Sonia Sanchez advocates to a group of students at West Philly High, “I was supposed to be Norma. You were supposed to be Norma, too. I believe in the Normas of the world,” which reaffirms that one’s background does not dictate their future (Philly.com, n.d). In the article, “Five Social Disadvantages That Depress Student Performance”, the author stresses that poorer people “typically have lower test scores, are more likely to drop out of school, and have greater emotional and behavioral difficulties”, demonstrating that students with poorer backgrounds are less likely to be successful in the long run (2015). However, poet.org reveals that Sonia lived “in a poorer community” as a child and “because she lived in a crowded dwelling, she felt…
American Dream: The Solution In the book Always Running: La Vida Loca Gang Days in LA by Luis J. Rodriguez. The author explains the american dream that’s in Crisis by explaining from his personal experience. Rodriguez starts his story from when he was came into LA as an immigrant along with his family. While him and his family stayed in LA that was infested with with gangs in the 50-60’s.…
People who don't pursue their college education maybe looked down upon. In the poem "Jorge The Church Janitor Finally Quits”, a Honduran immigrant works at a church and faces discrimination. Jorge's dream is to feel appreciated and valued despite him being discriminated against on a day to day basis. For example, at the beginning of line one, Jorge's presence is accurately described as nonexistent when he stated, "No one asks where I am from/ I must be/from the country of janitors” meaning that none of the churchgoers value nor appreciate Jorge because they think they're superior to him (1-3). Jorge continues to strive for the possibilities that may seem out of reach by showing respect, despite him being disrespected by the people in the church.…
Growing up in poverty doesn’t mean people are short only on money. Those in poverty are exposed to abuse, low academic achievements and education, lack of self-esteem, and an uncertain future. The book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie showcases a Native American teenager, Junior, coming to the realization that his only hopes of attaining a better life, is to leave his own back on the reservation. His decisions lead him to attend a school out of town, with a majority of white and well-off residents. Poverty has a negative impact on the success and future of a child.…
“Being poor mean’s being unprotected. You might as well try playing quarterback with no helmet, no padding, no training, and no experience, behind a line of hundred-pound weaklings. With no cushion of money, no training in the ways of the wider world, and too little defense against the threats and temptations of decaying communities, a poor man or woman gets sacked again and again-buffeted and bruised and defeated” (Shipler, 2004, pg. 5). David Shipler wrote this in his captivating book The Working Poor: Invisible in America, using a metaphor to describe individuals living in poverty and how they are unprotected and stuck in a vicious cycle. I found Shipler’s metaphor to be really accurate and surprising; it brought both truth and seriousness…
“Blood in Blood out”: CONTENT Authorities place black people and Chicano/a stereotyped into a diaspora, a bubble where all blacks and/or Chicanos are place. Not all people of color have the same mentality as others. Some strive for a better future, some think about what they can do in their life. However, blacks are always limited from greatness because of their color of their body.…
In the article “Why Use Critical Race Theory And Counter Storytelling To Analyze The Chicana/o Educational Pipeline,” the author gives examples on the educational system, personally the article reflects the corruption that exist in the life of a person of color. Critical race theory (CRT) is working to transform education inside and out of the classroom. The white supremacy that the pipeline represents is negative connotation on our community, and future. The educational system has a disturbing effect on pressuring children into giving up. The struggle of growing up, in elementary already being a statistic in the eyes of the system.…
There Are No Children Here is a book written by Anthony Kotlowitz in 1992 and reports on the conditions and experiences of two brothers (Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers) living in a housing project, Henry Homer Homes, in the projects of Chicago. Kotlowitz’s goal is to portray a glimpse of the everyday struggles of the people within their nation (First World Country) experience first hand. Using an ethnographic approach, Kotlowitz is able to obtain authentic details and emotion the children experienced that made the reader “feel” while reading the book. An ethnographic approach is the study in the point of view of the subject in question; in this case, the study is done on the boys of the book.…
“Until we solve poverty, we’ll never solve high school graduation rates.” (Harrington) Students are forced to drop out of high school and college to help support their families. Because they live in poverty they do not have the time or money to attend school. Poverty and education is a theme we see in the book The Other Wes Moore. We do not only see this through both of the Wes’ lives but also through their mothers, and even through their grandparents.…
Success in the United States requires no more than hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance…” (283). This myth is debunked by Mantsios, when he made the American profiles of three people, each with a different social class, parents of these people have outlined their children’s lives by their expectations. The upper-class have been given the opportunities that it would take for their children to succeed, such as private schools, expensive gifts, and other chances to improve the skills they need to reach their expectations. With the working-class the expectations are lower and the schooling and skills that are needed are not provided.…
In Kandice Sumner’s Ted Talk, “How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty”, she composes a well-constructed argument, concerning the issue of improperly and unequally distributed funding and resources to schools. Specifically, schools that are in low income and increased “colored” areas. Although I agree with her point of view that there should be a more structured and equally supplied school budget with necessary resources, I do not believe that the inequality is targeted to students of color and poverty –stricken areas. Growing up in a lower-economic and social class area, Ms. Sumner has the experience to speak for her community in saying that, “Because of this lack of wealth, we lived in a neighborhood that lacked wealth, and henceforth…
Different social class are serious problems, income, races cultures and gender are all reasons to produce it. “Looking For Work” written by Gary Soto. This is an article that described his child-hood experience. Little boys watching the TV show that opened a new door to a better life. He wants to become a middle-class person.…
Society today has shown us that more and more families are slowly going into poverty and losing their homes because of financial problems. Jeff Madrick The Cost of Child Poverty and Alana Semuels The Resurrection of America’s Slums both agree on the fact that the human population is incapable of supporting ourselves. Both articles main points are similar to the two discussing poverty within our world and how it affects humanity and the American society.…
Many people have been affected by the injustice in the educational system. However, this injustice has been set in place because people think they are better than others. In the book BLOWOUT! by Mario T. Garcia and Sal Castro it talks about many young students dealing with this, and a man trying to make a difference. Sal Castro is the man fighting to make a difference for latino’s.…
telling these students, was they are not worth having anything new because the administration felt it would seem like they were rewarding deviant students. The effects of this social problem benefits most people who are wealthy because in order to get a higher education one would need the resources and money to pay for it. America is a credential society. You can only achieve and get ahead depending on what credentials you obtain from school. Those who are poor are not able to afford college and most will not be able to obtain a higher education.…