For college students across America, cultural bias is a major issue. Put simply, cultural bias is when an individual or group is judged based on the standards of someone else’s culture. While everyone can be affected by cultural bias, individuals part of a minority group may experience worse cultural bias.

For Tommy Rock, a member of the Navajo nation and an assistant research professor at North Arizona University, cultural bias has been a challenge for him during his educational journey. Rock’s research focuses on uranium mining and its effects on the Navajo population. During his doctoral program, Rock noted he felt “brushed aside”, and that the process of getting his doctorate degree was difficult due to the committee not fully understanding the indigenous issues he was discussing.

If someone is a certain race or ethnicity, or they speak with an accent, they may face scrutiny or judgment from another person because of these characteristics. It’s important to remember that everyone has a different background in life, and that affects how you interact with them. In Rock’s case, he was the first in his family to attend college, something many Navajo elders don’t get to experience.

“A lot of the elders, they’re really sharp…they may not have a western education or western knowledge, but they know what’s going on,” said Rock.

When thinking about public health or environmental issues, it’s important to realize that even if someone isn’t educated or from an entirely different country, they can tell when something isn’t right. Avoiding condescension is key in situations like this. You should always assume someone is competent, and if they’re not, you can explain the issue to them.

(Contributed/hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu)

Cultural bias is becoming an increasing issue in America as our population becomes more diverse every year. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 33.8 million people identified as multiracial in 2020, compared to a mere 9 million in 2010. But eradicating cultural bias is not the job of just one person — it’s the job of communities to help end cultural bias.

“I was encouraged by my grandfather to keep going to school… ‘Go to school! Go to school! Remember where you come from!’ He would say it to me all the time, and I used to hate him saying that,” said Rock. “But nowadays I’m glad he did that. I know my language, I can have conversations with elders and let them know what’s going on and what I’m working on.”

Getting a college education is a valuable and important thing, and it’s important to use it wisely: use it to help and educate others, no matter what you do. Don’t be rude or disrespectful to those who haven’t had the same experience.

Rock’s most important piece of advice for college students? “Anything worth doing is hard. Stay focused on your goal and your ambitions, and you’ll get there. When you get there, people will know who you are, know about your journey and what you’ve faced. The younger generations will know who you are and see you as a role model,” he said.

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