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Color Of Water Reflection

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When I finished reading The Color of Water by James McBride for the first time, I set it down on the table and took a moment to recover myself from the emotional ride I had undergone while reading. I had gone back in time, following both Ruth and McBride through their lives. Not only had I just read two fascinating stories in a creative way, but I found myself able to relate personally to parts of those stories and further reflect on my own life. I believe that the memoir touched me because of how it was structured, which alternated chapters of Ruth's and McBride's. Though this memoir is a tribute to Ruth, McBride’s mother, McBride's story was also woven into the book, which helped further develop Ruth's story. The structure helped me develop …show more content…

“I thought it would be easier if we were just one color, black or white. I didn't want to be white. My siblings had already instilled the notion of black pride in me. I would have preferred that Mommy were black. Now, as a grown man, I feel privileged to have come from two worlds” (103). I think that this quote perfectly describes the complexity and magnitude of the impact of knowing our own identity is. When I was younger, I questioned what my identity was, and seeing someone going through similar experiences was somewhat difficult and heartbreaking to witness. McBride had initially resented and was embarrassed of the stark differences between his mother and him, such as her race and how she fearlessly goes around a predominantly black community on her old bike even though she is hated by both whites and blacks. He was so ashamed of her race that he even avoided being seen with her outside of home. However, his attitude turned into one of gratitude when he realizes that he was blessed to be born in a loving, mixed racial family after hearing his mother's life first-hand. Similarly, when I was younger, I was uncomfortable with my Asian-American identity because I live in a predominantly white community. Thus, I did not have much contact with other Asian-Americans, and unfortunately tried to suppress that unique part of

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