After reading the article by Valverde,
I realized that everyone has a story to tell and this article sheds light upon
the struggles that women of color are faced with. I was surprised to see that
types of torment and bullying she had to go through to get where she is today. As
mentioned in the article, it aggravates me how women of color are tormented by
even their own kind to have their opportunities sabotaged. Her record was more
than enough to be deserving of tenure, yet was discouraged by her own peers to
apply due to this divide within the Asian community. I found it interesting to
read about the hierarchy of Asians since my mother had once mentioned it to me
before. The Chinese indeed do have the most resources available to them, and at
the other end of the hierarchy are the Vietnamese, Hmong, and Cambodian. Coming
from a more privileged socioeconomic history suggests that one will have their
voices heard more than another individual who does not come from a privileged socioeconomic
history. I find it disheartening that we cannot prove ourselves with our own
abilities and forget about our socioeconomic statuses, gender, race,
disability, or motherhood. It’s heartbreaking to see that even if you need help
mentally, it is deemed shameful, even by a psychology teacher. There should be
no shame in having a disability in an environment that is supposed to support
and aid. It angers me how those in the department would turn a disability into
a weakness, ultimately claiming that a disability overpowers the ability to
teach. It pains me to read that she was working while pregnant through lectures
and dealing with a student who even made her fear for her own safety. The
thought of being pregnant and having to deal with high amounts of stress is
appalling and dreadful. It truly saddens me to tears to think that a woman must
refrain from accepting Work Life accommodations to make herself be on the same
level of competition with her male counterparts. I can imagine my own mother
refraining from Work Life accommodations to keep her job, but it disheartens
me, as her child, to think she would have to make a choice between a career and
starting a family. At the end of this all, there are people in this world who desire to walk over one's dreams and achievements. We can only look out and stick together because we're all stronger together.
Question: I can relate to the Imposter
Syndrome and it has been an issue for my well-being for quite a while. Were you
able to overcome the Imposter Syndrome? And if so, how did you cope with it and
become more confident?
References:
Imposter Syndrome [Digital image]. (2017, January 16). Retrieved
September 30, 2017, from foundr.com
Valverde, K., (2013). “Fight the Tower”: A Call to Action for Women in Academia, 12(2), 367-419. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
Valverde, K., (2013). “Fight the Tower”: A Call to Action for Women in Academia, 12(2), 367-419. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
Delighted to gravitated to the mother discussion. It's rarely openly discussed, as if family is to be hidden away. So much has to be changed in our society and institutions.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Imposter Syndrome, it may take decades to overcome, but if you know this too is a form of social/psychological (self) torture, you can overcome it in a much less amount of time. Please bring up this question during lecture.