Who Am I?

I ask myself the question “Who am I?” daily. Every time I ask myself that question I think I will get a different response but it turns out I do not. I will always see myself as a hispanic female. I will always be a minority here in this country. It blows me away that despite all these other attributes I am able to produce and give to others I choose the one that has a “form of oppression associated with it”(Adams, 2013). I learned that this is very common to only see the targeted identities we hold within ourselves rather than the many other identities we may carry. The targeted groups can be racial groups, religious groups, a sexual orientation, or even those with a physical or mental disability. In Stella Young’s video it is very clear to how her identity is perceived to everyone else. The world may see her as an inspiration or almost like an exception. However, she thinks of herself completely different. In her own eyes she is an everyday female who does everyday things such as those without a physical disability. In her own eyes she is not a hero or an inspiration. But once again her targeted identity is shown because she is someone with a disability. Dominant groups use this almost as a way to make themselves feel better or as motivation. The dominant groups also do this with many other targeted groups besides those with a physical disability. It is a way to help their own identity and self perception of themselves. But there is so much more than just the target identity we carry. For example, I am more than a hispanic female. I am intelligent, and loving. Maybe if others were to see that I would be perceived better in this world along with my own racial group. Once others start to get out of their social bubbles and reach out to others who may not look like them or even like the same things as them. That is when diversity happens and perceptions are broadened. Identities are so important as to how we see ourselves and our appearance that we make on others. If I only think of myself as a hispanic female why should anyone else think of me as anything more than that? We must value ourselves and our culture and where we come from and believe in. Just as the Cambodian villagers did and placed a great emphasis on where they lived as a part of who they are. If we are able to accept those who identify themselves as a part of a religious group, or sexual orientation then that is when it will become the norm in our own society rather than the exception. Once we start to recognize all the identities we can have that is when we can break social norms and social injustices. It all starts from within yourself and how you think of yourself. Your identity matters. All identities matter. That is what makes this world so great the variety of identities there are that can expand our knowledge. 

Sources

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castañeda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zúñiga, X. (Eds.).         (2013). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Sullivan, M. (2017, August 26). 'I Will Lose My Identity': Cambodian Villagers Face Displacement         By Mekong Dam. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from                          https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/08/26/546036670/i-will-lose-my-identity-cambodian-villagers-face-displacement-by-mekong-dam

Young, S. (n.d.). I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from        https://www.ted.com/talks/stella_young_i_m_not_your_inspiration_thank_you_very_much

My Aha Moment

In order to change the world and make all social injustices go away we must do one thing. That one thing is to recognize our own privileges. Privileges from the very beginning have always referred to the word “dominance”(McIntosh, 1989, pg. 3). This dominance is given to those with a certain race and gender. Most may think, what privileges could I possibly have if I am not a white male or female in this country? But as Tiffany Jana says, it is time to “change our frames.” What this means is those who think they may not have any privileges at all should try to think their own way of thinking and see maybe some of the privileges they do have. Take myself for example, I am a hispanic, middle class, heterosexual female. Just by reading that one sentence I could easily point out the privileges I do not have and all the social injustices my family and I have faced in this country. However after reading that sentence again I had an “Aha” moment. I realized all the privileges I did have. I had the opportunity to go to school, to get raised by a middle class family, and I am heterosexual. Those I listed are just some of the many privileges I could think of. If I would have recognized those sooner and not have been so blind maybe my outlook on life would have been a lot more different. Those of you reading this may think is it too late to recognize my privileges and do something about it? No, it is never too late. As Peggy McIntosh says, it is like “unpacking the invisible knapsack”(McIntosh, 1989, pg.1). Unpacking this knapsack is so crucial in helping all those “vulnerable communities”(Melissa & James, 2015, pg.6). However, for some it is not so easy to unpack this “invisible knapsack.” Most of the country is taught that the way white America lives is the normal and average way. Therefore what privileges could possibly exist if that is the average way of living and everyone else should be living that way. It is such an ugly truth our society must face and recognize. We must recognize that not everyone gets to get the education they need to have a decent paying job, or even have a car to get to that job. It is those privileges that are taken for granted on a daily basis. That is the first step in changing our unequal treatments and biases. Just as said in our readings it is very obvious what can happen the moment we stop remembering the privileges we have and the impact it can have on the more vulnerable communities. Take for example, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A decade later after the hurricane and homes and school in the lower income communities are still not re-built. Maybe if the people of New Orleans understood the privileges and advantages that came with their race it would be a different story. I hope as many read this start to think of their own privileges and the many ways they could make those privileges useful in our own society just as Tiffany Jana and Peggy McIntosh did. 

Sources

Jana, T. (2014, February 05). The power of privilege: Tiffany Jana at TEDxRVAWomen. Retrieved February 10, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0acvkHIiZs

Perry, M. H. (2015, August 19). From New Orleans to Ferguson, a Decade of Asserting Black Lives Matter. Retrieved February 10, 2018, from https://www.thenation.com/article/from-new-orleans-to-ferguson-a-decade-of-asserting-black-lives-matter/

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castañeda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zúñiga, X. (Eds.). (2013). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). Routledge.

The Start to A Better World

Everyday as I watch the news my head is bombarded with thoughts and worries. I continuously see helpless people get unfair treatment. I ask myself “Can things get any better here in the United States?” This is such a crucial time for many people to realize the unjust treatment that is going on in our own country and stand up to make a change. Everyday people are born into a “Cycle of Socialization”(Adams p.47). This means that they do not choose where they are born and what group they want to belong to. However, depending on the race or class in which we are born in that will determine the treatment we receive for the rest of our lives. After birth we are then introduced to the people we love and who raise us(Adams p.47). During those socializations we come across norms that are supposed to be followed or a certain expectation we are supposed to meet in the future. For my own example, in my family attending college was a very important expectation we were supposed to meet and was enforced into our heads our entire lives. This which then follows a certain cultural norms we are to follow and if those cultural norms are broken there will more than likely be a punishment(Adams p.49). This plays a major role with those who are afraid to step out of their culture and break the norms. They are very afraid they will get punished or talked bad about. This will result in problems in our own society today. From the moment we are born we are forced into some sort of group or social identity group whether it be inherited or taught. Once we are in that group whether it be a target group, or an agent. There are certain treatment that we will receive and due to that their will be unequal opportunities here in America. However, the oppressions happening today can be changed and many of us can make a difference. According to Adams, there is a Cycle of Liberation that can help “seek new paths” in creating social change in our world(Adams p.618). This process was such a breath of fresh reading it because I felt relief and that I finally had an answer to my question. Yes, it is very possible that things can get better here in the United States. This process first started that we begin to open our eyes and see ourselves differently in the world. I know as a hispanic female there is stigma of race and gender towards my own identity(Goldbach, Amaro, Vega, Walter, 2015, p.6). But once I realize that I am ready to learn more about my own race and gender which can either be done by research or seek out any help that is out there for me to “seek experiences outside”(Adams p.621). Once we start to reach out we start to build our own sense of community with those that may have similar experiences. Also, having conversations with those who may be complete opposites from us can expand our own knowledge of ourselves and the way we see the world. This is very important in order to stop the oppression and have both sides comes together.  Finally, we can come together to create and maintain change. Whether that be influencing a policy or taking risks and then integrating them into our own daily lives. These steps are crucial in the start to our better world. These are the steps everyone from all backgrounds should follow and see the change in our world twenty years from now.

Sources
Goldbach, J. T., Amaro, H., Vega, W., & Walter, M. D. (2015, December). Grand Challenges for            
Social Work Initiative: Vol. 11. The grand challenge of promoting equality by addressing social stigma (Report No. 18).
Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castañeda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zúñiga, X. (Eds.). (2013). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). Routledge.