Professional Hopes and Goals



Teaching and living diversity



Learning about diversity


     When I think of families from diverse backgrounds, this interpretation for me is more than just people from different places.  My families are diverse in so many ways, I have the very young mothers who have been raised by very young mothers, and I have young and older grandmothers that have taken the responsibility of raising young children, I have fathers raising children alone,  older sibling raising the younger brothers and sisters in a household with substance abuse parents. 

     My hope for my children and families is that they find the services needed to help them acclimate into a warm, caring, culturally tolerant, healthy environment.  My hope is that the world becomes kinder and welcomes diversity with an open heart, mind, and spirit.  

     My one goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field in relation to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice, is to have all of the early childhood professionals trained in diversity, equity, and social justice.  Our children live the greater part of the day with early childhood professionals that may not have a clue about diversity.  With such important issues affecting our children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development, it is paramount that our administrators train their early childhood professionals on diversity, equity and social justice.

     Training is the one goal that I believe could make a difference to our children and their families.  When early childhood professionals truly understand cultural diversity, the equity and social justice awareness can be practiced in our classroom. This new awareness and understanding will trickle down, up, and out to a new army of culturally diverse educated savvy communities.

     I will have to repeat myself by saying this “I miss the banter of the open discussion of the brick and mortar classroom environment however, that is not physically affordable for me at this time.  I thank you all for the discussion board and the interaction that you have brought to it.  I truly enjoyed and appreciated your comments, and feedback, your shared information, and part of your own personal life.   Thank you!!!

       

Welcoming Families From Around the World

                                                      

Welcoming Families From Around the World

El Salvador is the county of origin for my incoming family:

First I will contact the El Salvadorian Embassy to learn of the fundamentals of this country, and inquire about; the population, the economics, averages, family income, and how they earn their income i.e. agricultural or industrial.

Next I will visit an El Salvador Restaurant to get a feel of the foods that they partake of and how they share their meals.

I would visit the church where the population is El Salvadorian to understand the religious practice of the people, to be certain that I will not offend the family.

Next I would ask the priest “who is head of household when both parents are together”.  I need to know who to direct my future questions to, and who will have the ability to give permission for our everyday plans i.e. trip and scheduling.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

El Salvador is the county of origin for my incoming family:

First I will contact the El Salvadorian Embassy to learn of the fundamentals of this country, and inquire about; the population, the economics, averages, family income, and how they earn their income i.e. agricultural or industrial.

Next I will visit an El Salvador Restaurant to get a feel of the foods that they partake of and how they share their meals.

I would visit the church where the population is El Salvadorian to understand the religious practice of the people, to be certain that I will not offend the family.

Next I would ask the priest “who is head of household when both parents are together”.  I need to know who to direct my future questions to, and who will have the ability to give permission for our everyday plans i.e. trip and scheduling.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression



 

    

 I remember entering the five & dime store with my grandmother. In the sixty’s the five and dime store was equivalent to today’s dollar stores, however most items cost more than a nickel or dime.  I was just browsing, and looking around.  My grandmother never allowed us to enter a store without our own money.  “You don’t have money, you have no need to go into a store, you’ll just get in trouble”, that was a steadfast rule. 

     I kept seeing this man following me in the store, I purposely zigzagged through the store slowly, but he was still there right behind me.  At first I said to myself maybe it is because I am only twelve, but I saw other children that were white browsing in the store, but no one was following them.

     I finally walked over to my grandmother and shared what was happening to me with her.  When he saw me talking to my grandmother, he quickly turned around pretended to be browsing. My grandmother walked over to man, and with an angry high pitched voice said “my granddaughter has her own money and just because she’s a Negro doesn’t mean she is a thief”.   The man turn red “no no I was not following her, she looks like a nice girl”.

     The manager of the store heard my grandmother’s angry voice, and rushed over to where we were “What’s the problem miss"?  My grandmother explained the occurrence (children did not speak to adults in those days) so I just listened.  After hearing the whole story the manager apologized to the both of us, and gave my grandmother a coupon, she give it back and told me to come, we left the store.

     It was clear to me that I was not equal to the European American girls who were also browsing.  My skin color automatically told this man she has no money and she is going to steal.  I did not have the right to even look at the merchandise.  Maybe we should have pasted my money to my forehead or something.  I felt less than other youth in the store.

     The man should have been admonished in front of us, and he the security person should have apologized to us.  The real problem was that the store’s policy was “watch all negroes”.  The respect for all people was not the message of the day and it should have been and it should be now.