My Life on the Outside

The exercise this week is to place myself in the position as a subject of prejudice and discrimination.

I have chosen religion as the topic.What would my life look like if the power of public opinion was against Christians. If it was unsafe for me to go to a place of worship. It would be difficult for me to buy books or impossible for me to contact resources pertaining to my faith on line.

Let's say there was some outward sign that I am a Christian, perhaps a red scarf.

The source of the anger is the retaliation of Western/Christian countries in war. I am seen by society as a trouble maker, war monger and iconoclast.

The personal price is that people will not sit next to me on the bus, taxis will not pick me up, clerks in the store may not wait on me and some apartments will not allow me to rent. When I walk down the street people avert their eyes or point and stare.

How would I approach my class?

Life would be easier if I did not wear the red scarf. The point would then be: I have to pretend to be someone else to be acceptable in this environment.

If the families and children are cool toward me and questioning everything I say in the light of who they believe me to be, my job would be continually sidelined. Working in an environment where I am not respected as a person, is at this moment unimaginable and extremely sad.

Because of the tenets of my faith, I would take the abuse and continue to do the best job I could. But I need a place of belonging (Derman-Sparks& Olsen Edwards, 2010) it would be difficult not to be angry and speak out against this unfair caricature or to run away to a place of acceptance.I would desperately try to get people to understand that is not who I am. I knew a little of this frustration when I tried to open this blog for this program. Foreign social cites are blocked here and even the network I purchased to bypass and in reality break the law was also blocked. I remember at the time wishing there were someone I could talk to and promise that I would not misuse this privilege and the purpose is to improve my skills as an educator in this country. But there was not to speak to and so I joined another network and paid more money and am still outside the law.  This is a minor issue but when it involves safety of your family, housing and food it is a life- threatening and debilitating way of life.

My health, disposition and joy of life would be thwarted.

I am very fortunate. Yes, I am in a country that is not politically religious. However, economic zeal has made it possible for religions and government to co-exist as long as no waves are made. However, I do know of jobs that have been denied for color of skin and sexual orientation. If someone were to pull their hand back from shaking mine, as I have seen happen, I cannot imagine the personal toll that can take. However, there seems always to have been a support. I as an early childhood educator in this country have the privilege of providing that environment of support and acceptance; both on a personal and professional basis.

Good exercise!

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-Bias Education.

Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)