One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is to make them feel welcome and comfortable.  I always tell my families that this school year we will be like family because we will get to know and share so much together.  I will be  a part of their child's lives and they in turn will be a part of my life.  I hope that all the families I deal with will feel that I treat them like family. 

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice would be to incorporate cultural studies in an in depth way - not just studying holidays or food but really encompassing the experiences people have, and we can learn some history along the way.  

  

To all my colleagues, I have learned so much from you while we examined our feelings and delved deep into our experiences, both good and bad.  Some of you have shared heart-breaking situations and have truly opened up.  For that, thank you because I learned so much from seeing the world through your eyes.  Hopefully, we can all make a difference where we are but you have all made a difference in me.  Good luck to all of you in your endeavors.

Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I have personally experienced bias, and prejudice.  But I am choosing to talk about an incident that my high school friend experienced.  My high school friend,  Naji who is Indian, had a horrible time in high school.  He was small and very thin.  He was constantly teased and picked on especially by a Chinese group that went to another high school but took the same way to the public transit system.  We always walked in groups and would witness the teasing but we ignored it and would keep on walking.  But one day, Naji had to stay late after school, I believe he was tutoring someone in math that day and on his walk to the public transit he encountered this Chinese group.  Unfortunately, they took advantage of the fact that he was alone and they decided to beat him up.  He was beat so badly that they knocked out his front teeth and he had cuts, bruises, and a broken rib.  It was literally a "gang" we were to learn later that had been harassing him.  This "gang" took issue with "Indians" and had decided to make Naji an example of their gang war.  The police had to get involved and they tried to get justice for Naji.  Naji was never the same again.  He became extremely reclusive and wasn't the same person.  He stopped tutoring after school and finished the semester and transferred to another school.  This particular incident diminished equity because it disempowered Naji.  Even though he had the law on his side, he never felt safe.  We felt so bad for Naji.  Justice was never really found for him.  The incident changed him forever and I will never know if he received healing from this incident.  After he left my high school, I never saw him again.  To turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity many things would have to change. I think my high school administration and the other high school administration should have taken more action to prevent these types of incidents.  They should have been more pro-active in trying to implement startegies to open dialogue for different groups.  The schools failed Naji and the students involved in this incident.  Change needs to happen on the local level.