and how they should not be allowed to enter our country and become US citizens. He did not just mean illegal immigrants but all immigrants in general.. His coworker is aware that I was born and raised in Germany and became a citizen just a little over a year ago. My husband just look at him and asked him: "Are you serious?" His coworker did not understand why he was getting upset. My husband then told him that I, his wife, was an immigrant and that most of this country was based upon immigration. His coworker was quiet embarrassed about his statement.
I know and like my husbands coworker and think that in general, he is a good person. When he talked with my husband, I don't think he realized how offensive his comment actually was. My husband told me the story and I was quiet shocked at first but I was relieved that my husband defended me.

In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people.

My experience with microaggression made me aware of how many times people speak before they think. I am quiet certain that my husbands coworker never intended to insult me. Because he knows me and my English is so well, many people seem to forget that I was not born in the US. However, this comment was still hurtful to my husband and me. My observation made me aware of how many times, I may have done the same to others without realizing the harmfulness of some of my comments. I believe we all have a tendency to stereotype others without meaning to. Yet, if we are aware of our biases and the way we stereotype other, we can make sure to improve on it in future conversations.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I spoken with my brother and two of my friends. My brother's definition of culture is how people interact with each other everyday. He believes that culture is the way we act, speak and make decisions. His definition of diversity is things that make us different from each other.
My best friend, Sonja, defines culture as the place we live in. She believes that culture is the society we live in that makes the rules of how we live together. She defines diversity as a the uniqueness of each individual . She believes taht each one of us is diverse from the next person.
The last person I interviewed is Yuko, an early childhood professional from Japan. She defines culture as a something that lives in us and around us. She believes that culture is expressed in art, mannerisms of each other, and the way we treat people in our society. Her definition of diversity is a difference in our manners and abilities. She believes that our diversity makes us unique in our experiences and interactions.


I think the feedback I received showed how we all see culture in a different line. Yet, most of the definition were similar in  My brother and my best friend defined culture as the dominant society.Yuko who is an early childhood professional had a broader definition of culture. I believe that when most people define culture as part of the dominant society because it is most prominent. We often omit the families that we grow up with or don't think of it as part of our culture. All of them defined diversity as being different from each other. Both Yoku and my best friend believed that being different shows uniqueness.

Receiving feedback this week has showed me that in order to understand culture and their differences, we have to dig deeper and show others how deep cultures run. It can be difficult to understand cultures if we are mostly focused on the dominant cultures. This class has shown me that there are many layers of culture and I think we sometimes forget that it is not always only the dominant culture that shapes us but also our families and friends.

My Family Culture

The three items I would choose would be my last family picture, my son's bike, and my laptop.

My last family picture is important to me because it holds memories that are dear to me. I would take my son's bike with me to ensure that even though we may be displaced in location, he would have something of his with him that brings him joy. I would also take my laptop because almost all my pictures, college work, and other valuable information are stored on it.

I would be most hurt to loose any of these items. If I had to choose, I would probably stay with my laptop since it contains the most valuable information for me. However, it would frustrate me to leave anything behind that I hold dear.

Overall, I think this exercise has shown me how difficult it can be to choose from personal belongings. I think I could give up most of my possessions since my family is the only thing that I am really attached to. As long as I have them with me, I am happy. I believe that possessions are always replaceable but family is not.