Although I considered myself to be an ally to minorities before attending these sessions, I now understand some of the biases I previously held and microaggressions I have previously committed. Microaggressions are “commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.” Some examples the panelists gave included mocking the accent of a cultural other, stating that you don’t see color (race), or saying you cannot be racist because you have black friends. Although it is embarrassing to admit that I have committed microaggressions in my past, I know it is very common to unknowingly commit microaggressions. However, this is not an excuse for this behavior. As a white, straight, and abled American, it is my responsibility to educate myself on microaggressions and then not commit them. Of course, I may continue to do so unknowingly. I can hope that someone will correct me and that I can then apologize and learn from my mistake, but I also acknowledge it is not the responsibility of marginalized people to correct me. The MDI sessions have also shaped the way I view biases. I have learned that is normal to have unconscious biases, but it is our own responsibility to correct those learned ways of thinking. I believe this is incredibly important as a future human resources professional, as I will constantly be working with people from all different cultures. If I do not check my biases, I am not fostering an inclusive workplace, which is something I value alongside most employers.

​              Through these seminars, I was also able to learn about the privileges I have been awarded due to my identities. The opportunity gap refers to the way that certain identities can contribute to lower rates of success in educational achievement, career prospects, and other life aspirations. For me, as a white person from a middle-class family, I have had a lot of opportunities in my life that many who are marginalized and/or come from lower class families did not. For example, I was able to receive a well paying job young because I was loaned a car by my father to get there. I was also able to attend college because I saved up money to afford living expenses. Those who grew up without the ability to get to a job easily and therefore could not save up to afford college expenses will not have the same access to career aspirations as me. This opportunity gap has been formed by USA’s history of oppression. Our social and political systems have been formed to keep the “unwanted” out of positions of power. Meaning, policies and practices were put into place to ensure marginalized people would not be able to receive education, good paying jobs, etc. Now that I know of the opportunity gap, I can recognize that my privilege has played a part in my success.

              My personal framework for intercultural engagement is to listen and learn. I believe as an individual who is not socially marginalized, my most important responsibility is to listen to those who are. In every MDI session, listening is one of the top suggestions people of color gave to white people. This is the only way, after all, to learn about other cultures and experiences. But my cultural engagement cannot stop at listening. I need to learn from others’ experiences to not only understand them better, but to understand how the way I behave and think can affect them. Once I learn, I can change my actions for the better and advocate that others do so as well.

              This philosophy will guide me both personally and professionally. As a future HR professional, listening is a required skill. It will be my job to learn about the experience of my company’s employees and then make suggestions to management on where we can improve. I also want to work in a diverse workplace, so I will often be working with those from other cultures. It is important to learn about and respect their cultural practices, just as I hope they respect mine. In my personal life, this framework won’t change. I still want to engage with other cultures and advocate for the rights of marginalized groups, both socially and politically. I know that I may still make mistakes when engaging with other cultures, such as committing microaggressions or acting on my biases. However, I can learn from these mistakes by listening and learning.