Racial Relations in the US Today - Essay Example

Racial Relations in the US Today In the past, racism featured as the most pronounced vice riddling the American society. This negative aspect surfaces in historical narratives on slavery and discriminations practiced by the different races in the US. In the mid 19th Century, slavery and direct racism was deeply entrenched within the US society. A century later, social and political activists fought against racial discriminations within their nation. The two opposing groups in racial contentions involved the majority Anglo Americans, and the minority groups comprising of African Americans, Mexicans, Indians and the Arabs (Marger 97). However, current information found in racial related art work suggests that racial relations are improving within the US. Current trends in racial relations are implicitly incorporated in social literature like poems and musical lyrics. In the poems, “Bilingual Instructions”, “Legal Alien” and “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”, it is evident that racial relations in the US today are positive and accommodative, and this is true because of significant intimacy and interactions between individuals with different racial backgrounds. With respect to Harryette’s poem dubbed “Bilingual Instructions”, it is evident that the integrated American society detests racial discriminations in integrated social settings. Actually, members of the society perceive racial discrimination as a thing of the past. Based on Harryette’s work, “Californians are saying no to bilingual instructions in schools”. (Mullen 1-2). In this case, the term “Californians” used in the poem signifies that the entire members of society living in the state of California are fed up with bilingual instructions. This means that the Californian society, which comprise of equal proportions of Mexicans and Anglo Americans are tired of racial dividing signs in schools and political platforms. With respect to Mora’s poem on “Legal Alien”, the writes gives a similar positive image on racial relations within American societies today. The writer communicates her message by saying, “Bi-lingual, Bi-cultural, /able to slip from “How’s life?” / to “Me’stan volviendo loca” (Mullen 1-3). In this context, the poem insinuates that Anglo Americans can speak both English and Spanish. This means that the prior superior race can now embrace the culture of the Mexican race, perceived as inferior in previous times. On the contrary, certain lines in the poem suggest otherwise. In the poem “Bilingual Instructions”, the writer says “Californians say yes to / bilingual instructions on curbside receptacles” (Mullen 5-6). These lines suggest a preference on bilingual instructions which is contrary to suggestions on the first four lines. In this context, there is a substantial level of pretence and concealed hatred towards Mexicans in California. However, the first two instances indicate that there is a significant improvement of racial relations in the US today. In the past, opposing parties practiced direct racial discriminations within the US society. However, racial difference today is implicitly communicated in order to avoid eliciting any offence from the potentially aggrieved race. In the poem “Legal Alien”, Mora discusses modern relations between Anglo Americans and the Spanish speaking Mexicans in integrated societies. Mora demonstrates one illustrative interaction by saying, “American but hyphenated, / viewed by Anglos as perhaps exotic, / perhaps inferior, definitely different”. (Mora 8-10). In this context, the writer uses the word “perhaps” to insinuate the fact that current perception on racial difference takes implicit and tender nature. In line 9, Mora says that Anglo perceives the said aliens as perhaps exotic. However, in line 10, the writer explicitly rules that the Anglos perceive the aliens as “definitely different” (Mora 10). In the past, difference in racial inclination would have taken a direct approach, unlike in the poem which employs the use of “perhaps” to insinuate presence of a difference. However, I can argue that the poem portrays instances suggesting negative racial relations within the US societies. In the poem “Legal Alien” Mora the poet writes “their eyes say you may speak Spanish / but you are not like me” (Mora 12-13). This clause suggests that there is still substantial prejudice between Mexicans and Anglo Americans. Based on the earlier argument, it is evident and rational to acknowledge that racial relations have improved significantly. Another positive comparison of diverse cultural background features in Sherman’s poem dubbed “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”. In this case, the writer develops a detailed comparison of Indian and Anglo American cultural differences. Sherman says that “the hero must be half-breed, half-white and half-Indian, preferably, / from a horse culture”. (Alexie 4-5). In this context, it is inherent to acknowledge that the metaphor, “the horse culture” represents Mexicans, who are usually identified as closely embracing horse keeping. In this context, Indians, just like whites, enjoy equal consideration in determining the attributes of a hero. In the past, Anglo Americans would not refer to any aspect of minority races as possessing heroic attributes. However, the writer acknowledges the fact that white people can comfortably admire certain attributes found among the Indian population. In addition, Sherman literary insinuates that white men admires Indian women on an intimacy level. The writer says “when the Indian woman steps out of her dress, the white man gasps / at the endless beauty of her brown skin”. (Alexie 11-12). Sherman explicitly shows that there is a notable racial difference on the attributes of skin color between whites and the brown skinned Indian woman. Despite this racial distinction, the poem appreciates that fact that white men acknowledge the beauty possessed by Indian women. The poem extrapolates acknowledgement of Indian women’s beauty by comparing the virtue with brown hills and fertile valleys. At this juncture, it is undeniable that white men have substantial admiration and attraction towards the charm of Indian women. This means that Anglo American men looks beyond racial differences into the positive qualities of Indians and the minority races, especially Mexicans referred to as from the horse culture. Despite this depiction of admiration, the writer says “If she is compared to murky water, however, then she must have a / secret” (Alexie 16-17). In this instance, Anglo Men admits that Indian women are good in keeping secrets, which makes them resemble murky water. Therefore, one can sense negative perception of Indian women by the Anglo men. This means that racial relations in the US have not improved substantially. In addition to positive messages on Indian race, the poet Sherman writes that white women possess a corresponding admiration to Indian men. The poem says that “all white women / love / Indian men”. This statement acts as a direct and final declaration by the writer on the relation between white women and Indian men. In addition, the writer extrapolates by saying that “white women feign disgust / at the savage in blue jeans and the T-shirt, but secretly lust after him”. (Alexie 21-23).This proves that white women feign their racial disgust on Indian men, but deeply lusts after them. Sherman adds that “white women dream about half-breed Indian men from horse cultures”. (Alexie 24). Despite the fact that the writer refers to Mexicans as from the horse culture, the phrase still portrays positive attributes on both Indian and Mexican races. Based on these evidences, it is agreeable that Anglo Americans, who featured as perpetrators of racism in the past, are currently accommodative towards other minor races in the US. The aspect of intimacy and lustful admiration shows that whites are relating positively to Indians and Mexicans. Therefore, the racial relations within the US today are significantly improving. With respect to my own opinion, social and political trends in America demonstrate that the US is past the racial discrimination race. Election of a black US president in 2008 showed that African Americans can now enjoy political and social rights within a society, which enslaved them for approximately two centuries (Marger 65). In addition, racial improvements are seen in numerous immigrations from other regions into the US. California is a state filled with Mexicans and other South American cultures. Despite being in a foreign soil, these South American races feel comfortable living with Anglo Americans in same social settings. At this juncture, it is worth appreciating the fact that racial relation in the US today have improved substantially as compared to past years. Thesis Statement For this argument, appropriate thesis statement postulates that, in the poems, “Bilingual Instructions”, “Legal Alien” and “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”, it is evident that racial relations in the US today are positive and accommodative, and this is true because of significant intimacy and interactions between individuals with different racial backgrounds. Essay Outline Title I. Introduction A Premise and Statement of points B Thesis Statement II. Body A Point 1 a) Supporting Information b) Quotes from “Legal Alien” and “Bilingual Instructions”. B Point 2 a) Supporting Information b) Quotes from the Poem “Legal Alien and “Bilingual Instructions” C Point 3 a) Supporting Information b) Quotes from the poem “Legal Alien” and “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”. D Point 4 a) Supporting Information b) Quotes from “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”. E Point 5 a) Supporting Information b) Quotes from “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”. F Conclusion a) Counter-Argument b) Summary Notes Trends in the US social and political aspects suggest there is an improved racial relation in the nation today. All the three poems contain clauses which support the claim on improved racial relations. In the poem “Legal Alien”, Mullen says that whites in California are speaking Spanish like Mexicans. In the second poem, “Bilingual Instructions”, the writes says that Californians should reject bilingual instructions. Finally, the third poem on “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel” portrays the lustful relationships between Anglo Americans and Indians in the US. In this context, it is evident that the racial relations within the US soil are significantly improving. Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. The Summer of Black Widows. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Hanging Loose Press, 1996. Print. Marger, Martin. Race and Ethics Relations: Americans and Global Perspective. Pittsburgh: Cengage Learning Publishing, 2011. Print. Mora, Pat. Chants. Houston: Arte Publico press, 1985. Print. Mullen, Harryette. Sleeping with the Dictionary. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2002. Print. Read More