Personal Awareness and Diversity

Diversity Awareness

We all have biases and stereotypes, and becoming aware of them is a crucial step towards minimizing or eliminating those barriers to understanding. I was raised to believe that we were a tolerant family, but in retrospect I can see that my parents had inherited biases and beliefs about other ethnic groups. They in turn passed on those biases and beliefs to me, albeit in an unconscious way. In addition to parental influences, social and peer pressures also led me to internalize stereotypes and beliefs about various ethnic groups. Biases and stereotypes about gender have also influenced my ways of thinking about social norms. Honest self-inquiry related to diversity issues will help me navigate through an incredibly heterogeneous world.

I am an African-American woman, athletic in build but soft at heart. When I was twelve I realized that I was different from my friends. While all my girlfriends were eager to kiss boys, I had no desire to do that. I hid in my homework and especially became active in sports. Although I was strongly aware of being female, and was socialized to conform to my gender identity, I also knew that I was a tomboy. It was acceptable to be a tomboy in my home, because I had older brothers. But as I got older I realized that I had fewer and fewer female friends.

The most crucial aspects of my identity include my ethnicity, gender, and now, my sexual identity. Throughout high school, sexuality did not mean that much to me. When I entered college I realized that I was gay, and I came out as a lesbian within a few months of starting classes. Joining gay and lesbian student organizations helped me to create a strong personal identity, one that I never had before when I was younger. I am open with others about who I am, and there is little I choose not to share except for my innermost fears. I believe that my deepest fears are what make me vulnerable, which is why I shield those parts of myself.

My perceived identity has changed much since childhood. My parents influenced my identity mostly in my early childhood years. Then, my peers began to be the most formidable influence in my life, followed by my role models in the adult world. Now, my peers are the ones who again influence my identity as I learn what it is like to be a minority in almost every aspect of the word: gay, black, and female.

I went through a critical phase when I was in high school, during which I read a lot of political literature about the struggle of black people in America. From these readings, I shaped a strong identity as an African-American female. Only lately have I realized that the female black experience in America is unique, and I am starting to learn about how African-American women have navigated through the treacherous waters of identity creation and self-confidence. My attitudes toward my own background remain strong, and I am gradually letting go of the mistrust and biases that I have cultivated towards other ethnic groups: especially Caucasians. Now, I have some Caucasian friends, whereas a few years ago I had none.

My racial heritage is African, but after centuries of slavery we now identify more fully with being African-American than with being African. Some day I would like to travel to Africa to get in touch with my ancestral roots. However, most African-Americans have trouble performing any genealogy to the old world. If I teach young children, I would make sure to cultivate each of their interest in genealogy and ancestry because I feel these are important aspects of who we are as individuals. We can never escape our heritage.

I identify with not just one but at least three different minority groups. As a female, we are clearly not in the minority but we have experienced subjugation and oppression by men and the patriarchy. Prejudices against women are akin to prejudices against black people and gays. I identify with each of these minority groups. Because I grew up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood, I felt supported until we ventured out into more mixed or white communities. Then, I felt stared at if not outright uncomfortable. I have not identified with being a lesbian long enough to experience prejudice, but I expect to once I come out more to my family members at home.

More than ever before, I am interacting with people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. I am interacting with people whose political beliefs and worldviews differ from my own. In my youth, most of my friends were African-American. Now, I have Asian and Jewish friends too.