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Hispanic discrimination inthe us
Discrimination against hispanic minorities in the us
Hispanic discrimination inthe us
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However, the fact is that most Americans have the impression that Hispanic immigrants are perceived as a threat for not assimilating into the American mainstream, more so into the Anglo-Protestant values. Why is that? Is it for fear that the Spanish Language may overrun the country? Similarly, Neil Foley, author of, Mexicans In The Making of America, asks the same questions, why fear? In his prologue chapter, Foley makes a point by proving the fact that in the past, Mexican immigrants were not a concern but were, “ let in to provide the labor force for the rapidly expanding economy”(2).
During the Chicano Nationalist Movement, a well-known speaker, Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales, delivered a speech titled Chicano Nationalism: Victory for La Raza. In this speech, Rodolfo Gonzales tries to unify the Latin American people within the United States by using the idea of a family and to create a new political organization for the Chicano people. This speech was a cumulation of various ideas which stemmed from his own life, the experiences of the Chicano people, and the Chicano Nationalist Movement in general. Each of these factors contributed to the context of the speech and how the ideas within the speech are presented by Rodolfo Gonzales. Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales was born to Federico and Indalesia Gonzales, two Mexican immigrants, on June 18, 1928.
In Sandra Cisneros “Mericans” she creates a young character named Michelle who faces cultural differences and nonunderstanding, gender roles and culture stereotyping which can be exhibited in the real world. The author introduces Michelle as a foreigner with in her own culture, with this being said throughout the story Michelle seemed to be uninterested in her Grandmothers ideals and the principles of the Mexican heritage. The evidence behind this statement is; throughout the passage Michelle refers to her grandmother as being “awful” (Cisneros 93). I think a big reason for this is the fact that the grandmother has the children wait outside the church doors as she goes and say her daily prayers.
Richard Rodriguez and Gloria Anzaldúa are two authors who both immigrated to America in the 1950s and received first hand experience of the assimilation process into American society. During this time, Rodriguez and Anzaldúa had struggled adjusting to the school system. Since understanding English was difficult, it made adjusting to the American school system increasingly difficult for Rodriguez. Whereas Anzaldúa, on the other hand, had trouble adjusting to America’s school system due to the fact that she didn’t wish to stop speaking Spanish even though she could speak English. Both Rodriguez and Anzaldúa had points in their growing educational lives where they had to remain silent since the people around them weren’t interested in hearing them speaking any other language than English.
So, what happens when a person is constantly discriminated against for the language they speak? They create their own, which is where the explanation for Chicano Spanish comes into play. According to Anzaldúa, Chicano Spanish is “…for a people who cannot identify with either standard (formal, Castilian) Spanish nor standard English…A language which they can connect their identity to, one capable of communicating the realities and values true to themselves” (77). This is something that Mexican-Americans want nothing more than to be who they really are without having to choose a
“The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named María” by Judith Ortiz Cofer and “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan depict the endeavors people take on in an attempt to integrate into society. Cofer demonstrates how stereotypes of Latina women have led others to misjudge her and explains the difficulty she had disassociating herself from those stereotypes. Tan demonstrates that the “broken” English her mother speaks has led others to think less of her and disregard her. One’s appearance instantaneously causes others to judge them. For some it is easier to blend in and be accepted by their community, but what is it that keeps some people from assimilating, and what effect does their otherness have on them?
However, in order for one to truly understand the arguments made by the authors they must also understand the context behind these arguments; therefore, knowing how the individual authors’ definition of bilingualism lets the reader truly absorb what points they’re trying to make and why. In Espada’s essay, he defines bilingualism as a way for a person to remain in contact with their different cultural identities. There are many areas in the essay where the reader could interpret this definition from. However, the most significant piece of evidence appears at the beginning of the essay where Espada mentions his friend Jack Agueros’ analogy to describe his bilingualism “English and Spanish are like two dogs I love. English is an obedient dog.
Injustice and inequality often ignite the sparks of social and political movements. The Chicano (Mexican-American) and Puerto Rican movements of the 1900s provide such examples. Latinos are often considered a homogeneous and involved political subsection or as Beltrán describes a ‘sleeping giant.’ The metaphor describes a sleeping giant who contains much political control through its sheer size but does little with its power. Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans have historically proven this metaphor wrong and mobilized in great numbers to affect real change within their respective communities.
“The common denominator all Latinos have is that we want some respect. That 's what we 're all fighting for” - Cristina Saralegui. Judith Ortiz Cofer published the article, “The Myth of the Latin Woman,” where she expresses her anger towards stereotypes, inequality, and degradation of Latin Americans. Cofer explains the origins of these perceived views and proceeds to empower Latin American women to champion over them. Cofer establishes her credibility as a Latin American woman with personal anecdotes that emphasize her frustration of the unfair depiction of Latinos in society.
Tolerance towards the intolerant encourages their ideas because they are deceived into thinking that no one is against them and their intolerance is acceptable. Huntington proves this fact by explaining how their concentration and lack of assimilation causes cultural and language barriers that provide the basis for intolerance. He states that “it is quite different to argue that Americans should know a non-English language in order to communicate with their fellow citizens. Yet, that is what the Spanish-language advocates have in mind” (Huntington 7). It is once again prevalent that American
When one hears about The United States of America, one automatically thinks of the idea that has been instilled into our brains, the idea that America was founded and continues to be based on freedom and equality for all, a belief that once anyone immigrated to America, he or she will be welcomed with arms open and will become a member of the “melting pot.” However, what is the truth behind this expectation? Various events and experiences have proved otherwise. In the article titled “Causes of Prejudice”, written by Vincent N. Parrillo, a sociology professor at William Paterson University, he explains the various causes that are correlated with the result of prejudice especially in America. These theories can be used to try and understand racism in America and the interview done by Studs Terkel, a renown oral historian, of C.P. Ellis a former member of the Ku Klux Klan.
The specific citation of Latinos here is not in an attempt to erase the specific groups from which many derive nor is it to claim them as a homogenous group, but rather to show the ways in which Latinos with Indigenous ancestors are, themselves, a function of genocide. The hatred of the Indigenous by large portions of Latinos only reveals the internalized racism which settler colonialism has installed. The massive cultural violence and genocide of Latin America is not simply the creation of la raza cosmica, but of a group of people defined by genocide
I identify as a Latina. I have always considered myself as a Latina, but throughout time, I believe that I have assimilated more into a white individual because of the privilege that I hold and because I have lived in the US most of my life. I have received mostly negative messages from those who are not from my ethnicity. My peers and I were told we wouldn’t graduate high school and be laborers for the rest of our lives. With the current politics, I believe that this still holds true where some people still hold stereotypes and give oppressing messages to Latinos.
There are various types of prejudices present in today’s society. One of the main types of prejudice, and also one of the most discussed, is racism. No matter how much is done to more educate society about racial tensions and how horrible it is to diminish another race just because of their skin color, the blatant fact remains that racism remains prominent in today’s society. Interestingly, many of these racial thoughts can be found at the root of stereotypes, most of which come from uneducatedness. For example, the common stereotype of Latinos and Hispanics doing the dirty work and taking the unwanted jobs in the United States.
“… all men are created equal…” is an honored American phrased from the Declaration of Independence most commonly interpreted as guarantee of equality for all U.S. citizens. However, an archaic few still take the “all men” section of said phrase far too literally. It is 2015, the modern age, but women still face discrimination in the workforce. Said discrimination takes the form of, but not limited to, wage gaps and lack of mobility in S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. My vision for America is for the U.S. population as a whole to uproot such deeply entrenched sexism and finally give women the long overdue equality that they deserve.
