Una Mezcla

As I was reading these pieces, one thing in particular jumped out at me: the commonality of these pieces. Each piece focuses on the distinct separation of the different races of the American people. The only weak spot in the common thread that ties these readings together is that there is a focus on separation, not of unity. King's speech I Have a Dream focuses on making the separation less drastic in the sense that all people, particularly the black Americans, receive equal rights. Dyer's focus on the subject he refers to as "Whiteness" only emphasizes the distinctions that the American people make in regards to any American who identifies as any other race than white. Daly's article on genetic make-up especially notes the distinction people make in between being "48% European and 52% African" is unnecessary. The American people need not focus on the fences that separate them, but the neighborhood in which they all live and share together. Our culture has such a strong emphasis on individuality. I generally don't identify myself as a "caucasion," I identify myself as an American. It is true that I call myself a "honkey" or a "cracker" occasionally but it's more to get a laugh from my friends. Each person is very different, yes, but the emphasis on these differences among everyone are too prominant, in the fact that we all share the same country, the same hopes, and the same experiences. In conclusion, it's not the parts of the person that define an individual; it is the individual that defines him/herself.