Seeing the Matrix
Recount an experience, family story, or an event you witnessed that opened your eyes to a structural flaw in society and/or a destructive pattern of thinking. Help us, your readers, see what you saw.
Awakening the Palette of the World
By Miranda Li
Waking from this social matrix was exciting but also terrifying. I realized how we had been confined within a reality crafted by school and teachers. As living individuals, we possess our distinct natures and ideas. However, under the constant constraints of teachers, our individuality was terribly stifled and domesticated.
When Work Separated Us
By Anonymous
Some days she brought work home where she used another sewing machine, other times she stayed at work until 2am. When I asked her why she worked herself so tirelessly, she told me she saw no other options.
¡Adelante!
By Anonymous
It was the only school in Santa Barbara that was dual immersion, but it was not viewed as an amazing opportunity. It was looked down upon, with an attitude of superiority from those on the outside. My parents were told that my brother and I would be hurt by gang members, exposed to too much violence, and receive a poor education. There was a sentiment of superiority that came from these people. They now tell my parents how much they wish their kids were fluent in Spanish or at least another language.
Leaving the Party
By Anonymous
Rocky had a saying “Never less than 3 drinks” at a time, any time, and especially with a meal. My friend died because he thought the party never ended. But it did. And he was the life of it. His last gift to me was a motivation to leave the party before I had to. And I did. Years later, I am here to share his story and continue living my own.
When All the Doors Close
By Ali Kattee
These two incidents opened my eyes to the world in multiple ways. I learned that we are no longer free, no longer home, no longer civilians, no longer humans. Our existence can be a problem to some people because we steal their jobs. Our voices are irrelevant to them because we sing a different song.
Change Yourself to Fit
By Gabriela George
Instead of thinking that the sizing was the problem, young girls believed it was themselves. That they needed to change themselves in order to fit in.
Damaging Origins
By Anonymous
My dad had never talked to me about college. In fact, from elementary school through high school, my father never talked to me about my grades—he never even inquired as to whether I had homework, much less if I’d ever done it. Still, I chimed in to their conversation and asked if I had a college fund too. I will never forget it: my dad looked flatly at me and said, “you don’t need a college fund. You can just marry rich.”
Held Hostage by Social Media
By Anonymous
One day, she had left her phone unsupervised and I scrolled through her Instagram profile to see that she had amassed an estimate of 3,500 followers with an average range of 800-900 likes per post. When I confronted her about how she knew all these people, she claimed that they were Internet friends and random people who wanted to follow her social platform.
Afflicted by Archaic Beliefs
By Anonymous
I have realized that although America might be one of the most advanced countries, it is still afflicted by archaic beliefs that endorse racial oppression and marginalization.
Hidden Struggles Outside of the Classroom
By Anonymous
Have I had enough time to focus on school? Have I been perfectly healthy? Have my friends and family been healthy? Have my relationships been relaxed? I am fortunate enough to have passed all these criteria, but others are not.
What I Was Taught Were Lies
By Anonymous
Looking back, I felt like a coward when I did not dare to protest in my city. I remember there were some group of protesters who got in trouble with the police in my city, which made me scared thinking about it. I still remember watching a video about one courageous student holding a banner “Fish needs clear water, Vietnamese need a clear answer” alone on the street near my house and got apprehended by the police.
Stranger in my Home
By Sami Farsoudi
I remember when I came out to my mother in 2015 with the help of a therapist, it was a very painful experience to witness and it made me see how homophobia can really affect a person, especially when the person filled with hate is someone’s mother.
The Pandemic Reinforces My Desire to be an Agent of Change
By Alycia Raya
I had never been more scared in my life than when I received confirmation in my email that I had tested positive for covid 19 in July of 2020… When I received the news I felt powerless and no longer in control of the harm I might have brought onto my family... Even more painful and infuriating was that I was aware that among the communities hardest hit by the pandemic were working class Black, indigenous, and other racialized people here in the United states. This meant that my neighborhoods, my family, my community, was being violently attacked by both a Pandemic and social and political culture that considers them disposable.
Those Who Would Otherwise be With us Today
By Anonymous
Every Memorial Day weekend, my mom brings flowers for a friend of hers who died in Afghanistan. We go to the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, where thousands of graves of military service members dot the top of Point Loma. While I was still young, I didn’t ever think much of this trip. I just knew it meant something to my mom to go there so I went and helped bring flowers. It wasn’t until my mom described to me the details of what happened and why, that my understanding and feelings deepened.
A Day When You Wake Up From the Dream
By Holin Xue
There is, however, always a day when you can wake up from a good dream. As I grew older, I realized that my family was not as prosperous as it seemed. When I discovered my mother had a dozen bank cards, I started asking questions. It was then that I realized what appeared to be a good job was actually very low-paying.
Too Young to Understand How Things Work in This Country
By Anonymous
I went to bed that night, trying to process all the information I had received that day. My mom had to marry a person she didn’t love just for the right to live in this country. I also thought of my friends in Taco Bell, who had almost no rights in this country and couldn’t even go back to visit their families. “Is this the American Dream that I have always heard about?”
Inequality Within a Few Miles
By Antonio Aguirre
My uncle owns his own construction company which places his family within the upper middle class. His children attend well equipped schools that offered many academic and extracurricular activities to push students towards success. On the other hand, my aunt is a single mother who works as a housekeeper and can’t afford to live in an area with a good school district. Because of this, her children are not exposed to programs such as AP courses, college preparation counselors, and other extracurriculars.
America Through my Eyes
By Anonymous
Life in America is stressful. People always have to compete with each other to win the game. The game of pursuing happiness here. We compete so hard and ignore ours and others feelings because we still think achieving our goals is giving us happiness. However, this only turns us into robots. When I moved here, I never thought America would treat me like a slave! I never thought life would be this much stressful here. I do not remember the last time I laughed from my heart. I do not remember the last time I slept without having a terrible dream or woke up without having a tension headache.
I Couldn’t Yet Comprehend
By Jesse Martinez
As I provided a little tour to him and his family of our town my friend’s mother pointed out a police car and said “let’s stay away from him”. At that moment I remember feeling genuine confusion why she would want to stay away from the police. I always had felt safer when I saw police nearby, I even told her “our police are nice, they don’t have a reputation for doing anything bad”. This naiveté I had couldn’t comprehend her own experiences with police.
The Honeymoon is Over
By Anonymous
I found I was not the only one who had crashed with the living in the U.S. so hardly that could not see the reality clearly. Besides, I noticed even some U.S. citizens can barely make a living who grew up in this country and knew the rules of the game better than me. Working as a store clerk helped me to listen to those who lived longer here and I observed the living in the U.S. through their eyes. Some of them were saying it loudly and some I had to read it on their faces.
Falling Through Cracks Unseen
By Anonymous
Violence drove me to run away as a minor. I had a job next to my high school and I slept in my car. I remember feeling very sorry for myself. I had grown up with CPS in and out if my life, and schools trying to intervene. It turns out, it is legal to harm your children. The protective laws on children are left for interpretation. Prisoners have more protective rights than children.
The Myth of Meritocracy
By Anonymous
I was an excellent target employee, I worked holidays and weekends, covered shifts when needed, and met every challenge put in front of me. I earned prizes and awards for customer service and signing people up for Target’s credit and debit cards. However, during my first review and raise period, I was only offered an additional seven cents per hour. All my effort and flexibility amounted to seven cents above the state minimum hourly rate of $8.25.