Multicultural Self Reflection

It is my belief that for a white individual like myself to be an ally against racism, they must first possess the ability to understand existing forms of racism and oppression in the American macroscopic environment. Moreover, to combat or relinquish such beliefs, it must be understood how they evolve over time and are further enabled within varying institutions. It is my hope that through this document it will be illustrated that I have potential to grow and learn both as an individual and an aspiring ally. Through my continuing studies on racism and oppression, I seek to learn more about myself through the varying lenses of self-reflection and identity definitions I am exposed to, while synonymously learning to aid others through multicultural …show more content…
Although I recognize that individuals who associate themselves with these identities can be exposed to significant levels of oppression, I often found racial and ethnic oppression to be more of a personal effecter when I was young. Much of my childhood and adolescent life spanned over the course of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent events and aftermath, making racially pertinent memories and experiences far more prominent in my …show more content…
I identify as a heterosexual, white and male student with no physical disadvantages living in a middle-class environment. From these classifications alone I immediately fit into one of the most privileged, dominant and oppressive groups in North-Western culture. In this way, I am able to avoid nearly all possible disadvantages by possible association with non-dominant identity groups and subsequently am provided with unethical and oppressive power through existing social systems. Recently able to acknowledge this however, I may pursue my duty to fight this self-perpetuating cycle of