After completing the readings and watching the video “What is Privilege” I sat back and thought about certain ways in which I experience privilege. The fact that I live in the United States alone is a privilege because I have more freedom compared to other countries; I have more opportunities to accomplish my goals and make a better life than I had. Living in the U.S. you have the ability to study in any type of field you want while pursuing other careers and following other dreams. Another privilege I have is the fact that I can see a doctor whenever I feel the need to; advanced medicine and technology is accessible to me therefore, I never really have to worry if I am sick because I know there are people, places, and medicines that can help me get better. A third way I experience privilege throughout my life is my very light skin color; although I am Puerto Rican and Colombian my mom’s skin complexion is white and I took on her complexion therefore, a lot of the times people mistake me as a white woman and I feel as though I get treated in a way better than others who do not have my skin color. I don’t get judged or stereotyped as often as other hispanic people with darker skin complexions or people with darker skin complexions in general. Lastly, another way I have experienced privilege in my life is the fact that I grew up with both my parents; even though they were split since before I was born, I’ve always had both my parents in my life along with my siblings. I grew up with a family that is supportive in ways which they believe in me, they care about my dreams, and they help me reach my goals and accomplishments in a supportive way. On the other hand, there are some ways I’ve experienced oppression throughout my life. Living with my mom my whole life, as she was the primary parent, she worked two jobs; this included weekends, holidays, and lots of days of overtime. Therefore, my mom was unable to spend a lot of time with us due to the fact that she had to work so hard to provide for us. Another way I’ve experienced oppression is due to the fact that I was diagnosed with anxiety; people have judged me and treated me differently just based on the reality that I have anxiety. People treat me as though I’m extremely fragile and in ways broken. I was also bullied through some years of high school based on the ways I would try to deal with my anxiety like severe finger nail biting. I would bite my nails till they bled; they always looked ugly and people were sure to make me aware of that. Lastly, another way I experience oppression is simply the fact that I am a woman; I’m unable to freely express myself through my clothing because I have to be worried about the unwanted attention it would bring me every day. I’m also constantly worried about any form of harassment I can encounter just going to work or going to school. I feel as though men specifically see me as an easy target because not only am I a woman but I’m also very petite so I’m not viewed as dangerous or a threat but more as a friend or a friendly individual. From watching the video and evaluating the readings; they have helped me view the concepts of oppression and privilege from a wider point of view and understand them on a deeper level. Before the readings I mostly viewed privilege as something specifically people of white race had over every other race; however, privilege is a concept that can relate to everyone in some sort of way based on what is a part of their identity. Intersectionality plays a big part in that idea because the theory sums up the exploration on how individuals can face multiple categories of disccrimination and overall oppression when they belong to more than one marginalized group. Before the readings I didn’t have a clear idea of oppression but after I reflected on the readings, I view oppression as the element in which something or someone is caught between or among forces and barriers which are so related to each other that together they restrain, restrict, and prevent something or someone’s motion or mobility. Oppression is made to mold, immobilize, and reduce someone down to something that society as a whole can deem acceptable.