Self Identification & Race

By Carla Stauder and Andrew Cremer

About Ourselves

Guidelines
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Be respectful
This is all confidential
Be open minded
Interactivity is encouraged
Share what youre comfortable sharing
Be receptive

Lets Take A Walk!

Identity
Race: a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits
(Merriam-webster Dictionary, 2016)
Self Identification: The attribution of certain characteristics or qualities to
oneself (Merriam-webster Dictionary, 2016)

Buzz Groups
Whats a major aspect when you think of self identification?
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Personal
General
Statement
Physical Characteristic
Etc.

Excerpt from Chapter Four

A case in point: if you were to ask my ten-year-old son, David, to describe himself, he would tell you many things: that he is smart,
that he likes to play computer games, that he has an older brother. Near the top of his list he would likely mention that he istal for his
age. Why would he mention his height and not his racial group membership? When david meets new adults, one of the first questions
they ask is how old are you? When David states his age, the inevitable reply is gee youre tall for your age! It happens so frequently
that I once overheard David say to someone, Dont say it, i know. Im tall for my age. Height is salient for David because it is salient
for others.Each of these experiences conveys a racial message. At 10 race is not yet salient for David, because it is not yet salient for
society. But it will be.
When david meets new adults they dont say gee your black for your age! If you are saying to yourself, of course they dont,
think again. Imagine david at fifteen, 62, wearing the adolescent attire of the day, passing adults he doesnt know on the sidewalk. Do
the women hold their purses a little tighter, maybe even cross the street to avoid him? Does he hear the sound of the automatic door
locks on cars as he passes by? Is he being followed around by the security guards at the local mall? As he stops in town with his new
bicycle, does a police officer hassle him, asking where he got it, implying that it might be stolen? Do strangers assume he plays
basketball? Each of these experiences conveys a racial message. At 10 race is not yet salient for David, because it is not yet salient for
society. But it will be.

Assumption Game
On a piece of paper, completely anonymous, write down an assumption anyone
has ever made about you or vice versa

Reactions
1.) Uncomfortable
2.) Moderately Uncomfortable
3.) Indifferent
4.) Comfortable
5.) Very Comfortable

Chapter Ten Tatum Quote:

Fear is a powerful emotion, one that immobilizes, traps
words in our throats, and stills our tongues. Like a deer on the
highway, frozen in the panic induced by the lights of an
oncoming car, when we are afraid it seems that we cannot
think, we cannot speak, we cannot move (Tatum)

Daily Application and Helping Others

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Everyone is different, its extremely important to know that

Its ok to be different, your identity is your own, dont let other people create it
for you
Dont be afraid to show who you are
Dont let your social identity take over or blemish your personal identity
Encourage others to express themselves freely in their organizations

On Campus Resource Center: DePaolo Hall Room 2079

Counseling Center hours of operation: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0kV_b3IK9M