Karuna Nandkumar

2/27/18

Testimonial Reflection

During the testimonial narrations last Sunday, I could feel the group paying close

attention because we knew how integral the stories were to each individual. As a group, we

chose to set an order prior to the start, displaying the reality that many of us, if not all, were

nervous about sharing. I no longer face many nerves about public speaking, so I was surprised

when I began to feel nervous about sharing my story as well.

I noticed that the most common identities discussed were race, class, and sex. This is

probably because these identities are the most physically obvious identities and therefore, for

many of us, the identities that affect us most based on societal perception. My peers also talked

about religion and country of origin fairly frequently. No one chose to write about sexuality or

gender, and only one discussed mental health. The patterns display certain levels of comfort and

discomfort with some topics. None of us have had personal experience with marginalized

sexuality or gender identities. Additionally, mental health may still be even more stigmatized

than other identities.

As a result of the identities that I chose to share on Sunday, I have U.S. citizenship

privileges but lack other privileges because of my multiracial background. I discussed how my

travel experiences have enhanced my awareness of my privilege as a person living in the United

States. While others also considered this identity, I found it interesting that while I discussed life

in the U.S. in contrast to other countries, the others discussed citizenship in contrast to

undocumented status and immigration issues. It was interesting to consider both approaches.
 While I feel that I am very privileged, I do lack the invisible privileges enjoyed by the

dominant majority because of my skin color. I am a member of the “model minority” race. Over

the past years, I haven’t thought much about privileges that I might lack, instead placing my

experience in the context of those of other minorities who I saw as much more disadvantaged

and negatively portrayed. This assignment forced me to delve into my own disadvantages as a

brown person and explore instances in which I may have faced stereotyping or discrimination.

I found, when listening to the testimonials, that we all share certain privileges; our U.S.

citizenship, for example. I also realized that many marginalized individuals face similar feelings

but within different settings. Each experience is different, but overall sentiments of isolation and

confusion, as well as the effects on performance and/or social life, are similar. By helping us see

this, I believe that the testimonial exercise helped us understand each other on a deeper level and

become closer as a group.

Storytelling in a community setting could be encouraged by both holding formal

activities and asking leading questions. An activity session in which residents participate in a

shorter version of this exercise, for example sharing an important story about her/his

background, could be useful. This could even be implemented during an introductory meeting.

With regards to the questions, formatting interactions in a way that leads a resident to give

longer, story-based answers rather than simply yes or no can foster deeper relationships in a

shorter amount of time. I would be interested to hear the ideas of others concerning whether

there is a method of implementing activities like this in a non-class setting without making the

participants feel forced or unenthusiastic.