Fences Against Freedom

1265 Words3 Pages

Interpretive Essay Fences Against Freedom

Racism affects everyone on Earth since people are all different. Leslie Marmon Silko wrote an essay called Fences Against Freedom. She was a person of mixed-ancestry who has faced racism very closely from childhood to adulthood. Early on She recalls being rejected from some school pictures, later as an adult, she was pulled over by Border Patrol officers all because of her ancestry. Leslie Marmon Silko points out that there is no race, but human race and; hence, racism should not exist. Silko was raised in her hometown where racism did not exist at all; people judged others by behavior and not by skin color, religion or origin. Nevertheless, coming out of her hometown environment racism was evident. People’s interactions were driven by attending to skin color, creed, ancestry and other biases. Racism affects everyone in the United States from foreigners to natives, as presented by Leslie Marmon Silko’s feelings of pride, disappointment, sympathy and anger as she confronts racism in the United States.

Leslie Marmon Silko has many feelings tied up when it comes to racism. She was raised in the Laguna Pueblo where her parents and neighbors interacted free of judgment. She was taught that people should not judge others by their skin color or other means of racism because those external features could not present what a person really is and it might deceive (Leslie Marmon Silko Fences Against Freedom 103). She stated that she was raised that way and; hence, she feels very proud of that.

Additionally, she stresses that the values of her childhood helped her to develop respect for different people. Her father influenced her a lot to feel comfortable just the way she is around her hometown; ...

... middle of paper ...

...ican identity (114)” Obviously racism is outing at stake even freedom and this is upsetting Leslie Marmon Silko.

In conclusion, racism is a big issue in the United States affecting not just only foreigners but also citizens. Leslie Marmon Silko as a mixed-ancestry-person has had to face discrimination and racism in the United States. The author feels very proud of her family because racism did not grow up in her hometown along with her. Moreover, she shows her sympathy to undocumented immigrants by pointing out the cruelty that Border Patrol offices do not just to them but also to citizens. Also, her tone is very disappointing and angry because of what is going right now with the United States and the Border Patrol making racism stronger and stronger overtime making some rights, such as freedom start to vanish all because of the same issue, which is racism.

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