“It is equally far-fetched to claim that the typical Mexican or Indian in the United States is representative of the Mexican or Indian populations. The type of person who chooses to move out of a particular country probably differs dramatically across countries” (68). This quote stood out to me within this chapter, because recently in all my classes this has been a major topic: stigmas. In America, it is known that people can be discriminatory towards others, based on their looks, their jobs, and where they are from.We believe that if you are a particular race then you must correlate with the ideas that have been passed down for generations. This quote emphasizes the need of stigmas to be demolished. Immigrants are not all the same just because they are from other countries. The main question is: what leads some to immigrate and others to stay? This whole chapter is a conclusion as to who comes to America and who does not and it can be assumed that so many different people come based on all the different scenarios. We attract the best of the best: the smartest, the talented, ones who are financially well off. We also attract those who are from poor areas, low education, and not much to offer. However, that is what America is for, it a country to have a chance.
Author: Emily Doyle
Hoop Dreams is a documentary focusing on two young African-American teenagers from Chicago. It is about their hopes and dreams to one day be in the NBA. William Gates and Arthur Agee are two young teenagers who have the same dreams and the same ambition. With this ambition they take the opportunity to attend a high school, St Joseph’s, that is outside of their county. They both travel 40 minutes each way to school, in hope to have a better life for themselves. The film does not only document the lives of the two young boys but those who are in them as well. The film begins with a man who grew up in the same area of the two boys, on the weekend he works as a recruiter for the local high schools. Without this man seeing potential in the two young teenagers, the two of them would never have had the opportunity to attend St. Joes High School. Even though the film focuses on the young teenagers becoming great basketball players, there is a deeper meaning and investment to the film. The underlying meaning of the film is the focus on race, discrimination, and class within society.
The scene in the film that stood out to me the most was in the event where the players attended the Nike basketball camp, where only the best high school players attend. In this event they attended practices and classroom activities. Within one classroom experiences, two black men were labeled the truth. They stated how black men are labeled and suspected to deal drugs, use drugs, and molest women around them. They proceed to tell the players you are only here because the coaches believe you will be an asset to their team and will help them win. When this quick clip finished, I realized even today’s world this status may still exist. Of course, coaches want to win to keep their job and they will go to the extent, but would you consider this bad if it does help lower income people leave and have a better life? In the end, it is realized that african-american people have a struggle to be accepted in society. Their struggle is in all aspects of their life, home, work, and school. Their hope for out is through limited opportunities that occur.
Wax discusses the difference between hard struggles and brick walls within the “black communities.” “Brick walls” can be described as “discriminatory hiring practices based on pure racial animus” (Walls 19). There are three accounts of brick walls: emphasizing discrimination, structural barriers, and culturally learned behaviors. An example of discrimination is the criminal justice system and how it is unfair to the black race. Wax believes that this statement is untrue and that there is factual evidence that all races have an equal just system. Structural barriers, are the obstacles where the black race has grown up in or gone through. It is believed that these obstacles either prohibit people from success or inspire them even more.
America is a country where all are welcomed and freedom is established. Every race, gender, and age group should feel proud of who they are, their culture, and their society from where they come from. This is why America has no official language. Huntington exerts that there was no amendment pressed to make english the official language of America. There has been no need, it is obvious that in America english is the prominent language. However, this should not allow people to drop their culture and conform to those around you. Our country does not need to establish a bilingual heritage because it already exists as well. Creating an official language would have separated the people of America from each other and freedom would have been limited.
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Short Essay #3
Values vary between societies, nations, people, and even gender. There are no set values that describe the world as a whole, this is because everyone is different from one another. Everyone believes life should be lived in their own way. However, Samuel Huntington and Cormac McCarthy overlap the values they see in the world in their own books.
Samuel Huntington, the author of Who Are We?, demonstrates the Anglo-Protestant cultural worldview and values. The Anglo-Protestant were one of the first to colonize in America. Due to this, their values are exemplified in every decision they made. The Anglo-Protestant viewed their community as one, and labeled themselves as: independent, hard-working, loyal, and self-reliant. Anglo-Protestant’s value of independence flourished when they moved away from Europe and into land of their own. The want to practice their own religion and to feel safe when doing so gave them courage to move to new land. However, their independence is aligned with the responsibility to choose their path of faith. In the Anglo-Protestants views this right path is “to honor and be loyal to God.” When this path is chosen, they remain loyal to God and their sect.With this loyalty the Anglo-Protestants demonstrate their hard work and self-reliance by creating a community and form of government. When migrating from one country to a new land, the Anglo-Protestant had to learn to use their own power and will to create a shelter, food, and a stable environment. These values have not ended with Anglo-Protestants rather, they have grown with America in every generation.
Cormac Mcarthy, author of All the Pretty Horses, writes about a boy named John Grady Cole who is from the West of America. A sixteen year old who grew up on a family ranch. However, the day came when his ancestors pass away and the ranch is being sold. With this news, John Grady Cole decides to move away from his family and start a life on his own. The journey that unfolds for John Grady Cole is one he would not expect, however it allowed him to learn more about himself and who he is. Within this journey, John Grady Cole is independent, hard-working, loyal, and self-reliant. These values are consistent with the Anglo-Protestant views.
John Grady Cole demonstrates the Anglo-Protestant values throughout his journey. Independence is shown by the want and courage of John Grady Cole. He had a choice to continue to be with his family or try to collect success on his own. This examples the Anglo-Saxon by having a safe place in Europe, however they wanted to pursue their own success in their own way. John Grady Cole love for the ranch life is what interested him to travel on his own and leave the family ranch. On his travels, John Grady Cole befriends two other Americans who are on a journey just like his. Even though these acquaintances are new to him John Grady Cole stays loyal to them through thick and thin. The three travelers face many struggles but in the end, John Grady Cole never gives up on them. His loyalty exemplifies the Anglo-Protestant way by having a decision on which path to take, to stay with those around you and beliefs or leave and forget those who supported you. One may argue that John Grady Cole chose that path that had him leave those who supported him, however he still beholds the family name and does not discourage where he has come from. Therefore, he never abandoned his family and can still be labeled as loyal towards them. His loyalty spread to those who he befriended. The three of them are self-reliant, with the struggles they faced the three men made due with what they were able to encounter. John Grady Cole shared his values with those in All the Pretty Horses and the Anglo-Protestants. These values have prolonged to people who are living in America in today’s world.
Independence, hard-working, loyal, and self-reliant are values consistent in American culture today. However they can be identified differently. They have grown with America, but America has also grown as well. Therefore these values can be showcased different in each society and in each person. Values will forever exist, but the statement and significance of them is what will vary.