The New Americans

In the reading, the “New Americans” are the Dominican people. The New Americans are coming from the Dominican Republic and other countries outside the United States. They are coming to the United States mainly for a better life but in the report the main characters Jose Garcia and Ricardo Rodriguez are coming to America so that they can realize their dream: to play baseball in the Major Leagues. Their fears and challenges are based on the fact that they believe that they won’t be accepted by everyone in American. They think they will fail because of poor work habits, language problems, and poor table manners. Jose and Ricardo’s challenge is to mainly learn everything about American such as learn American customs and expectations about relations with women. They do “understand” American because they know that not everyone in American will accept them based on how they speak, where they’re from, and based on their skin color. Not everyone is like that in American but they know that some people will be like that and they are ready to be treated bad for no good reason. They also know that they will be treated badly if anyone else like them does something stupid. Like in the article, one of Jose and Ricardo’s teammates, Ramon Martinez is arrested and trialed for sexual assault by a local woman and even thought he was found not guilty he was kicked off the Dodgers and then people believe in a stereotype about Latino men. In my opinion, I think that they are young men that are looking for a better life for them and for their family. I think that they are honest, brave, and determined young men that help their friends such as Ramon by letting him stay with Jose after he gets kicked off the Dodgers. They are great men and know that not everyone will like them because of who they really are and that they can accept that and not care because they have a dream to follow that’s important to them and they are not only doing this for themselves but sometimes even for their families.

"Five Faces of Oppression"

     In the article, "Five Faces of Oppression" by Iris Marion Young, she summarizes the five faces of oppression which are exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. Exploitation means to take advantage of, marginalization means to relegate to the fringes, out of the mainstream; make seem unimportant, and powerlessness means without power or authority. Cultural imperialism means the imposition of a foreign viewpoint or civilization on people and violence means the exercise or an instance of physical force, usually effecting or intended to affect injuries or destruction. I don’t hold any of the five faces of oppression but I know what it feels like, exploitation and powerlessness mainly. For example, I sometimes feel exploitation or being taken advantage of by people that I know in my school and sometimes even by friends. Sometimes when I decide to go out with my friends they always ask me for money and I feel like they’re taking advantage of the fact that I let them borrow money and I feel like they think of me as a token instead of as a friend. Also, in school sometimes people in my class ask me to help them with an assignment or doing a project together. But, those people think that I’ll always do everything for them and that I can’t stand up for myself and I feel like I’m not important unless it’s for doing something for someone else. Sometimes I feel like I’m powerlessness compared to others because they may have a higher label and that they think that they’re better than me. Like for a project in my school we sometimes get labels based on are jobs such as the facilitator and the recorder. Just because I may be the recorder doesn’t me that I can’t give some ideas for the project, they only see me as the recorder someone that can only write down their thoughts when I have my own thoughts but I can’t share them because they have a higher label. I can overcome these oppressions by defensing myself and standing up for myself as a person who has feelings that shouldn’t be taking advantage of for any reason.

“The Complexity of Identity: “Who Am I?”

     According to the title “The Complexity of Identity: “Who Am I?” for me means exactly what it stating. Beverley Daniel Tatum talks about what really defines someone based on their race or ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, and physical or mental ability. In the essay according to Beverley Daniel Tatum people know who they really are deep down inside and they can accept that. It also says in the essay that numerous people can’t escape the cruel fact that they will get “labels” from other people and that there’s no way to escape it. No matter how much someone tries at the end of the day they are represented by the thoughts of what others think.

     One of the main points in the essay is “the looking glass self,” which it is defined as not a flat one-dimensional reflection. It mentions important ways which give it; it’s deeper meaning which is that one sees themselves for how others see them and that that’s who they really are when they’re not. The main part which supports this is when it talks about how one’s racial identity is experienced by others such as, male or female, young or old, gay lesbian, or bisexual, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or Jewish, and many more things. Another idea that I get from this is that not just one quality defines someone but there are many qualities that define a person for who they really are.

     Another main point in the essay is when Beverley Daniel Tatum mentions the “social context.” To me this quote mostly means that to be someone you’re not just so that you could fit in with everyone else isn’t the right thing to do. Everyone has their roots and that’s what really describes the person deep down inside which is who the person should embrace and be happy to be. Everyone was born the way they are supposed to be for a reason there is no right or wrong way to live your life if you love the way you live your life than that’s all that matters. Nobody has to change for anyone everyone is just fine the way they are.