Learning Cross Cultural Competency

By Stephanie Marin, Advocacy Assistant

Seattle Food Committee brought in Dr. Caprice Hollins on Monday to get a discussion started about race and cultural competency among Seattle emergency food providers.

Dr. Hollins describes discriminatory conflicts as three types of micro-aggressions:

1. Micro-Assaults: These are what we typically think of when we think of racism, sexism, etc.  People consciously, purposely, and non-apologetically lash out in a discriminatory way toward another person or group.
2.  Micro-Insults: These are much more subtle slights and often unintentional.  Most of the time, these are unconscious, hidden offensive messages that could seem like nothing if only seen once, but if we see the same message over and over again, can have serious consequences.
3. Micro-Invalidation: These are when we brush off someone’s experience because it is not ours.  In other words, we do not recognize their differences in experience and thus invalidate their feelings.

 I doubt any one of us would stand Micro-Assaults in our workplaces, but micro-insults or micro-invalidation could easily happen.  Both of these come from very innocent places and any could easily happen with regards to race, sex, age, or a combination of all of these!  Have you ever said to someone:  I know Mickey, he would never do that!  That’s a micro-invalidation, and may make someone you work with very uncomfortable.

As service providers to a diverse community, we need to make sure our actions (and reactions!) show respect.  Sometimes what we say can come from a very innocent place, but cause someone else real hurt.  Dr. Hollins points out that our gut response is often, “That’s not what I meant!”  It is hard to see ourselves as people that cause pain!  We also do not want to think of ourselves as that person who is ignorant, biased, etc.  Our different backgrounds and experiences, however, can instill in us habits that may offend other people and that’s okay.  No one is perfect! According to Dr. Hollins, it is more about how we react to offending someone that gives us character. 

Instead of becoming defensive, why not try asking questions?  This can open up a dialogue and help you learn from your mistake.  Dr. Hollins also points out the importance of body language.  Not everyone will tell you when they take offense to something you say.  Often, clues are more subtle, such as withdrawn posture or a change in conversational tone.  Stopping the conversation and simply asking if you have said something wrong can go a long way to saving a relationship and learning for the future. 

So next time your co-worker, volunteer, client, comes to you about something you or someone else said:

• Ask Questions!
• Don’t jump to conclusions
•  Put yourself in his/her shoes

Take advantage of the uncomfortable situation as a learning experience to make your program a welcoming environment for everyone. Washington’s diverse range of clientele, volunteers, and staff make it important to be aware of our actions!

I am no expert, but Dr. Hollins is!  For More Information Visit: http://www.culturesconnecting.com/