An American Citizen Against the Western Ideals
An average American teenager is what Jose Garcia embodies. He has a loving family, he has friends and he goes to school. Yet at school, he has difficulties latching on to the curriculum, and he has some problems with the teachers as well. His friend’s parents give him funny looks. His parent worry about the net presidential election as their cousins’ lives are threatened. An average American teenage with struggles deriving from his race. Many teenagers and children alike come across the same problems when it comes to living in America. America prides themselves the title of ‘the melting pot’, yet the racism the country was built upon still bubbles in the cauldron. Western viewpoint with internalized
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In Diane Burns’ Sure You Can Ask Me a Personal Question, she is heavily stereotyped once she reveals that she is Native American as portrayed, “No, I didn’t major in archery. Yeah a lot of us drink too much.”(31, 32) The western viewpoint with internalized racism has followed with European settlers into America and still remains today as they continue the stereotypes associated with Native Americans. Western attitudes not only see the white majority superior than the rest but create stereotypes that people of different backgrounds must face and fight against while living in America. These stereotypes are harmful as they can’t practice their culture or have racial features without being criminalized by western views. Illustrated in An Indian Father’s Plea, Wind-Wolf recognizes the negative portrayal of Native Americans by Western media. Western attitudes fuel western media in which the media displays racial stereotypes of people from different backgrounds with no confrontation. Western attitudes focus upon the aspects of different people that can be mocked than the aspects that should be respected and praised. As Western attitudes infuse into America, people of different backgrounds are the victim of mockery and shame through