Racism, Oppression and
Cultural Competence
Pauline Lucero, MA
Corazon Training & Consulting
paulineabq@gmail.com
505-235-2429
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
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9:00-9:30
9:30-10:45
10:45-11:00
11:00-12:00
12:00-12:45
12:45-1:30
1:30-3:00
Introductions
Racism, Oppression & Cultural
Competence
Break
Walk the Line Exercise
Lunch
Honoring Our Grandmothers
Fear & Loathing on the Campaign
Trail and Debriefing
Goals for Today
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Learn a few things you can take away and put into
practice in your personal, professional and political
lives
Increased knowledge of definitions and names
around race, oppression and cultural issues
Greater awareness and ability to self-reflect
Less frustration, confusion and annoyance around
cultural issues
Personal commitment to be a part of the solution
and not the problem
Prejudice
(Racial, Gender, Class, et al)
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A pre-judgement based on myth,
missing information, misinformation or
stereotypes
An attitude, opinion or feeling, usually
negative and usually formed with little
or no personal experience
Stereotypes
A set of attributes ascribed to a group
and imputed to its individual members
simply because they belong to that
group.
Stereotype
(Racial, Gender, Age, et al)
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A generalization imposed on an entire
group based on real or perceived
characteristics of some individuals in
that group, or based on a cultural
norm which has been distorted or
based on a lie, myth or total
misunderstanding of the
group/ethnicity/culture
Ethnic Lumping
Studying Latinos, Asians,
Native Americans, etc. from
vastly different backgrounds
and experiences as if they
were a monolithic group
Oppression
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The assumed superiority of one group over another
based on (skin color, gender, sexual orientation,
etc.) and thereby the right to dominate, exclude,
discriminate against, abuse, hate, even kill
(adapted from work of Audre Lorde)
A system of structuring opportunities and assigning
value (Camara Jones) that is based on “race”
(gender/class/orientation/disability, et al)
Unfairly disadvantages some individuals and
communities
Unfairly advantages some individuals and
communities
Oppression
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A system of oppression and a system of
advantage based on race/color, gender,
sexual orientation, etc.
(David T.
Wellman)
The historically constructed personal,
cultural and institutional manifestations of
prejudice against any target group.
Oppression = Prejudice + (Institutional,
systemic) Power
Internalized Oppression
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The involuntary belief by members of
a target group that the stereotypes
and lies about them are true.
Consequences include: self-doubt,
self-hatred, loss of self-esteem and
lowered expectations for the future,
doubt and mistrust of other target
members
La Verguenza
…eating at school out of sacks, hiding our
“lonches” papas con chorizo behind cupped
hands and bowed heads, gobbling them up
before the other kids could see. Guilt lay
folded in the tortilla. The Anglo kids
laughing-calling us “tortilleros”, the Mexican
kids taking up the word and using it as a
club with which to hit each other. My
brothers, sister and I started bringing white
bread sandwiches to school. After awhile we
stopped taking our lunch altogether.
~Gloria Anzaldua
INTERNALIZED
SEXISM
Privilege
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Choices, entitlements, advantages, benefits,
assumptions and expectations granted based on
membership in the culturally dominant group.
Includes the privileges granted by the society, as
well as the assumptions, expectations and inflated
self-image internalized by the privileged group.
(Jona Olsson)
“George Bush, Sr. was born on third base and to
this day he thinks he hit a triple”
(Former Texas Governor, Anne Richards)
Growing up with Us
and Them
Forming a White Student
Union
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“Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting
Together in the Cafeteria?” and other
conversations about race ~Beverly
Daniel Tatum, Ph.D
Understanding the development of
racial identity
The importance of racial identity for
everyone
Cultural Competency
The capacity to function in
more than one culture,
requiring the ability to
appreciate, understand and
interact with members of
diverse populations within the
local community
Cultural Humility
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Roots are in physician training outcomes in
multicultural education. (M. Tervalon ,
J. Murray-García)
Incorporates a lifelong commitment to selfevaluation and self-critique.
Includes redressing the power imbalances in
the patient-physician dynamic.
Develops mutually beneficial and nonpaternalistic clinical and advocacy
partnerships with communities on behalf of
individuals and defined populations.
Organizational Cultural
Competence
A set of congruent practice skills, attitudes,
policies, and structures, which come
together in a system, agency or among
professionals and enable that system,
agency or those professionals to work
effectively in the context of cultural
difference.
~Oliver Williams & R. Lance Becker: Domestic Partner Abuse
Treatment Programs and Cultural Competence: The Results of
a National Survey
Organizational Cultural
Competence
Cultural Variables
Include:
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World view
Food
Dress
Language
Communication Styles
Notions of Wellness
Healing Techniques
Child Rearing Patterns
Self-Identity
Time and Time Consciousness
WE WANT TO BE JUDGED ON
THE INTENT OF OUR ACTIONS;
WE WANT TO JUDGE OTHERS
ON THE IMPACT OF THEIR
ACTIONS
Resistance Theory
IN LEARNING THEORY,
THE WAYS IN WHICH
STUDENTS ACTIVELY OR
PASSIVELY RESIST
LEARNING
IN TEACHING OR HELPING, IT IS
CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND
THE HISTORICAL AND
CONTEMPORARY REASONS WHY
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
RESIST OR REFUSE SYSTEM
INTERVENTION
Checking Boxes and the
Importance of Naming
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Black or AfricanAmerican?
Hispanic, Chicano,
Spanish or Latino?
Native American or
Indigenous?
Oriental or Asian?
White, Caucasian or
Anglo?
Or Something Else???
The Importance of
Understanding Their History
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Length of time in the United States
Reasons for leaving their country
Reasons for migrating to your area
Ties to their country of origin
Socioeconomic status
Level of assimilation
Immigration status
Role of Law Enforcement in their country
But where was I to start? The world is
so fast. I shall start with the country I
know best, my own. But my country
is so very large. I had better start
with my town. But my town, too is
large. I had best start with my street.
No: my home. No: my family. Never
mind, I shall start with myself.
~Elie Wiesel
READ, LEARN AND ASK
P.S. The more you do it, the
easier it gets…
Cooperation is the thorough
conviction that nobody can get
there unless everybody gets
there.
~Virginia Burden
Expecting the world to treat you fairly
because you are a good person is like
expecting the bull not to charge you because
you are a vegetarian
Rare Mexican Navy Seal