Social Justice Blog: A Life Changing Experience

Hands down, this social justice project has been one of the most interesting of projects that I've done in my life. It shed light on an issue that affects the livelihoods of people across the world: educational disparities. From interviewing teachers at both Bowie and Reagan to chatting with students and listening to the grievances of community members, I plan to hold on to the valuable knowledge I gained throughout my lifetime. We read in news articles and textbooks about low college attendance rates among inner city students, lower academic achievement around minority students, and a huge resource gap among upper-middle class and low-income students. This project was an amazing experience because it put a face on these topics and gave me a tangible understanding of what I can do to make a difference.

Our project explored the differences between student life at two radically different high schools. The achievement gap, we learned, has multiple layers including cultural norms, ethnicity, socioeconomic gaps, and family status. My personal predicament is somewhat of an interesting one: while I am a minority student, I haven't experienced the educational disparities that many other youth of color have. This project really made me think about what I, as a person of color with access to educational resources, can do to encourage youth in underprivileged areas. I've always been a believer that it is my duty to pass on and share with others the God-given resources I have. Like I mentioned in my project presentation, the sad truth is that not everyone is blessed with well-to-do parents, fancy SAT tutors, and privileged schools. It's my duty as a human being to make sure that I help others gain access to these resources so they can reach their full potential.

As I brainstormed specific things I can do to bridge the gap, something that the Reagan health sciences teacher said specifically stuck out to me. Ms. Hardy mentioned that, in her opinion, the reason why the teenage pregnancy rate is so high at Reagan is because of the girls' low-self esteem. She stated that many of these girls come from unstable households where the parents are often preoccupied with putting food on the table. As a result, the girls often feel lonely due to a lack of a support system. Consequently, they engage in sexual activity with any boy or man(often older) that makes them feel loved. She expressed a need for empowerment classes for the girls which teach them to stand up for themselves, beginning freshman year.

I would definitely be interested in spearheading an empowerment class for girls at either Reagan or any low-income school in Austin. Next semester, I hope to continue my research on this topic through the Center for Social Work Research. I plan on focusing my research on the reasons for teenage pregnancy in low-income areas, it's impact on a student's academic success, and the actions that can be taken to prevent it. I'm hoping that I can establish an empowerment class alongside my research. I definitely realize that my efforts won't end teen pregnancy in the state of Texas, however, if even a few girls benefit from my workshop that would be an immense success.  We often read in news sources about facts and statistics related to pregnacy but we often don't hear about the behind-the-scenes factors that influence this trend. It's my goal to interview high school girls, pregnant and not pregnant, families, and community members without just being "the BSW research student." I will strive my best to become one with the community as I continue my research. The better job I do empathizing with these girls, the better an idea I will have about how I can help motivate them. Many of these girls can go on to do great things with their lives if they recieve the right guidance.

The bottom line is that we are all human beings. We all thrive off of love and appreciation and we all have the potential to contribute to the greater good of society. When it comes to education, every child across the world should be taught that his or her opinions and contributions are very valuable. Man or woman, white or black, gay or straight, rich or poor, no one should be made to feel like they don't matter. This lack of self-worth is the very essence of the achievement gap: it all comes down to the fact that students in underprivileged areas often don't see what they are worth. Poverty is a nasty cycle which creates a domino effect where the students become victims of injustice. When I tell people I'm double majoring in Social Work, they often respond saying, "Oh, it's so sweet that you want to help people." I usually respond saying, "Actually, my goal is to help people help themselves." I'm not sure where life will take me career wise, however, I will say that what ever I do I will implement sustainable initatives that empower people. Whether it is community organizing, leading empowerment workshops, or facilitating support groups, I want to do my part to help uplift others. My hope is that from there, they will continue on and pass on the skills they have learned to future generations.

Closing Quote: "If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

Social Justice Blog: Disabilites, Discrimination And The "R" Word

After reading Adams's chapters pertaining to disabilities and reflecting on experiences where I've come in contact with disabled people, I realized something. I thought a lot about Adams's question in Chapter 100, "Why is American society largely unaware of or indifferent to the plight of people with disabilites?" It hit me that I'm guilty of being largely unaware of the struggles of disabled individuals. While I did stand up for students during my school years who were made fun for being "slow" and I help people with difficulty walking cross the street, I feel that my knowledge and understanding of this subject is quite superficial. Nonetheless, this week's course readings brought to light many topics that I'm trying to educate myself more about.

There is no doubt that our society is ableist. This is reinforced by the misconception many Americans have that disability doesn't constitute a serious category of oppression. People fail to see the number of difficulties disabled individuals undergo, including rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and incest in homes, private locations, and public institutions. Chapter 100 couldn't be more accurate in its claim that society often overlooks the struggles of disabled people. The chapter discusses how students pour over the subject of race in their textbooks and read the work of multicultural writers in high school and college. While we acknowledge that racism exists in our society, we don't realize that we are ableist. Honestly, I felt guilty after thinking how true this statement is. I pride myself on being open-minded and informed about different types of people, however, I've never in my life read the work of disabled poets, deaf writers, or parapeligic artists. I really wish American schools would bring to our notice the significance of these people and their contributions to society.

It blows my mind that 72 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed and their income is half the national average. The poverty rate among working-age adults with disabilities is almost 3 times that of those without impairments. One-third of all disabled children live in poverty and 90 to 98 percent of discrimination cases brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act by people with disabilites have been lost in court (Adams, 482). Upon reading these statistics, I was dumbfounded. There's no doubt that we focus more on the struggles of certain minority groups than others. Although as a woman of color I've experienced discrimination, I realize I'm more than privileged since I'm not disabled. I don't experience the high degrees of ridicule, ostracism, scorn, and neglect that disabled individuals face on a day-to-day basis. From here on out, I will make a conscious effort to be more mindful of this population and its struggles.

An important step toward being more sensitive toward and understanding of the needs of disabled people is social awareness. Whether it's parents teaching their children to be more compassionate or companies empathizing more with their disabled employees, awareness is key in moving forward. A great example of this would be my mom's insistence that my brother and I refrain from using the word "retarded" from a young age. I remember when I was in elementary school, I heard other kids refer to each other as "retards" if someone did something they considered unintelligent. Upon hearing this word thrown around on a regular basis, I remember as a naive 10 year-old I once called my brother retarded during a fight. My mom immediately chastized me for this and explained the implications of this word. A couple of months later at a family reunion, I met an autistic second cousin of mine. I was able to put two and two together and I realized why it was wrong to throw around the word "retarded."

On Friday, May and I were interviewing people in Northeast Austin regarding economic disparities in relation to education. As we went from house to house, we came across an elderly man sitting on his front porch smoking a cigarette. He was very friendly and willing to talk when we asked him if we could interview him. He educated us about the difficulties in the neighborhoods off of St. Johns Avenue and Berkman Drive. As an elderly African-American man who had lived in this neighborhood his entire life, he offered a very interesting perspective. After speaking for a bit about the escalation in violent crimes, drugs, and gang-banging in the neighborhood, he talked about himself. I then asked him about his life now and what he does. He stated that he is retired, elderly, disabled, and "doesn't do anything anymore."

Although he said it with a laugh, this statement made me uneasy. No one should have to spend their days feeling unproductive and useless due to a disability. This man's story resonated with something I read in Chapter 100. Oftentimes, when there is a person of color who happens to be disabled, people often attribute that person's difficulties to his/her being a person of color. They rarely acknowledge disablity as a factor in influencing one's struggles. However, after reading this chapter it occurred to me that this man may in fact face a high level of discrimination and ostracism due to his status as a disabled individual in addition to being African-American. The bottom line is that disabilities shouldn't be overlooked and society should do a better job of being understanding of the needs of disabled people. Disability can be just as much of a struggle as racism, sexism, homophobia, etc and it is up to us that ALL members of subordinate groups in our society recieve support and are advocated for.

Social Justice Blog: The Transgender Population and Gender Identity

Identity. This word is the basis of our existence. Our identity defines everything from the most minute details of our lives to the more significant choices we make. More specifically, gender identity plays a crucial role in helping us determine who we are. Our identification of ourselves as male, female, transgender, transsexual, undecided, etc provides us with a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging is located in the middle of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It is human nature to desire acceptance and a sense of community, and the sad reality is that transgender and transsexual individuals often lack this. In a society where identifying as one's original sex and as either male or female is championed, those who don't fit these norms are more likely to experience oppression, subjugation, and a lack of belonging.

It has never made sense to me why someone should be treated differently based on their gender identity. I've always felt that this topic is a very personal one where society has no place in getting involved. Why should family, neighbors, employers, or the government have a say in whether someone wants to wear pants or a skirt to work? Or whether someone wants male or female body parts? I can't imagine how it would feel to have outsiders constantly pass judgment on my lifestyle. I realize that gender identity is one area where I'm definitely privileged. I'm physically and emotionally a female and I take joy in wearing make-up, heels, and dresses. I love jewelery, the color pink, and muscular men. I'm privileged because what I like happens to fall under what society considers "acceptable" for me.

That being said, I have no qualms whatsoever with someone who may have been born a woman but believes they should be a man (or vice versa). Just because I enjoy wearing feminine clothes and I exhibit certain feminine behaviors doesn't mean all other women should have to. If there are other women out there who want to get a sex change and live as men, they should have every right to. The same of course applies to men who want to become women. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and I don't see why they wouldn't apply in these situations. If undergoing a gender-transformation brings someone happiness, it doesn't make sense to me why they should be forced into a lifestyle that doesn't work for them. If someone is a good, compassionate, and decent human being, that's what truly counts. As Martin Luther King Jr. emphasized, it is important to judge someone by the content of their character.

I found Adams's Chapeter 88: Transgender Liberation to be very interesting. I emphathize greatly with the transgender community located near the Compton Cafeteria and I can understand why many of them felt immense resentment toward the police officers. It made me feel queasy to read about how transgender women were treated when arrested on suspicion of prostitution. It makes me sick to think about how they were objectified, driven around in squad cars for hours, strip-searched, and forced to perform oral sex. It was heart-wrenching to read about how they were often locked in men's jails and consequently were put at a greater risk for sexual assault, rape, and murder.

On a positive note, I'm glad that the Compton Cafeteria Riot of 1966 brought awareness to the plight of transgender people. While the riot didn't eliminate their oppresion overnight, it did make San Franciscans think about how to improve their treatment of these individuals. Adams eloquently describes the shift in attitude when he says "---to begin treating them, in fact, as citizens with legitimate needs instead of simply as a problem to get rid of" (Adams, 435). While I have experienced discrimination as a woman of color, there is no way my experiences of oppression can equate to those who identify as transgender. The dissonance between one's gender at birth and psychological gender must be difficult enough to deal with; I can't imagine how it must feel to deal with immense oppression on top of that.

I've noticed that transgender identities are stigmatized throughout many different countries. My mom has told me about "hijras," the Hindi word for transsexuals. Like transsexuals in the United States, transsexuals in India live on the fringes of society. People treat them as outcasts and feel immensely threatened by them. They are often involved in prostitution since they struggle to find respectable employment. They are also more prone to assault and rape than many other people. An example of their ostracism is in the Indian myth that they are cursed. It is said in India that if hijras ask for money and you don't give it to them, they can curse your family. For this reason, people are very quick to empty out their wallets when hijras come begging for money. It's sad that this is one of the ways that transsexuals in India make a living--through other people's fear of them.

Indonesia is another country where transgender people face immense discrimination. President Obama's former nanny, Evie, described her experience as a transsexual in Indonesia in an article last month http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-obamas-transgender-ex-nanny-outcast-070907242.html. Although she never wore women's clothes in front of him, she lived a considerable part of her life as a woman. The turning point came when she found one of her other transgender friends beaten to death. After considering the harrasment and possible threat to her life in a conservative Islamic country, Evie reverted back to presenting herself as a man. In the Yahoo article she shares experiences she's had running away from cops with batons and struggling to find work. Nevertheless, in spite of the oppression and discrimination she has endured, Evie proudly declares, "Now when people call me scum, I just say 'but I was the nanny for the President of the United States!'"

The transgender population is often overlooked or looked upon as undesirable in our society. Since we pride ourselves on being a nation that values equality, it is vital that we consider the needs and struggles of these individuals. At the end of the day, they are also human beings. A significant reason for the prevalence of transphobia in our nation is the manner in which we are socialized. Society attempts to inculcate a fear of this population within us at a young age, and the first thing we can do to alter this pattern is to educate others. If we inform others about the struggles of transgender people and make it known that they are citizens and not "scum," we can make a huge impact. A shift in attitude is the most important step that we, as a society, can take in order to achieve equality for all people.

Ghana Blog: Race, White Privilege, and Ghana

Race is a topic that remains unacknowledged in our society. While most Americans are aware of the racial tensions and disparities that exist, many don't feel comfortable talking about it. In my Foundations for Social Justice class, we have had many discussions regarding the significance of race in America. Despite the strides we have made throughout the course of time, racial divides still exist. While people of color lead considerably better lives and have more equal opportunity than in past year, White privilege exists in various shapes and forms.

My personal experiences with race have been different from most people I've talked to. One of the main differences lies in the fact that the United States doesn't have a very well-established Indian community. While there are pockets of Indians in certain parts of the country, our ethnic group still a small minority. Another defining factor is that I was raised very differently from many of the Indian kids I knew while growing up. I went to a primarily White elementary school and then went to a magnet middle school where the majority of students were Hispanic and Black. In high school, my close friends were multiethnic and multireligious. After college, my life became even more of a melting pot: I'm a proud Indian-American with a strong sense of Indian roots, my boyfriend is Nigerian-American, my 3 roommates are Hispanic, and I have close friends that are Indians of different religious faiths, White, Black, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and mixed.

My appearance is further evidence of my experience as a melting pot. I find that people often don't know how to classify me. I'm often asked if I'm Arab, part Black, or part Hispanic. I've noticed over the years that while people seem to be doing a better job of identifying me as Indian, many continue to struggle. I don't feel offended by this at all--in fact, I can see why people may mistake me for another ethnicity. I have similar facial features to many Arab people, I share a similar skin tone with many Black people, and my hair texture is similar to many Hispanic people's. In a way, I find it really interesting that I can be percieved as a member of four different ethnicties.

The role of White Privilege in my life is quite confusing. Indians are often referred to by society and the media as a "model minority." This plays into the stereotype of Indians as doctors, engineers, and occasionally convenience store owners. I personally find this term to be extremely irritating. It almost makes me feels like a lap dog that's getting a pat on the back for being "obedient." I find that attitude to be quite dehumanizing. Regardless of the perception of Indians as a "model minority," I find that I still lack White Privilege in many ways. I've experienced racial slurs while growing up, people have assumed I'm not from here, I get occasional dirty looks in public, and I've been treated differently from my White counterparts in certain settings. It's tough having to deal with the "model minority" label since there is an urealistic, stereotypical perception of us as high-achieving professionals. At the same time, we suffer for this because society assumes that we're so "perfect" and don't have any problems. Consequently, what happens is that discimination, economic inequalities, and emotional health needs experienced by these communities are overlooked.

As far as race within our Ghana program is concerned, I'm looking forward to going with a racially mixed group. I appreciate the fact there is such a wide range of people. Coming from a nation with a history of racial tension, I feel that most of us are well aware of the magnitude of injustices that occur. In fact, I feel that this awareness can manifest in a positive manner in Ghana. It is likely that our knowledge and understanding about oppression that has taken place in our country will carry over and help us implement successful service learning projects. Our overall awareness can be a useful tool in empowering Ghanian communities. Additionally, our heightened sense of sensitivity will come through when we hear comments related to race made by Ghanians. I know Dr. Gilbert mentioned in class that Ghanians use terms to refer to race very loosely. I feel that as members of a racially mixed group from a country with a history of racial strife, we have an innate sense of cultural competence. I don't think the Ghanian references will offend most of us since we understand that they aren't out of malice or hatefulness. The most important thing to keep in mind is that we all have one thing in common--our passion and desire to work with communities in Ghana. While there may be surface level differences between one another, we are all more similar than different.