Weapons of the Weak, Race Rebels, Laotian Daughters, and Monkey Dance

All three of these texts discussed the ideas and concepts of the subtle but effective ways that marginalized peoples challenge and subvert the perceptions and expectations enforced upon them by the dominant narratives by those socioeconomically superior to them. According to Weapons of the Weak, big revolutions are few and far between, so marginalized people have more subtle means of resistance in their everyday lives. It’s pointed out in Race Rebels how many low wage workers assert their agency and own free-will by ‘duping’ the system that underpays them, such as taking extra food home and styling their hair. These acts, not necessarily done as a political statement, are forms of resistance that show their control over themselves and their existence.
Laotian Daughters furthers this notion of challenging societal hegemonies. When these young Laotian women, daughters of refugees running from political strife, organize to improve their communities, they are already showing resistance. They refuse to conform to their stereotyped roles as model minority Asians and youth that are ‘at risk’ for violent behavior and not attaining a higher education. The documentary, Monkey Dance, further explores the low-income Cambodian communities in Lowell, Massachusetts. The youth show their resistance to the expectations set upon them by society by continuing to attend school to eventually pursue a higher education. At the same time, they remain true to their communities by engaging in traditional dances and incorporating hip hop into their lives.

As a person who graduated from Edison High School, a predominantly POC campus, it was difficult navigating the school in a way that maximized the students' true potential. Many of the teachers (who were mostly white) had little faith in the students, often dismissive of the students struggles. We were often seen as 'at risk' students who won't make it very far in life. This was also a huge part of why it was hard to thrive in this environment: we weren't expected to. To challenge this, many of us persevered and went to college, breaking the stereotype that South Stockton kids can't become 'successful'.