Race is something we encounter everyday. After reading many of my classmates blogs I noticed similarities between Cassidys post and my own. Between our blogs I noticed normative narratives that stood out. The main theme I noticed is children being exposed to someone of a different race. We may have had different experiences but in the end, all connected back to each other.
i)In Cassidys post she spoke out about how white people dont try to adapt to other cultures. I completely agree with this statement. She also shared that her and her sister were full blood related but different colours. Seeing families of many colours was never something that shocked me. Fortunately, I was exposed at a young age in my dance community. My very close friends shared many different colours in their family. At a young age I was taught that everyone may be a bit different on the outside, but on the inside we are all the same. Same goes for physical characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour, shape, length; we are all different but the same. I think getting exposed to a variety of races and the concept of race at a young age is healthy.
ii) Amberlee’s post comes from a very different view point than mine. The main difference between our posts is that I grew up in a highly diverse community whereas, she did not. Recognizing the difference allows me to disrupt the normative narrative. Amberlee quotes “Myself being Canadian I have never really explored race.” This short statement was crucial because it made me realize that not everyone is educated about race at a young age. In the end Amberlee’s series of questions were truly challenging and thought provoking. Here are my responses to her questions: Yes, I now have the ability to examine race in a new perspective. Yes, I am prepared to recognize systematic racism in my classroom. Lastly, it would be an advantage to discuss race at a younger age.