In resonating with the residents of the Tenderloin in San Francisco, my personalities have over the years been influenced by my unique environment similar to the Tenderloin thus shaping me into an individual with diverse and affluent values and beliefs. I come from China, Asia and this makes my environment unique similar to that of the Tenderloin. The residents of the Tenderloin are known to have a unique background with many racial groups and people of different walks of life. As such, factors such as race, gender and poverty are issues common to the region with the region also offering a unique sense of cultural art due to the many backgrounds. Nonetheless, my values and beliefs have been critical in determining how I communicate the above factors while relating to my environment.
It is important to reiterate the significance of race, gender and poverty in the Tenderloin region before determining how my values and beliefs define the manner in which I communicate about the factors. The Tenderloin area is characterized of many races most especially the Asians and Hispanics such that entry into the region would subject one to insubordination depending on the race. While there a lot of crime in the region that serve to highlight the levels of poverty, the gay community is also prominently present in the area such that the three factors count significantly in the shaping of an individual’s way of communication. This can be witnessed in my thoughts about the eviction of homeless individuals from public sights for the sake of the SuperBowl a move that I deem regrettable and do not support. My values and beliefs do not concur with the decision since I put much more value on human life than to profiting businesses. The fact that most of the homeless in the region are mainly people from known races considered alien to America presents a case of micro-aggression and macro-aggression that I do not stand for. I realize that in doing this, I fail to recognize that other people deem their progress much more important compared to the needs of other people they may consider alien to their community.
It is important to understand the concepts of micro-aggression and macro-aggression purposefully to understand what I do not stand for. Micro-aggression with regards to the topic of discussion are the common communication mechanisms that include verbal, nonverbal and environmental insults that communicate negative information pointed an individual’s difference such as the difference in race. The insults whether derogatory or hostile can either be intentional or unintentional and sometimes can be too discriminative. While micro-aggression can be small and even go unnoticed, macro-aggression is often on the large scale and is thus an act of discrimination most often regarding race towards a whole a community or group. In this scenario, trying to evict a whole group of homeless people out of the streets to pave way for financial gains symbolizes macro-aggression and is hence an act that I do not support.
My given values that shape my reasoning and communication as revealed are derived from within my native community and also my inherited community in America. Having lived in the US for three years, my wellbeing has been built through virtues gained in the nation capitalised by its diverse characterization. Likewise, people in Tenderloin have the tendency to ensure the wellbeing of every individual such that the community works at ensuring that at least everyone achieves better living. This is seen in the many housing initiatives that the responsible authorities and guardians initiate that are pointed at providing better living and equality to every citizen regardless of race or status. Similarly, I have developed values and beliefs that consider the consideration of each individual regardless their status background. My values in this regard factor significantly in the judgment and assumption about individuals I deem different from me in accordance to the three factors that include race, poverty, and gender.
Through my gained values that are derived from my native society, I view other people as not equal to me but despite this, I operate under the assumption that they too deserve equal opportunities and fair treatment. For example, while I may be better off economically, I am of the view that most new immigrants who move into the region are not the same as me since I tend to assume them not to have the equal financial strength that I have. My assumption is that they have come either from poor backgrounds or developing countries and as such, were not exposed to good incentives economically but regardless, I am of the view that they deserve equal opportunities as me in order to scale to better financial heights. As such, the homeless should not just be moved out of the public eye because of the SuperBowl but should be presented a better means away from their predicament.
Like the homeless in the streets, macro-aggression possess a myriad of risks to me among them the possibility of being racially profiled. Being Asian, some of the residents may think that I do not realize or feel their struggles and predicaments thus being hostile to me which in essence is a form of micro-aggression. Such scenarios are prevalent in the region with some Asian gangs choosing to attack white people for the sake of being white. To some extent, one may find graffiti aimed at racial profiling adding to the number of forms of macro-aggression I can face. Similarly, I risk being regarded as rich or financially healthy as a micro-aggression especially in a region where rich people are regarded as the enemy by crime savvy individuals especially if they are Asians from China. Nonetheless, I can resist the above risks by approaching the issues from an outsider's view. Employing this approach has been highlighted to a vital tool in the debunking of the legality of migrants thus it can be the best way through which I can avert the risks (Sanchez & Romero, 2010). On the other side, I can resist micro-aggression by not countering its occurrence but rather by remaining humble when it occurs.
While it may be viewed as a negative vice in most communities if not all, both micro and macro-aggression systems can also offer benefits to an individual. For one, the aggression systems allow for the sensitization on various matters that can go forth to be managed. Racist behaviors bring to light the number of issues that need to be discussed or the gravity of a situation that if not handled, may encourage hostilities. Another benefit of aggression systems is that they eventually encourage cohesion that triggers peaceful moments while attempting to note that individuals can co-exist peacefully. I, however, participate in the aggression systems both directly and indirectly. In retrospect, while I take the opportunity to assume easily that a certain individual is poor due to their individual background; I am also a victim of macro-aggression through racial profiling.
Social structures attached to gender, race, and financial wellbeing, however, have been instrumental in dissuading me from accepting macro-aggression. One can clearly notice that this may be my reason to objecting to the decision by the city to have homeless people to be moved off out of public eye for the sake of an entertainment event. Social structures in the area call for the existence and equality of individual such that by calling for the removal of the homeless without a consideration of their wellbeing; it will be tantamount to macro-aggression. The act, in essence, will mean that the homeless due to them being poor are affiliated to a certain race are neglected and treated so due to macro-aggression which societal structures deem unfair. I also dissuade from micro-aggression through the influence I gain from social events and institutions such as the church that teach on equality.
A micro-aggression footprint together with the macro-aggression footprint can take a significant toll on an individual and also the relationships the individual has built with other people. Realizing the factors surrounding macro-aggression and their significance can heavily influence an individual’s wellbeing, spirit, and relationship while ultimately taking a toll on these elements. My macro-aggression footprint in this regard, as I continue to learn more about it highlights to me the need to consider more my social values for a better wellbeing. This is because it reminds me that judging an individual by the virtue of their race is not right as it amounts to racism. On another level, it encourages my spirit that I am on the right track to evading macro-aggression since I am of the view that every individual is viable to equal opportunities regardless of their backgrounds.
Both my micro and macro-aggression footprint nonetheless puts my relationships to a risk to a greater extent due to my judgments and assumptions regarding other individuals based on their racial backgrounds. I still can lighten my both my micro and macro-aggression systems through a positive transformation of my views and values. Realizing that stereotyping against certain individuals by the virtue of the difference in gender, financial status or race can help me build my micro-aggression footprint. Similarly, working on accepting other communities and groups of individual without compromises can be the strength to lightening my macro-aggression footprint. Striving to treat an individual different from his/her background by neglecting the attributes that may be wrongfully attributed to them can be instrumental in helping me work on my macro-aggression footprint.
It is therefore imperative for individuals to review their micro and macro-aggression systems for the purpose of developing better and positive systems. The fact that an aggression system determines the entry of an individual or a given group of people into an environment calls for the change of both a micro and macro-aggression system from a negative perspective to a positive perspective. Having a lightened aggression system works in the favour of both an individual and the targeted individual as it reduces chances of vices such as racism and discrimination that can impede the opportunities of peace and harmony. Thus, it is important to encourage positive attributes that limit the prevalence of both negative micro and macro-aggression.
Reference
Sanchez, G., & Romero, M. (2010). Critical Race Theory in the US Sociology of Immigration. Sociology Compass, 4(9), 779-788.
