My name is Tiffany Martínez. As a McNair Fellow and student scholar, I’ve presented at national conferences in San Francisco, San Diego, and Miami. I have crafted a critical reflection piece that was published in a peer-reviewed journal managed by the Pell Institute for the Study of Higher Education and Council for Opportunity in Education. I have consistently juggled at least two jobs and maintained the status of a full-time student and Dean’s list recipient since my first year at Suffolk University. I have used this past summer to supervise a teen girls empower program and craft a thirty page intensive research project funded by the federal government. As a first generation college student, first generation U.S. citizen, and aspiring professor I have confronted a number of obstacles in order to earn every accomplishment and award I have accumulated. In the face of struggle, I have persevered and continuously produced content that is of high caliber.
I name these accomplishments because I understand the vitality of credentials in a society where people like me are not set up to succeed. My last name and appearance immediately instills a set of biases before I have the chance to open my mouth. These stereotypes and generalizations forced on marginalized communities are at times debilitating and painful. As a minority in my classrooms, I continuously hear my peers and professors use language that both covertly and overtly oppresses the communities I belong to. Therefore, I do not always feel safe when I attempt to advocate for my people in these spaces. In the journey to become a successful student, I swallow the “momentary” pain from these interactions and set my emotions aside so I can function productively as a student.
Today is different. At eight o’clock this morning, I felt both disrespected and invalidated. For years I have spent ample time dissecting the internalized racism that causes me to doubt myself, my abilities, and my aspirations. As a student in an institution extremely populated with high-income white counterparts, I have felt the bitter taste of not belonging. It took until I used my cloud of doubt and my sociological training to realize that my insecurities are rooted in the systems I navigate every day. I am just as capable if not more so than those around me and my accomplishments are earned.
This morning, my professor handed me back a paper (a literature review) in front of my entire class and exclaimed “this is not your language.” On the top of the page they wrote in blue ink: “Please go back and indicate where you cut and paste.” The period was included. They assumed that the work I turned in was not my own. My professor did not ask me if it was my language, instead they immediately blamed me in front of peers. On the second page the professor circled the word “hence” and wrote in between the typed lines “This is not your word.” The word “not” was underlined. Twice. My professor assumed someone like me would never use language like that. As I stood in the front of the class while a professor challenged my intelligence I could just imagine them reading my paper in their home thinking could someone like her write something like this?
In this interaction, my undergraduate career was both challenged and critiqued. It is worth repeating how my professor assumed I could not use the word “hence,” a simple transitory word that connected two relating statements. The professor assumed I could not produce quality research. The professor read a few pages that reflected my comprehension of complex sociological theories and terms and invalidated it all. Their blue pen was the catalyst that opened an ocean of self-doubt that I worked so hard to destroy. In front of my peers, I was criticized by a person who had the academic position I aimed to acquire. I am hurting because my professor assumed that the only way I could produce content as good as this was to “cut and paste.” I am hurting because for a brief moment I believed them.
Instead of working on my English paper that is due tomorrow, I felt it crucial to reflect on the pain that I am sick of swallowing. My work is a reflection of my growth in a society that sees me as the other. For too long I have others assume I am weak, unintelligent, and incapable of my own success. Another element of this invalidation is that as I sit here with teary eyes describing the distress I am too familiar with, the professor has probably forgotten all about it. My heartache can not be universally understood and until it is, I have to continue to fight. At this moment, there are students who will never understand the desolation that follows an underlined “not.” There are students who will be assumed capable without the need to list their credentials in the beginning of a reflective piece. How many degrees do I need for someone to believe I am an academic?
At this moment, I am in the process of advocating for myself to prove the merit of my content to people who will never understand what it is like to be someone like me. Some of you won’t understand how every word that I use to describe this moment was diligently selected in a way that would properly reflect my intellect. I understand that no matter how hard I try or how well I write, these biases will continue to exist around me. I understand that my need to fight against these social norms is necessary.
In reality, I am tired and I am exhausted. On one hand, this experience solidifies my desire to keep going and earn a PhD but on the other it is a confirmation of how I always knew others saw me. I am so emotional about this paper because in the phrase “this is not your word,” I look down at a blue inked reflection of how I see myself when I am most suspicious of my own success. The grade on my paper was not a letter, but two words: “needs work.” And it’s true. I am going to graduate in May and enter a grad program that will probably not have many people who look like me. The entire field of academia is broken and erases the narratives of people like me. We all have work to do to fix the lack of diversity and understanding among marginalized communities. We all have work to do.
Academia needs work.
TIFFANY MARTÍNEZ 
I’m genuinely perplexed that someone serious about their education and wishing to remain on honors waits until the day before to complete their English papers. This fact bothered me the most in this well written piece. It feels almost as though after leaving your upcoming assignment, for a time that leaves you with none, has left you flustered and in search for something to blame. In regards to your “racist” professor, if they are what you claim then i have no shame in saying fuck them. In fact thank them, thank their bigoted mindset enraged with jealousy that your work is better than theirs.
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You’ve got to be kidding me. You had to start out with victim-blaming? OK, let me give it a shot.
“I’m generally perplexed that someone serious about education would read a story about racist professors and decide that the thing that needed comment more than anything else was the decision of the author to ‘wait until the day before’ to complete her English paper.”
Seriously? Do you not understand what a deadline is?
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I say what I see even when i know ill say something one may not like. Society today tip toes around trying to make everyone feel like they are significant at anything they do and I refuse to conform to that madness. The fact that she waited the day before to complete a final year paper wasn’t really the issue i had. The issue I had is the line could convey the same meaning yet not take away from the writers judge of character. She did a great job building the readers thoughts to empathize for her and paint the professor as a bigoted racist until that point. Yes its a small point but the devil is in the details. That line made me stop and question the validity of this piece with thoughts like, does she always leave assignments to the last minute, if so its not hard to think that perhaps a line here and there on her paper may have been the paraphrasing of un-cited sources, which could lead the professor to thinking she didn’t do the research personally on the information she just conveyed why isn’t this cited leading to the comment not your words in the sense that Ms. Martinez may have forgotten a source to cite.
Im also glad to hear you are “generally perplexed”. It took time to even bother replying to a comment from a being who is confused most of the time. I know my comment was hard to grasp but I have no idea where you got the idea that I was serious about education, I actually hate the whole system honestly its scam. We are taught next to nothing up until high school to even be able to live a life in general society, the system is designed to make you dependent on everyone else and to really use anything taught up until high school you have to get a post-secondary which is just the government forcing your 1st loan down your throat and in their pocket, soo deep in their pocket that you cant get out of that loan even if you claim bankruptcy. I will rant too much about my problems with “education” and have deadlines to meet so I wont waste anymore time. Yes that was a big fuck you about knowing what a deadline is and what responsibilities are.
Peace, out.
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Tiffany, you very likely have a valid complaint that is under the jurisdiction of The Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. This is the kind of discrimination in writing that they investigate. Going to the Department of Education is a better route than just keeping it internal. If they retaliate, you want an outside government agency to be watching them.
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Tiffany, I’ll tell you what I tell my friends when they begin to feel self conscious about things like this: you’re here, (probably) having grown up with English as a second language at home, making the kind of better life that made your family moved here in the first place. Do you think that the idiot who shamed you could do half so well if his parents had moved to your family’s native land, or would he be moaning about all that was lost in the Land of Opportunity?
We both know that you’re probably made of much sterner stuff. You’re going to build on this and use it to help others someday. This “teacher” did teach you a lesson but it wasn’t what he thought. Instead, you’ve learned how never to treat a student. You’ll be better professor for it, and you will reach your goal, trust me.
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You should definitely take this issue to the department chair and the dean. Accusations of academic misconduct are serious and can’t be thrown around carelessly. Stay strong. Let me know if I can help. Always glad to help a fellow McNair scholar.
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Sorry, the phrase for you that we are looking for is, “Go back from WHENCE you came!”
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Tiffany don’t mind him and let this not work you out like its doing. You have nothing to prove
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I suggest you re-submit the paper, suitably annotated (in ‘Green’ ink); with the following: …et “Ceci n’est pas bigoterie”. Non? Oh the treachery of images!
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And another thing… The psycopathalogical analysis of a public humiliation, serves only to illustrate the insecurities of the perpetrator; by attempting to garner support from observers. ‘Bullying’ by another name. Not recommended as an effective educational tool!
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Dear Tiffany, Wait! High school drop out here who was highly criticised by teachers growing up. I deserved it. I am also of hispanic decent and. Homosexual, so I certainly understand your frustration and pain as a minority. Now with four college degrees, including two masters, one in technical communication, I think I have pretty clear understanding of the college process and paper grading. Graduate school can be brutal, so students should expect some amount of chastisement. I read this article and I do not agree with your position, dear lady, at least in this example. Hence is considered archaic in our modern language because it once functioned as a noun and an adverb. Clever writers that we were in undergraduate more than 20 years ago, if we turned in a paper using the word hence, instead of therefore, it would be redlined. Translation: hence is not the word you want to use here. Further, you can’t write a graduate level or even undergraduate paper without citing sources. The professor said “please” go back and indicate where you copied and pasted. Such hardly indicates he was accusing you of cheating. This conversation goes on every day in academia between students and faculty as students learn the need to cite sources make inline attributions or footnotes. You make no indication that you did not make any direct quotes, but perhaps the professor believed there might possible be one in your work. Was there? Even one direct quote without quotes and citation or one paraphrased sentence without citation equals plagiarism. He did not say you cheated. He asked you to indicate if there were any direct quotations in your paper. Many academics, including my graduate professors, use TurnItIn to check student work. Perhaps he used that tool and found some problems. Beyond that, dear one, you may need to grow a thicker skin…academia can be brutal. That is why everyone from around the world wants to come here to study…we produce the best academics in the world exactly because of the rigor you are experiencing. Try not to take personally. Maybe professor didn’t write it right, but his intentions we clearly sound. You know how many times I have heard a professor give someone a hard time over a paper or a project, especially in graduate school? Please! This is not an everybody gets an award endeavor…it’s a competition, and if one is not able to handle these rigors, then best to find a low grade college that doesn’t put too much emphasis on academics. But you, are going to do just fine. Don’t worry about this dear lady, though, because in ten years, after you have gotten used to this process, you will be writing the exact same comments on your student’s papers, though you will be a little more careful about the words you choose; the meaning and instructions will be the same. Translation: Don’t use archaic words and be sure to follow APA/MLA style guidelines. Keep writing! Keeping learning! You are doing great! Don’t let them get under your skin…they are training you to deal with criticism as well as teaching you the subject. All the best.
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And pardon my few grammar errors here. Itis hard to type all this little keypad.
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And the instructor would be wrong as it’s a valid word usage, regardless hence the instructor is a dumbass.
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I am personally a caucasian woman studying at university level in Australia. I often use this word, often find it in exemplar assessments shown to us, and often find it in content read online. If ‘Hence’ was deemed an archaic word and redlined by markers 20 years ago, its meaning has since been adapted, and is more than suitable for use today. *Hence*, I believe it is ludicrous that a professor would make such a ridiculous comment today.
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Richard Colvin, I think you missed this paragraph:
“This morning, my professor handed me back a paper (a literature review) in front of my entire class and exclaimed “this is not your language.” On the top of the page they wrote in blue ink: “Please go back and indicate where you cut and paste.” The period was included. They assumed that the work I turned in was not my own. My professor did not ask me if it was my language, instead they immediately blamed me in front of peers.””
If the problem was that the OP should have used a different word, maybe the prof should have taken that time to explain that so others wouldn’t make the same mistake. To confront her infront of others if it was not a teaching moment was accusatory and shaming.
You also assume and try to read between imaginary lines on what the professor means. You immediately assume that the citation was done incorrectly or not included. I do not believe that is the case as I do not see the OP being that careless.
I would step up and ask the professor what he meant by that comment. If he did mean something else, then he needs to work on his own wording.
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Your repeated use of “Dear Lady” is painfully condescending.
With her brief statement of creditors you are assuming she isn’t versed in proper style.
And the most demeaning part there was an open verbal reprimand in front of her peers accessing her of plagerisms.
That was not okay.
Why most the first response be that injustice of any type or level is actually hypersensitivity on the recipient’s part
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You’ve just run across one of the ways white supremacy perpetuates itself. They do what they can to poison the educational system for people of color and then fret about their absence from higher education. The best revenge will be to just continue writing well, being awesome, and get your doctorate. Good luck and “illegitimi non carborundum” (don’t let the bastards grind you down)!
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Yeah, the prof’s actions sucked, but whining about them won’t help and may keep you stuck in a place you know you don’t want to be. Suck it up, shrug the idiot off and move on.
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It’s difficult (and ill-advised) to shrug off someone who is responsible for your grade.
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Other people have experienced what this writer has and it isn’t cool. Her “whining” is helping others who feel the same but who didn’t feel confident enough to stand up for themselves/change their situation. I agree that a victim mentality gets you nowhere, but that’s not what this is. You should learn to support fellow humans in their struggles and not accuse them of “whining” when they’re helping to expose what’s wrong with society and the major systems in place. Especially when it comes to discrimination. Not a good move.
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And the instructor would be wrong as it’s a valid word usage, regardless hence the instructor is a dumbass.
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Stupid program placed my rely on the wrong entry, wasn’t for you.
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So insulting to call this whining. She’s not whining–she’s standing up to ignorant racism.
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She can’t write about her experiences with racism and classism in academia in her own blog without it getting called whining. Amazing.
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No, that’s not a tolerable response. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. And there’s no reason that this problem should be tolerated and thus perpetuated.
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Your writing is beautiful, Tiffany. What your professor did to you speaks volumes about their limitations, not yours. You may be certain that the piece you were put down for stealing is better than anything your professor has ever written, and likely better than most if not all of what lands on their desk. You do not deserve to be punished for that, and you have every right to be angry–for that and for everything like it that has happened before to yourself and others.
Your open expression here of your feelings and the impact the event had on you was the absolute right thing to do. You are reaching and touching people and making a difference for yourself and for others. Making a difference is the best revenge.
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Tiffany, do not despair. I’ve been where you are, and I know how you feel. Being an academic is hard, and believe me, it only gets worse. What you see is the beginning of academic jealousy. We all have to write for a living, but not everyone who does it is good at it. You are. You have a gift. So here’s some advice: 1) Become uber-religious about citing every single source you use in your work. If it’s something you heard some professor say in a class, hunt it down. Cite correctly and even over-cite if you have any doubts. Never, ever give anyone an excuse to challenge your academic integrity. Ever. 2) Get your Ph.D. In the process, write a kick-ass dissertation so compelling and well-written that it makes readers want to gobble it down like a George R.R. Martin novel. Make your thesis adviser say: “Wow. It’s good. I don’t have many changes.” 3) Excise all that monotonous methodology from that dissertation and turn it into a book that will make publishers clamor for your NEXT book. 4) Surround yourself with a group of strong women (men are nice but academia is a different animal for them) who are in similar professions and make them your backbone. Working in academia will make you doubt yourself (more than you will want to admit) and go through many variations of “the imposter syndrome”, especially when you start to encounter the varied, perplexing ways that academia likes to make life difficult for those of us who just want to learn about things and teach others about them. It’s okay. It’s part of this craziness. 5) It’s best if you live near your support group, but if not, then use social media to find them. Then reach out to them. Let them support you. When you encounter adversity, let them walk you…or talk you…or if necessary, drink…you through it. I started my Ph.D. in 1997 and that semester, amid fear and trepidation, taught my first course. In 2005, I earned my doctorate. Today, I teach at one of the CUNY schools. I love my job and I especially love that I teach a lot of Latino and African American and international students. They encounter plenty of professors who are not minorities…so they need to see me. Tomorrow, there will be many more who need to see you. Look me up if you need me. Buena suerte and P’alante!
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Reblogged this on Retrospect and commented:
Because this talks much about not just academics, but the way the world is built and continues to operate.
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Thank you for sharing this experience, Tiffany. I hope you get an opportunity to read my response: “Stop expecting academia to love you.”
http://www.chicagonow.com/white-rhino/2016/10/surviving-academia/
Ray
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I’ve commented on students’ work when the tone of their papers was not there own. My comments had nothing to do with intelligence or race, rather an unusual or irregular use of words for that student. Often times, my students (and I) will display styles and when they write in a style inconsistent with what they’ve written in the past, I inquire. Sometimes they have an explanation. Sometimes they do not. I have no idea what your professor’s motivation was, only that there is an alternative to the one you ascribe to him.
Regardless, keep kicking ass and congrats on your bright future.
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I’m a professor too and have been known to ask students about work that does not seem to match their past performance; however, I have never accused a student of cheating in front of their classmates. The behavior that Ms. Martinez described was inappropriate.
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It certainly sounds like it. I would be curious to hear the professor’s explanation and description of the events before I condemned him/her however.
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If the professor suspected plagiarism because of a change in tone, then the prof.
should have “inquired”, not publicly condemned.
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The bibles use of hence is frequent…the Bible was/is the true beginning of formal writings which set the standard for the writing styles of today. “Hence forth now and forevermore” is used in weddings of today. So to minimum your use of the word is ridiculous!!
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Dear Shannon, I attend church and run our Bible study weekly. This language suggest you may be referring to KJV, which I love. Yet, we read KJV, NIV, Good News, and many others at each study. We read an entire chapter three times from three versions. The KJV is the least popular version, though we are always sure to include it. Most of our members are over 70, yet the say they can’t understand the language or construction of KJV, and they prefer mire modern translations. Words fall out of favor and are replaced. For instance, what does it mean to “know” someone as written in the Bible? With that in mind now, understand that to “know” someone today absolutely does not mean what it meant when they published the KJV. Our audiences today are not as familiar with hence and its use has resulted in confusion (noun versus adverb) so it fell out of favor. But peace of God to you just the same.
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In undergrad, during a pre-req British poetry course… a professor gave me a provisional A on a paper, but, simultaneously, accused me of plagiarism. In explanation of this accusation, one he said that he could not prove, he pressed me to “site appropriately” as a means of demonstrating where I was expressing the ideas of others. I, a nearly 30 year old returning to college after years of being away, but also one who knew how to cite, and particularly in the style of MLA, since my freshman Humanities English course in my very humanistically-focused Catholic high school, stormed his office. Apparently, the look on my face said it all… and he apologized, immediately, before I’d even said a word… stammering and defensive, all the way. He looked truly afraid.
So, not only did he make me suffer a completely false accusation and the assumption of my inability to come up with a unique or creative reading of a Shakespearean sonnet to his young man; but, also, then he also forced me to experience the redoubled insult through his reaction to my presumed “scariness.”
Do not be fooled by some presumption that the people who populate the rest of our society find their ways, segregated from the halls of academia. What you get elsewhere, you get in the classroom. Academia needs much, much work. Hopefully, now 15 years later and teaching literature in a college, I will bring my experiences consciously into my classroom. Take yours forward, as well… and make the next you have an easier time, if you can.
And keep asking academia (and elsewhere) to be better. Also, and just a hint… find your real people. They are out there, even in offices along the hallowed halls.
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I dont accuse a student of plagiarism unless I can find a unique part of a sentence word for word from another text. I can usually tell pretty well and pretty quickly, and I have been able to do so since before the internet. I have had maybe 5 or 6 cases of blatant plagiarism over the years. I would NEVER accue someone of plagiarism because they used a few words here and there that I do not hear them use in speech. That is racist. It is also sloppy. Shame on your instructor. I hope that with this blog and how much attention it is getting that you feel validated.
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My apologies for the typos. It’s a little late and I have been watching the Cubs game!
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I use words in my writing that I don’t use in speech. Why? because my mouth doesn’t have the advantage of multiple rewrites before the words come out like my prose does.
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The conversation with your professor should start with “How dare you….”
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Keep your head up. In a sense fuck Academia, we are building the future and don’t need their validation.
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Keep going. As a latina, your words just gave me life. Right now you are being tested because the systems in place are built to keep us out versus bringing us in. We have to constantly break down doors that are locked for us. Never lose yourself. Never doubt yourself. You’re not alone. Thank you for your courage.
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prayers coming at you from an Ilokano now living in Toronto. this was beautifully written, kabsat.
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Keep going!! You are an academic and social inspiration!! 😀
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This is so important to share. Thank you. I can’t believe that this person is so ignorant and idiotic (the professor, I mean). I am insulted personally, also, for you (as phrased so well by Cindy Nagrath who commented above). That is my first reaction to the experience you had.
Also, from the angle of what a teacher should be, since we come to our teachers to learn and grow:
I am a parent of five children—ages six to fifteen—and I see every day when I volunteer in their classrooms and interact with the kids and teachers that the most important quality that creates a space for learning and growth is for the teacher (or other person in a position of authority) to respect each and every child and their abilities and their potential. How can a teacher forget this, even when they are teaching at college-level? A person who does this is not meant to be a teacher, they are a mean-hearted, petty-minded, uneducated fool.
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Stay strong and thank you for sharing and also know that you are as smart if not smarter. Don’t let anyone question your intelligence!
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Tiffany. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that this has happened to you. I simply do not have the words to express what this feels like for me to hear. You should know I am a white male who grew up racist and have been in recovery form racism for many decades now. If I could be there with you and all of the other students who endure this kind of racial crime and personal assaults, I would go with everyone into class to “audit” the professor and insure that there was someone there to stand up and call out their profanity. So many racists I know criticize Hispanics for not learning to speak English. (Stupid and typical right?) Then you exhibit a mastery of the language and THIS happens. I would make it my mission to ruin your professors life. I’m not saying you should but I am a white male who no longer gives a damn what anyone says and have reached my limit of the bullshit I am willing to put up with in the world. So I will stand toe to toe on behalf of anyone who is wronged by another intellectual racist idiot. I hope you have student advocates and organizations on campus you can reach out to for support. Please take car of yourself. WE (America) need you to continue to succeed . Because you ARE succeeding every time you bounce back from this kind of injustice. I am proud of you and glad to know a little about you and your struggle. I am sharing in it with you in my own small way. I hope you have a great weekend surrounded by friends who appreciate you for the amazing person you are. PEACE
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Writing is hard work and often comes under the scrutiny of other people who don’t realize it. Girl, what I’ve realized, especially during my writing journey, is to be patient with self. If you made a minor flaw, so what. It happens. What’s most important is that you don’t allow this incident to determine your next move. Go on to get that PH.D. Follow your heart and become that professor. There will ALWAYS be people who will undermine your ability all because they don’t see you like you see yourself. You can’t depend on that alone to validate your greatness. Your writing is amazing! Learn from your mistakes and continue to believe in your dreams. You got this! I wish you nothing but the best. I love your blog, by the way! Keep it up!
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Could you please provide the entire paper with comments? It is hard to make an assessment with the information you provided.
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You don’t need to assess the paper to know writing on a Latina woman’s paper “this is not your word” is rooted in racism. You don’t need to assess the paper to know that this was wrong, that mocking a student in front of her peers for a commented and thought rooted in racism is wrong. If you need to look at the paper, then you missed point and I would encourage you to read this again.
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You think you’d be equipped to assess the veracity of her statements here? Ridiculous.
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I can’t say your professor is or isn’t racist BUT hence was not the correct word to start the sentence with. “Hence” is a final conjunction; hence it should not be used at the beginning of a sentence in formal writing, according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Other final conjunctions include thus, so and therefore. You could rephrase your sentence as: I am not feeling well; hence I am unable to work
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Please. That’s like saying you can’t start a sentence with And or But. No one but the worst kind of pedant and dullard believes this any more. More to the point, that was not his critique, so utterly irrelevant to the issue at hand.
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I’m a native English speaker who graduated college 6 years ago – and I never realized that the words “thus”, “so”, “therefore”, or “hence” couldn’t be used to start a sentence. But furthermore, I wrote numerous papers in college with those grammatical errors (if you can call them that) and I never got any feedback from professors saying it was wrong. So there’s clearly a double standard here.
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Actually, there’s no double-standard; the person who made that claim is simply wrong.
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Dear friend. Therefore and hence are not conjunctions, so they cannot be used to join two independent sentences, like but, for instance. Therefore can actually be placed anywhere, as long as it is set off by commas, one comma if at the beginning or end of a sentence and two commas if appearing somewhere within the sentence.
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Megan, I don’t know if you’re correct or not, I am not that well versed in writing or grammar, but I do know you’re an ass.
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I take your point on punctuation, Meggean Lane, but I don’t feel that is the point the blogger is trying to make. Do you think the academic was only referring to grammatical error, or something more?
Copy and paste assignments are a frequent occurence and are to be held in contempt but not if the basis of the complaint is racial.
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She didn’t use it in the beginning of her sentence she used it as a transitory word that connected two relating statements. Please read it before commenting on it and attempting to make her seem ignorant
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You’re a cornball.
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Megan is a cornball!
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Then the Chicago Manual of Style is wrong. There is no other way to put it. On the principle that usage determines proper style, people have been using therefore, thus, and hence to lead sentences for centuries. Just look at the closing paragraph of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” for an example.
“Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”
So, if the Chicago Manual of Style is to prevail, then we must conclude this usage is right for 1859, but wrong for 2016. That’s absurd. (And, yes, I’ve been deliberately peppering my post with other such usages just to provoke you.)
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Just remember that not everybody is like that. Stupid people are stupid people no matter what color their skin is or how many degrees they have. I’d rather learn from you than some idiot who doesn’t believe in equality and probably still thinks the earth is flat.
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Keep on trucking girl. And don’t let them give you shit. I actually use the word “hence” in speech. I upset my boss using the word “Detritus” in a report. He kept trying to say it wasn’t a word and correct my “typo” until I made him look it up. When he said I was trying to make him look dumb I shrugged and said, my made us play Scrabble. That defused the situation. The reality was I read. A Lot. So words like “hence” and “Detritus” come naturally to me. Just as I can tell from this article that such words come naturally to you. Keep on keeping on. Don’t let them stop you.
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I use the word detritus frequently in all sorts of context. My son loved the word too but did ask me what it meant when he first heard it. It is obvious that the boss isn’t a reader like you.
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Thank you for sharing this painful story. It shows another aspect of racism that is probably not even thought about in the dominant culture.
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It’s so inappropriate for any professor/teacher to call you out in front of a class of your peers. Clearly this “teacher” assumed you didn’t do your work but the hypocrisy of the whole situation is confounding since said teacher clearly didn’t do her work. I’m sorry this happened to you, it’s disgusting and clearly bigoted. Keep being strong and letting people know how capable you are. Don’t rest until this “teacher” faces some kind of repercussions.
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Tiffany, I’m a professor and have some thoughts that may be helpful to you about the larger problems this represents. Email me if you wish at sjwnyc.sw@gmail.com if you want to correspond/talk. I’m a white professor who’s excruciatingly aware of how students of color can be marginalized.
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Thank you for sharing this, Tiffany. I know exactly how you feel now, because I myself have gone through similar situations in my academic career. I am sorry to say this, but the situation is universal, and we can only change the existing system by NOT learning from such supervisors and developing our own ways to deal with students and young scientists. Simply try to be strong now and go for your goal, and later, when you find yourself supervising your own students, do not forget to give them proper attention, respect, and time. I do wish you lots of good luck with yout studies!
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We need more professors like you in colleges and universities. We need more people in the world like you, period.
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thanks for sharing. you are legit, never doubt it
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Go for grad school. But before you do take the sum total of your published work and your “A” work plop it down in front of that worthless professor and tell him (I assume he was male) and demand he read it. Have a colleague video it to show the dean. Demand a public apology. If you can take a cohort of friends with you. All the better. When you get the video, post it to Facebook.
You go! You are the future of our country.
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This is your own internal struggle. Whether your teacher is a jerk it not, the fact that you allowed it to destroy you shows a lack of confidence.
Ps – unless you are facing a panel of professors, it’s “he/she”, not they. You’ll never make it in academia if your pronouns don’t agree in number.
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Shut the fuck up.
She will make it.
Loving from
From a phd proff
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Dick!
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How disrespectful to attempt to correct the author, who (if at all in line with other writers who aim to treat gender and identity gently) have made a conscious decision to use a gender-neutral pronoun.
To the author: Sorry you have to deal with this. All of it. It’s undeserved. You are magnificent–credentials or no–and your words brought clarity and insight and fire to the screen. Hope you continue on the path that brings you joy and a sense of purpose.
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Perhaps the professor uses they/them/their pronouns?
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Disagree. “They” is commonly used outside the hetero/cis-normative community, and implies respect of such. It appears the original author is an aspiring sociologist, and as such is likely aware of the current acceptance of this usage of “they”. The insistence on a gender binary is, at best, archaic.
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Actually, the use of they has been replacing the clunky s/he writing in academia for about two decades now.
Source- someone who was asked to use they instead of he/she twenty years ago when I was writing my Master’s thesis.
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I don’t know if this was meant to be encouraging but you seem to be discounting her emotions. Whether or not this is an internal struggle is irrelevant. For anyone worth their salt to assume that any written piece was plagiarized, regardless of either party’s race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, is wrong. Not only that, but to announce in front of a class that a single student supposedly performed such an act is unprofessional.
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You need to learn to write and check your spelling. See if you can find YOUR error in your poorly written response.
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FUCK. OFF.
Perhaps she used ‘they’ because she has a the higher moral ground to not indicate their gender and therefore help identify her professor.
I’d love to know how you would deal with this situation. If you’re so quick to jump on an internet comment board to leave such a snarky, shitty and petty reply, I’d imagine you would be flipping your shit if something like this every happened to you.
its obviously not an ‘internal struggle’ since she was CALLED OUT in front of her class, you asshole. also, the fact that she wrote this articulate and well thought out piece and is analyzing the situation shows more confidence and resolve than im sure you will ever have. she never said that it ‘destroyed’ her… but that it has confirmed biases and opened wounds that she has fought hard to overcome.
what a PIECE OF SHIT comment to leave… i was looking through the comment feed hoping i wouldnt find some douchey ass clown trying to take her down a peg. I’d love to see what you actually do in your life, because i’d imagine a person that would leave this type of comment hasnt achieved much, or at the very least is a terribly sad and pained individual.
this ‘also latina’ bullshit is garbage… your being latina and trying to act superior by this terrible comment sounds incredibly pathetic and sad. Why not support another latina and help contribute something positive and good in this world.
Fuck. You.
ps… the snide ‘ps’ makes you sound like an insufferable asshole
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Institutionalized racism is NOT her own internalized struggle, it’s a pervasive system that needs change. And who made you the arbiter of what is or is not an appropriate response?
Fun fact: the gender-neutral pronoun “they” is often used deliberately (and correctly) to obscure the gender of the referent.
You’ve contributed nothing to this conversation except a demonstration of your own ignorance and victim-blaming mentality.
Grow some empathy.
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Sorry buddy, but the singular they has been a thing for quite a while, and is advocated for in many, many disciplines. It is an intellectual war, and the Prescriptivist Grammarians and literary conservatives are losing quite spectacularly in virtually every academic discipline.
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No, this is an example of a struggle that MANY people face on a daily basis – so fuck your “internal struggle.” You basically told her to just shut up and take it and it is exactly that mentality that keeps us” in our place.” We need to encourage our fellow latinas to take a stand instead of replicating the systems of oppression that put us down.
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You’re wrong. I’m a writer and I know why you think this, but it’s an outdated idea. My profession has been evolving, dragging me along with it, and I just found a Wall Street Journal article that supports me.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/can-they-be-accepted-as-a-singular-pronoun-1428686651
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They is becoming more legitimate and natural. It’s great what happens when humanist ideals of the the gender binary are questioned. 😉 fuck you
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Also, we get it. You’re Latina, probably the one the white friend has to validate their color blindness. Also Latinas can still be white af.
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One first-gen college student and first-gen citizen to another I just want to encourage you to keep on trucking sister. It’s been a consistent theme for me that I’ve just had to try, “a little harder” the whole way through to get desired results. My parents couldn’t tell me a thing about FAFSA, school rankings or applications when I was 17, I still graduated Magna Cum Laude. When I applied to Columbia, and U Chicago I was accepted to both. I chose latter with hopes of it being the best training for me. Despite Latin Honors, four years experience in the field after graduation, high scores and strong letters or recommendation from 4 people with M.A.’s or PhD’s, I received an insultingly low scholarship offer from the School of Social Service Administration…even after being elected to student government and showing outstanding academic capability in the first quarter, I was unsuccessful when I appealed the scholarship amount; I demanded explanation of the low offer and fought for the same increases that had been given to others. I was given a fraction of the increase I asked. I say this not in woe, but to highlight this unfortunate reality you have already eloquently illuminated. Despite this common plight I’m part of initiatives trying to get more Latinos into higher ed while holding three part time jobs.
I’m now a dual degree student and will finish and A.M. in Social Work and a Masters in Divinity in 2019…but we just have to work a little harder. I don’t consider myself an academic most days; if I pursue a PhD in Neuroscience in the future I wonder if I will then. I should say, however, that I don’t consider myself an academic because academia is not my end game plan; I simply desire to contribute my mind and skills to interventions that address some of the worlds most real issues. I dream for the day that our success is not surprising, that we are not mere exceptions to unspoken rules governed by a subtle white supremacy.
This is longer than I intended, perhaps your words just rippled to my core. Your work is real, and you are valuable and we need you.
vamos adelante,
Some Mexican kid who is actually a real man earning two more Master’s degrees than the average citizen and wouldn’t care to mention it if he didn’t think another kid needed some hope.
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Write back and ask your tutor to explain how they concluded that ‘hence’ was not your word…you being a speaker of English and ‘hence’ being an English word? Better yet, ask their supervisor to demand the explanation on your behalf!
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Let the haters hate and get your degree!
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More power to your pen and your intellect, Tiffany. You write beautifully and respond logically (but with an understandable depth of feeling, too) to the outrageous behaviour you describe. Please persist – you are bound to succeed and academe needs you!
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Do what YOU want not what they want.
It’s not a confirmation of how others saw you, it’s a single event on many others that’s make you feel it’s the reality. NOT all others saw you like this person who had misunderstand judgment (so many comments). Fight for injustice.
Good luck in your goals in life, take care
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So sad this happened to you, and so glad that you saw it and named it as the prejudice and discrimination that it is.
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Sue them!
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As a woman I feel angry for you and I am also in the same pursuit and have certain prejudice from make professors discounting or dismissing intelligence. But I know that no one outside of me really defines me unless i give them the power to do so. on’t you dare let him win, don’t give him that power, grow well past him and all the others. Persevere, it will be worth ir.
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Dox the bastard. Give the internet his name, e-mail address and the same for his bosses. He’ll never work again.
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*She’ll
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According to the online etymological dictionary, the word Hence comes from Proto Indo European. Even if we are to accept the teacher’s flawed premise, that words “belong” to someone’s language, then in a very literal sense, the word “hence”, is, in fact, her language, and the language of billions of other people.
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