day 8 meeting #3

We spent much of today discussing specific experiences and instances of oppression. For one, how much do I experience oppression? I couldn't really answer that, possibly because of my unique situation (where I am, what school I go to, who my parents are, how my personality colors my social relationships, etc.). What does this mean/highlight about other Asian American experiences in a similar situation to mine? We discussed the cultural expectations and effects that I feel most pressingly. This evolved into the question of what I want to do when I go to college. I know I won't be going into the sciences, and I know I'm broadly interested in the humanities; other than that, I'm pretty much undecided. Mrs. Lawson mentioned that I might succeed in law or the political sciences. If we are discussing how the law and societal constructs affect real people's lives, we are working at some intersection of sociology and legal practices. She also mentioned that the humanities offer a great resource for completing graduate school - imagine getting paid in full to get a PhD, and then going to work in a think tank or the like. The dream. So that's something to think about.

Speaking of law, Mrs. Lawson and I have (sort of, finally, kind of) found a centerpiece/foundation for this part of the independent study. Based on Mrs. Lawson's comments on levels of [governental or legal] scrutiny, anti-discrimination laws, and the article After Intersectionality by Robert S. Chang and Jerome McCristal Culp, Jr., we have decided to further delve into the debate of "oppression vs. discrimination". This will encompass our interest in the effectiveness of language in critical, theoretical discussions as well as the "activist" minded work we are studying (and doing, maybe?). The research on race that I've completed over the past week or so will still prove useful. Over the next week, I will be researching how gender (after some specific research on gender as a concept) and race are represented and affected by the law. In other words, I'll be looking at how levels of scrutiny either help or hinder marginalized people. 

This hasn't taken us away from intersectionality, however. After Intersectionality criticizes the theory of intersectionality a bit, sure. But it also discusses how intersectionality as it is being discussed, practiced, and taught right now is incredibly important to get to the roots of discriminatory and oppressive situations. Chang and Culp are also arguing that intersectionality needs to be put into work in law and "antisubordination practice". Crenshaw originally wanted to tackle these issues, and now the problem is how to actually put these ideas in action. How will we avoid people with multiple marginalized identities falling through the cracks? What can we do legally about this issue? Through my research on more legal issues (maybe some specific case studies), I hope to better understand the history behind this issue as well as finding ways to alleviate it.