Am I correct in assuming the OP is more interested in putting some BS down on his goals worksheet than actually doing some “diversity” bullshit?
Just write “Endeavor to support diversity initiatives initiated by the company.”
Personally, I don’t want to exclude any demographic, but comapnies that preach diversity for it’s own sake are usually full of shit and aren’t really that diverse at all. I remember having to go to a company wide diversity workshop when I worked in the Big-4. Right. You support diversity. That’s why everyone in the entire company is White, Indian or Asian from top 50 colleges and it gets progressively Whiter and Maler as you get closer to Partner.
>Terms like “white privilege” and “white guilt” assume that all white people have the same[…] it also proves fairly offensive to those of us who are of families with relatively recent immigrant status and diverse cultural backgrounds.
>Many, many, “white” people are recent immigrants, or the children of such and have not grown up with ANY privilege whatsoever.
This is a very interesting point. There are priviliges that are somewhat preferentially reserved for white people. One example: several people have done little film documentaries about trying to get NYC taxicabs to stop for white people and black people. They always find that white people get cabs far more easily. From halfway down the block, the cabbie doesn’t know a Russian from an Englishman, and presumeably the white people in these exercises aren’t specifically trying to disadvantage anybody else on the basis of skin color. But if the white people are going to use taxicabs, they are enjoying somewhat of a privilege, whether they are trying to or not, whether they approve or not.
The trends that have hurt so many people in the past are still circulating around and evolving. I hope they tend to get better over time, but it doesn’t look like we’ll be finished fixing them all any time soon.
Duly noted and agreed-- however, white privilege is little affected by one’s culture, sense of their own identity, or history. If you’re read as “white”, you get white privilege, whatever your actual story is. Black people who look white (whatever that means to a given onlooker) receive it. Of course, that same person might not receive white privilege when hanging out with their read-as-black family; it’s situational. I 100% agree that all white people shouldn’t be painted with the same brush, but it also needs to be acknowledged that a lot of this stuff is irrespective of an individual’s personal identity-- which is what makes it shitty in the first place.
I can definitely identify you on this issue, anyhow-- I’m white now but wouldn’t have been considered so sixty years ago.
edit: sorry, this is similar to what you said, Napier. Should have read your post more carefully.
Kill whitey! 
Who dreams up these things? It used to be that they just expected you to show up on time and do your job. Now, they have an annual exercise in writing a bunch of bullshit about how you have aligned yourself with the corporation’s values and attributes.
Um, it’s also offensive to those of us who come from families that have been in this country for 4+ generations working regular jobs just like everyone else. I resent the idea that I am supposed to feel “guilty” by someone elses actions or inactions or another person’s misfortune when I have nothing to do with it.
Good point.
The problem is that at least in America when we think of “White culture” MOST people mean White, anglo-saxon protestant. Historically Catholics, Jews, Slavs of all sorts, Italians, the Irish, and many other waves of immigrants have all been persecuted and discriminated against in this country. While certainly not on the level that Blacks have endured in certain areas, it was pretty bad for them as well. Assuming that all white people are the same, and have been privileged for their whiteness is just ignorant; just as it is ignorant to assume that they all share a single pervasive set of cultural practices.
Frankly my experience has been one more of economic prejudice then anything else. In my area, one is judged on the appearance of one’s clothing and demeanor more than anything else. I receive extremely different treatment depending on my dress on any given day. My friends, many of whom are racial minorities of assorted variety report the same. People and businesses are far more interested in your wallet than your race, and at least in this area they seem to judge it based on immediate appearance.
Just write, “I will continue to trust to meritocracy in all decision making.”
Dunno, I’m all for diversity but this statement reminds me of the time I saw a poster that said, “It takes everyone to make a Democracy!” :dubious: Ya think!? Not to mention that this is a (Democratic) Republic not a Democracy…
Propaganda, even that which has the right course direction (in my mind), still always rankles a bit…
“I will stop hanging small nooses around the work areas of non-white employees as advised by the FBI after that last time.”
We have a “Brown Bag - Getting to Know You” series at work. Once a month we lunch together in the biggest conference room, and 3 employees share their stories with the group. (We go alphabetically by first names to be fair)
It’s been very successful.
One of our VPs is a vet who served in Vietnam. He did a slide show and took questions. We learned that he’s from a Appalachian/Scot “poor mountain folk” background and that he really struggled to get to where he is today. The talk turned to Civil Rights, interracial marriage, hippies vs Marines - we’re a respectful group and although the conversation was very lively it was very pleasant.
I had my turn to share my story and did a little poetry from my militant youth as well as some current stuff. The group really responded well and asked some pretty tough questions - it was great to me that some really wanted to understand a little more about this AA chick. We even talked about Kwaanza.
So far we’ve had five or six of these ‘getting to know you’ sessions, and I think it’s made a positive impact on relations here.
Good luck.
“I will show my commitment by volunteering to take off on the holidays represented by every ethnic, cultural and religious group in the world. I’ll see you next month on the 17th, and in November some time.”
StG
Are they mandatory? Because I would call off sick on my day. My personal information is personal and I will give it out it at my discretion, not by being coerced.
Wow. No they’re not at all mandatory. It’s really a lot of fun. I can’t imagine not being willing to share a little of myself with people I spend more awake - time with than any others.
Luckily, we’re a friendly group and I like my coworkers and my bosses and based on the way I’m treated, they like me too.
I share what I want to share every day. I understand that it’s not mandatory to present your own experience but being placed in a meeting room in a group sounds like a mandatory audience. At my last job we would have a meeting once a month to discuss problems in general and dole out “atta boys”. It was informal enough to toss out current good news (my daughter made first string). Not sure I want to listen to someone’s life story in a formal setting at work. Of course, most people in my office would take work home so that would be looked at as an infringement of their home time.
Oh. Well since I’m of mixed Jewish, Italian, Irish decent, I’m probably closer to Black anyway. Well…maybe Mexican.