Resisting Conformity: Juggling Social Expectations & Cultural Foundations | Maya Cheaib | TEDxUTSC

“I’m an artist first and academic second. I want to paint a picture in someone’s mind. I want to move people beyond tangible visuals. If my words can contribute to someone’s healing self-growth, I’ve done my job and I’ve done it well”. Maya Cheaib is a Master’s student at the University of Toronto working to obtain her Masters of Criminology and Socio-Legal studies. The eldest daughter of Lebanese immigrants, Maya grew up with a conscious awareness of her cultural roots and the importance of uplifting others through compassion and sensitivity. Over the years, Maya learned to navigate her surroundings and make sense of her reality through writing and public speaking. It started off as a passion for creative writing, but ultimately blossomed into a life-project. “You’re too white to be brown”
“You’re not like other brown people”
This is the dialogue from peers and strangers that dictated my childhood. As a Lebanese-Muslim woman, I struggled deeply with understanding my identity and finding my place in a western world. For years, my greatest source of anxiety was my paradoxical desire to be both accepted for my cultural identity but also fit in amongst my white peers. Consequently, I lived a double life. Like two heads of a coin. Oil and water. Night and day. ‘White’ and ‘Brown’.That’s how my identities mixed. Now, at 23 years old, I would like to share what I’ve learned from years of “playing for both teams”—the importance of cultural sensitivity. Recognizing that words have effectual and residual power and that it is our social responsibility to reinforce a culture of inclusivity that is free of micro and macro-aggression. And ultimately, with all formalities aside, allowing ourselves to be comfortable with uncertainty, fluidity and non-conformity; enabling ourselves the freedom to reinvent and embrace our identities in whatever ways we know how. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Видео Resisting Conformity: Juggling Social Expectations & Cultural Foundations | Maya Cheaib | TEDxUTSC канала TEDx Talks