Digital Journal #5 Karen Meza

 "We can't expect to do this job without being hit" (Vega, B., 2022)

"This is a hard-to-accept fact that all history verifies. We must acknowledge it and move on to adopt policies based on what I call: "Racial Realism" (Bell, D., 1992)

My reflection:

I firmly believe I have begun to pursue anti-racist practices. And, the quotes above express how I have been feeling during the course. It has hurt, and know will keep hurting to realize that racism is deep-rooted in our society, and has also directly affected me, but I am ready for the fight to have those few or many moments of victory. I don't think it is pointless, on the contrary, the alert-bottom has been installed in me to identify whether white supremacy, coloniaslism, classism, color blindness, microagression happen in our routines. 

On the other hand, by reading the article by Yosso in which she questions whether Higher education institutions' diversity practices are genuine or of convenience, has awaken a feeeling of anger in me at the beginning. My sister studies in New Jersey and has left our home for a "better" future and pursue her dreams. Just thinking of the idea that she (myself) and many others may just be seen as statistics to meet quotas, is heart-breaking. But, I now have a thorough understanding of why her work at her university is centred in latin women empowerement. She keeps being an example to me. And, on my side I need to more efficiently see how anti-racist practices can be inserted in the education sector, at least, in what I do. So the feeling, I have now is a desire and determination to fight racism.

For instance, I see that here in Peru our higher education institutions do not offer culture centers as counterspaces for historically marginalized ethnicities: Shipibos, Afro Peruvian, Aymaras, Quechuas, for example. How are they to build "community resistance" (hooks, 1990) to value diversity, academic achievement, and enhance social justice? How can I help insert anti-racist practices? Coincidentally, I have just been appointed to work in a project with the office that sees initial teacher education. This is a great opportunity to act.



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