The Journey of Two American Girls

The journeying of Two the Statesn junior ladys Laura Logan ENG125 innovation to Literature (AFG1301A) Instructor CarlaMcGill February 4, 2013 How can an African the Statesn and a Hispanic unexampled womans be treated antithetical when they atomic number 18 the said(prenominal) type of psyche? I chose the story of accelerate and ethnicality when I selected the poesys What Its manage to Be a menacing miss by Patricia Smith and infant of the Americas by Aurora Levin Morales. I am a Hispanic mortal with an African ancestry. I speak fluent Spanish and incline and gain stick animation from twain spatial relations of the continent.The metrical compositions show how African American and Hispanics American female kids operate were bear upon found on their race and ethnicity. The flavor of the African American fille behavior story was affected be fetch of her race and racialism while the deportment of the Hispanic American young woman animateness was ( non ) affected be vex of her ethnicity. speckle some(prenominal) the African American and Hispanic American misfires were born(p) on American soil, racialism affected the African American filles office she alived her life while ethnicity ( hereditary pattern) played a major(ip) role in Hispanic American young ladys life.The poem What Its deal to Be a inglorious lady friend is ab issue a niner year anile African American lady friendfriend who life was immensely affected by racialism and the occurrence that she was a missy did non help her either. The function that I nonice was missing is where is the young womans p atomic number 18nts during the conviction she was growing up maybe it was the power intent non to mention the missys p arnts. out process up is tough enough as a raw little fille, you add the absence seizure of p atomic number 18nts and throw in racialism, this young lady does not shake up a chance to live a successful life. fit to the Amer ican Heritage College Dictionary, racism has two meanings.First, racism is, The belief that race accounts for differences in merciful character or ability and that a particular race is superior to an former(a)wise(prenominal)s. Second, racism is, Discrimination or prejudice based on race. The African American misfire health was effected by racism, she was erudite to be ashamed of her scratch color, the metric grain of her bull and ethnicity. In her principal she entail the only sort the coccasion mountain leave behind except her is if she savour standardised them. fit in to Bhui, (2002) racism is a fundamental cause of disparities in health.Its myriad effects and link up to other forms of brotherly stratification mastermind to it be both obvious and masked. Its boundaries ar indistinct because it is internal as rise up as external, individual as comfortably as ecological, and shunned while being an constitutional part of dominant culture ideology. Its inv estigating is important and yet part of the wanderers web that traps the best thinkers of ethnic minorities in contemplation instead of action at law and this brings us to the final paradox, to a lower placestanding racism is a prerequisite of beating it (p. 3). I get the feeling that the b insufficiencyen misfire not only snarl that at nine she was not finished, but peradventure she could into a un same person other than the person she was then. The African American girl definitely had mental heath issues, she cherished etiolate beat and forbidding eyes, something that was judge of the culture of that m. According to Smith (1991) Its being 9 years old and feeling corresponding youre not finished, writes Smith, like your edges ar wild, like on that points something, of both timeything, wrong. (line, 4).According to Smith (1991) the black girl she refers to in her poem is feeling the inclemency of her newly ever-changing dead personify and the promise of somethin g different and maybe better to coiffe (p 283). Some people would say that the African American girl understands her consistency, but I would say that she is not ready for her body changes by chance because of who she is or motivation to be and that is to look like the other girls in the society in which she lives. The life of the Hispanic girl in the fry of the Americas is so different from that of the black girl in the What Its Like to Be a Black Girl.I stated that I have live on both sides of the Americas, and like the Hispanic girl in tike of the Americas by Aurora Levin Morales, According to Dictionary. com ethnicity is ethnictraits, background, completelyegiance, or association relating to or characteristic of a human tell apartify having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in universal relating to the classification of man amiable into companys, particularly on the basis of racial characteristics denoting or lineage from the cultural tradition s of a base of people.I mustiness say that I have experience little to have intercourse racism. In the Hispanic society we are free mentally and physically to be want ever we want to be without restrictions being grade on us girls. The Hispanic girl understand who she is and where she comes from. The atomic number 53 thing I notice about the two poems is that the author in this poem mention the girls mother and grandparents, which indicates that in that location is a contribute system in stance to deal with life situation. The Hispanic girl unlike the African American girl was soaring of her body and her light-skinned mestiza.Morales (1986) states that I am a small fry of the Americas, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean, a child of more an(prenominal) diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroads. I am a U. S. Puerto Rican Jew, a product of the ghettos of saucily York I have never cognisen (p. 278). (Morales, 1) shows that this girl notices who she is and take ons that she is different than what she may see e actuallyday. She is purple of her Puerto Rican heritage, olympian to be of multi-racial descent, soaring to be from the islands.She knows where she comes from and where she has is difference. In Child of the Americas, the girl proudly states she is, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean. (Morales, 2) The girl in this poem lets us know from the beginning that she is a girl of complicated race. She is strong and confident in her abilities. She enjoys life and appears to be strong educated and easily versed. Her social class could be snapper class to wealthy with parents that worked their way out of poverty. A product of the ghettos of New York I have never known. Morales, 5) I speak English with heat its the spit of my consciousness, a flashing knife make of cristal, my tool, my craft. (Morales, 7, 8) I remember when my lady friend was in elementary school and she took a knife to school for protection and she was t he tallest savant in the school. Patrica Smith, the author of the poem Whats it like to be a Black Girl discusses the challenges the African American girl has with identifying the changes her body is going through as she is growing up. The African American irl does not appear to know what is going on, or perhap fitting do not want to lawsuit the future because of who she is, the color of her skin, the texture of her hair and the color of her eyes. Smith (1991) states that Its finding a shoes between your legs, a disturbance at your chest, and not intimate what to do with the whistles, its bound double dutch until your legs pop, its swither and Vaseline and bullets, its growing tall and draining a lot of pureness, its tone blood in your breakfast. (p. 278).According to Myers (2002) African American women noted lower satiscircumstanceion with sea captain lives, differential and cast out treatment from colleagues, and great feelings of isolation on campus. Such isolatio n carries with it important implications Literature shows that the rate of procession and tenure among African American women is pokey than that of African American men and white women. Isolation and lack of effective mentoring processes are direct influences in these low progress and tenure rates as well as low retention rates among African American women in academe (Williams-Green and Singh, 1995).The state of mine she was in collectable to racism and her lack of live from her family especially a father figure, made it genuinely hard for her to be a sizable judge character when it came to her selecting or being selected by the male persuasion. The Hispanic girls life is total contrary to the African American girls life. My young life was rattling similar to the Hispanic girl. She was very aware of her growing up and her body changes. She had a support around her as she was growing up and she was deeply grow in her heritage and proud to frisson it and speak her mind when needed.It even sounds like the Hispanic girls even like writings as she like the vocalizing of poetry. Morales (1986) indicated that Spanish is my flesh, Ripples from my tongue, lodges in my hips the language of garlic and mangoes, the singing of poetry, the flying gestures of my hands. I am of Latinoamerica, grow in the history of my continent I speak from that body p. 278). The author kind of implies that the Hispanic girls enjoys having a superb time dancing and living the Latinoamerica life style.The poem What Its Like to Be a Black Girl the girl is continually getting older and large and changing her clothing, to wear white clothing hard to look like the society who is demo racism toward her. She want to wear white like a new bride, which epitomize purety. She has seen a lot of racism in her life and based on the fact she want to be Caucasian or at least look like them. She only see African American in a negative way. The imagination of the black girl is somber and c ondemnable because every phase in her life at that place is know one for her to dialogue to or lift her spirits.The Hispanic girl in the poem Child of the Americas is in controlectual about where she came from, like me, she is probably bilingual and loves the fact that she is Puerto Rican and unlike well-nigh Hispanics she is Jew. Accoring to Morales (1986) the girl is a U. S. Puerto Rican Jew, a product of the ghettos of New York I have never known. An immigrant and the miss and granddaughter of immigrants. I speak English with passion its the tongue of my consciousness (p. 278). The Hispanic girl can relate to more(prenominal) than one culture and have fivefold races to identify with she has many races and loves them all.The African American life ordain aways be in termoil and does not know how to resist a man when they are not skillful for her. The first gear man that reaches out to her, she just gave in to him without any resistance. On the other hand, the Hispanic gi rl life was all line up for, like close Hispanic women she was determined in life and had the exit power to resistance a bad situation and move away from it. The Hispanic girl was very set about who she was and what she valued to release and had the support of her family, unlike the black girl who was not sure of who she was and how she was going to get there.The poems were all in all opposite when it came to the style as they direct different messages to the reader. The style is the mood or attitude reflected in a literary work. The What its like to be a black girl, the style is that of confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. She doesnt understand whats happening to her body or just do not want to except it because of the racism she has face in her life and why she look like the people who are mistreating her because she does not have blonde hair and blue eyes.The style of Child of the Americas is that of a proud heritage, love of self, and pass judgment who you are and proud to be what you are. She loves who she has become and where she comes from. She understand her body and uses it to her advantgage. The prominentgishgest difference I see in the two girls is that one had no family support and genuinely know heritage to fall back on and the other had great support and how they dictum themselves. in the way they perceive themselves. The black girl did not know that black is beautiful and to be proud of your heritage and who you are.She is lacking role models that she can live or look up. Unfortunate she lived in an era where racism was lead to thrive, which accept to discrimination because of the color of her skin. The poem Child of the Americas by Aurora Levins Morales is about social diversity. It is about a person like myself coming from Central America. I was born in Panama, where we did not experience racism until I came to the United States. According to Morales (1) I am a child of the Americas, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean, a ch ild of many diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroads.Like the character in the poem I to am the child of the Americas, except my skin in dark brown and I am proud of my Spanish heritage and teach it to my children. I have African in me, but I am not accepted as an African because I speak fluent Spanish and English. African American do not accept me as an African American because I speak Spanish. Morales (18) also indicates that I am new. History made me. My first language was spanglish. I was born at the crossroads and I am entire (p. 278). racism is a belief in racial superioritythe belief that people of different races have different qualities and abilities, and that some races are inherently superior or inferior. Racism affected how minority girls were treated and the lack of a good quality education. It seperates us from our fellow man. Rather than trying to advance our society or our nation we are spend more time aruging with or neighbors who are of a different mo ral principle background. Racism divides us instead of delivery us closer together. We then fix cities seperated by race, and prefer to stay in our own city with fellow people of our race.The country becomes further divided, one group of people on one side and another group of people on the otherside. Prejudice is a irrational nauseate of somebodyan unfounded hatred, fear, or surmise of a person or group, especially one of a particular religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual preference, or social status. People had a preconceived notion about African American people which had a negative affect the girls of that culture. The African American girl experienced prejudice based on the fact of her being a person of color, not because of her actions.The theme in the poem What its like to be a black girl, is that of confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. The theme of Child of the Americas is that of hope, loving your self for who you are.. The poem Child of the Americas did not display any racism or prejudice even though that is not the case for an minority girl in the middle nineteen hundreds in which I experience. The Hispanc girl was just the opposite, there were no boundaries place on her because of her skin color and what ever she dream she wanted to become she could of without prejudice.Her family taught her to be proud of her Hispanic heritage, to be very prideful of the fact that she is bi-lingual and from the island of Puerto Rico. I was raise to very proud of where I am from and do not forget my family heritage. According to Morales this girl is proud of her Hispanic background and her religious stand (1 6) I am a child of The Americas, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean, a child of many diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroads. I am a U. S.Puerto Rican Jew, a product of the ghettos of New York I have never known (p. 278). The girl in the poem Child of the Americas proudly explain that Spanish is in her flesh as Morales (1986) states th at In recognition of the Spanish influence and in credit of the land that used to be part of the America from which people of Spanish and American descent have intermingled and shared out their culture. Spanish influences such as religion, tradition, and food are treasured by Latin Americans who are very proud of their heritage. They are Americans (n. p. Morales also indicated that the girl was proud of the other countries she was a part of to include Africa, Europe. We all know that soon that will be a minority of people from America because of it is a melting pot and their will be no typical American because Americans came from a melting pot of culture. Their eight-fold cultural heritage, tradition, and influences and there are a combination of people to form the American culture. The African American girl bet to be unaware of the changes her body was going through, perhaps because of her situation she was into.In the poem, Whats it like to be a Black Girl, Smith (8) talks abo ut the things that are happening with the girls body, as she is developing. Its finding a space between your legs, a disturbance at your chest, and not knowing what to do with the whistles (p. 283). The Puerto Rican girl was very aware of her body and proud to show it off and with the African American girl it was the total opposite perhaps because of the way she was treated and not allow to grow up without restriction place on her through racism and prejudice.One ability wonder how will that affect her learning ability as she get older, if I am mentally free in my mind to do what I want to do, my firm outlook on life will be different. The poem What Its Like to Be a Black Girl Smith says, the girl is getting bigger and taller and want to wear white clothing to supplement how she is feeling and while wearying white clothing everyone will accept her. The white clothing hold the good things in her life and black represent everything that is bad in her life.The African American gir l, now a women and married at the end of the poem, her life appeared headed for trouble because of the elevation she had. There seem to to be know one lift up the girl when she was going through the trouble time of her young life and all the obstacles that was in her way. The disparity between the two girls is very obvious in the way they apothegm themselves. It was very sad that the African American girl did not have a good role model to tell her that black is beautiful and be sharp with who you are. It would of been nice for her to have a big sister she could of looks up.The poem never really identified a support person she could count on even though we know there was someone there for her. Living in the 1950s was already rough for all minorities, especially onward the Civil Rights Movement. The girl in Child of the Americas, seem to everlastingly have a great support net around her at times and you could see it in her attitude and the way she carried herself. The question I will come about to ask myself is who or what is trusty for the way minority girls viewed themselves? One girls seem to have a good support group around her and the other one did not.What cause the struggles of an African American girl an a girl who is from the territorial of the USA so differently? The racism and prejudice minority had a major affect on how African American and Hispanic girls viewed themselves. The big question is who or what affected the girls the most in their growth from a young girl to a young woman. References Clugston, R. W. (2010) Journey into Literature. Bridgeport Education San Diego, CA. http//www. 123helpme. com/view. asp? id=122370 http//mybestessays. com/what-its-like-to-be-a-black/ http//leecustodio. hubpages. om/hub/Child-of-the-Americas-An-analysis-on-a-Poem Difference in the midst of Ethnicity and Race http//www. differencebetween. net/science/ spirit/difference-between-ethnicity-and-race/ Racism and Mental Health Bhui, K. , (2002) Racism and M ental Health. Philadelphia, PA Jessica Kingsley Publishers Denton, N. A. , & Villarrubia, J. (2007). Residential separatism on the island the role of race and class in puerto rican neighborhoods. Sociological Forum, 22(1), 51-76 Myers, L. (2000) Broken close up Voices of African American Women in the academy Westport, CT Greenwood PressStyle in poetry involves the method acting which a poet uses to convey meaning, tone, and emotion in his/her poem. topic, now, gets a little more tricky. Content is idea-based and means What the artist meant to portray, what the artist actually did portray and how we react, as individuals, to both the mean and actual messages. Additionally, essence includes ways in which a work was influencedby religion, or politics, or society in general, or even the artists use of hallucinogenic substancesat the time it was created.All of these factors, together, make up the content side of art. Form means The elements of art, the principles of programme and t he actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Form, in this context, is concrete and fairly easily describedno matter which piece of art is under scrutiny. What type of prejudices did minority girls went through in the mid nineteen hundreds. Who or what is responsible for the way minority girls viewed themselves? How was the struggles of an African American girl an a girl who is from the territorial of the USA so differently?The racism and prejudice minority had a major affect on how African American and Hispanic girls viewed themselves. The big question is who or what affected the girls the most in their growth from a young girl to a young woman. pointed out or The young African American girl felt as though she had to dye her hair blonde and wear contacts to be excepted by the society of that time. She is growing up trying to live a life as someone else what her to look without truly knowing herself and her heritage.