Reflection

The cultural group that grasp my interest was those of recovering drug addicts. No
stereotypes or prejudice really exist in my mind when it comes to formal drug addicts. My
perception of this group is one of confusion, I never really understood why people choose drugs
are even start using drugs. The addiction that drugs can have on people is what I can understand,
not the reason behind choosing drugs. At a very young age my experiences with drug addicts and
former drug addicts started. My family is very huge with several drug abusers, so as a child I was
introduced to the affects that drugs can have on people. Drug addicts and recovering drug addicts
arent really represented in the media in my opinion. When they are represented its mostly in a
joking way, yes some positive movies and documentaries are out about these group. Yet majority
of television shows portray in a negative aspect, making jokes about how drug addicts look and
behave. The media has no impact on my view of this group of people because Ive had my own
experiences with them. Sympathy is definitely something I have for this group because I know
how addicting drugs can be and too actually get clean and stay off drugs and to be able to call
yourself a recovering drug addict, is a hard thing. My current views may affect my future work
positively because I am so curious about this group and I have some prior experience with them.

Interview
My interview was with Ms. Jamie Wilson a recovering drug addict and my current
classmate. On the 13th of this month Ms. Wilson will be clean for 5 years and 9 months. The
reason behind the start of her drug use was because her husband was a frequent user. In order to
become more relevant in her husband life she decided to join him in his use to spend more time
together. Her addiction was crack cocaine, later on in her marriage her husband left her for
another woman which lead to her using the drug more frequently. Eventually her husband gained
custody of her two girl and moved them away from her which led her in a downward spiral with
drugs and life on the streets. Ms. Wilson spoke to me about being abused, sleeping any and
everywhere and even being arrested several times for trespassing. During this time she was
always being degraded and told that she was worthless and would never amount to anything.
Shes very thankful that her mother stood by her every step of the way through her addiction.

When she regained custody of her children her mother took them and raised them for 6
years while she was out on the streets. Jamie spoke on how her mother was very helpful letting
her stay at her home when she needed somewhere to stay, and even letting her children be a part
of her life while she was incarcerated. After being arrested several time her probation officer
and judge put her in a program where she had time to clear her mind and body. The only thing
Jamie regrets about her struggle with drugs is that she missed and wasnt able to be there for her
two daughters while they were growing up. Everything else about her journey she looks at as a
blessing and a lesson. She stated to me that her experience is what is going to make her a better
social worker especially with the right education. After being addicted to drugs for almost 10
years shes proud to say that she recently graduated with her Associates Degree and pan to attain
her Bachelors and Masters in social work.

After Thoughts
After my interview with Ms. Wilson, my eyes were filled with tears her story impacted
me in a major way. She absolutely changed my perspective on current drug addicts and
recovering addicts. We even had a post conversation about God and his influence in her life
through her addiction which was an amazing conversation. Now I further understand why some
people may become addicted or even become curious about drugs. This culture of people face
many stereotypes such being told they would never be anything, there life is nothing, females
drug addicts are automatic prostitute and all drug addicts are criminals. This interview impacted
my future career as a social worker in a positive way, now I will be able to further assist my
clients who are recovering drug addict because my understanding of what they went through is
greater.

Continued Social Work

In order for me as a social worker to better understand this group and be able to serve
their needs properly I believe I would need more hands on experience. More interviews will have
to be conducted with the variety amount of drug users. Interviews with people of different age,
ethnicity, and even different drug preferences. All drug users have different stories depending on
all of the factors Ive mentioned. So only knowing one or two peoples struggle want help me
grasp the severity or extreme need of others. Watching documentaries that cover drug use in
different areas of the nation, and that cover a wide range of aspect of drug use is something that
is needed to increase my competency level of this group.

Reflection
The African American culture is one that Im apart, even though this is my culture many
stereotypes still exist. This group people in my opinion seem to be lazy and rude, African
Americans are uneducated and unmotivated. These viewpoints and thoughts started at the age of
7 when I was growing up down south. The media doesnt really help with my viewpoints
because it portrays this group as ignorant or violent. This causes me to be extremely sympathetic
because I am a part of this group and I can relate to them. I understand the struggles and
discrimination they face. My current views could affect my work with this group because I
would expect so much from them. Being that this is my related group I would instill too much
hope in them.

Experience
Due to the fact that this is my community my curiosity ran away from me about things
that I may not know or understand. So I chose this group to educate myself on my own
community and to understand this community. Recently at work while on break I sat down next
to an older gentleman watching football. After some small talk I discovered that seating next to
me was a Freedom Rider, this man had walked with Martin Luther King and was currently a
deacon. He told me about how he was jailed and beaten while he was marching. How he had to
drink from separate water fountains than Caucasians, and was denied the right to sit and eat in
the same dining area as well. He also talked about how blessed he was that he was able to be a
part of such a historical time and be able to talk about it and educate others. Meeting this man
was absolutely amazing, to hear his story and to know where he came from was an honor.
Currently he participates in the black man march where a group of black men stand together with
locked arms and march for miles.

After Thoughts
After my experience with the Deacon I felt educated, he told me many things that I never
knew of before. My current viewpoints are still sort of the same, to hear how this man fought and
marched for rights that people in the black community take granted upsets me. I feel as though
the times are completely different the things that were done for the African American community
to have the rights they have now are ignored. While talking to the older gentleman many forms
of prejudice, oppression and discrimination were discovered. This group has always been called
a violent group, they are always looked at as a subordinate group, and many of them dont vote
or their uneducated. As a social worker I would like to further educate and motivate the African
American Community to break all stereotypes and show ways to prevent some discrimination.

Continued Social Work

To further understand this group, I would need to maybe do more cultural immersions
with other members. Possibly asking a numerous amount of questions to several members and
compare and the contrast the two. My ignorance starts with the group members of todays
society, I dont understand why this generation of African Americans are not working and

making efforts like their ancestors. To better understand them a possible conference meeting of
young black men and women should be held for me to ask questions and evaluate their answers.

Reflection
The Asian American group is one that isnt familiar to me, no one in this group is related
nor friends of mine. One of my stereotypes from this group is that their extremely smart and are
bad at English. No interactions ever occurred with this group and myself until the end of high
school and my first year in College. All my Asian Americans classmates turned their homework
in on time, aced every test and had extremely high g.p.as so I figured they all were naturally
super smart. Only experience and prior occurrences with this group that I have are only in
classroom settings. The media dont really report on the Asian American community that much. I
only know famous people but I never see anything about the group overall. The limited media
portrayal doesnt affect my viewpoint in this group because its so slim. Sympathy isnt
something I have for this group because no knowledge to me is known to about hardships they
face other than communication barriers. My work will be affected by viewpoints because I may
expect everyone in this group to be extremely smart and wouldnt need my services.

Interview
As a group my current classmates and I went to a Vietnamese restaurant to
expand our food knowledge. While we were there we met the owner Mr. John who name was
originally Cheong Leung. Mr. John was extremely open to talk to us about his life and
everything he has experienced. He is from Vietnam he came over when he was 14 on a boat with
thousands of others escaping the war with China. While on this week journey he was stranded at
sea with no food or water, until another boat of people informed him that there was an island
nearby. After a couple of days he reached America, because he was not a communist he was
granted a green card immediately into the United States and has been ever since he is now about
53. We asked Mr. John has he ever faced discrimination or ever felt oppressed being a part of
the culture groups he belongs to. He responded by saying that he only gets discriminated against
back in Vietnam. Within his own group is where he has experienced the most discrimination
because he is looked as a person who ran away. He also stated that he has never been back over
to his country since he moved here, and that he would never go. He has children that dont wish
to go ether, he says that he love America and love the way he gets treated.

Reflection
Currently my viewpoints of this group is very positive, of course I have some stereotypes
but I completely support the Gay Community. Some stereotypes are that gay men are extremely
needy, their dramatic, and their attention seekers. It wasnt until the age of 12 that I completely
understood who gay men were. At the mall it was this extremely tall lady with facial hair and
huge feet that was talking loud and causing a scene. That day I asked my mother what happened
at the mall and she explained it to me. In high school many of my close classmates were gay
boys, I was always the type to ask a lot of questions so anything I wanted to know they would
ask. Nowadays in todays society the media portray this community very positively, with several
famous people announcing their sexual orientation. They also televise the National Pride parade
in big cities. Sympathy is something Im on the fence about only because they are portrayed in a
positive way. Yet I know that man people of this community get discriminated against on a daily
basis and even abused. My current viewpoints wouldnt affect my work because this group is
very familiar to me, allowing me to know many things about to them.

Experience
The Gay community has always been interesting to me even from a child, I didnt
understand them completely but I grew to love them. Being that Im a fan of the gay community
doing a cultural immersion on this group was a no brainer. One of my closest friends Brandon
Denmark are a part of this group so we have conversations about his sexual orientation often. He
spoke to me about how he use to date girls but all the girls he dated were not very feminine. He
discovered that he was gay when he was 16 after exchanging numbers with one of his older
brother friends. He stated that his family is extremely supportive but others are not. He is more
on the feminine side than the masculine so he always get dirty looks in and out the workplace.
But he stays positive and ignore people, he says he kills people with kindness.

After Thoughts
Having Brandon as a friend has been truly eye opening, to his story and to know how he
feels on a personal level made me watch how I look at people and also watch what I say. My
previous viewpoints still sort of exist only because Brandon is on the dramatic side and seeks
attention. Now after listening to his story I understand why. Hes dramatic because he feels as
though he has to do more to get is point across and be heard and thats understandable. Brandon
stated that he always get dirty looks, hes been denied job offers, and even threatened. This
experience will help me as a social worker to be able to provide better services for this group.
Now I have the knowledge needed and I know the obstacles this group faces from day to day.