The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I am patient and do my own research to have a better understanding of their diverse backgrounds such as studying their surface and deep cultures. 

"The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you: They are unique manifestations of the human spirit."  
-(Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010)

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity,  and social justice is to have more training and professional development opportunities available to support their staff with communicating, working, and building relationships with colleagues, children, and families. We work in an environment that is so diverse and it is essential that we have the resources available to effectively communicate and build a positive rapport with others to support children and their families be successful!

Thank you to my colleagues for learning and growing with me over the last 8 weeks. It has been a challenging and fulfilling journey. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences regarding culture and diversity. I hope together we can create a positive change in society. Good luck to you!

~Jamie

Reference: 

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

Welcoming Families From Around the World

About 195 different countries exist in the world today

According to the U.S. census bureau, the United States’ population includes individuals and families from 150 different countries

As an early childhood professional, I will encounter children from diverse backgrounds whose families may have come from many different countries. Therefore, it is essential to prepare myself for working in early childhood settings that represent such diversity. 

A family recently emigrated from Japan.

I would like to prepare myself to welcome the child and their family. In order to prepare me, it is essential to learn about where they are from in order and their culture to support them in the best way possible. 

5 ways in which I will prepare to be culturally responsive towards this family include:

• study their surface culture and deep culture by understanding their language, values, rules, expectations for their children, what they eat, how they play and relate to others, holidays, gender roles, ideas about education, work, relationships and housing arrangements (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010)
• Build a relationship with the family by being understanding, responsive and helping the family learn skills of supporting their child in a new environment and cultural differences (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010)
• Create a learning environment that is accommodating and individualized and incorporates and builds on children's home cultures to promote development in all areas (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010)
• Include artifacts in my classroom pertaining to Japan such as books, posters, a flag, or food in the pretend area that the child may recognize
• Find ways to speak and write to the family in their native language 

            I hope that these preparations will benefit both me and the family in many ways. It is important to understand other cultures because other cultures may have different expectations than others so it is key to be aware and understanding (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  There are many ways to be human so it is important to expand our understanding and be accepting to others (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). As educators, when we learn about other cultures are flexible to the multiple ways children can be successful, the work we do with children can be significant (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Finally,  there is no "one size fits all" so it is important to try your best to support English language learners and other cultures by making sure everyone feels included, supported, and welcomed!

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. 

Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children  (NAEYC). 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

During quarantine and social distancing because of COVID-19, I have been binge-watching tv-shows on Netflix. One show that I have really enjoy is called All American. The series is based on a real story and is about an African American male who faces many challenges including culture change and prejudice when he recruited to play football for Beverly Hills High School, a rich and fancy school. This show is an example of someone who is a target of bias and prejudice. 

This young man's experiences of bias and prejudice diminished equity in several ways. 
As I continue to watch this show and saw the various incidents of how individuals are treated due to their skin color it made me angry and upset. It was also eye-opening because it relevant in today's society with police brutality and social justice. 

 Society would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity because the young man, Spencer experienced racism when he was staying in the community where his new school because he was a minority.  In one episode, the police pulled Spencer and his friend over for no real reason. The situation escalated quickly when his friend tried to talk back to the officers and defend themselves. Afterward, the family had to have a talk about the reality of facing the police as a black man. 

We all need to come together to create ways to support reform and eliminate social injustice.