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Final Reflection

It is difficult to determine firsthand that discrimination is occurring. When someone looking for housing is told that, for example, there are no units available, it is difficult to immediately see a discrepancy, especially when the encounter is civil and well-mannered. Information regarding whether or not there is discrimination present is determined by the organization. 

This entire process is highly important to determining the livelihood of people who need and deserve good housing. It was legal to segregate neighborhoods in the past, and that is what has led to the development of inner-cities with high crime rates, because even after the Fair Housing Act, housing companies still found ways to repel minorities. This was done through many ways; be it offering sub-prime loans or simply raising the cost to a point higher than what it would be usually. 

Predatory lending and unfair discrimination has contributed to a great deal of turmoil within the housing industry with respect to minority groups, so organizations like HOME play a crucial role in making sure that this type of discrimination ceases to exist.

I initially began this assignment with the impression that I would be having to tackle a lot of obvious discrimination. I assumed that discrimination of minority groups is easy to detect and that my reports would contain a lot of information pertaining to this. It then became clear to me that the problem was more complicated than I had initially anticipated.

Now, to me, there is a spectrum of discrimination. Hate crimes and other obvious forms of prejudice fall higher on the spectrum. In contrast, more subtle types of discrimination, such as unfair housing industry practices, fall lower on the spectrum. Each type has a negative effect, but I have found that, the more elusive the discrimination, the more systematic the problem becomes.

My career choice has always been up in the air for me. It switched from research psychology to clinical therapy to author to even actress. At a glance, these careers have little relation to one another. However, it was only after taking this assignment that I realized what tied them all together. 

I wanted to be a research psychologist because I noticed an issue regarding how mental health issues are dealt with in certain cultures. I wanted to be a clinical therapist so I could help end the stigma in my Muslim communities by counseling those who felt shunned. I wanted to be an author because I feel I have stories to share that no one wants to listen to because of the minority groups I belong to. I wanted to be an actress because I wanted my face to be seen, and I wanted other people like me to see that there is potential to be successful. 

What tied these all together was the fact that I felt (and still feel) a desire to pick apart any form of discrimination, whether it is directed towards my communities or actually occurring within them. This assignment helped me realize what my true passion was—and what the source of this passion is.

One of my assignments left me confused. The experience had been interesting because I felt that I had received unsatisfactory treatment, but I couldn’t pinpoint why. It was easy for me to initially assume that my headscarf was causing the individual to feel uncomfortable, or that being African American was the source, or that maybe even my name was the problem. But I realized later that, when I had initially called to set the appointment, the treatment I received had been the same. However, the person obviously didn’t know that I wore a headscarf, or that I was black, so that couldn’t have been the problem. The person didn’t even ask for my name. People are more complicated than they appear, and what could be one person’s attempt at projecting his or her discrimination, could simply be another person’s personality.

Someone looking to partner with the same organization would need to keep in mind that the problem isn’t always as evident as one would think. As individuals, our capability to detect the dilemma is limited. The challenge is committing to continue helping, even when it doesn’t seem like progress is being made.

My community partner always gave me space to discuss my feelings about each assignment with her, and encouraged me to bring up any instances where I may have felt unfair treatment. As a leader, she never came across as intimidating or apathetic. She was always kind, caring, and willing to help. As I took on more and more assignments, it became easier for me to let my guard down, and I felt that this change within me correlated positively with the change I had noted in my skill set.

Looking ahead, I have further affirmed to myself that I want to spend the rest of my life fighting behind the scenes for others who need the support, and I want my career choice to reflect this. I was previously very concerned with myself, and with how I could improve my inner persona. Now, I realize the fault in this mindset. The small picture won’t matter if the big picture is in need of a second glance. I want to make sure the big picture isn’t set aside. To be successful leaders, we must bring the bigger problems to the forefront of our drawing board.

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Reflection #3

As I wrote in my previous post, I have found that emotional regulation is highly important to performing my tasks successfully and effectively. Separating my skewed feelings from the equation is what I need to be doing in order to best relay the information I gather from my assignments to my test coordinator. Over the years, there have been many times where I have been a victim to my emotions. Being in a position of leadership (whether I am leading others or leading myself) has always been difficult because of my inability to be objective.

Another skill that I had previous underrated is good memory. In order to successfully fill out my reports, I have to memorize a great deal of information while I am out at my assignments and then remember it long enough to write my reports. Having good memory would help me become a successful leader because I could easily keep lists of what needs to be done as well as what as what has transpired on a day-to-day basis.

I am working towards developing my skills in these areas as I take on more of these assignments. When I first started out, I found that there was a lot of information that I was missing either partially or entirely when I was filling out the reports--even simple things such as names and rent costs. However, now I know what to look for, and it has become much easier for me to remember information. My latest reports were written much more quickly than my previous reports, and I had every single bit of information I needed.

I am confident that if I continue to make strides in improving my skills, my effort will pay off.

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Reflection #2

After several more visits to HOME and after gathering as much information as I can, I've realized something: 

Discrimination is very hard to detect.

When I first partnered with this organization, I anticipated that it would be simple to determine whether or not there was discrimination of any kind occurring. However, I now realize that there are many other layers in play.

Many people may not directly intend to display unfair treatment--there may be many other factors at work that are contributing to how a certain individual interacts with another. In visiting my sites, I have noticed that I tend to over-analyze the situation and spend a great deal of time thinking about various things that were said to me throughout the course of the visit. After doing this many times, it's now clear to me how difficult this job is.

Remaining strictly objective seems like an easy task in hindsight, but actually attempting to maintain a level of objectivity is much more difficult than initially anticipated. As humans, it is in our nature to have an emotion reaction (be it small or large) to daily occurrences. For some, it is easy to separate emotion from work. For others, such as myself, that task is much harder.

I have found that, in terms of my leadership skills, regulation my emotion is one of my major weak points. I believe that in order to prosper as a successful leader, I need to at least become more skillful at keeping my emotions at bay and not letting them dictate my actions. Partnering with HOME is helping me a great deal in learning how to do this effectively, and I am confident that it will soon become easier for me to be more objective when it comes to certain situations.

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Reflection #1

The organization I've partnered with for this year is called Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, or HOME for short. Essentially, I am assisting in the process of discovering whether or not discrimination or any kind is present in specific locations within the housing industry. I do this by posing as an individual seeking housing and visiting/calling various complexes and asking about basic information. 

My test coordinator (AKA my site leader) is only person at the office that I regularly interact with. She is Caucasian, and seems to be in her late 20s. She is the person that gives me my assignments on a weekly basis, and the person to which I return to with my reports. She was also the person with whom I spoke to on the phone initially, as well as the person that led my training session. I was initially told that I would only be working with her, and that has rung true. Her leadership is well-rounded, and I find myself not having too many questions because she has usually already answered them.

My first few visits to my site(s) were very informative, and it was only until those first few visits that I realized how important the role I play (and others like me play) in this organization. My outlook towards the organization I had joined became clearer, and I gradually grew invested in the cause. Being able to detect almost undetectable forms of discrimination, be it racism, sexism, ableism, religious discrimination, and others, is a vital part of this process. 

I look forward to seeing where this partnership takes me, and what I learn about myself as a result.

[connectedcultures]

Uniting to Heal

United 2 Heal is an organization that “[does fundraising] to buy medical supplies for communities in developing countries.” Nathan Palaparthi, president of United 2 Heal at Rackham Graduate School in Michigan, stated that they are “trying to help individuals in other countries to obtain basic medical supplies ... [by] using medical supplies that are obtained from U.S. hospitals that would otherwise be disposed of.”

The university hosted the 8th annual Benefit Dinner for United 2 Heal to raise money for the organization’s partnership with physicians in Ghana. Overall, they made $2,700.

Dr. Thomas Crawford, the principal investigator of “My Heart Your Heart”, was the keynote speaker at the event. He paralleled the work he does to the goals that United 2 Heal has. At the dinner, he said, “I think what has united us is the recognition that there are health disparities in the world, that it’s our moral responsibility to try to attend to them and that we cannot remain silent.”

United 2 Heal acknowledges that other countries sometimes do not have the medical means to help people in need. Through fundraising, sorting supplies, and forming partnerships, the organization manages to unite others in a community to engage and communicate effectively to serve a large and well-needed mission.

Crawford praised the work and efforts of United 2 Heal. He further pressed that working hard to make sure that any unfairness regarding international health care is eliminated is highly important.

People in first-world countries sometimes tend to forget that their privilege is not shared by everyone in the world. Organizations like United 2 Heal make sure that communities work together to use their resources to help others.

In order to attempt to aid everyone in achieving this type of mentality, we must ask: How do we best show others that privilege is highly influenced by geographical location? How do we convince people that helping other countries is important?? And, finally, how do we help people understand the benefits of helping others in general?

[link to article]

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Preserving a Culture

An article I read on CCTV.com briefly discussed the gradual ‘dying-out’ of traditional Chinese culture. In any location, with time comes new, changed generations, which is precisely the issue that is threatening to render old Chinese customs extinct. Traditions often become attached to certain eras—certain time periods. Newer generations in China are evidently reluctant to preserve these long-standing traditions, which has troubled deputies around the country.

“When we were young, nearly everyone knew the little flower drum dance, but now there's only a handful of people. And that's a big problem,” said NPC member He Binsheng. (CCTV)

The concern is understandable. A culture that has molded into a country’s identity is difficult to let go, but easy to lose. Traditional Chinese dances and performances are currently known by less individuals than before. These practices are teetering on the fulcrum of time, desperately held up at one side by older generations, and hesitantly stared at on the other side by the newer generations.

The 2015 Spring Festival in Beijing is expected to include “over 100 professional art performances and over 200 public cultural activities”. The cultural activities, as well as community parties, are said to be targeted towards communities across the city of Beijing. This surplus of celebratory activities is just one of the ways China is planning to ‘re-introduce’ culture into the newer generation’s lives.

I want to take a moment to mention the reluctance of newer generations to continue to carry out traditional Chinese culture. Initially, one could assume that this is an example of disrespect to the older generations. However, why must a generation untied to a culture work so hard to preserve it? 

While many of the answers to this question can be reasonable, some people neglect to realize that culture changes every day. Why dwell so much on an old culture, while you can work on embracing one that is currently around? It is an interesting concept, one that brings to light several ‘unheard-of’ issues. Essentially, it asks: What matters more, the old or the new?

However, while it is troublesome to reject a new culture in favor of an old one, it is clear that this is not China’s objective. The country still has its own sense of cultural identity, but the appreciation and understanding of the land’s roots are dwindling by the second as newer populations turn a high nose to the country’s origins.

Again, this concern is understandable. Preserving the culture requires time, planning, and above all, effort from both sides. With all of these element into play, there is little doubt that the older generations in China will not be able to achieve the goal they have created for the country.

[link to article, link to added info]

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Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Nelson Mandela

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If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.

Margaret Mead