SU students have the power, responsibility to advocate for women of color in politics

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“La política fue hecha por hombres – para hombres”
“Politics was made by men – for men”

When Deputy of the Congress of Guanajuato, Mexico, Yulma Rocha, spoke in a discussion held at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs on March 21, she shed light on this haunting truth.

As a fierce advocate for gender equality, Rocha spoke to the problems that women have faced throughout politics in Mexico, stemming from her own personal experiences, having held a political office since she was 21.

Throughout her roles in Mexican politics, Rocha successfully led the enforcement of the 2019 federal amendment that calls for gender parity (an equal split of gender representation) in the political, economic and social atmospheres within her state, resulting in her collaboration with two more “diputadas” for the foundation of Guanajuato’s first feministically-driven legislative caucus.

The Maxwell School is a highly-endowed and accredited institution, and it is our responsibility to use the privilege of our education to highlight marginalized narratives, especially amidst the exacerbation of the feminization of poverty. We must raise awareness of these disparities and celebrate women, such as Yulma, who are paving the path for equity.

According to the Scholars Strategy Network,“representation of those marginalized by multiple, intersecting systems of power and inequality is intricately bound to the representation provided by women of color.” With increased representation and diversified perspectives, multifaceted policies can be brought to the table and into the rooms where decisions are made. To ignore our narratives, voices and legislative wins as women of color is to be ignorant of the intersectional stratification we’re systematically subjected to.

Raising marginalized voices to the platform of academia is vital to hearing different narratives and perspectives to a population that would otherwise be wrongly deemed as mere victims and not drivers for change. BIPOC student organizations representing their respective countries (especially in predominantly white institutions like SU) also have a responsibility to uplift resilient voices that are actively enacting and petitioning for political and legislative change. Often, those are the narratives often left out of Western academia as it continues the belittling stigmatization of the Global South.

The Mexican Student Association (MEXSA) aims to raise awareness and celebrate Mexican culture at SU. As the Vice President of philanthropy for MEXSA, I’ve cherished the ability to celebrate my beautiful culture while simultaneously advocating for native voices to speak on their achievements. Our events are deeply thought through and to avoid our culture’s appropriation and belittlement, we always give a quick presentation on the roots of important celebrations.

Mexico is so much more than the U.S. fueled drug wars and cartels. We, like all exploited countries, have valuable narratives and ideas. But if western media perpetuates the idea that we’re victims of a war-ridden country, then our innovators and initiatives are never seen by the masses.

The upcoming election in Mexico is the first of its kind as two major electoral coalitions have nominated female candidates, and it is more than likely that Mexico will have its first woman president-elect by June 3, 2024. This wouldn’t have been possible with the reforms that vital feminists such as Rocha pushed and continue to push for.

Looking through the past events and panels tabs in the Maxwell School website and youtube channel, we can see that academics from the United States are invited to speak on Latin American issues. They usually do not focus on the perspectives of marginalized communities in the countries they call themselves “experts” in.

However, the Mexican Student Association President Jaime Mauricio Luna worked alongside Mariana Godinez to reach out to Mexican politicians to bring to the Maxwell School and lead transformative conversations about foreign politics. These are necessary as we go into a dreaded U.S. presidential election that marks stagnation and stratified regression more than it does societal progression.

“During the year that I have been part of the executive board, the team has been focused on making MEXSA not only an organization that creates fun cultural events on campus but can also host important conversations about pressing issues in our country,” Mauricio Luna said.

It’s vital that we acknowledge our privileged status as students of a private institution. It is through highlighting change-driven voices that we make an impact in students’ biases that go beyond a culturally-enriching event. Rather, we believe that student organizations are the catalysts needed to ignite systematic change as we have collective power in shifting the narrative through the resources that are at our disposal.

Valeria Martinez is a sophomore majoring in Earth Science, Sociology and Environment, Sustainability and Policy. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at vmarti10@syr.edu.