Minority Identity Development Model Analysis

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I was born in Seattle, Washington in January of 1995. I was born from two Caucasian parents with two Caucasian siblings as well. The parents of my parents (on both sides of my family) are Caucasian as well. All of my family is white dominated. There is other heritage in our blood, but our skin color is all the same. Being born into a white family in the U.S.A has put me into what is considered the dominant social group. This is because whites dominate about eighty percent of the population. I have never been racially attacked. This is also because I live in a society where I blend in without stirring suspicion. I was born into a family who is financially well off. We have always had money in our family, not from heritage, but from hard work.…show more content…
On this model I was only at step one at the beginning of your class. Even though I am apart of the dominant culture, I knew nothing of my heritage and did not really care. Same with racism, I never knew how bad it really was and the things our country has done to people until it was brought up. I feel that because of this class, I have become much more aware of racism that exists around. Because of my awareness of racism, I am now bothered by acts and behaviors that might not have bothered me in the past. Before when racial comments were said around me I would somehow ignore it and pretend that nothing was said. By ignoring comments such as these, I was protecting myself. It became sort of a defense mechanism. I never realized I did this, until I was confronted with stories that were found in our discussions by other people of color, who also ignored comments that bothered them. In realizing that there is racism out in the world and that there are comments concerning race that are directed towards me, I feel as if I have reached the first step. I also think I have reached the second step, because I am now bothered and irritated by such comments. I no longer ignore them, but now confront them. I know I have also come and passed the third stage, for I am aware of the oppression that is around me and towards me. I also have accepted who I am and where I am placed in our society. Being placed in the dominant culture has not prevented me from seeing the reality of others oppression. It is bothersome to me to know the kind of oppression that happens towards other ethnic groups. These things also put me at the fourth stage of the model. The fifth step of the model I believe I am still working on. I do feel that the oppression towards everyone is wrong and feel that it needs to stop, but how it stops is no easy task. I know that raising awareness on the subject will help stop the oppression, but I also know that

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