Identity & Culture Learning Series

Scenario

Consider the following scenario and the questions at the end.

"Last summer, I worked with a fantastic mentee. She was very intelligent and generated a fair amount of data directly relevant to my project. I think that she had a positive summer research experience, but there are a few questions that still linger in my mind.

This particular mentee was an African American woman from a large town. I always wondered how she felt on our rural campus. I also wondered how she felt about being the only African American woman in our group. In fact, she was the only African American woman in our entire school that summer. I also wondered how the white majority environment had an impact on her experience.

I have wanted to ask her how she feels, but I have never asked. Should I ask? Is it too late to ask now that it has been a year and I haven’t asked?"

Losing Sight of Your Cultural Identity

Many immigrants, especially children, struggle with their cultural identity when they move to the United States. They feel the need to reinvent themselves and shy away from who they are. Our duty is to start with our children and teach them to be open-minded and respect cultural diversity so that immigrants do not lose sight of their cultural identity.

Navigating Social Identity in the Classroom

Inclusive teaching requires an understanding of how social identities matter to our students, and to ourselves as instructors. Whether it's race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, national origin, or something else, social identity is a part (but not all) of who we are as individuals. And social identities can shape students' learning experiences positively or negatively.

Read Navigating Social Identity in the Classroom by Jackson Bartlett to get a better understanding of how social identities matter to our students.

We Are Not All That Different

Watch Burundi-born American Seconde Nimenya discuss how she discovered that, through her migration to America, the similarities of people around the world bridge the things that separate us.

Otherness, Identity, and Belonging in Higher Education

Explore the challenges of identity, belonging, and otherness in higher education. By examining recent campus unrest, this discussion highlights the historical exclusions of elite institutions and the barriers faced by diverse students.

Read Otherness, Identity, and Belonging in Higher Education by Knowledge Without Boarders and How to Bridge The Multiple Intersections of Culture on College Campuses by Lena Crouso.