By Oreoluwa O. Adedoyin, PhD
"Did you ride a
camel on your way from Africa to the United States?”
“How did you
survive travelling across the Sahara desert?”
“Did you grow up
seeing lions and tigers roaming around?”
As a college-educated immigrant from Nigeria,
I was dumbfounded, and momentarily speechless,
when I heard these questions from American elementary students during a university
organized cross-cultural education tour. On the tour, about
8 years ago, we were visiting one of the counties in the Appalachian region of Kentucky.
I was surprised that elementary school students could contemplate and verbalize
such questions in an era of easily accessible information through the Internet,
although perhaps some of these children did not enjoy this service in their
homes and/or schools.
During a period of quiet self-reflection, as we headed back to campus,
my own questions were: How do you answer
5 and 6-year-old elementary school students who may not have met or interacted
with someone from a different country or continent, and who looks different
from them? How do you respond to children or young students who are genuinely
curious, but do not know how to ask a question without relying on inaccurate
and stereotypical biases?
Research shows that children develop misconceptions about other people
through uninformed assumptions, socialization of perceived cultural superiority,
and reinforced negative media portrayals. When false and unfounded perceptions
about other races, immigrant groups, or ethnic nationalities are left
unchallenged by the different social institutions (such as the home, school,
media, etc.), these false impressions become ingrained as a belief system. This
belief system can evolve into a prejudicial view, cultural scaffold, and an
indivisible part of children’s thinking process throughout their lifespans.
In fact, we all are probably guilty of this prejudiced thinking, or
“implicit bias”, about race, ethnicity, and gender, no matter how “color-blind”
or “objective” we think we are, according to Dr. Molly Carnes, doctor of internal medicine, epidemiologist, and a leader in raising
awareness about the negative impact of stereotypes in science, engineering and
leadership.
This past spring, I heard Dr. Carnes speak on
“Breaking the Bias Habit ®
as
part of Mentoring Week at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Currently, I am a UAB postdoctoral trainee
in the Division of
Nephrology, School of Medicine, working under the mentorship of Drs. Jim George
and Anupam Agarwal. Events like Mentoring Week keep me thinking long after the
speakers have left.
It matters because Dr. Carnes cites numerous studies that show how it is part of human nature to make “group assumptions” that are simply not true. Unfortunately, these assumptions can be argued as one of the several reasons why fewer women and minorities are not pursuing careers in science and engineering fields as well as in leadership positions. It is unsurprising that these untrue assumptions may inadvertently contribute to lower pay for women and minorities in research or academia. These convoluted assumptions overtime are passed from one generation to another, which may be the reason why elementary school students would confidently ask if an African immigrant female with a slight English accent must have ridden on camels across the Sahara desert to get to the U.S.
As I listened to Dr. Carnes, I thought about how we can begin to
address cultural biases. The world is regarded as a global village, and with unprecedented
access to the Internet, very many questions can be answered with a few simple
clicks and online searches. However, using just the resources on the Internet
to answer such questions may be affected by pitfalls of half-truths or totally
false information for young students (and even adults).
Another strategy is to encourage traveling to other parts of the world
to see other people groups and their unique ways of living first-hand.
Travelling presents another opportunity to break cultural biases, though this might
be quite expensive. However, where and when affordable, it may provide a new
socialization and learning experience for school kids such as I encountered years
ago.
Still, I strongly believe that cultural immersion experiences are
unique experiences that can help remove misconceptions, educate, and enlighten
the public about other cultures or countries. As I pondered over this issue, I
was reminded of an old Turkish adage: “If the mountain won't come to you, you
must go to the mountain.”
So, how do we go to the mountain? I suggest that the community of
international students, postdocs, and faculty in institutions of higher
learning like UAB see themselves as ambassadors of their countries of origin. Wherever they go, they should help educate and
enlighten people about their countries of origin in these new or host communities.
For example, I grew up as part of the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria the most
populous African country with over 160 million people and multiple ethnic
groups. Though the official language is English, there are at least over 500
different ethnic languages, spoken in Nigeria. Despite our differences in
cultures, languages, cuisines, and religions, we were taught to cherish and
appreciate our unity despite our diversity. Thus, whenever I participate in
such cultural exchange outreach programs I try to teach the kids about the Nigerian
culture, respectful greetings, showcase some traditional attires, share folk tales
and songs, as well as cultural dance steps especially from my Yoruba tribe.
“If we truly want to break an old bad habit, it is not enough to be
well intentioned”, says Dr. Carnes. Old habits should be assessed and in the
words of Dr. Carnes: “It takes awareness, motivation, self-efficacy, the
expectation of positive outcomes and plenty of practice to develop a new habit
of mind, one that is culturally rich, inclusive, and bias-free”.
That is why it is important to provide opportunities for younger
students to interact with people from a different culture, race, country, or
continent which may help these students develop tolerance, and debunk
misconceptions/false media portrayals. These cross-cultural learning and
exchange opportunities will enable these students to appreciate that we after
all, are all humans with similar passions, goals, and hobbies even though we
may look different, or have a different accent.
Imagine what we could do, create, problem-solve, and forge together if
we really respect how rich, diverse, smart and valuable other people from other
countries and other cultures are?
And lest I forget, I didn’t ride across the Sahara desert in a camel
to get here. I flew in an airplane!!!
