A woman interviewed me yesterday. She wanted to get life stories from Hispanic women activists. I don’t really know, actually, why she picked me, but I have the sneaking suspicion that she was tired of interviewing women who spoke only Spanish. It is really laborious to have to transcribe everything (believe me it is a tedious job) then translate everything and then try to understand it.
Obviously she and I are very similar women. We had the same kinds of glasses, the same big hippie bag, the same body even, we did social sciences and believed that politics is bread and water. We liked sesame bagels – toasted AND with loads of cream cheese; we drink coffee as soon as we wake up – and sometimes before we go to sleep; we have nose rings, and we both had tongue rings at one point in our lives. The similarities piled on top of each other, on and on they went. Except one thing: we did see our role in the world very differently. When it came time to talk about how to reach equality and give voice to others, she chose the path of ‘using’ her privilege to the advantage of others and took the path of ‘denying’ and ‘surrendering’ my privilege and at the same time work for the betterment of others. It is a necessity that to reach equality, justice and basic human rights those that are PRIVILEGED have to give up some of the rights while AT THE SAME TIME those that are not privileged work to reach higher. I mean, it wasn’t until recently that the women’s movement started to really focus on men and their vital involvement in the fight for women’s rights. Men have to understand that for everybody to reach a higher level of humanity everybody has to work towards the goal. Those that are poor, or are of the “wrong” gender, or social class, religion, etc have to strive up while those that are rich and are in power HAVE TO give up some of their rights. Ni modos, that’s how it has to be.

But I digress, the interview went well and you might see it posted online. I am sure I won’t like what I read, but what comes out of my mouth is not mine anymore. Only my thoughts.

Cheers to all!

Miriam