Jeslyn Lin, Period 6, 3/3/23

 Socio-political Consciousness 

When I hear the words oppression and power, I immediately associate them with negative connotations. I can’t help but make the connection between these words and the events going on in the US: abortion, racism, LGBTQ, climate change, and etc. Oppression itself is vile; it means prolonged and cruel treatment of a group under power. I truly believe that power can be a tool that is supposed to aid people in making changes for the better. Unfortunately, power can become corrupt and it has become evidently clear in these past few years for me. 

I have personally felt oppressed, especially as a Chinese, bisexual, and genderqueer person. When the pandemic hit, it was one of the first times I genuinely feared for my life. Growing up in NYC, I have always felt welcomed as it’s a pretty diverse state with people from all over the world. However, the act of shoving Asian people into trains started occurring, the attacks on the elderly, and the general racism that became more prominent as 2020 continued changed the way I viewed things. I began reevaluating the ways I was treated in primary school– the casual racist remarks, the stereotyping, and the pulling at the eyes. The events that occurred as the pandemic hit opened my eyes. Despite the violence that was happening, it was mostly brushed aside. There was no news coverage over the traumatic events; I saw the voices of Asian Americans being silenced in social media and disgusting actions being excused. 

Furthermore, both my sexuality and gender identity have shaped the way I think about oppression and power. I was assigned female at birth and I grew up in a traditional Chinese family. I was constantly shoved into a box that I tried desperately escaping as a kid. I was told that I wasn’t allowed to play sports, I was told I couldn’t dress in certain ways, and I was told to do “womanly” activities. My family had power over me simply because they were my family and were older – they were a small source of oppression towards my gender identity and my sexuality. When I was trying to figure out who I was, I had many people invalidate my feelings and label me as a girl. Even now, in society, we see the effect of power on the oppressed. We see influential figures that comment on groups of people which then affect how that figure’s supporters see that group of people. Instead, those who have power should be sympathizing with those who are oppressed and use their power in order to better others’ situations. 

Other examples of oppression and power are the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Willow Project. Once again, those who are in power (aka US Supreme Court in this case) made the decision to overturn Roe v Wade knowing that it would affect over 50% of the population. This can be an example of oppression because they took away the constitutional right of abortion from people who have the inalienable right to their own body. The inalienable right to make decisions about their own body and their health. I bring up the Willow Project and these other examples because there are people who will argue that any ordinary person can gain power by starting movements or persuading people to make micro changes. While I do think that ordinary people can attain power, I believe that it’s difficult to. The Willow Project is a prominent example. It was approved by President Biden (the power in this situation) and there has been massive outrage as it would release an unspeakable amount of carbon pollution. At the time of writing this, over 1.95 million people have signed the petition and I’ve seen a ton of videos (in the past few days) of people advocating against this project. Despite these powerful messages and numbers, there is still talk of moving forward with this project. 

Due to the events that I have witnessed and experienced myself, I can’t help but be distrustful towards those who have power and authority. However, despite this, I still strongly and truly believe that power can be used for good. My experiences make me want to give up this belief. They make me want to believe that power is a corrupt tool and that those who have it do not care for those who don’t. Yet, I still hold hope that those who are currently facing oppression will one day live in a world where they will be accepted and safe. As for myself, I believe that everything I’ve seen has shaped my character. No longer do I see myself as someone confused or bitter, but as someone who is resilient and someone who has a voice.