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Erika M. Hulse

Professor Stephanie Maenhardt

English 1050

16 February 2017

Essay One: Othering and Rhetorical Analysis

What can be used to describe uniqueness? Is it the way someone dresses, does their hair,

acts, etc.? There are many things that can define ones uniqueness. Many people showcase their

unique side by showing interest in different music. This really enables a person to be the perfect

self and be most comfortable with who they are. Other people might showcase their unique side

by having a different style than most. Again, this allows the person to feel confident in

themselves. Othering can be defined as viewing or treating someone else as different than

themselves. Furthermore, othering can be described as the actions that are being taken against

ones uniqueness. A huge factor that plays into uniqueness and the othering of someone pertains

to race, a culture, and ethnicities. Because a race usually determines color, it would be safe to say

that race is one of the biggest factors that determines uniqueness, or the likelihood of othering.

Othering can be proven by the events occurring during immigration, racial profiling, and

language barriers.

To start, the early immigrants of Ellis Island and those from Angel Island were given a

horrible experience, and they were victims of othering. Immigrants of Ellis Island not only

traveled in tight spaces for a long period of time, they suffered from illness and famine trying to

achieve a better life for themselves. Upon arriving in Ellis Island, they had to wait several days

for a process that could end up rejecting them at the end. Mary Gordon had many ancestors who

had gone through these hardships, but obviously overcame them. She visited Ellis Island and
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pointed out a lot of history and explained a lot of the process (George & Trimbur 431-434).

Similarly, there was another means of immigration, which was named Angel Island. The

immigrants at Angel Island had far worse circumstances. Most of the immigrants came from

China during the World War II. These immigrants were detained and questioned about random

things to get sent home quickly. To let out uneasy thoughts, a lot of the immigrants would write

poems of their experiences. The immigrants were kept there for weeks, months, and even

sometimes years, and treated as prisoners (Lum).

Millions of people suffered from othering during the ages of slavery. When reading

Frederick Douglass: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July, the aspects of racism really

surprised me. I am not totally oblivious to slavery, but I just cannot believe the things people of

color went through, and by any means do I think Id be strong enough to fight through like most

of them did. Douglass states, Fellow-citizens; above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the

mournful wail of millions (George & Trimbur, 465). I am so empathetic when Douglass

mentions the wail of millions. You can only imagine the hurt these people feel and pain they

suffered, all do to the color of their skin. Douglass and many other people of color were victims

of othering.

People are treating others differently, mainly because of their race. A lot of people would

like to argue that there is not racial profiling in this era, but I disagree. There are many things

that are done in silence and done so automatically that some people do not realize what they are

doing. I still believe that there is a lot of racism that goes on, but many people do not want to

recognize it. The racism in this era really stood out to me while reading Obamas A More

Perfect Union. He himself has been a victim of othering all his life. Many Americans doubted

him, which all comes down to his race. In his speech, he talks about how many African
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Americans in this generation have succeeded and persevered. Whats remarkable is not how

many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the

odds (George & Trimbur, 479). This statement is so powerful because even though people

discriminated against them, they kept going.

Othering also happens with people who speak different languages, and different dialects.

People who speak different languages than English sometimes feel embarrassed to speak their

native language, but I think its so amazing that people can fully converse in two languages, or

more sometimes. I only speak English, so I always think someone who speaks more than two

languages is intelligent. In one of our readings, Gloria Anzalda was a victim of othering. She

was punished when she would speak Spanish because they wanted her to speak English only

(George & Trimbur, 521). Like stated earlier, anyone who can speak a different language should

be able to use that ability. Gloria was othered because the teachers didnt like that she was

different, or wanted to be different. I would like to mention Mikky Dockstaders opinion in

week 4s discussion. She says, How sad that a little girl was reprimanded for simply speaking

her primary language as if what she was doing was some sort of crime. I completely agree with

Mikky. Most kids in school are punished for things that are causing harm to others, or violating

rules, but Gloria was just simply doing something she was always taught, speaking her primary

language.

Writing this essay, and engaging in our weekly discussion has put a different outlook on

othering. Besides that, I really did not know the term othering. In another class of mine, we

talked about white privilege and how unconsciously people use white privilege to an advantage.

This got me thinking about how I do not have to worry about being watched at a grocery store. I

have not had issues with being unnecessarily stopped and searched by a cop. I am able to blend
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in and not worry about being discriminated against. These readings have really opened my eyes

and made me really think about how I treat others, being cautious to just treat them the way I

would like to be treated.

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Erika M. Hulse

Professor Stephanie Maenhardt

English 1050

16 February 17

Rhetorical Analysis

A more Perfect Union, by Barack Obama has given me such interest in reading more

about his life and about him. Obama uses a lot of ethos in his speech. He is modest and genuine.

He is calm and gets his point across without having to harm anyone. He is an extremely credible

source due to presidency, but also due to his way of life. The way he lives and shows himself to

the world allows people to see him as an authoritative figure, but one who is very caring and

passionate. Obama states, We can come together and say, not this time This time we

want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids cant learn (George & Trimbur, 481).

He is very professional. Obama uses pathos when he brings up some of his life events and what

occurred in his and Michelles lives before they were married. He evokes a lot of emotion that

allows the reader, viewer, etc., to have empathy and understand or get the bigger picture of what

went on. Lastly, logos is used with many legit occurrences and things that happened throughout

his life. He used reason and somewhat of a topic/or voice that many people could relate to.
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Sources

George, Diana , and John Trimbur. "Two Speeches on Race and Racism in the United States ."

Reading culture contexts for critical reading and writing. Boston, Mass.: Pearson, 2012.

459-84. Print.

George, Diana, and John Trimbur. "More Than Just a Shrine: Paying Homage to The Ghosts of

Ellis Island." Reading culture contexts for critical reading and writing. Boston, Mass.:

Pearson, 2012. 431-34. Print.

Lum, Lydia. "Angel Island: Immigrant Journeys of Chinese-Americans." Angel Island:

Immigrant Journeys of Chinese-Americans. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2017.

George, Diana, and John Trimbur. "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Reading culture contexts for

critical reading and writing. Boston, Mass. : Pearson, 2012. 521-27. Print.