Single Stories Reflection-
In my mind I always have had many single stories of Africa and Latin America, as do most people. Most people do not like admitting the fact that they have certain thoughts and ideas about many different countries or continents, especially the countries in Africa and Latin America. I have always thought of Africa as a very poor continent that was dirty, and one thing that comes to mind is I think of the starvation issues going on in Africa. I always think of these ramshackle huts for homes, and when thinking about Africa I used to also think about the people that live there, African Americans. When I used to think of Latin America one of the first things that immediately comes to mind is Mexico and the crime and drug related issues in that country. I have a list with some major things that used to always pop out when someone brought up the topic of Latin America. When thinking of Latin America I tend to think of Mexicans, dirty water, poor areas, illegal immigrants and also, dark skin. My thoughts on each country have changed a ton since learning more about these countries that I am actually very interested in and one day hope to visit!
As we talked about in class these terms or single stories can also be known as “neutral terms” which mean that these perspectives that I have on these two countries are not good or bad. Even though I have learned many things about both of these continents, my views and perspectives have definitely changed but I still will continue to think of my single stories even though they have changed a lot since. When learning about these two continents I realized that there were so many things I had not ever thought of and many other people too because we have always been so focuse...
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...really know about Mexico. I assume you would only really know about Mexico/ Latin America if you have lived there for years, because vacationing for a week to the nice areas of Latin America/ Mexico does not show you the true Latin America. Most people also think about illegal immigrants when it comes to certain parts of Latin America. but I think that if people were more in position or in the shoes if the immigrants they would more likely understand.
People single stories of Africa and Latin America are stopping people from amazing friendships, bonds. and even some trips. People from Africa and Latin America could be some of the nicest people someone could ever meet, but because of these single stories people are afraid to go out and do things. These single stories are leading to racism and these single stories are also creating tensions between certain countries.
The perceptions that European had toward Africa is that of an empty space with people with primitive culture because people lived in huts, they were naked, practiced polygamy, and some tribes even practiced cannibalism.
A single story is many things: an assumption, a prejudice, and even a single-sided point of view. It is a way of sharing information that implants a preconceived notion about a place or a group of people in the minds of others. Single stories “…show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become” (Adichie “The Danger of a Single Story”) in the minds of those subjected to the stories. It highlights differences, and fails to truly convey what a place or a group of people really is. An American’s assumption that all of Africa is a tribal, poverty-stricken, uneducated area is an example of a single story, but many only believe that because it was all they were ever told. A
Africa is considered to be a multi-lingual country. There are eleven officially recognized languages their, many of which are often spoken but not widespread. English is generally understood across the country. It is one of the eleven common spoken languages but it only ranks 5th out of the eleven spoken languages. During the 15th and the 19th century, major changes had happened to the African and North American continents. Europeans ventured to Africa where they began a trans-Atlantic slave trade. Many Africans were taken as free people and then forced into slavery in South America, the Caribbean and North America. This slave trade had brought about a different type of racism. It was the color of your skin that determined whether a person would be a free citizen or be enslaved for life. This slave trade also devastated African lives and their heritage.
“The first great wave of Globalization was the migration of our ancestors from Africa in what is being referred to as the Africanization of the World” (De Blij and Muller 282). Africa is basically located in the heart of the world with countries closely
Mexico has an amazing culture. It is full of wonders and mystery that are yet to be discuss. Mexico just like any other country has its fall backs, but one day Just like the United States it will rise up and be one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Bryant H. McGill once said “Education should prepare our minds to use its own powers of reason and conception rather than filling it with the accumulated misconceptions of the past” (McGill ). There are misconceptions all around us; people look at certain things in a particular manner but what each person sees comes from their background. I have recently come to the realization that there are many misconceptions held about the African continent; my current class has helped me see these misconceptions and understand why they are incorrect and how I formed them. With the help of our Western society, I developed beliefs that Africa was a continent full of poverty, civil unrest, and in desperate need of help. Much of the media coverage in Africa showed droughts, famine, the need for clean drinking water; everything that was exposed to the American population about Africa through these channels carried a negative connotation. I was never taught or informed about the complex culture and fascinating traditions that make up such a diverse continent. The ancient kingdoms of West Africa were complex, developed civilizations that had rich culture, traditions, values, norms and skills that exceeded those of societies of the rest of the world such as European ones. In this paper, I will first further explain some of the common misconceptions that I had about African in general and about their ancient kingdoms.
Mexicans come to the U.S. in order to pursue the American Dream. For them that’s having a well paid job and a place to live for them and their families. Back in Mexico, they don’t count with the same resources as they do in the United States. Mexico is currently fighting a war against drug cartels in their own country. People flee because they want their families to survive the horrific acts the drug cartels are capable off. Mexicans don’t come into the country to try and take everything away from Americans, they come to contribute to the country. They plan on having jobs and educations, just like other citizens. Since Hispanics have become a large part of the population that makes up the U.S., Mexican Americans have learned to see themselves as Americans, even if they aren’t legally. Americans don’t like that they view themselves as Americans because to them they will always be immigrants or so called “aliens”. With the few opportunities Mexican Americans get from the government, they try to prove society wrong. When DACA was passed by Congress, many undocumented Mexicans were able to go to college and obtain a degree. They were able to make a name for themselves and slowly earn the treatment they equally deserve, which is what many immigrant groups search for. Mexican Americans view other immigrants, just like they view themselves, people who come into
It is generally accepted by scholars and scientists today that Africa is the original home of man. One of the most tragic misconceptions of historical thought has been the belief that Black Africa had no history before European colonization. Whites foster the image of Africa as a barbarous and savage continent torn by tribal warfare for centuries. It was a common assumption of nineteenth-century European and American Whites - promoted by the deliberate cultivation of pseudoscientific racism - that Africans were inferior to Whites and were devoid of any trace of civilization or culture.
The different ways in which Latin America and the United States experienced their colonization impact their societies today. Though the backgrounds of each place are different, the results were similar; the Europeans came, saw, conquered, and abused the indigenous and Africans, who built up the foundations of modern society. Despite the passage of time and wide knowledge of the horrors of our past, inequalities and prejudices against blacks and natives that began centuries ago exist even today.
Within every society and every fabric of culture lies a story. These stories portray the very nature of each culture by representing tales of their history, beliefs, and traditions. As individuals recount and pass on the stories of various cultures, the stories represent a different variation that reflects the particular zeitgeist and cultural context of the society in which one tells the story. Society is particularly vulnerable and even impressionable when faced with stories of certain cultures. Often, people judge improperly and prematurely, making one-dimensional views of a culture or society. The goal, then, is to engage the multiple stories within every culture as a method to understand our differences and emphasize the commonalities, which pave the way for greater intercultural dignity and communication.
on what separates them instead of the similar qualities that united them like the country’s name
Although the United States share a common border with Mexico there are many differences within their cultures. Despite Mexico being smaller the United States, it is a country with a lot of resources and cultures within it. On the other hand, the United States is a
MEXICO! If you’re anything like me, the first things you think about when you hear Mexico are tacos, sombreros, Chihuahuas, and piñatas. Well truth is you’re right to think about that, but there is still so much more to learn about the lovely country, traditions, culture, and people. Mexico is the country at the south end of North America, right below the United States, and directly above Central America. Mexico was founded on September 27, 1821. Its capital is Mexico City. According to the 2013 World Bank Census the population of Mexico is about 122 million people. That’s roughly 1/3 (one third) the population of the United States. Mexico is a fast growing country. The population in 1960 was only about 39 million.
The single story is created because people do not try to go past the single story and find out what truly is happening. The human race can inherently be judgmental and so the single story is created. If people were to put their judgments aside and take the time to learn the stories of the people then the issue would be prevented. People and societies are so complex that it is morally wrong to say that there is a single story because once one says there is a single story then the stories of thousands of people are forgotten. This made me realize how much our society in the US really does create single stories for the smaller and less fortunate countries because that is all we see them as. This will definitely make me think more about if a single story is really true and dive deeper into stories to get the full story because the full story deserves to be told. Another insight gained is that everybody can fall victim to a single story because sometimes we only see one side of the story in the news and it can be hard to find the other
One of my suitemates last year is from Uganda and so sometimes when she would tell stories I would envision this idea about the place she was describing. I have never been to Africa so the image I created in my head has been in a sense close-minded. I had this idea about this place that I had no idea about until the past year. A single story loses the idea of experience and uses only a story to create mental pictures. After learning about single stories, it makes me regret some of the conversations I had in the past because I can see how I was close-minded to the ideas of how her culture is different than the one I have always grown up