The Journal

I had been very vocal about not traveling to the Dominican Republic until they addressed immigration policies affecting Haitians. They still haven't. Despite all of that, I decided to look beyond ignorance and traveled back to the Dominican Republic this past month to do something that was bigger than myself, here is what I learned.

Could it be possible that, despite the deep rooted issues of race and colorism in the Dominican Republic, a relationship like this could exist?

Machismo is a term used within Latinx communities, which describes an exaggerated expression of masculinity. It’s a consequence of patriarchy that reinforces male dominance over women and femme people—a dominance that renders them dependent on men for all of their needs. Men are socialized to rule, fight, control and win. And in Latinx communities, these ideas, which render men as the dominant figure in and out of the home, is accepted by many. It shouldn’t be.

It is our duty as awakened men to create a community that embraces masculinity in its new form. We must teach our young men that it is ok to feel. We must make it clear to them that they should be respectful towards womxn.

I am now more cognizant about how I take up space as a man. In meetings, I take a step back and make sure there is room for womxn to speak their truth. I now make an active effort to reflect on my own male privilege and what that means in the greater society we live in.

In this episode, Jonathan and Jason discuss how they've struggled and managed to succeed despite battling with depression and anxiety.