Racism and the Identity of People
There is one common thing that I have saw throughout this whole semester when reading. This theme is racism. Some examples of books with a racist theme are American Born Chinese and The Tortilla Curtain. But what does racism have to do with culture and identity? The definition of culture is "the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc." (dictionary.com) While the definition for identity is "condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is" (dictionary.com)
In American Born Chinese, American's have a negative identity on the main characters. Resulting in a American culture that is racist against Chinese immigrants or Chinese people in general in the story/reality. Same with The Tortilla Curtain, American's have a negative identity on illegal Mexican immigrants. Thus, resulting in a American culture that is racist against Mexican immigrants or Mexicans in general in the story/reality. See how this is going here, identity defines culture in reality and books.
In American Born Chinese, American's have a negative identity on the main characters. Resulting in a American culture that is racist against Chinese immigrants or Chinese people in general in the story/reality. Same with The Tortilla Curtain, American's have a negative identity on illegal Mexican immigrants. Thus, resulting in a American culture that is racist against Mexican immigrants or Mexicans in general in the story/reality. See how this is going here, identity defines culture in reality and books.
American Born Chinese By Gene Luen Yang
There are a bunch of examples of racism in this book. Mainly because their identity to people gave a negative view in culture. The identity that American's give Chinese people are smart, can't say R's well, eats dogs or cats, mischievous, buck teeth, squinted eyes, and perverted. The author of the book, Gene Luen Yang, actually made a character in the book that sums up all the negative identities that Americans think of Chinese people. The character is Chin-kee. All of this shows that American's in this story or reality have racism in their culture for Chinese people. Without the negative identities on Chinese people. Their would be no negative racism in our culture today.
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The Tortilla Curtain By T.C. Boyle
The Tortilla curtain is about illegal immigration into the United States. The book focuses on two main characters and their wifes. Delaney and Candido, and their wifes, Kyra and America. Candido and America are illegal immigrants that recently sneaked in and are trying to survive out in the wild. While Delaney and Kyra are normal class citizens in a gated community. This books just seems mainly about illegal immigration, but there is racism in this book. Delaney has started to really hate Mexicans ever since he ran over Candido at the beginning of the book. He went as far as to trying to kill Candido at the end of the book. Most of the negative identities come from Delaney. But there is some hidden racism that I saw in the book. It seems like some of the illegal immigrants prey on younger illegal immigrant girls. Is this because the author is trying to show a negative identity, saying that Mexicans are perverts? Also Candido got mugged by another illegal immigrant. Does this also mean that Mexicans are crooks? All we know is that the negative identities the author in this book gives to the characters causes a negative culture for the characters in the book.
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I, Too By Langston Hughes
This poem to me, is about racism, maybe. This poem says "I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes," (Hughes) This shows that maybe the company that they have a negative view on this person and don't want to eat with him/her. Is this because he is "...the darker brother."? Is it because of something else in his/her culture or the company's culture that they don't want to eat with him/her. This poem though at the beginning says "I, too, sing America." Is the narrator of the poem saying that she want's to be equal like America? Saying that he/she wants to be a part of a normal culture and have a good identity of him/herself?
It goes on in the poem saying, "Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, 'Eat in the kitchen,' Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-- I, too, am America." Does these last couple of stanza's suggested that he/she in now apart of American culture? That she doesn't have a negative look on him/herself anymore? I believe so, and this is maybe how you get rid of a negative view in life. Stand up for positives views.
It goes on in the poem saying, "Tomorrow, I'll be at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, 'Eat in the kitchen,' Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed-- I, too, am America." Does these last couple of stanza's suggested that he/she in now apart of American culture? That she doesn't have a negative look on him/herself anymore? I believe so, and this is maybe how you get rid of a negative view in life. Stand up for positives views.
Conclusion
At the end of it all, identity is what determines culture. This is what happens in reality. But in media or literature. It is what the creator or author puts in the book or show that gives the identity of someone or how a culture of life is viewed. Like in American Born Chinese, the author the white students make negative comments to the main characters. And in The Tortilla Curtain the author made Delaney kind of a racist. At the end of it all, identity is what determines a culture.
View these videos if you like to see how racism is a problem today in our society.
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