Why I Want To Be An African American Experience Essay

The article entitled “Why I am Black and Not African American” written by John H. McWhorter argues that americans should use the term black instead of African American when referring to people of color. The term black is perceived as a symbol of strength and hard work, while the term african american transports blacks back to a time in history filled with bondage and discrimination. Therefore, McWhorter argues that the derogatory term of african american should not be used and that the term black is more appropriate. McWhorter was able to establish a strong argument because he met several of the standard criteria for a quality argument. The established criteria explains that a quality argument must include a debatable thesis, supporting evidence, ethos, pathos, and an opposition. These are not all of the factor for having a sturdy argument, but these are the factors that McWhorter followed to create

No matter how someone may be living their life there will always be obstacles to face. Everyday someone may face an obstacle they come across by and figuring out how to overcome something. Wheather it is a work related obstacle or a school obstacle there are many possibilites and opportunities to over come these series obstacles.

Being an American is simply having equal rights, equal opportunities, freedom, and a safer, better life. There are countries that are so strict that if you are seen doing something you are not supposed to, you will be arrested and killed. That’s why we are so privileged to live in a country that allows us to do what we want to.

From an early age I have always had an interest in the legal system, as a child of divorcees the legal system has always had an impact on my life. I have always dreamed about being a family lawyer and have hoped that through hard work and dedication I could make my dream a reality; enter law school, successfully complete the bar exam and utilize my knowledge of the law to help those who may otherwise be left in the cold by the legal system. As I have grown older I have a new understanding of the realities of just how difficult it will be to make my dreams a reality.

It is through this knowledge that I have learned to overcome discrimination and the uncertainty of living in the shadows. I experience rejection and discrimination throughout the formative years when my character was being built, but that allowed me to become the person I am today. No more than a year ago, I thought all my hard work was in vain. My visa was about to expire and immigration denied me a renewal of my student visa due to my family’s low income level. Without any legal documentation stating I could be in this country, I was afraid I would not be able to continue my education or obtain a job in my desired field. In addition to this, I was constantly denied eligibility for scholarships due to my immigration status, and although I was given many opportunities to represent my school at national conventions, I was unable to attend for the same reason. Fortunately, I suddenly came to the realization that only obstacle preventing me from embarking on these scholastic and career opportunities was myself. It was then that I sought help and with the assistance of a few selfless individuals who took the time to walk me through the process, I

Every person in the world has come to be where they are in a different way. Each possesses different traits and characteristics that influence how their lives will carry out. These different characteristics make up an individual’s social location. To be aware of one’s own social location will bring forth an understanding of one’s privilege and/or oppression in society. Social location includes certain identity traits such as age, gender, race, and sexuality. I am a nineteen-year-old Caucasian female. I am a heterosexual, able-bodied, Catholic, and was raised in a small town in Ontario, Canada. I am from a middle class family, and currently attend university. Each of these pieces of my identity make up who I am, and no one in the world has the same identity as I do, meaning that everyone’s way of living is different in some way.

An obstacle that my mother has faced is being Black Muslim women in America. It 's more of a problem than what reaches the surface and mainstream media. It 's rarely talked about in America. In america there are people who want to smear our entire faith and say that Islam is an inherently violent religion. These are exciting times to be an American Muslim. My mom said it was harder for her getting a job from being a black woman and her religious beliefs. Two negatives that have been around before she was boring the civil rights movement and women 's suffrage. I’m not here to talk about her being black, but being a Muslim women in america. The easy target for prejudice and violence and harsh words from uneducated people in the world and in

For centuries people of African descent have suffered of inhumane treatment, discrimination, racism, and segregation. Although in the United States, and in other countries, mistreatment and marginalization towards African descendants has stopped, the racism and discriminations has not. Unfortunately, there have been events proving such statement and it is upsetting to know that after all the decades of fighting for equality this is still an issue for blacks, especially for African-Americans living in our country.

When we hear stories of African-Americans who lost a promotion or a job offer because of their race, subconsciously we presume this could never happen to us; that if we were in their shoes things would be different. This thinking, however, is not necessarily correct. When we come to understand the pitfalls of racial bias, and learn to overcome that tendency in ourselves, we will slowly bring our nation closer to where we can coexist without fear of malicious intent. I suggest we make a stronger effort to tackle the issue of racism, and work to eliminate an unconscious bias from our personalities. All of these things considered, they will do no good without implementation. Canedy does not give any suggestion of what should be done to improve the current situation. She only leaves her hopes that, in the future, her son can come to terms with being “proud to be

Reconstruction among the south refers to the point in time which the United States was attempting to establish a relationship between the union and the rebels. The Union had won the civil war, so the next step was to begin to mend the broken relationship between the north and the south. Though historians cannot agree on when it began, there is merit in saying that it started before the end of the Civil War. After victory, had been solidified for the Union, attention of President Lincoln turned towards reconstruction.

Many people come across roadblocks through their journey of life. I know I've had my fair share of them. The biggest bump in my academic life was changing it completely upside down.

Typically, America is seen as the land of the free. Citizens have freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion. Legally speaking, a person is entitled to the liberties mentioned above; however, they’re condoned if they do not conform to the values traditionally held by the majority Americans. For instance, everyone is free to practice any religion of their choice, but America is a predominantly Christian nation; therefore, those who practice a different religion are often victimized. In fact, John Oskison highlights America’s hypocrisy in “The Problem of Old Harjo”. In a country, where all are supposed to be welcomed and accepted, Miss Evan and Mrs. Rowell force Harjo to give up one of his wives in order to be accepted into church. Instead of taking the time to build a relationship with Harjo and attempt to understand why he has two

For countless years, there has been deliberate bigotry against people of color all around the world. However, today in America the social prejudice against the African American race has become almost entirely a thing of the past. Researchers argue that the discrimination people of color face has lessened over time and the barriers between whites and blacks have weakened.

From history of hundreds of decades, we have witnessed the great progress made by human, in technology and in society. But injustice always exists everywhere in this world. Injustice and unfair treatment could not be erased from the world easily. Just like the situation described by John Steinbeck, the immigrants faced injustice. But there are too many injustices that even worse in the world. In general, there are 5 main injustices in our world.

Everyone has experiences that contribute to the way that they see themselves and see others. Even though I have had these disadvantages and probably many others, I am not going to let it stop me from being successful. I have made it this far so I can’t stop now. In this paper, I talked about my social location and identity, my life experiences and my privileges and disadvantages. The point of this paper is to allow me to reflect on who I am and at this point I think that I am a motivated, hardworking, young African American woman with a bright future ahead of