The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies

 For Blog #4, I decide to use connections to refer to this article. In Christine Sleeter's research review titled, "The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies", she talks about how it is important to not only recognize people with different backgrounds, but ,"recognize that that ethnic studies grew from a desire to counterbalance both inaccuracies and the predominance of Euro-American perspectives that underlie mainstream curricula." This, to me, reminds me of what we were talking about in class the past week about oppression. This reminded me of Kate's blog where she pulled the quote from "The Four I's of Oppression". The quote talked about how someone had a belief and got others to believe what he felt and made others feel less than if they thought differently. 

Kate's Blog

Christine Sleeter's research paper reminded me of the Precious video. In the Precious video, it talked about the story of a school in Tucson, Arizona where students  got their ethnics study curriculum taken away from them. The students were in an environment where they were learning about their culture and were in a space that they felt comfortable in. One of the higher men in charge took away their class because it was "threatening America". This man claimed they were trashing the founding fathers and had no respect for their class or beliefs. In the research paper, author Christine Sleeter talks about respecting others beliefs and where they came from which those values were also shown in the Precious documentary. 

The Four "I"s Of Oppression

Oppression can be displayed in many different ways. In an article titled, "The Four I's of Oppression", written by the Training Resources for the Environmental Community, they talk about the the four "I"s of oppression. For this blog, I decided to pull quotes and then elaborate on what was pulled from the text. 

The first I is Ideological Oppression. Ideological Oppression is any oppressive group that has a core belief that they are better than one another in any way, shape, or form. "Ideological Oppression is rooted in value systems that allow people to dehumanize, exploit, or harm other individuals and groups." Ideological Oppression is the overarching idea, however internalized, interpersonal, and institutional oppression are all smaller versions within the main idea. 

The second I is Internalized Oppression. Internalized Oppression talks about how certain groups put their beliefs on others while unintentional or not. “In white dominant societies, internalized oppression often expresses itself for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color through a strong drive to over-achieve in order to feel valued, or in self-doubt and hesitancy when pursuing opportunities for which they are demonstrably qualified.” While a lengthy quote, I feel that it is very important. It talks about white power and how they overpower anyone who they see as lesser than themselves.

The third I is Interpersonal Oppression. Interpersonal Oppression is the idea that one group is superior to another. "Honestly identifying the problematic statement, behavior, or action is a necessary first step." I chose this quote because a lot of times, it is very hard to make that first step and actually pursue action. 

The fourth I is Institutional Oppression. Institutional Oppression is the systematic mistreatment of a certain group of people. "Though committed individuals can choose to act equitably in their institutional or professional roles, the antidote for institutional oppression is transparent, dedicated, and accountable diversity, equity, and inclusion work towards change." I really liked this quote because I thought it was very transparent on how change CAN be made, however it is a matter of if people want to actually make the change. 

The Oppression Tree

"The Silenced Dialogue"

    For our second blog, we were instructed to read Lisa Delpit's, "The Silenced Dialogue". Delpit's writing make me think about how strong of an impact my previous educators have made on me, both positive and negative. I am a straight white female who has lived in good areas so the experience I have been through are not the same as others, however, I have seen a common pattern that has been repeated with educators and a group of students with certain ethnic or identity background. Discrimination is a serious issue within education and it is important for educators to create an inclusive and safe environment for all students, regardless of ethnic or identity group. This means treating all students with respect, providing equal opportunities, and creating a safe space where all students feel heard. 

Inclusivity In The Classroom    

 
    I went to three different high schools, and all of the different schools were very diverse and different from each other. For example, the first high school I went to was in a very suburban area with the majority of the ethnic background being made up of White. The second and third school I went to, the majority was Hmong, African American, Hispanic, and etc.  All of these schools gave me different opportunities and eye opening experiences that I would have not gained if I had stayed at the same school. I was glad I did not stay in the same district and was able to get other experiences that I truly think will help me in the future. 

    This reading brought light to the discrimination issues within this country education system and how white teachers still have the "power" and a sense of dictatorship and often make others that do not look like them or have similar social standings, feel less than and smaller than them. 

"Privilege, Power, and Differences"

 For Blog #1, I decided I wanted to pull quotes from Alan Johnson's, "Privilege, Power, and Differences".    

 Understanding White Privilege

Chapter 1: Rodney King's Question

"...the most important thing I can say to reassure readers who are wondering whether to continue is that things are not what they seem. The defensive and irritable feelings that whites often experience when they come across such language are based on some fundamental misperceptions..."(Johnson 2).

    I think that this quote was important to mention because it talks about how a lot of people get very defensive and automatically shut down when certain words are said which leads them to not listen to or have preconceived notion's that prevent them from being able to fully listen and try to understand what the other person is saying. 

Chapter 2: We're In Trouble

"This means privilege is always a problem for people who don't hate it and for people who do, because privilege is always in relation to others. Privilege is always at someone else's expense and always exacts a cost. Everything that's done to receive or maintain it-however passive and unconscious- results in suffering and deprivation for someone"(Johnson 10).

    This quote caught my eye particularly because I really liked how the author talked about how everyone is constantly in a state of unhappiness. 

Chapter 3: The Trouble We're In

"The trouble is rooted in a legacy we all inherited, and while we're here, it belongs to us. It isn't our fault, It wasn't caused by something we did or didn't do. But now that it's ours, it's up to us to decide how we're going to deal with it before we collectively pass it along to the generations that will follow ours"(Johnson 15).

    I really enjoyed this quote and I thought it was a strong way to start off this chapter. Multiple times throughout the text, Johnson reiterates how while we may not have started the issue, it is our responsibility to fix and find a solution. 

End Question/Reflections:

After reading these chapters, I have gained a new perspective on how I can approach topics like white racism, privilege, and how to better understand and navigate our current world. I thought that this reading was an interesting read and was a good way to kick off the semester. After reading, I got a better sense of what to expect this semester.

Talia Lewis Introduction

Hi there! My name is Talia Lewis, I am a freshman at Rhode Island College and am in my second semester. I am from a small town near Sacramento, California and I am currently in school working towards my degree in Elementary Special Education. 

Outside of school, I spend a lot of my time playing volleyball for the college, playing sand and grass volleyball, as well as coaching for a club volleyball team with one of my friends. Before I started playing volleyball, I did competitive cheer for 10 years which came with the opportunity to travel the country and visit various states. 

I have two sisters, one older and younger. My younger sisters name is Severin and my older sisters name is Sophie. I grew up in a very musical family and was put into the music life very young. I started playing the violin in third grade and have since then picked up 11 other instruments. I have been in various choirs, symphonies, and orchestras. 

I grew up with a bunch of farm animals and eventually started raising livestock, showing them at fairs, as well as selling them. Contradicting that statement, I have been a vegetarian since I was six.