Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I was talking with my husband this week about microaggressions and explaining to him what this concept looks like and he brought to my attention a moment when he experienced a microaggression with a former co-worker. He reminded me of the conversation he had with his friend (whom is a young, white, southern male whose father was in the military) a long time ago. He said that him and his friend were in Publix together and his friend made the comment, "You know how they say black people love fried chicken...that's how I feel about mashed potatoes." I asked my husband what his reaction was and he said he laughed it off. He explained that he laughed it off because with this particular friend, he didn't expect him to realize the comment he had just made was offensive.

After reviewing resources and completing various assignments on microaggressions, I believe some incidents of microaggressions can be considered "innocent ignorance". In the situation with my husband and his friend, I do not believe his friend would intentionally make such a racial comment and not correct himself or apologize for it. I believe all races make comments about other races all the time. But, at the end of the day, it is all about perception. My husband did not PERCEIVE his friend as being a racist, bias, prejudice, or stereotypical when he made his comment and therefore was not offended. Sometimes, we all unconsciously say things that can be received as hurtful and/or offensive but mean no harm by them.

I do question if microaggressions have to deal primarily with one’s perception of the message received or if such infractions of social behavior exist because certain individuals are still trying to coexist in a dominant culture?  I ask myself, if this is the root of microaggressions? Is it that the “dominant culture” still has not fully accepted the existence of people of color, gay/lesbian, women, and other individuals with social identities that vary from those in the dominant culture? In this recognition, I know it is profoundly complicated to look at an individual in an insulting way but feel slighted if one’s perception of me is offensive.

What do you think?

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

In  regards to the aspects of culture and diversity, after speaking with my mother, my oldest child (13 years old), and a former co-teacher, I found that the perspective of culture and diversity correlates. Most of the answers paralleled culture and diversity to the point they were one of the same. One example (from their viewpoint) that seemed universal among all the answers was "culture is who you are" and deals mostly with race, gender, and one's community. Before participating in this course, I would have agreed with their observations of culture and diversity and would have found it hard to truly reflect on the subject. 

But, as I have learned through my Reflective Journal submissions, there is so much more beyond the layers of a person that truly defines their understanding of culture and diversity. It is so much more than one's race, gender, religion, family culture, etc. In my personal opinion, it is one's values, experiences, physical characteristics, and social identities that make up his/her concept of culture and diversity. This concept was one of the aspects that had been omitted from their understanding of this topic.

Thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity has influenced my own thinking about these topics by allowing me to see how universal this subject is. It was interesting to me to realize that culture and diversity almost seems like a taboo topic and nobody really discusses it in depth; yet, it affects each and everyone of us on a daily basis. Whether it's how we approach one another or our perspective on the community in which we live, this topic is undeniably widespread and deeply rooted.

My Family Culture

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture...


The three items that I would choose to take with me to represent my family culture would be the wooden spoon and fork set, a djembe, and chakra stones.

The wooden spoon and fork is a traditional item in most African-American homes or kitchens

 and represents having good health and a prosperous family. The set can, also, be interpreted as family strength since the time the family is actually gathered together is at meal time. The oversizing is to emphasize that strength for all that visit the home to see. I grew up with this exact set in the kitchen of my childhood home!

A djembe or jembe, is a musical instrument that is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. The drums has always been the "keeper of the beat". Your heart is like a drum that keeps the beat of your spirit. The sound of the drum is used to communicate, both physically (through playing) and spiritually (when you allow the beat to engulf your soul). 

                                                     



The last item that I would bring with me on my journey would be chakra stones. My family and I are deeply into energy and strengthening the mind, body, and spirit. Chakra stones are used to cleanse and strengthen certain energy centers found within the body and are an important part of spiritual and mental growth. 
                             

 In arriving into this foreign land, if I were told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me, I would feel devastated, but would keep the chakra stones. All three items make up a significant part of my identity. Although, I would have a hard time parting with any of these 3 items, I would know that I carry the special memories of  them all and in these memories I would have them with me always.