The Privilege of a Latina in STEM by Ana Artiaga
“My experience as an Engineering for Social Justice Scholar experience has definitely been a roller coaster thus far.
I went to my first class and things took a spin. I was the only LATINA— actually the only Latinx in the entire classroom. I guess at this point I should have already been used to being the only Latina in a classroom considering I study engineering, right. I mean if it’s rare to find a girl in an engineering class, now imagine finding a Latina. I like to think of it as a game of Finding Waldo. There are tons of engineers everywhere in the picture and then when you look looong and haard, “oh you spotted a Latina”.
Being the only Latino person in the classroom wasn’t too bad for after all the students, were from all sorts of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, which I thought, was pretty cool! In my Engineering for Social Justice Scholar’s class you can find students of all colors and experiences. This being said everyone had different levels of PRIVILEGE.
PRIVILEGE was something that I did not become aware of until I came to college. While registering for courses during summer freshman orientation the advisor placed me in low freshman engineering courses after seeing that I came from an inner city Chicago Public School. Despite the fact that I had taken much AP credit. I was overwhelmed, I felt as if my advisor thought I was stupid. Then the Fall came and I began to take courses with all sorts of talented engineering freshman, who the majority seemed to think classes were so easy. Then there was me. The student who half the time had no idea what was going on in Chemistry, Calculus, Physics, you name it despite the fact I was “college prepared” by my high school. Yet, I WASN’T. It was then that I learned that the quality of the education I received did not compare to that of my classmates. I WAS NOT PRIVILEGED. I WAS NOT PREPARED. AND I DID NOT FEEL WELCOMED IN ENGINEERING.
I continued to see PRIVILEGE everyyyyywhere on campus. Some students drive luxurious cars, live in the fanciest apartments, purchase the full price textbooks–you know the more expensive books from the Union bookstore rather than the cheaper deals online. That’s PRIVILEGE. Having the core skills to exceed in your classes is PRIVILEGE. Having your parents pay for your tuition, is PRIVILEGE. I DON’T Have This PRIVILEGE.
PRIVILEGE became a HOT topic during my Engineering for Social Justice Scholar’s class. Matter of fact our privilege was shown to us with our very own Privilege Walk exercise. Every time we took a step back representing how unprivileged we are I thought of all the things that could possibly contribute to me being considered NOT Privileged.
There are tons of things that can make me unprivileged. I grew up in a neighborhood known for its poverty and violence, I received a public education, I have 1 parent instead of two, and the list can go on & on & on.
I was not HURT or SURPRISED when I was recognized as one of the most “unprivileged” persons in my classroom according to the social experiment.
BUT I did became frequently DEPRESSED and ANGERED with this class. A class that combined my BIGGEST passions: Engineering and Social Justice. A class I thought was MADE perfectly for me. I became saddened when I realized the LACK of understanding of social inequalities based on identity power and privilege some have. I heard comments as:
“Well why serve those who don’t have a high chance of succeeding in the current education system even with outside help?”
“Why help those communities that are proven to statistically continue being underrepresented?”
Such Comments, especially in a service learning course, that frequently reflect unexamined privilege and cast persons and unrepresented communities—as a “problem”. SHOCKED ME.
SERIOUSLY —check every square inch of privilege that you have.
- I wasn’t expected to graduate high school.
- I was expected to work somewhere for minimum wage.
- I wasn’t expected to achieve good grades in math and science.
- I was expected to achieve in cooking and cleaning.
- I wasn’t expected to be an engineering senior at the age of 21.
- I was expected to be a wife and caring mom at 21.
BUT I surpassed adversities and fall into a very PRIVILEGED category. Yes I too, am very PRIVILEGED.
- In 2013 more than one in five Latinas between 25-29 years of age had not graduated from high school. I graduated high school, I am 1 of the 5 Latinas.
- I am privileged
- Only 3 percent of Latina women are represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I am a very lucky 3%. If this room was filled with 100 Latinas I would be 1 of the 3 chosen ones.
- I am PRIVILEGED
- I attend one of the BEST engineering schools in the nation.
- I am PRIVILEGED
- And, I was given the opportunity to be here before you today.
- I am PRIVILEGED.”
“Prayers from the Wolves Den” by Siobhan Fox
You can see inequality
everywhere that you look
We just pass it off as normal and
it goes ignored
questioning her self worth
her voice recedes
every time you doubt her words
All it takes is some listening
To see that she’s crippling
Underneath ignored ambitions
suppressed by his ignorance
Both exposed and irrelevant
As I sit between man and man
Both exposed and irrelevant
Nothing else ever seems to hurt
Like your piercing words
When you say that my degree is a lie
And that my work
Could never stand on it own
Your judgment makes
Me feel stripped down to the bone
All it takes is some listening
To this that this is happening
Stopping collaboration
By preventing education
This right here affects everyone
Even though my voice is only one
Yes this affects everyone
I say this not
To make men feel ashamed
But to recognize our lives
They are not the same
Just look around at those
Affected by this pain
Together we can break
Systematic chains
Don’t diminish our excellence
Because of petty arrogance
Together we achieve success
If we celebrate intelligence
Please strengthen our community
By celebrating unity
Please strengthen our community