Growing up Latino and fighting for social justice | Agustin Diaz | TEDxMarmaladeLibrary

Summary

In this emotional and powerful speech, the speaker reflects on their personal journey, acknowledging the sacrifices of their family, particularly their mother, and the community that shaped them. They share experiences of overcoming a traumatic brain injury and navigating tokenization in education. Emphasizing the importance of decolonization, community-building, and social justice, the speaker calls for the dismantling of societal structures that perpetuate division. They advocate for unity, self-determination, and the continuous pursuit of change through local, community-based efforts, all while recognizing the interconnectedness of struggles across diverse communities.

Takeaways

• 🌎 Recognizes the importance of Indigenous people, acknowledging their land and their crucial knowledge for moving forward.
• 👩‍👦 Expresses deep gratitude for his mother, her resilience in raising him and his siblings, often on her own, while managing a large, close-knit family.
• ✈️ Shares his journey of leaving Brooklyn to explore a new world, attending college in Idaho, seeking diverse experiences outside his familiar community.
• 🧠 Details a life-changing experience involving a motorcycle accident and a traumatic brain injury, resulting in a coma but ultimately sparking a renewed commitment to education and his family.
• 📚 Emphasizes the importance of decolonization as a personal and communal process, including self-love, unity, and acknowledging collective identity over individualism.
• 🌉 Discusses the need to build bridges between communities through self-determination and understanding, rather than adopting a colorblind, Eurocentric approach.
• ⚖️ Highlights the continuous nature of decolonization, advocating for self-reflection and change while honoring Indigenous and collective wisdom.
• 💭 Critiques traditional social justice movements as sometimes limited and exclusive, advocating for a more intersectional and inclusive approach, especially regarding undocumented and marginalized communities.
• 💪 Advocates for local, community-based change over broad institutional policy changes, urging individuals to create sustainable alternatives within their communities.
• 🌐 Reinforces the interconnected nature of social issues, noting that struggles such as Black Lives Matter, homelessness, and others are intertwined, requiring a unified, collective approach to enact meaningful change.

Q & A

What are the two important things the speaker recognizes at the beginning of the speech?

The speaker recognizes, first, the importance of acknowledging the Indigenous people whose land they are on, and second, his mother, who raised him with strength and courage.

How does the speaker describe his mother’s role in his upbringing?

The speaker describes his mother as a strong, resilient woman who raised four kids mostly on her own, taking them to school and other places while his father worked long hours. She was the backbone of the family, managing everything and keeping the family together.

What event led to the speaker suffering a traumatic brain injury?

The speaker was involved in a motorcycle accident while attending university on a scholarship. He does not remember the details of the accident but woke up from a coma with a traumatic brain injury.

How did the speaker’s family support him after the accident?

The speaker’s family, especially his mother, supported him through his recovery. His mother was the first person he saw when he woke up from the coma, and his family left everything behind to be with him during his recovery.

What lesson did the speaker learn after recovering from his brain injury?

After recovering, the speaker decided to return to education with a renewed focus. He wanted to do it right this time, representing his family and honoring their sacrifices by continuing his education and pursuing his goals.

What does the speaker mean by ‘decolonization of ourselves’?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of ‘decolonizing ourselves,’ which means learning to love and understand oneself in ways that go beyond the influence of colonialism. It involves rejecting individualism in favor of collective identity within families and communities.

How does the speaker view building bridges between communities?

The speaker believes that building bridges between communities requires understanding each other and working together. He emphasizes that decolonization must come first, and that self-determination is important, meaning people have the right to decide their own paths without external pressure.

What critique does the speaker offer regarding ‘colorblind’ or ‘kumbaya’ approaches to unity?

The speaker critiques the ‘colorblind’ or ‘kumbaya’ approaches to unity, suggesting they often come from a Eurocentric perspective and overlook the need for self-determination and the recognition of differences in experiences, particularly for marginalized communities.

What role do women play in the speaker’s life, according to his reflection?

The speaker acknowledges that the women in his life, particularly his mother, have been crucial in shaping his understanding of the world. They have provided him with the knowledge and strength that guides him in his work toward social justice and activism.

What is the speaker’s perspective on social justice movements?

The speaker views social justice movements as ongoing and interconnected, not limited to one issue or group. He believes these movements should be inclusive, recognizing that many different communities are fighting for justice. True change comes from local, community-based efforts that challenge existing power structures.