The movie Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of Rachel Chu and Nick Young. Nick Young comes from an extremely wealthy family, but Rachel does not know this. Rachel is a professor who comes from the middle class. Rachel has no idea Nick is rich until she goes back to Singapore with him and finds out from her college friend. At the surface the story is a romantic comedy showing that love can outlast all trials. However, this story has a deeper meaning. Rachel tried to prove her worth to Nick’s family so that they will accept her despite her financial status. She almost walks away from Nick so that he will not be a 
disappointment to his family. In the end, Nick and Rachel get engaged despite the financial difference. This story tackles the topic of the interaction between the wealthy and middle classes. It also shows the idea of being othered. Nick Young’s mother is extremely critical of Rachel because of her financial status and because she lives in America. Nick’s mother believes this makes her lesser than those that stayed in Singapore and China. She makes it known to Rachel that Rachel will never be good enough for Nick. This is not the only instance of harshness towards Rachel because of her financial status and where she’s from. Nick’s mother goes so far as to hire a private investigator to look into Rachel’s past. They exploit Rachel’s privacy and make her feel like she is nothing. Rachel was never really welcomed into their circle of wealthy friends. She was treated unfairly because she belonged to the middle class. The wealthy people set her apart and were impolite to her during many interactions. She had to constantly work to prove herself because they didn’t believe she belonged. Her financial status set her apart throughout the entire movie and was the root of many of the discrepancies she faced in the movie. I believe the creator wants people to become aware of the unfairness between the upper and middle classes. The creator showcases this in the movie forcing the audience to become aware of the gap between these classes and look internally at how we view others based on our financial position compared to theirs. The audience becomes aware of these biases and can work towards eliminating them. Becoming aware of our own biases with lead to more inclusivity in the future regardless of financial status.
Author: kwiatkowski.58
Diary of Systemic Injustices Showcase
On September 28, Wisconsin passed a law banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory states racism in the country is systemic and it maintains whites as the superior race. The video linked at the bottom of this post further explains Critical Race Theory. This ban will prevent topics like implicit bias and systemic racism. Without learning about these, future generations will have less knowledge about the ideas causing fractures in society. Hatred among different ethnic groups will increase without understanding how these factors are
already embedded within society. The ban of teaching Critical Race Theory will lead to an increase in “Othering” among ethnic groups. If there is no understanding of how racism is engrained in our society, people will not be able to simply accept and live with one another. Instead, different ethnic groups will put themselves against others and will not accept people from outside their group. This will lead to even more division in society. Many people believe this ban will create greater division in the future. New generations will only believe that the white race is supreme when this is not the case. Critical Race Theory is essential in helping to heal the divisions systemic racism has created in the country. Those who voted in against the ban believe it is “‘a poor attempt at reverse psychology to sow seeds of division and hate by playing on the fears of a shrinking white majority’” (Vetterkind). Those who voted for it are scared that the white majority will become too small and they want to maintain their majority status. Not teaching future generations about systemic racism and implicit bias is a blatant example of systemic injustice in America. The Wisconsin 
government is preventing future generations from understanding how the country has made white the supreme race when there is no supreme race. Children need to be taught about how their own judgements can contribute to the racism and division seen in society so they can solve it. They should not be kept ignorant of these important issues. Some individuals fear this ban could also lead to a sanitized version of the country’s history. Learning every aspect of what has happened is necessary to facilitate problem solving. There is no way to overcome this ban. If schools continue to teach the banned material, they will lose government funding. Without government funding, many of these schools would not be able to survive. This punishment forces schools to obey the ban and prevent educating children in a way that will allow them to bring about a meaningful change. The government has created too many conditions that force people into not teaching Critical Race Theory. There is nothing people can do to change this because the government is enforcing this ban. The people have no way around this ban that would not result in serious consequences. The government is ending teaching that will lead to a brighter future, and people cannot change this injustice.
Citations:
Bauer, Scott. “Wisconsin Assembly passes critical race theory ban.” AP News, 28 September 2021, https://apnews.com/article/business-wisconsin-education-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-dc73ee7fd8962ea52f56eae2319055d5. Accessed 2 October 2021.
Vetterkind, Riley. “Wisconsin Assembly passes ban on teaching critical race theory.” Wisconsin State Journal, 29 September 2021, https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/wisconsin-assembly-passes-ban-on-teaching-critical-race-theory/article_1e53044a-8047-58c7-9560-368ae54fb588.html. Accessed 6 November 2021.
“Systemic Racism Explained.” YouTube, uploaded by act.tv, 16 April 2019
“WATCH: What is critical race theory?” YouTube, uploaded by PBS NewsHour, 29 June 2021
Context Presentation
“The Story of my Body” by Judith Cofer is a story of her life coming to understand true value and worth outside of physical appearance. Cofer’s story begins in her childhood. She describes not fitting into any cultures because of her appearance which is still an issue today, although many are working towards inclusivity. Her body image depleted as she got older and came to America. Body image is a huge issue in America to this day. Some research “suggests children as young as 3 years old can have body image issues” (Family Doctor). The interactions children have with their peers and adults as well as social media can have a huge influence on how children, and people in general, perceive themselves. Hearing how adults talk about others can affect a child’s body image. In “The Story of my Body,” adults commenting on Cofer’s appearance made her aware of the fact that she looked different. Cofer worked through her body image issues and can to discover self-worth in her writing and education. She contributed to the wonderful diversity we have in America. Despite being from another country, Cofer realized her intelligence and allowed it to carry her through life. She learned that her human dignity lies in who she is as a person. Many people that come to America may feel as if they do not belong. However, the individuals come to realize their important contribution to making America the “melting pot” it truly is. The attached TED talk discusses some of the diversity people from other countries bring to America (TEDx Talks). Once we realize that diversity is a beautiful thing, we can learn to love ourselves, just like Judith Cofer learned to love herself (Nawal Amir). “The Story of my Body” discusses the difficulties associated with not feeling like you belong, but continuing to walk through life to find that self-worth does not come from physical appearance. True self-worth comes from who you are and how you treat others.
Citations:
Childhood Body Image: Familydoctor.org Editorial Staff. Familydoctor.org, American Academy of Family Physicians, February 2021, https://familydoctor.org/building-your-childs-body-image-and-self-esteem/. Accessed 3 September 2021.
TEDx Talk: TEDx Talks. “What Being Hispanic and Latinx Means in the United States | Fernanda Ponce | TEDxDeerfield.” YouTube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, 10 April 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1A4Vsh5Qas.
Beauty in Diversity: Amir, Nawal. “Beauty in Diversity || A Short Film by Nawal Amir.” YouTube, uploaded by Nawal Amir, 1 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW8nQ99cUBA.