Anthony Communication Scenarios
As a hall counselor on campus dealing with scenario three, I would carefully analyze the entire situation from both perspectives. For example, what detail triggered Anthony to become upset? Why did the advisor assume Anthony likes wonton soup? what tone of voice did the advisor use when he suggested the restaurant to Anthony. It is important to understand that when people judge others based on their ethnicity or culture, they neglect a large chunk of who those people really are. There are two types of people, some that would be upset and others that would accept it as normal and move on. Either way, in today's society we are facing a large amount of prejudice, which implies people who have a negative attitude toward a specific group of individuals. Although in scenario three, the advisor did not have a negative attitude towards Anthony, Anthony still felt offended because the advisor pre-judged that Anthony enjoys eating "wonton soup" since he is from China.
People who make the mistake of assuming certain beliefs about others can come off as inconsiderate and naive. Unfortunately, this kind of situations happen everywhere; and more often in and out of school. Since the situation truly offended Anthony, I would personally advise him that he has every right to report the situation to higher supervisors. The only way to correct situations that are uncomfortable is to address them through honest communication. There is no doubt the teacher pre-judged Anthony based upon the fact that he is Asian American. I fully understand why Anthony would be upset. If someone came up to me and asked if I liked tacos since I'm Mexican, I would also be offended by the person's ignorance.
Furthermore, I would also advise Anthony to not take the advisors remark personally. The advisor clearly lacked cultural sensitivity, and most likely thought his remark was harmless. In reality, his suggestion was quite offensive and in the long run, he must be informed so that he can formally
apologize to Anthony. I would further advice Anthony, on how he could've dealt with the situation on the spot. For example, after the advisor said that remark, Anthony could respond back with a thought-provoking response such as, "what led you to say that?". This would break the ice and provide clarification on why such a comment was said. The advisor would then hopefully realize that his comment was offensive. Another tip of advice would be to inform Anthony that most often people are unaware of certain stereotypes, it is important to pay close attention to people's tone of voice when speaking. For example, if the advisor's remark came off as a racial slur then clearly the advisor was being racist and unprofessional. Anthony's advisor, however, asked him in a friendly and jovial manner which goes to show that he was naive in mentioning that comment.
More importantly, this situation teaches Anthony that not everyone has bad intentions when they pre-judge people. All people know is what they see and what they are taught, but to the point, it is still unacceptable to make a verbal affront to an individual because of their racial background. On the other hand, it is still important to address these issues to the people who commit them. In this particular case, it would be appropriate to bring both Anthony and the advisor into a private meeting with the Dean. In the meeting, they can express themselves freely, while also correcting the situation so that it is clearly stated of the importance of being mindful and respectful of others.
People who make the mistake of assuming certain beliefs about others can come off as inconsiderate and naive. Unfortunately, this kind of situations happen everywhere; and more often in and out of school. Since the situation truly offended Anthony, I would personally advise him that he has every right to report the situation to higher supervisors. The only way to correct situations that are uncomfortable is to address them through honest communication. There is no doubt the teacher pre-judged Anthony based upon the fact that he is Asian American. I fully understand why Anthony would be upset. If someone came up to me and asked if I liked tacos since I'm Mexican, I would also be offended by the person's ignorance.
Furthermore, I would also advise Anthony to not take the advisors remark personally. The advisor clearly lacked cultural sensitivity, and most likely thought his remark was harmless. In reality, his suggestion was quite offensive and in the long run, he must be informed so that he can formally
apologize to Anthony. I would further advice Anthony, on how he could've dealt with the situation on the spot. For example, after the advisor said that remark, Anthony could respond back with a thought-provoking response such as, "what led you to say that?". This would break the ice and provide clarification on why such a comment was said. The advisor would then hopefully realize that his comment was offensive. Another tip of advice would be to inform Anthony that most often people are unaware of certain stereotypes, it is important to pay close attention to people's tone of voice when speaking. For example, if the advisor's remark came off as a racial slur then clearly the advisor was being racist and unprofessional. Anthony's advisor, however, asked him in a friendly and jovial manner which goes to show that he was naive in mentioning that comment.
More importantly, this situation teaches Anthony that not everyone has bad intentions when they pre-judge people. All people know is what they see and what they are taught, but to the point, it is still unacceptable to make a verbal affront to an individual because of their racial background. On the other hand, it is still important to address these issues to the people who commit them. In this particular case, it would be appropriate to bring both Anthony and the advisor into a private meeting with the Dean. In the meeting, they can express themselves freely, while also correcting the situation so that it is clearly stated of the importance of being mindful and respectful of others.