Teaching Tolerance Readings

I took three test on the Implicit Test sight Native America, gender and career, and gay or straight. The first test came back that I put American and White together while putting Native American and foreign together. These results surprised me I taught I would find no bias in myself but the reality is that we all have bias. Growing up my mom and grandma were racist against Native Americans, so I was surprised to see these results in myself, I believe these bias where shown to me at a young age.

The gay and straight test I took next determined that I prefer straight to gay. I never judged any one for their sexual preference but again I grew in a conservative family who does not believe in gay relationships. Personally, I believe love is love and sexual preference is something we cannot control

. Lastly, gender and career results came out that I put family and women together and men and career together. This also reflects my uprising, I grew up in a traditional family who believes women are meant to raise the kids and stay at home while the men go work and provide the income. This is completely different than the life I live now. My husband and I live an equal relationship with both of us working to make an income for our family and both doing household chores and sharing responsibility for our daughter.

Knowing myself I believe these results are based on my uprising and how that reflected in myself. These bias are what I was raised around and even though I do not see it have become my hidden bias. As a teacher I believe this bias will not come up or be a problem in my teaching. Professionally I know to treat everyone equally and not be biased toward any student or fellow teacher.

White privilege is what we call special treatment or advantages that white people get over any other race. The article states that white privilege is something invisible that we don’t tend to recognize. When talking about the issues of bias in the country we never think about the small things that we should be concerned with like not being able to buy the right shampoo for your hair because it is put in such a small section, or not seeing people of your own background on T.V as soon as you turn it on. One of the major things I have seen is the fact that Latinos were not on Disney channel till Wizards of Waverly Place that was where I first saw Hispanics on something other than Telemundo. Reading this article made me realize how much I never investigated these things that are white privilege, I believe I never noticed these things because, even though I am Hispanic I am also “flesh-colored” so I never had to worry about foundation not being in my skin tone or products I use being in an ethnic area. The only thing that is put separate for me is the Mexican Isle for food at the grocery store where they put all the soda, candy, and spices Mexicans tend to use. All these other huge issues that the article talks about I never honestly stopped to look at, it was not till this class till I noticed these bias and white privilege around me.

The article ,I chose, to respond to was “How we build anti-racist white educators?”. This article was about how we can approach the reality of our own bias and confront them to avoid racism in education. One thing the article talks about is not seeing color growing up and realizing the white-privilege in areas like not having a black teacher till college. This is something I can relate with because, I never saw color or taught to much into things that are white privilege. It was not until taking this class that I realized how much white privilege I have noticed in certain areas that deal with complexion and what I have faced being a Hispanic in this country.

We don’t realize how we are trapped by our history that we have cloaked as normal. The skills she talks about start with talking about race with someone who is white vs. someone of color, when talking about race it tends to only occur when we see someone of color, but whites should feel free to talk about race with people of the same race. Anti-racism training is the second step in building an anti-racist education. Training is of course something to look at some people may not know what they are doing is racist and training could help people see these things and change for the better. The third step is being open about these experiences with people of color. Opening and asking questions is better than settling and not knowing if something is racist or not. Humility is the fourth step in this process and its about not just talking to colleagues but also talking to our students. The last step is unlearning all the things we shouldn’t have learned in the first place. The things that white supremacy and white privilege that we don’t realize won’t be cured by just conversations it is something we need to un teach and change in education. The article ends with giving resources of where to sign up and become an active member of this change for education.

This article made me question what I have been blind to by being a white complected person and what I haven’t noticed in my own life that may have been racist or bias. This article made me aware of thing that I didn’t look at before and how I can change.