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March By John Lewis And Mexican Whiteboy Essay

1471 Words6 Pages

Rafi Magdon-Ismail Ms. DiNuzzo English 9 26 May 2023 Both March by John Lewis and Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Peña are excellent novels that highlight important issues from the past and present. The novel March by John Lewis is a graphic novel trilogy depicting Lewis' life and his pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Peña follows the story of teenager Danny Lopez, as he navigates his dual cultural identity and strives to find acceptance and belonging in both his Mexican heritage and the predominantly white community he resides in. In each novel, the main protagonist faces experiences that challenge their ideas and values. Both Danny Lopez and John Lewis are trying to find their identities and their …show more content…

His journey begins in rural Alabama, where he experiences racial injustices that occur in his community. Lewis is committed to nonviolent protests and civil rights activism as he believes it will lead to a more equitable society. In the text, Lewis reflects on his motivations and inspirations, “Then on Sunday morning in early 1955, I was listening to WRMA out of Montgomery when I heard a sermon by someone unknown to me… A young preacher from Atlanta. I didn’t catch his name until the very end… Dr. King’s message hit me like a bolt of lightning. He applied the principles of the church to what was happening now, today. It was called the social gospel… And I felt like he was preaching directly to me” (55-56). This quote clearly shows young Lewis listening to a message preached by Dr. King, and him feeling inspired by this message. This is a critical moment in Lewis’ life as it is one of the stimuli that provoked his interest in the Civil Rights movement. A few years later Lewis applies and gets accepted into the American Baptist College. He attends …show more content…

I became restless” (65). This quote shows Lewis being happy that he is at college learning about his passions, yet him also feeling guilty for not doing more to make justice happen. This is imperative to the development of Lewis’ identity as it is what will lead him to start his work in the Civil Rights movement. These details and explanations show how Lewis’ experiences helped him to discover his identity and place in society. Similarly, in the novel Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Peña, Danny Lopez embarks on a journey of self discovery as he explores his heritage and culture. Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, Danny struggles to fit in and suffers from isolation as a result of his Mexican heritage. Danny spends his summer with his family in San Diego in hopes of connecting with his roots. In San Diego, Danny’s cousin Sofia introduces him to her

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Danny said he feels Darker when in San Diego, but pale in National City. In National City he goes with his uncle over the Summer to experience what his dad did. Danny 's main goal though is that he wants to find and even live with his dad. If you don 't know yet Danny doesn’t speak Spanish at all which without his dad to guide him he has to surpass multiple cultural

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