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Cultural Competency Project

Erica Foster
December 2, 2018
Georgia State University
Dr. Watkins
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Cultural Competency Project
Abstract
This final assignment requires one to demonstrate learned concepts throughout the
semester. Learned concepts includes cultural competency awareness and skills. Throughout the
semester, four mini assignments were given. While completing assignments, aspiring social
workers got the opportunity to practice practitioner skills in cultural awareness. This skill was
practice when completing the cultural biography and dominate and subordinate group analysis.
Knowledge acquisition skills were practices in regards to the four different cultural immersion
experiences. The last and final skill that was practiced was skill development through the
reflection exercise.
Cultural Biography
Introduction
When asked the question “Who are you?” many people respond with “I am (name). The
question goes beyond what one was name. This question embarks on qualities such as social
identity, gender, sexual status, and etc. This paper will answer the question of the person whom
is writing before you. In addition to the qualities stated above, other aspects such as class status,
ethnic background, and race will be explored. The dilemmas of Americanization will be explored
along with the effects that come along with it. The culture of one’s family will also be discussed
in which the awareness of other cultures will be analyzed as well. Different levels of
conceptualization in regards to oppression and discrimination will be examined. The reason
behind working with African American male adolescents as well as the choice to become a
social worker will be further explained. Impressions will be made in regards to life experiences
that occur either on a daily biases or that happen one time that help mold the female behind the
computer screen.
Positionality/Multiple Identities
The world is filled with many different identities, evoking from many cultures, races, and
positions on the class systems. Positionality requires a deep analysis of all scopes at different
levels. The person behind the screen is an African American female who presume Black Girl
Magic. There seems to be a untraditional tradition that occurs in regards to my family. The
fathers seem to not be present in which the ethnic background can only be determined through
my family’s mother side in which much is not known. The only aspect that of ethnicity of my
mother’s side includes the fact that she is African American. When asking other relatives, much
is not known to them either since our family is relatively small and missing one important
component, my grandmother. When she was living, she did not know much since her father too
was not in her life. I am heterosexual in which my interests are solely surrounded around men.
According to society, I am considered “normal”.
I was born and raised in the District of Columbia also referred to as Washington, DC. I
resided in public housing apartments which is known to some as “the ghetto” with my mother
and younger siblings. Due to the fact that my mom earning required us to live paycheck to
paycheck, we were definitely apart of the “low” class. Growing up, we moved from public
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housing to public housing. When moving, I was exposed to the same minority race which was
African Americans with similar financial situations. Due to the lack of money and resources, we
often created something out of much. This pertained to food, clothes, and etc. Growing up, the
living conditions that I was faced with seemed normal because those surrounding me seemed to
live similar lives. We often had a lot of similarities such as eating meals such as noodles or
hotdogs mixed with beans. We also discussed how we wanted something we had seen but
quickly dismissed idea because we knew it was a slim chance of actually getting what we want.
According to many low class families, securing basic needs such as food, water, and shelter are
the main concerns of life.
Dilemmas of Americanization
Due to the fact that I mostly grew up with African Americans, I am very unaware of
experiences other cultures experiences which will require a lot of reading regarding cultural
diversity. Though it seem as if there is millions of cultures, together these cultures make
America, American. America has its own unique set of values and traditions which many people
adapt to when moving to the States. This means that many cultures are lost or cannot be
continually passed down from generation to generation. A dilemma of Americanization would be
migrating to America and having to learn how to great someone. Greeting someone requires
knowing one’s culture. This is because communication is different. While some culture may
speak as a form of a greeting, others used culturally “appropriate” words or phrases.
Family Culture
As I child, my father walked away from life taking the culture of his family with him as well
as apart of who I am. This meant that the only family “culture” I had to adopt to was my
mother’s side which was not big at all. In my eyes, we did not have much of a culture at all. We
would only attend church on certain days such as, Resurrection Day, New Years, and Mother’s
Day. We never went to any fancy restaurants on anyone’s birthday because we could not afford
it. The family was not big enough to have any family reunions. Many of my family members did
have a culture of trouble and proved some of the stereotypes of African Americans to be true.
This relates to getting in trouble with the law and going to jail more than once. The male
members were aggressive and used a lot of slang and profanity when talking about anything. The
women of my family were users of the government’s public assistance programs such as Food
Stamps and etc. They too, are aggressive and always ready to fight.
When I start a family, I will be sure to start family traditions that will passed down from
generation to generation. Some of these traditions are already used by some cultures such as
opening one gift on Thanksgiving eve. Another tradition that I will hope to engage in includes
putting up the Christmas tree the day after thanksgiving. While these are only thoughts, I do have
an open mind in regards to my husband and the traditions his culture practice.
Cultural Awareness of other Inventory
Growing up, I always have lived in public housing also known as “the ghetto” which is
mostly given to low income persons. The low income environment I lived in included other
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African Americans making the same income as my mother. Due to the fact I am a minority, I
basically lived my life around the same people who Identified and whom looked very
comparable to myself. I would attend school with the same colored people. I would work with
the same colored people. I would spend my free time with the same colored people as myself.
With the exception of grade school teachers, I never interacted with any other culture before
attending college. I was very unware of other cultures beliefs, rituals, and everyday life. As a
social worker, I know I have to heavily educate myself in order to be effective. According to the
National Code of Ethics, the 6th core value is competence. This ethical principle includes “Social
Workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional
expertise” (NASW).
While the environment I grew up in was surrounded by majority of the same people, the
district itself was diverse in a way. For example surround the downtown area where the White
House and tourists sites were, many people from other cultures lived there. While there is no
restrictions on any areas, cultures typically do not interact that much. For example, while many
might be in the same area, those who have physically similar features associate. There may be
some instances where this interaction does take place in school between teachers and students.
These lack of interaction sometimes results from presumed beliefs about different cultures.
Intersectionality (Internal and External)
Intersectionality is when one’s membership of different social groups intersect pathways
with one another. Being conscious of these separate social groups create a sense of why
something is happening. Target groups or vulnerable groups experience intersectionality the
most. Intersectionality can occur within two different ways. The two different ways include
Internal in which aspects of character may not be physically seen. However, external aspects
may be subject to being physically features.
Being a heterosexual African American female who grew up in DC in a single parent
households contends to my internal intersectionality. I regards to external intersectionality, I am
a middle class young woman whom speaks English. I am also an abled bodied person who have
no physical nor mental disabilities. Compared to others, I am in the middle of fat and thick. I am
considered the average height for a woman since I am 5’4. Though some of my qualities may be
subject to oppression and discrimination, I am more than thankful for being alive. These qualities
definitely play a major role in the truly amazing person I am today.
Conclusion
As an aspiring social worker, one has to be cultural aware of many different cultures
including those the social worker identifies with. According to chapter 5 of Lum “Cultural
awareness involves the self in a cultural context” (APA Citation). Being cultural aware requires a
deep analyzation of how cultures relate and how they do not relate in a sense. Growing up as a
low class African American from the District of Columbia, I was not exposed to many other
ways of life other than those similar to mine. However, having the opportunity to attend college
opened my eyes many different people who then introduced me to a variety of different cultures.
It was learned that having a sense of self will lead many social workers on the road to being able
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to help others. One cannot be close-minded because life is an ongoing learning cycle. Growing
up, I was often close minded in which it was learned that I was responsible for continuing the
cycle of oppression and discrimination. Being able to recognize and explore who I am will help
me to be a well-rounded person who many will feel comfortable around even if the same culture
is not shared.

Dominant and Subordinate Group

Introduction:
The concept of identity is very complex. This is due to the various identity groups that
describes a human being. Many groups originate from all over starting with family dynamics to
social groupings. Belonging to more than one group creates domination at the same time it
creates a sense of oppression in some aspects. This suggest that describing anyone is typically
not a closed ended question, it involves a deep analyzation because people are not just one thing.
Humans all over belong to multiple groups, creating them to be a list of things. These groups
reflects aspects of one’s life including gender, class, race, sexuality, age, and etc. Being a part of
the groupings listed above does not require extra work. Many persons have been put into these
groupings from the day they were conceived. Furthermore, the groupings people are placed into
are not a choice.
William Lynch can be said to contribute to the idea of seeking differences amongst people
and using this difference to keep people separate. In 1712, William was brought to Virginia to
give a speech to slave owners regarding control. William stated “Don’t forget you must pitch the
old Black male vs the young black male. You must use the dark skin slave’s vs the light skin
slaves. You must use female vs the male” (Morrow). This excerpt from the book does not signify
that William Lynch was the creator of such groupings but he did play a role in the enactment of
whites taking into account their differences and using it to their advantage through power. While
whites may be the dominant race, everyone belongs to a dominate group whether it is known or
not.
Subordinate group member
Being born apart of so many subordinate groups creates a life full of obstacles. One of the
most oppressed groups that one can belong to is African Americans. For decades being a
member of this group has caused much oppression. People of color have been oppressed by the
dominant group of Caucasians also known as whites since the beginning of slavery. Jansson
states “African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and some Asian Americans are far
more likely to be poor, to have limited education, and to have poorer health than whites”
(Jansson, 2019, pg 487). However, “African Americans have been the central minority
throughout our country’s history” (Takaki, 2018, pg 78).
Being a member of the African American race, one feels very powerless. The fight for social
just amongst blacks continues to be relevant in the contemporary state. African Americans have
been fighting against oppression for years and yet oppression still takes place embarking on the
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idea of being “powerless”. Standing up to different forms of oppression such as micro-assaults as
well as macroaggressions is not enough to surpass the stereotypes and other feelings regarding
African Americans. African Americans through the eyes of others are a group of people whom is
“lazy, abuse services given to them, illiterate, love fried food, and list continues. The stereotypes
that different cultures create based on their beliefs cause’s members of the subordinate group to
often question their worth and the validity behind these thoughts. Georgia State University is in
fact a very diverse school and interaction with other cultures are inevitable. Belonging to this
subordinate group, one’s intelligence is always questioned and sometimes not incorporated in
regards to ideas when working in a team.
As stated above, many groupings take place as soon as one is conceived. Women in
particular are a subordinate group of men whom have been seen throughout history to be
dominant. The idea of power also relates to gender. For many years, women did not have a
voice. This can be seen through the years when women could not vote, meaning that their ideas
regarding politics and the American welfare state did not matter. Many persons reasoning behind
women being “involved” comes from the founding fathers of the Constitution. Many legislators
refused to grant women the right to vote claiming that the Constitution did not outline or discuss
anything regarding women (Jannson, 2019).
Women have always seem to be thought of as invisible in regards to being treated equal to
men. Many persons hold the belief that women are supposed to do household work while men
“bring home the bacon”. Jansson states “ The doctrine if separate spheres grew stronger in the
early 19th century and led to the cult of domesticity, which consigned women to household and
familial functions while reserving the professions and business to males” (Jansson, 2019, pg
116). On a daily basis, women have to work harder to be taken serious and break down presumed
beliefs that they are to in fact strong and able to do “guy” things. For example, if a women
expresses interest in becoming a firefighter, many will not take her serious since that occupation
is male dominant and one that can get “dirty”. Women not only experience prejudice in the work
place but also are subject to being called a b* when upsetting someone.
Due to society views regarding women to be kept up, it is hard for women to dress how they
want. For example, when having on sweats and one’s hair wrapped into a bonnet, women are
subject to being called ghetto. This happens at least once a week. One should not always have to
live up to society expectations of having their nails and hair done and wearing appealing clothing
every day of the week because that is a form of oppression instilling in women that they can
never relax and be whom they are.
Being born under a single parent household whose caregiver is living paycheck to paycheck
embarks on the theme of what is like to be a part of the “low class”. Class in America is a topic
many people try to avoid because there is a huge gap in between the wealthy and the poor.
Mantsios states that “1 of every 7 people in this country live below the official poverty line”
(Mantsios, 2018, pg).
Being a part of the low class, one can feel very powerless since the transition to a higher
class barely takes place. Being a part of a certain class often occurs from generations of one’s
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family. This idea suggest that the hardships one faces due to being a part of a specific class is out
of the control of the individual. Mantsios explains “When we look at society and try to determine
what it is that keeps most people down-what holds them back from realizing their potential as
healthy, creative, productive individuals-we find institutional forces that are largely beyond
individual control. Class domination is one of these forces” (Mantsosis, 2018, pg 181). Mantsois
excerpt shows how persons may want to improve their life but this group due to finances holds
many people back.
Members of low class are seemed to be invisible since the face of social media are those
in higher classes. This creates the feeling of being worthless. When entering a store while
clothing is not up to par, many store members often keep an eye out presuming the belief that
stealing can occur because by the looks f it, the items in the store may be pricey or out of one’s
budget. Being a member of low class also restricts one from many beneficial opportunities. For
example, being a part of a sorority is very beneficial. However, requiring one to pay dues put
those who only have enough to get by in a bad space. Lack of resources also comes with much
discrimination. This is because society makes it a comical phenomenon when people do not have
the latest shoes or if one cannot get their hair done as often as those with money do.
Though there is no reason to want to change one’s status of being subordinate or
dominate, but what needs to be change is the mindsets of everyone. This begins with breaking
the curse of Willie Lynch as well as presumed beliefs regarding vulnerable populations. As
stated above, Willie Lynch thought the best way to deconstruct people of color was to put them
against each other regarding physical and non-physical aspects. As a society, these curse should
be broken because everyone is a human who deserves equality and liberation. People should also
consider creating a new world, allowing new rules and expectations. Those who are advantages
in areas others are not should help fight injustice instead of continuing the cycle of oppression.
The first to changing the society is through education. Schools should bring awareness of all
cultures in order to create a sense of cultural humility as well as cultural competency.
Dominate group member
Although, life can be seen as being a wreck due to being a part of several subordinate groups,
there is a sense of domination associated with being a member of such subordinate groups. To
begin, African Americans should possess such gratefulness as this group finally got the
opportunity to witness for the first time a person of color become president. While discussing the
2008 elections, Jansson states “For the first time in American history, an African American had
been given the opportunity to become president” (Jansson, 2019, pg 445). Barack Obama was
the 44th President of the United States. Obama had this advantage over many other people who
ran and lost and even those who he were against democratic policies and beliefs. Obama gave
hope to people of color showing that his membership of a particular race did not hold him back
from following his dream. Often times, being a part of a minority brings many opportunities such
as scholarships and etc. Many times people of color especially African Americans do not think
about college because it is a known fact that finances will be an issue. However, this
disadvantage of being a minority creates the advantage of being the focus point of certain
scholarships that requires such persons to identify as a specific race.
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Being heterosexual is another dominant group. This is because there is an advantage over
homosexuals, whom are highly discriminated against. Heterosexuals are considered “normal” by
society due to the fact that thy take interest in the opposite sex. Heterosexuals are highly
privileged on a daily biases. For example “Heterosexual couples do not have to worry about
whether skiing each other in public or holding hands in public will render them vulnerable to
violence “and “Heterosexuals do not have to worry about people trying to “cure” their sexual
orientation” (Adams et al. 2018 p.370-371). While there is no animosity against homosexuals,
one is thankful to be able to truly express one’s self.
Ableism relates to not having any disabilities. Disabilities come in the shape of being
psychical and non-physical. Having a disability creates a life of despair because many people
often are made fun of. Disability people are not the concern of society in which many become
bystanders when viewing acts of oppression against the vulnerable group. Many aspects of life
become a burden to those with a disability. For example “the lack of opposition to discrimination
against persons with disabilities with respect to employment allows long held stereotypes and
prejudices to continue unchallenged” (Adams et al. 2018 p 476). Disabilities also come in other
forms that may not be seen by the human eye. This relates to have mental disabilities and
impairments.
Being a member of these dominate groupings, it would be appreciated if others came
together to bring awareness of discrimination of those who are subordinate in these areas.
Everyone should receive equal treat regardless of who one’s sexual interest as well as the class
one was born in , and if one has a disability or not. There is no such thing as “normal” because
there are thousands of interpretations behind the meaning of the word. There should be no
restrictions regarding expressing one’s self or any limitations regarding what one is capable or
incapable of doing. It is very important for people to look into themselves to be able to notice
one’s privileges in order to help bring awareness of other cultures and acts of oppression upon
them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a person’s identity reflects the different membership of multiple groupings.
Many groupings that one belongs to are mainly due to factors one cannot change. For instance,
one cannot change what color one is nor can a person stop time in order for one to stay young
forever. Belonging to several subordinate groups may seem to be overwhelming. However, being
an optimist expands on the idea that certain disadvantages are actually advantages depending on
the situation at hand. For years, African Americans have been seen as subordinate when dealing
with situations such as test scores, finances, and employment. However, African American teens
are dominant in terms of receiving scholarship assistance due to being a member of a minority.
Completing this assignment helped one to become aware of power differences and its effects. It
is imperative to be aware and learn differences amongst cultures because those factors create a
theme of uniqueness as well as help one to break down socially constructed biases that have been
passed around for years.
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Being an aspiring social worker requires one to be aware of the world though the idea of
“power” and “powerless”. This suggest that as social workers, one needs to know how to
properly access resources to those subordinate groups looking to handle everyday life situations.
Also, being an aspiring social worker requires one to put their feelings about a particular
dominant or subordinate group to the side. This is because, as social workers, one cannot put the
blame or show no type of animosity towards any group. Whether it is noticeable or not, each
group experience advantages as well as disadvantages embarking on the theme of being a
human. The fact that some groups may not experience oppression as often as other groups does
not give the right for anyone to judge anyone especially since the founding fathers of the
Constitution put emphasis on justice and equality.

Cultural Immersion
Introduction/Prior to Activity
The LGBTQIA group is an amazing community. This community is very big and gives
many people the opportunity to understand topics such as gender, sex, sexuality, and etc. While
this community is very big and diverse, several sections of this community receives more
attention than others. Although while growing up, one could say they loved “gay” people
because this community always seemed to be very humorous and full of life. However, it was a
known fact that something about the LGBTQIA community was not right. This is because those
who believe in god always have said god did not make the universe with the intentions of
deviating from life through male and female. This thought always seem to have always brought a
feeling of boldness and gratitude. This is because this community still expressed themselves even
though many people were against as it was in the “bible”.
In elementary, it was noticeable that a couple of boys would prefer to hang out with the
females in the class rather than the boys. However, because those boys would make the girls
laugh and seemed no different in regards to interests of the girls, it was never a problem. As one
got older, one learned that that the boys were simply gay and was not “normal” according to
society. Being raised up in a home where one could barely make it, judging others was not very
common. However, going into high school, the boys whom seem to want to wear heals and
switch while walking or the girls who sagged their paints seemed to be “trying to hard” which
made one feel irritated at the sight of this community.
In the media, the LGBTQIA community does not seem to be portrayed in the most
positive way. Often times when news reports have dealings with a member of the LGBTQIA
community, the authors rarely refer to this group by their name. One would mostly see headlines
such as “Gay girl commits… or Queer women takes a stand..”. These type of headlines created a
sense of unimportance within this community. As the media has changed over time, the media
has started to inmate the LQBTQIA community. Many times heterosexual men put on dresses
and flashy makeup and act in a way that the “flamboyant” also known as vibrant and exuberant
transgender persons are thought to act on a regular basis.
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Though the “normal” (not famous) LGBTQIA members seem to be mistreated on the
media, the famous LGBTQIA members seem to not receive negative attention. This can be seen
in the movie Set it Off which included Queen Latifah as one of the main characters being gay.
Many people loved the way Queen Latifah played this role and too many comments about being
transgender or “different” did not appear in the media. Also, the famous TV show Empire, Jamal
was one of the main characters who received negative attention in regards to characters within
the script. However, the public seem to love Jamal for his personality and for who he was.
The media currently impacts the viewpoint of this community. This is because sometimes
it is agreeable that trans genders often times do too much. It is one thing to confident but
sometimes people do not want to be bothered especially if a transgender person is loud all the
time. However, the media also makes one curious of accepting this community because
sometimes they are fairly represented and other times not. I am not sympathetic of this group
because it seems that those who do experience mistreatment handle the situations very well.
They simply seem as though they do not care or people’s opinions do not matter to them. This
group does not let others break them down. It was shown that one guy who was gay beaten up
and after getting up off the ground, he laughed looked at himself in his phone camera and
continued his day. I would be sympathetic if this group seemed to be bothered by the
mistreatment of others.
The current views regarding the LGBTQIA community have a small effect on working
with them. One have no problem with this group which suggests that there is no hostility.
However, one does “prepare” themselves for the vibrantness/loudness community members
bring whether it is school work or professional work. The hatred towards this group is very
confusing and is definitely a topic of interest.
Brief description & cultural immersion experience
To get a better understanding of the LGBTQIA and its entirety, one can visit the
multicultural center of GSU as the center hosts many events that touch on different cultures and
groups. On October 18, 2018, the multicultural center in the student center hosted an event
named “Misrepresentation of Me” in regards to the LGBTQIA community. This event welcomed
members and nonmembers of the community to come together and discussion how this group is
often mispresented in society.
Research/Brief summary
During the discussion and interview, it was learned that the LGBTQIA community face
hardships other than physical altercations. Being “different” often comes with being
discriminated against on the daily basis. Wanting to learn more about how the LGBTIA
community is discriminated against in institutions pushed the need for research. Research was
also needed in regards to exploring how the government plays a role in dealing with community.
The article proves the fact that government polices in fact contribute to the oppression of this
group. It is stated that “Policies at both the federal and state levels have discriminated against the
LGBTQIA community. Some of this discriminatory legislation includes the military’s “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which prohibits openly gay and lesbian people from entering service.
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Discriminatory legislation also pertains to voting laws which prohibits a transgender person the
right to vote when their identity documents do not match their perceived sex” ( Palk, 2018). It
was learned that one of the main reason this group experiences discrimination is due to he fact
that there are laws put in place that specifically excludes this vulnerable community.
After this activity
This event definitely evolved one’s knowledge of how actions by society members feel
from a first person perspective rather than what it “looks” like on the outside. This experience
definitely affected one’s views because it was brought to the attention that this group only is
mentioned or receives attention in regards to stereotypical ideologies such as being
“flamboyant”. This triggered the emotional side of one’s self because before attending this event,
it is very accurate that the only a section of the transgender community was mentioned. A feeling
of neglect of the entire community arose. This is because those who were conservative were
rarely mentioned or shown any interest. Also, it was noticeable that micro assaults were often
given to this community in which some instances, it is not intentional.
Attending this event definitely opened many people’s eyes in regards to previous
stereotypes or presumed assumptions about the LGBTQIA community. It was learned that every
transgender is in fact not “vibrant”. It was proved that some of the guys who were transgender at
the meeting had many heterosexual male friends and only one or two female friends. It was also
learned that this community has feelings even though many mask emotions in public. Many put
on this façade as a coping strategy and with the hope of one day being able to actually not care
what other people think.
The mistake many people do not realize is that this community is filled with msn y
normal people. Though many people think transgender persons often are only going through a
“phase”. However, this is not true. The trans genders at the meeting expressed that the feeling
that something was “not right” occurred at a young age. Others have this stereotype that trans
genders persons are going against the rules that “god” has created, but the real question to ponder
is: what happened to god being accepting of all of his children?
As a social worker, this experience expands one knowledge on how society mistreats this
community. It also provides one with first person anecdotes which helps social workers
determine effective assessment and intervention onto this community. This experience also helps
social workers think about their own acts of macroaggressions and stereotyping. After thinking
about own acts of mistreatment, leads social workers to act on making sure to correct actions to
best help clients and the world to be better as well.
Continued Cultural Competence
In order to increase cultural competence of this community, social workers need to
engage in activists activities. This is because social workers need to gain more knowledge about
how to stop future forms of discrimination against this community. Social workers will gain
more strategies and tips that can be shared with world on this major issue. Engaging in activist
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activities, social workers are being an extra help to this community. This community needs to
understand that they do not have to fight injustice alone.

I stand with Immigrants panel discussion

Prior Reflections
Growing up in Washington, DC the latinx community member often do not hold any jobs
that people desire to have. For example, the only places one would see latinx community
members working at places such as fast food restaurants or custodians at schools and other
institutions. Many would refer to them as poor and some would even refer to them as “dirty”. I
normally never interacted with them other than when getting an order taken. At the age of 8, I
would hear stories about them such as you can give them 15 dollars and they will do anything.
Stories as such would make it believable that the latinx community was poor. The latinx
community itself is normally not seen in the media. However, when watching television, Spanish
translations or subtitles are always an option. Prior to Donald Trump being elected, there would
be media stories about latinos and the effects on the economy. It would portray the group as
violent human beings. There is a lot of sympathy towards this group. This is because there is not
too many positive stories one hears about latinos. Many things said about them are negative.
There is barely any representation of them in politics which support the reason why the group is
so suppressed. Having sympathy for this group will positively affect working with people of the
latin decent because being aware that this group is often subject to oppression, ways to promote
justice would come in the form of respecting and trying to learn about the vulnerable population.

Brief description & cultural immersion experience

The discusiion panel was chosen because one wanted to experience a meeting lead my
latinos who are often regarded to as uneducated and dirty. At the meeting, there was many
different descents of different latin groups. The discussion discussed immigration right,
immigration policy and civil engagements. As many know the current president is trying to build
a wall against immigrants. This will be a hurdle to those undocumented people who seek a better
financial life when entering the US. The panel wanted everyone to help fight against this
injustice even if one was not included in the Latino population. The panel also asked people to
vote in more Latinos into politics in order to stop oppression and discrimination. It was observed
that this group was serious about taking action. No one was on their phone throughout the entire
meeting. Everyone was engaged and full of questions. They also clapped and high fived the
panel at the ending of the discussion.

Research/Brief Summary
Due to the fact that many people refer to the Latino community as dirty, one thought it
would be beneficial to learn about the academic well-being of this vulnerable group since they
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seem to have the low paying occupations. As it turns out, latino youth underperform in school.
Evidence suggest that “Latino children enter kindergarten performing approximately one
standard deviation below non-Latino white children in math and reading” (Palermo, 2018).
These numbers seem to persist over time. This will prove to be beneficial when working with the
youth of latino clients. It would be noted to help find and educate this group in order for them to
be at the same level as other ethnicities. Often times many people like to taunt latinos that they
are not educated but do nothing to help. Being a social worker will not only help this group but it
will advocate for civil rights for all.

After the Activity

This experience definitely will leave a huge impact on anyone’s life. This is because it
proved that this group is in fact educated. Latinos are normal people. The audience was filled
with people who did not look poor or “dirty”. The latinos whom were at the discussion seemed to
be dressed presentable and up to par. It was not clear that there are different latinos around the
world. It was not taken into account the higher cost of living in the District of Columbia
compared to the state of Georgia. Latinos akin to African Americans experienced the same type
of discrimination and acts of oppression. It was learned that though it was thought that latinos
endure a harder life than African Americans, latinos and African Americans are on the same
level.
Continued Cultural Work
The discussion panel only discussed a couple of hardships the culture endured. More
information needs to be explored within this community. Attending more cultural events with the
focus being around the latino community will definitely help bring out more cultural awareness.
Traditions and practices of the culture needs to learned as well since interventions and referrals
need to be appropriate. To avoid misconceptions about the group, promoting the needs of this
community is important and a fundamental way of advocating.
It was a pleasure being able to explore this culture. It is a goal to attend an event that
embarks a little on the happier side if this community. It is known that the community have an
interest in happy upbeat songs. Attending this event also helped one to have more of an open
mind instead of having presumed beliefs about and group before even having interaction with
them.

Dragon Con
Prior Reflections
Upon moving to Atlanta to attend Georgia State University, a weekend of seeing people
dress up in costumes other than Halloween seemed to be weird. The only time adults wore
costumes included to be on the traditional October 31st. Upon walking through the downtown
area during the event, it was a presumed belief that this community was in fact childish and were
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too old to be playing games. Looking at the event on the outside also raised one’s curiosity in
regards to what was going on. Though there were different cultures at the event, there was
mostly Caucasians in which it was thought that this was just something “weird” they did akin to
wearing flip flops when it was cold outside. There was no sympathy for this group because one
thought that people should grow out of playing dress up. As there was no sympathy, there was
also no animosity in which working someone of this culture would seem not to be a tedious or
hard task. The media did not seem to portray this culture or one did not care enough to listen
about this culture if it was in fact mentioned.
Brief description & cultural immersion
Dragon Con is a convention that started in the 1980’s where the originators decided to
combine interests such as fantasy, sci fi, gaming, comics, and etc. People come from all around
the world to wear their best costumes, meet new people, and engage in all the festivities that take
place during the 3-4 day labor weekend in Atlanta. Before learning about the event, there was a
presumed belief that people were childish for wearing weird costumes.
Stopping a guy who was a part of the Wakanda team to be involved in an interview, it was
learned that Dragon Con was a joyful experience as well as had an economic impact on society.
It was learned that the Labor Day weekend event raises funds for designated charities and in
2005, it raised 20,000 dollars for the Leukemia society. It was also learned that Dragcon
convention was place where people whom had “weird” interest could come together and not be
judged by a society who often referred to them as “immature”.

Research/ Brief summary

When having an interview with one of the Wakanda members, the guy kept referring to
the people at the event as “we”. This raised an interest to determine exactly who “we” were.
Wanting to know the exact name of the community pushed for extensive research to describe
those who attended the dragoncon festivities. Upon research, the “we” referred to a community
and geek culture. Geek culture “is a subculture of enthusiasts that is traditionally associated with
obscure media which includes, Japanese animation, science fiction, video games, and etc”
(McCain, 2015). While the culture rarely got any attention, the culture is starting to become
mainstream. It is stated that,” In the past year alone, dragon con, a major geek convention in
Atlanta, Georgia, attracted an attendance of over 57, 0000 member” (McCain, 2015). Being able
to have respect for cultures that does not pertain to race or that may seem awkward is very
important. People should be able to comfortably express who they are without being
discriminated against or thought of something otherwise. There are many cultures that are
starting to get recognized in which why they too should get the proper advocacy against
discrimination as well.
After the Activity
Interviewing the member of Wakanda definitely affected one’s view of subcultures.
When something is not known, many people believe it is “stupid” or unnecessary However, if
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people with similar interest decide to come together, they should have the right to do so. Also,
the importance of asking questions is important. As social workers, learning never stops. While
clients may think little if themselves, interacting with them, social workers learn something new
every day. If the question of why one was involved in the festivities, it may have never been
learned that the convention helps support organizations by donating much of the receiving funds.
Continued Cultural Work
In order to be an effective social worker, one needs to learn more about subcultures and
cultures that do not pertain to physical characteristics. One cannot discriminate against another
culture due to having differing interest. Social workers have to be open minded. To be open
minded, one needs to emerge themselves in more cultural events that focus on uncommon
cultures. Research regarding subcultures needs to be set in place in order to help clients who
may be a part of a subculture. Being able to advocate for members if subcultures will create a
sense of happiness iver those who may feel misunderstood and ashamed of being “different”.
Center for Civil and Human Rights
Prior Reflections
Being a part of the African American community, it is easy to note the hardships one
experiences. Wanting to get a better understanding of the fight to obtain justice for other
cultures and ethnicities raised interest in attending the museum. Although, it was known that
many ethnicities face oppression and discrimination, one was certain that other cultures
experiences were not as harsh as blacks. Learning the tradition of slavery caused many
sympathetic emotions towards the marginalized group. The media would often portray African
Americans as savages lazy, and unworthy. This idea also sparked interest in attending the
museum since some of the most powerful movements and figures lived in Georgia. The history
that may have been left out lectures or discussions wanted to be explored.
Brief description & cultural immersion
During this visit, many themes were explored such as racism, classism, and etc. Of the
many oppressions explored, colorism stood out. Colorism occurs within races basically
providing privilege to those who have a lighter skin tone. It was learned that while groups such
as African Americans were widely discriminated against, those who were a lighter color were
treated somewhat better. This can be seen by those lighter skinned African Americans who got
the chance to work in the house as opposed to those darker African Americans whom had to
work on the fields. After research it was learned that a guy name Willie Lynch was big impact in
regards to turning people against each other. Willie Lynch wanted to put people against each
other by comparing skin tone, gender, race, and ect
Research/Brief summary
Colorism seemed to be a theme that needed deeper understanding and research. One
wanted to explore how the media brought attention to the problem or if media help contribute to
the act of oppression. As research is began, it is learned that the media plays a major role in
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presuming the belief that lighter is better. The media even incorporates the idea into children
shows and movies. The well-known cartoon show, The Proud Family evokes the idea of racism
as well as colorism. For example the gross sister who are the schools bullies raises fear in all of
the student who attend the school. These three sisters appearance is one to remember. This is
because their skin color stands out as blue black. Their hair “is usually kept in braids and their
body types are either much larger or much smaller than the typical European ideal. The
illustrators use dark skin color as an indicator of fear and ugliness. The last name assigned to the
sisters, “Gross,” explains to the audience that they cannot and should not be considered
physically appealing” (Steele, 2016).
After the Activity
After visiting the museum, it was learned that while African Americans are subject to
acts of oppression, many other cultures experience the exact same treatment.
Continued Cultural Work
In order to work with many cultures, all mechanisms of oppression needs to be learned.
Being cultural aware will allow one to make an impact to the vulnerable group. It was learned
that it is not a good thing to compare oppression between groups. This is because it is not
important. What is important is the fact that oppression and discrimination needs to stop amongst
all cultures. Promoting equality and a socially just environment for every human being is the
goal that needs to be obtained.
Skill Development
Introduction
One of the first questions asked upon taking the cultural diversity course was “What does it
mean to be cultural competent?” Akin to many other future social work practitioners, the answer
to this question seemed to be very easy. Cultural Competent simply meant to be aware of other
cultures. Though this explanation was very broad, it seemed to be the perfect response. After the
first couple of classes and reading assignments, it was clear that the answer given to the initial
question was only a small part of the definition. It was learned that Cultural Competent meant
being aware of other cultures as well as one’s own cultural. Being cultural competent is be able
understand and respecting why people behave the way that they do. Being cultural competent
involves interacting with other cultures while learning something new at the same time. The ten
NASW Standards that social workers refer and abide to will be expanded in regards to
explaining further and future actions. The ability to be cultural diverse will be communicated
through reflecting learned experience through the course.
Cultural Competency Action Plan
It has been proven that outreach has been really effective in regards to improving
situations. Furthermore, starting the CCC (Cultural Competence Club) will be the ideal measure
or action plan to get many others involved. Georgia State University is a very diverse college
with many different people from different cultures. Fuzzing as many cultures together will help
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bring the attention of college students. Having the attention of many college students will help
fight against mechanisms or presumed beliefs and myths that circulate the world. This plan will
enhance college students as well as faculty member’s knowledge as well as take accountability
of previous negative associations or acts of mistreatment of others based on one’s culture.
Creating this club will also help the fight for justice for all cultures, all people, and unity in the
world. This plan includes all three levels of conceptualization. This is because it will allow
individuals to think about their own culture as well as rise self-awareness. This will lead to many
individuals encouraging their culture members to become competent in the culture they share as
well as other cultures. Obtaining many activists will push many policies and institutions to
enhance the idea of being cultural competent at a young age which will change education
curriculum worldwide.
NASW Ten Standards:
Standard 1
The National Association of Social Work outlines ten standards that all current and future
social work practitioners’ actions should abide by and practice. The first standard includes ethics
and values. This standard states that “social workers shall function in accordance with the values,
ethics, and standards of the NASW code of ethics” (NASW Cultural Standards, 2008). This
suggest that social workers have several ethical responsibilities. These ethical responsibilities
take form in clients, colleagues, profession, and broader society. This first standard has already
been adhered to because upon choosing this major, the commitment to contributing to a better
society was already taken. In preparation for the career field, a lot of deep and personal
conversation takes place in the classroom. As the Code of Ethics outline the importance of
having ethical responsibility of colleagues, any information discussed in class this semester
stayed inside of the classroom. Regardless of agreeing or disagreeing with different cultural
practices, information was not passed on to one’s friends or family members. There was a sense
of respect given to classmates as one did not try to force opposing culture practices.
Standard 2
The second standard includes being self-aware. Being self-aware means one
acknowledging as well as appreciation of one’s own culture. When growing up in rough
situations, it is hard to acknowledge areas of privilege. For example, the ability to be young is a
privilege and holds a lot of weight in regards to employment opportunities. Another area of
privilege that is often overlooked is the ability to be able. Many people whom have disabilities
experience day to day hurdles as well as daily discrimination. The idea of having appreciation of
one’s identity will guide social workers with their practice. It will help clients to appreciate and
acknowledge the advantages of their culture as well as others. Attending cultural activities that
reflect the culture one belongs to will definitely be a major goal in the upcoming semester.
Standard 3
The third standard includes having cross-cultural knowledge. This concept refers to
knowing the history as well as the contemporary sense of other cultures. This standard requires
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social workers to constantly know what is going on in the world and how it relates to the history
of the culture. Having to emerge in the cultural immersions project, a lot of knowledge was
gained about many cultures. These cultural events included the LBQTQIA and Latinx
discussion, Dragoncon and a visit to the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Through attending
these events, it was learned that many cultures in fact are very similar than what people usually
expect. In the future, there is a high possibility that other languages will be learned to improve
communication skills when working with clients whom first language is not English.
Standard 4
The fourth standard includes having cross-cultural skills. This standard requires social
workers to use a range of skills in in order to show respect for other cultures. When meeting new
people who come from a different cultures, there may be different aspects that are different then
what one may refer to as “normal”. Once there was a young female who transferred schools and
her clothes were different than what many teenagers whore at the time. So instead of laughing
and making fun of the female, a simple conversation was started. The conversation involved
questions such as Hello, What is your name? Are you a transfer? Where are you from? How’s
life there? Compare and contrast the cultures? This standard allowed the one whom was asking
the questions the ability to be able understand how the cultures were different at the same time
respecting the culture instead of laughing at the differences, creating negative connotation. Being
able to note differences while at the same time learning will be very effective in practice and in
daily interaction outside of the work place.
Standard 5
The fifth standard includes service delivery. This involves social workers having the
skills to be able to provide the best resources to clients. The social worker must be
knowledgeable about services that exist outside their own culture. There have been many times
where people on campus are confused and ask other students questions. Some of these questions
involve knowing where to locate services that may not even be used by the provider. Throughout
the semesters, there have been many referrals giving when asked by freshman seeking the
classrooms or those whom are disabled seeking the disability center. It is very important to know
about the best services for clients. Culturally appropriate referrals will be given amongst many
known positive networks that will work to provide the best for clients. Becoming more involved
in the community will also be on the to-do list. This is because being involved creates a
beneficial networking experience where new knowledge can be obtained which can help social
workers even more with referrals to clients, family, and even friends.
Standard 6
The sixth standard is Empowerment and Advocacy. This standard involves advocating
when, appropriate, for vulnerable client populations. To properly advocate the impact of
different programs, systems as well as policies need to be known. Advocating will help
empower groups whom are often oppressed and marginalized. In the future, there is a deep
interest to work with African American adolescent men whom are often referred to as “bad”.
One of the major methods in assisting this vulnerable group includes properly advocating for this
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group. This will lead to empowering this group to prove many doubters wrong. The participation
in implementation of policies will be required. This vulnerable population needs advocates that
will not only give them a voice but give them the courage and resources to help themselves.
Belonging to the African American race, one witness and understands the hardships that takes
place. Learning about other cultures will promote the need to severely advocate for others.
Advocating will most likely take place in the future once more information is gathered in regards
to the oppression and discrimination others face on a daily basis.
Standard 7
The seventh standard is Diverse Workforce. This requires social workers to come out of
their comfort zone. Social Work practitioners should “support and advocate for recruitment,
admissions and hiring, and retention efforts” (NASW Cultural Standards, 2008) When having the
opportunity to work on assignments with a group, it is a mission that the group that is chosen
requires new faces. New faces is a big deal because it allows one to grow to be able to
understand and advocate for a different culture than one’s own. Since social workers are going to
work with different people from different culture, the ability to work with classmates other than
one’s known is important. In the future, when clients express feelings of wanting to work in
gender dominant career fields, major support will be given because a diverse workforce is an
impactful workforce!
Standard 8
The eighth standard is Professional Education. Social Workers have to take on the
journey of becoming cultural competent since this task cannot be learned over night. Education
and training of other cultures need to be something the nation moves towards together. Social
workers have the opportunity of helping to advance the world’s cultural competence. This will
most likely happen in the future when a degree is earned. The ultimate goal is to obtain a
doctorate in SW. Prior to being a BSW, field placement will take place in which hand on
experience will be gained. Many topics discussed in class will be used and implemented when
field placement begins. Outside volunteer work can also promote experience in the career.
Standard 9:
The ninth standard is Language and Communication. This standard states “social workers
shall provide and advocate for effective communication with clients of all cultural groups”
(NASW Cultural Standards, 2008). As an aspiring social worker, communication is a major
component to be effective. Not being able to appropriate communicate can cause hurdles in the
field. Learning a second language as well as sign language are the goals for next semester. Each
year, the goal is to learn two new languages and eventually become fluent in them.
Communication also will take place in the form of advocating for those who cannot
communicate due to impairments such as being blind or death. Being able to properly
communicate will help social worker give out the best referrals taking in account language skills,
cultural background, and etc.
Standard 10
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The tenth and final standard is Leadership to Advance Cultural Competence. This
standard states that “social workers should demonstrate responsibility for advancing cultural
competence within and beyond their organizations” (NASW Cultural Standards, 2008). Social
workers are to set examples for the clients and communities altogether. Setting an example
includes taking on leadership roles as well as taking responsibility for helping clients and
communities prosper. Attending college was a major step in leadership. This is because many
people whom grew up in low economic situations do not see the importance of furthering one’s
education instead of getting a job and help alleviate problems of caregivers and other family
members. Being able to attend college will give the resources one need to set an example. Setting
this example will allow one to help challenge structural and institutional oppression. Also, it will
help build diverse communities full of people with open-minds who will be engaged when
learning about other cultures. As an aspiring social worker, it will be a task to make sure
community members to expand their level of thinking as well as cultural competence skills in
order to be successful in communities, inclusive institutions, and life overall.
Social Action Plan
Mechanisms of Oppression
There are many mechanisms of oppression that takes place around the world every that
affects the well-being of humans. Many mechanisms ends with-ism. For example classism,
racism, colorism, and sexism. When working with cultures, it is important be aware of most if
not all the ways discrimination takes place. Colorism is prejudicial or preferential treatment of
same race people based solely on their color”- Alice Walker. Another notable mechanisms of
oppression is racism in which it embarks on the idea that there is one superior race opposed to
many inferior race. Classism is another mechanism of oppression in which society is put into
status levels based on socioeconomic factors. Sexism is a gender based type of discrimination.
This mechanism usually takes place in the form that women are inferior to men.
Vulnerable populations whom discrimination needs social workers to advocate and
empower them. This is because their voices and concerns are often overlooked. These vulnerable
groups also needs allies in which they will know that they are indeed not alone. Having many
allies brings upon public support in which it may reach the desk of policy makers and influence
impactful changes. To properly promote the needs of these groups, educating society on
oppression and ways to stop it is an important measure. Sometimes people are unaware of their
actions and once told, behavior changes for the better. Changed behavior will influence people to
stand up to injustice instead of being a bystander. In order to continue growth in the ability to
address and confront of all vulnerable groups include fighting against bystanders. This is
important because witnessing an act of oppression is playing a role in continuing acts of
oppression. People need to fight against discrimination even if it is not occurring to a person
directly. Another goal includes educating the meaning and definition of macroaggression and
micro insults in which sometimes prejudice comments are not attended but still holds heavy
meaning. Having the ability to watch one’s own words as well as others will be imperative to
teaching the importance of being cultural competent.
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Action Group
Throughout the course, I have developed a passion for African American adolescent’s men.
This group of young adults are often misunderstood. Though there actions are sometimes illegal,
many people do not understand the struggle of not having opportunities or resources set in place
in order to succeed. I plan to advance this groups rights and become an ally to the fight for
justice. The first step is to help the nation become aware and have an understanding of social
oppression. This includes having others acknowledge their role in the oppression system. My
second step includes opening up group homes around the world that will provide these young
men with loving environments as well as expand their experiences. I plan to take these men to
resume workshops, help them find jobs and look into furthering their education. While creating
group homes, I also plan on changing the community by giving them the courage to believe in
themselves. I would advocate for better conditions and opportunities in the neighborhood. This
will eventually impact the government laws and policies in order to help stop injustice.

Post Reflection Experience

Taking the cultural diversity course can help one to become more cultural humble as well
as well as cultural competent. One day, there was a game played in which the purpose was to see
people’s positions in society. After the game, people were able to compare how their daily lives
were not as oppressed as they had thought. Being one of those people in the back help with
recognizing that while others are advantaged in some aspects, they too are subordinate in some
aspects. The cultural immersions will definitely will help people become aware of differing
cultures. For example, before attending dragoncon, it was a presumed belief that the community
was full of immature adults. However, after attending the event, it was learned that this culture
raises thousands of dollars for organizations such as leukemia. The group projects included
different mechanisms of oppression. Having colorism as a project topic helped one to relate
discrimination that takes place in one’s own culture to other culture. It also helped one to
appreciate the skin tone because those darker are subject to more discrimination than those who
are mixed or white. It was also learned that some cultures bleach their skin in order to reap the
benefits of being “lighter”. Being able to explore other cultures and the risks they endure
definitely brings about a feeling of cultural appreciation.
Exploring other cultures can help one to become cultural humble. Having the
opportunity to expand one’s knowledge on other cultures is very essential in the social work
field. It was assumed that culture described above did not seek any benefits. However, it was
learned through this course that this assumption was not accurate. Every oppressed group will
seek benefits as well as obstacles. This is what is unique about America. There are so many
cultures that are different but the basic ideologies is the same. These ideologies includes respect
and equality. The fact that I was the only one in my family to attend college made me believe
that my family will never progress. However, I came to realize that I should come to appreciate
this fact since I can be considered an inspiration to my family. Another realization or presumed
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belief that has changed includes the fact that I am a part of the low class. Though this may seem
as a totally negative group, this vulnerable population has many positive gains. One of these
gains includes having scholarships only for those who may live in “public housing”. This one
aspect of my cultural creates hurdles such as not having everything I need but it also provides
many people akin to myself with opportunities such as attending college and becoming
successful.
Conclusion
In closing, being cultural component does not only pertain to being aware of other
cultures. Being cultural competence requires one to understand and respect their own culture. It
also requires one to know and respect as well as the importance of their own cultures. As an
aspiring social work practitioner, the content that was learned this semester will definitely be
used even after the profession. These skills helps one to be a well-rounded social worker. Skills
such as advocating will definitely be used. Many clients who have been oppressed so not know
or simply cannot advocate for themselves. This is where knowing how to properly advocate
comes to use. Many problems of oppressed groups do not get resolved until advocating is done.
Being well rounded is imperative because it helps one to grow and make an impact.
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References
Adams, Bluemenfeld, et al. ( 2018). Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (4th Ed) New
York, NY: Routledge. ISBN13: 978-1138055285.
Jansson, B. (2019). The Reluctant Welfare State: Engaging History to Advance Social Work
Practice in Contemporary Society, (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
McCain, J., Gentile, B., & Campbell, W. K. (2015). A Psychological Exploration of Engagement
in Geek Culture. PLoS ONE, 10(11), 1–38.
Morrow, A. (2004). Breaking the curse of Willie Lynch: The science of slave psychology.
Florissant, MO: Rising Sun Publications.
NASW. (2008). Code of Ethics (English and Spanish) - National Association of Social Workers.
Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
Palermo, F., Ispa, J. M., Carlo, G., & Streit, C. (2018). Economic hardship during infancy and
US Latino preschoolers’ sociobehavioral health and academic readiness. Developmental
Psychology, 54(5), 890–902.
Palk, L., & Grunsted, S. (2018). Born Free: Toward an Expansive Definition of Sex. Michigan
Journal of Gender & Law, 25(1), 1.
Steele, C. K. (2016). Pride and prejudice: Pervasiveness of colorism and the animated series
Proud Family. Howard Journal of Communications, 27(1), 53–67.