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Model Final Exam answers 2018 Essay 1: Revise & Extend Minority Identification & Analysis (Add African America) Index to Sample Essay 1 Answers |
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Sarah Travis
Family in
Minority Groups
During the
course of this semester we have read about three different minority groups,
American Indians, Mexican Americans and African Americans. All of these minority
groups are similar in many ways. The ways there are similar are having
misconceptions about their race and culture, and the high regard of family or
extended family in their cultures.
Misconceptions of American Indians
Before reading about American Indians this semester, all my knowledge consisted
of was school activities where we made headdresses out of feathers and one
project where my dad and I made a tee-pee out of tree bark in second grade. I
read a couple of American Indian stories in Early American Literature last
semester and learned more. Also, my granny used to tell me stories of her
grandfather who was half Cherokee, but most of the stories were about his temper
and how mean he was.
Something that struck me as this semester as we started to learn more and more
about American Indians, was the fact they are not considered immigrants. I
honestly had never given much thought since the culture is not prevalent in
South Texas. It is disheartening to think about the way they were treated by the
Europeans. This was their home, their livelihood and everything they had ever
known and it got taken from them. They lost everything and we as a society do
not take the right amount of time, or care about the culture enough to better
understand American Indians and the misconceptions that come along with the
culture.
There are many misconceptions about American Indians and temper is one of them.
Society tends to view them as warriors with face paint, feathers and as savages.
I feel that none of the stories or poems that we have read depicted American
Indians this way. American Indians are so much more than just face paint and
feathers, as the readings showed. Much of what they hold close to their hearts
are things that others take for granted. American Indians hold tradition to a
high standard. Much of American Indian stories are told down from generations.
They may deviate a bit, but for the most part they stay the same. We see this as
we read the Iroquois creation stories. All the stories tell about the creation
of the Earth using nature elements, this helps explain why nature is so
important to American Indians. Nature literally created their world.
Another misconception about American Indians is that the white man gave them
everything they needed and made their life better and easier. This is far from
the truth. The Europeans did bring tools that did help, but it turn there were
lives lost and land taken. We see this misconception in “How the White Man Came
to America”. At the end the invisible man sends five things into the country
where the Indians reside. These five things are: cards, money, a fiddle, rum and
poison. They are meant to trick the Indians into thinking the white man is
coming in peace and to work WITH them and not against them, which as we know
now, was not the case. Although this is difficult to think about, and some of us
want to distance ourselves from our ancestors because of their actions, we learn
an important fact about American Indians. That fact is they are survivalist.
Many tribes lost hundreds of people and thousands upon thousands acres of land,
yet they still survive to this day. One reason that American Indians have
survived for so long, is the strength of their family units.
Family is very important to the American Indians and “The Round House’ had the
family aspect throughout the novel. Family to the American Indians expanded to
members of the tribe as well as immediate family members. When Joe’s mother gets
abused we see the extended family coming together to help his family. We also
read about Joe’s friends who are there for him throughout the novel. They
investigate the crime scene and we get the feeling they would do anything for
each other, especially Cappy. The American Indians in this novel defiantly have
a mentality that if someone from their tribe is hurt in any way they will find
out who, why and figure out a way to make it right, no matter what it takes.
One idea that I would like to discuss happens in the very beginning of the
novel. Weeds have taken over the house and Joe and his father are plucking them
from the roots to keep them from getting into the house even further. When I
first read this, I felt sense of foreshadowing of what was to come. By the end
of the novel Joe’s whole world has been uprooted. His mother was the victim of a
terrible crime, he has lost his innocence in trying to protect her and his best
friend is dead. I feel that this relates to the misunderstanding of American
Indians because society tends to think of Indians as a group of people that do
not partake in hardships. They classify them into a category of alcoholics and
gamblers, when in reality they face hardships every day and more than we are
aware of or can even imagine.
I will not pretend to fully understand all there is to on American Indians, but
I do understand their culture a bit better after our readings this semester. I
now know that American Indians are a minority culture and why and I also
understand that all of the misconceptions I was told or taught throughout my
life are not the whole truths and for the most part are covering up the
strengths of American Indians.
The Role of
Family in the Mexican American Culture
Family is very important to the Mexican American culture. Every piece of
literature we read about this culture had family intertwined to show the
significance. Although there are close relationships within the immediate
family, there are also relationships in the extended family as well.
The first example from the semester comes from, “The Story of the Virgin of
Guadalupe”. Juan Diego was given a mission by the Virgin Mary to show proof of
her existence by carrying a sign but when Juan Diego returns home he sees his
uncle is sick and needs to be taken care of. This shows the importance of family
because Juan Diego was torn on what to do, help his uncle or follow the commands
of a divine figure. Juan Diego even choose caring for his sick uncle over the
instructions from a divine entity, although she did cure the uncle in the end.
In “The Distance Between Us”, the importance of family is evident. Especially in
regards to Mago. Since she is the eldest of the children, it is her job to care
for the little ones and she becomes like a mother to them since their real
mother has gone to the United States. This is normal in the Mexican
American culture and it is also a way the culture fights assimilation once
they come to America. At the end of the novel, Mago does drop the motherly act
and starts to assimilate to the dominant culture, and one can not help but think
it is because she was a child having to be the parent her whole life.
We also see
the importance of extended family in “The Distance Between Us”. Even though
Abuela Evila abused the children, she was necessary for their survival in
Mexico. Also Tia Emperatriz acted a little like their mother, caring for them in
ways Abuela Evila did not, and in turn gave them a little of the love they
longed for from a mother. Without these two women at the start of the novel
Mago, Carols and Reyna would have not survived while their parents were away in
America.
Although these two cultures are different in many regards, they also have
aspects in common. They both have high regard for family, immediate or extended
and they both have misconceptions labeled to them, which makes both cultures
minorities. I am look forward to see if African Americans are the same or what
they can add to the discussion.
Extended
Family in the African American Culture
Like with Mexican Americans and American Indians, one deciding factor in African
Americans being the minority is the idea of family and what exactly that means.
I have more friends that are of this culture than the other two, and I can speak
from experience that extended family means everything. We will be at the mall
and walk past people they know and my friend will say, “All those people are my
cousins” after I show some confusion they will explain, “Well not really, but
you know what I mean”. This is very different than the dominant culture. If I
tell someone that I have family, I am meaning legit blood family.
We see the idea of extended family is two different ways in “Kindred”. When Dana
is transported back to the past, she immediately encounters Rufus. Although
Rufus is her ancestor she is not closely associated with him and because of this
treats him as a part of her extended family. Even though she knows she needs to
keep him alive for her own self to exist, she also has a very deep will to make
him into a better person. Dana is called back to the past every time that Rufus
is in danger, but she is also fiercely protective over him in other situations
as well. She wants to protect him from his father's wrath and often does so. She
also takes it upon herself to teach Rufus how to read. This is important in
showing Dana’s maternal nature towards a extended family member. Dana also has
extended family in regards to the other slaves in the past on the plantation.
When Rufus allows Dana to be with the other slaves on the plantation we set s
sense of family unity. They are all there for each other and also hold one
another accountable for their decisions even though they are not blood related.
Although all of the minorities we have discussed and read about this semester have differences in their cultures, one thing they do have in common is the extended family. Without the extended family these minorities would have struggled more and felt more alone than they already did, and for the most part still do. Without the support of others, being a minority would be extremely more challenging.
