The Golden Son By Somaya Gowda

When kids are younger, they are told that being different is good. And it is, sometimes. A lot of people are different. But, at other times, being different can limit your chances. This is shown in the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. This novel is about a boy named Junior that is different than the rest of his peers. He is the only Indian going to an all white school. Some of his experiences there show that being different isn’t all that good, sometimes. The book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, and the article, “Adding a Disability Perspective When Reading Adolescent Literature” both portray how being different can limit someone’s chances and opportunities.

In the short story “Indian Education” by Sherman Alexie the theme that is represented in each grade is racism. Throughout Alexie’s life he experiences more and more accounts of racism in school. Also, Alexie experiences levels of hardship as he gets older. Thus, the story’s theme statement could be summarized that racism enables hardship in one's life.

In America’s history, each race has been portrayed as inferior or inferior, because of one’s skin color, or the beliefs of a culture. Oppression In early America varied in some ethnicities. Some races didn’t even have any civil liberties at all, they were not allowed to vote, not even allowed to become professionals. This was to keep everyone that was not of the superior race below them. Even though they are classified as U.S citizens. In most areas, the ruling race is the upper white class that runs the system, and have a disproportionate amount of power. In other areas, it may not be the white race, but it is still the race that makes up the majority. The majority, who makes the laws, and/or has money, are keys to dominate over the weaker minorities that don’t have the

In recent years, there has been increased discussion about the treatment of minorities in the U.S. While there have been numerous laws passed that protect their freedoms, many Americans maintain a negative mindset toward other ethnicities. Due to people’s reservations, our country has been unable to make substantial progress toward equality. In The Nation’s article, “The Truth About Race in America: It’s Getting Worse, Not Better,” by Gary Younge, the author utilizes factual information, historical allusions, and related quotes to effectively contend that race relations are worsening within the United States.

Throughout the novel many problems occur. Some of the main problems are racial and equality issues. Events in this book show how prejudice and intolerance can ruin numerous friendships and change lives.

In society, many people will say that everyone has equal opportunities. However, it is not the case for minorities. Due to the history of slavery, people will never see blacks and whites as equal. Mantsios asserts that Americans in the United States do not identify each other based on our class, instead of by our race, ethnic group, or geographic location. As a result, the indigenous have fewer opportunities and advantages. Mantsios states, “Racial and gender domination are other forces that hold people down” (Pg 10) ,revealing how our race and gender limits us from being successful because of the tradition of discriminating people by race and gender. An example of this issue would be that if a black and a white male were both working the same job and position, most often, the white male would get promoted and have higher paying paycheck because of the discrimination placed in our society. This disadvantage targets minorities, and is a reason why middle-class individuals will never attain the “American

One of the most important principles in American society is social and economic mobility, otherwise known in the USA as the American Dream. This principle states that if one works hard, they can make it to the top no matter where you start. Depiction of this ideal is very common, where someone starts at the very bottom of the socioeconomic totem pole, yet through hard work and perseverance, becomes highly successful. This principle was born out of American protestant ethic, where it is believed that hard work will earn you riches and vice versa that your riches and success is a tell of your work ethic. However, this depiction is not typical in American society, where only a small amount of those who compose the lowest earners become the highest earners. Many factors contribute to one’s prospects for upward mobility, such as parent income, education, and occupation. However, there appears to be one factor in particular that can prevent one from becoming successful, no matter how hard they work, that being their race. It is typically well known that there are certain societal disadvantages associated with being a race other than non-Hispanic White. This idea that your race can affect your future success very much countervails American protestant ethic, and proceeds to feed into the racist portrayal of minorities as "lazy" or "freeloaders". The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect that race has on one 's potential for upward socioeconomic mobility. As

Racial inequality and discrimination is a major factor that is still present in America’s society today. Considering the fact that America’s history of racial complications is still an issue in today’s society. Minorities (African American, Asian Americans, Hispanics/Latinos) which is accounted for almost half of the population if combined, are the ones that face discrimination the most, typically everywhere they go and especially in the workforce. They are not treated as equally as everyone else and for that, it is a problem that should never be overlooked.

When we think of racism, we think of the horrific past events in America. Most people consider racism to be a terminated concept, however it is far from the truth. With the resources provided to me in this class, I have learned that many veiled discriminatory practices are still embedded in our society today, causing minorities to be limited in opportunities that would have helped them live a successful life in America. I would like to shed some light on how minorities are currently being affected due to how our society is structured. First of all, the reading titled “Sociologists on the Colorblind Question” written by Elaine McArdle illuminates the idea of how our societies way of thinking that there is no prejudice towards people of color

Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States and the president who signed the Civil Rights Act into law, once said, “Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men’s skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact.” Many are unaware of how well a person can receive their education when their race differs from the dominant white majority of the U.S. Whether it’s ignorance or the deliberate choice of not giving other races the same opportunity to succeed, we don’t know, but that is what we have set out to find. Throughout all of our literature, we can see examples of people not getting the same choices or opportunities as other citizens

Bharati Mukherjee discus’s the loss of cultural identity while being a visible minority by using the setting, characters and the plot of her short story “Hindus”. The author uses the plot for the main character to meet new people and have new experiences that leads to the ending of her better understanding herself. The characters the main character meets along the way in the short story written by Mukerjee are very important in the end in finding her identity. She also uses the setting to show the differences of culture and living standards of those living in India versus living in the Americas. The author used the setting, characters and the plot to describe and demonstrate the cultural and identity loss that may happen when one moves away from their country and their

Supporters of affirmative action argue that discrimination and racism have held down minorities in the U.S., and that affirmative action is needed to correct it. In response, critics ask: "If blacks and Mexicans are being held down by discrimination, then why do Asians come to this country and do so well for themselves?" According to this myth, Asians immigrate to America with little or nothing, often as boat people fleeing communism, and through hard study and work become even more successful than European-Americans. Their success would suggest that the U.S. does not really discriminate against minorities.

Today, a serious problem exists all over the world. Racial oppression takes place in the poorest and the richest countries, including America. Racial oppression is characterized by the majority, or the ruling race, imposing its beliefs, values, and laws on the minority, or the ruled race. In most areas, the ruling race is upper class whites that run the “system”, and have a disproportionate amount of power. In other areas, it may not be the white race, but it is still the race that is comprised of the majority, makes the laws, or has the most money. These are the keys to domination over the weaker minorities that don’t have the power to thrive under the majority’s system according to their own cultural beliefs,

Discrimination is nothing new to our society or is it something that should be taken lightly and for many decades our Nation has endured many conflicts that have tested the will of Americans over the decades and it is evident that as we have become more diverse so too has our workforce. Although, we are in the twenty first century the goal is to understand why prejudice and discrimination is still so prevalent and how we can do better while trying to bring together our different backgrounds, skills, and experiences still has proven to be an issue that minorities are constantly fighting as they struggle to find there place in society. Through an array of well-educated researchers showing how diversity is nothing new to our society, but if we are to continue to grow and move forward we must be able to understand that with diversification we can foster a strong and inclusive economy that is built to last and nurture a nation that will continue to lead the world as standard setter.

As many minorities seek to attain wealth and status in America they are strained to leave any cultural or traditional ways behind closed doors when they enter into the workplace. Many do this to avoid being excluded, and as an attempt to become more equal to other fellow work colleagues, also many feel that white "supremacy" still exists- even in a subtle way. Nonetheless, once one accomplishes such a difficult task, the obstacle of earning a substantial income to maintain a decent standard of living is still a grueling task. According to Professor Harris, a teacher of political science at San Jose State University, approximately 60% of jobs in America are obtained through personal relationships and associations. This notion demonstrates that because many non-minority groups own businesses, and they tend to hire relatives and the like -many minorities are often excluded from attaining the "better" position within a company, and because many minority families we not able to leave a legacy for their family members to carry on, many minorities often miss out on opportunities to also be able to create a legacy that can continue to thrive- and the cycle continues.