*Can also be found within Hypothes.is*

“I wonder why there are women born with silver spoons in their mouths Women who have never known a day of hunger Women who have never changed their own bed linen And I wonder why there are women who must work Women who must clean other women’s houses Women who must shell shrimps for pennies a day Women who must sew other women’s clothes Who must cook Who must die In childbirth In dreams Why must woman stand divided? Building the walls that tear them down? Jill-of-all-trades Lover, mother, housewife, friend, breadwinner Heart and spade A woman is a ritual A house that must accommodate A house that must endure Generation after generation Of wind and torment, of fire and rain A house with echoing rooms Closets with hidden cries Walls with stretchmarks Windows with eyes” (Genny Lim 26)

I have chosen to highlight this passage because it truly resonated with me while reading through it. TBCMB is a collection of works by female scholars, writers, and contributors detailing their experiences in society. It challenges the claims of solidarity based on sisterhood within the feminist movement by presenting readers with a view of the plight faced by non-white feminists despite the movement’s successes. This passage poses the question directly — why are women treated less favorably by society and even more so by other women? In order to succeed in creating a change, woman must come together and realize that the plight of your fellow woman despite race or class is in fact your plight as well.

“Sometimes in the face of my own/our own limitations, in the face of such world-wide suffering, I doubt even the significance of books.”

This quote from the passage is relevant to the larger text because it discusses a very important issue which that words cannot always be used as weapons. Women have suffered for years because of their color, race, and just because of their gender. Writing is a great way to reach out to the public and make a platform for yourself, but when writing about opinions and politics controversy emerges. This quote is relevant to the larger text mainly because it states that our opinions can be used against us. This can be considered a limitation when making a movement or can be considered a strength. I guess it depends on the situation.

First, I want to reflect on the interview I had with my grandma. I questioned my grandma because she is 88 years old and she was born in Kiev, Ukraine. At the time my grandma lived in Ukraine it was still a part of the Soviet Union. My grandma had my uncle and only 14 years later when she was 40, she had my mom. After my uncle’s death, my grandma and grandpa (who was paralyzed from fighting in World War two) took my mom and immigrated to America. In between Ukraine and America, they lived in Italy for 5 months. When they got to America, she was too old and unhealthy to go back to school but she babysat for a family until I was born. This was difficult for her because the family was Orthodox Jewish and only spoke English and Yiddish. My grandma did not speak those languages and there was a language barrier for years until she learned a little bit of English and little bit of Yiddish. This is how the interview went with my grandma:

Q- In the Soviet Union, was there discrimination based on gender while you were growing up?

100%! I worked for the newspaper during my entire professional carrier and the men did not take me seriously because I am a woman. I had to prove that I can type fast and efficiently (I worked as a typewriter). Also, during World War two I was still a child, so I don’t have much memory, but I remember my grandma (who took care of me during the war) struggled to find a way to make money to pay for food and other necessities.

Q- What was it like immigrating to America with a handicapped husband?

It was a struggle. Not only was it a struggle because I am a woman but also because I had to take care of my husband in the process. We had connections such as; family and friends who helped us out when we got to America. Being a woman made it difficult to find a job right away in America and this was very stressful because I had the pressure of putting food on the table for me and my family.

Q-Do you miss your old life in Ukraine?

Honestly, no I don’t. My quality of life is so much better here in America. I had the opportunity to improve my life and my families so that’s what I did. I found work and although I was discriminated against because of my gender, our Jewish religion was not something that really effected my life in America but in the Soviet Union it was a grand part of the opportunities my daughter would have had.

Q- What advice do you have for women of my generation that are currently in school or just started in their field working?

Always keep your head up and have a positive attitude. The second you start viewing your gender as a weakness is the second it becomes your weakness. Women nowadays are starting to get the rights that they deserve and have been fighting for forever, so take advantage of the power you have and never give up on yourself.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-MxrEJChvr_glGrq3WuVUEgla2rNWbl-EU6qHATp7dI/edit

Materialist feminism expands on the idea that capitalism and patriarchy are key to understanding women’s oppression. Gender is seen as a social construct, thus society forces gender roles, such as giving birth, onto women. This is an issue only because not everyone recognizes the importance of this constructed role but also because this “role” might not fit every women. Materialist feminists are fighting for women’s rights so that women are treated socially and economically the same as men in society.

Judith Butler is talking about gender performance and how anything that you do to express your gender which is not innate but is the result of human cultural ideas of gender – you are “performing” your gender. Thus I perform my gender whenever I decide to pick out the cloths i’m going to wear for today since my sense of fashion is derived from cultural ideas of my gender instead of my own innate biological disposition.