Leading with Hope, Reading for Resistance
Last month, Philly had its very first annual Bookstore Crawl, where participating bookstores from across the city were able to cultivate a day dedicated to book–sharing, book–loving, and bookstore crawling.
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Last month, Philly had its very first annual Bookstore Crawl, where participating bookstores from across the city were able to cultivate a day dedicated to book–sharing, book–loving, and bookstore crawling.
Rage is a powerful thing. But way too often, when it is unleashed by marginalized folks, organizers, or even students, this rage is weaponized against those communities.
No matter how shiny high–paying summer internships may look on our resumes or LinkedIn profiles, the reality of many of these jobs is less dazzling. But it isn't just the endless hours of Excel weighing us down. Unpaid internships continue to prevail in America, with over 40% of internships not being paid. This unsettling statistic is only another scheme of corporate America (again) reaffirming its capitalist agenda. This time, exploiting a pool of young workers—many of them college students—who may be stepping into the industry for the first time.
Growing up, summers consisted of going to the playground every evening, reading at my dining room table as my parents grilled barbecue chicken in the backyard, and playing with Legos in my living room while Good Luck Charlie played in the background. But summer has changed. College marks an end to our childhood, and our perceptions of summer shifted with it. Rather than being a season for leisure and family time, summer is now a period where productivity and building our resumes takes ultimate priority—internships, research opportunities, career preparation, academic obligations, financial responsibilities. Gone are the memories of relaxation and play, replaced with professional development and productivity.
Inside a building full of art galleries and artists’ studios in the northern edge of Chinatown is Iffy Books, a small independent bookstore filled with all things “hacking, free culture, gardening, zines.” While they may seem unrelated, this tagline summarizes the many passions of founder and Penn alum, Steve McLaughlin (C ‘08).
Wherever we see it—from our favorite movies, TV shows, or news stories—Western media flaunts and glamorizes the “American Dream.” The story of rags to riches. The story of accumulating wealth through honest hard work. The story of owning your own house, driving a nice car, living in the suburbs, raising a couple of kids, and reaching a day when your descendants may also carry on this same lifestyle and legacy. This is also the story that tells communities of color to be grateful for the superficial representation that simplifies our stories into expendable, disposable moments for profit and exploitation. The elusive "American Dream" is the ultimate goal of many immigrants, coming to this country in hopes of a better life. Yet this ideology employs the Model Minority Myth to weaponize Asian Americans and other communities of color into uplifting systems of oppression and white supremacy.
Outside of being a rockstar bassist herself, Ana Gomez (C ‘23) did not expect one first–year CIMS class to remarkably rock her world. Now as co–director of SPEC Jazz and Grooves and president of the Kinoki Senior Society, Ana helps coordinate much of the rockstar concerts at Penn from 100 gecs to Luna Li and Talia Goddess. Her experience and expertise in entertainment does not stop there. Ana channels her love for film, music, and creativity as an intern for A24 and Warner Bros. as well as an attendee of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in France. As a member of both Penn and Philly’s community of film–lovers and music–groovers, Ana hopes this community is not only here to stay, but also here to grow.
I had two names growing up: my American name and my Korean name. It seems complicated, but it isn't really.
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