Reflection Assignment #5

The people of difference I will be interacting with are the Mexican-Americans living in Flagstaff Arizona. These individuals will be there to protest against the new immigration bill 1070. Before attending, I imagine the people of difference would be against the bill 1070 because it is in violation of their freedoms and rights. The Arizona senate bill 1070 will require police officers to ask all people of difference to prove their American citizenship without probable cause. If the accused people of difference are unable to do so they are to be arrested, fined, and imprisoned. While many individuals against this bill are people whom have come to America illegally in search of work, I understand that there are many American Citizens who will be negatively affected by this bill.
I went to Flagstaff, Arizona to visit my boyfriend’s family this weekend. We spent Saturday, May 1st, walking around downtown Flagstaff. Suddenly, we heard honking from a line of cars. As one of the cars drove by, a Mexican-American boy no older than 8 was holding on to a sign, out of the window that read, “All American’s Deserve Freedom!” Reading these words made my heart sink. To realize that I am living in a state that would pass a bill allowing this kind of discrimination towards people of difference was devastating. We quickly made our way to join the thousands of protesters.
I made the effort to speak specifically to one family, the Lopez family. The father of the family, Archie, had come to Arizona in 1994, with a work Visa, and brought with him his wife Mary. They now have four children whom were all born American Citizens. The family explained to me that they were devastated to hear that the Senate Bill 1070 was being passed because they were so proud to be able to live in a country that prides it’s self on freedom. Jessie, the oldest daughter, said, “My family has never done anything against the law and we are all here legally, why are we being targeted because of the color of our skin or the country we come from?” I wish I had had an answer for her. One thing I did notice during this protest that I found interesting was that most of the people of difference protesting were carrying American flags. While in the past, many Mexican-American’s have made it a point to protest immigration laws carrying both Mexican flags and American flags, protestors stated that they are proud to be American citizens and they want everyone to see them and treat them as such.
One thing I have learned that will help me professionally is that diversity acceptance is an important thing to implement in all aspects of life. Working with in the non-profit field, I will be working with many people of difference to better their lives in society and in the United States of America. Although most non-profits are prohibited from becoming involved in the political process, if I am fortunate enough to work with a 501(c)(4) organization, I will be working to stop many bills, like the senate bill 1070, that prohibit the acceptance and protection of all American citizens.
On a personal level, I have learned that as a society we are far from “global tolerance.” We are willing to jeopardize the freedom of American citizens simply because they are people of difference because it is the “quick” solution to our immigration problem. Sadly, Arizona is also planning to cut the ethnic studies in grade school classrooms. It seems as though our state is working in the opposite direction. Classrooms and teachers should be implementing more cultural and diverse studies so that our future leaders may be more accepting that those currently leading our governments. If we were able to better understand the cultures of people of difference, perhaps we would be able to solve such problems from a more logical stand point. I will continue to push teachings of diverse cultures to children in grade school and maybe they too will implement the same trainings when they begin their careers and open up their own businesses. Secondly, I will work with 501(c)(4) non-profit organizations to help keep families together and protect American citizens from racial profiling.

Reflection Assignment #3

I chose to access The Little Gym, in Gilbert, Arizona located on Gilbert and Warner Road, based on The Americans With Disabilities Act Checklist For Readily Available Barrier Removal. I chose this location because I was there with the 18 month old girl I nanny for and I recognized a few things that could pose problems for people with disabilities to participate in their services. The Little Gym is a gymnastics and karate center that offers courses for parents and their children ranging from 4 months to 12 years old. The little Gym was established in 1976 and there are currently over 300 gyms in 21 countries.
My concern in accessing this facility was the access to goods and services. While all doors were at least 36-inches, the actual gym room was cluttered with equipment that would make it impossible for a person using a wheel chair to reach the ‘circle mat’ where all of the group activities take place, without having an employee move the equipment each time. While I was visiting this facility, there was a two year old boy who had broken his leg. He was using a wheel chair and in order to get through the main gym his mother had to pick him up and carry him, because she was unable to push his wheel chair through the room to the ‘circle mat’. While the staff was more than willing to move the equipment for him, it was unfortunate that he and has mother were forced to rely on “special” treatment as opposed to the facility having a more accessible floor plan. When I spoke with the manager about why the equipment was blocking the accessible path she explained that if the equipment were to be moved to clear the accessible path, it would be placed too close to the wall and could danger the participants. Secondly, there is a viewing window so that parents may watch their children as they are in classes without parent’s involvement. However, these windows are blocked by chairs so that parents may sit and watch their children causing a barrier for persons using a wheel chair or persons using crutches.
I was able to convince them to relocate a few of the chairs so that a person with a physical disability may have full access to view their children in the gym or karate room. My suggestions for creating a more accessible floor plan for the gym room would be to move the ‘main floor mat’ to the center of the room. This would allow you to clear the door ways by placing the other equipment on all sides of the mat. There would still be plenty of space between the mat and the equipment. As well as leaving plenty of space between the mat and the wall, as to avoid a safety concern for the participants. The only down side to moving the mat, is that the equipment for circle activities would be located farther away, requiring the staff members to carry the equipment to the ‘circle mat’.
The parking lot of the facility contained two accessible parking spaces, relevant to the 46 total parking spaces in the parking lot. However, the space closest to the entrance did not allow for 16-foot wide spaces with 98 inches of vertical clearance, so the accessible parking spaces were located across from the main entrance, requiring those using the spaces to cross the parking lot traffic. This seems like a hazard to me, seeing as though many persons using a wheel chair may not be entirely visible to cars while crossing the road. If the median in front of the entrance were to be removed there would be a sufficient amount of space for both of the accessible spaces.
However, The Little Gym did offer a number of “accessible-friendly” at their facility. The rest rooms met all accessible requirements both those persons with physical disabilities and persons who are seeing impaired based on the ADA checklist. All alarms had both flashing lights and audible signals. Additionally, the front doors allowed 18-inches of clear wall space and passed the “fist” test. Lastly, the main lobby contained a 5-foot circle so that a person using a wheel chair may reverse direction.

Reflection Assignment # 4

The thing that resonated with me most from this semester was the visit from the board of the Arizona Bridge to Independent living. This group of individuals was able to answer a number of questions I have never felt comfortable asking. One of my favorite comments from the lecture when George mentioned that the thing he dislikes hearing the most is, “Don’t stare.” I would never have questioned using that comment. As a person who has worked with children for most of her life, I know I have told one or two kids that very thing. George, and the rest of the panel, agreed that it is much more respectful for them to be asked about their disabilities rather than simply have them ignored.
I have recently noticed I treat people who have a disability, while in passing, differently than I do temporarily abled people. When I pass a person with a disability I will always smile at them. Although this may not seem like a bad thing to do, I recognize that I do not do the same to other people in passing. If a person that I smile do were to recognize that I am only smiling at them, they may feel as though I am “feeling bad for them” or “pitying” them. The reason I do this is because as a person who is temporarily abled, I am fascinated by people who live their lives differently than I do. Even as an adult I staring, rather than asking them about their lives. We need to work to create a more inclusive community by educating people at a young age about all disabilities. I have taken a number or diversity course and have met many different people, but it is still in my nature to stare at individuals. Had I been taught at a young age about more disabilities and how persons can live independently with all different times of abilities, I would be able to better understand the difference between a quadriplegic person and a paraplegic person.
Non-profits, Parks and Recreation, and Tourism organizations can assist our community in becoming more inclusive by creating facilities and events that are more inviting to persons of all abilities. For example, a person who is hearing impaired may not be able to go to the movies with friends or family. Perhaps nonprofit organizations could work with local movie theatres to host events where subtitles will be included. This would allow persons who are hearing impaired to not only get to see new movies in theatres but to also have the social experience from which they often are excluded. Another thing that could be done by these organizations would be to include people first language in all of their business and training materials. The more that people are exposed to people first language the more likely they are to work it into their everyday conversation. Similarly, schools should work to eliminate the use of the “R” word within their classrooms. I have been in many situations where teachers simply ignored when a student would use the “R” word out loud, or worse, the teacher would use the word in front of the class. These are things that could be easily avoided or implemented.
Currently there are a number organizations working to create a more inclusive community including, Best Buddies. This is an organization that has start www.r-word.org. “Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” (Bestbuddies.com) Also, Arizona Bridge to Independent Living is another organization whose efforts towards a more inclusive community have excelled rapidly in the past few years. There are now hundreds of people with disabilities living independently or “interdependently” in Arizona alone. These are organizations that have dedicated all of their efforts towards persons with disabilities, however, all organizations can work towards bettering the lives of all individuals with simple alterations to their current practices.

Reflection Assignment #1

When reviewing Allison and Schneider’s diversity wheel the first identity that caught my eye was the religion identity. Though they do not place religion on the inner wheel, I know that my religious beliefs have not only shaped the person I am today, but they are a part of me that I am unable to change.
The first time I felt “out of place” or “different” was when I was seven years old. I was at recess waiting to be picked for a basketball team. I found myself in the middle of a conversation I did not understand. The other kids were talking about what they had done in their Sunday school classes. Before I could ask what Sunday school was, I was bombarded with questions, “What do you do in your Sunday school class?” “What church do you go to?” “What religion are you?” Luckily, I was picked for a team before I was forced to answer. That night I went home and asked me mother, “What are we?” She tried to hold back a laugh while she replied, “What do you mean, honey?” Having had little exposure to different religions, I assumed that all people were either “Christian” or “Catholic.” Still not knowing really what those words meant, I said to her, “Are we Christian or Catholic?”
I was not raised with any defined religion. Though both of my parents had attended a religious service on a weekly basis while growing up, they had agreed upon marrying that they were not interested in joining a formal church. While my mom gracefully attempted to explain to me why we did not go to church like the other children in my class, I remember thinking to myself that I was missing out on something. I am not sure if it was a sense of jealousy, as to suggest that the other kids had something I did not, or if it was simply so that I would not feel different, but at that moment all I wanted to do was to go to church. I begged with my mother to take me to church on Sunday morning. She agreed, warning me that we would have to get up early. The night before I was so excited, I laid out the clothes I had planned to wear and tried to imagine what it would be like. When morning came my mom came to wake me up and I quickly replied, “It’s too early, I don’t want to go anymore.”
That was the last moment I felt out of place having not attended church. When I began high school I was introduced to a diverse group of people and rapidly became more interested in different cultures. I began asking people to tell me about their religious beliefs and traditions. This is often a touchy subject for some people, as I quickly found out. I then asked if I could attend a few of their services. I attended everything I was invited to: youth groups, Sunday services, missionary discussions, festivals, marriage ceremonies. I had questions about everything. Sadly, I was not always greeted with answers. When I reached college, I decided to take a few religion courses, to learn more about the historical aspects of each major religion.
Today, I have a very strong sense of my own beliefs and morals. Now, I no longer feel different because I did not go to church, I feel different because I know that the things that I believe are things that I have taken the time to discover for myself. Unfortunately, many people are born into religious backgrounds that they are expected to follow merely because of their family’s beliefs. This can often cause conflict between cultures because people are either not willing to take the time to learn about other religions, or they may have a difficult time sharing their own religious beliefs with others because they do not know why they believe the things that they do. I am very fortunate to have no been brought up without a defined religion because it allowed me the freedom I needed to develop my own thoughts and understandings of spirituality and humanity.
I consider myself to be an open-minded person and I know that this is because I have been able to explore many cultures. My sense of understanding and willingness to learn is what has led me to the non-profit field. I know that I am the person I am today because I was not raised with a religion and that I will choose to raise my children with a similar approach.

Reflection Assignment #2

When this assignment was first discussed in our class I must admit that I knew exactly what event I planned to talk about. This is something that I think of every day and certainly one of my most regrettable moments of my life.

Two years ago I was attending church with my then boyfriend. He had been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints his entire life, while I had never been to church before. We had been dating for a couple of years and I was interested to learn about his religion. The way their church breaks up services is as follows: The first hour is spent at sacrament with the entire ward, the second hour is broken up into young women’s and priesthood classes, and the third hour is spent in a joint class with members of your age group.

On this day I had gone to the young women’s class by myself. I am fairly self-confident but having no religious background I found myself very uncomfortable in this situation. The topic for the day was protecting the family. This seemed like an appropriate topic based on my understanding of their culture and views. The leader of the discussion that day, a middle-aged mother whom had been called to serve as a young women’s leader, focused on three parts of protecting the family. She had brought small objects for each of us to explain the different parts. The first object was a sheriff’s badge, which represented our duty as women to monitor our families and help out those whom may have strayed. The second object was a ring, which represented the importance of marriage to form a family.

The third object was an American flag, which represented our duty to protect the family in politics. She asked the young women what this meant. A girl my age raised her hand and said, “Like gay people and stuff. That’s gross.” The instructor replied, “Exactly.” My heart stopped. All of my life I had been taught to treat everyone equally, that everyone deserved equal rights. I had been an advocate for gay rights at my high school and within my community. I could not imagine anyone would think this way and would want to teach it to not only their children but to an entire class of children. The instructor then stated, “It is important that we protect the family by keeping marriage between a man and a woman. Also, that we go to the polls and vote on issues like these in order to save the family.” I spent the remainder of the class frozen in my seat, unsure what would be an appropriate response. I did not want to offend anyone because they had welcomed me into their culture, but I knew that what was being taught was wrong and would only hurt our society as a whole. I finally decided to stand-up, return the flag to the front table, and leave the room; a decision that has haunted me to this day.

When Lisa Pittari came to speak to our class I was ecstatic. She is making the difference that people who cannot speak up for themselves, like myself, wish they could be making. Obviously the passing of “Proposition 102” and “Proposition 8” were significant moments in our history. It is a subject that we as a country will struggle with for many years to come, just as we did with woman’s suffrage and African-American civil rights. In order for us to become a more inclusive community we must be willing to accept changes and differences. We can no longer allow basic human rights to be stripped from an American citizen. Unfortunately, the event that I experienced is something that works against that which non-profit organizations are striving to achieve. As of now, churches are filing the 501(c)(3) tax exemption under the law that they have no political involvement. This is a necessary law to be placed on non-profit organizations but we seem to be failing at enforcing this law. Churches and all other 501(c)(3) organizations should be focusing on the bettering of our communities for all individuals, rather than the destruction of other communities and their members.

SafeZONE, an ASU program for members of the LGBTQ community and their allies, is a program that is working towards the bettering of their community. It is important that more schools, cities, and states implement programs like these so that when an individual’s basic rights are taken away, he/she will not be alone.

Needless to say, I did not return to that church. I know that I will always regret not saying something in the class that day, but I am hoping that by sharing this story I am be able to get my message out to someone.