Oppression And Discrimination Exposed In Cross By Langston Hughes

Langston often writes poems about how difficult it was being and African American during his lifetime. He faced constant oppression and discrimination for his mixed ethnicity. Many people recognize the struggle blacks went through to get to the place they are today; however, many people still fail to recognize the struggle people of mixed races endured especially during the early 20th century. In “Cross” by Langston Hughes, he makes a strong claim: being a mixed race is difficult because this group of people is not often accepted into either of their racial categories. Hughes starts his poem with these two simple lines: “My old mans’ a white old man /And my mother’s black” (1-2). This is seen as a very simple statement, but it has a much deeper meaning. He is a mixed race and during this time period it was very unacceptable and it was often viewed as “disgusting” in many people’s eyes. When a person is mixed he or she usually does not necessarily fit into either of their racial groups because traits from each of their races are prevalent so they cannot fully relate to the two races they belong to. Therefore the subject of Hughes’

“If I ever cursed my white old man/ I take my curses back. If ever I cursed my black old mother/ I’m sorry for that evil wish /And Now I wish her well” (3-8). Hughes is extremely angry with his mother and father for making him mixed. It is notable that he included “And wished she were in hell,” (6) when talking about his mother because he is judged more for the black side of him rather than the white. His mother’s blackness has made his life more difficult because her race has defined him in a negative light where as if she was white like his father his life would be much simpler. He later apologized for his negativity towards his parents because he realizes they cannot control how society judges