Race Gender Class

Visual Representations of Class Consciousness This paper discusses visual representations of class consciousness, and what these representations mean in a larger cultural and social sense. The paper also discusses my picture of myself, and my class, and what this picture tells me about who I am, and what I am supposed to be. The paper discusses how this combination defines me, and how it puts me in a specific box, or allows me more freedom. Firstly, how do I see myself? I am female, black, Hispanic.

I have been living in the U.S. For four years, and am in college in Florida. My Dad has a good job, so my Mum does not need to work. I want for nothing, as we are affluent, and so based on these markers (or visual representations), I would call myself middle class. What visual representations of class do I portray to the outside world? As my family is affluent, I have nice clothes, and drive a nice new car.

I have these things to fit into the society in which I currently live, to show other people my class, and to reinforce my race and gender. The visual representations of class I use fit in with the model of class in the U.S., and so to 'fit in' ourselves, as black Hispanics in the U.S., a country that has a bad history regarding its treatment of blacks and Hispanics, we, as a family, use these external representations of class.

Class is a difficult issue for me to talk about as a black female, as acknowledging class can be seen to destabilize the notion that racism affects us all - black, white, Hispanic, Chinese, male, female -in equal ways (From Hooks: A Journey to Class Consciousness).

In political discussions, class is often kept separate from race, and whilst race can be linked more freely with gender (from Hooks: A Journey to Class Consciousness), the three concepts (race, gender and class) are not linked in public discourse for us to be able to discuss this issue openly. I am black. I am a female. I am Hispanic. For me, this issue of linking race, class and gender is important.

Only when these three issues are linked, and openly discussed, will I feel truly able to express myself as myself: my heritage, my gender, my race. In the meantime, I use icons, representations, of class, that are recognized by non-black, non-Hispanic people in my sphere of existence, and which classify me for them. To be able to fit in. To be accepted. Whilst these issues are complicated for me, and in some way, I am made.