Reflective Writing # 2 Essay

Although sometimes I feel confused on what people label me for example last time this woman called me a “pinche gringa ‘ just because I’m white completed and I speak English

It can be verbal or nonverbal. Verbal communication is speaking. Verbal communication can be dialect, or the telling of stories or traditions within a culture. Nonverbal communication is things such as body gestures and eye contact. Both verbal and nonverbal communication varies widely from culture to culture (Giger & Davidhizar, 2002).

10. Explain and give examples of how an individual can identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups.

To many people across a variety of different nationalities and cultures, race has been proven to be a key factor for how society views you in the eyes of those who are prominently in charge. The term race has been brought up in recent years, to be considered a form of identification, as the word race is used to describe physical characteristics such as a person’s color of skin, hair, and eyes. When in reality, the correct term they should be using is Ethnicity. As a result, the term race is used to separate people into sub-categories based on the color of their skin. This type of classification, is a man-made creation used by society to classify certain groups of people into lower classes, while keeping the predominate group in charge at the top.

Allen’s Difference Matters book she explains the importance of labeling. “What a group is called and how it is described by other groups, particularly those in power, plays an important role in social relations, because these labels usually are not neutral”(Brenda J. Allen). People make labels that either have positive or a negative connotation. People establish positive labels on one another in order to reiterate their own social identities. For example, if a person meets someone who has the same qualities or ideologies as them, they might label that person as cool. People meet other people in order to find themselves. People unintentionally look for other people with the same ideologies. If that person finds somebody with those same ideologies that are just like theirs, then that’s where the positive connotation originates from. Negative labels come from people who interact with other people who have different ideologies than them. “Most often, dominant groups define these names/labels to establish and maintain hierarchy” (Allen 27). When people make those negative labels they do that in order to gain power over the people or group that are different from

“Culture is fluid. Culture is smoke. You breathe it. You eat it. You cant help but hearing it… I am in favor of assimilation. I am not in favor of assimilation. I recognize assimilation” (Rodriguez 143). All in all, I am accepting of the labels society may put on me, for now. I'm growing up in a community that values peoples differences and accepts that we are all American in our own way. Being racially identified is not important to me, I don’t believe it makes me, or anybody else, who there are today.

There have been labels placed upon me throughout my life. Some have stayed with me while others have dropped off. Without these labels ruling how people see me I feel like I would be more free to do things than I am now.

Personally I feel that I identify myself within the Poston Biracial Identity Development Model. This model is focused for individuals that identify with multiple racial or ethnic groups. The stages of this model are the personal identity stage, choice of group categorization stage, enmeshment/denial stage, appreciation stage, and the integration stage. The personal identity stage is when an individual is independent of race or ethnicity. When I was in elementary school probably around 5 or 6 years old I showed part in this stage as I was naïve of the thought that people could be segregated based on race or ethnicity. The choice of group categorization stage is when an individual identifies themselves with one of their ethnicities. I reached this stage around 3rd grade or so when I began to identify myself as specifically the white part of my ethnicity (Irish).

Society identifies me as Hispanic or Latina because I speak Spanish and by the way I look, they can already know that I’m from Mexico, which I don’t mind at all. I can also be classified as Chicana because I’ am a U.S citizen and my parents were born in Mexico, but I do have a problem with being called Chicana. This is because of my past experiences, when I was called Chicana they meant to call me a chola, a wetback, a gang member along with other names that disrespects who I am. I have also been called pocha by friends or family members from Mexico because I was born in the U.S and even though I come from Mexican parents I don’t “act or speak like them”.

Looking at the categorization of different peoples throughout history as well as the changes the labels they possess have gone through, as well as identifying labels used in a derogatory way today we can see that labels have

A label has the power to define the individual or group of individuals being identified. That power is equal to control (Koppelman, 2011). Both can have a positive or negative effect. Unfortunately, the labels used by the majority are meant to have a negative effect. In fact, the labels are meant to demean and hurt as much as possible. They are so negative that there seems to be the intent to drive the labeled individual and/or group away, so they are no longer present and able to interact with the majority.

Stereotyping: This means to categorise a group of people based on certain characteristics or behaviour. For example, calling all

Unfortunately labeling, for the most part, is a negative action taken against groups of people who do not comply with societies unwritten rules. When a person is labeled it is usually because said person did something that was unusual, different, and/or out of the social norm. In schools across the United States there is some

Yet, because of where I come from, all of the above are some stereotypes I have to deal with on a daily basis. Stereotyping is an act of placing a group of people who are different than you and place them into a cliche box and judge them based on your own opinions through what you have heard and/or seen. Whether it comes from the media, television, or just hearing others talk about it, stereotyping

14. Provide two examples of the damaging effects that stereotyping and labelling can have on people.