Huidor1

YlianaHuidor
ProfessorLo
RaceandSocialJustice
9Jan.2016

ReflectiononFirstTerm
DuringthefirsttermIfacedmanychallengesandobstaclesthatshapedmeintoaneven
morehardworkingandsuccessfulstudent.PerhapsoneofthebiggestchallengesIfacedinthis
classwastryingtomakesenseofallofthereadings.Manyofthereadingsthatwereassignedto
usweredifficulttounderstandduetotheirambiguity,diction,andthetimeperiodinwhichthey
werecomposedin.Manytimesthereadingsrequiredmetodoextraresearchonthesubject
becauseIwasunfamiliarontheeventsthattookplaceinthattimeframeorbecauseIwassimply
oblivioustotheactualeventthereadingswerereferencing.Forinstanceinthearticle,The
AnthropologicalConstructionofIndians,author,
ThomasBolasi,analyzesandcritiques
HavilandSchudderMekeel,ananthropologistwithgenuineemotionalconcernforthe
disadvantagedNativeAmericans,empiricalfindingsonthelivesandculturesofNative
Americans.IwasrelativelyuninformedonthehistoryofanthropologyinregardstoNative
AmericansthusItookituponmyselftodoadditionalresearchontopic.Iusedthisstrategyof
researchingtopicsthatIwasunsureofforvariousclassreadings.Theonlydownsidetothis
strategywasthatitaddedasignificantamountoftimetomyreadingprocessbutIquickly
realizedthattheprosoutweighedtheconsbecausebydoingsoIfeltlikeagreatlayerof
ignorancebeingremovedfrommeandreplacedwithnewfoundknowledge.AnotherchallengeI


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facedwasthepresentationtheclasshadtodoattheendofthequarter.Speakinginfrontofa
classhasalwaysbeenanobstacleformeduetomysocialanxiety.Ihavealwaysbeenincredibly
uncomfortablewithpresentinginfrontofpeersmyageandbecauseIgetsonervous,mynerves
oftentimesinterferewithmycognitioncausingmetostutterorevenworseforgetwhatIwas
goingtosay.Anotherdifficultpartaboutthisassignmentwasknowingwhattosay.This
presentationgaveusthefreedomtodecidewhatwewouldtalkaboutandhowwewouldsayit
thereforemygroupdecidedtodiscusstheracialeventsthattookplaceattheUniversityof
Missouri.Findinginformationontheunfortunateandunjusteventsthatpartookwasnotatall
troublesome,thedemandingpartwasbeingabletocondenseallofthatcriticalinformationintoa
fiveminutespresentation.Itplacedmeunderasignificantcloudofanxietyattemptingtopick
andchosethemostsignificantpartstopresenttotheclassandmakingsurethatIwasdoingan
adequatejobofconveyingallthoseparts.Ialsofeltagreatdealofpressuretoexplaineverything
clearlytotheclassbecauseformanyclassmatesitwouldbehisorherfirsttimehearingthis
informationthusitwasimportantthatIusedreliablesourcesaswellasanaudiblevoicetoget
theseimportantpointsacross.Additionally,becausetheevents,suchasthefootballteams
strike,hadoccurredsorecentlyitwasimportantthatmygroupenlightenedtheclassandeach
otheronthem.Theseeventswerealsoveryrelevanttothetopicsthatwefrequentlytalkaboutin
classsuchasracialinjusticeamongststudentsofcolor.EventhoughIwasnervousIknowthat
mygroupandIdidagreatjobcommunicatingtheimportanceoftheeventsfromMizzouand
knowingthatIeducatedmyselfandtheclassonsuchacrucialtopicdefinitelymadetheanxietyI
feltinthatmomentandalltheworkIputinmyresearchworthit.AfinalobstacleIfacedinthe
firstquarterwascomingtotermswiththesimplefactsthattherearemanythingsthatIam


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unawareofandthatisok.ThereweremanytopicsIwasobliviousaboutsuchasthetopicof
Eugenics.RealizingthattherewassomuchthatIdidnotknowputadamperonmyselfesteem
andmademefeelinadequatebutthenIquicklyrealizedthatthiswasandisamajorpartof
growingup.IhadthecouragetoadmittomyselfthattherewasmuchaboutthisworldthatIdid
notknowandIsimilarityalsohadtheaudacitytocontinueeducatingmyselfonsuchtopicsand
beyond.Iamalsoveryproudofmyselfforputtingmyprideasideandaskingquestionsinclass
infrontofothers.InthepastIwouldrestrictmyselffromaskingquestionsoutoffearofthose
questionsmakingmeseemstupid.Irealizedthatthisimmaturitywouldgetmenowhereinlife
anditwastimetojumpoutofmycomfortzone.Therewerealsocompellinginspiringmoments
thattookplaceduringthefirsttermtheseinspiringmomentsmadethetermverysuccessfuland
worthwhile.Oneofthoseinspiringmomentswashearingmypeersopinions.Ofcourse,Ididnot
necessarilyagreewitheverythingeachindividualhadtosaybutitdidmakemerespectand
admirethemsomuchmore.HearingtheirtenacityandpassionmademerealizethatIshouldnot
beashamedofmybeliefsandsimilarlyIshouldnotbeafraidtovoicemyopinionbecause
voicingmyopinionisoneofthebestwaysIcaneducatemyselfandridmyselfofignoranceso
thatImaycontinuetobloom.Iwasalsoinspiredbyhearingmyclassmatesaspirationstheyhave
fortheirlife.Manyofmypeershavegoalsofimprovingsocietyinsmallyetsignificantways.
Theyalsohavegoalsforimprovingtheirwellbeingandhearingthatotherpeoplehavethose
samegoalsinspiredmetofocusonbetteringmyselfaswell.IbeganfocusingonthewaysthatI
couldimprovemyselfintellectuallyanddoingsocompletelychangedmymindset.Lastly,Ihave
alsobeeninspiredtoandhavemadetheamazingdecisiontoparticipatemoreinclass.