Finals Paper for HON 1000: Cultures and Social Systems at Seattle Pacific University
Humanity in Observation: How Individuality is Granted
Is it not the goal of humanity to attribute meaning to the world we inhabit? Throughout this quarter, we have observed many stories of humanity displayed in differing ways from various perspectives. Within them all, we have examined the concept of humanity, which aids in a personal understanding of the world we live in. Many of the narratives we studied document the effects of large-scale systems of oppression on the smaller-scale communities of modern or near-modern society. We have observed systems of race, class, mental capability, and labor, though all systems come back to a single point: humanity is granted by an unjustly structured surrounding world, and to limit that right is to dehumanize. Whether humanity is granted by an authority figure or the system itself depends on the story being told, but while we can shun unjust people in positions of power, we must acknowledge their existence and story in doing so, lest we dehumanize them as they do others. In whichever role a member of society stands, they have the capability to be seen as human due to how they are documented and interacted with. In the context of the narratives we have studied and responded to this quarter, to be human is to interact with and contribute to a documenting world.
The books we’ve read in this course document humans, and the way we are able to have these discussions is due to the nature of the books as a storytelling medium. We as observers, witnesses if you will, sustain the victims’ and perpetrators’ humanity by giving their story a recipient, allowing their words and existences to affect us. The discussions we have in class solidify the figures’ humanity in our minds due to the existence of memory and documentation, and the immense care the authors have given to the humanity of those detailed in their books. Without the ability to engage with stories that oppose or even contradict our lives and ideals, we as members of a diverse and ever-changing global society are limited to the confines of our own bubbles of familiarity. In the absence of narratives like those studied in this course, we are not exposed to identities and viewpoints that may change our minds regarding the systems we support or allow to dictate the boundaries of the societies we inhabit. In this form of observation, it is the responsibility of both reader and writer to observe humans wholly, taking into account all information provided or available.
In Ariel Burger’s book Witness, Elie Weisel’s teaching is presented to the reader. Weisel, a Holocaust survivor who grew into a successful author and humanities professor, allows his students to interact with his story by fostering a community space which encourages free discussion. Burger, Weisel’s classroom assistant, not only attributes raw and unfiltered humanity to the man teaching in the classroom provided, but also to the students listening. Each member mentioned in Burger’s retellings is given a brief but informative description that communicates where that student’s opinions or questions may be coming from. In this action, Burger is granting the reader a view of each student that invites connection or discussion. We as members of society seek connection and familiarity, and by accurately documenting each student without bias, Burger creates a classroom-sized success in unconditional humanization. This feat is also achieved in the case of Weisel himself, as Burger describes him as a friend, rather than the revered and respected activist that Elie Weisel is known as. Burger elaborates on humanity in smaller ways, mentioning Weisel’s smile or mannerisms to a reader who can then construct a figure in their head separate from the persona they have been provided outside of Burger’s narrative. While all humans have characteristics individual to themselves and experiences, the documentation of these traits sustains personal humanity in ways impossible otherwise.
While some documentation is done well, there are many important cases of these methods of familiarity being turned around and used to limit a figure’s influence. Henrietta Lacks, or as she is known more commonly: HeLa, was an example of documentation granting or limiting humanity in its simplest form. In the 1950s, Henrietta Lacks developed cervical cancer and proceeded to have her cells taken without consent and developed into the first successful example of scientifically “immortal” cells. Rebecca Skloot, the author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, sought the story of the woman behind the HeLa cells, contacting anyone she could to discover the truth. In her travels and process, Skloot discovered that not only did Henrietta’s family have limited knowledge of the actions done to their relative’s cells, but that they knew very little about Henrietta herself. Skloot’s book follows her journey of learning with the Lacks family, both about the cells and the woman behind them. One major push in Skloot’s studies was to allow the world to know about Henrietta and her family, but another still was to allow the family knowledge of their involvement and the true effect of the cells taken from Henrietta. It became prevalent throughout discussions with the family that monetary compensation for the cells taken from Henrietta would be valued, but their main priority was allowing the world to know Henrietta as something other than HeLa. Deborah Lacks, Henrietta’s daughter, felt that her mother didn’t get the understanding and discussion she deserved, and is quoted saying: “You know what I really want? I want to know, what did my mother smell like? For all my life I just don’t know anything, not even the little common little things, like what color she like? Did she like to dance? Did she breastfeed me? Lord, I’d like to know that. But nobody ever say nothing.” (Skloot, 2010, p. 42) Henrietta’s personality and humanity were overshadowed by her immense, though involuntary, scientific contributions. In this case, the lack of documentation of Henrietta’s life and subsequent medical treatment contributed to the erasure of her identity both on global and familial scales.
These books, though they have very different stories, both illustrate the importance of memory and documentation in the humanity of those who have been historically dehumanized. When an author puts care into the accurate depiction of the figures they present, they aid both the reader and the society surrounding the initial victim. Weisel and Lacks were both victims in systems that sought to reduce them to nothing, and though Wiesel was able to tell his own story in great detail, Burger and Skloot’s texts separately humanize these two figures by seeking understanding of the small details present in their lives; the traits and mannerisms that made them human. Henrietta Lacks is still broadly unrecognized compared to the widespread use of her cells, but an effort is being made to identify her to the world. Within the medical system that dehumanized Lacks, there was little effort to preserve the identities of their patients beyond the researchers’ needs, which certainly aided in the masking of the “HeLa” cells’ identity. Henrietta, in accordance with a system, was reduced to part of a scientific investigation, one of many patients who had their cells collected. She was simply the source of the cells that worked. In her case alongside Wiesel’s experiences as a captive in the Holocaust, larger systems exhibiting power seek to limit individuals to their base qualities. This system is not uncommon, and the distance we as readers have between these stories in time mimics the level of separation we harbor for current systems that seek to dehumanize.
As consumers of any product, it is easy to remain detached and distant from the origins of that which we purchase. One of the most consumed commodities in modern daily life is coffee, but few who consistently consume the beverage know the extent of their drinks’ origins. Augustine Sedgewick’s Coffeeland discusses the history of coffee’s growth as a worldwide market necessity. Diving into the rich history of the workforce and market surrounding coffee, Sedgwick details the incredibly dehumanizing hold James Hill, the proclaimed “coffee king” of El Salvador, had on his workers. Hill constructed an employment system that encouraged workers to rely on him for both food and money, greatly reducing their ability and willingness to leave his fields. Workers were seen as a large machine wherein Hill distributed food and money, receiving coffee beans as a result. While this business model was highly profitable, it was by no means ethical, and it can sadly be seen today in many larger-scale workplace systems. Hill sought full control over his workers, from their appetites to their social and personal lives, which drove him to create a necessity-based reliance on his harmful work environment. The early coffee industry dehumanized in a broad sense, enacting damaging but profitable procedures in fields and processing plants to form a machine in their workforce.
On a smaller scale, community-set systems are far from safe from the effects of dehumanization. In Evicted, Matthew Desmond follows the stories of eight families in Milwaukee, documenting their struggles during the Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 and the aftermaths that this tragedy prompted within their lives. People within Desmond’s documentation come from various backgrounds, experiences, and socio-economic statuses, all providing a different view of the devastated state of the housing market after the Financial Crisis. One recurring theme throughout the narratives presented is a sense of dehumanization found in a lack of empathy and individual identification. When asked about the characters within this book, my peers highlighted Sherrena as a character they were able to identify with the least. I believe that this isn’t strictly centered in Sherrena’s story alone, but in the effect she had on others and their lives. With Arleen and Lamar in particular, Sherrena expressed casual care and interest in her tenants until they fell behind in rent or particularly frustrated her in another way. She saw the system she represented as a landlord encourage “harsh realities” when the money wasn’t coming on time. In this way, Sherrena reduced her tenets to a segment of her life that was strictly tied to work and monetary compensation, limiting her ability to care for them during a time of economic upset. She disregarded the humanity of her tenets by subscribing to a system that explicitly sought to reduce them.
Societal systems in general often profit from the strict boundaries of separation in benefit or profit. Employers and providers can be seen with unjust biases toward members of their area of influence, especially in systems hidden from the general public to any extent, such as large workforces or the justice system. People in positions of power that give them domain over others are not often hesitant to exercise that power in a way that diminishes the humanity and individuality of those below them. This destructive cycle causes many people to experience discrimination or harm due to the lack of empathy produced by those who are in the best position to be giving it. As seen in recent years, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to police brutality and social injustice has given voice to many people rendered voiceless by systems with the primary goal of silencing opposition. In this instance, we can observe the true lifespan of systems in our society, and the pushback against these systems by the very groups they intended to silence.
Patrisse Khan-Cullors, in her memoir When They Call You A Terrorist, elaborates on systems of oppression observed throughout her life and the lives of those that surround her as a Black woman. One narrative in particular that highlights the blinded and dehumanizing view of some people groups is that of her brother, Monte. In this case, a flawed system established by majority groups treats an individual who has done no harm with harm of their own, simply because he fits categories that they consider to be dangerous and violent. Monte, over the course of his life, had been arrested and convicted multiple times of crimes far greater than the situations he was found in. He was assumed to be violent and unpredictable due to the perceived effects of his schizophrenia. In reality, his condition worsened due to unjust treatment in a system constructed in his captors’ favor. Within the concept of rehabilitation, he was not judged worthy of forgiveness and aid, simply due to his past and mental state, both of which were constructed and altered by the very system he was attempting to survive. Processes seen in the prison and justice systems have been undeniably and irrevocably biased against those of mental capabilities and racial backgrounds seen as “other,” which contributed to the incredibly intense and dehumanizing treatment Monte experienced at that time.
Alongside systems seen throughout the country, many regional organizations and departments seek similarly misguided conclusions. Just southwest of Khan-Cullors’s experiences in Southern California, Aida Hernandez and many others struggle with the intense prejudice and system construction of border control. The separate groups of “us” and “them” have been present since the dawn of communication and can be seen most specifically today in the cling to presumed order and familiarity that the United States enforced with border patrols and organizations. In Aaron Bobrow-Strain’s book, The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez, these groups are questioned and investigated due to the life of a woman caught between them. Within Aida’s story in particular, oppressors come in the forms of border agents, law enforcement officials, and the nameless, faceless restrictors that keep the borders of their country “safe.” Individuals on either ideal-based side of this story are defined by what they seek; the future and perceived security they strive for. With the success of border “security,” on one side, those oppressed are taught that they are both not welcome or simply allowed to exist in a society that, by all means, may be far safer or more profitable than their own. By continuing to limit immigrants and control country borders, those stuck in harmful situations are stuck, unable to seek out something better. These are the consequences of “security” enforced by limiting the freedom of others.
Within the general existence of social systems and hierarchies, there will always be prejudice and unjust limitations. In both Aida and Khan-Cullors’s narratives, these behaviors are influenced by race, where systems are built in opposition to already underprivileged groups. In stories such as Evicted and Coffeeland, employment and economic gain drive dehumanization by reducing the worker or tenant to part of a whole. Finally, Elie Wiesel and Henrietta Lacks display the effects of opposition against systems that seek to dehumanize by advocating for the pure existence of documentation and reasonable discussion with those of different backgrounds and experiences. By reading these books and others throughout this quarter, we fulfill part of our responsibility as witnesses to the society we inhabit: we simply listen. By choosing to observe the lives of those outside of our realm of understanding, we reinforce their humanity in memory and documentation. It is easy to become burdened with the worry that we are not capable of changing these systems of severe dehumanization, but while the individuals present in the narratives we consume may never read our words or hear our interpretations, we still have them. We contribute to a growing world of understanding simply by being present in discussions of humanity, and by forming our judgments of the confines set by systems constructed in our modern world.
In my initial paper, I discussed humanity in belonging within societal norms and ideas, and I don't believe I have strayed too much from that assessment. My view on humanity remains within the bounds of societal acceptance to a degree, seeing as humanity is most often widely demonstrated by those society chooses to remember, even in minimal ways. In the books we’ve read this quarter, we are allowed insight into the humanity of many different individuals, most of which must fight for the remembrance or recognition of their identity. I stand true to the belief that one’s perceived humanity is deeply subjective within a society, as those in positions of power have more control over the perception of certain people groups than they objectively should.
The world we exist within is deeply flawed, and this can be observed in many of the books we’ve studied throughout the quarter. However, there is hope found in the smaller things, such as Rebecca Skloot’s persistence to learn about a woman she had never met, or the small, flawed but loving communities built in Evicted, Coffeeland, and The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez, communities that find those similarly oppressed and cling to them as a lifeline. Recognition between smaller groups does not discredit humanity on a larger scale but reinforces the stability of those faltering in order to create a stronger foundation for the future. As seen in movements such as the Black Lives Matter protests, the consistent fight for LGBT rights, and the battle against misogyny, groups forming within the heat of oppression can work together for a voice. I believe that, as our world grows, it is our responsibility to encourage and attribute humanity to those dehumanized by a world waging war on them. Memory as a concept only grows stronger with larger groups, and we in positions of privilege of any kind can step out of our comfort zones in order to acknowledge the humanity of those we know are struggling, much progress can be made.
References
Bobrow-Strain, A. (2020). The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez: A Border Story. Picador.
Burger, A. (2019). Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's classroom. Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Cullors, P., Bandele, A., & Davis, A. Y. (2021). When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir. Canongate Books Ltd.
Desmond, M. (2016). Evicted. Crown/Archetype.
Sedgewick, A. (2021). Coffeeland: One Man's Dark Empire and the Making of Our Favorite Drug. Penguin Books.
Skloot, R. (2017). 6. "Lady's On The Phone". In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (pp. 42–42). essay, Picador.
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