The main identity I identify with is my trans identity. There are a lot of pros and cons to being trans, but I love that I get to have a dual experience living as someone others perceive as female and otherwise. I’ve recently realized that this can be a bit of a double edged sword. When I had long hair and wore makeup and presented femininity to the world, I saw the fetishization of and social power complex in the female experience. When I’m presenting myself as more masculine, that evokes a different response and social expectation from others. Understanding how to communicate based on how others perceive me is a unique and challenging experience.
The thing that surprised me most was that we know how to close the Latino education gap. By providing social and medical services, immersion programs, and early education (preschool) programs to families/students in need, absenteeism drops and student engagement in class increases. It makes you think about what there is to gain by intentionally putting roadblocks to success in front of kids.
The main argument of “What Being Hispanic and Latinx Means in the United States” by Fernanda Ponce is that stereotyping and misconceptions of the Hispanic and Latinx community overlooks the important contributions they’ve made to the development of the United States, the quickly growing population, and their humanity as individuals. The Latinx contribution to the economy in the form of the growing number of potential voters, the formation of Latinx-owned businesses, and the introduction of cultural food has become an important aspect of American culture, but they still face political and social exclusion.
