What has been your experience with diversity in your past? How are you making people from diverse backgrounds feel welcome in our community?
Once you post, comment on two other people's post. (Things you found interesting or new etc...)
Please post by Sunday October 2!
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17 comments:
A large part of my experience with diversity took place while I worked for StoutMedia. StoutMedia attended and made commercials and recaps of events all over campus, including those of diversity organizations. I spent a lot of time talking with and learning about different cultures on that way.
I make people from diverse backgrounds feel welcome in our community by trying to treat them the same as everyone else in the community. I treat everyone equally and try to remain unbiased. I also try to plan events that associate to different types of people. I also make a note to check in with certain people I feel may not be associating with the group as much, and see how things are going with them.
My most prevalent experience with diversity was in high school with various foreign exchange students. My neighbors, who had adopted a little girl from China, thought it would be nice to have an older foreign exchange student from China live with them for awhile. Turns out, they were a horrible host family (Alexia, the foreign exchange student) had to ask permission every time she went upstairs to her room. Anyway, Alexia spent a lot of time in my house, and in turn, I learned a lot about her culture. After I got Alexia out of the house, my neighbors decided to have yet another foreign exchange student- this time from Germany. The same thing happened, and I ended up spending a lot of time with Mary as well. After going through 2 foreign exchange students, I'm pretty sure my neighbors were banned from having any more exchange students. Senior year I became really close to Iryna, a girl from Ukraine. Between getting to know Alexia, Mary, and Iryna, I was exposed to many diverse lifestyles and cultures.
I make people from diverse backgrounds feel welcome in our community by keeping an open mind to new ideas and lifestyles, yet staying grounded in what I believe. If there are people on my floor that I see are not fitting in for any reason, I make it my duty to talk to them and make sure they are feeling included and accepted. Another way I promote diversity is to tell people that when they learn more about people who are different than you, you learn more about yourself.
Growing up I was from a small town which only consisted of White or Native Americans. I would consider my experience with diversity a negative one while living back home. Most people that were White did not like those who were Native American and then those who were Native American typically did not like the Whites. It was super irritating mainly because we are already a small town, it only added conflict. I actually became really good friends with a lot of the Native Americans and really appreciate that I did. I learned a lot about their culture, and learned to really respect them. They are all so extremely nice, loyal, and always have a great story to tell. Going to Stout didn't really expose me to much diversity, mainly because campus is only 7%-9% diverse, but surrounding areas such as the Twin Cities has given me the exposure that I really appreciate because I actually get to learn about different cultures.
Adamme- I actually enjoy working at jobs that expose me to different diverse ethnic groups because like I said above, it allows me to be open and to meet new individuals. I believe by learning we have to tell stories, and networking and working with different ethnic groups gives us an eye opening experience on how other ethnicities do certain things.
Lauren- That's so extremely cool that you were so priveleged enough to actually interact with 3 different individuals who were from different ethnic backgrounds. I believe that's an experience that you could never have taken away from you, which is super cool. It probably meant a lot to those individuals to "take them under your wing" and interact with them when they didn't have the best living enviornment. I'm sure their experience was positively changed because of it.
Adamme: Its great that you are conscious about treating all of our residents the same- being unbiased and inclusive can really make a difference for first year students.
Brett: I never knew you grew up with Native Americans! That is so cool! Because you have experience with strain between two cultures, I can see where you would come to appreciate acceptance and inclusion for those different that you.
Lauren: I thought it was really interesting that you've had so much one-on-one time with so many people of different cultures. I've only had that with people from South America. I also really like your quote, "when you learn more about people who are different than you, you learn more about yourself." I think that's very true. It's follows the teachings of Socrates, "Know thyself."
Brett: I didn't know that you grew up in a small town like that. The town I grew up in was really small as well, but it wasn't very diverse. There was usually one black student at our k-12 school at a time and they received a lot of attention for it, but I never felt there was conflict anywhere. It's good that you were able to push past the conflict surrounding you and be the bigger person.
Growing up in two different countries helped me learn a whole lot about cultural diversity. It made me see that people are just people and often peers didn’t understand when either I had a strange habit/ lifestyle or when I was not surprised by someone with one. In addition to that, in middle school one of my friends was gay which was a huge deal at that age because no one is gay at that time. I really didn’t know what it meant but shortly after that a college aged gay guy moved in with us. He is a pastor’s son from Waupaca that was going to school in Appleton. He moved in with a family from my church that was very important and involved in the church. They didn’t know that he was gay but when they found out they no longer permitted him to live with them. We gladly welcomed him into our house and I thought it was really awesome that my family saw that his sexuality didn’t matter. That year I learned a lot about sexual orientation differences. Throughout high school, I experienced a lot of lifestyle, ethic and moral diversity with people I worked with and went to school with. Also, in high school my missionary Uncle and Aunt returned to the United States from Germany and other countries over seas to live for the first time since I was a child. It was sooo weird to see my cousins that were close to my age being so different! I got to see how different cultures are even in the rate of maturity. Also, what they viewed as very important was very different. It was great. More recently, this summer I spent a lot of time with my boyfriend’s family who has lived in the UK and are very culturally aware. I got to hang out with German and Japanese exchange students (and their families!) as well as British friends. It was a super awesome experience!
I like to make sure everyone feels included and that they don't feel that things that make them diverse are wrong. I do this by keeping an open mind. I also like to promote and suggest a diverse array of activities for people to participate in hopes that they too will have an open mind. Finally, I like to keep everyone included and have a range of events that will attract everyone at some point. Woop!
Lauren- that is awesome that you could experience that and even make them feel more welcome. It is very nice to see many different cultures to maybe understand people a little bit more.
Brett- I'm glad that you can see that Stout may not be very diverse but that you can also go out and find it and learn about different cultures. It is awesome that you got to live in a place with a lot of Native Americans. That influence is very cool.
Living in a little town full of a bunch of farmers and the lutheran-dominant faith shows that I didn't really grow up with much diversity at first. Because of a corn-processing plant that developed in my hometown, many hispanic families came to work at the plant over the past 8 years. Because of that, I went to school with many hispanic students. Looking back, I wish I knew more about their culture, but I never really had the chance. Everyone was so segregated at my school. I wasn't really close to anyone back home who any major cultural differences beyond being a caucasian, so coming to Stout was a bit of a culture shock for me. One example is that being raised in a strict christian home, I was taught that homosexuality was wrong.
Regardless I want to accept, support, and love anyone who comes my way, even if I didn't agree with their lifestyle. I try to have an open heart and mind so I can make anyone feel welcome and appreciated.
I came into Stout willing to accept anyone and everyone, and if there are differences between our beliefs, I will love them all the same. I want to embrace their differences and be proud of who they are and make residents feel welcome here. No one should be afraid to stand for what they believe in.
Lauren: What a great experience that you were able to be so close to 3 different foreign exchange students! I'm sure that getting to know them meant more than the world to them, especially when their "host family" isn't as welcoming as they should be. Those students are certainly blessed to have known you! :)
Mia: I think it's great that your family opened your home for that student. I find it extremely discouraging when christian families, or any families for that matter, aren't as open to differences as they should be. Being a christian, I feel that the christian faith is about having open arms for everyone and not to shun or neglect someone just because you don't agree with their differences. It's so contradictory sometimes. It just makes me so happy when people display unconditional love for people who aren't accepted by others.
In my growing up I didnt really experience much diversity. I lived in a fairly small city, about 8000. Although it was 8000 people, word got around fast and everyone knew everyone. My first experience with real diversity was my first year at college. Working in the commons alone was so crazy to me. To learn from my friends from china, india and nepal. Diversity hit me in the face when i first saw "gay pride" all over campus too. I wasnt familiar with anything but white, straight and christian. I took in a lot last year and learned a lot of acceptance. It was a major character building year for me.
Diversity in my life now as an RA is fairly easy. Making people feel accepted by talking with everyone almost everyday is working great. I have a few residents who arent really in the general crowd of people so its nice to stop in and talk to them and see how they are doing and chat. I know in training we were taught to plan things around different back grounds but its challenging for me.
Brett: I can totally relate to your post. In tomah their was a big population of native americans and not a lot of acceptance. Its great that you over came the general thoughts of your community and grew into the person you are today.
Mia: your background is crazy! I love it. The history of your family and the people you've experienced has made you into the great RA you are today.
Growing up two of my closest friends were of different ethnicity than myself. I remember going over to their respective houses and realizing that their home life was radically different than my own. This was especially true with my Vietnamese friend Khanh (we called him Ben). The schools I went to, while predominantly white, still had diversity within their student bodies. I would say those communities were very accepting of diversity. Here at Stout I make sure to be inclusive in the things I say and the events/activities I engage in. My floor however doesn't really have huge gaps in diversity. They all seem to have something in common (art or not) and they embrace that and interact off that.
Mike: It's good that you experienced diversity when you arrived at college and especially at Stout. I believe that Stout makes it easy to get involved in diversity.
Amanda: It is unfortunate your school and community were as segregated as they were. I admire your perseverance to try and look past your previous community's way of thinking. It really shows that anyone from any background can be accepting of diversity.
Up until the age of 13, I had very little exposure to diversity, but then I got my job at the camp that I worked at. This camp exposed me to all races, several religions, and also many mental and physical disabilities. I make people from diverse backgrounds feel welcome in our community by including everybody in the floor activities, and I am sure to examine all of these activities for points that may be biased or excluding.
Mia, I continually forget that you moved to the U.S. That is about as diverse as you can get in relation to my background. I also like how you mentioned not only race, but sexuality in relation to diversity.
Amanda, I was raised in a very similar area with that small town atmosphere. it is good that you can look back and see what you would have changed, but it is also good that you have made those changes in the present instead of just hoping for them to happen in the past.
I grew up in Milwaukee, so I went to school with people from all different ethnic backgrounds. But when I moved out to Fort Atkinson in 5th grade - the population was mainly white, and even being a 10 year old, I felt as if something was wrong with that. Purely because some of my best friends were from either Asian or African decent, and now it was just something completely different. Moving back to Milwaukee though was nice, I really enjoy diversity, rather than having everyone be the same.
I don't really think about diversity, only because it's something I'm just used to. I feel like I don't necessarily cater to people, because I've grown up with it, and just know to treat everyone the same.
I have one Hmong girl on my floor this year, and I know that her roommate and her friends on the floor are just fascinated when she speaks her native language, so I know that she's not feeling singled out, because people are acknowledging her background and have some kind of appreciation for it!
Mike - I can kind of relate the to sexual orientation thing at Stout, granted, I was raised with a step-sister that is a lesbian, and my half brother is gay, so I accept it, it's just a completely new experience with it being every where on campus. I guess I just had never really thought about it much until I got here, but it really does teach you how to accept more than you knew how to before.
Matt - You're kind of like me, in a sense that you're so used to diversity that you don't even think about it. I think it's really awesome to know everyone's background with diversity. But I always thought it was the coolest thing, going to my friend's houses for dinner and whatnot, and just seeing how different everything was compared to my house! (:
Before my arrival at college, diversity was a reality that rarely entered my everyday life. I was raised in a small town in southern WI that did not address diversity in school, nor were my parents adept at navigating the topic either. In many of the situations we encountered, my parents struggled based on their own upbringing. My dad, who was raised in a small town, would make a statement that was derogatory while my mom, who was raised in a large city, was the one to present a view that was generally more accepting of diversity.
The exposure I had at college to a wide variety of individuals with outlooks, backgrounds, beliefs and stories different than my own has given me a deeper appreciation for diversity. It has also shown me that diversity is much more than race or culture, its gender, sexual preference, socioeconomic status, ability, religion, geographical location and area.
In my work as a student affairs professional I ensure that all residents in my building and all students of underrepresented populations feel welcomed by acknowledging them wherever I see them on campus and within the community with a friendly smile and nod or engaging them in conversation. I strive to hire individuals that represent the diversity that exists within my building knowing that students of underrepresented populations need to know that they aren't alone. I encourage staff to program on issues of diversity. Most importantly, I get to know student for who they are as individuals. Each student has a unique role and abilities that they bring to our community. One-on-one interactions allow me (and us) to provide experiences that push them out of their comfort zones and challenge them to look at things in a new way, forever impacting who they are as a person and creating an engaging community.
Adamme-It definiately is a struggle to remain unbiased, as we all carry bias with us everywhere we go. Do you have any examples of when you overcame a bias you have/had?
Lauren-I think that many of our students struggle with learning about others and remaining true to their beliefs. Your statement on getting to know yourself better through that is great, what else would you say/do if a residents of yours was struggling with this?
Brett-It seems that small towns typically come with a negative mentality towards those that are different than the majority, as unfortunate as that is. What advice do you have for residents that are struggling with the low representation of diversity on our campus?
Mia-You've had such an ample exposure to diversity in many different ways. I woudl imagine that due to that, accepting others is just second nature to you. What advice do you have for staff or residents that struggle with appreciating those that are different than them?
Amanda-Your post reminded me of something a staff member of mine at Missouri told me years ago. She was religious and we had had some issues within the building with staff not accepting residents who were LGBTQ. Her response was, "It's not a choice I would make for myself, but I'm not going to hold it against anyone. I wouldn't choose to have sex before marriage but I friends that do but I'm still friends with them." What would you do if a staff member or resident shared that they weren't comfortable talking with you because of your beliefs?
Mike-I can appreciate how the first year at college can be a harsh reality check in regards to exposure to diversity. You mentioned that providing events regarding diversity is challenging for you. What are some ideas you have for community builders that would appeal to residents who are different than you?
Matt-What a great experience to be close friends with people that are different than you. You mentioned that your floor isn't diverse, but we know that diversity is more than what is on the outside. Can you identify a few things that make your floor diverse?
Justin-Thanks for sharing your camp experience. I am sure that with that comes many other stories you could have shared. Can you share a time that you planned an event that did not take into account diversity? What did you learn from it? How would you have changed it?
Laura-I can understand how diversity has been a part of your life with growing up in Milwaukee and having LGBTQ siblings, therefore you're likely going to have to challenge yourself to think about diversity on your floor. What are some specific things you're doing to promote diversity?
Thanks everyone for your posts and reading my VERY long one.
Great work!
KELLY
Your statement on getting to know yourself better through that is great, what else would you say/do if a residents of yours was struggling with this?
Kelly,
If a resident of mine was struggling with this, I would tell them that it is possible to learn about others (their culture, their lifestyle) without having to sacrifice your own personal beliefs. Learning about others' beleifs can either strengthen your beliefs or challenge them.
"Do you have any examples of when you overcame a bias you have/had?"
Kelly - No, not that I can think of right now. What about you?
Why yes Adamme I do. I was very biased towards Weight Watchers before I joined it. I had an Aunt who lost an insane amount of weight and I didn't feel like the program was all that healthy looking at it from that situation. When I arrived at Iowa, I had a few co-workers who had done the program and did not take it to that extreme and it gave me a new prespective on it. However, deciding to join and going to the first few meeting was difficult for me. In addition, I did not tell my family I was doing WW for months because I was afraid of what their reaction would be.
Now...can you think of a time?
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