One thing about intersectionality that former Redondo Union volleyball player Lauryn Leiato can attest to, is the racism and harsh judgment she has faced.
Leiato has come a long way from where she was in high school. Overcoming challenges as a Samoan woman is vital for Leiato. She has found solace in the LBCC community and gained the ability to thrive in her identity and purpose.
LBCC’s ASB club hosted a calm, quiet evening event in the E quad with three attendees on March 23. The chilly weather did not stop LBCC students Lauryn Leiato, Amelia Tupua and Erin Mataafa from writing out prompts about what intersectionality meant to them and their personal stories and experiences.
Intersectionality is a foundation for understanding a person’s social and political identity that combines to create different means of discrimination and privilege. This pinpoints multiple factors of disadvantage and advantage.
For Leiato, she recalls a time in high school when there was an incident concerning a teacher accusing her of cheating before a test, which resulted in her teacher going through her camera roll on her phone in pursuit of finding evidence, but only to find nothing but heartwarming photos of Leiotos’ family and dog.
This racially invasive incident led Leioto to have tears in her eyes and says she firmly believes it was racially motivated.
Although she does not have closure from the incident, she does feel that LBCC has protected her peace and has helped her find balance by being a part of the community and excelling in her academics.
“I faced a substantial amount of discrimination because of my intersecting oppression, not just being a person of color but a woman. As a junior at Redondo high school, I took an AP U.S. history exam, and the teacher accused me of cheating… I didn’t understand why she just chose me. She called the vice principal and went through my phone because she thought I had pictures of the exam-I didn’t. She just saw pictures of my family and my dog. That was one of the real encounters I had with racism,” said Leiato.
Speaking of her unforgettable experience, Leioto now looks back and remembers the harshness of the situation that she went through, not only as a woman but a person of color.
ASB member and event coordinator Coco Dobard had a lot to say about what this event means to her and why it’s necessary for students to be connected and understand themselves and others.
“Our whole point is to come together as allies for each other and come at structural issues from the point of intersectionality. We are all struggling with this, it’s about connecting as a community and discussing the different barriers to those issues. Intersectionality can be intimidating, so how do we help the student body better understand it so that they could use it in their everyday life.” said Dobard.
Intersectionality is crucial, according to Dobard. Having open conversations and acknowledging our different backgrounds is a must. It can be very informative for the LBCC campus and its students.
Dobard gets candid and vulnerable as she expresses her experiences and feelings. She recalls a time in her life when this specific event impacted her.
“I experienced poverty and housing insecurity, but on a larger scale. Poverty has been caused by higher-up, structural issues that make opportunities for getting financially back on track more difficult. Furthermore, I did not know how to identify as a mixed indigenous youth. I lost myself in all these dimensions connected to my identity,” said Dobard.
“Although it impacted me, I try to reflect on it as something that shaped how I look at issues now, knowing that I have multiple perspectives to bring to the table.” she added.