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Jill Andersen
Essay One
ENGL 1050-401-Sp15
February 13, 2015
Part One: Othering
The white (Western European) race continues to be the largest one in America
today. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, approximately 36.3 percent of the
population currently belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group.1 Consequently,
English continues to be the main language spoken and taught in schools in America.
There are 100s of different languages and dialects spoke by Americans today who are
not white nor is English their first language. It can be said then that the white culture is
most dominant in America today. I believe because of this there continues to be a
separation between all racial and ethnic groups today. These separations are fueled
largely due to generalizations made about cultures due to stereotyping. I would dare to
say that we have all been guilty at one time or another of stereotyping someone of a
different race than our own, which is called othering. Using our experiences or those
belonging to someone else, to judge others based on stereotypes often obstructs us
from seeing other as individuals not just as belonging to a certain ethnic group. Often
time people let these stereotypes affect their attitudes and behaviors towards others
before theyve had an opportunity to get to know and understand individuals. I am a
White-American woman of Western European decent. Therefore, my essay is about my
experiences of being stereotyped as a white female and how discrimination occurs

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when we generalize our past experience with individuals to include all people of their
ethnic group.
I grew up in a middle to low income neighborhood. My best friend was half
White, half Samoan. She lived up the street from my family. My family was a two
income family. Her family was a two income family. English was the only language
spoken in her home. English was the only language spoken in my home. In so many
ways the opportunities to further our education were the same, except one major
difference. Because her father was Samoan she was able to join certain clubs for
minorities that allowed her to go on special field trips, hold leadership positions within
their club that could be added to a job resume or college application, apply for
scholarships held aside only for minorities and so on. I remember resenting these
privileges she was given when I felt our backgrounds were identical in every way that
should have mattered.
I also had friends whose primary language spoken in their home was Spanish or
Vietnamese. I remember many times when the conversations were completely in
Spanish/Vietnamese and no attempt was made to translate for me. I have attended
cultural events where I was the only white person in attendance and was never asked to
participate nor was there an effort made to include me. I also had a close friend who as
Vietnamese and a guy. He was very deliberate many times, in my presence, that his
family understood that we were only friends. He told to me that the family would never
accept it he date anyone who was not Vietnamese.
I have lived in a foreign country where I was expected to learn that countrys
primary language, Italian. I did learn Italian, but it took me a long time and there were

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times that I was definitely embarrassed to attempt to speak Italian because I knew I
would look foolish even to the children. I also noticed people would comment on
different things about my appearance, mannerisms or speech that made me stand out
as classic American. I have members of my own family who are half Mexican or half
Tongan. My children also have friends who are not white. Therefore, I would say that I
have not been completely isolated in a white bubble or only experienced White
American society. I am not completely ignorant to the struggles of individuals within
various minority groups. Though, I would not go far as to say that I completely
understand what it was like to grow up in a country where the language spoken was not
my own. I did not grow up in Italy. I did not speak another language in my home than
what was spoken in school. Initially, I was embarrassed of my Italian, but I was never
harshly criticized for it. I have been yelled at from a passing car to Go home
American! I have been called, Gringa, Pelongi (probably spelled wrong) and
Americana like it was not a good thing.
Because I have experienced discrimination in my own life I cannot help, but be
annoyed when individuals believe that because I am white and middle-class that I must
certainly feel superior to or that I was given more opportunities and privileges than those
who belong to a minority or mixed race. That is another typical stereotype that exists in
America today.
Most of us are not as open about our stereotypes of other races as my
Vietnamese friends family was. It frustrates me when minority groups feel justified in
their discrimination against the majority. When my mom said that she thought that my
sister should not marry her Tongan boyfriend that was wrong too. However, she was

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thought of as racist whereas my Vietnamese friends mom was not. Discrimination is

discrimination and is never justified. These are my experiences and thus influence my
views especially while reading the recent writings in our text book, Reading Culture, 8th
Edition, authors Diana George and John Trimbur.
Another example of a persons life experiences that have caused her to
generalize their stereotypes towards White Americans is Gloria Anzalduas. She wrote
How to Tame a Wild Tongue. I understand why she would feel anger towards White
Americans after I read experiences that happened to her as a child such as; I
remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess that was good for three licks on
the knuckles with a sharp rulerIf you want to be American, speak American. If you
dont like it, go back to Mexico where you belong.(521) Her writings I felt did not just
describe times where she had experienced discrimination, but seemed to repeatedly
show frustration even anger towards el blanco. speaking the oppressors
language by speaking English (522); English is the reigning tongue but who are
not anglo(522) while I still have to Speak English or Spanish when I would rather
speak Spanglish, and as long as I have to accommodate the English speakers rather
than having them accommodate me, my tongue will be illegitimate. (524)
On more occasions than I have quoted here she identifies her stance as one of
having suffered injustice because of white people. She states that other Spanish
speakers have ridiculed her for speaking Chicano Spanish or Spanglish, although she
never refers to them as the oppressors or expressed that her tongue will be
illegitimate if she has to accommodate Spanish speakers. She wrote this paper trying
to state that she is being oppressed by both Spanish speakers and English speakers

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because she must continually change the language she uses to according to her
audience. However, it is clear to me that she is really only feeling oppressed by English
speaking Anglo-Americans. She has made the generalization that all white people are
oppressive because of her past experiences when she got in trouble by speaking
Spanish. We have heard many times in our lives, if youre not part of the solution, than
you are part of the problem. Our past experiences often cloud our judgments and
make us feel justified when we see ethnic groups generally apply the typical stereotypes
to all individuals. Barack Obama touched on this in his 2008 presidential campaign
speech, But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm werent simply
controversial. They werent simply a religious leaders effort to speak out against
perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this countrya view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America
above all that we know is right with America; (477)
Another writing in our text, this one by June Jordan, "Nobody Mean More to Me
than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan, pp. 157-167. Reflects her stereotypes of
White America due to her past negative experiences. Should we use the language of
the killer Standard English- in order to make our ideas acceptable to those controlling
the killers? .But if we expressed ourselves in our own language wouldnt that be
suicidal to wish to communicate to those who, evidently, did not give a damn about
us? (165). She clearly only saw black and white in this moment. She felt justified in
doing so because she was sure that time and time again the White Police officers had
done the same. I understand why she was angry. Anyone would. I just wonder how
she would act to a White American that she encounters in the police station. Would she

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assume that he/she did not give a damn about her because she was Afro-American or
would she see the person as an individual and wait to make her assessment of that
person after he/she had proved helpful or unhelpful?
Racism is not just a white persons problem. It is also not a new problem. Our
history is littered with many outrageous acts of hatred and injustice. However, let us
dwell on how far our country as come in the past two centuries. Obama continues to
say, He spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this
country-is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know what we have
seen is that America can change. That is the true genius of this nation. What we
have already achieved gives us hope the audacity to hope for what we can and must
achieve tomorrow. (481)
Please do not misunderstand meI do believe that white people have a major
role in the cultural divisions in America that racism has caused. We are often ignorant
and at times insensitive to other cultures that are different from our own. In Margaret
Meads writing, We Are All Third Generation, demonstrates how [immigrants] knew
they had to learn English in order to survive. (102). What is meant that if they did not
learn English they would not be accepted and successful in America. It is human nature
to reject what is different and not understood. I think that in order to begin to correct this
problem we must follow Obamas advice, In the white community, the path to a more
perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community
does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination and
current incidents of discrimination while less overt than in the past, are real and must be
addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds by investing in our schools and our

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communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal
justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were
unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your
dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams (481)
The last sentence is worth repeating; It requires ALL Americans to realize that
your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams President Obama
was talking about whites and blacks, but should go further to address all races, all
religions, both sexes, all people. We need to stop viewing people due their differences
in speech and culture. If we do this there is hope. Im sure Eric Moore from our class
shares my hope when he wrote,In this modern day and age we must each do our
own part to honor the noble intentions behind our great country. This country was
founded as a place where all men and women could be free and have access to
unlimited opportunity. It seems as though these noble intentions were lost somewhere
along the way, it is my hope that someday we will honor the Constitution through
understanding and continued improvement of our beloved nation. (Week 3 discussion;
1/27/2015
Part Two: Rhetorical Analysis:
I chose to discuss the rhetorical analysis of Nobody Mean More to Me
than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan; by June Jordan.
Logos: There are two messages that Jordan wants readers to
understand in this writing. The first being that Black English should be a
legitimate language in American culture and that Afro-Americans should be
proud of it. Examples are as follows:Approximately 10 percent of these

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native speakers of English are Afro-American citizens of the U.S.A. (158); As

children, most of the thirty-five million Afro-Americans living here depend on this
language for our discovery of the world (158); The class establishes rules for
Black English. (161); The class decides to write the preface to their letters to the
Police Department in Black English. (165).
The second message is to bring to light the injustice of Afro-Americans at the
hands of White Americans that still exists today namely through unpunished police
violence. Instances where Jordan demonstrates that Afro-Americans are treated with
injustice starting with the schooling where they either hide [their] original word,
habits, or [they] completely surrender [their] voice, ... (158). Examples are: White
Standards of English persist, supreme and unquestioned, in these United States.
Despite our multi-lingual population, and despite the deepening Black and White
cleavage within that conglomerate, White standards control our official and popular
judgments of verbal proficiency and correct, or incorrect, language skills, including
speech. (158); Should we use the language of the killer Standard English in
order to make our ideas acceptable to those controlling the killers? But wouldnt what
we had to say be rejected, summarily, if we said it in our own language, the language of
the victim, Reggie Jordan? But if we sought to express ourselves by abandoning our
language wouldnt that mean our suicide on top of Reggies murder? (165).
Ethos: The authors, Diana George and John Trimbur, include background about
June Jordan that helps to establish her credibility has the author of a paper that
discusses the point mentioned previously. On the first page she describes what a
typical Afro-American childs growth from childhood to adulthood looks like. She is

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describing life experiences that are similar to her own, therefore, feels that she would be
justified to speak on behalf the typical Afro-American.
Pathos: To state that this writing on Black English was an eye opener for me
would be so clich that it would lessen the impact that this paper had on me. I had
never understood the depth to which Afro-Americans resent (if they are aware) that
Black English is not a legitimate language in country. That to use Black English is
viewed as having a lack of education and class. Most important, that to use
White/Standard English is oppressive. I never really stopped to think about the impact
that this had on Afro-Americans. Just as Jordan had stated that using Standard English
remained supreme and unquestioned. (158) Eric Moore in our Week 5 discussion
posted this on 2/2/105: I think the biggest assumption that Jordan makes about the
relationship between language and identity is that she relates Black English to African
Americans in general. Although Black English is abundant amongst the African
American community, it is not a universal language, and certainly not accredited. I think
it was great for Jordan to expose her students to Black English and make them aware of
its existence. However in our modern world Black English is not a useful language to
use if seeking opportunity and advancement. Jordan also assumes that Black English is
tied directly to black culture.
I like that Eric pointed out that Jordans assumption about Black English
automatically bonds Afro-Americans as a general cultural distinction. As each new
generation of Afro-Americans learn Standard English in school they may not see Black
English as something that defines them.

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WORKS CITED:

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/minoritities

Barack Obama: A More Perfect Union, pp. 476-484.
Gloria Anzaldua: "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," pp. 521-529.
June Jordan: "Nobody Mean More to Me than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan, pp.
157-167.
Margaret Mead: We Are All Third Generation, pp. 94-103.