KaoLyMoua

English1050Su16
ProfessorLouiseBown
CourseObjectives:SelfReflection

SelfReflection

DiversecultureshavealwaysbeensomethingIthoughtIknewalltoowellbuttheworld
isalwayschangingandnewissuesarealwaysforming.English1050hastaughtmeabout
socialgroupsbetweenlanguage,raceandgender,howtoexaminemyownbeliefsand
attitudestowardsdiversecultures,andwhattheeffectsofourdiversecultureonindividualsand
groups.English1050hasbroadenmyperspectiveonthediverseculturesthatsurroundsus
eachday.
Diversitycanaffectoursocialgroupspower,whetheritsbetweenlanguage,race,or
gender.Language,forexample,affectsonegroupoveranotherbecauseifonegroupspeaksa
morecommonspokenlanguageitcanbeoverpoweringtosomeonewhocomesfromagroup
thatissmallerandnotverycommon.IpersonallycanrelatetothisbecauseIspeakHmong,
andthatisalanguagemostpeoplehavenotheardof.AnarticlethatwaswrittenbyGloria
Anzalduacalled,HowtoTameaWildTongue,statesherpersonalexperiencesandemotions
thatrevolvearoundhertryingtoadapttoalanguagechange.Shewrites,Ifyouwanttobe
American,speakAmerican.Ifyoudontlikeit,gobacktoMexicowhereyoubelong(Gloria
Anzaldua,Page521).GrowingupandtryingtospeakEnglishwasdifficulttomeaswellbutifI
wantedaneducationhere,IhadtolearnandhadtoadaptjustasGloriadid.DuringthetimeI
waslearningIfeltveryvulnerable.Iwasbulliedbecauseofitbutthatwasntthehardpart,the

hardpartwasthatIcouldntstandupformyselfbecauseIcouldntunderstandwhattheywere
saying.Languageisapowerfulthingandifyoureinthegroupthatiscommonoverthegroup
thatisnt,youhavetheupperhandtobealeaderandtoevenvictimizeaninnocentperson.
Socialpowerwithgenderisahottopicintheworldandhasbeenforawhile.Menareknownto
havemorepoweroverwomenanditalmostseemslikeitsanormalthingnow.Thereareso
manyexamplesofgenderinequalitybutwiththatsaidtherearealsoincrediblewomenoutthere
thatarebreakingtheboundariesandmakingitknownthatwomendeservetobeequaltomen.
Andofcourseweallknowthatraceisinvolvedinsocialpower.Centuriesago,slaverywasa
commonthing.ThepowerwasintheWhiteshandwhiletheBlackswereleftwithnopowerto
evensavethemselvesfromthatcruellife.FrederickDouglasswritesaspeechregardinghislife
asaslaveandthestruggleshehadtoface.Frederickmayofbeenbornaslavebuthedidnot
letthatgetinthewayofhisdreams.Hebecameawellrecognizedleader.Wehavetodowith
thepastonlyaswecanmakeitusefultothepresentandtothefuture(FrederickDouglass,
465).Frederickmakesagoodpointinthissentencebystatingthatyoucantchangethepast
butyoucantakewhatyoudidlearnandapplythattothepresentandtoyourfuture.Today,
slaverynolongerexistintheUnitedStates,therearestillsomepeoplewhobelievethatWhites
stilldohavemorepowerovertheBlacks.Inoneofourdiscussionswehadthechancetowrite
aboutFrederickDouglassandacommentbyAshleyOlsenmadeastrongpointabouthowwe
shouldtrulybeequal.Shestates,Ifeelpartofhismessageasideforslavery,wasimpressing
thatgratitudeforwhatyouareandhavealsotryingtoconvincetheaudiencethattheyshould
supportfreeingslaves,anddeclaretrueequalityforallmenmeaninghumanity(AshleyOlsen,
Week2Discussion).SocialpowerissomethingthatIbelievewillalwaysexistandfromwhatI
havelearned,wehavegrownfromthepastbuttoday,westillfaceproblemswithpower.

Thisworldsdiverseculturecontinuestoaffectindividualsandgroups.AsIhave
mentioned,itaffectsmanythingsincludinggender,race,andlanguage.Diversecultureshave
differentwaysofdeterminingwhocanbelongtoaparticulargroupandwhatkindofbehaviors
areacceptable.Theeffectsareholdingpeoplebackfromtheirfullpotentialinlife.Itweakensa
personsabilitytoprovetheirstrengthsandtohaveavoiceinsociety.Howexactlycana
diversecultureaffectusintheseways?Simplybysettingrestrictionsonthewayindividuals
interact.Withoutproperinteractionwithotherswearelimitedtounderstanding,learning,and
progressing.Wehavecomesuchalongwaywithinourdiverseculturesbetweenindividuals
andgroupsbutwestillhavetocontinuetofightdaybyday.Itjustprovestoindividualsthatwe
areourownprotectorsandwecanonlyseeachangeifwebecomethechange.
Mybeliefsandattitudesastheyrelatetodiversecultureshavebroadenmyperspective
thanwhattheywerebeforeItookEnglish1050.Before,Iknewalotaboutthediverseculture
regardingraceandlanguage.Ihadapersonalconnectionwiththesetwotopicsandhavedone
manyresearchonthem.IdidntthinkaboutanyotherdiverseculturethanthisbecauseIfelt
stronglyaboutit.Ineveroncethoughtthatgenderwasabigprobleminthisworldandcometo
findout,itis.Itevenaffectmeandthatsscarytothinkabout.AsIreadaboutitIfoundthat
womenhavealsocomealongwayandItoofeltapersonalconnectiontoit.Womentoday,still
facemanychallengesandrestrictionsjustasraceandlanguage.Genderisfarmorethan
betweenmenandwomenbutwithourjudgementofsamesexrelationships.Whenweseethat
kindofrelationshiponthestreetsoratthestore,dowestopandstare,orisitnormalnow?
Therearemixedresponsestothis,somesupportsamesexrelationshipswhileothersrefuse.
StephenMayswritesanarticlecalledGreatSexpectations:Whataboutgenderrolesin
samesexrelationships?Mayswritesabouttherolespeopleplaceinsamesexrelationships
andhowpeoplejudge,evensometimeswithoutknowingitcanbehurtfulHismainpointsare

thatthereshouldntbeanyroleinthisrelationship,theyarebothmen.Maysstates,Inthecase
ofagaymalerelationship,however,thekeypointisthatneitherofusisthegirlofthe
relationship,nomatterwhichsideofthescalewefallon.Werebothboys(StephenMays,
Web).Weneedtounderstandthatthisworldisfullwithdiversityandthatthatsokay.
WhatIwantedtogainfromthiscoursewasabiggerperspectiveondiversityandoverall,
IfeelasthoughIhavereachedmygoalinthisclass.Ilearnedsomanygreatthingsfromso
manygreatpeople.Theirstoriesareinformational,inspirational,andpowerful.Ihavelearnedto
bemoreawareofdiversityinourworldandhowtobecomeinvolvedinthechange.Life
constantlychangesandwitheverychange,weneedtoworktogethertochangetheworldone
stepatatime.