Tag: Michelle Rodriguez Final Portfolio

Michelle Rodriguez Institutional Artifact

Family–parent/child communication

Everything begins at home. All that a child learns, such as love, hate, how to treat others, morals, etc., begins with their initial surroundings and begins as soon as they leave the womb. How to play, talk, walk, laugh cry, etc.

I believe we need to stop promoting this notion that a “normal/traditional” family consists of a mother, father and siblings because that is just not the case in every “family”. You put multiple people in a room from different ethnicities, backgrounds, etc. and ask them their definition of what a family consists of and there will be many variations as everyone identifies and defines family differently. We have witnessed that time and again with the many family sitcoms on tv, such as Modern Family, Growing Pains, Married With Children, Full House, and even in cartoon shows such as Family Guy, American Dad, etc. Each person has their own idea of family and one type of family shouldn’t discredit another for their dynamics nor should their be a “standard” to which a family is held against. For example, a child with two mothers would see their family as “normal” as would a child who has “two dads” and who would we be to say that it’s not? As is the case in the show Modern Family. Not only does it consist of a gay family, but an interracial and blended marriage with children, which is representative of different family dynamics all over. Growing Pains, mentioned above, though would fall in the category of a more “traditional” family, it was representative of a certain kind of family and they attempted to tackle issues relevant to them at their times. Family Guy is a cartoon family, and a little more in “tune” with today’s issues and puts a crude comedic spin on the issues facing us today, though they can be offensive about it. The point is the world is ever changing and we need to continue change right along with it. We need to make those who haven’t felt comfortable ever, because of the unfair standards society imposes, feel comfortable with who they are, how they chose to identify and how they chose to show the world, because everyone is needed in order to have a functioning and productive society.

In order to have a productive society, we need to begin with communication. Communication is one of the best weapons we have and we have the ability to use it at our disposal yet we use it so infrequently. Communication in any relationship is important, but one of the most important relationships is a child with their parents/family. Children should be able to talk to and go to their family about anything, such as, issues at school, issues with a family member, bullying, to talk about their feelings, sex, and so on and so forth. Children need and should be able to feel safe and comfortable at home. On the other hand, children also need to be taught to be accepting of others despite appearance, skin color, gender, etc. and that not one person or group of people, regardless of gender, sexual identity, health, disability, etc., is better than the other. And all should be treated equally. By ignoring the existence of different groups of people doesn’t make the disappear but it does do a great disservice to the child and to the group of people being “ignored.”

Once a child knows they are able to go to an adult, regardless if it is their mother, father, aunt, uncle, etc., about any issue they may be having, whether it is bullying, just to talk, school, etc., they will most always do so. When children feel heard, appreciated, accepted, etc., they will continue to keep the lines of communication open. Just having the ability to be able to go to someone may be a great deterrent to something bad. Not everyone has someone they can lean on and that can have lasting and detrimental effects.

Communication also works in correcting inappropriate behaviors. though most behavior is initially learned at home, children, as they grow, venture out of the house and learn on their own as well. Sometimes they are exposed to behaviors that are unbecoming of a fellow human being and that’s where we must step in and correct the behavior and explain what was wrong and explain the appropriate remedy.

There are books that aid in all types of discussions to have with children that help teach about gender, race, bodies, sex (not necessarily intercourse), trans, etc. and are broken down into age groups. Books geared towards younger children may contain pictures that better help the child understand while books geared to older children go into much more detail about different subjects which would help further what they should have begun to learn in their early years.

Teaching children that people are people should be the first thing we as humans should be doing because what matters most is the person you are, how you treat your own family, others around you along with any contributions you may or may not make to your family and eventually to society. A person’s skin color doesn’t define a person. It is part of a person’s makeup, but not something that should be used against someone. And shouldn’t that be what you should be teaching them? Shouldn’t we be teaching our children not to judge others based on based on their looks, how they are dressed, their occupation, their nationality, etc. so they grow into adults who are decent human beings that would think twice about judging someone based on outward appearances and further who know that there are many different types of people in the world, and each person may or may not fall in to more than one “category” but that not one person is better than the other and we all deserve respect regardless of our circumstances, education, health, etc. We should all be learning about each other rather than relegating everyone to their own separate corners and categories. I’d like to think that we are on the right track to achieving equality amongst everyone, but we still have a ways to go.

Michelle Rodriguez Discussion Post #6

Reading the article by Julia Johnson just further demonstrates the many layers in any and every situation, including how we identify ourselves and each other. When we judge a book by it’s cover that is where we make our initial mistake. We shouldn’t label someone based on our beliefs and teachings without giving that person the chance to tell you who they are and how they would like to be addressed. Not everyone fits into one specific mold and when you try to define someone based on your own “beliefs” you disregard that person and their feelings completely.

Watching the interview with CeCe McDonald then watching the documentary Free CeCe about her life just shows us that we have much more to do in achieving equality for all despite skin color, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, etc. CeCe not only faced bias against her because she was black but because she was trans. Again, I cant help but think what does either have to do with the other and what does it have to do with her as a person? It is saddening that she endured what she went through for living her truth and because someone either didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand attacked her. It was unfortunate for the “aggressor”  that the result of her standing up for herself resulted in the aggressor’s death, but had she not, who knows if she would’ve been the one whos life would’ve ended that night as it has happened. It was even more disgusting that she was treated the way she was while in the criminal justice system. Beginning with putting her in a male prison when clearly she belonged in a women’s prison, but because people the trans women are just men in a dress and thy are acting, she was not put where she actually belonged. Then she was in solitary confinement for her “safety.” This is something that “cisgender” people don’t have to worry about. And eufortunately this is nothing new and despite the calls for reforms, it seems as if we are still right where we started. The fact that Cece felt she needed to take a plea deal where she essentially admitted being guilty to murder out of fear that going to trial to prove her innocence could possibly land her in jail forever is evidence that we have a long way to go in prison reform as well as this is something that would not have happened had Cece been a white, cisgender male. It was refreshing to see CeCe take a terrible situation and instead of letting it tear her down, and she definitely could’ve let it break her, but she turned it into a learning experience and is now out there advocating for people like herself, using the strongest weapon she possesses: her voice. Hopefully with people like her out on the front lines continuing to fight for equal rights for all, we will eventually see the change we need.

Michelle Discussion Post #5–Final Portfolio

After reading the articles and watching the videos and though I kind of already knew, it just helped me realize that I am privileged and my privilege begins with my the ability to have a “choice”–the ability to choose to go to school to learn, to learn to read and write, having access to internet, the ability to work, to buy food, drive a car and so many other things we can do and have access to demonstrates our privilege. And being of the same race didn’t necessarily guarantee you to the same privileges or even any privileges at all.

As I read I kept relating it to the present state of affairs and which sadly has been going on for many, many years. Men, women and children who have a different skin color shouldn’t fear any type of interaction with police officers and definitely shouldn’t fear losing their lives solely based on their skin color. And the fact that this was once an issue and that it remains an issue is something I find very hard to believe and understand. Regardless of what I’ve read, what documentaries I have watched, etc. I fail to see what someone’s skin color has anything to do with getting a job, being respected, being accepted, being treated as a human! I’d like to think people are people but after reading the article on systemic privilege and microaggressions I realize such a statement dismisses the plight of those to whom some things just doesn’t come as easily as it does for others, such as, the basic right to not be immediately judged based on the color of your skin, which, like I said I don’t believe has anything to do with anything.

I remember one year  my best friend and I decided to go on vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a week. During our vacation and while we were doing some thrift store shopping a Caucasian woman, for absolutely no reason, says to us”oh my, you guys all look alike.” The statement stopped us in our tracks as we were confused because we have no familial relation, which really was pretty obvious. We definitely look absolutely nothing alike, so the only other reason we could think of that she would be making such a statement was because we were Hispanic. I couldn’t believe she even had the audacity to say it to begin with.  So I asked her what she meant as I was offended and I didn’t hide it. She attempted to make light of the situation, I’m assuming because I confronted her, and made a feeble attempt at a joke I can’t remember laughing dismissively before letting her know that all Hispanics do not look alike and that her comment was totally unnecessary and uncalled for and if there ever is a next time, she should keep her comments to herself. Then walked away, not giving her a chance to respond. And now more than ever we need to call people out for their blatant racism and ignorance and let them know that it is uncalled for and will no longer be tolerated. There are too many people of different cultures, race, gender, etc. for one to be superior over another.

Which would bring me to how I would help combat microaggressions would be to continue to get educated and then enter the field of social work so that I would be able to educate others.

Michelle Rodriguez Gender & Identity Project

I know based on biological reasons and in keeping with the binary we are taught, I am female. I was born with a vagina, breasts and all my “lady parts” and further I do identify as a female which therefore makes me a cisgender woman. I wholly believe people should be able to express themselves, their gender and identity how they each see fit and without the backlash of those who either don’t understand or those who don’t want to understand one another.

As i’ve stated previously, I grew up with my dad, stepmother, two sisters, one brother and a stepsister. Eventually my stepmother became pregnant with and had my half brother,  many years later. My father is Puerto Rican and my mother is Italian but besides knowing what my nationality is, I did not, until recently, know much about my roots/heritage or about Puerto Rican culture with the exception of eating the food and hearing the language spoken over the years between family members. But even my knowledge on the food of my “people” is superficial at best. And I don’t speak the language, despite my father speaking it.

Growing up with my father also  meant not knowing much of my mother’s family so needless to say I knew less about my Italian culture. My family on my biological mother’s side didn’t really take the time to get to know us. My “grandparents” did not accept my father because of his nationality/race therefore and unfortunately for them, they never got to know us and subsequently our children. And all for what? As recently as ten years ago they got in touch with us and have tried to “make up for lost time” if there even is such a thing. If it wasn’t for social media, some who have reached out in the most recent years probably would not have otherwise. I guess better late than never?

Growing up and ever since I can remember whether or not we were male or female didn’t make a difference to my father. If he needed help whoever was around or closest to him was who he called on. My sisters and I were not “safe” just because we were girls.  My father tried his best to treat us all the same. Part of me believes it is because he was a guy and so teaching teenage girls how to be “young women” wasn’t his strong suit. But he did his best. My stepmother tried, but she was thrust into a situation the she herself wasn’t ready for and at her young age it definitely was more than she expected. So it wasn’t hard to notice the “resentment” at times. That resentment subsided as we got older and ventured of on our own. Further, and for reasons I’ve stated in other posts, my father felt we should learn all we could about anything and everything because the more we knew, the more we didn’t have to depend on anyone but ourselves. If anything, our independence was what was most important to him. All throughout my childhood through to today my father still says to me “you do not need a man.” And he is completely right. We do not need anyone, whether it is a man or woman, as we all are and should be capable of handling any situation we are put in.

My father also always taught us to enjoy life, go to school get a career, get our life together and then if we want to get married and have children, but not a second before. My father placed a great deal of emphasis on us going to school and working. Having our own family was something he considered a plus, not something we had to do and therefore it wasn’t something he “looked” forward too. He looked forward to us becoming something and making something of ourselves. As I was allowed the freedom to make and learn from my own mistakes, choices I made throughout my life didn’t necessarily take the preferred path of my father. But life isn’t always set in stone so there’s bound to be deviations. And he never made me feel bad about my decisions.

Growing up my siblings and I went to public school here in NYC, which included grade school, middle school and high school so we were always around all different types of people, from different races, different walks of life, gay, straight, etc. Some are even in my family. So I don’t know nor understand what it is to hate and/or dislike others for reasons such as the color of their skin, their religion, sexual orientation, disability, and so on and so forth. I don’t understand how some people feel superior to others based on those same reasons as well. People are people and should always be treated as such. We grew up in a house where we were taught to treat everyone with respect regardless of status, job occupation, skin color, etc., as you may never know when you may be in a similar situation or if you may ever need said person.

I didn’t grow up in a very religious household either. We weren’t a family that went every Sunday to church and listened to the word of God, though there is a universal belief that there is a God. But that is something we are taught and are passed down throughout the family. My family felt that we didn’t need to attend church to show our faith. But as of late I have really just been questioning who is to say if there really is God? Certainly everyone has their right to believe he exists. And certainly they all are able to worship whom they please just as those also have a choice not to worship for whatever reason. I just think a God that sets guidelines which details what makes a person acceptable or not, is not really a good example for the people, and therefore why should we give “Him” any credibility?

 

 

Michelle Rodriguez Discussion Post #1-Final Portfolio

Hi everyone! My name is Michelle Rodriguez and I am a Gender & Women’s Studies Major. Two years ago I finally took the leap and enrolled back in school after many years of procrastinating and making excuses. My sons were already young men, one is already a father, making me a grandmother. So I had nothing but free time.

My main reason for enrolling in school was to learn Spanish. I work for a small personal injury law firm here in New York City and I am unable to communicate with at least a quarter of the clients because of said language barrier. Ironically, I was called in for an interview at my current firm because of my last name. When people see Rodriguez they automatically assume 1. you’re Spanish/Hispanic and 2. you speak Spanish. I am Puerto Rican but unfortunately for me, I do not speak Spanish, although I am able to understand a lot of it, but that doesn’t really help me much in communicating with someone. Luckily for me, I impressed them enough that they looked past my inability to speak Spanish and hired me along with someone who did speak Spanish.

When I first enrolled at BMCC, I thought going into Criminal Justice would be perfect for me as I have always been interested in the law, though I never wanted to be a lawyer because I don’t think/feel I am aggressive enough but I didn’t mind being behind the scenes- researching, preparing paperwork, etc.  All that changed when I went on the BMCC website and came across the Gender and Women’s Studies major. It was like something clicked and I knew this is the area of study I wanted to get into. And I am glad that I did. Though I am still undecided as to what I want to do, like in the article, Gender Stories, my “story” is still being written and I have made many choices that lead me where I am and there will be many more choices to be made on a daily basis, each choice contributing to the path I am on, eventually leading me where I will end up. And I certainly welcome the challenge.

Growing up, my household didn’t focus much on gender, but I can remember times it did play a part. I grew up with my dad, stepmother, 2 sisters and my little brother. My father eventually had a son (my brother) with my stepmother, but by then I had graduated high school and moved out. My father for the most part let us be who we were. We lived in Brooklyn Heights, across the street from the promenade, less than a block from the park. Needless to say, my siblings and I lived at the park. Climbing trees, riding bikes, playing baseball, tag, etc. My parents let us be kids for the most part. Our only “job” being to go to school. But I can also remember my stepmother having the girls wash the laundry because we were girls and that’s what girls did. Or washing the dinner dishes again because “that’s what girls do.” My brother took out the garbage because “that’s what boys do.” I can remember thinking “who made these rules?” As I got older I realized this is just learned behavior passed down from generation to generation. And in order for it to change, it has to start with us. My dad on the other hand taught my sisters and I everything he taught my brother because as he would state “you don’t need a man.” Which has sort of been my guide when raising my sons. They should be able to do for themselves and not expect a women to do for them simply because she is a “woman.” Whether it is cooking a meal, washing their clothes, cleaning their apartment, etc.

I think we need to breakaway from past generations/cultures, beginning with gender roles, what a woman or man should and should not do simply because of prehistoric teachings. We should be teaching acceptance. And we should be celebrating our differences and making more of an effort to get to know and understand each other before judging them.