Awareness of Microaggressions

An example of microaggression, I dealt with when I was a child, was the fact that I was singled out. I had a friend, who I thought was my friend, but actually wasn’t. When it came to the two of us laughing and talking everything was fine, until she started hanging out with her other friends and completely forgot about me. While being in her presence, her friends would laugh at me, call me names and pick on me and all she would do is laugh. At times I defended myself, by talking about them in front of them as well as finding ways to make them angry as well as her. Once her friends started disappearing, she re-entered the stage of being my friend. Being called poor, trashy, dirty, calling my mom names, because she wore a wig hurt me. As time progressed, I ignored their comments as well as the girl who I thought was my friend that never was. The next school year, became better for me. They realized that I was a person, who cared less about what they thought. It took a while for me to understand, that they pick on people who are less than them (their lifestyle) but not better than them. Sure we moved into a better house, with better clothes, and my attitude was the same, except I ignored them completely, I made myself stronger.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

My husband thoughts on culture and diversity is the roots of where you come from, learning from diversity (other people as well). Diversity means learning from other culture. Learning from others makes you a stronger person.


My brother-in-law thought on culture and diversity is culture meaning family backgrounds, customs. For example, Mexicans celebrate the day of the dead, where they remember the loves, family history and past generations. His definition of diversity is do not know the meaning.

My best friend definition of culture and diversity is the quality of understanding a person’s belief, values, ideas, family background, religion, customs that make us different from others. Diversity means understanding and respecting different people such as their gender, race, age ethnicity just to name a few.

With their regards to culture and diversity, I can’t help but agree. Each one of them gave me their personal definition of both words and I respect and understand their meaning of culture and diversity. However, their response is what makes them unique. I can’t give them the definition of culture because the term of culture is endless. An example of what I leaned so far is based on my husband, my brother-in-law and best friend definition. Each one discussed the importance of learning and understanding a person’s beliefs, values, ethnicity as well as family history. As I got to know each one of them, I had to accept and respect their values, beliefs, ideas, ethnicity and religion. What makes them so special is what they value and believe in that makes them unique; I guess that’s what I love about them, their opinion!

My Family Culture

Three items I would take with me are:


• My grandfather’s flag, from the military representing freedom.

• My family album, representing events as well as faces that I love

• My bible, because it represent my belief and faith in the lord.

My feelings if I were told only to keep one would be disappointment, angry, betrayed, and upset.

My insight is realizing that my family heritage is important to me. It defines who I am, what my family represents, what my family values are as well as what we believe in. My family has come from a long line of ancestors who worked hard to make their name mean something. I want to continue the legacy as Thomas who never gives up.