Mariah Viktoria Candelaria
ASA 2, Section A01 (Vrindavani)
Week 2
As a young girl, I remember the pepper spraying incident at UC Davis blowing up on the news. My older brother, who was only 18 at the time and newly admitted to UCD, had been a protestor and witnessed his fellow classmates, peers, and friends get pepper sprayed just for raising their voices against a system that heavily displaces the 99% and favors the 1%. Perhaps it was that act of blatant injustice that has propelled my present mode of understanding and desire for mobilization.
Now, as a student myself in the University system, it is important to me more than ever to be a voice against the “conveyor belt” of ignorance people constantly stay on in an effort to maintain a semblance of success, imposed by capitalistic agendas. While I do have privilege by being able to attend UCD, the COLA movement has sparked a lot of fire in me in addressing these injustices. Like the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, it highlights the economic inequity we face yet is looked down upon, to the extent of police use in UCSC’s case, by the University system. Something that I have been conflicted about, however, is where this line of mobilization and complacency is drawn. Are we complicit in the University’s ability to maintain a capitalistic agenda? Are we fueling their high standing and prestige by being students, staff, or faculty within that system?
(Left: UC Davis pepper spraying incident
Right: UC Santa Cruz police involvement during COLA protests)
While being a student here has definitely opened my eyes on the injustices of American culture/society, as well as the University’s own discriminatory or harmful practices, it is easy for one to question their validity in speaking against a machine that they are very much a part of. What is important to take away, however, is how involved the University actually is in helping students become “woke” - which in actuality, is not a big part at all. In fact, it seems through their response to student mobilization, they are actually against students being vocal and standing up against these injustices. It is largely due to the communities of students and faculty that support, encourage, or aid these movements rather than the space of the UC we inhibit. Like Professor Valverde has experienced in her time as an instructor at UCD, faculty are not immune to the discrimination and greed of the UC system.
To extend this into a broader scope of understanding, we can shift to Asian-Americans as a community and our portrayal from society. As the model minorities, it is hard to recognize when we are faced with injustice and find the support needed to combat against it. Andrew Yang’s article “We Asian Americans are Not the Virus…” (2020) is a clear example of how blame moves from the oppressor to the victim and that the solution in most cases is to assimilate or back down. To end, I ask that we, as a community of Asian-Americans, constantly misrepresented, misinformed, or otherwise, do more to advocate not only for ourselves in light of the Anti-Asian sentiments of coronavirus, but for other disadvantaged communities that need numbers of solidarity from a multitude of people with different backgrounds. The list of discriminated-against, targeted groups is endless and in most cases, there is a common enemy. The work cannot be done by a single group alone but through the unity of the people.
References
Ibarra, N. (2020). UC Santa Cruz students arrested during protest: Police arrest at least 17 as graduate students demonstrate over a pay raise. The Mercury News. Retrieved from https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/12/at-least-17-arrests-as-ucsc-students-stand-off-against-police/
Valverde, K.L.C. (2019). Fight the Tower: Asian American Women Scholars’ Resistance and Renewal in the Academy. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781978806405/cfi/4!/4/4@0.00:23.2
Yang, Andrew (2020). We Asian Americans are not the virus, but we can be part of the cure. The Washington Post.
No comments:
Post a Comment