LITR 4332 American Minority Literature Model Assignments Final Exam Submissions 2013

Jennifer Longoria

07 May 2013

 The Importance of each Minority

I have often said in class that I have not been very exposed to Minority Literature either in my past literary classes or in the present. I was not even aware how little I was exposed to Minority Literature before I was knee-deep in the texts recommended by this class. Now, at this time, I wonder how I was never exposed to these literary masterpieces before. I feel that this class opened up a whole new world of narratives for me and I am only just now able to explore. These narratives, the voices of those people who are called a minority and are often oppressed or misunderstood, provide a deep connection within me not only to my own Mexican-American and Indian-American ancestors, but myself as part of a minority group still struggling here and there in present day. Each story from each minority group helps me in better understanding my culture and my place in this society; how we began and how far we have come. Though not every experience is just alike, I feel that each narrative enhances my outlook on life and society, both past and present. It is because of this that I do not fully understand why these literary pieces are not a staple in our schools curriculum. I do understand the constraints of following a specific curriculum and the limitations that not only the school enforces but the state testing enforces as well, however each narrative I read I feel can only enhance the experience of our youth in understanding and connecting with their own specific culture amongst the American culture we praise today.

Though I am not of African American descent, I was able to learn more from the literary texts of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and Toni Morrison than from all of the history classes I have taken during my school education. We are given a more intimate portrait of the plights and oppression of these people who in the beginning had no choice in the fact that they were brought to this country. In my long essay for our Midterm this semester, I wrote about the standard of beauty that is imposed on the children in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. In today’s society, we feel that we are past the idea that “only white is beautiful.” I find that this idea is still present though in a more subtle way than most realize. From the fake nails to the fake hair, to the idea that the lighter the skin, the more beautiful an individual is, this standard of beauty is still present in the subliminal undertones of our society. How many dark skinned Victoria Secret models are there? How many dark skinned actresses can you name? One of the most successful African American recording artists in history, Beyonce, is lighter skinned and normally flaunts her long dyed golden hued locks for as many years now as I can remember. Though we cannot say she is any less African American than the next person who comes along, we can easily see how these little things only add to the idea that lighter is better. As society continues to merge and become a cluster of races amongst a single human being, this ideal is only accepted further. However, because of this, I feel that The Bluest Eye is even more important for our youth to read. I feel that it is important for our youth to feel comfortable in their own natural skin and not feel the need to enhance or lighten their features in order to feel beautiful. Freida is a perfect example of this, even though at times she goes a little too far in her hatred of lighter skinned individuals. Black is just as beautiful as white. Though we are more accepting of the many different races in our society, we should also appreciate and love our own individual cultures and colors the same as we would any other. During an age where our youth are trying to define themselves, it is important to provide them with a literary figure who understands that the color of their skin, no matter how dark, is just as beautiful as their lighter skinned brothers and sisters.

             When it comes to Native American literature I can honestly inform you that I do not recall reading any literature from this minority group in the past. Though I am fairly decent at remembering American History, I can only go so far as to tell you some of the details regarding the Native American origins in this land and some small details regarding what happened to this once great people. Through reading Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine and  Simon J. Oritz’ poem “Parade” we are given an insight regarding the struggle these people face to try to maintain their own culture while adapting to modern society as well. This is a struggle than many minority groups struggle with even today. With Love Medicine, we are allowed to follow three generations of Native American Indians as they attempt to not only survive a government that has taken their land and forced them into assigned lots, but survive each other as well. Because we follow these three generations, we are able to see how adapting to modern society begins to slowly tear down the values and traditions of any given culture. Rushing Bear is deeply set in the traditions and ways of her people. Her daughter-in-law Mary, who is part Indian, tries to keep up with these traditions, but loses some of her power as her kids grow up in a different kind of society. Her daughter Zelda marries a white man who leaves her and then tries to make up for it by marrying another Indian and trying to go back to her old traditions, while her own daughter, Albertine, not only lives off of the reservation alone, but is going to school with every intention of becoming a doctor. This struggle to integrate into society while maintaining your traditions is a concept that I feel many students would identify with. How do you integrate the two worlds without diminishing one or the other? Is there a way to find a happy medium between the two?

In regards to the poem “Parade” we are provided insight into the often annoying concept of stereotyping. Though many feel that prejudice has long since passed, the idea of stereotyping is still prevalent today. Many comedy acts on television and television shows rely heavily on the stereotypes of different genders, races, and cultures in order to generate laughs. On the flip side, this poem focuses on the often ignorant side of stereotypes, those individuals who do not even realize they are stereotyping. In this poem, a woman manages to call a Native American in a veterans hospital looking for a real life Indian, full of Indian paint and garb, to be the centerpiece for their Frontier Day float, not completely understanding that not only do Indians not all wear war paint and feathers, but that she is asking for a Native American to participate in an event that basically celebrates the eradication of their people. This poem, though the Native American speaks very little, is an important concept for our youth to learn. Yes, it can be fun to poke fun at stereotypes and as they say, stereotypes begin for a reason; however, to be ignorant of these stereotypes is unacceptable. It not only makes you come off as lacking knowledge about culture and the world, it is also disrespectful to the culture you are speaking about.

Lastly, we come to the importance of Bless Me Ultima. I have heard from my little sister that she read this book in high school and fell in love with it. The main character in this novel, Antonio, is a character that any person, young and old, can identify with. As Antonio grows he learns how to not only make peace with the two different cultures of his mother and father, but also learns to make peace with the religious and spiritual aspects of the world that surround him. During a period where our youth are trying to find themselves and their place in the sea of their peers, this novel is even more important. It is not about choosing one religion over the other or about choosing one culture over another when there is a mix at war within yourself. This novel is about the process in finding who you are, what you are comfortable with, and deciding your future for yourself. It is crucial for our youth to learn that no single person or religion has all of the answers to life’s many questions. It is up to the individual alone to seek the answers to life and interpret their meanings as it fits into their lives and perspective. Maybe if I had read this novel in my own youth, I would have learned to find the common ground between my own religious and spiritual experiences much sooner in life or maybe had felt not so alone in this middle ground where it seems like everyone around me is so devout in their own religion that they are not open to even hearing the traditions of another.

Each novel and poem we read this semester can provide our students with a more in-depth knowledge in regards to the plights of each minority culture. By reading these texts, our own American history transforms from facts and information to a living, breathing organism full of people to identify with and look up to. I feel that by not providing these types of texts more in our curriculum, we are neglecting the truth, as bad or good as it may be, regarding our own history and society. If we do not expose ourselves to the many cultures outside of the melting pot of America, we will lose those traits and stories that set each culture apart and yet somehow brings us all together cohesively.  To understand what makes our home so unique, we must first understand the many race and cultures, and their own individual histories that make up this astounding land we call America.