Carolee Chen, Period 7, 11/23/2023

Modern Mythology 2023: Socio-Political Consciousness 

• What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

• How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Last year in AP Lang & Comp class, we were assigned to conduct extensive research on a  socio-political issue of our choice and present a solution to this issue to the class. Being the first daughter of a traditional Asian father, I wanted my research to relate to women's empowerment and use what I’ve learned to break the misogynistic dynamic that has been deeply ingrained in my family. Thus, I spent months specifically researching the detrimental effects of women denied an abortion across the US and how we are able to increase accessibility to reproductive care. As a part of my research, I read the book, “The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having—or Being Denied—an Abortion” written by Dr. Diana Greene Foster. Within ten years, her team recruited women at abortion clinics and compared the results of those who were just over the gestational limit and denied an abortion to those who underwent the procedure. After reading, it was extremely interesting to discover the extent to which being denied an abortion has on women, other than physically being forced to bear a child. Women who are denied are cut short of their aspiring goals, are more likely to live in poverty, suffer intense mental health problems, and their mother-child relationship is usually negatively impacted. Additionally, it was eye-opening to see multiple accounts of anti-abortion politicians who either don’t even know about these effects or are just able to transfer public funds to support evangelistic clinics that convince women at abortion clinics that they are making a mistake. These same politicians are the ones on the media outwardly supporting anti-abortion ideals for their campaigns. After months of delving into the controversy and practicing my speech in the mirror of my room, I finally was ready to present. I counterclaimed the common stance argued by many anti-abortion advocates that “abortions hurt women and affect them negatively” by stating that there is actually no proof to this claim, abortions are just like any general healthcare routine procedure, and women are actually far more hurt being denied an abortion than receiving one. I also brought up the other common argument that it is a sin to have an abortion and that every life is precious to dispute that personal belief should not dictate the lives of thousands of women who do not follow the same religion or follow one at all. To conclude my presentation, I advocated that reproductive healthcare needs to be more accessible in the US, whether that be birth control popups in neighborhoods, further education in schools, and support to local clinics that are often run-down, understaffed, and barely funded.
            Once everyone clapped and I took my seat, I was incredibly proud of myself for not just participating in a class I usually do not talk in, but for speaking out against injustice and being a youth figure of empowerment in the class. After that presentation, I promised myself to continue advocating for social justice and equity and made fighting against inequality a significant part of my life. I marched across the Brooklyn Bridge in an Asian-American hate protest with my family that summer, protesting against the sudden rise in hate that forced members of my community to stay home in fear. I had never felt more sense of community than standing with others like me also full of strength and hope for a better and equal future. I also marched in the NYC Pride Parade, celebrating with my queer friends our identity and for coming out that year to my family. I really enjoy this class as mythology allows me to relate stories outside of reality to further my passion for equality in the real world. In this class, I often connect many of our readings to contemporary inequality issues. For instance, for my group’s Norse project about The Story of Gerd and Freyr, we decided that Gerd rejects Freyr and gave her a voice and story, alluding to the feminist critical theory as she was forced to just marry Freyr with no say in the original story. In doing so, I was able to explore the interdisciplinary connection between myths and social justice and learn the ability of my generation to spin and rewrite traditional ideals rooted in historical literature to push for a more diverse society today.