This week’s readings were unique and informative about identity politics. I never really understood the meaning of identity politics. “The Power of Identity Politics” and “Too Latina To Be Black, Too Black To Be Latina”,gave me a better perspective of what identity politics is. In the reading “The Power of Identity Politics” by Garza, she explains how in order to understand  identity politics we have to understand the meaning of power. Identity politics and power are linked in some ways. The term identity politics was developed by Black feminists.  When they realized that the women’s movement was not for all women, but for the emancipation of white women, they coined the phrase. Another experience that led to the phrase identity politics was the Black freedom movement, which was created largely to free Black men rather than all Black people. “The Power of Identity Politics” by Garza, she mentions that the current state of affairs is due to America’s reliance on white identity. As we know, this world has always been a man’s world, whether we like it or not. Not just any man, but the man had to be rich and he also had to be white. Can you tell me who created and wrote our Constitution? That’s right, the white man had a hand in drafting the principles. When those principles were established, they did not think of black people, they thought black people were inferior. “Too Latina To Be Black , Too Black To Be Latina” Williams’ writings explain the identity issue she faced and continues to experience as she grows up.This text demonstrated to me that some people expect you to conform to assumptions of the community with which you identify, such as many people believing that because she speaks Spanish, she must be Mexican or eat tacos. I was frequently asked as a child why I had curly hair. Because I’m Mexican, they were perplexed when they saw my hair. To them, I didn’t have what you’d call Mexican hair. That’s straight hair. They would tell me that all I ate must be tacos as they did to the author. As a child I always felt that I wasn’t “normal.” People frequently fail to see the powerful influence their words can have on others, and this occurs far too frequently.

We covered a wide range of topics in this class, which helped us better comprehend the world and its challenges. Women in combat is a topic I’d like to study as a class in the remaining weeks of the semester. Previously, only men were permitted to fight. What changed? Do women have power in combat? 

I was excited to read  “too black to be Hispanic, too Hispanic to be black” I really empathized with the author. I didn’t think much about my own race or ethnicity until I was raised in the United States. I’m from a small town in Brazil and we all just thought black, white, yellow, we’re all Brazilian. Unlike other states where there are more cultures present. In São Paulo there are Chinese, Indian, and other foreign cultures present but not in little old pontezinha, Recife. I was shocked when I came to America and saw how many different people there were. It boggled me that all of them came from different places yet they all speak the same language. I was mesmerized. As I grew older I saw how people continuously questioned where I was from. I also experienced racism when white people that lived in my building continuously caused problems with me and even called the cops once claiming I was trying to break into my own apartment… Being that we live in New York the melting pot people from all over the world are here. No one really knows much about Brazil and most assume we’re all white. Which is not the case. I’m biracial. I have both Portuguese and Angola (Africa) descendants. Yet I’ve been very much aware that I have a rather ethnic face. During the winter I become pale and I’m often mistaken for Greek or Italian or if I wear my hair curly and I’m tan it’s assumed that I’m Arab. I don’t mind it but growing up it felt imperative for me to be as nationalist as I could. I wanted to represent my country and scream it from the top of my lungs. I was proud to be Brazilian. I wouldn’t find many Brazilian people my age growing up and it saddened me. However, this allowed me to merge with many people of other cultures and learn new things. I was able to learn Spanish and speak it with many friends. I learned to see different perspectives other than just a “Christian” mindset when I became close friends with Buddhist and Muslims. It was great but I still never shut up about my country. I honestly never will. It’s more than just nationalism. I love my country with my heart. Each of us are so different but our culture makes us into such passionate people. Always being confused as someone from somewhere else. Being discriminated because of how I looked. It was surreal for experiencing such a dislikeness to being different when I never understood it to matter. I never thought it could matter.

Some time recently perusing these two writings I didn’t know what personality legislative issues was in all trustworthiness. I knew individuals distinguished with diverse things and there was communities and secure places for their personality. Be that as it may I didn’t know the term was ‘politics’. Within the content “The Power of Identity Politics” composed by Garza she clarifies how character and control goes hand in hand. Control influences personality and bad habit versa. Identity influences our existence whether we notice it or not since it goes hand in hand with control. Within the content she expressed how all encounters within the United States are formed with the character of whiteness. This influences each other character within the United States since at that point everybody else is appeared as the non norm. “For individuals who are not white, this could be inconceivably alienating_never seeing individuals who see like you in mold magazines, not being able to induce cosmetics that matches your skin tone.” (Garza 187) When the composed clarifies the distinction between being engaged and control it reminded me a lot of how predominately BIPOC environments/neighborhoods may not be cared for much as a white area. This can include types of foods available , health facilities or even protection from the police. The second text “Too Latina To Be Black , Too Black To Be Latina” Written by Williams explain the identity crisis she had and still continues to face growing up. This text really reminded me of how we discriminate even in our own community. This text proved to me that some people expect you to fit the stereotypes of the community you identity with like many people believed that since she speaks Spanish she must be Mexican or she must eat tacos. I topic I would like to explore is Feminism in Islamic countries. We know how feminism is perceived in the United States but I would find it interesting how other countries deal with feminism. 

In the reading “Too Latina to be Black” written by Aleichia Williams she speaks about her own experience that she had during her childhood and growing up. The reading “The Power of identity Politics” by Garza goes in depth on what identity politics is. The definition of it is a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances, moving away from traditional broad-based party politics. The United States has been out ruled since the beginning of time but white folks, mostly when it comes to politics. In the 19th century women were not allowed to vote of have the same rights that men had during this time. There was racism and feminism there were two big things during this time. Graza stated how activist had to really fight for their rights. One example Williams stated in her article “Too Latina to be Black” about America still being out ruled by the whites and having a certain stereotype for people is ” “I don’t know who to side with!” When I got into high school and a class mate told me “You’re the most Mexican black girl I’ve ever met!” I could remember thinking ‘Is that a compliment because my family is from Honduras?’ Even now as an adult I find people are constantly trying to restrict me into a specific mold and identity. My home language is Spanish so this must mean I eat tacos. I have kinky hair so this must mean I bang to Meek Mill. For many, I am too black to be Latin and too Latin to be black”. Some topics I would like to explore as a class in the remaining weeks of the semester is abortion rights. why do they want to make abortion illegal if it should be a women’s choice if she needs to get an abortion or chooses to get one for what ever reason they have.

Aleichia Williams’ experience, detailed in “Too Latina to be Black, Too Black to be Latina” made me further understand the topic of identity politics because her story entails the experiences many of us, mixed individuals, go through. Her identity crisis is directly affected by the politics of societal beliefs and practices. The segregation in her school made her more aware of her racial differences and especially her racial confusion. These politics are what led her to understand her juxtaposition in society and made her have to decide what she identified with. Alicia Garza’s “The Power of Identity Politics” gives a more thorough and direct breakdown of the meaning of this term “identity politics” and entailed how powerful it is by choosing an example from modern day with Donald Trump’s presidency. A topic I would like to explore and discuss would be the learning of gender in children, specifically through the media, and how that psychologically affects them as adults and construes it as our “norm” throughout our lives. I feel this topic is really important because it gets down to the “beginning” of the learning of gender, which I believe to be roles and behaviors we learn as children. In trying to terminate the concept or social construct of gender as adults, we must learn and understand how we are taught these behaviors to begin with, so as to rid them from our children when we begin to raise them.

This week article “Too Latina To Be Black, Too Black To Be Latina” by Williams and “The Power of identity Politics” by Garza were so great and really helpful to have a wider understanding of identity politics. One of the points that I really liked was that America is built on a white identity politics, so anything that doesn’t fit in that category is basically irrelevant and so need a group of activists to fight for it. Like Williams mention in her article “Too Latina to Be Black, Too Black to Be Latina”, “I’ve learned though, that just because I don’t fit into one specific mold or the other doesn’t mean I’m any less of who I am”. I feel so relate to this because major of us may doesn’t fit in certain category but we any less and this is something that is a daily thing to deal with. At some point I can say it has become a normal thing to discriminate. The fact that many might doesn’t identify just a human is for the reason that the society has create and so they have to stand out to support the minority maybe as a group they do not have all the power but as an individual they do and if all this individual comes together and fight then it become more powerful. Everyone has right and so the right for the desired for their own liberation base on their own experiences. These two articles were powerful to expand the understanding of identity politics as one can relate to this in their own experiences.

Identity politics focuses on liberation for a specific identity. For example, In “The Power of Identity Politics”, black lesbian women formed a politic based on their own experiences and is shaped specifically for them. As a latina, I sometimes feel that the fight against oppression for women is too general for me. When I see white women fighting for our rights, they don’t understand how it’s much harder for a minorities rights to be obtained. Our experiences are much more complex due to our history. The story Garza begins with is an example of how some white women don’t understand our fight. When the blonde said she’s tired of everything being about race and color, she didn’t understand that it keeps being brought up for a reason. Representation is still important, as the white guy mentioned, because POC are still not being casted in roles due to their skin. It’s almost as if some white women are the elephant in the room because they see things from a privileged stand point. Are they to blame? Maybe not, because their experiences are much more sheltered and different from a black women’s. At the same time, this is why identity politics are important. Only we can understand our struggles and progress as a race. Some topics i’d like to explore for the remaining of the semester are the different types of pronouns, history of latin women, and women’s rights movements throughout history. I feel that these are all important in getting a deeper understanding on women.

This weeks reading was very interesting. According to the reading by Williams and being a black hispanic women could fall hand in hand with identity politics. Aleichia actually mentioned how moving from the big apple to a smaller town was a very drastic change for her at least culturally. Williams stated other girls didn’t like her and she spoke in their language towards her. Here is how identity politics fall in place, as the story goes on Williams continues by explaining how no one believed she was latina because of her skin color. Not to mention she was despised by women like her just for the color of her skin. In my opinion, identity politics main focus is based on your race, sex, culture, and religion. As the second reading “Identity Politics” by Alicia Gracia , she spoke on her perspective on this topic. She mentions a blonde girl that she had seen in the same bar as her intoxicated and speaking to people in the bar to get her thoughts out on how we should all be equal and forget oppression. Now, in this chapter she explains that it’s not something we can move on and forget that it happened. As a matter of fact it isn’t spoken about very often, in which it should. It was and is a big part in history. You have to understand the story behind black oppression and work together to have that equality.

this weeks reading opened my eyes to some things, now I have read last weeks reading on women of color who decided to come up with their own group to fight against racism and sexism and its kind of what this reading talks about. now in these reading these ladies talk about the importance of identification when it comes to politics and whatnot. the reading by Garza was interesting in a way that she explains why as black women is important to identify themselves from other groups, back when they first stated the feminist movement black women were not welcome by white women because in reality white women were only fighting for themselves and not for all women. she explains how in order to understand what identity of politics is we first have to look at what power is and how its all connected in the same way. moving onto the next reading by Williams and how she talks about the racism she faced because people believed she was black and not hispanic because of her skin color and some thought she was too hispanic to be black because of her culture and language all these combine expanded my knowledge a bit more that in this country identification is a big thing. although we don’t feel the need to be put in an specific group we oughta to because thats what most people are accustomed to , that in order for us to been seen or heard or understood we first have to explain our identity.