Week 1: Thuong Nguyen, A01

"Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia" by Professor Valverde really opened my eyes to what the present-day workforce is like. I had the same mindset as Prof. Valverde as she started her career and the tenure process. Growing up, the people around me have always told me that as long as I work hard, I will be able to achieve my goals. As a result, I have been led to believe that merit alone will get me far in life. The harsh reality of today's society is that there will always be certain stigma and stereotypes that will set me apart from other people. I will have to work extra hard even before I can become recognized as an important figure in today's society. This was described in Prof. Valverde's article as her work was unjustly discredited by people within the Asian American Department. I found this quite surprising. She had more than enough merit to be granted tenure, yet she was discouraged to apply, and was warned she would be denied even before her review. This shows just how much cultural differences divide members within the Asian community, and the cultural ladder that persists. Furthermore, she was bullied and isolated from members of within the workplace, a problem I believed to solely exist within the boundaries of a high school social structure. Because of this, she was constantly tormented, and the career that she has always dreamed of turned to mud. As I read the text, I became conscious of the countless factors that divide us, including culture and social class.

Question: Is there any potential solutions to class dominance? Where does this divide stem from?

References:

Unknown. (2012, August). The-ruling-class [Digital image]. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from http://www.permanentculturenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/the-ruling-class.png

Valverde, K., (2013). “Fight the Tower”: A Call to Action for Women in Academia, 12(2), 367-419. Retrieved September 29, 2017.