“My name is Paloma Jacome and I’m a young lady from Los Angeles. I enjoy writing, especially poetry and creative writing. I also enjoy embroidery and design. In my free time, I make clothes from recycled materials or I’m complaining about a social issue that hurts my heart. I adore dogs with a passion.”
La Paloma Blanca
I was never a girl until you told me I was
I was simply myself
Ever since you attenuated my voice
My wardrobe speaks for me
My colors are stitched among the veins of my clothing
My history desperately leaks from my pores
And yet, it must be masked by proper femininity
A lifestyle dependent on appearance
A population of wordless dolls
My heart wrinkles every time one would praise me
I feel guilty being a model of freedom
Ignored for wearing too much
Insulted for wearing too little
I ask myself,
“Am I going to hell for worshipping a naked culture?”
“Am I a sinner for letting a body rest my mind?”
“Can innocence be sullied by a juvenile nature?”
The Holy Spirit
Symbol of peace
I have fear, fear of soiling my title
Fear of creating una paloma negra
She knows I am a hidden stain
Bleeding vulnerability with a liver full of dominance
Temptation naturally greets me like an amateur party
Euphoria came and went
Replaced by nostalgic injections to the heart
Ever thing else is a placebo
Why Feminism Still Exists
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” Many living in the United States and other “rich” and/or “developed” countries believe Feminists should stop complaining because they have their rights now, oppression is over. It’s true oppression doesn’t scream at you in the face as much as it did before the women’s liberation movement, but it stills stalks you around the corner and attacks you when you’re not looking. In reality, the Feminist movement shall not cease now when young girls all around the world are suffering and being punished for simply being born female.
Young girls and women are targets of violence and torture in several continents of the world. Female genital mutilation is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. Female circumcision is practiced in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The procedure includes partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons, only injury. The brutal and degrading tradition continues to be practiced to instill evident inequality between sexes and establish a deep-rooted patriarchy in communities. The tradition has absolutely no benefits to young girls and women; in fact, the tradition only tortures them and disables their bodies. For more information read http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/.
Young girls are unwanted and criminalized in many cultures for bringing “burden” upon their family name. “Gendercide is the systematic killing of members of a specific sex.” Gendercide is a common practice in India and China. In many cultures that favor the birth of boys to continue the family name and bring fortunes to the family, while the birth of girls is considered a burden. Therefore, women may be forced to detect their fetus’s gender early to determine if she will continue the pregnancy or have an immediate abortion. If abortion isn’t followed through, then the infant girls are often killed immediately after birth. Mothers may try to save their infant’s life, but that could result in violence toward both her and her newborn. Other mothers may kill their babies themselves, out of spite, or to protect her child from growing up in a society that will only hate her.
Why is it that young girls are a burden to their family? Around the world, more than 60 million girls have no opportunity or access to education. Without mobilizing young girls, girls are subjected to be domestic slaves. Without education, girls have little chance to live independently and build a career. Education is the foundation of liberation. However, education is not a priority made available in less fortunate countries. Education may not be free or of quality to every child, especially in countries with high rates of poverty.
Feminism still exists because oppression against females continues. Many don’t see the impact western feminism may have for the millions suffering across the globe, but the results are simply slow. The strength of women seizing their own power and independence in the western hemisphere sets a precedent for others. More female leadership and representation in male-dominated careers breaks boundaries thought to be impossible and creates a path to be followed. By respecting a woman’s existence as a human being, rather than an object, we will enlighten a myriad of dynamic relationships in society. Feminism is more than nipple equality and closing the pay gap, it’s a mentality that will liberate entire generations.
Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men
Every nine seconds a woman is assaulted or beaten in the United States. A battering incident is rarely an isolated event, it only gets worse. An ugly habit we thought was ancient continues to haunt women today. Why do we hurt the ones we are supposed to love? What makes us power hungry over our partners?
Domestic violence is stimulated by a variety of factors; however the infamous cause would be when a male’s dominance is threatened. For decades, men have released frustrations and aggressions on their wives in unhealthy ways. Not only are women victimized, but children too. A range of 30% to 60% of perpetrators of domestic violence also abuse children. The psychological damage of watching your mother bleed and bruise from the hands of your supposed father figure is immeasurable. Young boys who witness domestic violence are two times as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults. In addition, fleeing from domestic violence accounts for half of all homeless women and children.
Domestic violence can be dressed up, hidden, and may seem romantic, but it is violence. It’s too easy to assume a woman can end her suffering by just leaving her man, in reality, the battle is with self. The dark and abusive intimacy between the oppressed and their oppressor can take a lifetime to end. The ugliest battle when leaving your perpetrator is the one with yourself. It takes more than strength and courage, but the power of love for self. Dependency is an addiction, and if you aren’t careful, it can kill you.