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Image by expertbooksmuggler on Instagram
Image by expertbooksmuggler on Instagram
Reading books isn’t just a means of entertainment, escapism, or education, it can also be an act of activism. No political movement in history would’ve happened without educated people or a means to educate others and inspire action.
This is why many bookstores, libraries, and activists create and share reading lists to support movements. For example, with the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, Palestinian stories and authors are constantly being highlighted in bookish spaces to raise awareness and educate people. Efforts like #ReadPalestine week, organized by Publishers for Palestine, is just one example, but individual content creators also share recommendations.
In celebration of World Book Day, we discuss a few reasons why reading is and will always be political.
Stories are a reflection of reality and human experience
At no point in time have war, disease, hunger, poverty, racism, injustice, etc., not been a part of our reality and human experience. Authors know these things either in theory or because they’ve lived them themselves. As a result, they inform their stories and are reflected in them. This is how, as readers, we’re exposed to an incredibly diverse range of human experiences through the books we pick.
It doesn’t matter if the stories are based in the real world or fantasy worlds, writers write what they know. Their experiences and knowledge of the world are always found in the stories they create in one way or another, and isn’t everything in our lives either caused by or affected by politics? Politics are involved even in the books we don’t have access to, or limited access to, because book banning, despite constitutional amendments that were supposed to protect against that practice, still exists and is flourishing.
Authors pour political elements into their works, whether to expose an aspect of our reality for its ugliness or to reimagine it. For example, “The Hunger Games” books aren’t just about a young girl trying to save her little sister. They’re about totalitarian governments, genocide, political repression, poverty, surveillance, revolution, sacrifice to achieve societal change, and more.
Books offer political expression and inspire action
Political expression can be found in all kinds of books. Yes, even romance books. Love stories involve all kinds of characters and depict all kinds of relationships. They also reflect the qualities of ideal partners, which are highly influenced by society. Whether it’s people from different social classes falling in love, interracial relationships, and more, authors can and do explore social issues through their characters’ relationships.
Of course, political expression can be positive or negative. While stories can imagine a more just world to provide comfort and hope, perspective, or criticism of the issues that plague us, they can also reinforce, promote, or even seek to rationalize those issues.
Why? Because it doesn’t matter what the intention of the author is, reading is learning. Instead of learning to uphold harmful political views, values, beliefs, or even stereotypes, we should learn to challenge and dismantle them. What better way to do that than through books? Reading can make a difference in who we are and what we believe, being aware of that fact is a lot more productive than trying to separate reading from politics.
Image by bookedwithrook on Instagram
Image by bookedwithrook on Instagram
Therefore, banning a book that explores one aspect of a relationship while allowing books that explore another is, in and of itself, a form of selective indoctrination. The selection of books can teach us to uphold harmful political views, values, beliefs, and stereotypes while offering no other perspective that challenges any of these views.
Reading and politics: an unbreakable union
While reading is often done for entertainment or relaxation, many seek how to gain more empathy in books. Books allow us to explore experiences and perspectives that we wouldn’t otherwise have access to. That exposure can affect us deeply and inform the way we approach not only other people but also our contributions to society. Authoritarian regimes know this and have used book burning throughout history.
Today’s book banning is akin to piles of burned books reduced to ashes.
Books communicate things about their authors and the world as it was at the time they were written. The very act of choosing a book is political. For example, choosing to read books that champion diverse stories when the publishing world is so white can be a political act. While books can provide comfort, enjoyment, relief, joy, and more, they’re also one of the many ways we can use our agency to affect change.
Books are one of the many vehicles through which we exercise our power to influence our community. On this World Book Day, let’s think more critically about the kind of stories we consume and recommend to others, and let’s vow to use books to promote diverse experiences, understanding, kindness, and positive change.
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We've been conditioned to believe that women are incapable of achieving greatness without constantly trying to one-up each other. Of course, this couldn't be further from the truth, but it has somehow turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy that we perpetuate ourselves by giving in to these stereotypes and viewing other women as rivals.
And despite this harmful bias being talked about countless times (I mean, people are only now starting to realize that maybe they shouldn't have been so harsh on Britney and Christina), the truth is: it still happens every single day.
It may come as a controversial opinion, but a clear example of this is the relentless online harassment Clara Chia and Hailey Bieber have received in the past couple of months. And while many of us might not be their fans, can we all agree that this has gone way too far? After Bieber started receiving death threats, Selena Gomez decided to speak out and ask her fans to do something that seems so simple, yet so hard for some people: just be kind.
Given the long history of sexism and misogyny in media, it's no wonder women are often judged more harshly than men. Apparently, being "the other woman" is just infinitely more severe than, for instance, sexual harassment allegations and kinda-feels-illegal age gaps that people tend to simply brush off.
The media has created a culture of objectification and devaluation of women, reducing them to their physical appearance or their relationships with men rather than being recognized for their achievements or their talents. With this in mind, it's no surprise that soccer star Piqué isn't getting as much backlash for having cheated on Shakira with Clara Chía, and Justin Bieber hasn't even opened his mouth to defend his wife, Hailey Bieber.
I could go on and on with these recent pop-culture-drama examples, but you get the gist.
Even if a woman isn't tied down to some man, the media will always find a way to come at her for her success and confidence. Take Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, who used to be thick as thieves, with Cardi even looking up to Nicki as an inspiration. But the trolls just couldn't let them be great, always trying to stir up beef between them. Apparently, having two amazingly successful mixed-race female rappers in the game is too much for some people to handle. So, the constant speculation and rumors of diss tracks led to a hot-and-cold relationship between the two, leaving them both constantly on the defensive. And as Nicki finally said…
Shifting the Culture
The age-old problem of pitting women against each other is still rife, fueled by the toxic machismo culture that refuses to let go. It's a pervasive mindset that views women as mere objects to be controlled, conquered, and dominated instead of being treated as equal partners and colleagues. This not only reinforces gender stereotypes but also holds back women's progress in every sphere.
This machista mindset creates a cutthroat environment that makes it tough for women to work together or support each other. Women are constantly battling to prove themselves, and if they show traits typically seen as "masculine," like confidence and assertiveness, they're immediately labeled as a threat. As a result, the false belief that successful women are always in competition with each other persists, preventing them from working towards shared goals.
Even as women, we're not immune to the harmful effects of machismo. We have to keep ourselves in check about the sexist behaviors and biases that we might be unconsciously promoting. It's a constant battle that we owe to ourselves and other women to keep fighting.
Still, a promising culture shift is happening right now where successful women are lifting each other up and fighting tooth and nail against the media's relentless attempts to portray them as rivals or "better than this other girl."
In the reggaetón and urbano genres, many talented Latina singers and rappers are making their way through a male-dominated industry, collaborating and supporting each other's work. Take, for example, Karol G, one of the leading female voices in reggaeton right now, celebrating with, uplifting, and thanking fellow female reggaeton singers Natti Natasha, Tinni Stoessel, Lola Índigo, and Bad Gyal during her most recent album's launch party.
The message is clear: there's no beef here; we're all comadres.
In this age of digital dominance, social media reigns supreme, dictating what we see, how we feel, and what we believe. As we navigate this maze of information, we can make an effort to be mindful of the content we consume and how we react to it.
So, are we merely passive consumers, feeding into the hate that is being perpetuated, or are we switching up the narrative? By refusing to feed into harmful stereotypes and instead focusing on celebrating each other's achievements and talents, we can actively change the conversation and create a more supportive environment for all women. Let's be kind and supportive of each other, both online and in real life.
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