Colonize This!

Always good to get out of your comfort zone and read voices of people with VERY different experiences than my own.  This is clearly the case in Colonize This! edited by Daisy Hernandez and Bushra Rehman, a young woman of color’s view on feminism.  Each of the 28 chapters presents a different voice on oppression, abuse, scorn, and other remarkably bad things that have happened to each of the authors.  From watching one’s father have sex with another woman, to cat calling, to sexual harassment, being physically abused, and mistreatment in every sense of the word, these women have had very difficult roads to travel.  Understanding  one’s sexuality, dealing with HIV, skin tone racism, female envy, this book has it all.  The stories are short vignettes which appear to me to serve in much a therapeutic manner to address the challenge that life has thrown their way.  The challenges are real and large.  It was hard to read and understand that some of these stories actually happen (more sadness than anything else).  The writing is rich, crass at times, but always genuine.  The emotional scars that are being healed through the writings is evident, though for some more about the “what now” piece.  I’m thinking this would be a great read for men who are ultra conservative and republican, certainly getting them out of their comfort zone I’m sure!  Quick read and will stretch your brain and appreciation for the poor and socially disadvantaged ethnic populations of our country.  A voice can be heard, thanks for sharing your deepest struggles.