How do u handle controversial around u?

[SonYukView4ever]

I'm taking a class on social welfare, and there are a lot of criticism going on targeting the poor especially african american and the minority population. i have T.A and she seems very ignorant as well as racist. she's in her 24 years doing her masters in social work. i am hoping to serve and work with the disdvantage people, but knowing such criticism that these poor don't deserve gov't funding or aid bc of their laziness to find jobs, having way more kids than they are financially to support and etc...that they rely solely on foodstamps. I was a bit shocked that the TA just spoke without any respect to whoever is in the discussion group. I was the only Asian and I was speechless. There was like another Black student, but everyone was entirely Whites.

Give me some ideas on about how I should handle such things? Thanks.

 

[7270]

sounds like a class you may not learn from given that it's not very diverse. it's best to learn things in a diverse class. so you learn different POVs, but your class seems like it may have just one.

state your opinion. say what you think directly and try not to get emotional about it. don't pay attention too much to other people's reactions to what you say. just listen to their words, think about it and say what you have to say. don't forget that no one's perfect. what we think is right in the present, we may change our minds later.

although the class may seem one sided, you never know when you pull your emotion out of it, they may have a point about a few things you never thought about.

 

[ijohn]

...i've learned through a window of having an open mind to social ills in society and real worries poverty brings... people don't intend to be poor or un-wealthy... ignorance and bigotry are sadly almost always brought to mind in the educated minds of self serving people when heard loudest for personal or political gain... they feel they've earned some right that makes them better then the poor... i and my brothers and sisters grew up in such ignorance but have done well for ourselves... for all the help the state gave my parents when i was young i have not forgotten the sacrifice and the anger of closed minds to blame me for being poor as a child,,, but i've born forgiveness to society as a whole the moves ahead of such closed minded ideas to blame someone for being poor... my father never earned more then was enough for his children to become successful in life as we all have become without the priceless virtue of knowing right from wrong and having integrity for values that can't be bought but must be learned with faith and hope tomorrow will be better...

i personally have spent many holidays away from home in faraway lands defending such mind set rights to think this way in a free and tolerant society... my family has paid the price of sacrifice of being born to poverty... i don't accept the views that people are lazy without excuse... such pettiness brands a child's mind with hopelessness when allowed to go un-challenged... the poor will always be beside me in my pursuit of justice in doing whats right to give them hope as i was given from my parents when i was poor... many people have successfully escaped the ruins of such thinking of the elitist,,, to succeed when given hope with open minded thinking... yes their are values that define us as good or evil but be careful in blaming individuals prematurely for we all struggle to find our future in the sea of life with labels society brands us with... given the the opportunity to speak/teach one must always be responsible for words that can tear down society when spoken with such bigotry and ignorance to the disadvantage and poor... give them hope!!!

 

[SonYukView4ever]

I am mostly emotional when it comes to poverty issues and topics because I am one from that point of view. My parents are poor and I know they don't make enough to raise me and my siblings that's I thought that the purpose going to school would give me a better opportunity to make a better future for me and my own children. However, knowing that such racism and ignorance exist in such a huge university certainly breaks my heart and discourage my learning motivation.

I don't know what or how to approach this TA either because she seems very close-minded and ignorant. She doesn't even care t listen to me especially when I'm asking for her help. Trying to make things easier for me to understand. I hate the fact that I am shy and speechless, that my voice is not heard. That's why I'm trying to ask for advice here s I can better approach this racist lady.

Thank you to both of you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it.

 

[ijohn]

I am mostly emotional when it comes to poverty issues and topics because I am one from that point of view. My parents are poor and I know they don't make enough to raise me and my siblings that's I thought that the purpose going to school would give me a better opportunity to make a better future for me and my own children. However, knowing that such racism and ignorance exist in such a huge university certainly breaks my heart and discourage my learning motivation.

I don't know what or how to approach this TA either because she seems very close-minded and ignorant. She doesn't even care t listen to me especially when I'm asking for her help. Trying to make things easier for me to understand. I hate the fact that I am shy and speechless, that my voice is not heard. That's why I'm trying to ask for advice here s I can better approach this racist lady.

Thank you to both of you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it.

...i always tell those i see in your situation..."don't ever let anyone tell you you are less because intelligence is notice in the fact when someone walks into a room full of different kinds of people they never see the negative but find things in common and more in interest in the different things about them to understand and learn more" sometimes it is hard to open the eyes of the ignorant for they value tangible things more then the people around them... live life to gain knowledge and understanding and become more diverse then she will become with this perception of wealth she gages others by... my advice to her to succeed in life and truly be an asset to her peers and profession what ever it maybe is too: take a class in diversity and understand it for all the riches she can have for tolerance with understanding other people of all aspects of society...

personally i think YOU are better then her for seeing this flaw in her that she is to ignorant to see... the poor often open their eyes to whats real before the idiots that are blind beyound their money...lol

 

[none3]

Been there myself. But lucky for me I was in a study hall with a mixture of all diverse ethnicity. You have the left and the right minded and of course the gays and lesbians.

Advice:
1. Speak up, talk to someone, don't bottle it up, talk to that IGNORANT TA. Back up with proof to disabuse her distorted view with facts about minorities.

2. Be brave honey because if you don't, you will allow yourself to be conform to this ignorance...(subtly i might say). Let the other students know how you feel and that your uncomfortable with the generalization of this class and the teacher. Actually, give me her e-mail so that I can reason with her and biased opinion.

3. If all else fails, you need to report this type of conduct to the department head of Sociology. Have a meeting with him or her and let yourself be known about how you feel

4. Worse comes to worse...drop the darn class and enroll in a class that appreciates your opinion. Step out of that shyness and represent us minorities.

Let me know how it went.

 

[SonYukView4ever]

Thank you very much None3.
I will let u know how the class goes.
All your strong words definitely make me feel stronger.
I love pessimistic believers like you.
Thank you.

 

[ChenrukNote]

Does your TA take roll? If not, are you guys allowed to attend a different section so that you will still get the benefits of the education you paid for while having a TA that is not biased?

 

[transcend89]

sonyukview4ever i'm like you too and it's very hard to speak up when you feel so small in a room full of people but just know that you are not alone i'm pretty sure that there's other like you too who struggle with racism and other problems...people like that will account to nothing in life they never learn...i hope you find the strength to succeed even when you feel so discourage best of luck this year

 

[noungning]

this reminds me of a feminism class i took, i felt like the prof was bashing males lol. i mean it's good, but sometimes it's outright rude... but if you had a different point of view than her, it was more or so a gurantee to your failure in that class.

u know it might be ashame to side with what you don't think is right...just to slide thru. i think that's what i've learned in school... not everyone is going to believe in what i believe and see what i see... should i take my stand and argue and flunk out of education or just suck it up so i can move on outta here. and sad, but i did the latter because i know i just have to deal with this biatch once and not have to waste another penny in something like this... and waste my time for something that i feel i don't think i'd ever need in again.

however, if it is a class that belittles me...as a person, i think i'd speak for myself and my population that is being stereotyped. sterotyping happens with a whole crowd of people simplely because of the minority of the groups, i.e. asian killing people being broadcasted, so it's used against all asians being bad asses and hardcore gangster and violent idiots going on a mission to take over the world and kill everyone... some are ignorant enough to believe that... and then there are some that aren't so stupid. some are just misinformed or uneducated of certain things so they just believe there is a black or a white... they're not aware that there is actually various shades and colors that exist... sometimes it does take someone to take a stand and clarify certain things that are misperceived of their majority. so speaking up is not a bad thing... it's just that u have to be selective of when is it appropriate to do so.

this brings about the situation of miss USA, miss california's answer, and the world looking at what she just said... and her being on the today show saying..."i'm going to stand behind what i said and i wouldn't change my response". for one, sure it's a good thing, and great she comes and says she wouldn't change her answer (of course, why change it now when u will never win that crown?)... but i'm sure the truth is... had she known the outcome, would she really shoot herself in the foot? why even compete if you didn't want to win? but her making the point of i will stick behind my beliefs and say whatever what i want to say and so take that isn't something for the miss usa pageant. she's being viewed by the public and she is being judged on all subjective things... the best thing is give a very neutral answer... but she chose not to at the wrong time...