Christine Lee - SS1- Week 5

In this week’s reading, Mothering is Liberation, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales talks about the struggles to start a family as a woman in academia. From this reading, it seems as if there is this stigma that women should be able to do it all. Some doubt how much you can do as a mother and a scholar. This term “motherhood” has been transcribed as having natural intensive mothering, powerless responsibilities, and motherhood as social control. She found a way to connect being a mother, being a teacher, and belonging in her community. “Success in our lives as motherscholars is about believing that our minds, hearts, and bodies can work together to create spaces that unite all that is important to us.” After all, women can do it all, not from expectations but from being a motherscholar.

To connect this ongoing theme of this week, Asian American women are expected to be able to do it all and be shamed by overachieving. Especially in the academy, many Asian American scholars might not be able to be in a tenure track professor, but instead as an adjunct lecturer. This was shown in the reading, Academic Symbiosis, by Wei Ming Dariotis. All the excess work piled up while not being paid as much, having multiple jobs to make ends meet. Being a scholar makes me think about why do you even what to be in this environment when it is harsh to Asian American women. Then again, I also think about if you are passionate about being in academia, sometimes you are blinded by many things.

Question: Is tenure actually the foundation of academic freedom?

Source: “International Woman Day Diversity Raised Fist Strong Girl Power Concept.” International Woman Day Diversity Raised Fist Stock Vector (Royalty Free) 778017982, www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/international-woman-day-diversity-raised-fist-778017982.