Dec 12, 2019 3 min read

#222: Status Update

#222: Status Update

Hi Loyal Readers! Let me start off by saying sorry for sending you the extra post on Monday, intended for the newsletter’s VIP members. I made a mistake and sent it to everyone! I’m embarrassed, of course, but I guess mistakes happen sometimes. I apologize for the confusion. If you ended up reading

Hi Loyal Readers! Let me start off by saying sorry for sending you the extra post on Monday, intended for the newsletter’s VIP members. I made a mistake and sent it to everyone! I’m embarrassed, of course, but I guess mistakes happen sometimes. I apologize for the confusion. If you ended up reading Monday’s post, or listening to my audio letter, now you have my reflections on how to make HHH even better. (Next one is March 5!)

OK, now back to regular programming. This week’s issue includes outstanding articles and podcast episodes on citizenship status, the politics of language, the examination of masculinity, and sassy mom merchandise. Please enjoy!

+ Starting next month, I’m launching Article Club, which you should join if you’re interested in reading more closely and connecting with other thoughtful readers. Check out my ideas for the club and let me know your own!


Status Update: Living With Uncertainty, Facing The Specter Of Deportation

As the Supreme Court considers this term whether to end DACA, nearly 9 million people in the United States live in families whose members have different citizenship statuses. This poignant Code Switch episode follows three high-achieving siblings living in Los Angeles: Miriam, who is a DACA recipient; Abigail, who is undocumented, and Joseventura, who is a U.S. citizen. You’ll hear the love they have for each other and their determination to stick together no matter what. Even if you’re not a podcast fan, you’ll appreciate this episode. (26 min)

A Language For All: Teens In Argentina Fight To Eliminate Gender In Language

While many Americans trip over using they-them pronouns, young people in Argentina are challenging rules of the Spanish language to include non-binary identities. Los chicos y las chicas is becoming les chiques. Friends are amigues and cousins are primes. Activist Natalia Mira says that language “is a product of a hegemonic, patriarchal, and sexist power,” and changing the plural -os to -es “generates a little crisis in your mind. It makes you stop and think about how we communicate.” (13 min)

Meatball, who belongs to loyal reader Lauren, is not moving until you say hi to him. Want your pet to appear in The Highlighter? hltr.co/pets

Examining Masculinity Inside a Group Where Men Confront Their Feelings

Four issues ago, I featured an article that criticized Evryman and other men’s groups seeking to discover “a new masculinity” through “manhood-confirming adventures.” In this piece, writer Benjy Hansen-Bundy has a different experience sitting with other men and sharing his “unspeakables.” The process helps him challenge his homohysteria and reframe his sexual identity. It’s like CrossFit for your emotions, he says. (26 min)

The Quiet Protests of Sassy Mom Merch

Mom merch is getting sassy, says bestselling author Jia Tolentino. Her latest favorite is the saying, “This mom runs on coffee, wine, and Amazon Prime,” emblazoned on T-shirts and mugs in bridesmaid font. In a society that encourages an impossible and unhealthy ideal of womanhood, mommy influencers have struck back, reminding us that all this perfection is performative and inauthentic — or at least aided by two-day delivery. (6 min)

+ Ms. Tolentino can write about anything. Here’s her take on vaping, religion, affirmative action, and weighted blankets.

What a shame, you’ve reached the end of today’s newsletter. Did you like this week’s issue? I hope so. Please vote using the thumbs below. Also, please welcome our reading community’s three new members: Viva, Donna, and Chrysanthius. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if your New Year’s resolution is to jettison all email, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

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