How To Date A Brown Girl By Junot Diaz

Identity is what makes individuals who they are and what separates them from their peers. In theory, an individual begins forming their identity when they are born and their identity is fully developed by the time they reach adulthood. The idea behind this theory is that the older and more experienced that people become, the more inclined they are to discover themselves and their sense of purpose. In “How to date a brown girl (black girl, white girl, or halfie)” written by Junot Diaz, Diaz suggests that this theory fails to consider how as individuals age and gain social experience, they really lose their identity through exposure of societal beliefs as opposed to finding it. The story suggests that society strips individuals of their identity …show more content…
Diaz depicts the shame that people feel towards their social class and ethnic backgrounds through Yunior’s insecurities and poor self-esteem. In the beginning of the short story, Yunior advises hiding the cheese that his family receives from the government. The government cheese serves as a symbol for Yunior’s lower social class that he advises should be hidden because if seen, it could associate him with being in that lower class. This suggests the poor view of certain classes among a society can cause people among the class to feel ashamed and embarrassed of their status. In another incident, Yunior illustrates his insecure feelings about his race by advising the reader to run their hands through their hair like white boys do even though he can’t because of the difference in texture. By attempting to mimic the actions of a white boy and describing his traits as admirable, Yunior shows that he desires the traits that white boys have and his insecure feelings about his race are revealed. This portrays how society can make people dislike themselves and want to be like others. This same characterization of white people as superior is also demonstrated later when he says, “tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love your own”. Yunior again glorifies the features of the white race, just as society does so often. Yunior’s admirable views of white people demonstrate how society’s admiration or criticism of certain groups can influence an individual’s perception of them. These perceptions cause individuals to compare themselves with other groups and make them wish that they could be something that they’re not. The superficial superiority of certain groups created in societies causes individuals to become overly concerned with what others think of them