Week 1

Emily Trang
Section A01
Week  1

After reading Professor Valverde's piece about her testimony, it explained the strength, power, and courage in her voice whenever she spoke in class. The discrimination she faced in her institution was extremely unjust, but not uncommon. I have come to realize that people of Asian decent are often pushed down and bullied because there is an image that we are simply obedient and will not voice our opinion. This causes any issues that arise in our lives to be undermined and ignored simply because it seems unimportant and can seemingly be disregarded. However, it is extremely important that people like Professor Valverde share their experiences and speak up for all the injustices they have faced. If people do not speak up, there will never be any change in the system. I really like the point Professor Valverde wrote about seeking support from others around us. I think it is important to find community we can rely on so that we will not go through our difficulties by ourselves. I believe it is dangerous and difficult to attempt to go through these issues by ourselves. The stories of people of Asian descent facing discrimination needs to be heard so that our lives and accomplishments can be seen of equal value to those around us.

Question: What are practical things we can do to remove the wall of misunderstanding and discrimination?

References:
1. Valverde, K. (2013). Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia. Seattle Journal of Social Justice. 12(2). 367-419.
2. Sad PS4 Meme memes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2017, from http://www.quickmeme.com/Sad-PS4-Meme/page/2/