Week 10 Lily Trang A04

This literature ended the course very well, summarizing all the key terms and importances to take from this course. Asian American women face so much criticism and judgement every single day. Taking this class by Professor Valverde has opened my eyes to the real truth within the power and what they do with it. As an Asian American woman, I realize how much more I will have to be prepared to go against in the present and the future. Reading the article, Academics Awaken: Power, Resistance, and Being Woke showed me what the meaning of wokeness and how important it is. Wokeness is resonated with being and used by women of color to find strength and solidarity. Wokeness is critical consciousness to intersecting systems of oppression. We, the women of color must use this definition to strengthen our community. This helps our community to stand up for one another, use this as a chance to strengthen our numbers, and strengthen ourselves. I know personally, I have been taught to obligate to others, if they think it is right, I have to do what is right to others. Valverde mentions a very important quote we must all remember by Lorde, "the machine will try to grind us into dust anyway, whether or not we speak, so we might as well speak and act." We must come together and continue to be woke within our community. Being silent will not allow us to receive the respect we deserve. Fight, stay woke, for what you think is right, for the history and others in the future.
 

Question: In what ways are we able to spread our awareness, and create a community for others that will help him realize the oppression we face? How can we introduce wokeness to other individuals?

Valverde, C. Academics Awaken: Power Resistance, and Being Woke
Photo retrieved from http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0224/c98649-9020601.html