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I was just very fortunate to be able to see the film Maquilapolis screened here at Haverford by filmmaker Vicky Funari who is teaching here next semester. Maquilapolis is about the effects of globalization on Tijuana, Mexico, and the factories that employ most of the population of Tijuana. The movie is filmed by women employees of some of these factories who have come together to combat the unfair labor practices used by the corporations and also the environmental destruction that has destroyed their health as well as the land around them. (Here's a link to the film's website:  http://www.maquilapolis.com/project_eng.htm)

I watched these women taking the initiative to fight these massive businesses despite a lack of resources (ex: these women live mostly in houses made of garage doors thrown out in the U.S. that are taken to Mexico) and education, and I couldn't help but think, "How was it ever fair for me or anyone else for that matter to believe in some 'universal' feminism?" These women don't have clean water for their families, they get paid $68 (US) a week for presumably 40+ hour weeks in these factories, they have health problems from these factories that will probably plague them for the rest of their lives, and I could go on and on...

But my point is: the idea of some "universal feminism" (all women in group despite differences in experience/social location/etc.) is completely ridiculous because of conditions like this. We are so privileged just as students at these colleges despite our backgrounds that we can ponder the prospect of our gender and experience being constructed and not have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. For me to say that those women and I are the same and have the same struggles and we should band together and refute the patriarchy is absurd.

Those women from Tijuana are so much more brave or intrepid or progressive than I think I will ever be; I am so angry at myself for ever considering myself as the same or even similar to women like this or even women of different social locations here in the U.S.

I think the only way to ever really understand each other is to quit the bullshit and try to wrap our brains around how different we are. It's not a bad thing; we don't have to try to have things in common: we just have to respect each other.

I'm sorry if this sounds really angry; mostly I am feeling frustrated with myself. I just figured this would be an appropriate forum seeing as it could make for some interesting food-for-thought in class.

Also: what do you all think about Moraga's article in relation to this issue I've presented?  Is Moraga's perspective a privileged one?

See you all tomorrow!