By Yahriel Salinas-Reyes of the Monsoon Violence Prevention Team
“Very good people”, “S*#t hole countries”, “Make America Great Again”, and most recently “Go back to where you came from”: One of President Trump’s tweets has once again been plastered across news headlines. The latest tweet was directed at the “Squad”, also known as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, are known as progressive and outspoken newcomers in Congress who challenge Trump’s every move and generally stand on the side of human rights. Now what else would give Trump a reason to post a tweet filled with malice? Well, many say that is has to do with the fact that all these representatives are not only women, but women of color. To provide some rationale behind the incident, we believe that Trump (a privileged white man) felt intimidated and dominated by these women. Trump’s core strategy and power comes from patriarchal dominance. Moreover, he felt threatened by multiple people of color. His need for dominance and desire for more divisiveness are at the root of this violent attack. Now that we can understand some of the root causes of the cyber attack, we need to understand the effects of it. It is obvious that the tweet created controversy and caused conflict between the political parties, and has furthered the social polarization amongst the people. Politicians on both aisles have decried Trump’s statements as xenophobic, and more vocal critics have called them racist, hateful, and an example of oppressive behavior. On top of that, this represents white supremacy, power over women and people of color, and nativist/colonizer language. Here’s the kicker: All of these women are U.S. citizens, and most of them were born in the country. Omar, a naturalized citizen from Somalia. Ocasio-Cortez, a Latina from the Bronx who made a name for herself out of nothing (i.e. the American Dream). Pressley, an African American/Black woman born in Ohio who was the first black City Council Member elected in Boston. Tlaib, a Palestinian-American born in Michigan, was the first Muslim member of the Michigan Legislature. All of these people who are committed to public service to this country have been shamed by our president. What kind of values are we truly conveying as a country if we tolerate this kind of treatment? Imagine growing up, a child of immigrants and citizen of the United States. Observing your parents paying taxes, partaking in community service, helping those in need, and more. Imagine that you became inspired to follow in your parents footsteps, so you now serve your community. And yet, you are told by others to “go back to where you came from”, whereas others are welcomed, and those people seem to look more like each other than resemble you. There are many children in this country who can relate to these representatives as minorities. What impression are they gaining when the President of the United States is telling people like them to “go back”, even though they are not just citizens but valued members of our society? That they are not welcomed? That they are not “real Americans” and therefore deserve to be viewed with suspicion and treated as an outsider? The U.S. was founded by immigrants and is supposed to be a land of the free, and that freedom is intended for all. But do our actions match our values?
0 Comments
By Manali Jama of the Monsoon Violence Prevention Team
"The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas is centered around a topical issue -- the killing of unarmed black men by police officers. The book explores issues of racism, justice, and personal acceptance. The story follows Starr Carter, a black girl trying to navigate life in an impoverished neighborhood while attending a prep school in a privileged neighborhood. She is caught between two worlds; the Starr that lives in the poor, predominately black neighborhood of Garden Heights, and the Starr that attends the rich, predominately white school in the suburbs. Starr can be seen struggling with her identity at a young age as she often feels like she has to act differently depending on her surroundings. Starr’s life comes crashing down when she witnesses her childhood friend, Khalil, an unarmed black boy, get murdered by a police officer. Starr, being the only witness to the shooting, is put in a complicated position. This traumatic event has a huge effect on her life. At first, she is very reluctant to speak out against the shooting out of fear becoming the "angry black girl" stereotype at her school. She also wanted to protect her family. When the media begins to portray Khalil as a gang-banging drug dealer, she feels the need to defend and seek justice for him. Throughout the story, Starr can be seen growing and transforming. She does a lot of reflecting on her life, especially on her current relationships. Starr begins feeling guilt for being in an intimate relationship with a white boy. She also analyzes her friendships with girls who "jokingly" uses insensitive slurs toward her and other people of color. Throughout the book, she moves away from toxic relationships and draws nearer to those whose values aligned with her own. The unprovoked shooting of Khalil makes national headlines. The strong rhetoric that Thomas uses to describe the shooting in her novel parallels real world cases such as the shooting of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. The story incorporates real world issues that is facing society today. For example, implicit bias and social justice issues that African Americans have been facing for generations, but have only recently gotten the world’s attention since the #BlackLivesMatter movement took off in 2013. The title of Thomas's novel comes from the late rapper Tupac Shakur's explanation of what THUG LIFE means. It is an acronym for, "The Hate U Give Little Infants F***s Everybody." Some may be confused, but Tupac’s explanation said, "What you feed us as seeds, grows and blows up in your face." This refers to systematic- and socially-oppressive things that black and brown children are exposed to and are taught to be true. This perception of reality then becomes an environment of violence and poverty without analyzing the root of the issues. This oppression that people are exposed to as children becomes reinforced as adults, which keeps folks stuck in an ongoing cycle of hate and violence. Overall, “The Hate U Give” is a powerful book that takes from real world situations and evokes strong emotions in readers. It is very detailed, which allows readers to get a better sense of the personal experiences of the main character, Starr Carter. By James Meng of the Monsoon Violence Prevention Team Gender-based violence has long been institutionalized within our society. From domestic violence and sexual assault to stalking and cyber threats, these problems exist in all communities. Now is the most important time to address these issues. 1 in 3 girls is a victim to physical, verbal, or emotional abuse. Less than half of domestic violence cases are ever reported, and only 1 out of every 3 rapes is reported. And out of every 1,000 rapes that do get reported, 994 rapists walk free, according to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and Bureau of Justice Statistics. Our society is plagued by different violences against women. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was first passed in 1994 in recognition of the growing issue of domestic violence and sexual assault. It supported the efforts of domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and various other community organizations. It has inspired several laws at the local, state, and national level; a testament to its success and influence. VAWA has been reauthorized several times and each reauthorization has included steps forward for young survivors. VAWA 2000 added to the original act by including dating violence and stalking in its considerations. VAWA 2005 developed program funding and created provisions for immigrants, children, and teenagers. VAWA 2013 involved new provisions for Native Americans and the LGBTQ community, while giving colleges more tools to address dating violence and sexual assault. VAWA has been incredibly effective when in action, as it has decreased intimate partner violence by over 60% since 1994 according the the Bureau of Justice Statistics. However, the 2018 reauthorization has been unable to move forward. VAWA was set to expire September 30, 2018 before it was extended for three months until December 7, 2018. We cannot sit idle now, though, because if VAWA is not extended before that deadline, it will cut government funding to violence prevention programs and other support services. VAWA’s 2018 reauthorization, originally proposed by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee in late July, would include provisions to help survivors stay in stable housing situations and increase investment in sexual violence prevention programs. Sexual violence happens in all communities. Young women, low-income women, and some minorities are particularly targeted, but such violence is an issue that extends to everybody and that all should concern themselves with. For VAWA to continue, it must be renewed. You can be an activist and call your representative urging them for a long-term, improved VAWA, if they are not already a cosponsor of this reauthorization. Survivors cannot wait for lifesaving responses to sexual assault and communities need prevention programs. Support and advocate for VAWA reauthorization to protect the futures of those affected by sexual violence, and to help combat gender-based violence in all communities. By Alex Song, Rodney Washington, and Nathan Ung of Monsoon's Violence Prevention Program October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in the United States, an average of 20 people experience intimate partner physical violence every minute equaling more than 10 million abuse victims annually. Domestic violence is a very important issue and it is prevalent in every community.
So what is dating/domestic violence? Dating/Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to exert power and control over a partner. This can include physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions that influence another person negatively. The most common types of abuse are:
These are just a few ways to help prevent dating/domestic violence. Dating/domestic violence is something that is happening right now and must be given more attention. It is dangerous and needs to be taken more seriously. This is a problem that can't be fixed by one person. Even as youth, we can do our part to help prevent this from continuing to happen. We have to come together to end dating/domestic violence. |
AuthorManali Jama Archives
August 2019
Categories |