Anita Osuri ’22
Similarly to many of you, these past few months at home have been harsh. I adopted numerous hobbies, such as drawing, painting, and running to pass the time. In addition to those hobbies, I have had the opportunity to reflect on our society and the issues that have been strikingly obvious. By observing the news and politicians speaking about these problems, I started to wonder what teenagers can do to aid in resolving these disparities.
At the beginning of quarantine, I realized that this dire situation had exposed holes in our current government and social system; economic and racial disparities have plagued our nation, and it is our duty as teenagers to step up to help amend these issues. Currently, due to the coronavirus, many low-income workers are especially vulnerable to layoffs, and unfortunately, they do not have the extra privilege many of us have of being able to pay for front door grocery deliveries. According to the CDC, this service costs between $3 to $9, which is a significant burden on people already facing economic issues. In these areas, food insecurity rates have spiked, and people facing financial problems do not have the option to leave crowded cities where there are illness hotspots.
Another point I would like to bring to light is racial disparities. The CDC has revealed that death rates among African American and Hispanic people are unbelievably higher than those of white or Asian people. What is the reason for this? This crisis is mainly due to living conditions, health conditions, and work circumstances. Many of these underrepresented minorities live in densely populated areas where institutional racism is rampant, and there is less social distancing. In addition, these people may live exceptionally far away from grocery stores and medical facilities. One of the most alarming causes is due to lack of sick paid leave, which increases exposure and spread of the virus. According to the CDC, Hispanics have lower rates of access to paid leave than white non-Hispanic workers, which demonstrates the prevalent racial disparities in our society.
So what can teenagers do about these disparities? Oftentimes teenagers feel that they are too young or do not have the power to make a difference about these issues. However, the truth is that as young adults we have so many resources at our fingertips to gain the necessary knowledge. The most crucial action for teenagers to take is to research these issues and become educated on them. Do not judge before seeing all sides of the problems, and be sure to utilize reliable websites such as the CDC and other scientific journals to comprehend the scope fully. For example, google scholar is an exemplary browser to find the latest scientific journals about a wide array of topics. As for websites to avoid, try not to only use evidence from Instagram and Snapchat as those platforms are often rampant with misinformation. Once you have educated yourself on these topics, voice your opinions! Discuss these problems with your peers and come up with plausible solutions. By working together and uniting with other teenagers, we can formulate plans and actions that can be implemented in the future. Think about grassroot initiatives such as helping your neighbor, your religious institution, specific ethnic groups, or particular communities to influence one family at a time. If you are interested in these topics, make sure to attend university conferences and calls to hear other peoples’ opinions and voice your own. Or if you want to view these issues firsthand, be sure to volunteer for some organizations that try to tackle these issues such as the NAACP or Big Brothers Big Sisters. Remember that we are the future, and it is our responsibility to stay educated and become the next generation to face these problems!
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