Color of Water

Mrs. Mcbride was very successful in raising her children “color blind”. There were many benefits to her children in the long-run of her raising her children the way she did. She did not reveal her past to them because she wanted them to have a sense of of their own as a person and not be defined by her past. Since she didn't tell them about her past, they had no other choice but to find out who they were as their own individuals, and have a mind of their own in which today all twelve children have reached their very own success. Ruth and the results that she had with her children was from the way that she raised her children. She was not a dictator and gave her children love. She taught them lessons which they would need for life. She also

James McBride has faced many obstacles in his life and that consisted of facing discrimination throughout the majority of his youth, having an overall sense of being lost, being embarrassed by his mother’s appearance (being white), and questioning life in general. As the novel progresses, James begins to overcome the obstacles he has faced by embracing God and Jazz. He turned to Jazz in order to escape his drug use and drinking. James’ life has proven to be highly inspiring because he grew up during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. There were many conflicts surrounding interracial marriages and anything against Black Culture.

James McBride 's memoir, The Color of Water, demonstrates a man 's search for identity and a sense of self that derives from his multiracial family. His white mother, Ruth 's abusive childhood as a Jew led her to search for acceptance in the African American community, where she made her large family from the two men she marries. James defines his identity by truth of his mother 's pain and exceptionality, through the family she creates and the life she leaves behind. As a boy, James questions his unique family and color through his confusion of issues of race. Later in his life, as an adolescent, his racial perplexity results in James hiding from his emotions, relying only on the anger he felt against the world. It is

James McBride describes the diverse nation that Ruth McBride created. She had Many different types of kids to build up her nation. Some of Ruth children had light eyes while the others had dark. Ruth built herself something amazing with a vast variety of different people not only in appearance but in personality. Both her family and church were made up of amazing strong people. Ruth built two nations of exceptional

Ruth also didn’t have any Jewish friends in Suffolk. While the Jews in Suffolk did stick together, they avoided Ruth’s family. Her family was considered low because they dealt with shvartses. This increased Ruth’s feelings of isolations and loneliness.

James McBride's memoir, The Color of Water, demonstrates a man's search for identity and a sense of self that derives from his multiracial family. His white mother, Ruth's abusive childhood as a Jew led her to search for acceptance in the African American community, where she made her large family from the two men she marries. James defines his identity by truth of his mother's pain and exceptionality, through the family she creates and the life she leaves behind. As a boy, James questions his unique family and color through his confusion of issues of race. Later in his life, as an adolescent, his racial perplexity results in James hiding from his emotions, relying only on the anger he felt against the

Sometimes in life people make great sacrifices, which cause them to value what they have even more. What we value can only be only by what we sacrifice. In the novel, The Color of Water, by James McBride, Ruth McBride made many sacrifices and surrendered her family and culture to pursue a new life. Ruth was a Polish immigrant and her father was a rabbi. Ruth’s father was very prejudiced and this caused her to sympathize with African Americans.

2. Explain, using examples from the video and course concepts, how Jim’s self-concept impacted his interaction with his father. Was it positive or negative?

At the beginning of The Color of Water, James McBride’s mother Ruth goes on to introduce particular aspects about her upbringing. She mentions how she grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family and begins to describe both her parents. Ruth’s father was a very cold and hard individual who didn’t care too much for his children’s overall well-being, while her mother was very sweet and kind in nature. She also goes on to talk about how her family was originally from Poland but decided to move to the United States from fear of oppression from the Russian government. Along with outside forces that proved to be a problem for Ruth’s family were similarities in oppressive behaviors in their family as well. Since Ruth’s family were Orthodox Jews,

In our society and schools, people's behavior towards each other, proves otherwise that racial boundaries don’t exist anymore. There are so many students in schools that don’t know their history and origin. It exists, some people don’t notice it, but it is still at the root of our world. In almost everything we do, such as applying for jobs, schools, and political elections, racial bias factors affect who is chosen. It’s part of our origin, we can’t start acting like it never existed, the more we keep deluding ourselves, the more it manifests in our system.

I believe in human equality. No race, nor religion should define who you are or how you are treated. It doesn’t matter what someone looks like, it matters how you look at them. I put my mind to anything and I can do it and I know I can without a doubt. Nobody would ever think of marrying a man or woman of color, I mean nobody, but I went off to New York, left my Jewish family behind, and married a man of color, Andrew Dennis McBride. With him I had 8 out of my 12 children, they all became successful, teachers, doctors, musicians, and professors. All very creative and talented people, these children were my achievements in life and I am proud, extremely proud.

Rachel is a survivor of the Holocaust. She has lost all her family except for grandfather and her younger brother, Yacov. In the concentration camps, the Nazi took advantage of her in the most horrifying way. They beat and branded her. After the war, she was released and smuggled into Palestine. She had hoped to reunited with her grandfather but instead she was put in a home with many other families. The Jews, her own people, shunned her and would go near her. They called her horrible things like tradior and Nazi. They bullied her until she thought she was worthless, unloved, and ugly inside and out. Rachel closed herself off from others. It was through her friends, family, and faith that she finally started to heal. This process was not easy.

In Race and Ethnicity Class we read two books. We read The Color of Water and Night. I really liked both books. They are informative on two different races. They are interesting and emotional.

The Color of Water by James McBride was a story about a young boy trying to figure out his racial identity but his mother would not talk about her past or what race she was. All James knew was that she was white living in a black power neighborhood and that fact terrified him. He thought that to grow up he had to know his racial identity but through all the trouble and hard times he went through he learned that his race did not matter. It was his education that was the most important. Ruth attitude about her race effected James through his childhood and as a young adult, she negatively affected his racial development, and Ruth eventually clears up his questions that he has been

lastly, another concern would be her love and belonging. Which in your hierarchy of needs is classified as friendship, family and sexual intimacy. Ruth has very little to none of all those. She cut ties with her family, has no close friends and no significant other.