CR#5 The Life YOU Live
Iris Marion Young places oppression into five categories and “distinctions based on the reflection of the condition” these groups face (p. 40). She argues that there is not one definition of oppression but rather factors or a combination of factors that create categories in which different types oppression can be placed. These categories include exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. In support of Young’s definition of oppression, Ada Asasi-Diaz defines oppression as an injustice “from the perspective of those suffering” (p. 46). Similarly to Young, Diaz argues that there are different modes of expression. She identifies five: exploitation, marginalization, ethnoracism, powerlessness, and structural violence. Diaz identifies herself as oppressed and impoverished because she belongs to the subordinate group as a Latina and as a woman who has experienced wage differences in comparison to her male counterparts. She emphasizes that her references to the “oppressed and impoverished” are “referring to those who are conscious of their oppression and who struggle for their liberation” with consideration of their communities (p. 47). They are those who are aware of where the dominants have placed them in society and how their treatment is different as a result. Both of these women define oppression in categories but also acknowledge that not one causes more unjustice or more destruction than another but rather have different causes.
Diaz emphasizes the importance of identifying people’s lo cotidiano because other people’s reasoning for doing what they do or reacting to situations the way they do is a result of their lo cotidiano. In understanding other people’s lo cotidiano we will better understand individuals as well as communities. The example she uses with the women paying for transportation better explains how a mundane pattern most likely comes with larger implications. Although someone on the outside looking in may believe that these women are behaving in odd ways and making their lives more difficult, from the women’s point of view, they are doing what they need to do to save money and survive. As Diaz explains, “their lo cotidiano is full of struggles to make ends meet” (p. 52). For what is routine for the dominant group, is a harsh reality for the subordinate. For me, one of my lo cotidianos as a woman is walking down the street at night. As a woman I must be alert and prepared for whatever may come my way. I deal with men cat calling me and giving me what I believe to be weird looks. I walk with the sharp end of my key facing up or with my pepper spray in my hand. For the men in my life, most of them do not carry this burden. They don’t understand why I feel the way I feel and often tell me that I will be fine or that I am overreacting. For what is a late night walk for them is an anxiety filled, fist clenching experience for me.
One of the main ways I identify lo cotidiano experiences in the communities I work with is by simply listening to them. I have found that this is one of the most effective ways of identifying lo cotidiano because they want to get better and eventually work towards living a life more like the dominant which leads them to telling stories and asking for help. One of the more recent lo cotidiano experiences I have identified was when the seniors asked me how to say more common or useful phrases that they can apply to their daily life when they need to get from one place to another but are around people who do not speak Vietnamese. It had not even crossed my mind until they had asked me these questions and told me the stories of how they struggled to ask for directions or hold a conversation. I realized through this experience how difficult it is to not be able to communicate with those around you especially when you need help or direction.
