KariAnn Holland
Asian-American Culture
Instructor Sandra Kikuchi, MSW, CSW
December 11, 2012
Reflection
Throughout the duration of our class, I have learned quite a bit. I enjoyed expanding my mind during our group project as I thought about the involvement and correlations between Asian-Americans and health care. Group projects can be a tricky thing. They can be especially tricky when a group only has a short time to put a project together. One of the reasons I find it to be challenging is due to the fact that by the time you've figured out the personality type and what type of individual assignment would be appropriate for each group member, your time is up and the presentation is due. With this being the case, I feel that it is important to make sure to look at the way in which a person interacts with the group very objectively and quickly. Perhaps the person that doesn't seem to contribute much is simply someone that is shy and isn't sure where to "jump in." On the other side, perhaps the person that seems to be doing all of the work is just overly zealous to have things done "their way." Looking at these facts, the first thing that needs to transpire once a group has been assigned together is to select a leader. Our group did not do this and I feel quite a bit of confusion could have been eliminated by doing so. Group members weren't quite sure who to direct questions to about what we were doing and the progress that needed to be done. Furthermore, once each of us completed assignments, we weren't sure who to notify. The importance of a team leader or project manager was certainly something that was defined through this experience.
Although the communication in our group wasn’t as smooth as it could have been, I still feel that I learned a lot. Specifically, I learned that the cost of health care here in the United States is astronomically higher than it is in Asian countries. That was interesting to know. I really hadn’t given it much thought before.
One of our student outcomes states that students will be able to demonstrate substantive knowledge in the historical, political, cultural and social experiences of the Asian American living in the U.S. After spending time in this class, I feel much more competent discussing such matters. We have learned how the United States government has treated Asians in many different situations as well as how many Asians are treated in the United States in many different social situations. Although there are certain things I will never understand due to not being Asian myself, I feel as if I could have an educated conversation about the subject matter in various situations; situations that is both academic as well as casual.
Another one of our student outcomes states that students will be able to assess and articulate comparatively and analytically about cultural patterns that have framed the Asian American family and its members. I found this a course objective that was very important to learn about. It is easy for people to develop stereotypes. Through this course I was given the opportunity to learn about Asian American families from a professional as well as given assignments allowing me to research the topic for myself.
One reason I found this class so helpful and informative is simply because here in Utah, we do not have a large Asian population. Throughout our lectures and activities, I was enlightened as to Asian-American culture in a way that would be merely impossible in my day to day life here in Salt Lake City. I often found myself thinking about specific situations and examples we were learning about while I was outside of the classroom. In my own personal experience, I have found that this is a good indication that a teaching style is effective. I would recommend this class and subject matter to everyone.
