In “The Cost of Speaking,” the author weighs the pros and cons of speaking out against injustice, bringing awareness to the struggles you undergo in your daily life. Women are often silenced as the “inferior” sex under the oppression of men, gender acting as the ruling force. However, there’s also the added layer of ethnicity for Asian-American women. This group has the stereotype of being meek and submissive, and whatever input the members have are brushed aside. Professor Valverde even mentions that they are the most overlooked group in classes, their questions and comments going ignored through emails.
As an Asian-American woman, I have felt the pressure to stay silent. And I berate myself for not speaking up when it could benefit me. Still, I refuse to do so. Harassment, bullying, drama- I dealt with them. I didn’t seek help from a higher source, perhaps for fear of being told I was in the wrong, that I should take it all in stride. The verbal confirmation of my self-worth would have been too much, I think. So instead, I internalized it.
And yet, the silence only perpetuates this cycle of oppression. People are content to ignore the wrong-doings. They turn a blind eye. But if you speak up and advocate for yourself, they’ll be forced to pay attention.
Question: How can we encourage people to speak up when there exists virtually no safe space?
Source: W. P. “The Cost of Speaking”
Image Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2123481/metoo-silence-shame-and-cost-speaking-out-about-sexual-harassment
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