Intro to Social Justice By Ashley Cardona

In the photographs and interviews I made with my brother, cousin, and friend, I was able to capture themes we learned about in class that go deeper than the surface. These issues are at the base structure of our society and affect how the US system works in various ways. Some of these themes include racism, homophobia, and classism; themes related to power such as education and citizenship status; and the theme of identity through ethnicity and culture.

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One of the issues in our nation that is related to power is citizenship status. When I interviewed my cousin Gladys, I asked her what were some goals she wanted to accomplish; one of these goals was to be able to have papers, or legal status, in order to travel to Guatemala- her home country. Citizenship status is a common struggle for immigrants in the United States, as it is difficult to achieve. Because of this, it prevents them from doing things like traveling outside the nation, in this case visiting their homeland and family. I have family members, like Gladys, who have gone over fifteen years without seeing their parents and siblings, or visiting where they grew up, or experiencing cultural traditions such as the food, which Gladys said she missed about Guatemala,, aside from her family. It is an emotional struggle for it all to be a factor in immigrants’ lives which they have no control over. They are things they cannot choose to relive without making the choice of returning home permanently, due to the disadvantages of not being legal, or a citizen.

In the interview with my friend Amy, she stated how some changes she would like to see in the world are no racism and the end of harassment toward people in the LGBTQ community. This harrasment is attached to homophobia, and failure to accept relationships and sexualities that go beyond the traditional heterosexual relationship. Both racism and homophobia are issues where one side is favored: being white or being heterosexual; a person who is of any other race or sexuality is mistreated because they do not fit into the position seen as superior or acceptable by society. These issues over time have gotten the attention of the nation, where movements were created, and laws were made in support of those that are oppressed, discriminated against, and harrassed.

The theme of education related with power is one that could be drawn from one of my brother’s responses in his interview. I asked him-Jonathan- what is something he wished he would have done differently in his life, and to summarize his response, he said he wished he would have paid more attention in highschool because he ended up with a low gpa - which affects acceptance into college. Now this need to have good grades, is related to him being of the working class. Working class or poor students feel that good grades in school is important as it is a main factor that could help them get into colleges and receive scholarships in order to afford it. It’s an issue only they have because people of higher classes can afford their education, and do not feel the pressure or priority to rely on grades to help them get into college. This relates the theme of education with classism and power.

The interviews also explored themes of identity with ethnicity, and culture. At the start of my interviews I asked my friends and family members what their ethnicity was or where they are from. They all made mention of their hispanic roots whether it be Guatemala or Dominican Republic, my cousin being Guatemalan, my brother being Guatemalan-American, and my friend being Dominican-American. Furthermore, the photographs explored the theme of culture. One of the photographs of my cousin showed her making carne asada, a popular hispanic dish in Central-American countries such as Mexico and Guatemala. For my friend Amy, one of her photographs showed the volume and fluff of her beautiful curly hair, which is a physical trait common to people of Dominican Republic.

Through the interviews and photographs, I was able to connect themes that contain deeper explanations than shown. Some of these were “ism” themes we learned in class that include racism and classism- both issues in our society that leave one category of people in advantage, and the rest, whether it be those who are minorities or those who have less money, with unjust opportunities. I was also able to draw out the issue of education interrelated with classism. Another issue was homophobia, and the harassment targeted toward people in the LGBTQ commumity. I also explored identity through ethnicity and culture- exploring one’s traditions and physical characteristics. These topics and more are at the center of how people are treated in America and what they can do. It is these challenges that bring the nation together to become better.