Main Post 3.31

Gwendolyn Mink

The Lady and the Tramp: Feminist Welfare Politics, Poor Single Mothers, and the Challenege of Welfare Justice

In this essay, Gwendolyn Mink discusses the welfare in the context of giving single mothers a source of income. Her strong background in politics and scholarship lead Mink to discuss welfare in terms of single mothers. Mink’s most recent endeavor was working at a member of the Steering Committee for the Women’s Committee of 100. Historically, welfare has been thought of as a women’s issue (Mink 56) and Mink has claimed “a war against poor women is a war against all women” (56). Unfortunately, these claims did not do a sufficient job of rallying women to fight against the welfare bill, and the “republicans on their war against poor single mothers with the complicity of millions of other feminists”. Hence, the Personal Responsibility Act was passed. When this bill passed, many feminists were either unconcerned or possibly unaware that this reform bill took away single mother’s entitlement to cash assistance and also came dangerously close to impeding on their civil rights (57). Mink asks the question…why were feminists so unconcerned with his bill?

Mink goes on to state her main argument: that welfare is essential to female equality, and she defines equality as “full and independent citizenship” (58). She argues that mothers who are not paid and have no working spouse are usually forced to take a job with bad hours. On the other hand, if a mother does have a spouse who works, then she depends on that partner for money and therefore does not have marital freedom. Because of these conditions, we cannot think of welfare in the stereotypical sense that people on welfare are careless and reckless. Welfare is necessary to ensure that certain women can maintain independence and take good care of their children.

Mink closes her essay with a discussion of how wages for stay-at-home single mothers should be determined (wages being welfare). Mink argues that women who act as caregivers for a people who are not part of their family (ex/ daycare) get wages, so looking at those wages would be a good starting point. This quote nicely sums up the essay: “A socially provided income for solo parents who bear the dual responsibilities of providing care for their children and financing it, welfare is a condition of equality in the family, in the labor market, and in the state.” (63)

Rosanna Eang

Leading By Example: My Mother’s Resilience and Power in the Fight against Poverty

Rosanna Eang’s piece is extremely hard to read, because she and her family went through so much unimaginable hardship. They fled from Cambodia and came to American in 1981 to find a better life. While it was better to be in America where terrorists weren’t murdering men for being educated and/or monks (which was occurring in Cambodia), conditions in America were still extremely hard. The family began living in a duplex building in West Philadelphia, where they experienced discrimination and terrible living conditions. Their duplex was over crowded, and the author worked in farm fields with her parents and sister as a child, unaware that his was illegal. Many family members died, and the author and her sister experienced sexual abuse and harassment one of her aunt’s acquaintances. After a brick was thrown into their apartment as a hate crime, the family decided it was absolutely necessary to move.

They moved to Camden City, New Jersey, which is still one of the poorest cities in America. In Camden City, the author worked in many different sweatshops with her mother and the family continued to live in a very packed house. The author attended public schools of Camden City. In the summer, after farming season ended, the family used “public assistance” for a while, which was like welfare. The author was extremely active in her high school and took measures to try to improve her community. She went on to pursue a college degree, like her older sister had before her. She discusses how it felt to break the stereotype and be a Cambodian woman attending college.

At the end of her story, Eang discusses female empowerment and how to change the cultural beliefs that people have about Cambodians (stereotypes). She says to end this cycle, “women must adopt leading, decision-making roles in both the home and the workplace” (65). Eang explains that her mother was a huge role model for her, and since her mother survived so many unimaginable hardships, she knew she could do anything with her life.