I feel that I have expired privilege throughout my entire life. Since I was little, my family always told me all the things they had to do and everything they went through back then. One of these things as the video says was to carry very heavy gallons or buckets of water and walk miles to their homes. My mother told me that she didn’t have shoes to go to school and therefore she had to go barefoot. I also remember hearing that my mother, along with her sisters, had to wash their clothes in the river which was a little far away. These are only a few things that my family had to go through. There’re many people who are still going through moments like this. Despite everything, my family and many other people are very grateful and feel very proud to be who they are today. The simple fact of having a home with food and water is already a privilege. Some of my privileges are having had the opportunity to study and go to college, having had the opportunity to come to this country to follow my dreams, receiving the love that many people give me, being able to work, being able to travel, and go on vacations, being able to have a home with food, water, and clothes, etc. I am not rich, and I do not have everything I would like to have, and I will not deny that sometimes I complain about things I should not, but at the end of the day, I feel very grateful to God for everything I have.
The way I experience oppression is because of the simple fact that I’m a Hispanic woman. Being Hispanic for me is a source of pride, but there are many people who take advantage of that to discriminate. When I first came to this country, it was very difficult for me to adapt and learn the language because many people used to make fun of me instead of helping me or correcting me. Now I know how to speak English almost perfectly but when I say something incorrectly, people still make fun of me. A lot of times I get very embarrassed, and they make me feel insecure. Being a woman is one way in which many of us have experienced oppression. Many women are judged and treated differently even because of the way we dress. Many people believe that a woman who respects herself should not go outside in inappropriate clothing.
Thanks to the video and the readings I learned a lot more about the concept of privilege and oppression. I realized that I am more privileged than I thought. I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and thought about all the things I should be super grateful for. I didn’t have much knowledge about oppression, but I can say that it is the unjust treatment act, of oppressing, suffocating, pressuring, subduing, either a person or a community.
Hi Rossibel, I am shocked by the struggles your family had to go through. They are very strong and hard-working people that you should be proud to be related to. I am sorry you were made fun of because of your English. I think that is so mean to make fun of a person for something they have no control over. But how look at you, your English is amzaing I would have never known you didn’t know proper english.
Hi Rossibel ,
Thank you for sharing your experiences and your family experiences. As I myself get older I realize how privileged I am that I didn’t have to go through the experiences my mother went through when she was younger. I’m sorry you had to experience people making fun of your english and its not right at all! This too has made me sit down and realize I should be more grateful for the things around me that I know others pray everyday to get.
HI Rossibel!
Thank you for sharing your story with us. You made me realize how having a home, a family, and education are also privileges. I also relate to your experience with speaking English, but reminding myself that being multilingual is an impressive skill has helped me cope with the embarrassment I used to feel.
Hello Rossibel, I really resonated with your response to the discussion. Reading about your family’s struggles before coming to this country made me think of my own family’s hardships and the struggles they then proceeded to face when arriving here. Your experiences have also highlighted what privilege really is and also what being oppressed is as well. It is unfortunate that you had to go through bullying as a result of learning English as a second language, which is something that many immigrants go through. Yet, you are now multilingual which will also serve to your advantage in the work-field. It is interesting to see how the same things that oppress us may actually also serve to facilitate us; and those things that privilege us may be the things oppressing others.
Hello Rossibel, thank you for sharing your story. I agree with you and I can identify with your story. I am also a Hispanic woman, that struggled to adapt to a culture and learn a new language. We are privileged to just get out of bed every morning, have a home, have food, and a job.
Hey Rossibel,
I really liked your post!! Even though your family did not have the best childhood, they persevered through the hardships to get to where they are today. I occasionally feel privileged because I am able to attend college, when many ladies my age are unable to. At times, I feel oppressed, but everything is in place. I had also gone through something similar as a Hispanic woman.