According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “bias” means a personal, unreasoned, and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing. Everyone has their own bias on how they view life or as part of their personality. Whether you are discussing what actor you like more or you are applying for an important position, we have biases in us and even against us when other people see or know you. I have always known about bias and how it can negatively impact someone or, as the K-pop term, which just means the person you like the most from each group. But this past weekend, I got some great advice from a professor at my possible future graduate school. The professor was a Puerto Rican woman with a Ph.D. and currently works with amphibians, so part of me saw myself in her or at least as who I want to become one day. During the interview, I asked, “what is good advice to give to someone starting grad school?”. In my mind, I thought she was going to respond something along the lines of doing a lot of research, always doing well, maintaining good communication, etc. Yet, that was not her response!
Her response was a phrase so simple but with so much meaning and effort that I understood what she meant by it. She said, “always work hard”. Isn’t this common or simple advice? I might have made a facial expression of understanding and confusion because she proceeded to explain why that was her advice. She explained how people like us can’t afford or fancy taking breaks like other people can. By this, she meant that because I am a Puerto Rican woman of color with English as my second language, sometimes I need to work harder than people around me to just reach the same level as them. Someone from the outside may think that was harsh or a bit depressing, but for someone who has some bias that is mostly seen and thought of as disadvantages, it was actually encouraging.
Why? Well, first of all, I felt understood. I knew what she meant by working harder to reach the minimum or the same level as everyone around me. Because I have lived it and still live it. An example of this is when I study for a class, and it takes me almost double the time to understand a topic than other people because I have to search for what some English words mean in Spanish to help me understand the material. The advice goes deeper than just working hard; it is more of a reality check. To me, it felt like she was saying that life is not easy, especially for people like us who are not from this country and sound and look different, but you should never give up. People like to point out aspects of a person’s identity to try and make them feel less, for example, how an accent sounds ugly or unprofessional. But instead of this being a discouragement, it is the fuel to keep going forward and improving.
Bias is everywhere we go and in all aspects of our lives, whether positive or negative. But it is up to you to determine how you are going to let it affect you and your life. If the bias people have is negative, use it as the match that lights your fire or keeps your flame burning. And, if the bias is positive, let it bring you joy without harming others. In the end, don’t try to be color blind in the sense of ignoring what is different, but embrace being unique and accept that everyone is wonderful and deserves to be treated the same way as everyone else instead of disqualified or trying to make their life harder than yours.