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Sexism is heavily ingrained into the English language, whether we notice it or not. On the daily I hear people say, “Hey, guys!” to a group of girls. While this isn’t outwardly offensive or demeaning, it shows that we have a long way to go and how important it is to be conscious of our word choice.
Firstly, I want differentiate between those who are ignorant versus those who are clueless. People who are inherently sexist understand the effects of their words and believe in supremacy. Those who are clueless simply do not realize that their words have power and those are the people who can be educated. We shouldn’t yell at these people for their mistakes, but calmly point out the impact of their words. Shaming someone for their potential misunderstanding will only make them embarrassed, angry, or frustrated and make them less likely to listen. I believe cluelessness is a result of sheltering or a lack of exposure. Many people have a hard time understanding things that they have never experienced. On another note, a common word thrown around by people is p*ssy. In English, calling someone a p*ssy is synonymous to calling someone weak. This is problematic because it implies that female genitalia is “weak” and therefore women are weak. The usage of a vulgar term that pries on supremacy is and can be offensive towards women as it reduces women to being incapable. So, how do we combat this issue of “innate sexism”? In simply being aware of the words we use, we can start the conversation. It’s okay to trip up, we all do it, but acknowledgement is a step in the right direction. Post written by guest writer Rianna Mukherjee
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Fast fashion. The exact definition is an approach to design, creation, and marketing of clothing that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers. Industries like Forever 21 and H&M are notorious for trendy clothing at an affordable price. This approach to the industry is not only harming the environment with over 15.1 million tons of textile waste created in 2013 alone, but it is also creating an unhealthy “disposable” culture within the fashion industry. How do companies like the aforementioned manage to churn out so many garments at such a low price? One word: Sweatshops. These factories function under inhumane working conditions with hundreds of workers, a majority of them women, making barely livable wages. These industries continue to keep women in developing countries oppressed and dependent on these jobs, which keeps all the stores around the world affordable and in business. Cheap labor jobs is something that continues to plague women in struggling economies and causes a lack of growth and opportunities within their own communities. It is an industry that thrives by taking advantage of women who are at a financial disadvantage and in need of work. Our current fashion industry is built on the backs of women across the world who barely make ten cents a garment. Fortunately, there are many ways to dismantle the fast fashion industry and continue to support these women who are struggling to survive in their economic states. The most frustrating part of this major issue is how simple the solutions are. Buying second-hand, quality clothing lessens the strain on the environment and also creates less of a demand for cheaply made clothing. Donating unwanted clothing, recycling damaged ones, and buying from fair-trade, locally-sourced companies will not only support local business owners, but also help end the ways of cheap fashion and help create a dialogue to defend these women’s rights to a safe, fair, and rewarding work environment.
Post was written by guest writer Sofia Hughes My first day of second grade, was the day I walked away with something more than just homework. I had just moved to San Ramon and was beyond excited to make new friends as well as see all my new teachers. I walked into class and sat next to a girl who I thought seemed sweet and gentle. I was wearing a green princess Jasmine T-shirt, it was my most favorite one, I thought everyone would love it. Then suddenly, the girl who was sitting next to me turned to meet my face and said, “Why are you wearing that shirt, what are you, a baby? It’s so ugly, just go sit somewhere else.” I was devastated. Did everybody feel this way, was I just some loser? I was 7, and like most 7 year olds I did not know how to react or how to feel about the opinionated comment that was made. When I went home that day, I pondered about if everyday at my new school would be like this, people talking and judging me. I then came to a conclusion, why does it matter?
This moment was one that really did shape me into the person I am today, regarding the moral of self love. No person should have to take away the happiness that you get by wearing a shirt, or have an interest in something you find appealing. Today everyone is torn between what they think is exceptional and what they think others will find acceptable. Loving yourself, loving music, clothes, and who you are should not be jeopardized by anyone’s opinions or expectations. Furthermore, a person’s opinion should not change yours, or your amazing personality. Shattering a person’s self love is the quickest way to lower a person’s self esteem as well as tear them down. Instead of letting those punches get to you, fight back by loving yourself and embracing every ounce of unique qualities you have. As long as you walk out the door with a smile, a deep breath of confidence and a big helping of self love, no one can take happiness away from you. Post was written by guest writer Nina Shenoy You can’t say you understand because you’ve never experienced the kinds of things that we have. The slurs, the jokes, the appropriation, and the erasure. As an Asian American I’ve never seen myself properly represented the way that white people have - in school, movies, books, on TV, and social media. We make up six percent of the population in America, which is a total of nineteen million people whose heritage is ignored and overlooked in our society today.
Now, it’s wrong to say that Asian Americans are the only ones who face this silent oppression. All minorities shoulder a burden as well, regardless of whatever race they are. But I speak of my own experiences; the experiences of my brothers and sisters, and what all of us have been forced to endure throughout our lives. Our cultures have a long history and are not to be mocked and degraded. We value them as much as you value your own, and they deserve nothing from you but respect. There are many stereotypes surrounding Asian culture, most of which are rude and insulting toward the people they’re aimed at. I’m sure that not a single one of us has gone through their lives without hearing some variation of these things that people say. “Of course you got an A on that test. You’re Asian. All Asians are smart.” “Are you sure you should be driving? Asians are terrible drivers.” “It’s so Asian of you to do what your parents say all the time.” And of course, my personal favorite: when you pull out the corners of your eyes, laughing hysterically as you do your best impression of a broken bell tower- “ching chong, ching chong!” You have no idea just how much damage one small action, one short phrase, can do. Racist comments like these are extremely offensive to such a large group of people. When these stereotypes are enforced, it not only creates a negative depiction of Asian people, but makes them feel as if they’ll never be “normal” in the eyes of the American people. As long as this discrimination continues, it will always set us apart from everyone else. Wouldn’t it be better to live as a united, accepting community rather than groups separated by bigotry? And just imagine what it feels like to the people who have to hear these things themselves. It’s so indecent of you to make fun of someone based on their ethnicity. They’ve earned good grades because they have a good work ethic, not because they’re Asian. They make mistakes on the road because they were distracted by something, not because they’re Asian. And maybe the reason they listen to their parents is because they actually value respect, not because they're Asian. We need to dispel these harmful stereotypes so that everyone can be treated with equality and respect. On a much larger scale, your discrimination toward Asian people is augmented through their portrayal in the media. Asian Americans make up a mere five percent of total speaking or named roles in movies and only one percent of lead roles. These characters, if there are any at all, are almost always of an East Asian background or origin. You reduce them to a stereotypical archetype such as the nerd, the dragon lady, the karate master, or the submissive love interest. You may not even notice this because there is so little representation on screen. But when there is, it’s so wildly inaccurate that millions are led to believe in this warped depiction of what Asian culture really is. The degradation of our cultures isn’t something to be brushed off. Before anything else, we’re people who don’t deserve to be objectified. There are Asian countries that exist outside of the East - sixty-two percent of Asians are from South, Southeast, Central, or West Asia. It’s an extremely diverse region with so many different kinds of people, and yet we receive such a poor characterization in the media. You throw symbols of value to the ground when you use traditional clothing as costumes or “exotic” fashion. Cultural appropriation isn’t in style and never will be. This twisting of values includes having white people play Asian characters, more infamously known as whitewashing. With this action, there are even less Asian Americans in film and more inaccuracy and erasure. You have so many opportunities for representation in so many ways; it’s unfair for us to give up what little we have left. We deserve just as much diverse, inspiring, and positive publicity as you do. I want to live in a world with equality for all. I wish for you to understand and accept our people. I hope to take pride in myself and my family for who we are without having to face your laughs and insults. I know this dream is near impossible with the way things are now, but every little effort has a great effect for someone. Don’t make fun of the boy with broken English; the girl wearing a hijab; the people who work to style your nails. Learn about the different kinds of people in the world and what can be done to support them. We’re all facing the same obstacle together, and we’d love to have you standing by our side, facing and fighting it with us. Post was written by guest writer Lauren Sabater I think that too many people walk through life with a preconceived notion that there is really no such thing as “mental health”. Over the years I've come across so many people who overlook the facts that a condition like depression is not something someone makes up. Depression is a very real and serious condition and when it comes to the impact it has on your health it does differently than diabetes or heart disease. When I was younger I associated depression with the way we saw it in the movies. I believed that it’s only a real problem when you’re sad all the time, you never come out of your room, or you stop communicating with people around you. As I grew older and had my own experiences I realized that it’s different for everyone. For me, it comes in waves but that may not be the case for others. After struggling with depression for well well over a year I've learned to be more open about my everyday struggles. I’ve learned that my “bad” days may be the ones that hurt but they are the ones who taught me that there is hurt around us that cannot be fixed by band-aids and sappy poetry. My bad days taught me to apologize to myself every time I felt like I hated myself. We are at a time in this country where every issue has left us all so deeply divided. There is no better time for all of us to come together and remind ourselves that we are all fighting our own battles.
My name is Neeharika. I deal with depression every day but I am NOT my illness. Post written by guest writer Neeharika Chenna I think that we all go on with our lives ignoring the fact that 1 in 4 female college students are sexually harassed at least once on campus. Or the fact that 30% of children are molested between the ages of 14-17. And now even the most popular, successful hollywood actors are being accused of sexual harassment/molestation. As much as we don’t want to admit it, rape culture has become so prevalent in our society that even the stars that many of us idolize, are apart of it.
For example, Kevin Spacey who has starred in House of Cards for the past couple years, has recently been accused of sexual harassment. And George Takei, has been slammed with cases of molestation and sexual assault. Not only have multiple victims claimed to be hurt by these men, but their perverted personalities have been publicized many times. The main question is, why aren’t they in jail? Out of a thousand rapists, almost 994 perpetrators walk free. This statistic surprisingly doesn’t shock me. These numbers are easily believable in the context of our society. As much as we think that we are safe, living in a first world country compared to a third world country, we really aren’t. Our own president has been videotaped during his so called “locker room” conversation only to reveal that our society has just another “outstanding” and “brilliant” figure that supports sexual harassment. So why aren’t these criminals in jail? Well, our society seems to do a great job blaming the victim and releasing the perpetrators unharmed from these situations. And until we force these rapists and molesters to take responsibility for their actions, our society will still be stuck in its primal stages. We need to stop blaming the women and children who are being molested and raped. We need to start providing them the proper medical and psychological care that they need. We need to start blaming the real criminals like Kevin Spacey and George Takei who still bask in the rays of wealth and popularity instead of taking responsibility for their horrible actions. And most importantly, we need to put them behind bars. How can we be considered one of the most developed countries if we can’t even properly bring justice to women and children? Post written by guest writer Medha Dandamudi Ever since the 7th grade, not a day goes by for me where I don’t hear someone, girl or boy, say something along the lines of “Why am I so dumb?” or “Haha look at his shoes..what is he wearing?” Recently I’ve begun to wonder why we constantly make remarks similar to these. Why do we constantly put ourselves down, and drag others with us in the process? I’ve come to realize that there is a growing lack of self-confidence in teens, especially females. Self-confidence is a feeling of trust and belief in your judgement, decisions, and abilities. It is important in virtually every aspect of our lives, yet saddeningly, a large majority struggle to find it within them.
The leading cause of this decline in self confidence is unrealistic social norms. We all get lost in the nuances of what we’re “supposed” to be, and what we’re “supposed” to be doing, and once we come to the realization that we’re not all of those things, the weight comes crashing down on us. We start to deprecate ourselves, telling ourselves we’re not enough. At anything. That we’re not trying hard enough, we’re not smart enough, we’re not pretty enough. Everyone in our society gets so caught up in these “expectations” for ourselves, that we start to lose grip on what really matters. Especially in a society like ours, we let every tiny mishap affect us significantly. Getting a B in one class will not cause your death, and don’t let anyone tell you it will. 10 years in the future, it won’t matter if we took 10 AP classes or if we took 8 AP classes. It won’t matter if we wore Brandy Melville jeans or if we wore Children’s Place jeans. Will it affect us? Likely. But what will matter, is if we are happy. And how do we become happy? We become satisfied. Satisfied with our choices, our life-style, our looks, and all in all, we become satisfied with our lives. We need to start to tell ourselves, whether it be every hour, or everyday, that it simply does not matter what others think. Rather than doing us any good, it only forces us to carry an unnecessary burden on our shoulders. By saying this, I am not implying that you should not try hard at school or that you shouldn’t care about your appearance. I am a teenager in high school. I hear all the things people say about others. Gossip and dirty insults being thrown at everyone, staining everyone's reputations. I understand that it is hard to feel love for yourself when people are constantly trying to bring you down. I understand that it causes you to question things about yourself and you wonder why people say such nasty things. I too wonder the same thing. If someone is talking about you behind your back, it is likely to make up for their own lack of self-confidence. It’s a vicious cycle, really. People who struggle to find self-love try to acquire it by destroying others’ confidence, and then that person goes on to do the same thing. But go on and be the one to break the cycle. If someone comments on the way you look, be the one to tell them off, and walk away with your confidence levels steady, if not even higher than they were before. And more importantly, don’t be the one to tear others down. If you think another boy or girl looks better than you today or is better than you at a subject at school, don’t worry about it! Tell the person how amazing they are and maybe even make a friend out of it, rather than throwing disrespectful comments at them to better your own self-esteem. You do NOT have to be #1 at everything, nor anything, to be considered amazing, beautiful, and inspiring. There was one incident in which the importance of self confidence really shined for me. My friends and I are all a fairly close-knit group. We took a fun trip to Great America over the summer, and it just so happened that day, that the sun was scorching hot. One of my friends had on a pretty short romper and we all seemed to notice it. Another friend pointed it out to her, and said, “Hey, why is your romper so short, you’re showing off too much.” Most people would be discomforted by the comment and pull their clothing item over to cover up, however my friend responded, “It’s hot outside, so I will wear something short. I feel confident in it, so it’s none of your business, and if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t look.” We were all taken aback by her response, but my level of respect for her increased exponentially throughout that day. I believe that this is the level of self confidence that we should all strive to achieve. Self confidence has so many benefits to our lifestyles aside from pure happiness. The more confident you are, the more risks you’re willing to take in life. Taking risks may lead to some of the most memorable moments of our lives, and opens up a whole new world of opportunity awaiting us. Additionally, the more confident you are, the less anxious you will be. Anxiety is usually caused by disbelief in our abilities to do something right. Having that confidence will, for lack of better wording, melt the heck out of your anxiety. And of course, most importantly, self-confidence is directly linked to happiness. For a majority, our happiness is based off of how good we feel about ourselves. Having confidence in yourself will lead you down the path to a better, more joy-filled life. Lastly, there will always be people who say things about us. Just remember, as cliché as it sounds, that their words will only hurt you if you let them. The message here is to try your hardest to succeed. It doesn’t matter if others tell you that you’re not “trying hard enough” if you know that you are. Take the number of AP classes that you are comfortable with. Look the way you want to look. Dress the way you feel confident. You can express yourself how you want to. Whether it be through your clothing, your makeup/lack of makeup, your social media, your talents, or anything else you’d like it to be. For god’s sake, wear a bright orange jumpsuit to school if you feel confident in it! Whatever you may do in life, do not let others take away your confidence and individuality, because that in and of itself, is the key to happiness and success. Post written by guest writer Sanjita Pamidimukkala Feminism has widely been recognised and labeled as a taboo topic. There is a certain bias that only women can be feminists. I still don’t really understand why. But, recently I have realised that it isn’t always men that don’t support feminists; even some WOMEN don’t support feminism. Now, don’t be quick to judge those women, in fact the main reason that some women don’t support is because they don’t understand what feminism means.
So I will be quick and define it for you, according to dictionary.com, Feminism is “the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.” Feminists are advocating for political and social equivalence not advantage. If that isn’t enough to make you a feminist, I don’t know what is. But, I will tell you one thing; the importance of supporting other women is incredibly relevant in today’s society. I think it is extremely important for women to support each other throughout their entire lives mainly because as a high school student myself, going through middle school with other girls who were constantly criticizing each other for the simplest things was really difficult to handle. It was more difficult to comprehend why other girls said such mean things. One of the girls in my math class was criticizing another girl for wearing short-shorts. “Look at her over there, she’s always so showy.” I was immediately taken aback, mainly because the girl who made the comment herself was wearing short-shorts. I have two points to make about this comment. My first point is, You have absolutely no right to criticize another girl for the clothes that she wears or the people she chooses to associate herself with. My second point is, Why should you bring other women down to make yourself feel better? I suppose we all have certain insecurities, some more bigger than others but, nonetheless insecurities. A quick solution to make ourselves feel better about these insecurities is to reassure yourself that you are better than ‘other girls’, smarter than ‘other girls’, prettier than ‘other girls’. After all, as girls we were raised to be different and ‘not like others’. After this competition starts, it never really stops. Immediately, everything that we start to do becomes a competition with ‘other girls’. A competition we know that we might never truly win. I have some friends that love and support me and my other friends unconditionally, but when they do; they do so in bringing themselves down. Always trying to convince everyone not to worry because according to her, she is the dumbest, the ugliest, and the meanest. It ultimately becomes this constant battle of self-hate. A war between who hates themselves the most. It seems like society encourages women to hate themselves, and to encourage other women to succeed by putting themselves down. What i’m trying to say is: We can all benefit from some love and support from our fellow females. I mean it makes sense why we should love each other. Only one girl can understand what another girl is going through. It is difficult, it will be difficult. Because as a society we were always trained to look for the worst in ourselves and other people in order to fix it. But, what i’m proposing is; Let’s love ourselves and others. Because, we all need positivity pointed towards our bodies and minds. So don’t try to make other successful women feel bad about themselves. Encourage them! Let their hard-working spirit inspire you to be the same. Because, you don’t have to be the smartest, prettiest, kindest, or the most funniest girl to be considered amazing. Let’s work with other women, because there are some pretty awesome women out there. Post written by guest writer Aditi Praveen A few months ago, when my English teacher told my classmate, Kate, to spit out her gum like a lady, I asked her, “What do you mean be like a lady?” Immediately, I got shots of disapproval from my classmates. One classmate sighed, “Jasmine, why do you have to bring feminism into everything?” In today’s society, feminism is viewed as the movement where women believe they are superior to men. However, the feminist movement is really about equality among genders, and achieving that by bringing awareness to critical issues. Representing the feminist movement has benefitted my life by educating others about issues in our world. Being a feminist doesn’t require a drastic lifestyle change; it simply requires an awareness of the inequalities and flaws in our society, and on a global scale. Bringing up inequalities or problems that affect women in conversation causes people to think about their actions and the things they say. Feminism is also about asking questions that result in progressive change. It opens up people to seeing the issues in society beyond the gender pay gap and lack of representation.
Standing up for what one believes in can be immensely effective. One day, I heard a boy in my math class exclaim, “Feminism is a disease! Feminists are SO annoying.” I had never talked to this boy before, however I took this as an opportunity to start a conversation. I explained to him the meaning of feminism and the intent of the feminist movement. I pointed out some gender stereotypes and statistical evidence to explain the need for feminism. Despite the fact that he had a clear look of irritation on his face, I still felt content. Standing up for my unconventional belief, and challenging his belief that came from the stigma around feminism made me feel like I had still accomplished something. The next day, he approached me and said, “Jasmine, I just wanted to say that I thought about what you told me yesterday, and you’re right. I’m sorry for being rude to you and you’re definitely right about feminism.” In this moment, I realized how impactful my words had been. It’s one thing to advocate for what you believe in despite the backlash that you get, but it’s another to see the result of your words. Although he didn’t turn into a feminist overnight, I was proud because I had explained the real definition of feminism, and he is now able to notice inequalities in society. This incident showed me that pushing against the status quo and standing up for my unconventional belief worked. In the same way, it showed me that being a part of the feminist movement is extremely easy and doing small things like this still has an impact. Bringing awareness to issues that women face all over the world, such as fewer reproductive rights, unequal pay, lack of access to education, gender-based violence, and others can be influential. After a few months, my friends began to approach me with questions about feminism and showing an interest in the topic. Several girls approached me telling me that they felt inspired by my unwavering stance on feminism. While I only saw the people who disagreed with me and challenged my belief, there were people who began to believe my message and support me. It felt extremely fulfilling to see that I was able to inspire other females to stand up for their beliefs and to join the feminist movement. My male friend, Samik, credits his interest in feminism to me. It’s extremely satisfying to know that your actions have benefitted someone. When people approach me to tell me how my words and my message has affected their outlook on life and their attitude towards issues in our world, it brings a smile to my face. Everytime I see someone who was influenced by me advocating for feminism, it’s extremely fulfilling because they now notice inequalities in their everyday life and are taking action to prevent them. In addition, these people now notice other forms of injustice around them because feminism mobilizes them to fight for other causes such as racial rights, LGBT rights, economic inequality, and more. Often times, it isn’t easy to speak out against injustice or point out inequalities. For example, when I heard the boy in my math class saying anti-feminist statements, the easy way out was to ignore him. But, by doing what’s right instead of what’s easy, one can make an impact. There’s definitely a struggle in voicing your opinion and standing up for your unconventional belief, but we all have the potential to go against the status quo and to spread a powerful message. Feminism is about advocating for equal rights and respect for all genders. It’s about bringing awareness to issues that threaten the lives of women all over the world, and issues that affect women on a daily basis. Fighting for feminism helps dispel the harms that every gender faces. The feminist movement is dynamic; and even within the movement, there is still room for growth in areas such as intersectionality. As an active member of society, one’s voice can have a huge impact. No matter what your role is in society, we are all capable of voicing our opinions about issues and bringing awareness to movements such as feminism. Post written by guest writer Jasmine Aggarwal As famous youth American entrepreneur, Walt Disney, once said, “if you can dream it, you can do it.” This inspires children to have many long term hopes and dreams, whether it be creating an art gala or ending world hunger. However, in order to do anything nowadays, we need a college degree, preferably from an Ivy or other high ranked school. To get there, we are trained to be “the best” in our high school class at all costs - sacrificing our social lives, sleep schedule, and any chance of taking a class we actually have interest in. The “geniuses” in our school districts have created a weighted grade system to “inspire” students to keep that desired high GPA. The system, however, brings into question if students are taking courses to challenge themselves, or if they are taking honors, IB and AP classes for the sole purpose of boosting their GPA, raising chances of college acceptance.
The idea of taking a class to enhance your knowledge rather than fulfilling a credit/enhancing a transcript is almost unheard of in the American educational system. On countless occasions, my counselors and classmates have pressured me to rethink my course decisions in order to embellish my resume. Once, I was advised to take a study hall instead of an art class, because even one non-weighted course lowered my GPA from its usual honors track. Despite this, I decided to take the art class. Though I’m not skilled artistically, this art class was something I was interested in and passionate about. The experience I had in that class, from meeting people I normally wouldn’t have to the hands-on experience I gained from creating art, inspired me to take another art class instead of a study hall my sophomore year. As a result, the following year, I had to manage five college level courses, because the two art classes lowered my GPA just enough to unease my counselor. Personally, I value taking a class that makes me think differently than most classes over a class that gives me time to get a head-start on homework. Many people choose the latter, because a study hall does not affect your GPA. While I do not regret my choices in taking on a heavy course load as a result of taking two non-weighted art courses, it is imperative for all classes to have an honors option, or for all schools to implement stress-free classes that will not damage a student’s GPA. The American schooling system needs to make taking non-weighted classes acceptable without a student feeling as though they are “destroying” their GPA. If keeping an unrealistically high GPA had not been an overhyped idea since grade school, students would have the chance to enroll into classes they are truly interested in. They would be able to learn and experience things from a new perspective, similar to my experience taking art. To allow honors students to take non-weighted courses that interests them, it is imperative they are not placed in a position to choose one class over another, pressured by classmates or counselors. The current limitations placed on students towards taking art and other non-weighted courses have prevented them the opportunity and ability to explore all possible interests, passions, and career paths. This post was originally published on Threading Twine. Founded in January 2017, Threading Twine is a youth-led social impact media company that focuses on allowing youth creators to have a voice in an increasingly globalized world. Threading Twine allows youth to create media about social issues and experiences and submit it to Threading Twine. Threading Twine is a communication system for the intellectual youth in today's world. Through Threading Twine, creators have the opportunity to network and connect with other change makers through online webinars and in person events. Threading Twine believes that every youth should have a voice, however, no change can happen in the world with one person alone. Post written by guest writer Ellie Fichtelberg |
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