The world today, though excelling in research and technology, lacks an interest for common human decency. From educational settings, to grocery stores, to sporting events, discrimination and prejudicial views are prominent in nearly every aspect of society. Ideally, society today should be living in a racially respectful era, yet there is still an underlying motif of these horrid ideals stuck in the brains of close-minded individuals. In her essay, A Prostitute, A Servant, and A Customer-Service Representative: A Latina in Academia, professor of Ethnic Studies, member of the LGBT+ community, and natural born citizen of Puerto Rico Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo asserts that the assumptions made by students in the education system today can be involuntarily
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Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo opts for intense and direct diction in order to paint the picture which is the insensitivity of the young students today. Each ignorant comment from these pupils seems shocking and stimulates an immediate reaction from those who are listening; similarly, these powerful words in Lugo’s piece awaken an individual sentiment from the reader. For example, immediately upon beginning her essay, she relays her counter statement after a student tested the ideologies of prejudicial views, stating “regardless of who pays for my services, I am your professor, not your personal prostitute” (189). Not only has this obviously created an immense gasp from the class, but the reader is almost taken aback by the lack of sensitivity Lugo begins with. This direct language resembles the initial point the student attempted to attack; that the Latina professor’s salary was paid for by his parents and therefore, she should cancel class because he desires this. Lugo does this in acknowledgement that each reader’s emotions will become aroused and subconsciously relate these two ideas together. Later in the essay, she broadens her point to relate back to history, including incredibly direct language to display how insensitive it sounds when some express the need to “move on” because “slavery ended hundreds of years ago” (194). Her decision to bring up slavery is everything but accidental. Most, if not all, of her readers have background knowledge of slavery, and today, it is considered a tendentious topic to discuss. Bringing this subject up creates a relative reaction in the reader’s mind, whether good or bad, and displays how the request to just forget seems nearly preposterous. Lugo even decides to swear when discussing how inconsiderate it may be to say that slavery “has no relevance
Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo opts for intense and direct diction in order to paint the picture which is the insensitivity of the young students today. Each ignorant comment from these pupils seems shocking and stimulates an immediate reaction from those who are listening; similarly, these powerful words in Lugo’s piece awaken an individual sentiment from the reader. For example, immediately upon beginning her essay, she relays her counter statement after a student tested the ideologies of prejudicial views, stating “regardless of who pays for my services, I am your professor, not your personal prostitute” (189). Not only has this obviously created an immense gasp from the class, but the reader is almost taken aback by the lack of sensitivity Lugo begins with. This direct language resembles the initial point the student attempted to attack; that the Latina professor’s salary was paid for by his parents and therefore, she should cancel class because he desires this. Lugo does this in acknowledgement that each reader’s emotions will become aroused and subconsciously relate these two ideas together. Later in the essay, she broadens her point to relate back to history, including incredibly direct language to display how insensitive it sounds when some express the need to “move on” because “slavery ended hundreds of years ago” (194). Her decision to bring up slavery is everything but accidental. Most, if not all, of her readers have background knowledge of slavery, and today, it is considered a tendentious topic to discuss. Bringing this subject up creates a relative reaction in the reader’s mind, whether good or bad, and displays how the request to just forget seems nearly preposterous. Lugo even decides to swear when discussing how inconsiderate it may be to say that slavery “has no relevance