Description
To construct your essay, you must draw on Rojas’s essay (I already upload it) and demonstrate explicit comprehension and engagement with the text. In other words, demonstrate your understanding of the prompts below by communicating how you use the assigned text to aid your knowledge. Respond to each of the following questions in an essay format. There is no need to repeat the questions in your essay.
a. Part 1 (5 points): Explain your understanding of this quote from Rojas’s essay:
“…to gain autonomy, we often need to first identify struggles in our lives that are
actually not about who we are as individuals, but about who we are assumed to be
based on our race or class or our gender or sexuality” (pg. 5). Then, provide an
example from your own experience to support your analysis.
b. Part 11 (5 points): Rojas argues that the term “of color” – people of color,
women of color – functions as a political strategy to confront issues of pressing
issues such as racism and sexism, as well as to affirm commonality, create family
and a sense of belonging. Use an example from Rojas’s essay to illustrate how
women and marginalized groups stake their claim to self-determination in various
movements, coalition buildings, and solidarity efforts.
Writing Guideline
▪ Citation: See the “General Assignment Format” section in the syllabus. Cite in the
following format: (Author’s last name, page #; e.g., Smith, 128). If you mentioned the
author’s last name in your sentence, cite only the page number (there is no need to repeat
the author’s name). For online pieces without page numbers, note the author’s last name
and year of publication. Refrain from citing or including essay titles in your sentences.
▪ Word Count: Essays must be between 800 -1000 words. You can go slightly over the
stated word count (100-150 words) but never under the word count, as points will be
deducted.
▪ “Empty” Sentences: Refrain from generalizations and ‘empty’ sentences – these are
‘padding’ that will not earn you points.
▪ Quotes: Avoid using lengthy quotes. Quotes should be connected to your analysis –
refrain from including quotes in your paper for the sake of using the required materials.
Integrate quotes into your analysis to support your argument. Using quotes should
support your opinion, not make the argument for you.
Paper Format & File Upload: Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1” margins on allsides, double-spaced.
