Discussion Reflection: Identity, Positionality, and Vulnerability

Are you vulnerable to the perpetuating system we have toward women, homosexual men and women, immigrants, people of color and people in poverty?

We will discuss how is your identity and positionality will make you vulnerable to the structure.

The video below is a white, homosexual Australian male will discuss about his position in the society. This video is significant to the topic because historically a gay male would be discriminate in our western society. However, that changed a lot in the last decade due to resistance but within the LGBTQ community, there are racism. It is easier for you to be gay and white instead of being gay and person of color; it is easier for you to find a partner. Being gay and person of color is intersectionality, you will be subject to be discriminate within the LGBTQ community. It is deceptive to see racism with the LGBTQ community because we are supposed to be a community of equality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz3RPZeqGFk

The white, homosexual, Australian male is a part of the dominant group because he is white, citizen of a western country, he is educated and have able body, etc.

The Complexity of Identity: “Who Am I?” defined the “Dominant groups, by definition, set the parameters within which the subordinates operate. The dominant group holds the power and authority in society relative to the subordinates and determines how that power and authority may be acceptably used.”

In our CASC class, I do not see or noticed any one whom is fully identified in the dominant group because we are either person of color, women, immigrants or lower middle class. In fact a lot of us are facing intersectionality because we are gay, person of color, and immigrant.

The story of an old black man in “Close Encounter of Human Kind” describe a man who is subject to vulnerability because of his positionality. He is poor, black, homeless, old, etc. That made him vulnerable in the society we are living in. We are living in the capitalist world, the world only value money and rich folks, we do not care about the poor, and the disable. Therefore, they are the one who struggle and suffer from the horrible conditions we are perpetuating.

Close Encounter of the Human Kind told a story of an old man: “A man in his 70's with gray hair and beard came in looking fit and vigorous. One eye was milky white and sightless, but the glint in his good eye was enough for two. His worldly belongings were in a garbage bag, but his manner was dignified.

He was out of medicine, and his blood sugar and blood pressure were high. He couldn’t pay for his medication, so his doctor always gave him samples: “Whatever he have. Whatever he have.” He had kept his shoes on for five days, he said, removing the battered, pickled but elegant pair, a cross between bowling shoes and dancing shoes. His toes were carved ebony, the tendons on the back like cables, the joints gnarled but sturdy. All night I had seen many feet; in his bare feet I read resilience.

He told me that for two nights after the floods, he had perched on a ledge so narrow that his legs dangled in the water. At one point, he said, he saw Air Force One fly over, and his hopes soared. “I waited, I waited,” he said, but no help came. Finally a boat got him to a packed bridge. There, again, he waited. He shook his head in disbelief, smiling though. “Doc, they treat refugees in other countries better than they treated us.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “So sorry.”

He looked at me long and hard, cocking his head as if weighing my words, which sounded so weak, so inadequate. He rose, holding out his hand, his posture firm as he shouldered his garbage bag. “Thank you, Doc. I needed to hear that. All they got to say is sorry. All they got to say is sorry.”””

I learned the activity we played in the classroom was subjected to discriminate against Latinx, hispanic and Native American because they did not include those ethnicity in the activity. It is absurd to not includes certain ethnicity in the activity because the ethnicities they did not included were subjected to discrimination, oppression and outcaste by the society we are living in. We can see that in the current political system. For example, Trump is bashing the immigrants and demonize immigrants (especially immigrant of color). Also how Trump admin cut taxes on the rich and raised taxes on the poor.

In the discussion we had, our class is a very diverse group of people. We have different ethnicity, religion, social class, socioeconomic, etc. That is mean we were very comfortable to do the activity like this. However, would the activity be easy for the participants at Health Hub or any of our community partners? We said Yes, if they were in the group that they are comfortable of such as people with the same background, social class, etc but they would not fully participate if they in a group, that dominate by white folks or a group with higher social class than them.

In the end, my activity is helping the participants to understand their disadvantage and their advantage in our society. And how they are going to use the advantage to compromise for their disadvantage and use that to fix our current structure. My activity also help the participants to acknowledge their privileges, because they are lucky enough to sit in one of the most expensive private college in the nation to discuss about identity, positionality and vulnerability. I also want to remind the participants that they need to use their privileges to help the unfortunate people out there instead of using their privileges to create more privileges for themselves.

Class and Historical Disadvantage

Instructions

Have all participants line up in a straight line facing the facilitator. If the room is too small to have each participant standing shoulder to shoulder, an alternative is to have the group stand in a circle and step into the circle. The facilitator should explain that he or she will read a statement. If the statement describes you, then silently step across the line. Everyone should quietly notice who stepped across the line and who did not. After a moment, the facilitator will thank those who stepped forward and will then have everyone step back in line.

1. I am a woman.
2. I am a man.
3. I identify as transgender.
4. I am close with most of my family.
5. I identify myself as Jewish.
6. I identify myself as Buddhist.
7. I identify myself as Christian.
8. I identify myself as Muslim.
9. I identify myself as Hindu, Sikh.
10. I identify myself as Mormon.
11. I identify myself as Baha’i’.
12. I identify myself as agnostic or atheist.
13. I identify myself as spiritual, but not religious.
14. I have attended a religious or spiritual service that is not of my own religious and spiritual identity.
15. I identify as a citizen.
16. I identify as an immigrant.
17. I identify as undocumented or have a close family member who is.
18. I had “enough” growing up as a child (however you define “enough”).
19. I had “more than enough” growing up as a child (however you define “enough”).
20. I had “less than enough” growing up as a child (however you define “enough”).
21. I have felt guilty by the amount of money my family has or by the size of my house or by what resources or belongings my family has (either too much or too little).
22. I have experienced the death of a close family member or close friend.
23. I have or someone in my family has a physical disability.
24. I have a hidden disability (physical or learning).
25. I am comfortable with my body.
26. I have felt ashamed of myself because of my body, my intellect or education, or my family.
27. I identify myself as black or African-American.
28. I identify myself as Asian or Asian-American.
29. I identify myself as white or European.
30. I identify myself as Pacific Islander.
31. I identify myself as biracial, triracial, mixed-race or of combined heritage.
32. I have had to check “other” on forms that ask my race or ethnicity.
33. I have a close friend who is a person of color.
34. I feel comfortable talking about race and ethnicity with people who are not of my race.
35. Someone in my extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) lives in my house with my family.
36. I or someone in my family is LGBTQ.
37. I know someone who is LGBTQ.
38. I am an ally to LGBTQ people.
39. I or someone in my family has had a problem with alcoholism or drug abuse.
40. I have felt discriminated against on the basis of my gender; race or ethnicity; religion; ability or disability; sexual orientation; or socio-economic status.
41. I have felt guilt because of my gender; race or ethnicity; religion; ability or disability; sexual orientation; or socioeconomic status.

Discussion

• What was your reaction to this exercise? How did you feel afterward?
• What did it feel like to step into the circle? What was it like not to be in the circle?
• What did you discover about those around you?
• Were you surprised about anything? Did anyone break a stereotype for you?
• Were there questions you were hoping would not be asked? Any you wish had been asked?
• How might such issues/factors affect your relationships?
• What did you learn about yourself or what did you think about that you’ve never thought about before?
• What role does privilege play in this? What role do pride and shame play?