A SHORT WOMAN's VIEW of a HEIGHTIST SOCIETY Lora Nakamura, MSW, California State University, Long Beach
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LOOKING UP: A SHORT WOMAN'S VIEW OF A HEIGHTIST SOCIETY Lora Nakamura, MSW, California State University, Long Beach This narrative describes an MSW student's experiences with heightism as an Asian American female in the social work arena. While at some point in their educational career social workers are made aware of discrimination as it pertains to age, gender, class, race, religion, disability, and sexual orientation, awareness is not present about dis- crimination as it pertains specifically to height. The exploration of heightism in the social work field catalyzes the narrator to reflect on her past experiences with discrimination, her realization of the ways heightism continues to be largelv ignored, and her reasons for entering the profession. The oppressive mechanism of silencing target popula- tions is explored as it pertains to height discrimination, as well as the intersection of heightism and racial discrimina- tion towards Asian American. I am Asian American. 1 am female. I stand narrative I will focus on the intersection four feet eight inches. The preceding three of heightism and racial discrimination as sentences are the main reasons why I am now an Asian American. a social work student. As a minority with these On September 17, 2004, during a social identities, I have been allowed the direct intervention class in my MSW privilege to experience discrimination first program, the professor made a hand. 1 use the word privilege and comment that reinforced heightism as a discrimination together because without my prevalent yet widely unrecognized fomi experiences of oppression, I may not have of discrimination. In discussing the had the opportunity to develop the amount of composition of groups for the purposes compassion for underserved populations that of group therapy, she stated that there would eventually lead me to the social work were individual characteristics that did not profession. As an Asian American female of matter in the structural design of groups, such short stature, I have come to expect as height. She went on to state that it would discrimination on a variety of levels. I have not affect a group if you had three short people become accustomed to stereotypes that are and one tall person, adding with a smile and propagated through media and reinforced by in ajoking tone ''unless it's a group of midgets; the dominant culture. But as a social work that would be different/" The comment took student, I always expected that the political me off guard, not because I had never heard awareness and cultural sensitivity that was so anything like that said, but because it was so emphasized by the profession would unexpected considering the context. somehow magically eliminate these Sitting in a social work classroom, a safe stereotypes from the classroom arena. What environment where there was always a I came to find was that although there was a conscious awareness of prejudiced views, it strong presence of cultural awareness at the further upset me that the use of the derogatory racial and gender levels, there was a huge comment "midget" was coming from a absence of sensitivity toward physical professor with a Ph.D. who had always difference, particularly in terms of height. emphasized diversity and was very conscious Although 1 have experienced the effects of about multicultural issues. Although the gender oppression, for the purposes of this comment immediately sparked emotion in me. 64 REFLECTIONS - FALL 2006 Looking Up I did not speak up. I first looked around the assistant principal's comment not only room to see the reactions of other students. demonstrated a heightist viewpoint, but an Their lack of reaction temporarily immobilized ageist one as well. Although the assistant me from saying anything at the moment. I felt principal was later reprimanded for the that my feelings were unjustified because I discriminatoiy comment, it was reinforcement was the only one afïected by the comment. It that certain fomis of discrimination are more was a familiar and lonely feeling. I remember acceptable than others. If the assistant clearly feeling embarrassed to speak up, wW le principal had put, for example, ''Race and simultaneously feeling frustration knowing that gender make classroom management a I should. challenge," I am sure much harsher measures Where did this embarrassment come would have been taken against him. Although fiüm? Was I afiaid that my speaking up would I received support from co-workers who associate me with a dwarf? Did I hold the condemned the assistant principal's comment, same prejudicial views directed towards they identified it as an isolated incident dwarfs and people of short stature? Was 1 unrelated to a larger discriminatory system. afraid that my past experiences with the because they themselves had never trivialization ofheightism would resurface? I experienced heightism, they did not recognize was not able to deal with trivialization at that its prevalence, nor did they realize that the moment The lack of recognition ofheightism comment was a representation of a cultural as an active form of discrimination prevented value that associates height with competence. me at that moment from contesting the My feeling of loneliness after experiencing comment. Looking back, I know that if the this discrimination was compounded by the comment had been directed toward a racial fact that tliere was no shared "height culture'* identity group, I would have spoken up within my work environment. As an Asian immediately. Cultural acceptability had largely American in a predominantly Asian suburb, I aftected my empowerment to speak up against was part of a majority. As a woman, 1 felt the prejudice and discrimination. For the strong bonds of sisterhood among my friends, remainder of the first half of class, I remained classmates, and co-workers. As a member silent, tuned out to what the professor was of both identity groups, there was a shared teaching, and immediately began to recall one culture, a sense of similarity, and a sense of of my most pivotal experiences with heighüsm safety in numbers. I knew that there were as a working professional. those who were continuing to fight for our A former high school Spanish teacher, 1 cause, continually bringing awareness to the vividly remembered the anxiety I experienced injustices of society. But as a short person, durir^ my first year evaluatioa After an intense who was my spokesperson? I had no one hour-long observation by the assistant near me who could understand what I was principal of curriculum, I entered his office experiencing. Those to whom I mentioned my expecting to receive a balance of praise and feelings dismissed them as trivial, while others constructive criticism. Instead, I received a thought it cute and amusing. detailed evaluation summary in which only one lilis is when 1 soon became lamiliar with comment stood out: "Youth and size make what I later understood to be a hierarchy of classroom management a challenge." oppression. Whereas oppression is culturally Although I had felt that my job performance legitimized inequality as a result of was oftenjudged in relation to my height, this systematically enforced discrimination was the first example where that theory was practices through the use of social, political, clearly and straightforwardly supported. The or economic power, hierarchy is a system of REFLECTIONS - FALL 2006 65 Looking Up Oppression between at least two strata: the that the idea of administering GH to a healthy privileged and the oppressed (McDonald & child is extremely controversial. It represents Coleman, 1999). Within a complex hierarchy, the dominant culture's view that short is not a multitude of social roles and identities exist okay. The strong reactions of both my mom that create varying degrees of socio-economic and my doctor reinforced that dominant inequality (McDonald & Coleman, 1999). As culture's perception of height. But at that a teacher in a multiethnic community, I found moment, I did not recognize that. I only a continuous emphasis on cultural sensitivity recognized their sad reactions and the as it applied to race and ethnicity. Our staff doctor's final comment, "I'm sorry. It's too focused a great deal on multicultural late." I was devastated because, to me, and awareness, yet we failed to address social apparently to the doctor, the GH was my only identities beyond race. As an ethnic minority, solution : a magic potion that would make me I would have felt justified in bringing forth any normal and acceptable. racial discrimination issues. Yet, as a short I now see the harm that the situation person, I did not feel the same, I felt not only caused. The doctor never told me I would be that racial discrimination took precedence fine the way 1 was. She immediately began to over other forms of discrimination, but that discuss medical solutions. The moment the non-racial discrimination was largely ignored. doctor told me I missed the opportunity to Although this experience was the catalyst that take the GH, I felt sad for a "missed led me to reexamine my professional role as opportunity." But now I know that it would an educator, as well as the reasons for entering not have helped. For one, I would always be the teaching profession, it also served to bring a short person culturally because I to the surface many of my past painful experienced first hand the ways in which moments with discriminatioa height differences can change people's I stopped growing by the 6"* grade. I treatment of others. Second, I would feel in a remember the day I found out that I would way that I was a "sell out'* for changing a part remain the height I was for the rest of my life.