Entering the Circle of Precarity

Dear friends:

There is something about having been undocumented most of my adult life that situates me well to understand these next four years.

Those of us who have had to navigate this identity have (unfairly) gotten used to precarity as a frame of mind and material reality. This is obviously not a good thing, but it builds resilience. One of the things that saddens me about what's coming is that more people I care about are entering that circle of precarity. But we are not lost.

There are lessons in survival here. Lessons in knowing that the institutions that most USers rely on are inherently fragile and cannot be counted on to “save” anyone. Lessons in mutual aid and resistance. Lessons in knowing that the State cannot confer humanity upon you. It has no moral legitimacy to do so. We have value because we exist, and the practice of asserting this, despite societal pressure, creates a form of character that stays with you.

This is an old story. No matter the myths we are taught, this country has never been a meritocracy. It has always catered to a very small group of wealthy, straight white men.

Part of the story of this crisis is that this elite is now on the ropes and is lashing out at as many groups as possible (women, queer folks, indigenous people, immigrants, etc...). This is a brutal reactionary moment but anyone who understands the ebbs and flows of history knows that it is pregnant with future possibilities that can be worked on even in the midst of this emergency.

Think of the next 4 years as a laboratory of possibility. We will not win all the fights. Hell, we might not win many. People will be harmed. There is no way around this. But this is the time of small, experimental interventions within a crumbling system. This is when we create liberatory spaces within the hard shell of an ailing empire.

Take it from those of us who have been resisting from the bottom for many years: we are not powerless in the face of this.

I encourage you to find one or two things that you are passionate about and focus on them. Don't spread yourself out. There is too much work, and there are too many fires burning. Focus on where you can be effective and trust that others will focus on the pieces you can't get to. You will not be able to fix everything; but you will be able to make a difference in a few lives and that is enough.

Aly Wane
CNY Activist and Digital Creator
follow Aly on Facebook

PS: Don't let the bastards get you down, friends!