ipl-logo

Rg's Perspective On The Chapter In Oscar Casares Brownsville

860 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Stereotypical depictions of mexican americans

“RG,” the chapter in Oscar Casares’ Brownsville, presents a unique perspective on the division of culture and social respect that exists between Anglos and Hispanics within Borderland communities. Throughout the story, RG obsesses over the fact his neighbor, Bannert, forgot to return his hammer rather than return it. RG’s hammer not being returned represents a break in social and cultural respect between him and his neighbor. The historical mistreatment of Hispanics by Anglos created distorted core beliefs amongst Hispanics that led to defensive and prideful personalities to disguise the fragile and insecure emotions felt in Borderland communities. The pride and defensiveness of Borderland cultures reveal why RG feels obligated to defend his …show more content…

RG’s former supervisor stalked him to check whether he was or, “wasn’t slacking off,” (Casares 26) from his job. The stereotypical view of Borderland men from the outside seems to have created a stereotypical view of Anglos from inside Borderland communities. He believes that all Anglos judge Hispanics, as he made sure not to ruin Bannert’s table when he borrowed it so that his family wouldn’t be viewed as the family, “that didn’t know how to take care of things” (Casares 30). RG believes that while sharpening his blades Bannert was judging him as he stood over him. “He made me uncomfortable,” (Casares 28) is the vibe that RG had sensed of Bannert even though Bannert had done nothing wrong. His scorn view of Bannert derives from his stereotypical belief that, “Bannert takes everything for granted” (Casares 30). Furthermore, RG’s belief that Anglos have higher privileges over Hispanics further reveals why he must defend his actions against Bannert. RG critiques Bannert’s attire by detailing how his, “overalls had creases,” (Casares 28) to imply that Bannert hardly works, which is a jab to his masculinity. Through RG’s stereotypical view of Anglos, he’s often compelled to demasculinize Bannert to prove that his culture is not beneath the white culture of

Show More
Related
1348 Words | 6 Pages

In _The White Scourge_, Neil Foley uses a wealth of archival materials and oral histories to illuminate the construction and reconstruction of whiteness and the connection of this whiteness to power. Focusing largely on cotton culture in central Texas, Foley 's book deconstructs whiteness through a new and detailed analysis of race, class, and gender. The most intriguing aspect of this book is its comparison of the impact of whiteness on various ethno-racial classes and how each struggled in relation to the other to develop a meaningful existence. _

Read More
1905 Words | 8 Pages

Victor M. Rios was born in Mexico. When he was two years old he immigrated with his mother to Oakland, California. He went through a tough childhood and he and his mother moved several times throughout poor neighborhoods such as West Oakland, The Fruitvale District, and Elmhurst. As a result of growing up in this kind of environments he was forced to be part of Latino East Oakland gangs. Stealing cars, selling drugs, getting into street fights and having problems with police was all he would do until he was 15 years old.

Read More
488 Words | 2 Pages

He stated that wherever the Anglo-Saxon race had been they had advanced and improved the place. He described the Mexicans as lazy, ignorant, vicious and dishonest. This part of the chapter really made me want to summaries this chapter. In our Presidential race in the year 2015 you would think that we would have advanced beyond racial discrimination but it is pretty clear that is not the case. Donald Trump the front runner of the Republican party has described Mexican people in the same way that white Americans described them in 1842, and its just sad to see that no progress has been

Read More
869 Words | 4 Pages

In her essay “The Home: Rancho Santa Fe and Suburban Style,” Phoebe Kropp discusses the emergence of the Spanish colonial style in Southern California. This architectural style became the signature style of this region as many communities began to build that architecture. Kropp uses the San Diego community of Rancho Santa Fe to argue how this style has been taken advantage of by Anglo American’s as they have used it in their modern communities. Kropp addresses that while these communities have adapted the Spanish colonial architectural style they have also created a discriminatory community where not all of the Spanish history and culture are being included and welcomed.

Read More
1879 Words | 8 Pages

The first of two essay questions focuses on Leo Chavez’s book , “The Latino Threat”. The questions and statements that will be answered include “ What is the Latino threat?, ‘How does he define citizenship?” ,“Identify and discuss two examples of the Latino threat” and “ Identify one policy recommendation and discuss whether you think it is achievable”. Leo Chavez’s book focuses on the guise of Latinos threatening the American way of life. He defines this as “The Latino Threat” , He states that the Latino threat narrative positions Latinos as not sharing similarities with any previous migrant groups into the U.S. and that they are unwilling and incapable of integrating and becoming part of the national community (Chavez,3).

Read More
1731 Words | 7 Pages

Cohen’s fourth thesis talks about the differences among groups of people in areas of race, gender, etc. and how those differences can create monsters in society. Unauthorized immigrants often get placed into a “different” or “unwanted” group and that causes them to face unfairness in society. “How Immigrants Become ‘Other’” correlates to Cohen’s thesis because unauthorized immigrants can be made into monsters due to differences in race and legal status. The group of unauthorized immigrants can become alienated in society, and the people themselves are sometimes referred to as “illegal aliens.”

Read More
1290 Words | 6 Pages

Having worked several years in the brickyard under Rosendo’s watchful gaze, Gonzalo worked his way up the ranks by demonstrating hard work and devotion to the Simons new dream factory. With time, his work catches the attention of his patron, Walter Simons, who on the eve of the Christmas celebration, appoints Gonzalo as head of law enforcement in the town, with a “silver star to his lapel and handed over a holster he hung from his waist” ( Morales, 56). The symbol of the silver star parallels those worn by the Texas Rangers, an authoritarian group that would terrorize Mexicans and those of non-anglo descent. As Walter associated Gonzalo with the Rangers, he is exchanging part of his anglo culture or violence and dominance onto Gonzalo, allowing him to believe that he too is on the same level as the white man. This cultural transaction creates an evident power shift that shows itself after the earthquake in San Francisco.

Read More
145 Words | 1 Pages

(163_164). Richard Rodriguez is making a point in saying that race does not define him, culture does, and Richard Rodriguez shows this by giving his readers his own personal example of what he believes he is. Richard Rodriguez states that he is Chinese even

Read More
618 Words | 3 Pages

“It never stopped, this running. We were constant prey, and the hunters soon became big blurs: the police, the gangs, the junkies, the dudes on Garvey Boulevard who took our money, all smudged into one. Sometimes they were teachers who jumped on us Mexicans as if we were born with a hideous stain. we were always afraid. Always Running.”

Read More
938 Words | 4 Pages

The immigrants entering the United States throughout its history have always had a profound effect on American culture. However, the identity of immigrant groups has been fundamentally challenged and shaped as they attempt to integrate into U.S. society. The influx of Mexicans into the United States has become a controversial political issue that necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their cultural themes and sense of identity. The film Mi Familia (or My Family) covers the journey and experiences of one Mexican-American (or “Chicano”) family from Mexico as they start a new life in the United States. Throughout the course of the film, the same essential conflicts and themes that epitomize Chicano identity in other works of literature

Read More
541 Words | 3 Pages

Chavez examines the assumptions made by the media and the public by drawing in sources like magazine articles and illustrations to provide the audience with exactly how these accusations are made and shared with the public. Chavez questions what it means and what it takes to be considered an American citizen and how Latinos, particularly Mexicans, have many things stacked up against. There are no doubts that the number of undocumented immigrants has steadily increased each year. Leo R. Chavez argues that because of the rise in the numbers, it makes it easier for the media to assume that undocumented immigrants, particularly Mexicans, are a threat to our nation through an invasion. Chavez’s idea of a Mexican reconquest is developed through something he calls the Quebec model.

Read More
1871 Words | 8 Pages

In Racial Fault Lines: The Historical Origins of White Supremacy in California, Tomas Almaguer (2009) describes how race and racism coincides to facilitate the birth of white supremacy in California during the late nineteenth century. The idea of racial formation allowed groups to establish their power and privilege over defined racial lines. For each of the three racialized groups presented Chapter one combines the historical and sociological framework to describe the transformation of Mexican California. Through highlighting the historical accounts of racialized groups, fear of potential threats to white workers creates white supremacy. He continues by describing the peopling of Anglo-CA from 1848-1900 with the immigration of Irish, German,

Read More
871 Words | 4 Pages

Octavio Paz, a Mexican poet and essayist, is one of the many philosophers with a written piece regarding his understanding of Lo Mexicano. Paz’s “Sons of La Malinche” was first published in the Labyrinth of Solitude in 1950 and is a rather grim interpretation of the Mexican character, however, it captures the crisis of identity that Mexico was burdened with after the conquest. Paz uses the Spanish term “chingar,” (when literally translated means “to screw, to violate”) and its associated phrases to understand the conquest and the effect

Read More
1414 Words | 6 Pages

Many stories embody the cultural aspects of Mexican-Americans and their struggles with living in a discriminatory society. Stories like With

Read More
1054 Words | 5 Pages

In the poem “To live in the Borderlands means you”, the borderlands become a place of change, such as changing from just one culture or race into a diverse culture or race and not-belonging. (Singh, A., & Schmidt, P. 2000). The poem describes how the author’s own background ethnicity people, mixicanas, identifies people like her, chicanas, as “split or mixture that means to betray your word and they deny “Anlo inside you.” (Anzaldua, F. 1987). The poem describes that the borderland is a place of contradiction, such as of home not being a home.

Read More

More about Rg's Perspective On The Chapter In Oscar Casares Brownsville

Related Topics

Open Document