Scaffolding Essay1: Rhetorical Analysis
Nell Bernstein’s essay Goin’ Gangsta, Choosin’ Cholita seeks to examine the complexities of ethnic identity, and to evaluate the concept of claiming an ethnicity one was not born into.
Bernstein explores the differing perspectives several Californian teens and young adults have regarding personal ethnic identification. For many of them it’s a choice, and as Bernstein puts it, “identity is not a matter of where you come from, what you were born into, what color your skin is. It’s what you wear, the music you listen to, the words you use” (Bernstein, 126). Some of these young people, particularly those who are multiethnic, choose to dissociate themselves from a certain aspect of their ethnicity and embrace …show more content…
To some teens, the ethnicity they were born with becomes a source of shame for them. Bernstein demonstrates this through the story of April Miller, who complains that she doesn’t like being Anglo and would rather be Mexican, as well as Jennifer Vargas who despite being multiethnic claims to be “mostly Mexican”, in an attempt to distance herself from her white heritage (126-128).
Furthermore, as previously mentioned, many of these young people choose their ethnic identity based solely off superficial factors such as the music they listen to or the clothes they wear, which Bernstein’s tone implies she believes to be a shallow interpretation of what ethnicity truly is. As 20-year old Andrea Jones puts it, “It’s beautiful to appreciate aspects of other people’s culture -that’s like the dream of what the 21st century should be. But to garnish yourself with pop culture stereotypes just to blend -that’s really sad” (129).
By weaving together the stories and testimonies of these young people and their understandings of ethnic identity, Bernstein successfully introduces the reader to the issue. Additionally, this method of writing gives credibility to the authors account. By providing the reader with statements from real teens, Bernstein demonstrates more effectively the varying perspectives regarding the
Nell Bernstein’s essay Goin’ Gangsta, Choosin’ Cholita seeks to examine the complexities of ethnic identity, and to evaluate the concept of claiming an ethnicity one was not born into.
Bernstein explores the differing perspectives several Californian teens and young adults have regarding personal ethnic identification. For many of them it’s a choice, and as Bernstein puts it, “identity is not a matter of where you come from, what you were born into, what color your skin is. It’s what you wear, the music you listen to, the words you use” (Bernstein, 126). Some of these young people, particularly those who are multiethnic, choose to dissociate themselves from a certain aspect of their ethnicity and embrace …show more content…
To some teens, the ethnicity they were born with becomes a source of shame for them. Bernstein demonstrates this through the story of April Miller, who complains that she doesn’t like being Anglo and would rather be Mexican, as well as Jennifer Vargas who despite being multiethnic claims to be “mostly Mexican”, in an attempt to distance herself from her white heritage (126-128).
Furthermore, as previously mentioned, many of these young people choose their ethnic identity based solely off superficial factors such as the music they listen to or the clothes they wear, which Bernstein’s tone implies she believes to be a shallow interpretation of what ethnicity truly is. As 20-year old Andrea Jones puts it, “It’s beautiful to appreciate aspects of other people’s culture -that’s like the dream of what the 21st century should be. But to garnish yourself with pop culture stereotypes just to blend -that’s really sad” (129).
By weaving together the stories and testimonies of these young people and their understandings of ethnic identity, Bernstein successfully introduces the reader to the issue. Additionally, this method of writing gives credibility to the authors account. By providing the reader with statements from real teens, Bernstein demonstrates more effectively the varying perspectives regarding the