Miss Clements Second Middle Class Analysis

In Rosano Castellanos’s short story “The Luck of Teodoro Mendez Acubal”, the author demonstrates a great sense of discrimination through the plot of the story and with the characters within.

The background of both narrators of “Mericans” and “In response to Executive Order 9066” comes from a Japanese or a Mexican-decent who are realizing cultural differences from their American life. However, the mistreating of a girl by her best friend compared to a girl who finds significant change between her two worlds that is tested by every cultures costumes of being victims of racial discrimination. The short story “Mericans” and the poem “In response to Executive Order 9066” can be a universal conflict between diverse heritage and cultural backgrounds that are determined by how America sees society.

In a scene from the film, Selena, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a Mexican-American singer, is ignored by a white sales woman. The sales woman judges Selena on the color of her skin, determining her social status as one unimportant to her business, not realizing that Selena was actually a celebrity. Just as the sales woman predetermined a role for Selena rooted by race and ethnicity, Waretown High maintained class, gender, and race stereotypes in determining girl’s futures and outcomes. Julie Bettie’s Women Without Class discusses these stereotypes through expectations set for las chicas and the preps by the school, families, and themselves, the exclusion of hard-living students, those whose families were low income, and the ability for some girls to become upwardly mobile as an exception to the rules.

In The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met A Girl Named Maria, Judith Ortiz Cofer addresses the problem of racial discrimination. Cofer was grown up with two different cultures. As a Latin Woman, she tries hard to fit in American culture. Cofer discusses how she has been treated due to her identity during her childhood and become an adult. And when facing those embarrassing situations, Cofer treats them with proper manner. Though demonstrating some examples, it is noticed that the Latin Woman were stereotyped as those who can only do simple work.

In Edward McClelland’s essay “RIP, the Middle Class: 1946-2013,” McClelland discusses to his audience that the middle class is slowly vanishing and soon enough we will only be left with the rich and the poor. Throughout the essay, McClelland uses various examples to demonstrate how the middle class will no longer exist. McClelland talks about how education is vital for pursuing a job at a reasonable pay that a person can live off of. Before, people were able to leave high school and go straight into a job with a pay that could support them. Nowadays, the same jobs that were supporting people before require a lot more education and still aren’t giving enough money that will allow them to live comfortably. Even though there are still jobs people can thrive at that will make more money without a serious education , the middle class is struggling to make it economically, because it is harder to find a job without education and financially it’s harder to make ends meet.

She gives the reader very vivid memories from her childhood and how being raised poor affects her identity as a person. She discusses how Mexicans identify themselves; since there are many different ways to identify culture, they make up several different cultures (Indian, Black, and Mexican). By the end she talks about the fight that Mexicans put up to stand up for their culture and their identity.

With her mind racing ahead of her she grabbed her backpack and ran out of class. Esperanza feeling hopeless began to drown in her tears. Her mind swirled in confusion she felt like an American but she also felt branded as an immigrant. Esperanza had heard the word immigrant cringe before through the mouth of her History teacher he identified them as people who were dangerous and un-educated that did not deserve to be in this country. Esperanza did not feel like she was a threat she wanted nothing more than to get an equal education so she could one day contribute to the land of promise. Esperanza pushed the doors to the girls restroom a part of her wanted to scream “This is not my fault I was only two when my parents crossed the border how was I to warn them that the promises were limited on the other

When one visualizes Latino culture, the prevalent images are often bright colors, dancing, and celebrations. This imagery paints a false portrait of the life of many Latino’s, especially those that are forced to leave their home countries. Latinos often face intense poverty and oppression, whether in a Latin country, or a foreign country, such is true in Pam Ryan’s novel Esperanza Rising. Ryan chronicles the issues that many Latino immigrants face. The first is the pressure from the home country. Many of the countries face turmoil, and many are forced to leave their homes and culture. Once in a foreign place, people often struggle with standing by their own culture or assimilating to the new culture. Latino authors frequently use young adult literature as a platform to discuss the issues they face, as young adults are coming of age they struggle with their identities, personifying the struggle of old culture against the new culture.

In “The Myth of the Latin Woman” and “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” the subject of feeling like an outcast due to being of a non-white culture is examined. From the perspectives of two different women from two separate cultures (Puerto Rican and Indian), a series of anecdotes show the discrimination they face throughout their lives, all because their heritage does not match up with the world around them. “The Myth of the Latin Woman” focuses primarily on the stereotypes of Puerto Rican women, and how these stereotypes have followed the author no matter where she traveled. “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” focuses on the lack of belongingness felt by the author both in childhood and her adult life through food.“The Myth

In other words, Esperanza comes to understand that identity is very much beyond where one's house is located. It may even be connected to art. In examining these profound themes, Cisneros has been able to achieve a significant amount of influence and success in the role and status of minority writers.

There was a period of time in the 1960s when the middle class was thriving so much that plumbers made as much as college professors (Davidson, 2013). Through the 1960s, the middle class in America was alive the thriving. Labor Unions were the leaders of this financial success of the middle class. That changed in the late 1970s under President Carter and early 80s with the introduction of Reaganomics, the social and economic plan of former President Ronald Reagan. While the decline began in the 70s, the true end began when President Reagan fired the striking air traffic controllers. After the air traffic controller’s strike, union bargaining power eroded and was one of many factors that reduced the bargaining power of the middle class

These women express the hardships that their cultures have faced, and are taking a stand against those that have done them wrong. These brave women understand that culture shaming is wrong, and that every one should be treated equal; no matter what heritage they are. They are not afraid to face their abusers, and defend themselves against them. They are not afraid to tell them, straight to their faces, that what they did was wrong; which is something that these types of people are not used to hearing from their victims, or from anyone in that matter. My social location relates to both of these poems, and the weekly theme, because I am a young, Portuguese girl.

As a caring person, I should be able to recognize and realize the social differences between genders and races; I should also have the knowledge, skills, and disposition in order to make everyone in the group feel appreciated and involved. One way that I have done this is through my experience in helping teach the diverse kindergarten Sabbath School class at my church. On any given Sabbath we have about 15-20 kids in the room ranging from Asians, Hispanics, to Americans; the first Sabbath I helped out I was tremendously overwhelmed; however, as time went I recognized what needed to be done and did it. One of the ways I relate and help those who have more energy and shorter attention span is by bringing them into the story I’m telling. I do

I have come to understand that a big part of what has shaped my life has been my class. I would identify myself as middle-class, due largely to my parents careers. Being middle class has come with many benefits, including the accessibility of a college degree due to my middle class status. It has only been through taking this Introduction to Women’s Studies class that I have had to reflect heavily on my privileges. Being a middle class citizen also affects how people see me as I move through the world. This status is not something that I have worked for; instead, it is something my parents have given me. This speaks to the unjustness that exists in American society. I have done nothing to deserve my status of middle-class, only being born

Social status and money play a big role in our society today. This tends to affect how many are treated. For example, the wealthy tend to get more recognition, due to their extreme amount of money and the things they have. Whereas the lower class tends to get a bad reputation of being known as uneducated, poor and common. This is well applied to many of the characters in the book Great Expectations. In fact, social class and money determine how characters in Great Expectations interact amongst each other. When some of these characters experience a class that they are unfamiliar with, expecting great things, they are oblivious to how they treat their peers.