Otto P Chen

A03

Week 1: Fight the Tower

The reading of the week, Fight the Tower, by Professor Valverde, exposes the corrupt politics within the University tenure system and shares a common but often untold story of the struggles of women of minorities in academia. As a person who is often skeptical of personal accounts that portray the writer as a victim, I fortunately found Professor Valverde's article to be written in a way that is trustworthy and sufficiently backed up by outside sources. The writing sheds light on many different issues, such as discrimination by race, gender, and negative stigma towards mental issues. As I read Professor Valverde's story, I was amazed by her perseverance despite the negative backlash and high potential for catastrophic failure. Growing up in an Asian culture, I learned to not speak out, fight, or take risks. If I were to put myself in Professor Valverde's shoes, I would have probably given up after the first failure and tried for tenure somewhere else, and not have fought the system. Ultimately, reading the article has motivated me to believe in myself more and trust that there are other's who will support me. I realize that far too often, people don't realize that there are others around them facing the same problems, but they are too afraid to speak up. By speaking up and sharing your own experience, you not only open yourself up to support, but also inspire others around you that face the same problems.

Question: Do you (Professor Valverde) believe there were any valid arguments against you receiving tenure?

Valverde, Kieu-Linh Caroline (2013) "Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia," Seattle Journal for Social Justice: Vol. 12: Iss. 2, Article 5.

The Unacceptable Silence of Asian American Christians in Response to Ferguson. (2014). FeistyThoughts. Retrieved 5 April 2017, from http://feistythoughts.com/2014/08/16/the-unacceptable-silence-of-asian-american-christians-in-response-to-ferguson/