Perspectives on diversity and culture

I asked three people about culture and diversity. I ask one male co-worker, one female co-worker, and a friend who is of a different race than I.

My male co-worker, Jimmie, stated that culture is the need to historically analyze and preserve the traditions of the past.

He also wrote that diversity is the ability to respect, understand, and harbor multiple viewpoints, opinions, and cultures, to better enrich a community.

These statements I agree with. The statements were very forward and I agree that diversity can better a community, i never thought of it that way but it could bring people together in a sense.

Another co-worker who is of Indian decent stated that culture is a group or family of people generaly from the same geographic location.

To me this is a little too broad, but goes to show that not everyone knows what culture is about.

Her definition of diversity was people from different backgrounds, geographically, financially, etc, with their own traditions.

This definition was a little more specific and seemed to beeter suit what I was expecting.

The last person I asked about this was a young lady who is only 19 years old and has had no college training. I was interested to see what her response was.

Culture is traditions habits, foods, and ways of living, following certain rituals/religion in day to day life.

Very good, not what I was expecting.

Diversity is people from differnet cultures, that are in the same community, it can be called diversity.

This is true but not exactly what I was asking. I'm glad she tried though.

microaggression observations

I have actually been witness to this type of behavior this week in my own classroom. We have a very diverse class and one day this week I had a new parent come to our room to tour and ask why there were so many "black kids" in our room compared to the other classrooms in the school. This threw me off completely and I was not sure how to respond for a quick second. I replied to her by saying that our class is a very diverse one and we welcome everyone into our room no matter their color. Our children vary from black, to white, to indian, to asian, and even those with dissabilities. In my class especially we accept all walks of life, and we teach our children respect.

 As I said before I was shocked and was not sure how to resond to the parent without being rude. Her comment really offended me. I was certainly glad thatt there were no other parents in the room at the time I can only imagine what would have happened.

My Family Culture

I have been evacuated from my home and told I can not return, I only to bring three item with me to represent me and my culture:
1.) A picture of my family in front of our Christmas tree.
     *I cherish this picture because it was the last picture of me and my family when I lived in  Colorado. It was the last Christmas that I spent with my family, and it was a time of thanks and a  time of sadness, as everyone knew I was leaving but we rejoiced in the fact that I was finally grown and moving away from home.

2.) The picture of my boyfriend and I at Halloween, dressed up for a party.
     * This represents that tradition that we have always done in my family and now with my new family of dressing up for Halloween to be silly and have fun with others around us. We celebrate Halloween as a holiday to eat candy and act like children, not as the traditional all hallows eve.

3.) A black stuffed teddy bear that was given to me at Christmas.
     * This bear was given to me as a gift when I was just hitting middle school and was torn between being a big kid and just a kid. I still loved the childish things of the years past but was changing and did not which way to go. This teddy bear has been through it all. He has been sewn multiple times re stuffed, and traveled all over the world with me, and means the world to me because it was from my Grandmother.

I would be absolutely heat broken if I was told that I could only keep one item. All three of these things mean so much to me and show who I am and how I was. I am still just a big kid and want my teddy bear, my family is my one and only, and my boyfriend is what i have to be thankful for in my life right now.

As far as learning about my family and my culture, i have always known who I am and what I represent. My family made sure that I knew these things at a very young age. I have always been told that God and family come first, after that you can make your own decisions.