Summary Of Tell Me Something By Michelle Cacho-Negrete

Elie Wiesel once said “neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” In Michelle Cacho-Negrete’s Essay “Tell Me Something” she talks about her brother who died in the Vietnam War. In the end of the essay she challenges the reader “tell me something good about my country (739).” What is good about America is that it’s not. Hear me out, because America has been racist, sexist, and homophobic for so long that a new wave of LGBTQIA, feminism, and civil rights has emerged. As a queer, black woman these movements make me feel as though some people care about my struggles.
I grew up in a church much like most children in Louisiana. As I became older I began to worry. The church taught that homosexuality is an abomination, and that I would burn in hell forever. Well, I panicked, such as any child who questions their sexuality would. Being the

fearful child I was, I remember praying at night for God to make me straight. It was scary, and confusing to be different. I felt as though no one could understand what I was feeling so I did not question who I was; I decided I would deal with it at a later date. The problem about being queer is that it is difficult to hide. My long kept secret was obvious to everyone; even though I thought I was doing an excellent job hiding it. In middle school, I had people ask if I was gay. I would quickly deny, and assure my peers I was like everyone else. It did get worse though; the rumor of my sexuality travelled the halls. I was called a dyke, faggot, and queer on a daily basis. Those words seemed like burdens back then, but now they seem like badges of honor.
Growing up in America heavily enforces gender roles. I, of course, broke out of that mold. In high school, I joined Powerlifting, which throughout the three years I heard a lot of that Powerlifting is too masculine for a girl like me. Having heard these comments over and over my favorite part of Powerlifting was getting on the platform with a full face of makeup, and a large bow on top of my pony tail then squatting 250 pounds. Finally, understanding that I could be feminine and strong opened my eyes to what feminism was and is. When I was a sophomore my teacher told me something that I still hold in my mind today. Women should be equal to men without acting masculine. Women should be able to be extraordinary feminine, and be respected just as much as any man. I’m a lesbian powerlifter who wears makeup, cute clothes, and is in love with Beyoncé; gender roles were never my cup of tea. In that way, I broke a lot of stereotypes. When this new wave of feminism, I was already on board, and was ready to break boundaries.
When the news of the grand jury not indicted Darren Wilson for the murder of Mike Brown was announced; I remember not feeling surprised at all.

Not being surprised stemmed from knowing what country I live in. My senior year I worked in a small fifties themed diner. I worked harder than most of my coworkers combined. When our manager left seeking a new job I was given her responsibilities. I closed the drawer every night, I wrote schedules, took inventory, and worked over forty hours each week. Since the owner knew I was leaving, he hired a woman to replace me. She had not been manager yet since I was still in control. I was actively training her to do my job, but she quit before I could leave. It turns out she was making nine dollars an hour while I was only making seven dollars and fifty cents. White privilege was working right in front of me. Was I surprised? Hell no, I was not surprised. I have complete faith that the Black Lives Matter movement is not only going to bring justice to those murdered in cold blood, but make sure injustices like this do not keep

happening.
Now all these stories I tell how I overcame obstacles from where I lived. Now I’m going to tell Cacho-Negrete why all these horrible experiences are something good about America. All these people who have done racist, sexist, and homophobic actions are on the losing team. Same sex marriage was legalized in 2015, Freddie Gray’s murderers were indicted, and feminism is coming to the forefront each and every day. I’ll tell everyone what’s good about America. It’s changing.