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Changez And Zabreen Kan Analysis

1374 Words6 Pages

Being as a foreigner to America, the first thing other people notice about you is your skin color. Then, if they know where you come from, they would now think about the common stereotypes of your group. People might stay away from you just because you are a Pakistani. This is how you are racialized by the dominant culture, which is the white people in the United States. Being forced to see yourself from the eye of the dominant group makes you realize the racism and stereotypes of your own group. Because of white supremacy, racial minorities are pressured to "act white" according to Kenji Yoshino 's quote from Covering. Mohsin Hamid 's character Changez and Zabreen Khan both live with double-consciousness due to their dual identities and …show more content…

All racial minority groups have to assimilate into the white society in order to succeed, and both Changez and Zabreen have been through this assimilation as they are racialized by the dominant group. In the society dominating by the white popular culture, racism is a common application that minorities cannot escape. In order to success, or even just to survive, the racial minorities have to assimilate into the dominant culture and reach the expectation set by the white people. Coming from Pakistan, both Changez and Zabreen are racialized by the society that they are forced to see themselves through the eyes of the white group. As Zabreen points out in the Dual Seed, "When the word Pakistani came to mind, people …show more content…

Unlike Changez, Zabreen is able to carry the double-consciousness with her dual identities at the same time, and uses the stereotypes and her own experiences as power to fight back the false perceptions and educate the white dominant group about her country, people, and sex. Coming from a privileged family with cultural capital in one of the biggest cities in Pakistan, Zabreen is very well-educated with an open-minded father who encourages her to have the best education in America and a independent mother who pursues high education and owns her own business. Deeply influenced by her female family members, Zabreen is clearly aware of women 's ability to success and women 's sufferings in her country. Studying in one of the top private high schools and universities in America, Zabreen understands the social conditions of a white dominant culture very well that she is fully aware of the stereotypes and false racial perceptions that Americans have for Pakistani as she sees herself through the eyes of the white dominant group. Fully acknowledge of the situations of her country and all women, Zabreen turns the stereotypes that people give her into power to fight back the false perceptions and educate the dominant culture with her book the Dual Seed and her Ted Talk "The Storied They Never Told You". What makes Zabreen different from Changez is when she says: "I had to take control of how I was perceived by erasing the misconceptions my friends had been conditioned to form. I

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