Compare/Contrast Class and race are important demarcation factors in America in determining educational and job opportunities, as well as income level. In his essay “Class In America”, Gregory Mantsios outlines the widely held beliefs about class in the United States. In more recent times The New York times released a series of articles “Shadowy Lines that divide” by Jenny Scott That talks about class in modern society. Both articles analyze the gap between the poor class and the upper class, but both have different opinios on In “Class In America” Mantsios talks about how American people hardly talk about class, or they don’t like too. “If someone were to ask a person to describe himself or herself, he or she would most likely not mention his or her class, such as upper class or lower class” (Mantsios, Class In America, 308) He or she would be more likely to tell their race, geographic location, or industry.
Being born in China but living in America, she seems ashamed of her roots and that is why she is embarrassed when her mother speaks broken English (Tan 142-146). But, although she tries hard to be American speaking and writing good English, she realizes that she has deviated from her true self. She finally makes peace with her mother and she starts appreciating her “Mother Tongue”, which consequently affects her writing positively. This shows just how peoples’ native languages are important in their lives. Our “Mother Tongue” is what gives us identity; it defines who we are, and therefore, people should value their native languages.
One cannot simply assimilate into the crowd without first having some sort of knowledge on how to do so. This is a prime feeling for new migrants, as seen in The Namesake. The differences between American and Indian society are a barrier to belonging for Ashima and Ashoke, as they realise that belonging to society involves an understanding and compliance with collective traditions and beliefs. Lahiri uses their consumption of American food products as a symbol of how they compromise their Indian lifestyle in order to establish belonging. However, this proves to be not enough, as Gogol becomes “aware… of cashiers smirking at his parent’s accents, and of saleswomen who prefer to direct their conversation to Gogol, as though his parents were incompetent or deaf.” This negative lexicon in this passage reveals how members of society alienate those who do not comprehend or “fit in” with their culture and practices.
In contrast, the A.A. students at majority colleges often associate primarily with each other. They find it hard to identify with their Caucasian counterparts and consequently isolate their selves. Although there are a number of student organizations in existence at HBCUs, they are not perceived as a form of isolation. There seems to be a higher comfort level among undergraduates at Black colleges. Many times, Black students at majority schools feel as though they have to put on a façade in order to “fit-in” with students of other races.
In her article, Dowd argues against the use of such application like RoomBug and website like URoomSurf.com by claiming that, first of all, being able to choose their own roommates would block out the opportunity for students to mature socially. She contends that being put into the same dorm room with people students don’t like or find it difficult to live which can “toughen you[the student] up and broaden you[the students] out for the rest of your[the students’] life”. However, though the statement is true in some parts, the writer has overlooked another crucial point: a dormitory is not the only place people can learn how to live with others. Students have to communicate with other people apart from their roommates in daily life. For example, students will need to converse and work with other students while preparing for a group presentation, discussing with their teachers after class about
He abhored society but couldn’t help, but be a part of it. Do I believe that society is corrupt? Yes, I do . I do not believe in going on such lengths to separate myself from it, I believe in bettering it. With the people at Emory he was distant and rude.
This is also ironic considering the motto represents the core values of the school, and the speaker is desecrating the idea to let his light shine. There is a placed emphasise on the distance or ignorance of the persona. This is highlighted in the closing line of this stanza; “Luceat Lux Vestra, I thought it was a brand of soap.” The persona is shown to have a lack of understanding of the school’s crest/motto. Again shows a lack of belonging. When a person detaches themselves from society, like Skrzynecki at his college, they will soon begin to feel alienated and neglected.
Cathy saw her mother as someone who views the world in a negative way and chose to distance herself from her. “When Cathy went off down the canyon by herself, Marion realized, in a vaguely disturbing way, that the child had politely but firmly rejected her mother’s company.” (Hamilton 188). Helen on the other hand had two men that cared a great deal for her. One offered her a way out of her community into a beautiful home by the beach. The other offered her stability and prestige in her own community.
In a time of confusion, fear, helplessness, and widespread apathy of the American people towards societal issues in the early 1960’s, the Students of a Democratic Society (SDS) dared to create a manifesto that challenged the traditional way of thinking and perceiving the world around them. These students had grown up with fairly comfortable lives where they could blindly accept the American ideals of freedom, equality, and justice for all. At college, however, in light of social ills such as racial discrimination, the Cold War, and widespread disparity between the “have and have-nots” (both domestically and abroad), they came to recognize the harsh reality that these traditional American ideals were not actually translated into the policies
Roommate discrepancies College; a world wind of experiences, form new professors to on campus living. Being moral is not always the first thing that’s comes to mind when thinking of a college student. Many people come from different environments having different morals and values. When the clashing of these morals and values take place feelings are often left on the line as well as the judgment of one’s character. My first semester of college at Oakland University; I was expecting to have the greatest roommate experience seeing that I had previously met my roommate and had a good feeling about the situation.