Ethnicity/Diversity Paper

Color Me Human Amy Salomone Wayne State University

Ethnicity/Diversity Paper

When you search for the meaning of the word diversity there are hundreds of definitions. This is particularly fitting, because there are many different ways to define this word, as there are endless differences between individuals in society. The definition of diversity I found myself most drawn to defines diversity understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies (University of Oregon, 1999, para. 1). Diversity is about tolerance and understanding each other and our unique differences. It is about embracing what is unlike ourseleves and expanding our view points to accept all people despite their dissimularities from ourselves. Diversity is closely related to ethnicity, or having a common origin, or culture, that is handed down from one generation to another (Phenice & Griffore, 2000, para. 2). An individuals ethnicity can be based on a combination of their language, religion, race, and or ancestry. African Americans have had an arduous journey into society since the beginning of the Americas in the early 1800s. The black ethnic group did not voluntarily settle into America, they were forced out of their homes in Africa during slave riots and forced into ships to be brought over to serve as slaves on plantations of the wealthy. Even after slavery was declared illegal the black community still faced oppression by the white society; all public facilities were segregated and black facilities were substandard compared to that of the whites (Day & Schiele, 2013). Its been a long road to equality, but in many cases African Americans are still discriminated against. As my good friend Dwan told me, prejudice is alive and well. Dwan has been a social worker for over twenty years, and sometimes, even in present day, her skin color prevents her from being able to do her job. She told me her worst case happened when she was doing home visits to

Ethnicity/Diversity Paper check on safety of children in the home. The family she was visiting happened to be white and when the mother opened the door she would not let Dwan in the house because she was black; she would only talk to her through a crack in the door and would not allow her in her home. I

was shocked that this overt prejudice is still occurring today. Dwan said she was patient with the mother and began to build a rapport with her, but even despite their relationship she said they still conducted every single visit from the porch because the women did not want her in her house. Discriminatory treatment such as this is not only sad, but it is a direct relation to the African Americans historical struggle against oppression. This kind of prejudice is learned and passed down from generations as a result of what has happened in the past. The black community as a whole is largely dependent on family. Family is the cornerstone for which African American draw their strength and identity. The family system is the strongest bond in the community; many times this not only encompasses immediate family, but also the extended family as well. The African American family serves three vital functions; this includes the maintenance of ethic identification and solidarity in which members learn cultural pride through family and gatherings; the family also serves as a safeguard between the members and the harsh racial inequalities that still exist in the external environment today; lastly, extended family and kinships, which include blood relatives as well as close friends, create an interdependence and reliance on others for aid, advice, and emotional support (Appleby, Colon, & Julia, 2011, p. 81-82). The African American community also draws strength from its strong ties to church and religion. Along with family, church provides African Americans with a sense of identity and offers comfort and solace in interacting with a society that discriminates against their existence (Appleby et al., 2011, p. 83). Church provides a touchstone in for blacks to come back to and draw strength from in times of strife.

Ethnicity/Diversity Paper It is an unfortunate fact that many African Americans find themselves living below the poverty line. As a result of living in poverty, many African Americans find themselves living in

poor neighborhoods as well; adverse fact of a cycle that is yet to be broken. The cycle starts with the African Americans that are too poor to afford to live in a good neighborhood; subsequently the neighborhood also offers poor schooling for the youth, which in turn provides them with a poor education in which they are hired into low paying jobs or are put on welfare and the cycle begins again (Day & Schiele, 2013). The struggle against poverty and the desire for a stable environment is a major source of stress for which African Americans have been battling for generations and have yet to win. Although family is huge source of strength for African Americans, family can also be a source of stress and strife. The notion that they have an obligation to help members of their family can weigh heavily on an individual. While talking with Dwan she told me that she has out-of-state relatives that are homeless that she frequently wires money to because she feels she has a responsibility for their wellbeing. The worrying and concern affects her greatly because her occupation as a social worker makes her feel like she is obligated to provide aid; and also, her sense of loyalty to her family requires her to help in some way. Gender roles in the African American community differ slightly from those of the white community. Black women are esteemed for their independence ad strength, black girls with nontraditional gender role training have high achievement motivation, and black children are socialized into views of gender which are less rigid (Lindsey, 1998, p. 55). This application of gender identity contributes to the stereotype of opinionated, strong, black females. As a result of the flexible gender roles, black children are not burdened by adhering to the typical gender roles of acting feminine or behaving masculine. Nurturing men and assertive women are encouraged

Ethnicity/Diversity Paper

in the black community. As a result, there is an androgynous aspect that is neither masculine nor feminine to the gender roles of African Americans. In the black community, respect to elders is also very valued, and the grandmother is viewed as the matriarch of the family. She is the head of the household and many times will take over the job of caretaker if the parent is unable to do so themselves. This is a cultural tradition passed down from generations in which the grandmother is the foundation of the family. In the African American community many black children do not attend good school districts that will allow them to receive a quality education due to the poverty cycle. A greater
percentage of African American students attended schools classified as low AP [advance preparation] relative to all other racial groups (NAACP, 2009). As a result these children are not offered the same

opportunities that white children that do not live in poverty receive; without a proper education that can help them reach their potential they are not able to end the cycle. Related to the poor quality of education is the high rate of unemployment among black workers. It is an unfortunate fact that the unemployment rate of African Americans is double that of white workers (Day & Schiele, 2013). The lack of quality education impedes African Americans from attending college and ultimately receiving a degree that will help them get a job that will help them adequately provide for themselves and their families; this is also correlated with the large number of African Americans that receive welfare from the government (Day & Schiele, 2013). Also in relation to the cycle of poverty is the amount of African Americans that are locked up in the prison system. It is true that a majority of the people incarcerated in state and federal prisons happen to be African American (Alexander & Cornel, 2012). This is a result of the unsafe conditions and poor neighborhood for which many African Americans have been raised. In the African American community, culture is a large contributor to their sense of strength and pride in society. Family is the most important transmitter of these cultural values.

Ethnicity/Diversity Paper An African American childs preparation by parents and other social agents to understand and take pride in their culture can be a major source of resilience and coping (Appleby et al., 2011, p. 81-82). This relience can be advantageous when coming into contact with prejudice and discrimation in the outside environment. As I was speaking with Dwan she told me that in her

family it was predominately her mothers job to pass down the cultural values to her siblings and herself; her mother made sure they took pride in their heritage and never looked upon themseleves as inferior to any other ethnic group. Looking back, she told me that being raised with this cultural pride is the largely the reason she was able to continue to serve the client that would only meet with her on the porch because of her skin color. This sense of pride was infused into who she is, and continues to give her strength many years later. Initially I had thought that the text as well as other sources had merely exaggerated the information given concerning the thoughts and behaviors of the African American community. It was primarily my naivety that brought me to this conclusion I believed that there was not much of a difference between white cultural values and family structure as compared to African Americans. However, as I talked with Dwan I realized that for the most part the literature was correct in the information it provided. Of course, there are individual differences that are unique to every person or family, but I found her agreeing with details provided from my sources a majority of the time. In terms of social work practice, care must be taken in regards to the helping African Americans. On the micro level, a social worker must pay special attention to addressing African Americans with respect and dignity; there should be no preconceived prejudices. Social workers must guard against the tendency to blame the victim and keep personal opinions to themselves and help the client. This is especially true in dealing with clients that are poor and may be

Ethnicity/Diversity Paper seeking various forms of welfare. On the mezzo level, it is important that social workers also include members of the family in the counseling session since these relationships have a large influence over the client. Lastly, on the macro level the social worker can make efforts to help improve poor neighborhoods through creating social programs; such as, Head Start to keep kids in safe environments and off the street. The social worker can help in efforts to make the neighborhood safe by organizing a neighborhood watch and seeking out grants to build a local

park which will also give kids safe recreation activities. Finally, the social worker may also want to help school systems by helping rewrite policies and standards and getting more experienced teachers into the underprivileged districts so these children can get a better education. In conclusion, diversity and ethnicity affect every aspect of our lives; they determine how we are taught to act and behave, as well as how others interact with us in return. We are not all that different from each other, but our culture defines us and differentiates how we will be raised. However, we live in a diverse society and it is up to us whether we are going to define others based on their ethnicity because underneath our skin color we are all human.

Ethnicity/Diversity Paper References Alexander, M., & Cornel, W. (2012, January 16). Legal Scholar: Jim Crow Still Exists In America. Retrieved 28 2012, October, from npr books:

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/16/145175694/legal-scholar-jim-crow-still-exists-in-america Appleby, G. A., Colon, E., & Julia, H. (2011). Diversity, Oppression, and Social Functioning: Person-in-Environment Assessment and Intervention (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Day, P. J., & Schiele, J. (2013). A New History of Social Welfare (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Lindsey, L. L. (1998). Gender Role Development: The Socialization Process. In Gender Roles: A sociological Perspective (3rd ed., pp. 53-73). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. NAACP. (2009). Fact Sheet: African Americans and Education. Retrieved October 27, 2012, from NAACP: http://naacp.3cdn.net/e5524b7d7cf40a3578_2rm6bn7vr.pdf Phenice, L. A., & Griffore, R. J. (2000). Social Identity of Ethnic Families: An Ecological Approach for the New Millennium. Retrieved October 27, 2012, from Families & The New Millennium: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mfr/4919087.0005.103?rgn=main;view=fulltext University of Oregon. (1999, August 26). Definition of Diversity. Retrieved October 27, 2012, from Diversity Objectives: http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~asuomca/diversityinit/definition.html