MansourSakr1

OceanMansourSakr
GECluster20A,Dis1G
JonathanKincade
15December2014
EthnographyProspectus
OnDecember19,2014,myfamilywillbeholdingareceptionformysisterandafewofher
friendsfortheirwinterformal.Theywillbeatourhomeforatleast6hours,andwewillallsharea
mealatsomepoint.Oneofmysistersfriends,Chelsie,isAfricanAmerican.Ontheotherhand,my
familyisfromLebanon.MyparentslivedinLebanonuntiltheywereadults,andLebanesepeopletend
tobelessopenmindedwithregardstorace.Therefore,Ibelieve,thateventhoughmyparentshave
beenlivingintheU.S.for8years,theystillunintentionallyracializecertaingroups.Forexample,they
tendtoexpressracialstereotypes.Therefore,eventhoughtheyareveryrespectfulandwouldnever
discriminateagainstourguestinanyway,Ifeelliketheywillexpresssomeformofracismbutnotin
frontofourguest.However,whenIpointoutthatwhattheymaybesayingisracist,theywilldenyit
becausetheyareunabletoseetheracismbehindtheirwords.Regardless,racialprejudicedoesnotto
beconscioustobepresent.MysiblingsandIgrewupintheU.S.andareveryopenminded.Therefore,
Idonotexpectmysiblingstoexpressanyracism.Myparentstrytobeselfconsciouswithregardsto
whattheysayaboutotherethnicgroupsbecauseofhowmysiblingsandIpointouttheirracist
thinkinghowever,theydontalwaysknowifwhattheyaresayingisinherentlyracist.InLebanon,
hiringhousemaidsfromcountriesinAfricaisaverycommonpractice,andtherefore,before
immigratingtotheUS,myparentswereusedtoseeingblacksinthatcontext.Therefore,Iexpectthat
theirexperiencesinthispriorcontextwillaffecttheircurrentthinking.Accordingly,inRacial
Formation,DouglasMasseystatesthatpeoplepossessimplicitmemoriesthatyieldsubconscious
dispositionstowardpeopleandobjects,leadingtobiasandstereotyping(2).