Identity Forced Choices

Teacher Guide
Contents / Direcitons / Procedures
Time allocation
Goal
The goal of this piece is to explore how stereotypes affect our self identity and how we feel about ourselves; how our understanding of people’s racial/ethnic identity creates barriers that divide as well as unite us as a community; and to explore how these identities impact us as Black African American and Latina/o Student Leaders.

ASLA ESLRS TO BE MET
Animo graduates will be Academic Achievers who:

1. Think and write critically and analytically across the curriculum
2. Identify and use resources effectively to research and evaluate concepts across the curriculum
3. Demonstrate learned skills through the use of application, analysis, and synthesis
4. Gain eligibility for college by completing required coursework and are equipped with the knowledge of educational pathways; career choices; and institutions of higher learning
Animo graduates will be Cultural Learners who:

1. Are culturally aware and work towards understanding diverse perspectives, values, and histories
2. Are able to communicate with sensitivity within and across diverse communities and groups
3. Are leaders within their community who contribute to the improvement of life in their school and community
4. Are models of ethical behavior through their involvement in school functions, clubs, and committees
Animo graduates will be Effective Communicators who:

1. Utilize technology as a tool for learning and communicating
2. Demonstrate skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing for different purposes in an academic and social setting
3. Collaborate, work effectively, and manage interpersonal relationships with both peers and adults in diverse settings and groups
Animo graduates will be Life-Long Learners who:

1. Are adaptive to a wide array of professional and cultural settings
2. Are goal oriented and value continual goal setting and reflection
3. Are open to discovery and develop enthusiasm and interest for learning

Objective
The students will be answering the statements by moving to one of the four posted identities (Chicana/o, Latina/o, Hispanic, Indijena/o…etc), by having students will be asked to participate in a forced choice experiential. During this piece students are to think about the perceptions they have of other African American Black/ Latina/o’s while they are answering the questions/statements



Needed Materials
Need signs for Chicana/o, Latina/o, Hispanic, Indijena/o, Caribbean, National Identity, South American, Central American, -- American, Afro-American, Black and Black American

Procedures
1. As the statements are read, don’t explain or attempt to define them, simply repeat the question and allow the students to give the statement meaning.
2. Keep repeating the question until everybody has moved to one of the choices.
3. When appropriate ask the students to reflect on what they are feeling and why they chose that label?
4. Before beginning, remind students that this is a forced choice, SILENT exercise.

Statements
q I feel mostly accepted by members of this group
q I am most likely stereotyped as a member of this group
o Share out- how do you feel about that?
q I feel that this group has the worst leaders
q I feel this group has the best leaders
q I have the most stereotypes about members of this group
q I feel the most judged/stereotyped by members of this group
o Share out- What does that look like?
o How does it feel?
q I feel this identity is most recognized in the community I live now
q This identity group stirs up negative images
o Where do these images come from?
o How are they negative?
o What is the value behind it?
o Share outs
q I feel this group is least likely to assimilate
q I feel this group is most likely to assimilate
q Share-out- what does assimilation look like to you?
o How do you feel about it?
q I feel that this group is most readily accepted by mainstream US Society
At this point, reveal the additional identity labels “Caribbean, National Identity, South American, Central American, -American”

q I least identify with this group
o What does this mean?
q I most identify with this group
o Why is this identity important to you?
o What does it give you?
o How does the identity you chose affect your interactions with others?

Debrief
q What are you feeling?
q How do you feel about these identities?
q Are the issues that this piece touches upon real in the African American or Latina/o community?
q How can the perceptions you carry about the way people identify impact your role as a leader?
q How do these identities racial/ethnic identities impact our interactions with others?
q

Group Debrief:
Objective: Help the students to dialogue about their feelings concerning identity and labels. Begin debrief with the following:
How are you feeling?
How did it feel to go through this morning’s program?
What did you learn about yourself?
What did you learn about stereotypes? How do you use them?
Describe your experiences and how you came to choose your racial/ethnic identity? What are your feelings about the different Latina/o ethnic groups?
6. What have been the experiences that have lead you to have “these” feelings or stereotypes about other’s identity?
How did the identity you chose and the way you feel about others’ identity affect the way you interact with others?
How can you work around your differences to work together?