Microaggressions

Recently, just this past week I attended my first staff meeting, in conjunction there was a luncheon for a woman who was retiring. I was sitting with a few colleagues. They were talking about holding a graduation party celebration for one of the younger assistants in the office. The topic came up, about how they would have to set the time of the celebration, and post it for two hours before the actual time that the younger girl would be ready for the celebration, someone said, "Oh because Alma is always running late and the other said, "no she is on Hispanic time. "They laughed. Then one of my colleagues, Brenda, who is a gem... she is also Hispanic spoke up and said, "you know I am never late, actually I am always on time! "She was not angry. But this was an example of a racial microaggression. Brenda handled it eloquently. She was not going to allow others to get awake with a stereotypical racial comment.

This week I really enjoyed the media presentation, on microaggresions. I believe that Dr. Sue points are important ones. The world is diverse and individuals of all ethnicities and backgrounds need to be conscious in regard to respecting others. The theory sounds so simple, yet we know that its not. 

Ethnicity and Culture

For this assignment, I spoke to three individuals of varying ages, abilities, race and ethnicities. The answers to the questions in regards to their personal thoughts about diversity were unique.

A teacher friend, who works with fifth graders, shared how her parents worked very hard at giving her and her brother continued exposure to varied cultures and ethnicities. She said that this allowed her to understand that part of our role is to understand support and except the differences in people and learn to celebrate what it is about each of our cultures that make us unique. Her family and her have had the opportunity to travel to various countries and she shared that her “favorite,” culture is and country is Italy. I asked her why? She said of course I love the food and the customs, but what I love most is their celebration of family. The ties between the generations are different then in America, they are very close nit in there ideas of family. My friend knew and understood that the idea of culture and diversity ran deeper then just the celebrations and customs.

  The next person I spoke with I just met recently. She is an administrative assistant in our office she is from Columbia. She came to the United States to go to college, met her now husband and is expecting her first child in May. She too, spoke of the perspectives, which make her Columbian culture unique. She though too highlighted the importance of family. How her culture takes special care and has a unique bond within her own family.

The third person I spoke to is from the Midwest she is in her 60s and is an Early Childhood Professional. She theorized that in Arizona there is a dominant culture. She believes that the dominant culture unfortunately influences the perspectives and views of the less dominate culture. 

Each individual understood how that cultures each have their own traditions, languages. They each though interestingly did talk about the importance of family. Each too believed we as a society, need to be stronger in our convictions when it comes to accepting, and being more open minded to other cultures and ethnicities.  My teaching friend stated that she was really glad that her parents had made the conscious decision to raise their children with a much more open-minded view of the world and the different cultures and ethnicities that exist.

I believe each of the three women I spoke too had a great strong understanding of culture and diversity. This exercise helped me to revisit my own role in regards to how I work with families and children in the early childhood field. It again reminded me that I need to be in touch with my own biases and professionally I have to know to keep the subject matter at the forefront of my work with educators in my role as mentor.

My Family Culture represented by a ring, a mezuzah, and a family photograph

The three items I would choose are all clearly and closely linked to my families culture. The items are a mezuzah given to me by my mother, my grandmothers engagement ring which was brought here from Russia, when she immigrated, and lastly a picture of my family.

Each holds a deep personal meaning for me and my culture, and my family.

Let me explain a little bit about what a Mezuzah is. Mezuzah is Hebrew for doorpost. It is a piece of parchment with inscriptions of the Hebrew verse of the” Shema,” which are the first two words of a section of the Torah.  The Shema reads, “ Hear O’ Israel the LORD is our God, the LORD is one. For observant Jews the Shema is recited in the morning and evening during Jewish prayer services. The parchment is rolled into a small scroll and then placed within a small decorative box. This box is hung on the outside of the door of my home. It is slightly tilted towards the opening of the door. My mezuzah is 3 inches long, it has the Hebrew letters for SHEMA and it is silver. The mezuzah is placed on Jewish person’s home so that it fulfill the mitzvah the Biblical commandment to inscribe the words of the Shema on the doorposts of your house, and there is a ceremony and a prayer a Jewish person says when they fasten their mezuzah to their door. It in truth it is a blessing over the house.

So this would be a must if I had to move to a country, for wherever my family and myself live, the Mezuzah is on the doorpost and means the home is blessed.

In the late 1800s the Czar was persecuting the Jews in Russia and many immigrated to America. My paternal grandfather immigrated and only brought a few items with him.

My grandparents’ marriage was arranged before they left Russia. They both came separately and then were married here soon after they arrived.  After my grandmother passed away, my grandfather gave my father the ring and he in turn gave it to my mother when he proposed. When my mother passed away the ring was given to me. I wear it each day and it reminds me of my parents and my grandparents. It has great ties to my family and it has huge sentimental meaning to me.

My last item is a picture of my children with my parents. We are on the beach in Florida where my parents lived. My children were young, but the picture has and holds deep meaning of the importance of family, traditions and of the ties that bind us. Within five years of the photograph my parents both passed away.

I can’t even imagine how it would feel to be told that you could not keep items that you hold so sacred.

The insights I gained through this exercise are those in relationship to the value of family and how unique each families’ stories and culture are, and I again am reminded how grateful I am to feel and understand my families’ culture and the ties that keep us bound together.