What's The Tee (in YDEV)?

In the podcast episode, "Breaking Binaries and Intersex Justice," host Prentis Hemphill engages in an interesting, but very detailed, conversation with Saifa Wall, about learning to break away from societal norms and binaries related to sex and gender. Wall is an intersex activist, who discusses the often overlooked experiences of intersex individuals and the harmful medical practices imposed on them, such as unnecessary surgeries performed on intersex babies at birth. For folks who do not know, intersex is a term used to describe people who are born with physical sex traits that don't often fit the typical definitions of a male or female body. This can include different genitalia, reproductive organs, and even hormone levels. One of the most misconstrued things that come out of this research, or lack there of, is that this is the same thing as being transgender. Being intersex is a natural variation in the human biology, which makes it super different as being so relate...

This week, I chose to answer both prompts because my experiences towards both of them played well hand-in-hand. I participated in youth work for most, if not all, of my professional career. Beginning with AmeriCorps in 2016 and "ending" with something more grassroots and community led in 2023, I feel like I've seen whitness and white supremacy culture's impact on all ends of the spectrum. 2016: I joined City Year, an AmeriCorps program, shortly after I completed my undergrad. Though I heard tons of horror stories about folks' experiences with the program, I felt like it was my only ticket into the world of nonprofits and community work considering I had no experience prior to this. I immediately understood and experienced whiteness for what it was, before we even began service. There were rules and regulations that prohibited AmeriCorps Members from simply living as young professionals; this is when I realized we were in some sort of cult, or so it seemed. When we...

Who is Tee? There are many parts of my identity that play a big role in who I am today so I felt it was important to start my Education Journey Map by mapping out… me? Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, the inner city urge to shout to the world that I was here always entered the room before I did. However, being raised by two immigrant parents sort of shut that down before I could enter any room alone. I felt really sheltered as a kid considering my parents were polar opposites. My father was the head of a notorious gang and my mother was a rebel, but in an ethical way. They both sort of came here with a dream and… well, they lived it. As the only male (of three), I always felt the pressure to make both of my parents proud. How do I man up and take charge of the household? But also, how do I tend to my studies and make my mom proud? The Southeast Asian heritage weighing in on my shoulders didn’t make it any easier. I was drowning in what should’ve been a celebration of inters...

In this week's blog post, I chose to focus on Vasudevan's "Occupational Culture and Identity of Youth Workers," as I resonated with it most. I also explored the Providence Youth Student Movement's web page as I have worked with them in the past. Both the reading and organization have much in common and really speak to my commitment of youth empowerment and amplification of their voices. The following quotes from my readings resonate with my philosophy of youth development... Some out-of-school time programs have offered alternative spaces to rethink and redress education received or erased in public school curricula. (Vasudevan, p. 10) When I began my journey in youth work, my top priority was creating a safe space for my scholars. I worked primarily with public school students, students who came from the community I grew up in. With that being said, I think it's safe to assume that there were tons of things in their curricula to rethink and redress. In reflec...

Reading this week's texts made me feel a ton of things, especially Johnston-Goodstar's view on decolonizing youth development. Growing up in Providence, the Southeast Asian community took up more than half of the spaces in public schools. Until ARISE rose (no pun intended) awareness on the importance of Ethnic Studies, I didn't value my heritage the way I do now. Johnston-Goodstar discusses how Western concepts of youth development, which are often rooted in racist and colonial theories, have historically harmed our youth, most specifically Indigenous youth. Though I am not of Indigenous decent, the theory of justifying oppressive programs for youth to erase their cultures is something that hits close to home. What do I feel in my body? When I was in the sixth grade (last grade before middle school), our graduating class hosted our elementary school's first ever Culture Day Festival. We dedicated the inaugural event to celebrating important parts of everyone's cultu...

This was my first time hearing about the film Camp Crip: A Disability Revolution, let alone watching it, and revolutionary it was. In this film, not only are you able to see through the lens of the subject, but you also gain a different perspective on a marginalized group, such as our disabled youth, through storytelling and lived experiences. Camp Jened was a judgement free place with a holistic approach on youth development, despite being pushed to the margins of our society. It was a place that saw our youth as whole people and not just part of something smaller (an issue). Something that stuck out to me as I watched the film was the theory that our youth, abled or disabled, are aware of EVERYTHING from a really early age. A theory that lived experiences are not limited to just those who are labeled "normal," and able to share them, was something that pushed my thought bubble a lot. As camp-goers shared their experiences, it made me think about the way adults, especially a...