Representation Matters: Why you should read the Ms. Marvel comics

Everyone loves a good superhero story. A great catastrophe followed by a flying savior is a classic tale told and cherished by generations. But what do you think of when you think of a superhero? Is it Captain America or Iron Man? Or maybe you like DC better - Batman or even Superman? What is interesting about this is that, unless you’re a thirty-something white man, you may not see yourself represented in these characters. We may have the occasional person of color or woman, but the majority of the time, these superheroes are like Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne. Although we may think that this does not really have an effect on us, the fact of the matter is that it does. It is crucial for students to be able to see themselves (and people who look like them) represented in the texts they read - so why not read about a Pakistani-Muslim superhero from New Jersey?

Kamala Khan, who first debuted to the world in 2013, is a regular Muslim high schooler living in Jersey City - except for the fact that she has superpowers. Through it all, she ventures around the Tri-State area, defeating monsters and supervillains and protecting those she loves most. Like any other teenager, however, she deals with life as it comes to her: whether it be issues regarding her relationships with family, friends, or even her culture and religion. As Ms. Marvel, Kamala

learns to conquer her fears and bring justice to her community - all while her Pakistani parents encourage her to excel in her studies and become a doctor someday.

So why is it important for students to read and engage in texts that represent themselves? For one, it is a psychological matter: when a child is able to see that people who look like them and come from similar backgrounds are capable of doing great things, a switch flips in their brain. Seeing themselves represented in positive matters outside of the news helps them realize that they can accomplish anything (maybe not defeating a supervillain, but you get what I mean). Without these role models and inspirational figures to look up to, a child comes up with two-word phrase we are all too familiar with: I can’t. These two words, however simple they may be, can ultimately shut down a person and their dreams. This transforms into a cycle where the child who was not represented does not have the abilities to represent those who come after them later on. We can’t let this happen, but we can do something about it. We can spread these representative stories of relatable characters to friends and family, encouraging people to take part in the discussion and uplifting our children to achieve their dreams.

I first read Ms. Marvel in a teammate’s car on the way to a soccer game. It was the first time I had ever read about anyone that I could actually relate to - don’t get me wrong, Percy Jackson is one of my favorite series, but I don’t exactly have long blonde hair like Annabeth - and looking back on it, it was one of the best feelings in the world. To see yourself in a comic, fighting off villains and saving the day, well, it’s empowering, to say the least. We won that game, I remember, and in our hijabs and leggings beneath shorts, we felt like superheroes.

Spring break is coming up soon, Insha Allah - but not soon enough! Be sure to check out Ms. Marvel, and maybe read it then as a great break from school. There are a ton of comics, so they should keep you entertained for a while. Have fun reading!

Big Tech Companies Should Be Broken Up

In recent years, the popularity of breaking up Big Tech companies has significantly increased. According to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Big Tech companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple, have “too much power over our economy, our society, and our democracy.” This is precisely why many Americans believe it is vital to break up Big Tech now more than ever. Americans who are opposed to this idea, believe that it has no benefits, and that it’ll only be a hindrance to their daily lives that have come to be so reliant on big tech. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Breaking up Big Tech, wouldn’t make much of a difference in terms of the accessibility of platforms like Amazon or Google, but would instead help small businesses thrive, prevent anti-competitive tech mergers, and prevent users’ personal data from being shared.

As Big Tech companies grow larger, they also hurt small businesses and hinder technological innovation. Currently, Amazon accounts for about 40% of e-commerce spending in America. Apple has made more than 1 trillion dollars in market capitalization. For reference, that’s higher than the GDP of Saudi Arabia. With these big businesses, small tech companies don’t have a fair chance of being successful. This limits technological innovation. Because the rise of technology conglomerates is unlike anything America has ever faced before, current antitrust laws are not a viable solution to this problem. Rather, Big Tech companies need to be broken down into smaller parts.

One of the ways Big Tech companies manage to get rid of competition is by using mergers. For instance, Facebook purchased both WhatsApp and Instagram in order to avoid potential competitors. Google bought smaller companies such as DoubleClick, which is an ad company, and Waze, which is a mapping company. Because of this, venture capitalists are less likely to invest in new companies because Big Tech companies can easily buy them out or drive them out of business. According to The Economist, financing for tech startups has decreased by 22% since 2012. Breaking Big Tech is crucial in order to promote a new generation of technological advancement.

Not only will dissolving tech conglomerates give smaller companies a fighting chance at being successful and encourage healthy competition, but it also protects user data from being shared or sold. By breaking up Big Tech, the American people would have more control over how their personal data is collected. For example, if Google were split up into smaller constituent companies, each company wouldn’t have access to the data collected by the other parts. This would significantly improve users’ privacy and each company wouldn’t be able to individually influence the market in anti-competitive or anti-consumer ways.

One of the main reasons people oppose breaking up Big Tech is because they’re unsure of what the future will look like. This is understandable as today’s society has come to be so reliant on companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple. However, if Big Tech were to be broken up, people would still be able to use Google, order items off Amazon, or keep in touch with friends and family through Facebook. The only difference is that small tech businesses would have more opportunities to be successful and users’ personal data would be safer. In doing this, America can continue to produce cutting-edge technology, and the future of the internet will remain protected and secured.

Decolonizing Thanksgiving

For some, it is a national holiday full of friends, family, and food. For others, it is just another reminder of what European colonization destroyed. Thanksgiving has been established as a national holiday in the United States since 1941, and it has been thoroughly commercialized through Black Friday sales and chaotic crowds at grocery stores. Whether you celebrate it or not, Thanksgiving is definitely going to look different this year due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. During this time of widespread disconnect, we should make a conscious effort to look past the stuffing and potatoes and recognize the troubling origins of the holiday. Thanksgiving is not just about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, although last week, it was pleasantly kicked off with a short blessing by several people of Indigenous descent. This year, we can decolonize Thanksgiving and honor Indigenous peoples by learning about their cultures and traditions, listening to their stories and voices, and supporting them financially in their times of need.

In schools, we are taught that Thanksgiving was a celebration of the first successful harvest of the Pilgrims, so they invited their Native American neighbors to enjoy a hearty feast. We never learn about how the Wampanoag people were completely wiped out by diseases brought over by the Pilgrims prior to what we believe to be the first Thanksgiving, nor do we discuss the fact that Indigenous people were enslaved and sold in Europe. We don’t talk about the violent displacement of Indigenous tribes and how that destroyed them. Tribes like the Chumash people were pushed out of their homes and forced to move elsewhere. The growth of new crops, causing an imbalance in their nutrition, lead to the spread of diseases across the community. The effects still live on; today, one in four Native Americans do not have access to proper nutritious foods.

The real truth of the gathering may be unknown. Most of the information is gathered from one Pilgrim’s account. Some suspect that there were darker intentions, as Europeans would later host feasts after a mass killing. In addition, there is no true evidence that Indigenous people were actually invited to the event. If you would like to read up more information on the documentation of the history, or lack thereof, I would definitely suggest taking a look at this New York Times article: Everything You Learned About Thanksgiving is Wrong.

Now that we have a better understanding of the real history of the holiday, it is time that we make a conscious effort to decolonize it. But what does it mean to “decolonize?”

Decolonization means to break away from the ideas of white and European superiority ingrained in so many of us due to the impact of colonialism. We may not even realize how colonialism directly impacts our lives, but it does. Muslim-majority countries, that once ruled lavish empires, were colonized by Europeans. Under their rule, centuries-old cultures and histories were erased and forcefully replaced with a manipulated sense of Eurocentrism. When these countries were finally free, they were left with absolutely nothing, forcing them to retrace their steps and regain culture, religion, and wealth, long after western countries had established their power. This is the reason why so many of these countries are now considered third-world.

As Muslims living in the United States, we are given a chance to decolonize Thanksgiving every single year. We convince ourselves that it is not our problem when, in reality, it is.

So, here are three awesome, empowering ways you can turn this Thanksgiving into something more than just a clueless feast:

1. Learn about what land you live on. Have you ever wondered about who originally lived on the land you walk on? Well, if you are living in New Jersey, eastern Delaware or Pennsylvania, or the tip of New York, all of the stores you enter, the soccer fields you play on, and even the skyscrapers of Manhattan, were once the land of the Lenape tribes. The Lenape were known for their intricate beadwork and wampums, which were honored beads used as a form of money. If you would like to research more about lands, check out the Native Land Online Map.

2. Listen to Indigenous people and their voices. Find books written, music created, podcasts hosted, or even TV shows directed by them. Listening and learning from their voices is one of the most important steps in understanding their true history. I personally have not gotten a chance to read it yet, but definitely check out Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States.

3. Support Indigenous people and buy from them, if you are able to. We all know that COVID-19 has affected people across the world, and it has also greatly impacted the Indigenous communities. Not only are they suffering health-wise, but also financially. Small businesses have been forced to close, some permanently. But, buying from online shops selling artwork and handmade jewelry is something that can help. Be sure to check out some authentic Indigenous art here!