“By reclaiming the narrative of Asian American women student leaders through telling our experiences, I believe that these leaders can grow by voicing their opinions and advocacy in front of university administration and being at the forefront of both movements and organizing” (pg.3). For this week’s topic of student activism, the reading Precariously Positioned: Asian American Women Students Negotiating Power in Academia by Shannon Deloso was truly inspiring to me. Not only does the writer of this piece share the same identity as me as a Filipina American woman, but she is also a part of the same Pinay-based Sorority that I am currently in which sparked my interest in learning about my culture and history the same way she explains in this piece. Her describing her background and her journey to becoming the student activist she is today proves to me that I could do what she does. The intersectionalities of being an Asian American and a woman has many disadvantages that make it difficult to speak out, take action, and be a leader of change. These identities come with racialized and gendered stereotypes of being passive, obedient, and silent as we were always taught in this society. Whenever finance becomes an issue and budget cuts are in place, Ethnic Studies are more often than not the first go. SFSU is known for their Ethnic Studies programs and were the first to fight to be implemented into our curriculum. And so, when Shannon Deloso mentions how the University was threatening to cut such an important facet to our community, it’s insulting. It proves the separation between the administration and community’s expectations and true values. Despite her identity, Shannon continued to grow as a student-activist and became that leader to make change against the administration. This shared struggle and frustration between the students at SFSU (in the past and even recently) and their ability to organize and come together is what demonstrates our strengths. We are strengthened by our struggles from our ancestors history, our own past, and our current struggles, and as those before us have continued to fight and radiate resilience, we as students with privilege and a voice, must always continue to combat against social and institutional injustices despite all the odds we may face.
Question: How can we educate and encourage those who do not identify with poc to be involved in Ethnic Study Programs?
References:
Deloso, S. (2016). “Precariously Positioned: Asian American Women Students Negotiating Power in Academia”. University of California, Los Angeles.
Know History | The Bathala Project. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thebathalaproject.com/wordpress/2010/10/26/know-history/
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