Chinamans Chance, Eric Liu, pg.

486
Why were people so caught up with the American Dream?

For the longest time people have migrated to the United States in order to find
shelter, refuge, opportunity, and success, surprisingly Im no different. My family and I
can probably relate to this in a personal manner. We all came here in order to find a
better future for each one of us, since back in Peru we were very limited. Just like the
Eric Liu said "I think theyre dead wrong. It might sound cheesy but the American
Dream still carries on even to this day. Back in the day it was much different in regards
to this idea. There was barely any support for communities of foreign nations, little
support for diversity, and as a matter of fact they encouraged the idea of the white man
over everyone else. I also do enjoy the meaning behind the idea we must reach further
than we grasp. Shoot for the stars and strive for what we want! Because even if we
dont do it in this lifetime we can pass it on to our next generation and the generation
after that. In the long run thats how families have left legacies and make a name for
themselves that will not be forgotten. To carry on someones dream and pass it on can
build and achieve great many things. Perhaps people dont often realize that idea
specifically but they still work for it and make great things over time. The American
Dream is that, to reach for the stars and in time you will, perhaps not you but your
descendants will carry on. However, as also labeled in the text there will be problems
that will discourage us all, today and years ago is no different, just in different realities.
However no matter how much discouragement we may receive in our trail to achieve

our American dream we must always push onward. This country has given us many
opportunities we cannot miss, and dreams we must achieve.

Black Boy, Richard Wright, pg. 420

Why do people use Violence as a way to enforce things?
To this day I do not get it. Violence is supposed to portray fear and is meant to
break the person. To this day the idea of fear has been developed over hundreds of
years in order to intimidate people and break them psychologically. In this instance we
can always see that whenever Richard would dare to answer back to her grandmother,
he would wind up being beaten. As matter of fact most repercussions of doing
something against any social flow will almost always wind up with Richard getting
beaten to a pulp. I understand to use force in order to stop a problem or resolve it.
However, the constant use of it is not viable. It breaks the person. In order to teach fear
shouldnt be used, but encouragement, and compassion. Unlike in most of the things
here which usually wind up using brute Force. In school people get beaten up if they did
something wrong. In life the idea of using brute force usually works effectively at first,
but there are two outcomes out of it. Whether someone will eventually take it no more
and retaliate against the oppressor or the other person will break entirely. Relates to the
fight or flight reactions. Just as in the writing with Langston Hughes that once he will get
strong and well no one will tell him to go to the kitchen anymore. Richard could very well
retaliated from his grandmother and probably outmatched her. Creating some ground of
himself. However, that might have prompted her to force him out of the home. Who
knows? People tend to choose violence as the only way of resolving things and

certainly this was one of them. Also back in the day many people will ought to choose
violence over talking. Whites would beat blacks, blacks in their fear would yield. It
worked, until people stand up.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie, pg. 498

Different Worlds, Different Rules?

It strikes me as unnatural when I saw so many people being white at my school

too. Not to be racist or anything, just a thought. Since Im used to seeing not so many
people with pale skins, blue eyes, and blonde hair. It is quite similar between this Native
American and me. True racism and discrimination are withering and are not nearly as
hard as it was for this kid than it was for me. However, there is still enough similarities to
emphasize we were from two different worlds joining a different world. Just as he said I
felt like somebody had shoved me into a rocket ship and blasted me to a new planet.
Only that I came in voluntarily instead of being shoved. In this new world apparently
people like not to get involved into fights and keep themselves clean of fighting around
school? Instead they like to take it out after school. The level of respect I found
personally towards their family was similar to the same level of respect people had
towards Native Americans. Back in Peru anyone who offends family is looking for a
fight, just like the protagonist here. However, here in America it is just different. Perhaps
Junior lived by a set of rules, in my case a set of standards more or less. Here?

Heavens only know what they follow, their guts? The Absolutely True Diary of a PartTime Indian portrays how people would enter into a foreign world who despises them. It
is sad to see how many people here really are straight up racist in front of the people
they make jokes about giving themselves the idea they are much better than the Native
American and the African Americans. Feelings are bullying, and racism are strongly
portrayed here as well for school life which many people discard as being nonproblematic. We only wish they could fix that with more respect and compassion
towards those who have done nothing to them.

Langston Hughes poems, pg. 418

Black, White whats the difference?

Out of all the poems here the one that strikes me the most is the I, TOO by
Langston Hughes. It represents a series of things in such small amount of words.
Identity, racism, discrimination, self-esteem, revolt, cunning, etc. I see Identity in the
poem for when he said I, too, sing America. and I, too am America. Reflect a strong
sense of identity for the person to feel American. He is not saying simply he is American
or he is an African American. He is saying he is American too. Putting himself as the
same as his white counterparts. I say Revolt and cunning, because he waited and
patiently ate in the kitchen until he was well and strong, because people wouldnt just
notice. Think it has to realize too with the idea that white people thought they had free
reign over the blacks but when one stands up against their regime the whites are
shocked and dont know what to do, and even eventually fear them. Hence, when he
gets well and strong no one will dare to say Eat in the kitchen. Its a silent opposition,
perhaps similar to Martin Luther King Jr.? Racism and discrimination because the man
is getting banished to remain at the kitchen, why? He is just as human as the other
person. And lastly when he says Theyll see how beautiful I am, And be ashamed. it

speaks so many wonders. The self-esteem, the strength of will, the confidence, and the
strong identity of being American. Is both admirable and terrifying. This story
encompases many feelings but one specifically which is of patience, and identity. The
man knew, he knew if he were to get strong and well he would certainly intimidate the
white people. Because he himself knew that the true tool whites used on the blacks was
fear, and he was going to turn that fear against themselves. The self-confidence is
something truly admirable here as well he has this mentality working for awhile as
reflected on the poem, and certainly intimidating.

After this point the rest of these Journals are for extra credit: