Brainstorm #7 - Kimia Preston

Through social media many important social justice causes have flourished as messages can be spread far and wide with rapid speed. People often going unheard in daily life, more specifically minority ethnic or racial groups, can assume the platform of social media to allow their voices to be heard. Though sometimes messy, as people enjoy the freedom of anonymity, social media allows for the freedom of thought and voice which fosters awareness and change.

The undocuqueer movement has adopted the strategy of social media usage through the Undocumented and Awkward series that has helped bring humor to deliver a message. Julio Salgado, the organizer of this series, seeks to bring people together through a shared identity, experience, and/or feelings—like ideas of Convivencia that we have heard about this quarter. While through this webspace people are not physically together, they are together in spirit because of their unique connection. This act of producing a greater awareness through the utilization of the technology of social media is a resilience practice that helps marginalized groups avoid “social death”. Togetherness can be fostered through this type of platform and these skits are able to accomplish this goal.