Intersectionality and me by Sebastian Cruz

Background

sebastiancruz9112_ — 2023-11-24 22:23:59 UTC

I am ethnically Mexican and I come from a majority Latino community. Meaning that I am very in touch with my Mexican community even being born in America. More realistically I am in touch with the Latino community in southern California, which in many aspects differs hugely from Latino culture, in each of their respective nations. Although I am ethnically Mexican and Latino I was born in America and have spent the majority of my life in southern California. I feel that I side more with American culture than Mexican culture and am to a certain degree proud to be American. Often times in my culture however, I am pressured to be the sole provider for my family while my wife takes care of the homestead. Due to this pressure I study hard to get a good job, conforming to gender roles.

My journey with feminism and religion

sebastiancruz9112_ — 2023-11-24 23:40:47 UTC

When I was younger, I have to admit I was not so much a believer in woman's rights as I am now. I have a very religious family, meaning that I was always taught to be religious myself and those religious thoughts weren't always kind to feminist ideals. However, growing up I have learned to distribute myself between the two and while still leaning on the religious side I now see more clearly from the side of feminism. In fact in "Racism, Birth control, and Reproductive rights" by Angela Davis a big part of it is about the reproductive rights of women. Suffice to say I used to be on one side and now I am on the other, thanks in part to this class and the reading to help me get a clearer vision of certain aspects of feminism in my head.

Organized sports

sebastiancruz9112_ — 2023-11-25 01:35:27 UTC

Growing up as a male I was pressured, expected, and "supposed to" do certain things like play sports or to "suck it up". In fact many of my experiences I can relate to the "Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the construction of masculinities" reading by Michael A. Messner. In the reading it discusses and analyzes how playing organized sports at a young age shapes masculinity. I can connect with much of what the reading explains, like how many athletes explain that when they were young playing sports was 'natural' to them, as it was to me. In the reading it also states how one of the biggest reasons so many young men played sports was to feel a connection and unity with other people. Looking back I can agree with this statement and say that a big reason for me to continue playing sports was to feel a sense of unity with other people.

My sexuality and me

sebastiancruz9112_ — 2023-11-25 23:12:21 UTC

For the better part of my life I have never once questioned my sexuality. All my life I had believed that I was heterosexual, and I continue to believe so. However, because of this class I have learned that there is so much more than heterosexuality and so many sexualities you can identify and relate with that I had not previously known about. In fact I learned much about the transgender and gender display concepts through this class. Through the readings and learning about these two in particular I have gained introspection and it has made me think about my own feelings and desires. They have changed they way I think about certain things and the way that I feel.

My process of change

sebastiancruz9112_ — 2023-11-26 00:41:15 UTC

This padlet has explained how I have changed and grown in life. This is the process of intersectionality and how it has shaped me. Through intersectionality I am the man I am today and have changed much from how I was before. Because of this I resonate with the reading "We are all works in progress" by Leslie Feinberg. I think I and many. many other people can deeply resonate with what Feinberg explains, and that I am not the same person I was yesterday, nor will I be the same man I am tomorrow. Though the reading is more centered around gender, gender expression and sex, I am more and more captivated by such ideas and ways of life. This experience of me changing is intersectionality.