Essay Racial and Ethnic Identity - 909 Words

The African, Mexican, and Native persons have all interacted with the Dominant American culture in some magnitude; consequently altering each different group’s racial and ethnic Identity. Throughout the semester, I have discovered that in much literature writers had an ideal perspective on their own identity as well as the identity that the dominant culture influenced them to have. While doing some research I wanted to see what would be a transitional time frame for a person to be un-conditioned of many negative symbolic meanings in regard to minorities and immigrants. My research has shown that there was a hierarchical scheme where an individual can monitor his/her identity progression from one level to the next. This†¦show more content†¦This mindset is shown in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Pecola visited and knew three women above her apartment who embraced their lifestyle. Speaking about them Pecola says, â€Å"Sugar coated whores, they called them, and did not yearn to be in their shoes. Their only respect was for what they would have described as good Christian colored women† (Morrison 56). The second stage in the process of developing racial and ethnic identity is encounter. This is when a person â€Å"questions the negative stereotypes that have become a part of their ethnic identity. This is evident in How it Feels to be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston. She mentions her first encounter when she realized she was different; â€Å"It seemed that I had suffered a sea change. I was not Zora of Orange County anymore. I was now a colored girl. I found it out in certain ways. In my heart as well as in the mirror, I became a fast brown warranted not to rub or run† (Hurston). The third stage is Immersion-Emersion. This is when a person begins to rid themselves of their ethnic self-hatred and discover their traditional culture and customs (Cushner, McClelland and Safford). This is evident in The School Days of an Indian Girl by Zitkala-Sa. Here as a returning student who has been assimilated to American ways, changes from a school girl back into her traditional culture: â€Å"I could speak English almost as well as my brother, but I was not properlyShow MoreRelatedEthnic Identity And Racial Identity866 Words   |  4 PagesEthnic identity remains one of the most extensively studied topics in the social sciences. The book â€Å"Studying Ethnic Identity† provides insight into the dynamic process that goes into the formation of ethnic-racial identity by psychological researchers. Ethnic and racial identity is a subject that is important to study because it has been associated with positive well-being, psychological distress, and academic attitudes (Rivas-Drake, Syed, et al, 2014; Smith Silva, 2011). Past research has triedRead MoreRacial Identity And Ethnic Identity863 Words   |  4 PagesPaper One My racial identity and ethnic identity are tied to my everyday experiences as an African American. I identify as African American or black because it’s my culture. I born by two black parents and grew up in a black household. Although I was often told by my parents that I’m black, I would say that the term â€Å"Black† was given to me before I even entered the world. The term â€Å"Black† was given to Africans by Europeans when they took us as slaves to the Americas. Ever since then, the one dropRead MoreRace And Ethnic Identity : Racial Identity1000 Words   |  4 Pages1.0 RACE AND ETHNIC IDENTITY In many perspectives, racial identities mean the differences in appearances of individuals especially with regards to the color of skin. Racial identities are mostly determined genetically or biologically. 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From this movement of migration have emerged many ethnic groups. An ethnic group is a restraint number of persons living in a larger society and sharing the same distinct cultural heritage. Some people tend to bury their habits and accommodate to the new way of life. However others hold on to their identity and try to identify their race and maintain it. This enriches societies and makes them multi-racial. Therefore, every ethnic group is essential to complete the mosaic. Although the y are