Like most people, my thoughts and
understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion are shaped by my upbringing,
my lived experience, and by reading, study, and reflection. I grew up in Eastern Canada, in a
predominantly white community, which celebrated the Scottish/English heritage,
and covertly, and sometimes overtly, denigrated other ethnic or cultural
traditions. While my mother’s family fell squarely into the Scottish/English
norm, my father’s family was French Canadian, with some First Nations (read
American Indian) heritage, several generations back. Neither tradition was
valued or celebrated and therefore was ignored/and or repressed. Families were
predominantly Presbyterian or Catholic; and a few Jewish families.
My first exposure to African Canadians
(African Americans) was in 9th grade when I moved to a junior high
in part of my community where African Canadians lived. My exposure to other races and ethnic groups
happened at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba in central western
Canada. My first real exposure and
understanding of people from non-dominant cultures, however, came from the 10
years that I spent in San Diego, two as a student, and eight working. I studied, lived, and worked with Hispanics,
Asians, and African Americans and quickly came to appreciate the richness of
their cultural heritage and their way of looking at the world.
My first personal understandings
of the inequity that discrimination can bring was during my time at Macalester
where a librarian of East Indian heritage, who reported to me, felt
discriminated against by the administration because of her race. Another of the
colleagues who reported to me was an LGBT individual and we had numerous
discussions around lack of partner benefits and the right to marry; two rights
that I took for granted. Both of these experiences taught me that
discrimination exists even when I am not immediately aware of it and taught me
to be more conscious of what others feel.
In 2005 my experience was further
enriched when my wife and I adopted a sibling group of four Hispanic children
from Colombia, South America, and took them to the whitest state in the
nation. The experience of my children quickly
brought home, in new ways, how systemic, and sometimes how easily discrimination
happens, even by seemingly well intentioned people.
I have travelled extensively for
work, making it to 20 countries on 6 continents. Each of these experiences have added to my
understanding of the global family. Talking to, and eating with, people from
other countries and cultures has allowed me insight into the many similarities
and differences we all have. In my work
I have often been intrigued/surprised/enlightened in the ways in which other
colleagues have addressed problems similar to the ones we have in the US in
entirely different ways. These diverse
experiences and insights have enriched my life and my work.
For the past year I’ve been
living in California, a minority/majority state; a state where no single ethnic
group makes up a majority of the population. This is very evident in the global
Los Angeles area where I live; such a rich diversity of people and cultures.
During this last year I have worked in one of the most diverse universities in
the country. The dominant student groups were Hispanic and Asian, along with
students from more than 90 countries. While
discrimination was certainly not unknown, it was wonderful to see the dialogue
and comradery across racial, ethnic, and linguistic lines, all while
celebrating their own cultural heritage.
For me diversity is about
thinking about and celebrating the rich ethnic, cultural, and religious
heritage that is our global world. Diversity, of course includes other aspects
and groups such as sexual preference, religion, ability, age, veteran status,
etc. We often think about diversity by
describing how many individuals in each of these groupings are part of our
workplace, university, or community. While it is important to think about the
make-up of our community, it is also critical to think about diversity in terms
of the value that diversity brings to the workplace, the classroom, and the
community. Diversity brings new voices, new ideas, new ways of seeing the
world, new questions, and new solutions all of which can inform the work of the
university and the community. Diversity helps move our work and life forward.
Equity is a more complex and
nuanced idea and one that is, I believe, often misunderstood. While in a generic sense equity is about
treating all people the same, it can be discussed and implemented in such a way
that ignores the historic inequity that many minorities and marginalized groups
have suffered in the past and continue to suffer. This is not about being
“color blind” but recognizing a variety of privileges that many have that gives
them advantage. This may be white privilege, or male privilege, or the
privilege of having parents that went to college, among others. Equity must
work to level the playing field, address the inequities and systemic prejudices
that have prevented many from competing in the educational and career
marketplace.
Inclusion is a critical part of
“diversity” and helps move the conversation and action beyond mere counting of
numbers (percentage of Hispanics, Afro-Americans, etc.) to find ways to include
these individuals in conversations and decision-making, and revising workplace
and cultural practices that exclude their participation as full citizens. It is
making sure their voices are heard, not as tokens or spokespersons for their race/ethnicity
but as individuals and productive citizens.
For me diversity, equity, and
inclusion are important parts of my understanding of the world. I continue to
grow in my understanding and appreciation of these ideas as I think, read,
reflect, but more importantly as I meet, dialogue, interact, and work with
people that are different from me.
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