COLUMN: As a minority woman, going back in history doesn't benefit me
A few weeks ago I was having a conversation about society and politics when the person I was talking to said, “It was just better in the 1950s. Life was good for everyone, and people actually trusted the government.”
I stared at her and thought, “Did you sleep through every history class?”
I can understand that for some the ‘50s were a great time to be alive. The economy was booming, there were tons of a new inventions, people were having babies, and the war was over.
However — the ‘50s weren’t great to everybody.
Going back in time would only benefit you if you’re a straight, wealthy, white male.
In addition to the Cold War looming over America, there was a lot of racial tension during the ‘50s. Segregation was still occurring.
Those cool milkshake shops that people like to associate the 50’s with? I wouldn’t have been able to walk into one of those.
Back then I wouldn’t have been able to attend the same school as more than half the people reading this article.
This column I’m writing wouldn’t even exist because back then my voice didn’t matter.
As an African/Mexican American I didn’t matter.
That’s not all. Women’s voices in general, didn’t matter. After World War II, women were expected to stay home, make dinner and pop out more babies. Women had a list of things to do and none of them included leaving the house.
If you were a part of the LGBTQ community, forget it. Your time to shine doesn’t come until a decade later when people start to listen.
People always ask if I could go back to any time which would I chose, and my answer is always the same — now.
What is there for me in history? No matter which part of me I decided to represent, whether it be as a woman or as a minority, I would always be labeled inferior. Back then, my melanin came with a terms and conditions policy that I don’t agree with.
As a woman, I had no voice and as a minority, most of history I had to fight to even be considered a human being.
If you come from a place of privilege, please crack open a book and read up on what happened.
Our grandparents will always try to glorify the “good old days” but it’s our job to make sure their mistakes don’t happen again.
It’s insulting to even think that anytime before the 2000s were better because better still hasn’t happened yet. People of color are still waiting on their “time to be alive.”
Our family members might be killed or ripped away by immigration officials, but at least now we can protest and say their names without fear.
Today we matter. We have a voice and we sure aren’t afraid to use it.
We can’t make a better tomorrow if we don’t know what happened yesterday.
So, don’t ask me what time period I would choose and don’t tell me what you think is best.
I would rather live in today’s society before I ever consider going back to yesterday’s.
