Chapter 6
Ways of Being White: A Practitioner’s Approach to Multicultural Growth
Creative Connector
This chapter seeks to challenging the assumption of acting “white” and its connotation as a singular meaning.
I wanted to reflect on this idea, as it’s present a lot in my schools. I work at school #34 in the enrichment afterschool program. While it is enrichment, it’s not a gifted and talented program or anything of the sort- it’s an alternative place for students to go from the hours of 2-6.
My school is ranked as the most diverse in terms of race, ethnicity and religion. The interesting concept I see in my program is that the students that appear to act out the most are often my white students. In this setting there aren’t a lot of white students, and like all students they struggle with their racial identity. While black students are generally the minority here the situation is reversed. I can see them struggling with act too white and not fitting in or acting too black and not fitting in. It’s an interesting situation to watch and I was strongly surprised as how much I engaged in the chapter because of seeing this assumption of whiteness in my school.
I also looked at the concept of fundamentalist white identity development and the feeling of respond to multiculturalism with fear, hostility or avoidance.
While watching the news this morning I saw a growing controversy over an NPR host making a statement that when he goes into airports and sees a person dressed in Muslim grab he becomes nervous. This statement got him fired and has been highly published in the news. I was interested in how this fit into our class discussion and the idea of expressing opinions and having a conversation about race, ethnicity and religion. The question is, is expression a concern ground for getting fired, or is it the public forum that leads to that outcome. In my option I see him expressing his concern, and waiting to have it debated and discussed. While I do not agree or accept his opinion I see it a common concern for many Americans after 911- while this doesn’t make it right, it does make the concern reality. The idea is when can we start having these conservations and debates without feeling fear, hostility or avoidance. If we all have bias when can we express it so that we can have it altered and grown from newfound understanding?
Essence Extractor:
Use these four assumptions to guide the dissolving of the “Acting white” concept:
- 1) Growth in multicultural awareness is possible
- 2) Growth is multicultural awareness is desirable
- 3) Multicultural growth can be observed and assessed
- 4) Multicultural growth can be stimulated and promoted
I was also thinking about that NPR situation. Your comment of "The question is, is expression a concern ground for getting fired, or is it the public forum that leads to that outcome." I think we all know that answer. It was the companies way of saving themselves… funny because it was NPR!!!
ReplyDeleteIts hard thinking about these things, that host makes a completely valid point… I too have a thought cross my mind when I fly and see a muslim. Are those thoughts fear and ignorance driven, yes… but, it is todays world. I'm sure right after WWII any time a person of asian descent walked through the streets of America, wether Japanese or not, people paused and wondered.
If you have ever seen the documentary "Color of Fear" this comment is made in the so called "reverse" A Hispanic, Asian AND African American comment on what it felt like to drive to this group session and into an all white neighborhood. One man commented… I was scared and knew I had no place safe to go around here.
So i guess we all have some sort of pause and nervousness when it comes to the unfamiliar. But, YES, I have a thought cross my mind when a Muslim gets on the same plane with me, I just am able to correct myself and then accept.
Alicia I found your post about the students at the school you work at interesting. I too work at a very diverse school, Lyons Elementary, which is often called "lil Rochester/lil Cliton section" by many of the law enforcement in the area. They are known because they have big city problems in a small town. This could be because of the location being equi-distant from Rochester and Syracuse. While at teaching at the school sometime it is the white students who act out, but at times it is also the African American students that act out and try to be funny so that the other students laugh at them or think that they are cool. It is hard not to "stereotype" at times when teaching in such settings. I feel that many students these days no matter what race have absolutely no respect for teachers, their peers, nor themselves, and I think that a lot of it has to do with how children are being brought up, no matter what type of household they come from. There has been many times that I just wish that I could take one of the students home for a month and teach them a few things, take them places, and help them see what else is out there that they don't have to choose the paths that they are, its all a cycle.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think the ideas about the man in the NPR trying to open up discussions about the Muslim community is the right thing to do. Psychoanalytically most people who are confronted with unusual situations in which they are not used to, but also attach that situation to something like 9/11 will feel that way. To confront these feelings and turn them around their needs to be an open conversation about the matters at hand.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the last time Donald Trump was in the media; he had tried to buy out the funder of the Islamic Center Building that would be put up where the towers went down. Trump thought that this would be disrespectful. He took a stance of fear. Instead he should have seen how the people responsible for the tragedy on 9/11 were nothing more than extremists, yet because of it most Muslims, or anyone wearing a garb gets very negative attention. If the Islamic Center opens I think it would symbolize a change and the understanding that is necessary for everyone to coexist in this world.
What is interesting for me about the NPR controversy is that his comments were taken out of context. If the media allowed for the comments that followed, he asserted that this is a biased assumption. I am paraphrasing, but he also went on to say that his initial fears did not prevent him from boarding the plane, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, consider the pictures of the 9-11 hijackers. They certainly did not dress in anyway typical of Muslim dresss. They were able to blend into the general population- However, people still associate a type of Muslim dress or appearance with the potential danger. Why?