Sample Student final exam answers 2018
(2018 final exam assignment
)

Part 3:
Model Research Reports

LITR 4340    
American Immigrant Literature
(Model Assignments)
 

 

Jojo Hunter

Stuck Somewhere In-Between

I am half white, half Hispanic, yet I grew up with only the white side of my family. Because of this, I have had problems that minorities have experienced, yet I do not necessarily identify as a minority. I also cannot identify as white because my skin is not fair, but dark. I am brown in color, yet I grew up, and only know, my white side of my DNA. I only know English, but when someone tries to talk to me in Spanish, I often get a disgusted look or questioned on why I don’t know “my language.” I am left having to describe my family tree to a complete stranger. I have been rejected by both the dominant culture that I grew up in, and I have been dismissed as a “gringa” or “coconut” because I lack all knowledge about being Hispanic. I have also been rejected by the dominant culture for having darker skin and have even been call “Spic” or “nigger.” These things hurt me, because I never did anything to deserve being called names, and I certainly had no hand in what my skin color would be. My son is half-white, a quarter-black, a quarter-Hispanic, and fair skinned. However, he identifies more closely with black culture (music, dance, speech) but he is too young to realize this. I have wondered if he will be treated as I have been, or if, because he simply looks like the dominant race, would he be treated better?

I would like to explore the topic of mixed race experiences from writers of all ethnicities to determine whether or not my experiences relate closer to those of minority or immigrant writers. I don’t know how many books, stories, or articles have been written about being bi- or multi-racial, but I am curious to know if other people have had similar experiences to my own as children or adults. I want to know what commentary there is, and I would like to see if others have come up with solutions to combat my identity crisis. After reading short stories, poems, and articles written by bi-racial authors, I have seen some common themes and questions throughout. Most of the works address a acceptance from one race or the other, a harder than normal childhood/life, and the fear of being “enough”.

WSP, a writer for The Waterhole writes that racial identity in America is very complicated, adding that, “We are a melting pot nation, full of biracial citizens who are torn between being accepted by one culture versus being rejected by the other” (WSP). Because of the color coding that exists in America, people are associated with an ethnicity, culture, language, or class depending on the color of their skin. Marcus Samuelsson also documents this in his tale about his journey to America from Switzerland. He is dark in color, but everyone in his adopted home have very fair skin. When he came to America, he made friends with the other Swiss cooks where he worked, but he became enthralled with the black culture. After being invited to all sorts of event with an African-American co-worker, he writes,” At times, it felt like a cultural test: What would it take for me to belong? Was the color of my skin enough?” (IV II, 320). He had already been labeled as a black man by the people in America, and he questioned how people were labeled culturally in America. When he finally meets some fellow New York immigrants that are also Swedish through adoption, they begin to form a bond, and better become acquainted with America in this new grouping. Fortunately, this can make one stronger than going it alone, especially as an immigrant. Immigrants are family people. Unlike Americans who tend to move away from family like at an early age, most immigrants remain close to both their immediate and extended family, so it is no surprise that the gentleman found solace in forming a bond with one another.

Blitheful, a contributor to CNN iReport, recounts her childhood experiences as a half white, half black American minority. She says that she was not accepted by the children in the black community that her mother was from because she “talked white” and had different textured hair from them. When she went to school in the white community, she was not accepted because of her looks. One of her friends even judged her before she knew her because she thought she was all completely black and that made her think she was going to shoot everyone at school. Because of the color code that says white is good and black is bad, those that are somewhere in between are associated with those “bad” people at the end of the spectrum. Fortunately, there are more and more mixed couples and more bi- and multi- racial families than ever! The color issue is something that is being talked about, and it is more widely recognized that there is some in-between. The generations of the past had bad memories associated with people of other races, but equality has come a long way in America. A U.S. News article that broke down data from a US Census Bureau report says that “non-Hispanic white people will be a minority by 2043” (USNews).

Unfortunately, many poets who are bi- or multi-racial write about being torn between cultures, skin color, and expectations of them. Jean Toomer, a poet wrote “Portrait in Georgia,” was the son of a bi-racial father and married a mixed race woman. The narrator in this poem describes their features as dangerous: “Hair braided”…”coiled like a lyncher’s rope” and his slim body, white as the ash of black flesh after flame (Toomer). In Mei Mei Evans short story “Gussuk,” she also talks about mistaken identity and not fitting in (IA, 237). When Lucy visits Kigiak, the residents mistake her for one of their own, but she is later classified as a Gussuk because she is not like them at all. She fights to become assimilated to the culture, even praising herself silently for this noting that she was “eating real Eskimo food” and “her predecessor had probably holed up in that trailer night after night eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches” (IA, 243). The symbolism of this whole scene suggests that Lucy figures she will be accepted since she is trying to assimilate, and the former person in her position sat eating bland, American food when there was so much more to experience. Unfortunately, she finds herself missing the American culture that she grew up in after getting drunk with the locals, and cannot continue to stay in a place where she is neither a local nor a proper American.

This story proves that there are others that have the same feelings of not belonging, just as I used to. These stories and poems have powerful messages about the power of division and how it can confuse, objectify, and alienate people from their own families. The texture of hair, the color of skin, and the attitude of others does not define who we are, but the judgement laid upon us or the intrusive questions that some ask make us feel as if we are not good enough to be a part of certain groups. Some of the words that describe us are mulatto, mixed-race, Halfie, and many other words that are neither nice nor accurate.

Kee Malesky’s article The Journey From 'Colored' To 'Minorities' To 'People Of Color she says that our language choices when we describe people who are not white can be demeaning and have negative connotations about them. “Language is and always will be an essential element in the struggle for understanding among peoples. Changes in the words and phrases we use to describe each other reflect whatever progress we make on the path toward a world where everyone feels respected and included” Malesky Writes. This article looks at the progression of American’s nomenclature for those non-whites over the years. It states that while the term “colored” used to be for designated for those that were African, today is it used to describe anyone who is not “white.” Some point out that this is not fair because the skin of “white people” varies as well. The article wraps up by adding that “people of color” may also be used to describe those in a low economic standing. Again, this groups people into categories once again erasing some of the progress that has been made by civil rights leaders for everyone’s equality.

These stories and articles have a common theme of non-acceptance by one side or another, and they highlight the ignorance of those that lump people into categories based on the color of their skin. This leads to low self-esteem and feelings that things will not get better in the future because the color of your skin cannot be changed. Being categorized by something that you have no control over is tough, especially for impressionable teens. In order to stop the cycle of judgement we have to educate those that don’t know what they are doing is discriminatory and hurtful. I will be sure that I educate my future students to look at literature of minorities and mixed-race authors to promote awareness of the issues facing conflicted people like me.

Sources:

Written by contributor Blitheful: Mixed race and racism here: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1019065

A short essay on bi-racial identity written by WSP: https://wspucla.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/if-im-biracial-who-am-i-a-short-essay-about-the-problematic-nature-of-being-multiracial/

Poetry by bi-racial people: https://www.poetrysoup.com/poems/best/biracial

UsNews Report on the future of skin color: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/12/12/old-and-brown-america-in-50-years-census

Jean Toomer Poem: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/portrait-georgia

Kee Malesky- National Public Radio: The Journey From 'Colored' To 'Minorities' To 'People Of Color': https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/03/30/295931070/the-journey-from-colored-to-minorities-to-people-of-color