Xtra Credit Post, yo!

This exercise has been/was difficult and challenging for personal reasons, but more specifically for the reason that part of me is still in denial about having as much privilege as I do. Growing up was partially filled with food stamps as my mother struggled to raise four children alone, but we never were hungry. So I grew up knowing that we weren’t the richest or the poorest. Instead, I grew up as one of those children who is presented with opportunities, one of the poorer children who has little to carry but much to offer. I grew up believing we just got lucky sometimes. And now, when coming to Macalester, I question the legitimacy of my thoughts because there is privilege on my part. I used to resist any acknowledgement of it though because I feel like doing so would ignore the history I cam from, a proud history. I want people to know that I came from poverty and even though I am in a more comfortable position now, I am one who fought the fight, is fighting the fight, to get what I want as a person of color, student of color, and woman. Most of this want comes from wanting to still be accepted by my people because things change (e.g. opinions, eye contact, treatment) when one of their own come back home with a degree. The elders are proud, my mother’s generation is sometimes bitter, and my generation harass and name call because they think college graduate have an attitude problem that needs to be fixed. I want to, need to, be accepted by my people. After all, I am doing this partly for them and am happy to. 

That being told, I am growing into accepting my position as a privileged person because I know where I came from. That, however, is easier said than done.