One particular microaggression that stands out in my mind is one that could be categorized as a microinsult because it "demeans a person's racial heritage" (Laureate Education, 2011). These are much more offensive to me because they are intentionally hurtful and demeaning. An acquaintance of mine told me recently that anyone who lives in the United States should be required to learn how to speak English. He said, when people don't speak English it costs Americans a lot of extra money in tax dollars; he used the example of printing voter's ballots in the Spanish language. He made comments that suggested if you don't speak English you should not be in the United States. The remarks offended me right away because I always think of young children and the situations they have no control over. I think that many people are forced to learn English already and that people need to be more sensitive to the importance of maintaining a child's home language. Imagine how it might feel to not be able to fully communicate with your own family because you don't speak the same language. I tried to explain these things to him, but he only understood what he had heard in the news media. Then my husband changed the subject because he did not want a conflict to start. In my opinion people need to learn to have more empathy and it should be more of a focus in education programs. I don't disagree with my husband for changing the subject but on the other hand we need to address the issues as they arise one person at a time.
Reference:
Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI think the situation you mentioned is one that many people face. I have had parents of preschoolers who spoke only Spanish and it was very hard to communicate with them. We have a translator in our district but we have ONE translator for a district educating over 13,000 students. Many of these parents try very hard to learn English because they want to be able to communicate better with people. I personally would love to be able to speak Spanish. I did take it for two years in college but it was difficult for me to learn a second language. I wish I would have learned as a child. I definitely do not think people should be required to learn English but I do see how learning to speak English while you are living in America could increase your confidence. I know if I went to another country to live I would want to be able to speak their language. Having help available to people who want to learn English is important. The lady who watches our children spends time teaching English to one of my son's friend's mother. The mother is originally from Vietnam and wants to communicate better. I know that having someone willing to help her learn English has been very beneficial and encouraging for her.
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhen I first understood the definition of microaggressions, I realized that unfair assumptions had been made in my surrounding and were not aware of it until now. At this time, understanding microaggressions have shown me real racism has been and still present. An example was this year in my class, long before the Ferguson incident; a young child came to me from Dramatic Play, saying with a worried look on his face, that another child was going to take him to jail, adding, “I don’t want to get shot!”