Good Afternoon everyone,
My name is Sofia Arista-Juarez and I am 19 years old. My birthday is on July 16 and I am Mexican-American. My pronouns are she/her but at the same time, I don’t mind being called him or them (I’m comfortable with any pronouns). For most of my life, I have always lived in East Harlem and known it to be my home yet I can’t wait until the day comes when my family and I move. I love to draw, listen to music, write poetry, write in my journal, read, and I also enjoy anime and manga. I like to draw and write because it allows me to express myself when words simply can’t. Although I am kind and friendly I am also very reserved. However, I always tend to put others first before me and try to help them whenever they need help. Whether it be lending them a listening ear when they need advice or need to rant, or a shoulder to lean and cry on. This is currently my second year at BMCC and if all goes well this semester, I should be able to graduate during this spring semester with my associated degree in Liberal Arts. Yet my end goal is to transfer to a senior college and become a nurse.
One of the reasons I am currently taking this course is because it was one of the few classes my counselor told me about. However, I am interested in what we will be learning. Growing up I have always seen how differently women get treated as compared to men as well as how men get treated as compared to women. There are always certain stereotypes applied to both men and women which to this day seem questionable. I’ve also seen how race always plays a role in how people get treated. When I asked my mom to describe what it was like growing up in Mexico for her, she told me that women weren’t allowed to go to school because it was more common for men to get an education and get a job. A woman’s role was to simply be a housewife, tend to the children, and make sure there was food ready for when the husband got home. Although a lot of time has passed since my mom was little, this belief is still around. I’m ready to learn anything and everything that will be provided during this course and here’s to a great semester.
Thanks so much, Sofia. I hope at some point you will be able to use your love of drawing and poetry in one of our assignments – maybe even as a response to someone else’s post. I agree that sometimes words can’t convey everything we mean. And yes – binary gender roles are deeply entrenched in most societies, even as things begin to change.
Hello, nice to meet you. I hope that this class will be interesting and Im hoping to learn more about gender and different ways I can help use my privilege. I agree that words can’t express what we feel sometimes.
Hey Sofia, I love journaling too!! I’ve done it since the third grade honestly and it’s a great way to keep track of your life. I was a little shocked to see you like that because I feel like everytime I tell someone about journaling they say they’re ‘too lazy’ for it or it’s too much work. But it really is a good way to get rid of stress and clear your head. I’m also into anime but unfortunately I’ve never gotten around to reading the physical manga, only online ones.