Examples Of Racism In Mango Street

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“In the meantime they’ll just have to move a little farther north from Mango Street, a little farther away every time people like us keep moving in (Cisneros 13).” This quote is a significant part of the story because it shows how Esperanza truly feels about herself and her family. She thinks that because she is poor and lives and a bad neighborhood people move away from her family. Esperanza doesn’t think very much of her or her family at all. She thinks that it is because of their race that people do not want to be near them. The wealthy people tend to be unwilling to live in poor neighborhoods. All of the rundown homes on Mango Street are occupied by poor people. This quote may also be interpreted in a way reflecting racism throughout the text. In many different vignettes people are treated poorly because of their race. Racism and this text effects Esperanza and everyone around her in a very negative way. People are even afraid to come near their neighborhood, they fear that they will be attacked. The residents of Mango Street are talked about as criminals, just because of their race and their poverty. As a result of being Hispanic, Esperanza and those around her are viewed by other, higher classes, as a minority. Hispanics at that time made less money and were seen as lessers compared to people in the higher class. Higher class people believed they were superior to her. Esperanza is not proud of her heritage, she even wants to change her name. Her friend she meets,