Saturday, August 9, 2014
A memory I have where I witnessed bias took place when I was about twelve years old and living in the small town of Exmouth, Australia. Having traveled a lot around the country I had been exposed to members of the Aboriginal tribes and learned about their history and traditions. The small town I lived in was primarily Caucasian of Irish background and an Aboriginal family had recently moved there as well. The family had two children. While at the pool I noticed the children were basically shunned and did not join any of the other students. I also heard several adults openly spoke disdainfully and prejudicial of the Aboriginal family. I found this strange as I had associated the aboriginal peoples as eh heart of the country and those who most belonged. This diminished equity by marginalizing the family and potentially hurting the children's esteem and confidence. I recall feeling very sad and offended for the children but at twelve I didn't step in or do anything to welcome them myself. I think I was unsure of what the next step was and I was bothered by my own lack of assistance. If I could go back, I would have invited the children to join me and done what I could to help them feel included.
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Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI find it ironic how the Aboriginal family was treated considered that they are the native people to Australia. I experienced similar experiences growing up with Caucasian attitudes toward the Cherokees. I think it shows the ingrained Euro-centric doctrine that occurs in our society. If you are not Caucasian, European descent then you are considered a lower class. I am sure the children were affected especially if it affected you. At 12, it is hard to know what to do especially if the adults around you are acting in a certain way. I am sure upon further reflection, we would all change something in our past. The important thing is to learn from it and let it positively affect your future interactions. Thank you for sharing.
Myra
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteIn your post, you mentioned the mistreatment of the Aboriginal people; this makes me think of a movie I saw, Australia. In this movie, I saw a variety of individuals helping a Caucasian woman keep her land that she inherited; the Aboriginal people helped her care for the land as well as her home. This movie showed the importance of each individual and his or her culture, and how both contribute to society. Your post showed how some individuals disrespect others when they are not contributing to the personal lives of the dominant culture. Although the children were innocent, they often receive the raft of others, because of who they are. I also thought that the Aboriginal people were an important part of the Australian culture. You were young, and you had no way of knowing how to act because; the adults were not modeling appropriate behavior. You post have helped me to understand the importance of teaching children to respect all cultures.
Lah-Lah