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Gender Issues In Literature
Gender Issues In Literature
Gender Issues In Literature
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The main topic that I focused on for journal 5 was on Matrices of Privilege and Oppression. Three passages that stood out to me, were #103 - Salad by Janice Mirikitani, #105 – Take a Closer Look by Carrie Castro, and lastly, #116 – Livin’ in a Gay Family by Megan McGuire. Each reading discussed each author’s struggle to battle the oppression and the inequalities set in place by society.
For my first selection, I picked #103 – Salad. Janice Mirikitani shortly, but beautifully expresses the burden she faces being a Japanese-American woman. This ties into the topics we covered in our last forums regarding racism, and the topic of oppression. I feel as though Janice struggles with some of the same burdens that I face. At the bottom of her poem, her last lines were: “Do you orientals do everything so
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There is a stereotype associated with Asians about being “perfectionists.” We always need to do everything so “neatly”, “perfectly” with ease. Everyone expects us to be super-smart and when we do our jobs, we do it to perfection; just like Janice cutting the cucumber precisely, exact, even, and quick slices. My roommate always praises me for being so “studious” and constantly makes stereotypical comments like “Of course, you should know that, you’re Asian” when it comes to anything that deals with math, or “Of course you would (referring to a job I did) you’re Asian.” There is a big burden that instantly comes with being born an Asian. We are always harassed by this stereotype, and people always have displayed these types of actions towards Asians.
Today in the United States of America people are both privileged and oppressed based on their diversity markers and social locations. These advantages and disadvantages are put in place by the people whom are in power, or otherwise known as the government and other leading officials. This is a major issue in today’s society that often tends to be masked by the many other issues within the country as well as by the privileged people. Many people who experience privilege tend to believe that privilege and oppression do not exist and that everyone has equal opportunity, but that is not the case privilege and oppression does exist and it can be seen every day in society. After a careful review of Dena Samuel’s “Matrix Model of Oppression and Privilege” I identified myself as rather privileged due to my social and diversity locations on her model.
"Why can 't black people just work harder?" Hard work results in success, and black people are in many cases looked at as less successful than white people. Therefore, that means that black people simply work less hard than white people. This is the perspective that many privileged white people may have when discussing the issue of white privilege. They fail to realize that white privilege plays a significant role in what opportunities someone might have. In Princeton University student, Tal Fortgang 's essay, "Checking My Privilege: Character as the Basis of Privilege", he criticizes those who tell him to "Check your privilege". He argues that the phrase discredits his achievements, and that white privilege is not the reason that he became
Since the dawn of time, war has been fought to achieve peace, but more specifically peace with foreign nations. While heroic men and women lay down their lives for such a noble cause, domestic peace is threatened every day. Bigots, racists, and sexists all contribute to the ever-constant violence within our borders. Too many people live in fear: fear of predatory men, fear of embracing themselves, fear of what others would do to them because of their race or religion. The United States is supposed to be a land of freedom and opportunity, for all of its citizens to have access to, as outlined by both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Additionally, America was founded on the idea that all men are created equal. However, through
“The stereotype that “Asians are smart” becomes “Asians are smart only because they are Asian” (Yook). The essay “Positive Stereotypes Are Hurtful Too” written by Hailey Yook shows how the author is affected by this act towards her race. Like mentioned before, some people believe racism does not exist. But this essay proves that it does because even what people may consider “compliments”, can be insults due to labeling and not recognizing the actual work. That is how Yook feels, she feels like just because she is Asian people already know what to expect, but do not look at all she has to
Privilege is a type of right or advantage available to a particular group of people over others. Privilege can be earned and given. For example, white people have the privilege of not having others judge them negatively because of their skin tone. I personally do not believe it is absolutely necessary to have privileged allies standing up for others without privilege.
They are trying to get over the differences and find a median between the differing parts of the culture. This shows that they are not only highly intelligent, but also want to engage in social activities and other pursuits. (“Asia Focus”). While trying to prove their lives have more to it than just intelligence, Asians are being put down by this seemingly positive stereotype. Positive stereotypes judge others for who they are, and Asians feel that they are more than racists.
Privilege is a highly controversial topic that is not truly understood by most people. Through reading this paper you will learn about the key points from the article, A Social Worker’s Reflectionzaon Power, Privilege, and Oppression written by Michael S. Spencer and the article White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. The paper will include my personal beliefs on the topic of privilege and even some of my own personal privilege that are in my knapsack that have helped me along my way in life. There will also be a point where I have the ability to inform you about how privilege affect people and how they can positively affect people who do not receive them. Privileges impacts many groups of people in many different ways. Privilege affects people in a number of different ways and many people do not truly understand how these privileges affect those who they do not include.
Privilege is a part of peoples lives. Knowingly or not it plays an important role in our lives and society. Privilege is defined as a special benefit or advantage that is exclusively reserved for a particular person or group. There is also inter sectional privilege, the concept of different types of privileges or lack thereof that one encounters whether it positively or negatively impacts them. During my life there has been one overwhelming privilege. That privilege is being born in America. Americans are reserved rights most people in the world do not have, or are not explicitly told. Inside America there are many aspects of life that give us these privileges, whether it be more advanced and protected jobs all the way to world class education
Many people still wrongly use “being Asian” as a catch-all explanation for certain qualities that only some Asians possess. For example, not all Asians excel at math. I happened to score a five on my Calc BC exam, but that’s because I studied hard – a time-tested approach used by people of all races across the globe. And I’m certainly, and most importantly, not tiny because I’m Asian. 100% of the reason why I’m tiny is because you’re white.
Privilege is a term associated with the process of granting certain rights and benefits to a specified group of people and/or an individual. An individual being shown preference in a certain situation may or may not receive similar treatment, when confronting other circumstances. For this matter, it is incredibly significant for one to remain mindful of the ways in which privilege and discrimination function within similar scales of inclusion and exclusion. This essay serves as an examination of the particular treatment received by white individuals, compared to that of non-white beings.
Since the beginning of our cognitive lives, we as humans, our conditioned to meet a certain level of goals. While we each have something we dream of becoming we commonly fall short of our goals, due to social oppression. While deep down one believes that they are themselves, each person morphs to the society they are living in. Being raised in Northern Virginia, I have noticed it is in constant chaos with no room to slow down. People are contently on the move to try and better themselves for there jobs or careers. Without realizing it, the city is altering the person. Things such as religion, treating others properly, and seeking love gets pushed aside for the leveling up in ones career. While one is raised to believe and peruse these things
The economic oppression of the workers inevitably calls forth and engenders every kind of political oppression and social humiliation, the coarsening and darkening of the spiritual and moral life of the masses. The workers may secure a greater or lesser degree of political liberty to fight for their economic emancipation, but no amount of liberty will rid them of poverty, unemployment, and oppression until the power of capital is overthrown. Religion is one of the forms of spiritual oppression which everywhere weighs down heavily upon the masses of the people, over burdened by their perpetual work for others, by want and isolation. Impotence of the exploited classes in their struggle against the exploiters just as inevitably gives rise to the
However, I was always seen as average at best. I never went above and beyond in school and I clearly wasn’t the top of my class with perfect grades and 4.0 GPA. I was embarrassed for the classes I took because like I said before, I was always seen average at best. Math was surprisingly difficult for me and so was Chemistry and Physics. None of those classes were honors or AP and that’s where I felt like I fell short because a lot of the Asians I knew were already so far ahead. I was nothing special or unique, I was less than ordinary and I stuck out like a sore thumb. Akimi Yan wrote, “How do US teachers’ stereotypes of Asian students affect performance?” which she discusses how Asians are perceived in the school system. She says, “If the standards are so high, there must be some Asian students who could not live up to the expectations...results into their negative self perception.” (n.p) I definitely understand what Yan is talking about because I’m one of those Asian students who don’t live up to other’s expectations. I’m always comparing myself to others especially Asian students and my sister who is a talented Dentist. I use to feel ashamed for who I was, but more importantly, I felt ashamed for my family. I never wanted them to think they raised someone who was a disappointment. Coming from someone who constantly felt like they weren’t good enough, it has made me want to prove
At five years old, I had already memorized the multiplication table, and understood the concept of long division. My mom would always tell me, “You have to do perfect in school.” By attempting to reach that standard, I managed to fit into the universal stereotype of “smart Asians”. I grew up having to do extra academic work because my mother wanted me to be ahead of my peers. My days were filled with workbooks for grade levels above my actual one, reading and calculating nonstop. Because of my vast knowledge at an early age, I was constantly told that I was smart.
I selected “Ella, In a Square Apron, Along Highway 80” by Judy Grahn, which is a poem about the common woman’s struggle to survive in a harsh world. I found that this poem dealt most poignantly with how the need to survive in a particular environment shapes people, the complexities that inevitably arise within a person, and a pervading sense of alienation.