BY A.F.
As a New Yorker you know that every borough has its own
identity. Within those boroughs are neighborhoods with rich culture and their
own personal identity. I am from Brooklyn and I am usually surprised by people’s
perception of my hometown. People would ask me where I’m from. I would say
Brooklyn and the conversation would continue along the lines of, “Oh nah,
Brooklyn is ratchet”. I ask myself, where are they getting all this
information? What constitutes a neighborhood to be dangerous? Why are areas
populated by African American and Latinos recognized and sometimes embraced as
the “hood”? Why do people have a negative stigma about certain parts of the
city without actually experiencing it for themselves? In this blog post I will
argue that African American and Latinos are marginalized and taught that they
should settle for mediocrities.
Before you
are born, a large majority of your future can already be decided. Based on
where you live, you will go to a school around your neighborhood. You will make
friends that live by you. The people in your community can play an important
role in out lives. African Americans and Latinos have constantly been pushed
out of their communities by factors that are out of their control. They have
been targeted by a society that does not see them as equal. James Baldwin
stated in a letter to his nephew that, “they (referring to Americans but more
specifically White Americans) are in effect still
trapped in a history which they do not understand and until they understand it,
they cannot be released from it (Baldwin 2014). They have had to believe for
many years, and for innumerable reasons, that black men are inferior to white
men.” It is amazing how this was written over fifty years ago and his message
still holds true.
Discrimination towards African
Americans and Latinos that occurred in the past and still occurs today is a
large factor to the ghettoization of these certain neighborhoods in New York
City. They were not able to get the best education, jobs or pay just based on
their skin color. These factors led to bad living condition and a vicious cycle
of poverty, which results in an increase in crime. This is one of the biggest
flaws in our society, “our inability to separate black man from criminal”.
Studies done by the Department of Education show that “teachers and police
officers monitor, profile and police youth and neighborhoods” more often than
white ones (Ray 2012). These neighborhoods are therefore be constructed by the
oppressor and it all starts with the youth. They believe that that oppression
is part of life and that you just have to cope with it.
References
Baldwin, James. "A Letter to My
Nephew." The Progressive. December 4, 2014. Accessed September 27, 2016.
http://www.progressive.org/news/2014/12/5047/letter-my-nephew.
Ray, Rashawn. "Our Inability to
Separate Black Man From Criminal." New York Times. March 13, 2012.
Accessed September 27, 2016.
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/12/young-black-and-male-in-america/our-inability-to-separate-black-man-from-criminal.
Your post was very interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteA term I learned last semester and one that I love, is a person's "Thrownness." In simpler terms, it is the way of living a person is literally thrown or born into. It is out of their control and how they are treated is a consequence of it. I agree that unfortunately, African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos haven't been given the upper hand when it comes to thrownness.
You mentioned a piece from "A Letter to My Nephew" and I couldn't agree more that Baldwin's words are still relevant today. I recall also last semester my (black) supervisor telling me how he sometimes is completely shocked with himself for automatically assuming in his head that an Albany crime "must" of been committed by a black man. Then we proceeded to discuss how it has gotten to this point, how are stereotypes literally engraved in our minds and when will we understand things better? Just food for thought.
I agree with a lot of arguments made in this article. Many Latinos and African Americans are forced to live in areas that are viewed as the "hood" or deemed undesirable to live by our white peers who live in the suburbs or our people of color whom have positions of power. Gentrification has played a role in moving Latinos and Blacks out of their neighborhoods and into the hood/el barrio. It's difficult for these marginalized groups of people to get ahead with the odds stacked against them. The education they receive isn't as funded as those in neighborhoods with more money. It puts the students at a disadvantage and it builds stereotypical beliefs of the people that live in those communities.
ReplyDelete-Carlos McArthur
I think you made some very good points in your blog post. Like you said, before you are born, much of your future is already decided. Even though this is true, it should not be true. Just because you're born into a certain family or a certain neighborhood, this doesn't mean that it should define you as a person. If anyone puts in the work to become successful, they should be able to be successful. It's very sad that James Baldwin's quote is still relevant today. Oppression should not be something that Latinos and Blacks should have to "cope" with. A nationality should not make a difference of the type of person you are. It's extremely problematic that neighborhoods are considered dangerous because there are a large amount of Blacks and Latinos that live there.
ReplyDeleteIt is horrible to think that "Before you are born, a large majority of your future can already be decided. Based on where you live, you will go to a school around your neighborhood". This statement is sad but in many ways true. How do you believe we can change the way this works in society? I am also very concerned with the education system. It is sad that inequality still occurs in education. It is very complicated working with the tax money and funding towards paying top professors. Will this trend continue to go on? We need to focus on this issue and do something about it NOW!
ReplyDelete