Race

Sherman Alexie, Maya Angelou, and Amy Tan all discuss the effects of being a minority race. Although they each touch upon the positive aspects of being unique, there is still a looming negativity within each passage. As i read, I realized how many people from different races have continuously been trying to assimilate into white culture. I think the underlying cause is societal views. It pressures people into wanting to redefine their image and blend in. I find this kind of ridiculous. America is supposed to be the home of diversity, but there is still a "dominant race". Just looking back at history, with every new race there has never been true cultural acceptance. This aspect is most prevalent within Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks". Due to society's set standard, adolescent Amy was not able to accept the uniqueness of her culture. She was only able to focus on the negative aspects of being different. Personally, I feel like it is unfair for certain races to grow up feeling unaccepted, unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to change the mindset of American society.