Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This past week I watched Zootopia with my children, ages 2 and 1. Within the first 20 minutes of the movie Officer Hop, a female rabbit had an encounter with another officer, not sure of his name, but he was an over sized Cheetah. In the midst of their conversation, the Cheetah officer said that the bunny was cute. Officer Hop immediately replied that when a bunny calls another bunny cute, it’s ok, but when another species referred to them as cute it was offensive. The Cheetah apologized for offending the bunny.

This stuck out to me because prior to her encounter with the Cheetah, Officer Hop had been assigned to parking patrol. Officer Hop mentioned the fact that there were multiple cases to be solved and that she had graduated at the top of her class within the academy. Even with that information though, the assigning officer told Officer Hop that she could not handle those cases, [because she was a bunny, and too cute], and would remain on Parking patrol.

Both incidents are examples of microagression. Even within a children’s movie, there were visible examples of stereotypes of what a woman, often small and cute was capable. This image was portrayed through a rabbit that ultimately, proved everyone and their stereotypes about her, wrong.

Perpectives on Diversity and Culture

Interviewee #1: To me, culture is your way of life, your traditions and values that are instilled in you when growing up. It is all you learn and share such as beliefs, knowledge, values, attitudes, behavior, and language.
Diversity is a mixture of people that represent cultures, color, religion, etc. It is also having knowledge that each person is unique and recognizing each others differences.

Interviwee #2: Culture is how you were brought up. Its how you were raised within the community.

Your diversity is interacting with different culture.

Interview#3: Culture is composed of our traditions and our beliefs. Our culture is how we view the world and in many cases how the world views us.

Diversity is the representation of the differences among cultures.

After interviewing everyone, I came across the reoccurring idea that culture is multifaceted and complex. Culture is deeper than ones physical characteristics may portray. In reference to diversity, I recieved the common message that diversity and culture goes hand in hand. Diversity encompasses our differences.

As I spoke to the interviewees, my own ideas of culture and diversity were only made more concrete.

My Family Culture

       I would hope that I would never have to uproot my family and move to a foreign country. Moving to a place where the culture is unknown and we would not have any idea as to what we would be waking into would be terrifying. In the case of an extreme emergency though, which is not too far fetched from the current state of America, I would be willing to move in the case that my family were able to remain together as stated.

      I had to think long and hard, but if I could only take three things to describe my family culture, those three things would be: a small piece of tree bark, family bible, and handmade quilt.

I would explain that the tree bark is from the tree my father and I planted when we moved into our first home. When we initially planted the tree, the tree was smaller than myself and I had to be about six years old. Now that I am grown, with a family of my own, the tree has grown to be huge. The tree has become a centerpiece of our lives. We have used the tree for everything from base for games of hide and seek, a parking marker, to a shield during stormy weather making it to and from the house, the tree has been shade during family functions and always a great conversation starter. This tree is a part of my family culture because it has become such a huge part of our lives and it brings back memories of my family, and our time spent together. This tree reminds me of how important it is for my family to gather in love, the importance of unity and uplifting one another even in the hardest of times. The tree bark will symbolize my family’s strength.

       I would take with me our family’s bible. Our bible will represent our family’s religion as well as the strength of our faith. Our bible will serve to remind me that even when I get weak and want to give up, to remain steadfast and headstrong. Also in the bible are personal notes from the family members who have owned it. Those notes will serve as personal motivation for me as I try to survive and uplift my family’s culture in country completely different from my own.

       Lastly, I would take with me a handmade quilt passed from generation to generation. This quilt is important because it has contains culture far beyond my time. The quilt will serve as a constant, visual reminder of the comfort my family and our culture brings simply because it is all that I know.

      If I could only keep one item from the three, I would probably go with the bible. I would go with the bible simply because the bible and the personal entries would make me feel as though my family was speaking directly to me and pushing me through my journey of life as I adjust to a new country.

       As I thought about my family and our culture, it was difficult for me to choose items that would remind me of our culture. The idea of the tree made me somewhat emotional because it represents so much for my family and our culture and though I knew that to some extent previously, I didn't realize to what extent.