Chimamanda Ngozi The Single Story Summary

Being a young mexican american you sort of get used to people jumping to conclusions about you. They see how the ones around you act and behave, then they get the impression right away that you are nothing but the exact same. That one story can have many impacts but leaves many holes and people forget the good. This is the single story. Ones delusions becomes another's title. Soon everyone is now familiar with that person or group and really only the people within the group know the missing pieces.
In the video of the single story by Chimamanda Ngozi she speaks of a boy named Fide that was her families house boy. She only knew what her mom told her, and that was that his family was very poor. She seen a beautifully patterned basket Fides brother had made and was startled, because she had only heard of the family as poor and didn't know what the family was actually capable of, because it was hard for Chimamanda to see the family in any other way then a family that needed more support. Because of their poverty she let it become their single story and didn't realise it until she learned more about the family.
There was another story that was aimed at ngozi. Her college roomate had only one way of thinking of Ngozi's ethnicity
being from Nigeria. She suspected they were nothing like the people in the u.s in anyway and felt nothing but pity even before they met. Her roommate was surprised on how well she spoke english and really had a mindset that ngozi couldn't be anything like her in any way shape or form. She believed there was a thick line of diversity and had the thought of two totally different worlds.
Ngozi had spoken about how vulnerable humans can be in the face of a story. I too am convinced of this. Only because I myself fell into a delusion of the story one was telling. I was once told stories about my cousin named Damien. These stories came from his own parents and my mom even gave him bad looks because of the description his own parents made of him were just showing how terrible of a kid they believed he was. I had to get to know damien more. I was going through my own problems and ended up staying with damien and his family for 3 months while my family tried to get back on their feet. I really got to know damien in the time being. Turns out what was described to be a rebel teen with failing grades and presumed to have no future, turned out to be one of the most intelligent kid i've ever talked to. I found out things about history because my cousin was so fascinated in the history of world wars and talked so much about how the U.S is the greatest country. I then asked what he wanted to be when he was older. He replied, “ I want to be a marine, I don't see myself doing anything but protecting the country I love.”
I witnessed the effect of the single story.
His parents didn't know the person damien was or who he was becoming. I once watched him and couldn't stand to even look at him because I saw a kid who listened to no one, and cared about nothing. Then when I heard both sides of the story I was surprised. I then asked why he was failing most of his classes and he replied, “ the problems I have at home I carry to school.” I had no idea my cousin was going through the depression he was going through. His mom and dad were split up and he hated the step mom he was living with that told everyone the stories of him. You can be stuck in the delusion of a single story and not even realise it. His own parents were putting him in danger of this single
story.
This is usually the scenario. Most the time it happens with a bigger group of people. I still can't get over the fact people call me a wetback, even though I was born in the United States. Wetbacks is the name given to Mexicans because others will automatically assume every mexican once crossed the border illegally. These stereotypes don't affect me really in any way anymore but can sometimes be the cause of ones identity being looked at more carefully by immigration. The trust of one person being legal or not goes away. What was once a joke about a hard working mexican looking for a better life. Became the story and title of other Mexicans.
Moral of the story is, stereotypes live on. Unless you take the time out to explore the world and realise the truth behind some stories, you may fall suspect of the single story. Not everybody is trustworthy. Over time i pray people get the courage to correct a false story they listen too. Because the story will live on and no one will know the missing pieces and no one will know how correct something is. At that point people decide to make their own conclusions basically building up their own story for a person or group. Making false accusations will soon torment the way one is looked at. Like Chimamanda's college roommate there will be pity on people that need no pity. Or like her house boy fide, she believed there was not talent where she only saw poor. Even like my own cousin Damien, a Rebel teen with what seemed to no sense of care for anything will one day, be the reason for your freedom.