I’ve been a sober woman and outspoken recovery advocate since I quit drinking in 2015. Though I’m Mexican, Jewish, and bisexual, the world sees me as a straight, white woman and I acknowledge my vast amount of privilege in that. I also acknowledge that my life could have taken a very different route if I had a more traditional Mexican last name due to the historic, systemic racism of the United States. A significant part of my recovery is waking up to the injustices of the world — the injustices that I couldn’t see or didn’t care to see, when active in my substance abuse.
The best way to wake up is to start with ourselves — to bring in other perspectives and consume diverse content. It’s hard to stay in our comfortable echo chambers when we actively seek out and learn about different life experiences. Read more of this story from The Temper here.