Jacob Latig
8 September 2020
Writ 101
Analysis of Literacy Sponsorship
The Three Sponsors
When looking at the sponsors that have an impact in one’s life, it is important to take into consideration every external and internal factor that encapsulates their life. Whether that be parents, friends, or environment, every sponsor goes hand-in-hand in helping to shape the structure of a person. I think of this especially when it comes to the sponsors that have helped mold me into the person that I am today. Additionally, the aspect of my personal writing/literacy has been directly impacted by a numerous amount of sponsors in my life. Some were large, and some were small; but they both were equally important in terms of shaping my identity which is foundational to my style of writing/literacy.
Growing up in an affluent town and neighborhood in one of the largest cities and states in the country, Dallas, I had access to a numerous amount of resources that was not common for the average person in America, as this country is plagued with disparities in wealth based on class and profession. Recognizing and acknowledging my privilege in terms of wealth, I can say that I did not have to face these challenges and hurdles, so that put me in a better position to succeed when it came to my skills in writing and literacy. When looking at the process of writing or reading a piece of literature, what many fail to realize and acknowledge is the way in which you write is directly tied to your life experiences and access to resources. Similarly to education, money and class give students more opportunities to establish themselves as the “smart” and “advanced” because they have the ability to gather resources geared towards guiding them down that particular path while students who have little to no resources have to work nearly twice as hard just to even catch up. I was one of those students who had access to resources and tutors who could assist me at any time if I needed assistance in classes or any standardized testing (ACT, SAT). All of this culminated in the formation of my first major sponsor that influenced my literacy and writing: wealth. When writing on a particular topic, my perspective is automatically skewed because I am speaking from the perspective of someone who has a lot of wealth; so when I get asked about specific topics, certain factors do not come into my mind that would be considered by someone who has a vastly different economic background.
Although I am rich in tangible wealth, I am still a minority in the United States of America. Race has been an issue that has dominated the consciousness of this country. From slavery to the brutal police shootings that have made headlines recently, race relations have progressively gotten better; but they are no where near where they need to be today. Growing up as a mixed young man in America, my experiences have been unique in every sense. On one hand, being part white gave me access to some privileges that a white man in America would be privy to; however, on the other hand, being part black is what has dominated my outlook, perspective, and experiences. While my wealth served as a sponsor that came to be of major benefit to me, being a mixed race man is a sponsor that has been seen as a negative for the majority of this country. This brings me to my second sponsor: race. Before anyone sees my wealth, they see my skin color. My skin color is the premise for the way that I am viewed, intentionally and unintentionally, because race has been so ingrained into our culture that a large chunk of the citizenry consciously has preconceived notions and stereotypes about people who look like me. Experiencing alienation and discrimination based on my mix race have been two defining factors in the way that I write and read literacy. When asked about a particular life experience, the way in which I would answer would differ dramatically than that of a white male because I have had differences that have shaped my identity and the foundation of my personality and being.
My third and final sponsor stems from my gender. Men; not only in America, but all throughout the world, have tremendous amounts of privilege over women. When I walk into a room, I do not have to worry about the possibility of being picked apart by strangers. I know that I can wear a basic suit and it be perceived as socially acceptable; however, women are picked apart from all angles and aspects whenever they wear anything. This is rooted in the fact that women have societal pressure to always look “perfectly”. Being a male has impacted the way in which I consume literature, in the sense that there is a higher level of comfortability for me when reading because I do not have to face and take into consideration some of the factors that women have to. This has influenced the way that I write because I always write from the perspective of someone who lives in a country who puts their specific gender on a pedestal while having the other gender endure hurdle after hurdle.
All in all, my three sponsors: wealth, race, and gender, have been determinative in my overall consumption of literature and the way that I write. My sponsors are similar to that of a melting pot, and some contradict one another; but that is the foundation of my diverse and complex perspective whenever I write. My three sponsors go to the root of the complexities of the concept of intersectionality.