Rubio 1

Elizabeth Rubio

ENGL-1050-502-Sp18

February 15, 2018

Othering and Rhetorical Analysis Essay

According to the Wiktionary, Othering is defined as the process of perceiving or

portraying someone or something as fundamentally different or alien (Wiktionary, 2017). As

humans, we tend categorize people according to race, culture, social background and economics

status. People in the United States have been fighting othering trough history. Slavery and racism

are two social phenomphmen that reflects the othering in the United States. At one point, slavery

was sociable acceptable, but it takes a long path to eradicate slavery from our social system.

Civil wars, strikes, and violence are ways that people have used to fight othering. In our modern

society racial discrimination is the major consequence of othering, which is why immigrants and

black people throughout history have been victims of othering in this country.

A group that has experienced racial discrimination throughout history because of

othering are black people. We had the opportunity to analyze Frederick Douglas’s speech, which

was delivered from a black man who escaped from a slavery plantation, and experienced

firsthand the injustice that slaves were exposed to. In his abolishment speech “What is the 4th

July for black people”, Douglas stands against slavery and racial discrimination. He experienced

firsthand how it felt being treated different because of his race and skin color. “Othering” was

manifested through slavery. Frederick Douglas spoke about the contradiction the American’s

Christian principles and the slavery system in their society.

 Rubio 2

Many immigrants have experienced racial discrimination in our country. In order to not

experience othering, many immigrants are subject to the loss of their identity to fit into the

American society. In her essay "How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, Gloria Anzaldúa, a Chicana

living in Texas, wrote that her mother constantly told her to lose her Mexican accent because that

was the right way to get into a good college. Her mother told Gloria that having a strong

Mexican accent was wrong, and this attitude was a clear manifest of othering in our society.

Anzaldua had the pressure to lose her identity in order to fit into her American society. As an

immigrant, I have felt that pressure too. When I came to the United States, I did not speak

English. As a result, I used to admire those people that as immigrants were able to speak English

and were well adapted to this country. I now realize that nobody wants to feel the “othering”

pressure. In my case, I wanted to be like them because I did not want to be treated differently

because of my race and culture.

When we immigrate to a country it is essential to learn the language, the way of life and

culture. Those skills are very important in order to be successful in a foreign country. What is

wrong is to be discriminated and be treated differently in that country due to a “broken English”.

Amy Tan in her essay “Mother Tongue” wrote about how a “broken English” limited her mom

life. Leon Michael a classmate posted in the week 4 discussion that “I had to work hard and

quickly on perfecting my English so it was acceptable to native English speakers. When I arrived

to the USA when I was 12 years old, the school I attended in D.C. quickly put me in ESL classes

because they didn’t like my accent or the way I spoke.” Leon Michael post showed how

“othering” is still present in our society. As an immigrant Leon has had to perfect his English in

order a “broken English” does not limit his life in the United States.
 Rubio 3

Another good example of “othering” was the margination that many immigrants

experienced in the Angel and Ellis Island which were immigration station. The events that

happened in those Islands represent the reality that most immigrants would have experienced

living in the United States, which was mainly that they were considered intruders. Back in the

day, Ellis Island was rejected by New Jersey and New York City. Those cities did not want to be

vinculated to those islands because there station were for immigrant “outsiders”. Thousands of

immigrants were detained in those islands until they could pass a rigorous inspections.

Therefore, immigrants’ race, color and poor background made them the perfect victim for

“othering” in the United States. Even decades after the events at Ellis Island, Mary Gordon

describes in her article titled "More than Just a Shrine: Paying Homage to the Ghosts of Ellis

Island," that Ellis Island stood for “insecurity, obedience, anxiety, dehumanization, and the fear

of being displaced” (George 432). It is sad that those feelings come along with of being merely

an immigrant in the United State.

In short, the otherism has been manifested in different ways through history in the United

States, and it still presents in our society. Human beings have not control over many aspects of

their lives. We do not choose where we born or which race we are, so it is time to stop to

categorize people for their race, the social background of for their skin color. It is time to

embracing diversity and stop to see the “other” as something wrong.

 Rubio 4

Work Cited

“Othering.” Othering - Wiktionary, en.wiktionary.org/wiki/othering.

George, Diana and John Trimbur. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing.

8th ed. New York: Longman, 2012

 Rubio 5

Rhetorical Analysis

I had the opportunity to analyze Frederick Douglas’s speech “What to the Slave is the

Fourth of July”, and the Benjamin Banneker’s letter to Thomas Jefferson (National Archives and

Records Administration, 2017). Their abolitionist contributions were very important at the point

that they marked a precedent in the fight against slavery and racial discrimination. By using of

rhetorical, they both accomplished their goal to emphasize the necessity of a change in

Americans’ perception of slavery and racism.

Pathos is evoked in Benjamin letter because he wrote about a topic that he experienced

firsthand like racial discrimination, slavery, so he was entitled to speak about the wrong

perception that society had on black people. Logos is displayed in this letter when Benjamin

explains how it is possible that black people having the same capacity, perception and sensations

were treated different than white people, and that fact pointed that slavery was an injustice. Ethos

is present in this letter when Benjamin wrote about the injustice and prejudice that slavery

represented.

Through the use of rhetoric, Douglas in his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of

July” expressed clearly how wrong his society was at that time concerning slavery. Pathos is

used when Douglas presented himself as someone who had the authority to speak on the 4th of

July because this is the day America celebrates its independence from England. As a result,

Douglas spoke to the audience who is celebrating its freedom from oppression, just like him who

escaped from a slavery plantation to obtain his freedom. Logos is evident here because Douglas

tries to persuade people against slavery in the United State due to it being opposed to their

Cristian principles. Pathos is pointed out in this speech when Douglas attempts to evoke feelings
 Rubio 6

of pride and patriotism in the audience as they celebrate the 4th of July even it was in a sarcastic

way.
 Rubio 7

Work Cited

George, Diana and John Trimbur. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing.

8th ed. New York: Longman, 2012

“Founders Online: To Thomas Jefferson from Benjamin Banneker, 19 August 1791.” National

Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration,

founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-22-02-0049.