links for 2008-01-25

Comments

  1. Cynthia wrote:

    Some diversity seminars I’ve attended made me (and many other non-whites) feel very awkward/otherish. Many programs ASSUME. They make some minorities feel even more “different” than they already are, and often lead white people to think that you know everything about that culture, because, well, you do. For example, many cultures don’t believe in baby showers prior to a child’s birth because you never know what can happen. Well, what if a woman who is from that culture doesn’t believe that? Say most of her friends are from work or her volunteer group and these friends have gone through diversity training. No one will throw her a baby shower because they don’t want to insult her. Not even her closest friends. Diversity training in North America generally takes no consideration to non-Anglos who are integrated to Anglo culture. It’s as if we don’t exist (I can go on about given names. I’m often asked, almost always by someone who IS NOT white or East Asian….I guess white people are too nervous to ask…why my name is Cynthia and/or whether Cynthia is my real name. )

    On the first NHL player of Asian descent: Most people assume it’s Paul Kariya!

  2. Cynthia wrote:

    I want to add that the February issue of Town & Country has an Asian model (non-actress) in one of its spreads, but then again, T&C is more a lifestyle magazine than fashion.

  3. jen* wrote:

    “Other students were allegedly made to hurl derogatory slurs at each other in an effort to take away the negative sting of the words.”

    Who would ever think this is plausible, even?? Wow, that is scary. Somehow or another, I’ve managed to avoid diversity training so far. It sounds like there needs to be a definite declaration of what methods/talking points are sanctioned industry-wide - so there can be consistency. Most other forms of training have agreed-upon standards and this shouldn’t be any different.

  4. Torontonian wrote:

    @Cynthia: Wow, that’s horrible! Those diversity trainers have never heard of Orientalism. It blows my mind that people would teach that in Toronto, where several thousands of Chinese are well-integrated and have baby showers. You need to call them out on their shit.

    I’m glad the diversity training I went to was directed by people of colour and people who were well-trained. I actually had a very positive experience. It was more about recognizing biases and prejudices and discrimination rather than making generalizations about people of a certain race.

  5. Cynthia C wrote:

    Torontonian,

    Many people who have asked me are actually non-white. Most of this $h!t are from people who are non-white. Most white people wouldn’t dare say that in front of non-white people.

  6. Ailurophile wrote:

    That sort of thing gives “diversity training” a bad name. Good god, aren’t RA’s resident assistants, in other words, fellow college students? And THEY are doing TRAINING? Hel-LO!

    I’m about to start a practicum/supervised field experience (M.A. in Organizational Psychology) with a woman who runs a consulting business specializing in diversity training. She has a degree, she has experience, she knows what she is doing and doesn’t insult people. I don’t know what the college was thinking, getting a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears kids to “do diversity training.” You get what you pay for and all that.

  7. Torontonian wrote:

    Cynthia,

    You mean about the baby showers?

  8. Cynthia C wrote:

    Torontonian:

    I mean diversity training.

  9. Torontonian wrote:

    @Cynthia C:

    Are those non-white people who do that recent immigrants, or well-integrated?

  10. Cynthia C wrote:

    Torontonian:

    Some are recent immigrants, but many are Canadian born and raised!

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