Cultural Lens Exercise
Public health is devoted to promoting equity and inclusion for all people. We live in diverse communities and often interact with people who are both similar and different from us. The goal of this assignment is to think about who we most interact with in our daily lives. As we think about these interactions, you will indicate the race, ethnicity, and gender for different types of people in your life. To help define and describe these terms, please refer to the following:
Race refers to a narrow description of groups of people based on physical/biological attributes. Some examples include:
American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Two or more Races, White, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.
Ethnicity is a broader term that refers to groups that share common cultural identities based on shared culture, religion, language, nationality, customs, etc. Some examples include: Hispanic, non-Hispanic, German, Tagalog, etc.
Gender is socially constructed and refers to the roles, norms, and behaviors one's society expects of individuals (traditionally based on their sex). Gender can change over time and differs across societies. Some examples include:
female, male, non-binary, agender, Two-Spirit, etc.
Directions: Provide an answer identifying race, ethnicity, and gender for each of the following statements. If you are unsure, write N/A. Be sure to answer the reflection questions on page two. Race
Ethnicity
Gender
I identify as Asian
Indian
Male
My family members are mostly
Asian
Indian
Even
My neighbors (or roommates) are mostly
Asian
Indian/ Filipino
Male
My doctor is
White
N/A
Male
My dentist is
White
N/A
Male
My boss is
White
Scottish
Male
My co-workers are mostly
White
N/A
Even
My friends are mostly
White
European
Male
The author of the last book I read is
Black
African-American
Male
The actors in the last movie I saw were mostly
White
N/A
Even
The actors in my favorite show are mostly
White
N/A
Even
My favorite musician/band is/are mostly
White/Black
N/A, African American
Male
The last person to visit my house was
Asian
Pakistani
Male
My classmates are mostly
Asian
Indian
Even
My teachers are mostly White
N/A
Even
People who share my same hobby are mostly
White
N/A
Male
