Sensitive subjects, everyone has had a run in with them, or at least came in contact with one and avoided it like the plague. Some can be handled rather easily; the initial starting of the conversation is tough to do. Then you have the plague scenarios, the painful deal with it yourself, or the excruciating deal with it directly with the person. Of course with this, the small talk, compliment, beating around the bush, then the actual issue is presented in a way with the person’s version of the least offensive approach. More than likely this person has thought of a hundred ways to say it, taking your feelings into consideration at every point. When it comes down to it, someone will be offended, possibly both depending on how it was …show more content…
“I am the only white man living on a block where all of my neighbors are black…They are people, not black people; and I am a person, not a white person” (616). Alexie also pointed out, “We live as people live, aware of racial dynamics but uninterested in their applications as it applies to our neighborhood” (616). Alexie not only sees his neighbors as people, but he does know the reality of the world and as hard as people try, people will see the race of others and label them. With the word gentrification on our mind, a picture is coming to mind, the lone white person, living on a predominately black neighborhood, what could you assume about the white individual? What could you assume from the black community? Do you think that Alexie chose this neighborhood because he liked it, or that is what he could afford, or was he the beginning of many more to come? Quite honestly from this short piece you can see that he dances with his mind about the whole situation. He even goes to say he feels racist, even about not knowing the correct pronunciation of one of the boys’ names. “The simple names are easier to remember. So, in this regard perhaps I am racist” (617). I do not believe he is racist, he is just another human living alongside other humans. I am a half Mexican, an eighth Irish, German and American Indian and I cannot pronounce half of the common …show more content…
Instead of going to his neighbors directly he took it upon himself to dispose the mattress himself with the night as his cover. “In any case, after another garbage day had passed, I rented a U-Haul truck, a flatbed with enough room to carry the mattress…I didn’t want to embarrass or anger my neighbors” (617). He goes on in detail about how he carried it, referencing an African woman balancing a jug of water on her head. After he got rid of the mattress on his way back he had felt better. Who would not feel better after doing something that you thought would be beneficial to the whole community? I would feel better only if I had talked to my neighbors first. Something so simple yet apparently daunting to him. Alexie briefly asked himself whose fault it was in the piece, whether it be the people who did it, the city that did nothing possibly due to the fact that it was a black community, or himself, a white man that was too afraid to confront his neighbors. As he walked back to his house, his neighbors were on the porch. “You didn’t have to do that’, said the son with the African name. ‘We can take care of ourselves.” (618). At this time he felt his guilt, and utter confusion because he has thought he was doing the right thing, helping out his neighborhood. “You go home, white boy,’ the son said. ‘And don’t you bother us anymore’. I knew the entire block would now shun me. I felt pale
Gentrification is not about race, yet it is dressed up to be. Gentrification at its core is about new companies coming and old local stores being replaced. A more complex analysis would be that; gentrification has a significant effect and shifts on people of low-income residencies with a diverse population being replaced by primarily wealthy white residents. This causes a rift towards small and local business, culture and aesthetic of neighborhoods with the changes of new coming residents raising housing cost and ultramodern companies.(Leonard 2013) Despite the main cause of gentrification being new companies moving into low-income diverse neighborhoods. It is not portrayed in such fashion, but rather portrayed as the displacement of minorities.
“Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture.” (Grant) In layman’s terms, gentrification is when white people move to a black neighborhood for the sake of cheaper living, and in turn, raise up property values and force black neighbors to leave because of a higher price of living. Commonly, the government supports gentrification with the demolition of public housing in areas that are developing with more white neighbors. This is causing a decreasing amount of African Americans to be able to afford to live in the neighborhood as their homes are taken away from them, forcing them to relocate. Whilst gentrification normally has negative connotations, there are several people who believe gentrification brings about “an upward trend in property values in previously neglected neighborhoods.” (Jerzyk) On the other hand, this new trend in property value and business causes those...
Sherman Alexie began his literary career writing poetry and short stories, being recognized for his examination of the Native American (Hunter 1). Written after reading media coverage of an actual execution in the state of Washington, Sherman Alexie’s poem Capital Punishment tells the story of an Indian man on death row waiting for his execution. The poem is told in the third person by the cook preparing the last meal as he recalls the many final meals he has prepared over the years. In addition to the Indian currently awaiting his death, the cook speaks of a black man who was electrocuted and lived to tell about it, only to be sent back to the chair an hour later to be killed again. He also recalls many of the meals he had prepared had been for dark-skinned men convicted of killing white people. The thought of racial discrimination in capital punishment seems to be the theme at first glance, but reading further indicates differently. The cook also ponders his own survival in the prison system as an inmate. Learning to cook and outlasting all the others before him, whether by age or fate, allowed him the opportunity to create food filled with love for the one that will die. After this final meal has been prepared by the cook for the condemned inmate to eat, fear and anticipation takes over his body. Just as proper temperature is needed for cooking, a proper amount of electricity is needed to operate the electric chair and this need creates a dimming and flickering effect in the prison reminding all those left behind of their possible fate:
In Brave New World the social conditioning causes the characters to struggle with their acceptance of their place within society. In Sherman Alexie’s Blasphemy the hereditary ties to the modern and Indian culture causes a strife among the characters. In both works, characters such as Bernard and the narrator from The Toughest Indian in the World are seen to initially struggle with their self-identify through internal thought. However, their internal struggle soon seeps through to the exterior, which causes a defining act. I will argue that in both Blasphemy and Brave New World the characters cope with their identity crisis by internalizing everything until a breaking point is reached causing a defining moment which is something that is out
Scott Angelle, Former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana and gubernatorial candidate, gave a powerful speech at the Rally for Economic Survival Event hosted at the Cajun Dome in 2010. His target audience was everyone affected by the oil and gas industry, from the taxi driver to the soccer mom. His message was that he will transform Louisiana back into the energy powerhouse it once was through policies that support the energy industry, which will in turn allow the economy to prosper on both the state and national level. In contrast to the policies instated by the Federal Government, such as the drilling moratorium, which inhibits the growth of the industry.
Race issues in the world today are inescapable and are brought into every conflict, because the root cause of problems today are still traced back to race. By starting out his essay talking about how “cool” he is and how that benefits him, Alexander is showing through the use of his examples of different people that in society there are many people of diverse races and cultures (Alexander 415). There are countless unique individuals living together, but yet they still are not blended in a culture so big it would seem inevitable. This is a result of the media, which additionally confirms that society is a long way from becoming integrated due to the differences in ways of life of all cultures as opposed to conformity amongst one (Alexander 416). Alexander justifies that white people can set other race's culture behind theirs, take what they want from it, without fully incorporating themselves together with the othe...
It is important we understand how words and actions affect others. When given a cue from a patient, acknowledging we may have offended them may be difficult, but it’s also necessary in order to repair the potential break in the relationship. These cues may present themselves in the manifestation of a confused look, physically withdrawing away from the nurse, crossed arms, looking away, and other expressions of retreat. Taking a moment to sit beside a patient, not being afraid to hold their hand when appropriate, making eye contact when culturally appropriate, creating a warm and comfortable environment where the patient feels free to speak openly about their concerns without fear of judgment are just a few examples of ways we help the patient understand we are not sitting in judgment. Be willing to ask questions, though mindful of our tone and chosen words so as not to negate their truth and reality of the situation. Understand not all questions will be answered and that by simply asking, one may feel offended, and we should be willing to acknowledge the offense. We all have thoughts about other people, good and bad, positive and negative. How we express those thoughts, how express ourselves physically and verbally, how we communicate with our patient helps sets the tone of what we get back. Entering a room with a personal bias
Older gentrification is issued onto poor black communities to increase white supremacy in the area and improve living conditions in the so called “hood.” After Older proposed his thoughts on Gentrification being an issue in colored low-income neighborhoods, he then turns to criticizing another writer with a different point of view on the issue. The author of “Is Gentrification All Bad?” in an article in the New York Times explains his views on gentrification. Older places emphasis on one of Davidson’s claim on “sweet spots” in the community saying “Davidson talks of a “sweet spot”: some mythical moment of racial, economic harmony where the neighborhood stays perfectly diverse and balanced.” (Older 358) The author does not support this claim as to being logical in his sense. Older’s views represents an opposite approach on the same issue of gentrification. In another quote “The gears are all already in place, the mechanisms of white supremacy and capitalism poised to make their moves.” (Older 358) the author speaks on how white people are over taking the poor colored communities to improve their lives, but not thinking about the consequences of the affected
I am black, I am a woman, growing up I was called “white girl.” As a black woman from sin city (Las Vegas, NV) the term urban did not describe my reality. Perception can be the only reality that you see in examining the lens of what is “urban”. What is urban? When the word urban comes to mind does it elicit emotions of privilege, pride or fear? Hunter; & Leonardo (2007) look at the term “urban” (particularly in the ghetto) they define it as both a “real” and “imaginary place” and divides the urban perspective into three distinctive categories of “space”: Urban is sophisticated, Urban is authentic, and Urban is a Jungle. Furthermore, from the text the author(s) argue, “daily constructions
Overall, Alexie clearly faced much difficulty adjusting to the white culture as a Native American growing up, and expresses this through Victor in his essay, “Indian Education.” He goes through all of the stages of his childhood in comparison with his white counterparts. Racism and bullying are both evident throughout the whole essay. The frustration Alexie got from this is clear through the negativity and humor presented in the experiences he had to face, both on and off of the American Indian reservation. It is evident that Alexie faces discrimination from white people, who he portrays as evil in every way, to show that his childhood was filled with anger, fear, and sorrow.
In conclusion, Sherman Alexie created a story to demonstrate the stereotypes people have created for Native Americans. The author is able to do this by creating characters that present both the negative and positive stereotypes that have been given to Native Americans. Alexie has a Native American background. By writing a short story that depicts the life of an Indian, the reader also gets a glimpse of the stereotypes encountered by Alexie. From this short story readers are able to learn the importance of having an identity while also seeing how stereotypes are used by many people. In the end of the story, both Victor and Thomas are able to have an understanding of each other as the can finally relate with each other through Victor's father.
In a different situation, Walter would not display his selfish intentions. This behavior can be attributed to working in a degrading, underpaid position and not seeing results. Metaphorically speaking, Walter can be related to the furniture in the small apartment,?tired and broken in spirit?. Every black male in America can be regarded as a provider for his family. However, society does not afford black males the benefit of feeling secure about providing for their families....
...r of inequality in America, with so much poverty located within such a close proximity to the White House. That being said, gentrification efforts in DC appear to be focused on removing poor people, or at the very least, the visual image of crime, poverty, and corruption as it relates to the most powerful city in the country. Community activist groups have tried time and time again to stop gentrification from affecting their community, but often times, to no avail. What is truly sad is that while this cycle is continually perpetuated as a matter of “haves versus have nots” the way in which this system seems to always disproportionately marginalize one race of people in favor of another, does raise the question as to whether or not gentrification was orchestrated to operate in such a manner; and if so, what are the affected groups going to do about it.
Junior sometimes had to go to bed hungry, but that wasn’t the worst thing about being in poverty. He made a diary entry stating, “Poverty= empty refrigerator+empty stomach. And sure sometimes my family misses a meal…and hey, in a weird way, being hungry makes food taste better (8).” This really puts the diary reader in his shoes about how many times he had to go without food and starve while trying to go to sleep, simply because his family couldn’t afford it. But to Junior, being hungry wasn’t necessarily that bad. What he felt was the worst thing about his poverty was that there was no money to save his beloved animal Oscar. Oscar became really ill and Junior wanted to take the animal to the doctor, but the family couldn’t afford it. When it came down to it, his father had to put the dog out of misery, and decided to shoot him. Visualizing someone having to shoot your best animal friend is heart wrenching. Most people have been in Juniors shoes where they have a sick animal, however they never imagine having to shoot it. This comparison of being hungry and losing an animal, shows Junior’s great strength at a young age about going through poverty, and sometimes even hope...
This essay is about a girl who sees the different ways “Negroes” are perceived in a small town. She states that white people constantly remind her that she comes from grandparents who were slaves. It does not bother her, because it happened years ago and slavery was a price they paid for civilization that had nothing to do with her. The only time she feels like her identity is seen as something dangerous is when she 's in a white neighborhood. She feels that she sometimes is not a race but she 's her own self; she identifies herself as a human and not someone who people should be afraid of. The narrator feels discriminated against, but doesn 't feel angry about it. This essay shows that the narrator felt different when it came to skin beautiful dark skin and people with lighter skin than her, like people would discriminate against her for her skin color. Her racial identity was represented as someone was dangerous and someone whose background was from the times when there was slavery and thats how the whites see her; that is how she is identified but she says that it really doesn 't bother