How It Impacts Me as a Queer Woman When Friends Call Each Other “Girl Friends” May 23, 2019 by Sabrina Rivera Leave a Comment As I continue to settle into a queer identity, certain words and their meanings seem to do the exact opposite of settling in. They don't sit still. Words I've never been comfortable using have become part of my regular vocabulary, and words that have never really affected me before suddenly have an unpleasant edge. Like other people, my relationship with words is very much a … [Read more...]
Wading Through Whiteness: Reclaiming My Identity as a Filipina Immigrant April 15, 2019 by Sabrina Rivera Leave a Comment My very first experience of shame (that I can remember) occurred in the third grade after my family had emigrated from the Philippines to Canada. We were asked what we had had for breakfast that morning, and I volunteered "Vegetable soup!" as an answer. In response, I heard a chorus of laughter and a "What kind of weirdo has soup for breakfast?" On the surface, this … [Read more...]
Valuing Whiteness: Colorism in the Latino Community September 20, 2016 by Sabrina Rivera Leave a Comment When I was younger, it always baffled me to see adults (more specifically, people of color) using umbrellas during a sunny day. It seemed an unnecessary deprivation. Many years and many dialogues around colorism later, I began to understand that such a habit went beyond trying to avoid the discomfort of sticky heat or the desire to protect oneself from skin cancer. It was about … [Read more...]
