Pretty Like A White Boy Analysis

Race is a social issue that has been discussed for many years, and the fact that individuals are still presently talking about their experiences with race-related conversations is disheartening. Drew Hayden Taylor’s essay, “Pretty Like a White Boy: The Adventures of a Blue Eyed Ojibway”, is about Taylor’s experiences as a half-Ojibway and half-Caucasian Canadian, and in that essay, he uses the term “Special Occasion” to describe himself. Wayson Choy’s essay, “I’m a Banana and Proud of It”, is about being one of many “bananas”, assimilated Chinese immigrants. Taylor and Choy are two Canadian authors who faced racial prejudices throughout their lives and documented their experiences in their respective essays. While “Special Occasion” and “banana” are clever terms, Choy’s use of the word “banana” stands out in terms of simplicity, how often the word is used and his opinion on the word. When a racial term (or slur, depending on the intended effect) is …show more content…
It can be assumed that Taylor is the only person that uses the term “Special Occasion”. He even says himself that “[he plans] to start [his] own nation… [and his people] will be called the Occasions.” (Taylor 439) This is a term he uses to only describe himself and a handful of people himself, should those people wish to be called “Occasions”. Meanwhile, “banana” is used by many landed Chinese migrants, especially the older generations who are more in touch with their traditional roots. Choy goes on to explain how, “The term actually follows the old Chinese tendency to assign endearing nicknames… to keep one humble. Thus, ‘banana’ describes [those] who assimilated so well into North American life.” (Choy 216) It comes as a surprise how many people used this word not as an insult to the later generations changing lifestyle. Due to the sheer amount of people who use this term, it can be seen as a stronger word than Taylor’s in that