Week 1

Lauren Velasquez
A03
Week 1

Professor Valverde's "Fight the Tower" is a testimony of one of the many micro- and macro- aggressions that women of color face and end up potentially deciding their futures. In Valverde's article, she writes about seeking advice for her tenure case. Many advised her against appealing her tenure decision and that she should "work towards publications and... to receive a letter of recommendation" for future employment (Valverde, 394.) These are examples of micro-aggressions that created her "Imposter Syndrome." Instead of recognizing her accolades and accomplishments, colleagues advised her to listen to the department and to understand that she was not satisfactory for tenure. The Imposter Syndrome roots from micro-aggressions and implants the idea that she does not belong within the group of tenured professors. This is one account of many how women of color are prevented from reaching higher positions, which leaves women of color underrepresented in many of their professions.

When reading this section of her article, this reminded me of the video, "How micoaggressions are like mosquito bites." In this video, it shows how a build up of small, unwarranted comments can have a large effect on one's life. They emphasize that some people are "bitten" (face microaggression) more than others. With many "bites", one may lose patience easily with others, and when this happens, many say that the frequently-bitten are "overreacting" and invalidate their feelings. This is seen in Valverde's account when many of the faculty were warned that Valverde would "seek legal action and requested all communications take place by phone or in person instead of by email" and "further alienating" her (Valverde, 396.)

Many who do not understand the struggles of a woman of color cannot comprehend that many of us feel that we are walking underwater, trying to get past days of unwarranted little "jokes" and "comments" that, in reality, have a much larger impact on us.

[Fusion Comedy]. (2016, Oct 5). How microaggressions are like mosquito bites. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDd3bzA7450.

Valverde, K. (2013). Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia. Seattle, WA: Seattle Journal for Social Justice.

Q: How do you protect yourself from people like the demeaning coworker-bully that try to undermine your position, even when you have established yourself?