Reflection+p.1

= Race In America = Although legal discrimination was outlawed over two generations ago, race is still a prevalent issue in America today. As demonstrated on the cover of Vincent Sarich and Franklin Miele's book, "race is the reality of human differences." Race is not based on anything but physical appearance. Race is the obvious difference between people that distracts the world from people's similarities. The //Invisible Man// discusses his experience as a black man in America. While it may seem that he is physically invisible to the white race, the fact is that they merely refuse to see him because of the color of his skin. Americans __chose__ to treat people of color differently, which portrays our egotistical attitudes. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most renowned Civil Rights leaders in history. The video portrays his journey as a leader and his goal to create equality among races. Just like King's dream to eliminate discrimination in America, Margaret Atwood hopes that people in America will come together as one race, rather than segregate based on skin color. I believe that it is essential for Americans to come together as a united country and put our differences aside. There is non reason to limit ourselves to people with similar physical appearances when America offers so many opportunities for diversity.

The Harlem Renaissance is a period in American history where African American artists, poets and musicians demonstrated their talents and devotion to the black race. Palmer Hayden depicted the lives of African Americans through incredible art. He demonstrated their stereotypical physical characteristics, as well as their enjoyment in each other's company. They made the best out of their oppressive situation through the Harlem Renaissance. In addition to art, poetry was a common form of expression during the Harlem Renaissance. Countee Cullen's //Yet I Do Marvel//, uses metaphors and allusion to portray the underlying message of the harshness and cruelty towards the African Americans. It was difficult for African Americans to pursue their dreams. They did not have the same opportunities as whites, which created a cultural segregation between the two races.

W.E.B. DuBois discuses how an American Negro has a difficult task of differentiating his or her identity. As an American, he or she is granted so many privileges because America is the land of opportunities. However, as Negroes, those privileges are stripped from them. How is an American Negro to be classified? In addition, //The Color Line// addresses thought provoking issues regarding race. He points out that African Americans have the most difficult lives and have the most obstacles to overcome. It is difficult to truly empathize with people until we undergo the amount of pain others go through.

Lastly, in //How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents//, a Dominican family comes to America in hopes of escaping the dictator in the Dominican Republic. When arriving in America, they are shocked by the cultural differences between their new home and their native land. They are forced to make a decision of whether or not to assimilate and sacrifice their cultural identities or maintain their Dominican heritage and be outcasts in society. One of the Garcia girls realizes that it will be more difficult than she imagined to fit into America. After interacting with people her own age, she worries that she will not survive her immigration to a new country. I loved reading this book because it gave me a different perception of what it is like to be in America. I now am more aware of the opportunities granted in the U.S.A., but also the hostility of Americans towards anyone different from the norm.

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