Literacy
Keith Gilyard asserts that,“Students will need to engage in discussions of cultural, ideology, hegemony and asymmetrical power relations [...]” So in addressing the writing prompt for this essay I pose the question: how do my parents definition of literacy in an African society directly juxtapose my personal literacy in the United States. How did one actively shape the other?
The story of an immigrant is always one fraught with hardship and sacrifice. My parents were no exception. Thus the narration of any personal story I compose begins with their story. “Being a first generation American means carrying the burden of high expectations. My parents immigrated from Nigeria in 1990 's. They were similar to other immigrants in some aspects, …show more content…
It begins with an exposition on my parents.When I was a child I never understood why my academic success was such a large issue. However, as I grew up I began to understand why my parents placed a great emphasis on education. As emigrants from Africa my parents faced failed government, economic unrest, substandard healthcare and a patriarchal society that catered to a select few. As a result, the rest of the society was deprived of any tangible social amenities, education and job opportunities. My parents had resolved that my sister and I would never have to face the adversities they did growing up in Nigeria.The snapshot of the abject poverty my parents ingrained into my mind fostered my desire to do …show more content…
No longer could my flowery language guise the fact that I despised writing. My teacher wanted the concise, logical writing that was very ladden with evidence but my arguments almost always faltered. I could use my reading skills to pull out pertinent information but the text but the difficulty was organizing it into a strong composition. My writing was and currently is not at the level I know it should. This is a major disappointment for me knowing that I do not correctly use a skill that I have been privileged with to better myself. This opportunity my parents gave me in emigrating here, feels a bit
Keith Gilyard asserts that,“Students will need to engage in discussions of cultural, ideology, hegemony and asymmetrical power relations [...]” So in addressing the writing prompt for this essay I pose the question: how do my parents definition of literacy in an African society directly juxtapose my personal literacy in the United States. How did one actively shape the other?
The story of an immigrant is always one fraught with hardship and sacrifice. My parents were no exception. Thus the narration of any personal story I compose begins with their story. “Being a first generation American means carrying the burden of high expectations. My parents immigrated from Nigeria in 1990 's. They were similar to other immigrants in some aspects, …show more content…
It begins with an exposition on my parents.When I was a child I never understood why my academic success was such a large issue. However, as I grew up I began to understand why my parents placed a great emphasis on education. As emigrants from Africa my parents faced failed government, economic unrest, substandard healthcare and a patriarchal society that catered to a select few. As a result, the rest of the society was deprived of any tangible social amenities, education and job opportunities. My parents had resolved that my sister and I would never have to face the adversities they did growing up in Nigeria.The snapshot of the abject poverty my parents ingrained into my mind fostered my desire to do …show more content…
No longer could my flowery language guise the fact that I despised writing. My teacher wanted the concise, logical writing that was very ladden with evidence but my arguments almost always faltered. I could use my reading skills to pull out pertinent information but the text but the difficulty was organizing it into a strong composition. My writing was and currently is not at the level I know it should. This is a major disappointment for me knowing that I do not correctly use a skill that I have been privileged with to better myself. This opportunity my parents gave me in emigrating here, feels a bit