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Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

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364K views 5 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What do you think the title means by saying your identity is your superpower?
Have you ever felt that something about your identity made life harder or stronger?
What kind of personal story do you expect to hear in this talk?

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Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Early auditions and harmful stereotypes (00:00 – 01:29)

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1. What did the casting director ask the speaker to do at her first audition?

Smile more
Sound more Latina
Speak louder
Dance differently

2. What did the speaker later realize “sound more Latina” meant?

Speak in broken English
Use more formal English
Speak faster
Speak with confidence

3. What message did the speaker keep receiving about her identity?

It would not affect her career
It was her greatest talent
It was an obstacle she had to overcome
It made her perfect for every role

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Trying to change herself to fit the system (01:29 – 03:10)

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1. What did the speaker do so her skin would not get too brown?

She wore heavier makeup
She stayed out of the sun
She moved to a colder place
She changed her diet

2. According to her agent, why wasn't she getting a role in a movie?

She was too inexperienced
She refused to audition again
The movie was not financeable until the white role was cast first
The director changed the script

3. What painful idea had the speaker absorbed from people around her?

That she was too ambitious
That she needed more training
That she should change careers
That she was a person of less value

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Rejecting the obstacle story (03:10 – 04:17)

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1. What does the speaker say this experience revealed to her?

People should avoid the entertainment industry
Identity should be hidden in professional life
A person can want change while their actions keep things the same
Success always depends on luck

2. What does she say change will require from each of us?

More money and better contacts
The courage to question our fundamental values and beliefs
Less emotion and more competition
Stricter rules for artists

3. How does the speaker finally describe her identity?

An obstacle to overcome
A private secret
Her superpower
A professional weakness

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Transcript will load here…

1. What is the main message of the talk?

A person's identity can be a source of strength rather than a barrier
Only the entertainment industry has unfair systems
People should adapt themselves to fit every industry expectation
Identity should be hidden in order to succeed

2. How does the speaker's thinking change during the talk?

She moves from blaming herself to questioning the system and valuing her identity
She decides to stop following her dreams
She becomes less interested in social change
She concludes that hard work never matters

3. What criticism of society is central to the talk?

Systems can claim to want diversity while still rewarding bias
Education matters more than identity
Professional success comes too early for some people
People are given too many career choices

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera

Why do you think the speaker believed for so long that she had to change herself?
Can a person support change in theory but still help keep unfair systems in place through their actions? How?
What parts of a person's identity are often misunderstood or stereotyped in society?
What does it mean to live as your full and authentic self?