Racial Identity Models

Because I am a White person my views of looking at other ethnicities such as African Americans, Asians, and Biracial folks have no bearing on me personally. I do not look at myself as a better person because I am White. The way I see it, all people are the same despite what color they are, what they believe, value, and so on and so forth. There were certain people in my family who did hold prejudice of certain minority groups however, I did not let this affect how I personally view people.

If I had to choose a category to place myself in, I would have to say it would be the sixth category which is reactive. According to Schmidt, J. (2006) “in this category people understand the benefits Whites have garnered at the price of discriminatory practices and attitudes toward people of color and furthermore, they are sensitive about societal inequalities and might tend to overlook the implications of individual choice and responsibility in assessing the impact of institutional racism on minority groups.” I do tend to fall more on the passive side as I am accepting of diverse populations, I do behave appropriately in the company of Non-Whites, and I am able to defend their accepting behaviors to other Whites (Schmidt, J. (2006).

While I feel I do not have any prejudices, I have not spent any real time around other ethnicities. Ethnic and racial identity are complex, multidimensional constructs whose influences are just starting to be understood and nonetheless, there remains much to learn about the mechanisms through which ethnic and racial identity influence behavior and well-being (Cokley, K. O. & Vandiver, B. J. (2012). I feel I should spend time around other ethnicities in order to get a better understanding of their culture and behaviors and to feel more comfortable when around them.

Reference

Cokley, K. O. & Vandiver, B. J. (2012) Ethnic and Racial Identity Retrieved from http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195342314.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780195342314-e-011

Schmidt, J. (2006). Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling and Human Services: Multiple Influences on Self-Concept Development. Pearson Learning Solutions