Prof. Valverde's journey for a justifiable tenure was more than a battle for her reputation and credibility as an educator but it is a continuous battle of "minorities" being oppressed in their respective fields. The remarkable story of Prof. Valverde encompasses disjunctions and harsh realities in the world of minorities across races, ethnicities, socio-economic background, and political beliefs. As a Filipino, a lot of Prof. Valverde's resistance to oppression echoes my journey here as an immigrant in the United States. Some choose to be silent in their own struggles, but Prof. Valverde's resiliency to prove that regardless of your background, the environment you are in, and your economic status - acts of hostility and discrimination selects no boundaries. The monumental struggles, no matter how they choose to fight their own battles, calls for the fact that Asian Americans had been living a life in the United States full of stereotypical and discriminating standards. Today's climate had been crucial in giving Asian Americans critical lens on the perception of others about Asian Americans. Spearheaded by the current leadership and political agenda of the current administration, the battle that we've been fighting for just began and will continue to go on until we seize the day where everyone is treated equally.
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| Asian Americans in academia are often times dictated what to do and oppressed for their style of teaching, research, and interactions with their colleagues. (Political cartoon provided by VOX.com) |
The power of persuasion, protest, and advocacy overpowers and spotlights the corrupt views and standards of public and private institutions. Our story as Asian Americans are not only our own story, but it is also the story of our parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters who fought for our right to be here as American citizens. Fighting The Tower outlines the inconsistencies in the systems and unrealistic standards pressed upon model minorities. The literary piece sheds light on the very root of discriminatory issues and ridicules the lack of support and mandate coming from the higher-ups. The toxicity of any institutions whether public or private scarily reflects society's take on model minorities. By fleshing out these issues and by narrating realistic moments in time, this triggers and motivates the evils that are hiding in the dark. It depicts the hostile reality of Asian Americans and its significant impact on people involved within the community. Prof. Valverde's battle was just one of the many battles that Asian Americans have to deal with. History of oppression and mistreatment doesn't end with Prof. Valverde's story; there are many stories that are forgotten and unfinished - as a community, we should finish their legacy and give a triumphant end to their forgotten battles.
Having said that, this begs the questions regarding the contestation of any cause, especially discriminatory ones. Are there mandates that enables employees to pursue a cause with unbiased legal supervisions provided by the institution or the employer?
Having said that, this begs the questions regarding the contestation of any cause, especially discriminatory ones. Are there mandates that enables employees to pursue a cause with unbiased legal supervisions provided by the institution or the employer?
References
Valverde, Caroline. 2013. Fight The Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia. Seattle Journal. Accessed January 13, 2018. https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sjsj/vol12/iss2/5/
Valverde, Caroline 2013. The Time to Fight is Now: Asian Women, Academia’s Socially Engineered “Privileged Oppressed."
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