Brent Staples On Ethnicity And Gender - 950 Words

Like so many people, Brent Staples was judged based on ethnicity and gender. Brent Staples, an African American man, has been mistaken for a criminal countless times because of his race. The first time this happened, he scared a young white women when he turned the corner at night, and she ran off, convinced that he was â€Å"a mugger, a rapist, or worse.† Brent shares instances of people locking their car doors or crossing the street when he walked by, but he says he can’t blame them, as â€Å"young black males are drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators of†¦ violence.† He discusses his childhood in Chester, Pennsylvania where there is â€Å"gang warfare, street knifings, and murders† that many of his friends and family have gone to prison or been killed over. He mentions two extreme situations in which he is mistaken for a burglar and tells the story of a journalist mistaken for the killer he was reporting on. Brent Staples makes it clear that these occurrences are continuous and common, and so he has had to make changes to accommodate for these terrified white people in public places by, for example, whistling classic music at night. The point he is trying to make with this article is that Caucasians have some common misconceptions about African Americans, often assuming they are all criminals, even though Brent has clearly illustrated himself as â€Å"one of the good boys.† Grace Hsiang experienced a different form of discrimination called Intraracial discrimination. This type ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Brent Staples s Black Men Of Public Spaces And Issa Rae The Struggle1237 Words   |  5 PagesWriting 30 October 2017 Comparison Analysis of Brent Staples’s â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and Issa Rae â€Å"The Struggle† Staple’s â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and Rae’s â€Å"The Struggle† address misperceptions with ethnicity. Staples and Rae share similar circumstances making it easy to understand each viewpoint. Culture settings and gender define the authors’ differences. Both essays give the readers different perceptions of African Americans’ lives. Staples starts the essay writing about how his skinRead MoreStaples and Cofer1308 Words   |  6 Pages Different Ethnicities Same Problems When Americans meet someone new they are already sticking that person into some sort of category because of their appearance. If someone looks different than Americans are use to, they automatically stick some sort of stereotype to them. Stereotypes are strongly displayed in the media; stereotype can be based of someone’s color, culture, religion, or sex. In Black men in public spaces by Brent Staples, and in The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl NamedRead More Racism: Similarities and Differences In Two Essays 1159 Words   |  5 PagesIn the two essays, â€Å"Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space† by Brent Staples and â€Å"I’m Not Racist But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  by Neil Bissoondath, there are both differences and similarities. The two authors differ in their opinion on the causes of racism and life experiences involving racism, but are similar in regards to the use of stereotypes in the world In Brent Staples’ opinion, causes of racism are derived from fear and the insufficient knowledge that a person might have about anotherRead MoreWhen We Judge Another We Define Our Self955 Words   |  4 Pages This quote by my family member can easily be tied to â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Women: I just met a Girl Named Maria† by Judith Ortiz Cofer, and â€Å"Just walk on By: Black Men and Public Spaces† by Brent Staples. Cofer, talks about how she was stereotyped for being a Latin woman in American culture. Then Staples, talks about how he was discriminated for being a tall, black man that worked as a journalist in a predominantly white field. Both of these authors, were being put in categories based on theirRead MoreAmeric Culture Overload : How Does One Define American Culture? Essay1542 Words   |  7 Pageslife† (283). Those brought up from another culture prefer to be patriotic of their region, create cliques among their own, therefore are hesitan t to learn the American culture and prefer to spread their own. This nation is very accepting to other ethnicities and cultures that come to stay, allow them to practice their cultures and happily welcome the diversity. However, being accommodating to too much diversity becomes problematic and leaves the nation vulnerable when overwhelming amounts do not enrichRead MoreCulture And Cultural Identity1027 Words   |  5 PagesCultural identity is a feeling of belonging to a group based on ethnicity, social class, and etc. But along with cultural identities comes social barriers, which include a difference in race, gender, sexuality, language, religious group, age, and etc. When one is bound to culture, they receive a feeling of acceptance but have limited opportunities, in that they would be subjected in society due to discrimination. When one isnt bound to culture, they would have the freedom to create their whole path