"Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People?" (WL 61-72)

Although this reading was assigned a while ago, I've found this question hard to answer. There can be so much to say, but it's been hard to even start.

After reading "Identies and Socia Locations", I started quesitoning where I, myself, am located in my own perspective, in others' perspectives, and ultimately, in the world's perspective. I enjoyoed how the text described identity as "fluid" which gives me flexibility allowing me to hypothetically change my social location if I wanted to do so. Identity and social location isn't only dfined by ourselves, but other's perspectives are factors too.

In my own perspective, or what we could call the micro level, I am shaped by me personal experiences. The micro level is a level of self-awareness in which we are set apart by the personal experiences we've had in our lives. For myself, was born and raised in Hawaii where I experienced growing up and being surrounded by the "aloha spirit". That environment was all I knew until last year where I chose to go to school here at Washington State University. I realize that my experiences are different than those of people I go to school here with, and vice versa.

At the meso levels, others categorize us. We are somewhat defined by our physical appearance which the text says separates people into being "one of us or not". Instead of being looked at individually, we are looked at as groups or categories. I am a first generation Filipino-American which explains the way I look. My mother and father came from the Philippines to Hawaii and raised me to be proud in what I am. I speak English, yet i can also understand the languages my parents speak. I have dark hair, dark colored eyes, and tan skin. I am from Hawaii which I will always consider my home. My upbringing has taught me to value my friends and family.

In the global level or the macro level, we are defined by social categories which keeps a "social order". Almost every category has a dominant and a subordinate group. In the gender category, I am a woman, a female. Based on the race and ethnicity category, I am a person of color who is not European but Asian. I am a heterosexual and I am in my youth.

After thinking about what the text meant, I was amazed at how complex our identities are. Because of the complexity, no two people are exactly alike. We can share some of the differences we have, but ultimately, we are individuals that make up the whole. I also understand that I will never be able to have a complete answer to the question of where I am socially located because there is so much to say, and things can change because of that flexibility. I tried now, but who knows, in ten years, some things could be completely different.