Yvette Torres Valera

Prof.Hollis Glaser

GWS 100-1300

How this week’s reading by Garza and Williams expand my understanding of identity politics because it shows how everyone’s perspective and sense of self have a big effect on others if it has to do with ideology, ethnicity, nationality, religion, etc. It expands my understanding because my not knowing what identity politics is at first and then learning it based on the discussion and readings made me have an open mind about identity politics. When reading “Too Latina To Be Black, Too Black To Be Latina” I learned about how Aleichia Williams dealt with her identity. From getting mistakenly raced at a young age and the way others would identify her in ways that were very disrespectful. She shows us how people can be inconsiderate of one’s image or portray them in a way that is incorrect and not valid. But she shows us how everything she has experienced and is still experiencing just makes her embrace who she is and her roots of where she is from. She shows identity politics in a way where many of us colored people can understand what she is going through. Garza also explains how politics plays a huge role in identification not only based on one’s background but with how society and biased views are based on what others teach one another. Identity politics shows how when grouped a certain way by others or even systems can have a huge impact on someone and their way of living so instead of teaching how to judge others based on how society views different cultures, ethnicity, religion, ideology, and nationality. We need to teach others how to embrace everyone’s background instead of separating.I think we should learn more about embracings our backgrounds.