Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza

Study Hall! Youth activism, Prop 22, and being multiracial.

Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. Many of these questions from this week are actually newsletters en queue, but I added a couple I felt I could address in the short space here.

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Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • 1. Reflect on the questions prompted by our community.

    2. Ask yourself two questions about one of the topics we discussed this week. Discuss these questions with a friend or colleague.

GET EDUCATED

In review: The newsletters we published this week.
 

9/11/2020 | Protect Black women.
 

9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.
 

9/9/2020 | Make the census count.
 

9/8/2020 | Reject the model minority myth.
 

9/7/2020 | Learn about critical race theory.
 

9/6/2020 | Protect the aging population from COVID-19.

RESOURCE
Black women services in Atlanta, GA
From Protect Black women on Friday, September 11.

From reader Maria:

This article is a critical reminder of the ways in which Black women experience intersecting violence from all corners of society. I wanted to share a resource that is working to serve Black women survivors of domestic violence and suicidality in Atlanta, GA. They provide 100% free psychological services and work to address transportation and other barriers to provide Black women with much-needed support, including practical support (clothing, feminine products). The program has been developing a culturally adapted intervention for Black women survivors of DV for ~20 years now. This program also trains mental health and medical professionals to be more culturally competent. Resources like these are too few and far between, but this is a program that is really doing good work. The website is below:

https://theniaproject.wordpress.com/

Q+A
You mentioned that many people don't know about our history because it's not taught often in school. What can we do to ensure our education system is educating our kids about history more equitably? 
From Reject the model minority myth on Tuesday, September 8.

This is worth a whole newsletter – which I'm planning on publishing next week! Because our education system is a critical component of how we view the world, particularly when it comes to racial equity.

I'll dive into it further in that piece, but it starts with active participation. Parents have a particular influence on the curriculum brought into classrooms. Review your child's syllabus and consider how many diverse stories and perspectives are included. Flip through their textbooks and note how their lessons on history, geography, etc. may prioritize certain places and parts of our timeline.

Also, consider the representation of your school district – not just in its teachers (which is critically important) but in the administrators, district leads, and educational boards. There's still state and federal mandates, but as you'll read next week, public participation can greatly influence it, for better or worse.

INSIGHT
Prop 22 protects more than just low-wage workers that are employed by tech companies.
From Fight for fair labor on Thursday, September 10

From reader Julia:
 

It’s good to see some love towards Prop 22! More than gig workers are affected by the current policy. 

Right now businesses are allowed to try workers as contractors before they commit to them as employees. Depending on the cost of the contractor, businesses can be tempted to keep workers (performing essential functions to the business) as contractors indefinitely. 

This subjects so-called “freelance” workers to a sometimes full time schedule with one single business, without the health benefits, stock benefits, retirement benefits, bonus benefits, or pay that their employee peers receive. 

Q+A
I'm under the age of 18 so I can't take the census, or get a census job. How else can I support? 

Actually, anyone age 15 years or older can do the census on behalf of their household! Be sure to check with the people you live with to see if someone else has already completed it on your behalf. You do have to be 18 to get a census job.

After you've sorted this out, spread the word! Maybe you have friends that are also under the age of 18 who thought the same thing you did. And maybe you can rally your friends on social media to take action! 

I can imagine it's especially for anyone too young or disenfranchised from voting to watch what's unfolding in the U.S. right now and not be able to take civic action. It might sound simple and dismissive, but I mean this earnestly – now is the most important time to use whatever power you have to share your voice. It might not feel like you're making a difference. But luckily, we all don't have to change the world alone. If we can each change one heart and mind, only half of us have to be successful for all of us to thrive. Start where you are and do what you can. You've got this.

Q+A
How does the model minority myth impact individuals with mixed identities? As someone who's both Asian and Black, for example, have double the expectations for success?
From Reject the model minority myth on Tuesday, September 9.

I am not both Black and Asian, so I can't speak to this from personal experience. I can imagine it's a unique experience for each person, and influenced by their perceptions of how their identities are perceived in the world around them.

From what I learned in Jami's newsletter, model minority myth, like many racial biases, isn't just internalized. It's something that individuals experience from the world around them. So it's not just "how do I relate to this concept," but "how does the world view me in this light, and what does that mean for my safety and well-being?" 

Regardless of how it does, I think we should all be sensitive to how it should. And, know that we can listen and learn to understand, instead of intentionally or unintentionally promoting the same myth.

Clarifications

9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.
I meant to write that voting No to Prop 22 protects low-wage workers from exploitation. Not "Yes to Prop 22". The campaign for "Yes to Prop 22" is a well-funded marketing campaign from tech companies, including Uber. I've made that clarification in our archives.

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