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Awareness of Self and its Association to Oppression

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Awareness of Self and its Association to Oppression

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My family taught me Hawaiian and Filipino cultural values that heavily influenced who I am today. Growing up in a Filipino household, I learned the importance of family and providing for others' needs before one's own. My paternal grandparents are from the Philippines, where they lived in poverty and raised cattle for income. When they had children, they immigrated to the United States to provide better education and environments. My maternal grandparents were born and raised on the island of Kauaʻi where they also experienced financial hardships as well (to point out, my family lives in Hawaiʻi but is NOT Native Hawaiian). Learning about my grandparent's lived experiences helped me acknowledge my privilege of pursuing higher education and having financial and emotional support from my family.

Born and raised in Oregon, I had little to no exposure to Filipino culture. I am what is considered a more ‘localized Filipino’. Throughout my adolescent years, I rarely explored my Filipino background and only relied on my experiences with my paternal grandparents. Many of the schools I attended were predominantly White, which led me to conform to Westernized cultural norms so I could ‘belong’. When I attended Pacific University for my undergraduate, I was excited to participate in the Nā Haumāna O Hawaiʻi (NHOH) and ‘Pamilya Ko!’ diversity club so I could interact with students who are Filipino and from Hawaiʻi. However, while attending these meetings, I felt like an imposter in the community, feeling like I did not fit the standards of being Filipino or being a Hawaiian local.

These lived experiences validate who I am and how they influence how I interact with my surroundings. This raised the importance of acknowledging differences in culture and values, which made me more aware of biases and assumptions about others. Compared to other individuals who are part of the Filipino community, I consider myself privileged to have middle-class family who are financially/emotionally supportive while attending graduate school. My previous knowledge of my culture allows me to enhance my learning of the culture and listen to others' perspectives and experiences relating to oppression in Filipino culture.

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One of the activities that stood out to me the most was the disability “quiz”. For this activity, students were given a questionnaire to answer a subject related to either impairment, activity limitation, participation restriction, or health condition (not a disability). What I noticed was that I was quick to identify impairments and health conditions. Like this activity, I took a mental illness implicit association test (IAT) for OTD 530 to see if I implicitly associate people with mental illnesses with danger. After taking the quiz, my data indicated that I have an equal implicit association between harmless and mentally ill people and dangerous and physically ill people. I was disturbed by how the questions phrased “mentally ill patient” in the questionnaire, which I felt was dehumanizing to those who have a severe mental illness (SMI). There is a societal stigma that, unfortunately, views people with SMI as a danger to themselves and others. I realized I had quick assumptions and biases about these diagnoses, potentially harming my interactions with future clients. Hence, it is crucial as a future OT to approach both mentally and physically ill individuals with respect and understanding.

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What I Think The Least: Professional Identity

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What I Think The Least: Professional Identity

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One aspect of my identity that I think about the least is my professional identity. As an OT student, I must consider my professionalism when approaching clients and populations through an OT lens. Having a profession is observing the status and norms within the working field. During my undergraduate years, I gained experience working in healthcare systems and learning how to communicate with coworkers and patients. There are boundaries to keeping a confidential and respectful relationship with others and maintaining these responsibilities and roles. I am fortunate enough to attend graduate school to gain knowledge of the OT profession and connect with program students who share my career goals.

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What I Want to Learn More About: Cultural Identity

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What I Want to Learn More About: Cultural Identity

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One aspect of my identity that I want to learn more about is my cultural identity. As I stated before, I struggled with aligning myself as Filipino since I am the more localized version of it. I may know the values and cuisines through my family, but I am not fully educated on the historical contexts or rituals of the Philippines. I have always identified myself as Filipino ethnically but not culturally. To learn more about my culture, I would have to contact family members who originated from the Philippines, research its history, and engage in cultural events and activities.

As I previously mentioned, the paternal side of my family is from the Philippines. They know how to speak English when interacting with the community but speak Ilocano with family and friends. When I lived in Kauaʻi, I have spent time with my paternal grandparents whom I call ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’. While visiting them, I witnessed their conversations but not understanding what they were saying. I am amazed to have family members who has English as their second language. When I have the chance to do so, I would like to learn to speak Ilocano so that I can communicate with my grandparents and other family members. Also, I would like to learn more about my ancestry background so I can better understand Filipino contexts. Another way to learn about my cultural identity is to research the cultural group’s major historical events that shaped the country and its civilians. I want to avoid Wikipedia since it is not a valid source. I plan to use a research database to narrow down books, documentaries, and articles on the history and people of the Philippines. These sources will give me an in-depth understanding of how Filipino culture has evolved. Lastly, I would like to engage in popular recreational activities in the Philippines. I would have to research locations holding cultural festivals and events to engage within the community.

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Intersectional identity is how social aspects (socioeconomic, race, gender, etc.) interconnect with one’s identity. This can shape how I perceive and interact with clients. If these perceptions are not acknowledged, they could potentially harm the therapeutic relationship with my client. I may hold some unconscious biases based on my client’s identity, which dismisses their struggles and lived experiences. If I were to work with a client who appears to share the same cultural profile, I might generalize that they are going through the same struggles as me. I would have to educate myself on this range of social contexts to avoid these misunderstandings and disparities.

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My positionality shaped my perceptions of institutional policies, procedures, and norms. However, these perceptions can contribute to systemic oppression and health disparities among marginalized populations. In pursuing OT, I would have to acknowledge my position of privilege in terms of socioeconomics and educational status. Without recognizing how these may disadvantage marginalized groups, my clients could experience discomfort and distrust in accepting help from me and other health professionals. To avoid these, I must use my privilege to advocate for structural change and collaborate with officials to develop policies that ensure marginalized groups' needs. I also need to acknowledge the social determinants of health and how that can impact clients’ access to healthcare.

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I find it challenging to explore my emotional experiences from my position. Being diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD, I become wary of being vulnerable to others to avoid shame and disappointment. I grew up in a culture where we put others' needs before ourselves. So, I find it hard to be empathetic but not too much to make it personal. If I engage too much in my client's lived experiences, the client relationship will waver and become uncomfortable for both parties. To start the learning process of this challenge, I would acknowledge how societal expectations and internalized norms may affect how I express my emotions. With my position of power, I will actively listen and empathize with their lived experiences, which allows them to have their emotions validated and heard. I would create a safe support system where my clients can freely express their feelings without fearing judgment or retaliation.

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By continuing to build awareness of my positions, privilege, and oppression, I will become more culturally competent and enhance therapeutic rapport as an OT. As an OT, they will explore diverse populations and provide therapeutic practices holistically. Instead of focusing on just the occupations they need to do, OTs assist our clients in engaging in activities that will promote their health and well-being. Engaging in a marginalized community is one way to build my awareness of my positionality. During my second year of OT school, I plan to do fieldwork outside the United States. This would allow me to engage directly with a diverse community I am unfamiliar with, enhancing my cultural competence. Through cultural competence, I will develop appropriate strategies that align with the individual's cultural background and help them navigate barriers. Enhancing therapeutic rapport will allow me to foster trust and openness with my client, enabling them to engage in their therapeutic practices fully. Reflecting on my position will emphasize power dynamics in client relationships, allowing effective communication and collaboration with the client. Following these plans, I will seek awareness to help reduce biases in OT practice and make practice more effective and inclusive.