Secret Daughter Documentary

June created a documentary analyzing her life and how she was a secret daughter. Her mother hid the fact that she had a mixed daughter towards certain people. June wanted others to understand her story on how race and gender influenced the decisions made with her upbringing and the parenting styles used in order to raise her right. Some think the word ‘family’ means biological family; though, here the word family is used quite differently. June comes from a mother who is Caucasian and a father who is African American. June’s father was never present in her life. She met him when she was older and he was 63 years old, dying of cancer. When June’s mother, Norma was dating her father, Jimmy, they did not have a very healthy relationship. Her …show more content…
June’s mother Norma was not fit to be a mother. She had a son and had him live with other people, then when June came, her mother had her for a short period of time, though since June was mixed it was hard for Norma because race was still an issue around this time. Norma feared what others thought, and did not want her and June to get into each others way, by living with that, she sent June to live with the Gregory’s. They were June’s new family and really made her feel at home. They were an African American family, who were close with Norma. Norma felt it would be best for June. June’s brother states that some historians theorize that American Nationalism is built on race. He explains how blacks were imported here to be slaves and they were not allowed to vote, and white men are Americans because they aren’t black. If freedom is white and that’s democratic which takes discipline and work, then blacks are the opposite, lazy and hedonistic, and it comes down to personal …show more content…
For white’s its much easier to accomplish things and not have many issues, though for colored women its harder, you have to deal with discrimination. Norma’s mother married a German man, named Eric, who stood with Hitler. He taught Norma the realities of race and class in America. There wasn’t any black people in Long beach. Norma only saw one black person there, and when she’d pass by his shop she would say hello, until her step-father, Eric was with her once and she said hello to the man and then was told her by her step-father to never say anything to him again. Eric said blacks and jews were lower class and to not speak to them. For black people, they welcome almost everyone and you don’t have to question it. For white people, you have to prove to them so they can accept you, and that was for any color. Blacks and white would be friends, but they couldn’t go hangout at each other’s houses. If you were black and middle class, you lived next to the poor. If you were white and middle class, you’d live away from the poor. Its like your fate was tied together. Norma wasn’t racist, she was friends with the indian kids and never wanted to hurt anyones feelings. Both Norma and Peggy were both headstrong, black and white