ipl-logo

Primo And Caesar: Structural Oppression

690 Words3 Pages

According to Bourgois, he explained that he felt structural oppression was the main cause of what affected Primo and Caesar’s life choices and opportunities. Structural oppression is when people of a society identity group are mistreated and the treatment of these people are supported by society and its institution. Throughout the book, we see several cases in which Primo and Caesar and mistreated in various ways. In the beginning, Bourgois talks about the history of Puerto Ricans and how the immigration from Puerto Rico to New York City consequently affected the growth and development of their own culture in El Barrio. In chapter 2, Bourgois described how their ancestors were subsistent farmers (farm not for profit but for general welfare) and …show more content…

sector, he was constantly being berated. His boss, a lady called Gloria, heavily discriminated against him during his entire time working there. She constantly put him down and called him illiterate. When Primo’s supervisor would be out for lunch, the phone would ring so Primo would answer it. However, she felt uncomfortable talking on the phone with Primo because of his accent. Primo and Caesar ultimately end up choosing to deal drugs because that is the only option available to them. Bourgois argues that the high unemployment rate in East Harlem caused people to take part in producing and selling drug. In chapter 4 of In Search of Respect, it explains that reason why Primo and Caesar don’t have ‘proper’ jobs. The answer to that was simple: it was because they could not find jobs. So, in order to meet their needs, these people had to resort in underground and illegal, untaxed jobs. Drug dealing provided the necessary income for them to be able to survive. Thus, these types of experiences would future alienate them from mainstream society and drive them into the underground economy of crack, the only place where they can go to make money, and regain a certain sense of dignity and

Show More
Related
1319 Words | 6 Pages

A primary reason which provoked Dude to get involved in drug trading was the ludicrous amount of money he could make from such a young age. At age fourteen Dude was selling dope, making $1500 a week, this led to irresponsible and hedonistic spending. This hedonistic spending gave meaning to Dude’s life, pleasures such as food, females, and the mall, were all major focuses of his life. Dude recalls spending $400 a week on overpriced rent and $50 on food even when he wasn’t hungry (Bergmann 2008:109); this impulsive spending may suggest a shaping of an unstable and turbulent economic life and poor financial responsibility for Dude in future

Read More
1348 Words | 6 Pages

In Caballero, Gonzalez & Raleigh belittle the image and abilities of the non-white Mexican worker (peon). By using the narrator to reinforce the negative stereotypes regarding

Read More
63 Words | 1 Pages

Provocative and eye-opening, The Stickup Kids urges us to explore the ravages of the drug trade through weaving history, biography, social structure, and drug market forces. It offers a revelatory explanation for drug market violence by masterfully uncovering the hidden social forces that produce violent and self-destructive individuals. Part memoir, part penetrating analysis, this book is engaging, personal, deeply informed, and entirely

Read More
1844 Words | 8 Pages

Poverty doesn 't necessarily have to be because of drugs, there are other causes like low income jobs. " …people find themselves in tough financial circumstances because of their own actions, because of the actions of other people in their family, or because of factors beyond their control" (Seacliff). This quote explains that a lot of the time being in poverty isn 't something that you can control. The other Wes Moore has had experiences with substance abuse and drug dealing, both of these are reasons why he was sent to jail. "Drugs can be really easy to get out into the streets and young adults in in poverty surrounded by substance abusers and dealers" (Seacliff).

Read More
341 Words | 2 Pages

In his article, “Toward a Policy on Drugs,” Elliot Currie discusses “the magnitude and severity of our drug crisis” (para. 21), and how “no other country has anything resembling the American drug problem” (para. 21). The best way to describe America’s drug problem is that it is a hole continuously digs itself deeper. America’s drug issues were likely comparable to other country’s at one point in time, but today it can be blamed on the “street cultures” (para. 21) that continue to use and spread the use of illegal drugs. These street cultures transcend the common stereotype of drug users, such as low income communities in cities or welfare recipients, and can be found in every economic class and location. They are groups of people who have

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

As a result, gangs formed and employed people in order to earn money and afford living. For instance: Bonnie and Clyde was a gang that was very infamous during the 1930’s. They were both born into poverty, however as soon as depression hit, it made life harder for them. The gang contained more than 5 members and traveled from state to state robbing banks and stealing cars. This is evident in Source A. Source A is a wanted poster that is created by the FBI inorder to make the public aware of the criminals.

Read More
1271 Words | 6 Pages

This lead to him in finding other ways to find a way to earn money. What they do have in common is who they associate themselves with, both were introduced to the drug trade because of someone they know. Their previous histories may have led them to follow that path. The environmental psychology is what caused them to enter the trade. By learning the basics of psychology and then investigating more in depth about it, it is possible to find out what the signs are before they occur.

Read More
760 Words | 4 Pages

Nero became Emperor at the early age of seventeen, ruling after the death of Claudius. Though he is notorious for his cruelty and corrupt acts, he also provided for the people and the city throughout various disasters. The most well known event during his reign is the great fire of Rome, taking place in 64 CE. Many ancient historians wrote about this catastrophe and the emperor’s role in it, having various accounts of what had occurred. Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio all recorded this event and painted Nero in differing lights, with the first having the most extensive account and being the only one to have been alive during the fire.

Read More
1115 Words | 5 Pages

During the 80s, a drug epidemic was considered the worst economic crisis. This war on drugs made even more families poorer and the rich richer. Doing so made colored people find alternative ways in making money. Shaka Senghor said, ‘’Your black with crack cocaine you’re going to prison for basically the rest life of your life, uhm and you are white you pretty much getting slapped on the wrist.

Read More
2017 Words | 9 Pages

The illegal drug business is a business that is worth more than 25 billion dollars a year. An economic issue that the Barrio Azteca gang has to deal with is other gangs trying to fight for the control of the illegal drug business because the industry of illegal drugs looks very desirable to other gangs

Read More
789 Words | 4 Pages

The Irish did not receive a sufficient education and had little to no money to their name which caused men to work on the railroads and women to work as servants. The men often risked their lives on the job site as they were competing with freed slaves for employment. Because they lacked skills other than those valuable in a factory most men took their families to port cities such as New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston where there was a large number of manufacturing jobs. Within these cities, specifically New York City there was a clear distinction in social class which caused a problem with gangs to arise. These individuals with similar backgrounds are what made up the different gangs for the sole purpose of protection and survival because they were often second class citizenship who were trying to make a life for themselves that was better than what they once had.

Read More
384 Words | 2 Pages

Julius Caesar Zakary Powers Julius Caesar, leader of Rome, had a overwhelming ego and it is shown many times throughout the play of, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”. One of the times Julius Caesar showed his overwhelming ego was towards the beginning of the play when the soothsayer warns Caesar about the “ides of march”. The second time Julius shows his ego is when he says that he is not afraid of anybody - and people may talk behind his back, but never to his face as they would be too scared. The third time Julius shows his ego when he ignores his wife’s caution and worries about going to the Senate. Julius Caesar overall is seen to be arrogant and he has a very large ego.

Read More
646 Words | 3 Pages

In American education, being in a gang and stereotypes plays a major role in the way people view education. Through loyalty to their gang, poverty, and corrupt legal systems, educational systems don 't know how to handle these types of people going through these problems. In many instances, people from rival gangs are in the same class or school. There will be no learning for them because it is engraved in their head that “I need to ‘pop’ this guy because his gang killed someone in my gang.”

Read More
518 Words | 3 Pages

The money they can make selling drugs, robberies, theft of all kinds, open up all types of possibilities for extreme violence to occur, however, the money appears much more attractive than working a minimum hourly job. Another good example is prostitution, they have the ability to make an awful lot of money every day, granted they are not able to keep much of it, but they are not interested in normal work. Many are drug addicts, and must provide large amounts of money to pay for their habit. Every time a prostitute gets into a car with a stranger, she is placing herself in grave danger. When you exist in an environment that supports this type of behavior, you are always placing yourself in danger.

Read More
965 Words | 4 Pages

The Rhetorical Analysis of “The Myth of the Latin Woman” There are many examples of incidents happened because of cultural differences. Some of them are short, single events, while other follow a person or social group for decades. Professor Judith Cortiz Cofer describes the second example in her essay The Myth of the Latin Woman that was originally published in Glamour in 1992. The author focused on the stereotypical view of Latin women from the perspective of the personal experience as a Puerto Rican girl and woman in the USA. Cofer based her essay on examples from her own life and observations of the problem in a broader sense.

Read More

More about Primo And Caesar: Structural Oppression

Open Document