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Inequality in education in america
Oppression within Mexican american communities
Racial disparities in the US educational system
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“Complexion” by Richard Rodriguez is a story I don’t feel I can connect and identify with because even though I am a Mexican American, I have never gone through his painful circumstances. This is the story of a Mexican American in United States who went through countless racism, insults, and disappointments. He encountered moments of inferiority because of his ethnic group and color skin. He was a person that not only was offended in public, but also he received criticism from his mother. There is a quote from his mother that says, “You know how important looks are in this country. With los gringos looks are all that they judge on. But you! Look at you! You’re so careless!” (Line15-19) By these words I can mention that humiliation and judgment
‘A Fabricated Mexican’ is a novel by Ricky Rivera in which he chronicles his life as he grows from a child farm worker to a Ph.D. candidate. He takes us through his journey in his search for his personal identity. In the book we find that his journey has not been an easy one. This difficult journey is due to many factors, most importantly the people who have surrounded him during this journey.
In this article the author shares his experiences on racism throughout his life. As the author goes in to detail about his first encounter of racism from what he called a “well- taught baby racist” he presents an ugly setting. As children, we tend to imitate what we see and hear around us, evaluating the safe and unsafe places, people, and things. We determine and define our identities based on interactions with others. Dr. Jackson goes on to describe a time when he was in grade school which majority of the students were Caucasian seemed to be highly infatuated with the texture and tone of his skin as well as his hair.
Personally, I do not relate to Dr. Rivera’s book but I do think that it is beautifully written and an important read for people of all ages. I grew up in a middle class Caucasian family, pretty far from poverty-stricken Chicano farm workers as the book follows, but reading this book made me even more appreciative of the life I have and that which my parents have given me. Thankfully, I always lived in comfortable conditions growing up and still continue to get a good education so that I may succeed in
In his autobiographical essay, “Workers”, Richard Rodriguez tells about a summer in which he gets a job at a construction site in order to show that not all construction workers are poor and uneducated. Toward the conclusion of his essay, he explains that your skin color does not give people the right to judge others based on their skin color or their occupation selection. The speaker makes an obvious case people should not judge a book by its cover while also implying that skin tone should mean nothing.
I am a Mexican American in the eyes of the American society. As a child, I have always been aware that my treatment was particularly different than that of friends whom were black and white. Despite the fact that I was born in the United States and lived here all my life, it was always assumed up into Middle School that I only spoke Spanish. As a result of this, I would have to go to ESL a program that would help students learn English. I knew perfect English and wondered why is it necessary for me to feel different from that of my friends. Another factor that has made me feel oppressed like Lorde as a Mexican American is my skin color. However, now that I have read Lorde’s article I come to understand that neither aspect that makes who I am is less or more important and that I should accept it because that is who I
The short story "Everything That Rises Must Converge", by Flannery O’Connor tells the story of Julian, the main character and his thoughts and feelings toward his mother. Julian is a college graduate who has a fair understating of the world he lives in, and because of this finds difficulty dealing with his mother and her views of the world. The story begins with Julian and his mother taking their regular trip downtown to the YMCA. Julian is often embarrassed by his mother’s feelings toward Blacks; she refers to them as the lower class and reminisces of life on the plantation in the south. Julian takes every opportunity of opposing her views because he finds her thoughtless remarks annoying. He often dreams of holding conversations with "distinguished-looking blacks" and contemplates bringing one home as lover. Despite his urges toward Blacks, the black women sitting next to him on the bus annoys him. By this encounter, it clear that Julian himself has not fully embraced multiculturalism despite how much he wants to. His mother carries herself as a woman of upper society and this is reflected by her actions and attitudes. For example, when Julian and her are waiting for the bus and Julian takes off his tie, she tells him he is embarrassing her because he looks like thug. She also does not want to show up for weight loss class without her hat and gloves. These actions were reserved exclusively for ladies when she was younger and she continues with them, however in today’s world it is not customary.
Similar to Adnan and Zitkala-Sa, Rivera writes of discrimination towards a specific group of people, however, Rivera writes of direct discrimination for no apparent reason. The discrimination can not be justified because of a fight for land in the case of the Palestinian-Christian and Native American-American cause, instead, the hate is caused solely off of the difference in skin color. The main character is picked on and socially excluded at school due to his Hispanic heritage. There is a specific boy who often makes him feel mad and embarrassed. Rivera describes an encounter with this boy, ““Hey, Mex… I don't like Mexicans because they steal. You hear me?” “Yes” “I don't like Mexicans. You hear, Mex?”” (Rivera, 93-94). Besides the obvious racism, the boy is badgering the main character—trying to get under his skin. The boy stereotypes the main character based off of the main character’s skin color and accordingly acts in a hateful manor. Sadly, many Americans stereotype minorities without personally getting to know the individual. Based off of the main character’s Mexican heritage, the American boy assumes that he steals. However, this sort of racism towards other races on American land is rooted in an even deeper hate, the hate of the Native
“If fiction changes things, it's usually because it's a powerful way of exploring social issues. And it helps us to understand people who are different from us.” --Gillian Cross. Through fiction and reading this type of literature, we can almost attribute to the types of social issues presented in the plot of “Always Running “. Even when the story is fabricated or not real at all, there can still be messages to be interpreted as real world problems. The title of my main work is Always Running by author, Luis J. Rodriguez and is telling the story of the author and his involvement with the gang life. Through each chapter, the author delves into different stages of his life and proves himself as a dynamic character. As he matures and experiences
Without details, the words on a page would just simply be words, instead of gateways to a different time or place. Details help promote these obstacles, but the use of tone helps pull in personal feelings to the text, further helping develop the point of view. Point of view is developed through the story through descriptive details and tone, giving the reader insight to the lives of each author and personal experiences they work through and overcome. Issa Rae’s “The Struggle” fully emplefies the theme of misplaced expectations placed on African Americans, but includes a far more contemporary analysis than Staples. Rae grapples as a young African-American woman that also struggles to prove her “blackness” and herself to society’s standards, “I feel obligated to write about race...I slip in and out of my black consciousness...sometimes I’m so deep in my anger….I can’t see anything outside of my lens of race” (Rae, 174). The delicate balance between conformity and non-conformity in society is a battle fought daily, yet Rae maintains an upbeat, empowering solution, to find the strength to accept yourself before looking for society’s approval and to be happy in your own skin. With a conversational, authoritative, humorous, confident and self-deprecating tone, Rae explains “For the majority of my life, I cared too much about my blackness was perceived, but now?... I couldn’t care less. Call it maturation or denial or self-hatred- I give no f%^&s.” (Rae 176), and taking the point of view that you need to stand up to racism, and be who you want to be not who others want you to be by accepting yourself for who you are. Rae discusses strength and empowerment in her point of view so the tone is centered around that. Her details all contribute to the perspectives as well as describing specific examples of racism she has encountered and how she has learned from those
Several racial characteristics that are discriminated within my culture is, having dark skin, having an Americanized accent, having children out of wedlock, social class and not fallowing the catholic region. Unfortunately, people are discriminated every day in my culture because of this reasons, on occasions it has left people to suffer. Within my culture their is a racial group in particular that is privilege and who is consider superior. This racial group is white Mexicans who have pure Spanish ancestry who are glorified by the Mexican media. In order to be unique and be disinguenged apart from society.Ethnic differences are important within the Mexican and American culture when it comes in how you interact with others, for example in workplace were you are surrounded by different people who have different values and beliefs. The more exposed a person is to cultural differences at work, home, and school they have a better chance o learn from each other and make a better environment. Several key factors of social class within my culture is, job position, religion, wealth, power and gender. This elements are important for dermining the role people play in society, for example the more power and wealth you have the less struggle you have to faced and
The opening section of this story is a third person narrative. The narrator immediately introduces a poor Chicano family with two young children. A few initial facts that the reader picks up in the opening paragraph are that both parents have to work, the children often play by themselves in back allies and carry their own keys, and the father has warned the children to always avoid the police.
Discrimination is described as the unjust treatment of others, especially due to race, sex, or age. In the narratives “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua, both writers use their works to shine a light on discrimination in the United States, though in different ways. Anzaldua’s focus relies mostly on the pride of her fellow Chicanos, whereas, Hurston has more of an individualistic, soulful message. Anzaldua grew up along the Mexican-American border where she struggled with her identity as she was torn between the standards of both Mexican and American societies. Hurston did not face significant racial differences until “the very day she become colored” (Hurston 1). Hurston’s
Brent Staples and Richard Rodriguez’s autobiographical essays both start out with a problem, but they deal with it in different ways. Brent Staples’ “Just Walk on By” deals with the issue of racism and social judgment he faces because he is African-American, while Rodriguez’s essay “Complexion,” details the self-hatred and shame he felt in his childhood because of his skin color. Both of these essays deal with race, appearance, and self-acceptance, but the authors write about them in different ways. When looking at the similarities and differences together, the points of these essays have a much stronger message about how to deal with discrimination.
Through the decades, there have been different types of social issues that affect many people. “The personal is political” was a popular feminist cry originating from civil rights movements of the 1960s, called attention to daily lives in order to see greater social issues on our society. This quote can relate back to many social issues that still occur till this day that many people are opposed of. One of the major social issues that still exist today, for example, is discrimination against colored people. In Javon Johnson’s poem, “Cuz He’s Black,” he discusses how discrimination affects many people, especially little kids because they are growing up fearing people who are supposed to protect us. Johnson effectively uses similes, dialogue
The readings told me the statistics regarding certain issues. The readings also gave a good idea of how each matter came to be what we see today. The chapters would go through a brief history of the particular issue and indicate the major milestones which have occurred up to this point in time. The readings told about how xenophobic attitudes have promoted violent behavior and that immigrant families tend to lose their native languages. The readings also told of the ways nativists kept Mexicans from immigrating and what the experience was for Mexicans that did immigrate to the US. The book also told of the rise and fall of anti-catholicism and anti-semitism. The book tells of the practice of being “color blind”, where the color of people’s skin is ignored by others. Regarding this issue, the book talks about the controversy of denying pigment differences and how it can send a negative message. The book indicates that some feel this practice simply causes people to pretend those of color are white. The readings told about the ways racism is taught in our schools and how society reinforces the cultural