Oops
I've been very inconsistent with my blog posts as of lately. Life just caught up to me I guess. It is currently 10:38 and I'm on my second cup of coffee. I do it to myself- this whole procrastination thing. You would think I'd be used to it, but nope. Not at all. I think I need two more blog posts to catch up and be on track. My rational argument paper is coming along very well. It took me forever to start writing because I could not pick a topic. Then when I did, I had no idea how to begin. Thank god for Dr. Kyburz. She's helped a ton.
Anyways, environmental racism. Ever heard of it? I sure did not until Professor Miller came to talk to my philosophy class about it. It's basically a form of systematic racism. We think of racism as a malicious act but it's so much more than that. It is how the government has set up the poor and people of color to fail, historically. Freddie Gray for example. I'll save that for my paper but look it up. What happened to him was nothing short of invisible violence. It happened and continues to happen to thousands in this country. If you deny white privilege, why? If you don't think it exists, why? Are you denying it because if you finally decide to acknowledge it, you'll be afraid to lose something? Because you gain from it without even thinking? That's the most dangerous thing. Or do you deny it and point your finger at people of color for being the problem? Is it because you are blaming them for your own failures- when white privilege has built you up and supported you your whole life and you still couldn't succeed? Kinda crazy, right. There is so much to it. As a white passing Latina, child of two immigrants, and prima to so many DREAMERS it was and is my duty to acknowledge that I am privileged in comparison to my friends and family. I guess I'm just the 'right' type of Mexican. But don't get it twisted, they're still against me, too. But I have the power to use my voice and not be upfront discriminated by people. A privilege that I needed to acknowledge and needed to realize. I am lucky but not everyone is, too.
I had to break this all down just to build it up. Like why it has taken Puerto Rico so much time to receive aid and water. Literally, water. An essential to life. They are american citizens but I guess not the right kind. Or the Flint situation. Our own government tried to sweep it under the rug to save their own backs while they went home to their clean water. Guess where it got them? Charges of man slaughter.
Anyways, environmental racism. Ever heard of it? I sure did not until Professor Miller came to talk to my philosophy class about it. It's basically a form of systematic racism. We think of racism as a malicious act but it's so much more than that. It is how the government has set up the poor and people of color to fail, historically. Freddie Gray for example. I'll save that for my paper but look it up. What happened to him was nothing short of invisible violence. It happened and continues to happen to thousands in this country. If you deny white privilege, why? If you don't think it exists, why? Are you denying it because if you finally decide to acknowledge it, you'll be afraid to lose something? Because you gain from it without even thinking? That's the most dangerous thing. Or do you deny it and point your finger at people of color for being the problem? Is it because you are blaming them for your own failures- when white privilege has built you up and supported you your whole life and you still couldn't succeed? Kinda crazy, right. There is so much to it. As a white passing Latina, child of two immigrants, and prima to so many DREAMERS it was and is my duty to acknowledge that I am privileged in comparison to my friends and family. I guess I'm just the 'right' type of Mexican. But don't get it twisted, they're still against me, too. But I have the power to use my voice and not be upfront discriminated by people. A privilege that I needed to acknowledge and needed to realize. I am lucky but not everyone is, too.
I had to break this all down just to build it up. Like why it has taken Puerto Rico so much time to receive aid and water. Literally, water. An essential to life. They are american citizens but I guess not the right kind. Or the Flint situation. Our own government tried to sweep it under the rug to save their own backs while they went home to their clean water. Guess where it got them? Charges of man slaughter.
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