Practicing Awarness of Microaggressions

I didn't detect any examples of micro aggression this week possibly because I didn't interact with anyone except family and my staff and the families at my center. But I do have examples to share. Microinvalidations is one of the types of micoagression that was described in the video segment with Dr. Sue(Laureate Education 2011). Micoinvaladation is a form of micro aggression that excludes or negates a persons thoughts or feelings.
I have a friend who every time we go anywhere, shopping out to eat always feels that we as African Americans are being either not shown enough attention and good customer service as our white counterparts or we are being undo targeted as people who are gonna steal. Me and the other friend never see the same thing she is seeing and we always negate her feelings and at times have even walked away from her as she gets loud and out of hand and embarrassing. But after listening to Dr. Sue and thinking about it due to her experiences she may see things that the other two of use are just ignoring. She grew up in the city and me and my friend didn't and the things we have experienced may be different then her which make her see things that we don't.

I also experienced an example of microinsult about two weeks before I knew what it even meant. I was at Walmart with my cart in the little girls section and was looking at items when a white couple came near me with their cart full of stuff in my direction and literally was going to push their way right in front of me until I just moved my cart, there was no excuse me or anything just pushing through and standing there for me to move as if THEY were intitiled to cut in front of me, intitled to without so much as an excuse me or sorry. Now this could just be because they have no manners, but when I was in another section of the store and they attempted the same things again, I didn't move and give them any POWER over me. It bothered me but those things haven't happen many times to me anyway.

I think this observation experience has reminded me of things that have happen or things that I may have did that aren't appropriate as far as my friend. But I think it is also going to make me aware of the hidden meaning behind everything someone say's

Laureate Education. (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu  

Perspective on Diversity and Culture-

I reached out to several individuals regarding their perspectives on Diversity:

My Dads statement:
Culture is a set of identifying traits, habits or principles used to set apart a group of individuals from others as unique.
Diversity on the other hand is those characteristic which establish differences between people when looking at the whole. 


A Caucasian former co-worker:
Culture is celebrating and learning about all walks of life and being enlightened.
Diversity is all different walks of life.


A cousin in California:
Culture is the collective traditions and practices observed on a regular basis by particular groups of people.
Diversity id different groups of people practicing different cultures but still interacting with each other and living within close proximity to each other.



I have learned that culture is every aspect of a group of people, the way we sleep, talk, care for our families and relate to each other and withing our group and what makes us comfortable. and I think that most of the people I asked that question to agreed with that definition. I think that they have omitted listing all the things that make up a person's culture, it is everything that a person does the way the dress, look, talk and the things they eat.
Reading things that other individuals think about the definitions just helps to see that everyone has a different idea of what it means because it means different things to everyone.

My Family Culture?

I had to put a question mark after the title, because I was at a lost of what I have in my possession that would represent my families culture, I wondered since I have been raised a military brat and have never lived near my extended families to share the history or culture of our family I am lost. After reading some of the other post, I don't have a family item or a special item from a grandparent because I have never spent ore than a few weeks around them.

That being said I would bring my cell
My Dog, he's small enough
And my small page of personal hygiene supplies

I know these things have nothing to do with culture, but I really just don't have anything that represents my culture, my cell phone contains all my pictures except the big ones on my walls.
My dog is part of my family, leaving him behind would be like leaving behind my child. I was so sad seeing previous disasters in our world like Katrina and all the pets that were displaced.
And then my supply bag just because you need those items to feel clean and yourself.

If I then had to chose one it would have to be my dog, Trigger. He is part of the family.