They have been wronged by being overshadowed by the white man’s inaccurate account of events. From what we can understand about their customs, we should respect the indigenous population of America. American Indians were more logical than the white men who came over to the “new world.” Ortiz points out the hypocrisy of the white men for regarding the natives “as without any laws or government” when the white men themselves were “people who ignored their own laws and governments” (Ortiz
In both stories, the black characters are already prejudged by the white people they come across. The people who are targeted by the racism will overcome and continue to live their lives. The stories happen in different parts of the world, but the mindset of discrimination was the same everywhere at that particular time in history. Wright writes about Jim, a merchant sailor. Olaf was a merchant sailor just like Jim when he was younger; the only problem with Olaf was the color of his skin and his intimidating size.
I believe the author was trying to show that even though there are still segregation problems, the United States is coming a long way in that issue. What really stuck out to me in the end of the interview was how baffled Standweiss was because our president only checks one box when it comes to his race, even though he is a mixed individual. I’m not depicted that any race is better than others, but it seems like President Obama believes he can make a bigger difference being classified as African American, rather than Caucasian, like Clarence King. Works Cited: "Festival of Books." Interview by Murry Fromson.
Before this year if you asked me if being white affected me growing up I would emphatically say no it did not, but after reading Peggy Macintosh’s White Privilege the invisible knapsack I now understand I have been greatly affected by my race, or group of people with inherited physical characteristics that distinguish it from other groups (Fall, 2011), I’ve just been affected positively not negatively. I had always attributed the word race to racism and to discrimination, but in actuality my race benefitted me greatly and allows me to not have to worry about many things in life. I never had to worry about being looked down as a minority or inferior. If I was black or Latino then a lot of my academic achievements growing up most likely would have been shocking and I might have been looked at as a credit to my race and praised more so than I was.
One of the key points in this stage that I look at is the idea of no conscious identification of being white or of the white race. In class, I was very confused by this, and took it the wrong way. Of course I know that I am white, but I don’t really think of myself as “a white person” when I go around in my everyday life. I have always tended to look at other people’s races as just being different from mine, but have never put the label on myself as “I am white”. I seem to look more at my own cultural group and the fact that I am the norm in the sense that I am part of the majority and I don’t face racial issues often or am rarely confronted by them.
One reason is that America hasn’t even progressed at all since Malcolm X’s time. There is still racism in this country and it’s not only towards African Americans, but every race in this country. People are still fighting against the same hatred and injustice Malcolm X had to face during his time. The fact that not many people realize this or care to realize this is because people have lost their passion and motivation to create the country that our forefathers promised us in the Constitution. They have become satisfied by the simple changes that America has made over the years just like Colin Powell.
Kaleemuddin says, “It brought a bit of terror in my chest. I’d wonder, ‘Why are they doing this? I’ve always been nice to them.’” This is an example of someone who was not involved in the terrorist acts eleven years ago, yet still gets discriminated against because of his ethnic background. Since 1961, people still do not have the decency to give others a chance. “Workers have complained of discrimination even in regions known for their diversity.” (New York Times).
I could understand how Manuel Munoz felt about traditional names being subjected to stereotyped, but Clark can be stereotyped too. Nobody ever asks me where my ancestors were from because my name is so common. Often, I feel as though I'm just a part of the background because people think I must come from a rich family since I'm white. People think that my life's been easier than theirs because I have such a traditional name but this isn't the case. I've came from nothing and had to push myself to get to where I am today, just like
Slavery: it is the control, the possession of other people. It is the act of forcing another human being - another man, woman, or child - to do your labor for you. It is the complete denial of the inherent human rights we all take for granted every single day of our lives. It is evil, against all moralistic philosophy, and never should be done, yet it was commonly practiced for hundreds of years on a level that is comparative to the Holocaust in our very nation, America, which is widely regarded to be one of the most ethically sound nations in the world. Thus, the essential question to be considered is simple: why?
She speaks about everyday situations where white people are put in that they are comfortable and favorable. What surprises me the most in this list is: “I can be late to a meeting without the latest reflect on my race.” This is just way over kill on the topic in my opinion. I seriously doubt a single action of a person being irresponsible by being late to work will reflect on their race singly. I do not know any people that will be like, “oh, this person is late because they are black.” What does not surprise me the most in this list are: “I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.” I honestly do not feel that someone will have an easier time or not based on their race, it’s more on their behavior and appearance. If someone is acting suspicious or look nasty or thuggish, yes they are going to gain people’s attention.