Author Archives: Vanelly Hernandez

Response 3

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I absolutely enjoyed this week’s readings, it’s unbelievable to know that there’s a huge population of people who are blind to their privilege and think otherwise. Reading White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh and Oppression by Marilyn Frye has given me hope in humanity and society.

In Peggy’s article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, she gives her personal points as to how many white people are oblivious to the fact that they are indeed privileged. “My skin color was an asset for any move I was educated to make.” says Peggy, then states about 26 advantages she has had, being a white person. Reading this as a predominant person of color, it’s unbelievable that there are people that go about their day without having to worry about their neighbors being pleasant due to your skin color, shopping alone without being harassed, race working against job applications, or other common public situations. White folks’ skin color is a useful tool in their every day life whereas being a person of color is seen as a threat or intimidation. The issue of white privilege stems from unacknowledged power. They often feel as if their skin color is a “pass” or “coupon.” White people have this unearned privilege. What makes their skin color so much better than everyone else’s? They did absolutely nothing to gain this power. Peggy says that her whiteness has protected her from hostile situations, violence and distress. Although she is not blind to her privilege, she promotes the positive and negative advantages that come within. I agree with Peggy’s belief that white people as a whole should distinguish the positive advantages which we can work to spread, and the negative types of advantages which unless rejected will always reinforce our present hierarchies. If they cannot even attempt to open their eyes to the harm white privilege creates, how can we expect any change? As this group of people continue to feed into the hierarchy, their over-privileged advantages are gained from people of color’s disadvantages. Peggy also mentions how men’s denial from the privilege they have, protects them and prevents male-privilege from ending. Similar to white privilege, they are being taught to stay blind and quiet in order to stay persistent.

I admire Marilyn Frye’s words on Oppression. I like Frye’s comparison of oppressive suppression to presses that are used to mold things, reduce them in bulk, sometimes restrain, restrict or prevent their mobility. I also love the door-opening scenario Frye uses to show the macroscopic phenomenon of oppression because it is so obvious. “The door-opening pretends to be a helpful service, but the helpfulness is false.” “What women experience is a world in which gallant princes charming commonly make a fuss about being helpful and providing small services when help and services are little or no use.” The door-opening scenario is very symbolic because realistically, one would open a door for somebody who is incapacitated, unwell, or has their hands full. This is symbolizing that women are incapable of opening their own door, and incapable of anything else. Opening a door for someone is literally the bare minimum and men want to make it seem like they’re doing this grand favor, IT’S ACTUALLY RIDICULOUS! I can name a bunch of other examples where men do the bare minimum and expect women to fall and their knees and praise them. It’s real sad how men usually always want something in return from women by doing the bare minimum or things that a woman can do for herself. In my eyes, little chivalrous things like this are annoying and unnecessary. It is simply un-needed help. It’s funny because men are so quick to open doors for women but can’t seem to help a women in danger, getting harassed or threatened. Who feeds into this oppression? Men. Barriers are enforced by men and maintained by them too, for their own benefit. We live in an economy controlled by them. “That barrier is protecting his classification and status as a male, as superior, as having right to sexual access to females.” Men often hide their vulnerability, making them accepted into the male community, and this validation (from other men) contributes to their self esteem.

“Humans can be miserable without being oppressed, and it’s perfectly consistent to deny that a person or group is oppressed without denying that they have feelings or that they suffer.” NOT EVERYONE IS OPPRESSED! Being a woman is significantly attached to whatever disadvantages and depravations she suffers, be they great or small.” We as women will unfortunately continue to be oppressed as long as men feed into the patriarchy they created themselves.

Content Response 1 – Vanelly

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This week’s course content has given me more insight on sex, gender and feminism. I am a proud feminist and I love learning more and more about it. The article Sex and Gender 101 by Kyl Myers explains the basics of biological sex, referring to anatomy and external genitalia. While gender refers to the social and cultural roles implied throughout someone’s life. In this article I learned the three main categories; gender assignment, gender identity and gender expression. Myers implies that sex and gender are not the same thing, which is something tons of people mix up. In the reading by Bell Hooks, Feminism is for Everybody pages 1-6, we get an extensive concept of feminism, from a feminist theorist herself. “Mostly they think feminism is a bunch of angry women who want to be like men. They do not even think about feminism as being about rights- about women gaining equal rights.” states Hooks. She goes in depth of the real meaning of feminism, feminism movements, politics and difficulties that have occurred throughout.

Gender norms have been applied into many children’s minds from the moment they step into the world. Young boys feel as if it’s their obligation to become strong, emotionless, hard-working men. Meanwhile girls feel that their responsibilities are to cook, clean, caretake, be weak and emotional. In my Snapshot 1, I mentioned how I had a friend whose father never let him attend dance classes or sing along to songs by female artists. This caused him to feel afraid to show his true self to the world. Many people are frightened of others who behave a way outside the society-traditional gender norms. They are so brainwashed.. a boy can’t wear pink or play with dolls or he’ll be categorized as “too girly”. Young girls can’t wear baggy pants or join the baseball team because it is considered “too manly”. This puts so much pressure since they will not be able to freely find their true identity in expressing themselves.

This behavior can play a role into their future lives, making this cycle of gender norms. (or even toxic-masculinity or gender questioning) I related to my classmate Jasmin H’s snapshot where they mention that in their Hispanic household, their mother would teach Jasmin to cook at a young age for her “future husband.” Jasmin mentions that they disagree with their mother’s beliefs, that they’d only be cooking for themselves. I resonated with this because I also grew up in a Hispanic household where my mother would make me do the cleaning, dishes, and never bothered to ask any of my two older brothers to help around. When I’d question her motives, she’d say “it’s because you’re a girl so you do it better than these two boys!” They’re around their 30’s and were never raised to clean up after themselves or do any domestic work. Sometimes they even “jokingly” tell me to make them a sandwich, which shows how my mother’s enabling created this sexism. I also read Shavoya Easy’s snapshot where they had the opposite situation; growing up, their household had no gender roles, both brother and sister did housework, which I am so jealous of!! I wish my parents raised me this way but they are close-minded and a bit sexist. My mother got pregnant and became a stay at home mom while my father would be at work everyday or out with friends. I guess it’s a double ended sword, because at a young age, this behavior made it clear for me how toxic, harmful and sexist gender norms can be and how I should never feed into them.

Society’s assumptions of feminism are seen as a negative trait. To me, it’s the bare minimum to be a feminist, because everybody should be one! No matter your age, sex or gender! I absolutely loved Bell Hook’s definition of feminism; “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression.” When Hooks tells people she is a feminist theorist, they misinterpret the concept, thinking every feminist is just a man-hater.” The feminist movement is not about being anti-male. It’s clear that the problem is sexism.” I believe the reason many people interpret feminism as being anti-male is because they feed into the patriarchy and are afraid to rebel against it. “Most men find it difficult to be patriarchs. But they fear letting go of the benefits. So they find it easier to passively support male domination even when they know in their hearts and minds that they are wrong. If men knew more about feminism, they’d no longer fear it, releasement from patriarchy bondage.” says Hooks. I like how she used the word bondage because it symbolizes the inner fear that many people, not just men, have on feminism. They are too scared to learn more about it, so they cage themselves in this white supremacist capitalist patriarchy and enable sexist behavior. This reminds me of Emely D’s snapshot where they say, “We are not asking to be better than anyone else nor are we trying to belittle anyone else, all we are asking for is to get the same opportunities and be able to be free within our society.” And it includes a picture of how society sees feminism; a woman hitting a man towards the ground. It’s 2021 and so many people still believe that feminism is only about trying to be better than men, overpowering them, or being able to hit men. It’s far more than that. Women face an insane amount of discrimination and oppression based on their sex. Us feminists just want full equality for all women, regardless of age, race, sexuality, class, and disability. I just wish feminism wasn’t seen as taboo, it should never be a forbidden discussion.