Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

As I think of the different “- isms”, I feel that racism and sexism are among the “-isms” I may endure. Stereotypically, many people view working with children in the early childhood field as being primarily a female profession. I feel that being in this field there is a strong possibility that I will be discriminated against due to my gender while in this profession. I also plan to work with children of all nationalities. With that in mind, I am positive that someone of a different racial group will visit my center and be biased towards myself and my institution because of my race. For instance, in the community I live in there are mostly Caucasian and African Americans. As a result, I plan to cater to both groups. In my opinion, the African American group would be more appreciative of the environment as opposed to Caucasians; based on my race. I could very well see Caucasian parents questioning my capabilities in terms of caring for their children. In contrast, the African American community would be generally accepting. Personally, I believe that this would cause undue strain on me mentally. I could envision myself being an emotional wreck because all I aim to do is help young children become successful adults with the help of their families, and I think that the color of my skin should not dictate my capability to serve them accordingly. As I endure this form of racism, I would hope that the parents I am servicing at the time would be very supportive and encouraging towards me as I work through any racial difficulties.