Welcoming Families From Around the World

If I had to welcome in a new family into my classroom program, I would want to make sure that they feel welcomed and comfortable. I would want them to have the sense that we care about them and their child and that I am trying to to learn more about their cultural background.

The country that my Family would be coming from is Haiti:

 Hatti is a country that staggering poverty, unemployment, and social and economic inequities. It is also a country where women and children are prone to violence

(IRC, 2013). I think that it is important that seek out information such as religion and political standpoints in order to better prepare myself for the type of approach that I would need to take when meeting the family.  In order to prepare myself to be culturally responsive to this family I would fist try to find out what language do that speak; I would try to learn a few words to show that I am trying to make them feel comfortable such as, hello, how are you?, Goodbye. In order to make my environment welcoming I would find some books, pictures and possible toys that would be familiar to the child and and their family. I think it would be defiantly important for me to ask questions that would help me to understand the family structure. I would ask questions to learn about their favorite types of food, holidays that may or may not celebrate and learn about their music and traditional style of dress.

I believe learning some information about the country and then asking questions to the family would allow me to better understand them as a family. I think this would allow for an open line of communication. By making them feel comfortable from the beginning and show them that I care about them and their child it would allow for a very open relationship.

 

these would be some of the books that I would share with my class to inform them about the country of Haiti and to learn about their culture and it inform them of recent current events.

I would add traditional dress into my home-living center.

Traditional toy "Kendama Ball"

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

One personal experiences I would like to share actually happened on the last day of 2012. Myself and a friend were leaving from a bar, nether of us had anything alcoholic to drink. We went just to spend time with some friends. As we got in our cars and were leaving we noticed that a  black car was following us. After a few minutes has passed by the car ended up being a police officer. He put on his lights and pulled us over. My friend was driving so when he came to the window he was like I'm pulling you for not making a complete stop at the stop sign. Then as my friend was talking to the officer and was like No I made a complete stop because there were cars coming. At this time another cop comes along and is shinning a light all through the car. Both cops were white. The cop that was talking to my friend was like I smell alcohol on your breath. At that time we both were like we weren't even drinking. The cop told us to be quite and were lying. The next think I know the cops pull both of us out the car very violently, throws us up against the car and cuffs us. Then they searched our car for no reason. Once they did not find anything in the car they ran both our license and still nothing. Then they gave us both breathalyzers test. They let me go but would not let my friend go. They tried to say she blew way over the drinking limit. So I said to the cop sir we were not drinking that's not possible. He told me to shut up Nigger and mind your business. The ended up taking my friend down to the police station I followed behind. When they take her to the back the ended up letting her go. She told me that the cops boss gave her the test again and it blew zero because she had not been drinking. The boss took the tester from the cop that brought her in and come to find out the thing was broken and the cop new it. The cop proceeds to say I want to make the last arrest of 2012 and the first arrest of 2013. In my mind I was like really this is some BS.  

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?
 This oppression/biases of race and being pulled over just because of the color of our skin just made it a know fact that prejudice is alive and because of the color of our skin we were considered to have done something bad or was doing something bad. It shoots down the whole consideration of equity. Because we were black and driving a nice car an assumption was made that we must be up to not good.

 What feelings did this incident bring up for you?
This incident brought up a lot of different feeling and emotions. I Really gained the mentality of that you can trust no cop. It gives you the image that the cops are just as bad as any criminal.  First feeling we both felt when getting pulled over is scared. We live in an area where racism is very strongly alive. We were taught that if we get pulled by cops in this city to just remain calm and try to come at peace with the office. As the incident went on I felt confusion because I knew we had not been drinking. Then I felt Angry and discriminated against. I felt belittled epically when I was drug out the car for not reason. Once getting to the station and learning what I had learned I was really angry and felt like we were pulled just because the cop was trying to impress his boss.


What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

 To turn this incident into greater equity it would take a lot of work. I say this because it would have to start at home because prejudice is taught. Next law enforcement needs to better inform their employees about Social justice, Equity, Prejudice and Diversity. I feel if a Cop is expected of doing these acts or have committed theses acts then drastic measures should be taken. Screening of employees should be taken into place when the job is offered. In order for their to be grater equity there has to be a way to better inform people about culture and diversity. Although this will be a great task cause hatted and biases are mainly taught.

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