Untitled
It was the usual annual Thanksgiving dinner that I was looking forward to after a stressful couple of weeks of writing college applications. It was a really enjoyable dinner until suddenly I was in the spotlight and all eyes were on me. I have always hated being the center of attention during these family dinners because it can never be about a pleasant topic. To my dismay, the topic of where I was planning to go to college came up. Multiple family members demanded to know where I applied to and what my grade point average was and what I got on the SAT and if I received any scholarships or recognition in school. Apparently, the answers to all their questions were not what they think was good enough because I could see something similar to mortification on my family members faces. They then went on about how my cousins, who are mostly boys, have accomplished so much more and criticized on how I should have done better and applied to better schools. Growing up in an Asian household, being compared to my siblings or cousins was the usual so this did not really bother me. As I was sitting in the hot seat eating stuffing nonchalantly, out of nowhere, my uncle abruptly said that because I was a girl, I could never amount to what boys can do.
I was taken aback because it was rudest thing that anyone has ever said about me and even the generalization of girls. Especially, I never expected a family member to be so sexist. Being one of the youngest kids the family, there always has been expectations and standards for me to be a certain way or to become a certain person. Nevertheless, I never expected to be put down for my school performance.That was the most memorable experience where someone made me feel ashamed because of my gender. I have always been aware of the sexism and gender inequality that continue to persist to exist in society, but because what my uncle said was extremely personal and offensive, this really encouraged me to explore this issue even more. This topic became my main focus because it is so significant in my life. During my research, I learned more about the effects of the double standards and how oppression plays an important role in gender inequality. This event is important because it shows the prejudices that people tend to have towards girls. Taking everything into account, I grew up with these prejudices and being constantly devalued to my male counterpart. Even in the media and movies, girls are exposed to these sexist notions and believe that that is just the way things are supposed to be. They are usually thought of as ‘weak’ or even ’emotional’ while men has society on their side.
From our social life to education and even at the workplace, gender still persist in playing a significant role in determining how we are portrayed to society. In Third World Countries, young girls are being forced to have arranged marriages and denied education. Even in the workplace, with the same jobs and the same positions, women are still discriminated against and have their work ethic questioned just because they are women. As a result of them being doubted in their abilities, there is a wage gap that separate how much they can make versus how much men make. Women are also constantly trying to break through the glass ceiling but our society views of gender still continue to hinder their abilities. Because I am now more aware of these issues, I have a better idea of how I can try to decrease these injustices.
Above all, although we have made progress in the fight for gender equality, the prejudice against women still persists to stay. Furthermore, with Donald Trump as our president-elect, I believe that some people have already taken a step backwards when it comes to gender equality. From saying that no one should vote for his former rival Carly Fiorina because of her face to “joking” that he’d date his daughter, Trump reinforces the existing sexist notion that women are inferior to men. To be able completely destroy these sexist prejudices, our society must eliminate gender expectations. Achieving gender equality is possible, however, it still will be a long way to go.