Topic 1: Silence is Oppression
Based on the first reading in this section, it is evident that women of colors’ writings are not being taken as seriously, sometimes not even tried to be understood, as the writings of white men. Gloria talks about the schools (Latina’s did/didn’t attend) that did not teach them the skills nor have the confidence to succeed in English language. Migrating to the U.S not knowing the language made teachers assume that these students are not capable of learning English. She refers to racist teachers thinking that Chicano children are “too poor, too dirty, too dumb” (166) because of this, these Chicano students are feeling like they have to “scrape off” their entire culture, their skin color, their heritage, to make it in this English speaking, right-handed nation. They’re feeling like their words are worthless., like they are dumb, and can’t compare to white people. The oppression on them is holding back most of their voices and feelings, everything they want to say is not being said. Gloria writes out her emotions, her thoughts on how they are being treated. This can often lead to internalized oppression, as when Gloria was thinking to herself, “Who am I, a poor Chicana from the sticks, to think I can write? How dare I…” (166)
Feminism (according to Hooks), is the struggle to oppression against gender. This topic relates to feminism because the voices of women, especially women of color, are being oppressed. Their words and feelings are being shut out, their not being heard by others.
Topic 2: Asian American Feminism
Nellie Wong writes a letter to herself in which she searches within herself a hero. She asks herself question on who she is, and questioning her own identity. She talks about identifying as an Asian American feminist, what it is and how it’s like, and how she writes about self-affirming love as an Asian American struggling.
Though Asian American feminism is embraced, their feminists are not. Their writings and works are shared, but recognizing women like Wakako Yamaguchi, Jade Snow Wong, or Maxine Hong Kingston as role models is constantly denied. Wong says it’s because Asian American experiences are not white experiences (178). However, white women assimilate their experiences to themselves, cutting out their own destiny from the Asian American stories, ignoring their voices. Wong continues, saying that if Asian American women talk too much about their “woes”, they would be charged with being “too personal” (178). This relates to gendered oppression because Asians Americans are also silenced, and are forgotten minorities.
Today, Asian Americans, especially Asian American feminists, are still often ignored. Since they are regarded as the model minority, and are the closest to being equal to white people in some terms such as equal pay, people often write off their own struggles as not being a struggle at all. But they are just as ignored as other people of color.
Topic 3: Prejudice/Stereotypes
Gloria Anzaldua is a Chicana writer, which has not always been accepted or respected. She titled her piece “Speaking in Tongues”, which has an underlying message. This is used to portray the idea that women of color are misunderstood, often labeled as outcasts. There has been a misconception developed that they are simpleminded and incapable of doing what white women do. It has been depicted that white women are superior and that women of color are expected to “adapt to their language and expectations” (167). Women of color are victims of scrutiny and pressure when they decide to take part in things that were once controlled by white women. They are expected to fail. Once they put their minds to it, and do it successfully, they become feared. This causes the desire for their failure to become even greater. Gloria’s writing sets an example of defying the odds and showing what women of color are made of despite preconceptions.
In “speaking in tongues”, Gloria discusses how women of color have been dissuaded from speaking up through writing. She continually encourages Third world women to write as this is the only way to separate themselves from certain stereotypes and identify as one strong group who can change the world through writing. She states, “Because the world I create in writing compensates for what the real world does not give me” (169). The real world does not give women of color the chance to identify who they are or want they want to become.
Connecting back to the previous slide about oppression, Gloria recalls that women of color do not write because they are scared of what writing could reveal: the oppression that keeps them silenced. In today’s society, what Gloria talks about can be seen and experienced through racism, sexism, and any other form of oppression that keeps minority groups from speaking up or becoming proud of their identity. Half way through the reading, Gloria mentions the importance of writing and the benefits women of color could reap out of it.
“I have never seen so much power in the ability to move or transform others as from that of the writing of women of color” (172). This quote really stands out as it empowers women of color to speak up through writing. And through writing, they can make a difference because they are just as able.
Many have questioned their identity as woman. In Search of the Self As Hero: Confetti of voices on New Year’s Night, the author begins to ask herself questions that not only identify her as an Asian American Feminist, but also a woman who has expectations in society. “You desire freedom, total freedom, you ask, does it mean you must die?” (179). She talks about how people have questions against all the problems with people oppressing other people, but nobody does anything because it is impossible to do so in a world where only physical and economic things matter. Finds the beauty of struggle in feminism “…working for the equality and humanity of women and men, for children, for the love that is possible” (180). And in the end, all the work she does, all the help she gives, all the times she has challenged herself, all the movements she tried to build, and sharing whatever she has with her kids and people, pays off because as a strong woman, she will never give up on the desire to help order in the chaotic world she lives in.
Topic 5: Gender Roles/Gender Assignment
Gender roles are engraved in our existence since the beginning of humanity, and the roles have been amplified even more since the establishment of god’s and goddesses. We see an example of this in “Chicana’s Feminist Literature: A Re-Vision Through Malintzin/or Malintzin: Putting Flesh Back on the Object” by Norma Alarcón. When we are introduced to the goddess, Meletzin - an Aztec noble woman who served as the lover to Cortes, she was known by the men as the “mother-whore and the bearer of illegitimate children, responsible for the Spanish invasion.” The story of Meletzin was passed down from generations, and she was in a way the symbol for women(not a positive one), which generated a hatred from men towards women. “Sexual possibilities: woman is sexually passive, and Hence at all times open to potential use by men whether it be deduction or rape.” All things women do even if they desire it or not is considered her weakness and she’s being exploited. Through Feminism you can say we are the ones who accept distortions mythic and historical feminism decides what really reflects women. This relates to feminism in that as women, we try to find various ways to seek for freedom and equality and yet our intentions are being mislabeled. Therefore causing us to become more vulnerable and subjected to the negative stereotypes as imposed upon us by society.
Anzaldúa, Gloria. “Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to 3rd World Women Writers.” This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color 2nd ed. Eds. Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa. New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, 1983. 165-173.
“Chicana’s Feminist Literature: A Re-Vision Through Malintzin/or Malintzin: Putting Flesh
Back on the Object” by Norma Alarcón.
Link to powerpoint- https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1laevPA3_xyUwPC35wi3kxDBVz3NtCD3FiOsB6IcZfLM/edit#slide=id.g11d9980e17_1_0
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