In W.P.’s poem “The Cost of Speaking,” she explains the consequences of speaking and not speaking out. With both scenarios, she came up with the same conclusion, you may lose everything you worked hard for. Throughout this course, taking risks and standing up for what you believe in has been a common theme. W.P. filed a complaint against her university and voiced her opinions only to be shot down and seen as a “black-sheep” (Valverde & Dariotis 161). Her experience is just one of the examples of injustice faced by Asian American women in academia.
“An Offering: Healing the Wounds and Ruptures of Graduate School” illustrated the mental, physical, and emotional struggles that Asian American women experience. The author was “bleeding out” when she felt the hostile work environment and was unable to write (Valverde & Dariotis 223). She also had physical health problems as a result. Like many women in the “Killing Machine” reading, her body was giving out on her. This reading showed the process and growth of the author as she suffered and then healed. She set healthy boundaries for herself and stopped trying to force ideas out. She took care of her mindbodyspirt (Valverde & Dariotis 228). Her journey demonstrates how she changed as an individual. I feel like oftentimes we may get so caught up on a task or project that we lose who we are. During the first years of undergrad I pressured and pushed myself to be the best and to work hard. When I noticed that my hard work wasn’t paying off through the grades I received on exams, I was frustrated. I had high expectations of myself that only resulted in stress and anxiety. However, over time I stopped beating myself up and understood that I should not be defined by a letter grade. The reading gave me a sense of hope that I can build myself back up if I have separation, separation of my life and school which is exactly what the author had.
References:
Valverde, K.-L. C., & Dariotis, W. M. (2019). Fight the tower: Asian American women scholars
resistance and renewal in the academy. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
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