The Freedom Writers Diary: The Shades Of Citizens
The Shades of Citizenship Why does so many people judge other’s by culture, ethnicity, and race? What is the difference? We are all people right? Never Judge a book by its cover… This quote is a commonly used quote, just saying don’t judge by an outer appearance, get to know the person and maybe things can work for the advantage of gaining a new friendship or soul mate. Everywhere there are people who want the acceptance of their peers. Give them the chance to show you that they are something and can make a change. Life isn’t about judging and criticizing others, it’s about learning to accept and respect others for who are of a different race, ethnicity, and culture aside from what you are because you never know when you can make a new friend or find a soul mate. Throughout The Freedom Writers Diary we see there is major segregation that is insanely driving off of ethnicity, culture, and race. One group wants to be on a higher pedestal then the rest, and in order to achieve that the violence comes into mind and starts
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taking action. According to a Freedom Writer, “The war has been declared, now it’s a fight for power, money, and territory; we killing each other over race, pride, and respect.”(10) Gangs will do anything to gain a higher respect, and by showing that they have pride they kill due to race or territory. People are being judged over issues that shouldn’t even be of any concern. Love it or hate it, Violence is surrounding us all. As stated by Ms. Gruwells student’s, “Running with gangs and carrying a gun, can create some problems, but being of a different race can get you into trouble, too, so I figure might as well be prepared.”(14) Either way you are going to have violence upon you, due to your color, so the only thing to help you is joining a gang because now you have reinforcements. It gets harder day by day for other to stand up on their own, but it hurts just knowing that it all because their outer appearance. “Race: an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based in such genetic markers as blood” (Dictionary.com). This defines race as looking at the appearance. A lot of violence is caused due to appearance. Its either your within the same group of color or your in big trouble. Stated in the Freedom Writers Diary, “A war that has been here for years, but has never been recognized. A war between color and race. A war that will never end.”(16) Basically this quote is saying that war is war, whether we want it or not, it’s still occurring around us, and that this war is never ending. Color is just an appearance, and should not be picked on or treated badly for it. We are all alike! According to Terry Gross from the Get On the Bus: article, “In 1961, the Freedom Riders set out for the deep South to defy Jim Crow laws and call for change.” (Gross) This is an article based on the Freedom Riders of 1961. The Freedom Riders are a group of black and white people who came together because of their beliefs; it was unconstitutional to segregate bus riders. If only people could have learned and just join together and be one, instead of hunting each other down and wanting to create friction. Is it really worth the hassle? This world would be at peace if people just take a stance for what is right instead of doing what is wrong.
“Culture: the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another” (Dictionary.com). Organizations have personalities like individuals and like individuals, they have enduring and stable traits that help us predict their attitudes and behaviors. An organization’s culture may be hard to define but is has a major impact on the behavior of individuals in the organization. A Freedom Writer states, “All this rivalry is more of a tradition.”(34) This quotation states things that happened in the past carries on into the future. Culture is everywhere around us. It is what makes us who we are. When growing up in a certain environment for so long it is hard to adapt to anything else but what we have been brought up with. “Ethnicity: identity with or membership in a particular racial, national or cultural group and observance of that group’s customs, beliefs, and language” (Dictionary.com).
When applied loosely, ethnicity becomes a blanket term to define large population, undermining the worth and the diversity within that group and emphasizing the differences between cultures. Yet those differences come down to matters of preferences and socialization with each culture. According to a Freedom Writer, “I’m not a bad person, but because of my friends, I sometimes get blamed for shit I have nothing to do with.”(11) Being affiliated with the wrong people can make you look like you are just as bad. Being a member of those types of people puts your reputation into jeopardy. Stated on Answers.com, “In 1935, the Nazis instituted a series of laws against Jews, called the Nuremberg Laws, which stripped them of citizenship and forbade them from
marrying
Christian Germans. Jews were excluded from civil serves jobs, and over time, from other persecutions as well.”(Answers.com) This is from the Diary of Anne Frank (Historical Context), basically saying if you were a Jew you had nothing and you weren’t anybody through anybody’s eyes. Goes to show things have changed since from the past but is still yet bad now in the present, and maybe worse in the future. Life isn’t about judging and criticizing others, it’s about learning to accept and respect others for who are of a different race, ethnicity, and culture aside from what you are. People are people, all alike, just different skin color or culture or ethnicity, but doesn’t mean anything, we are all human and should be treated like everyone else… EQUAL! In agreeance with the Freedom Writer, “Don’t judge a peanut by its shell, judge it by what’s inside of it” (Page 38)
Work Cited Page
“Ethnicity/Culture/Race” Dictionary.com Internet http://dictionary.reference.com/ browse/…
Gross, Terry. “Get On the Bus: The Freedom Riders of 1961.” January 2006. Online. Internet http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyld=5149667
“The Diary of Anne Frank (Historical Context)” Answers.com Internet http://www.answers.com/topic/the-diary-of-anne-frank-play-6
The Freedom Writers. New York: Broadway books 1991.
taking action. According to a Freedom Writer, “The war has been declared, now it’s a fight for power, money, and territory; we killing each other over race, pride, and respect.”(10) Gangs will do anything to gain a higher respect, and by showing that they have pride they kill due to race or territory. People are being judged over issues that shouldn’t even be of any concern. Love it or hate it, Violence is surrounding us all. As stated by Ms. Gruwells student’s, “Running with gangs and carrying a gun, can create some problems, but being of a different race can get you into trouble, too, so I figure might as well be prepared.”(14) Either way you are going to have violence upon you, due to your color, so the only thing to help you is joining a gang because now you have reinforcements. It gets harder day by day for other to stand up on their own, but it hurts just knowing that it all because their outer appearance. “Race: an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based in such genetic markers as blood” (Dictionary.com). This defines race as looking at the appearance. A lot of violence is caused due to appearance. Its either your within the same group of color or your in big trouble. Stated in the Freedom Writers Diary, “A war that has been here for years, but has never been recognized. A war between color and race. A war that will never end.”(16) Basically this quote is saying that war is war, whether we want it or not, it’s still occurring around us, and that this war is never ending. Color is just an appearance, and should not be picked on or treated badly for it. We are all alike! According to Terry Gross from the Get On the Bus: article, “In 1961, the Freedom Riders set out for the deep South to defy Jim Crow laws and call for change.” (Gross) This is an article based on the Freedom Riders of 1961. The Freedom Riders are a group of black and white people who came together because of their beliefs; it was unconstitutional to segregate bus riders. If only people could have learned and just join together and be one, instead of hunting each other down and wanting to create friction. Is it really worth the hassle? This world would be at peace if people just take a stance for what is right instead of doing what is wrong.
“Culture: the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another” (Dictionary.com). Organizations have personalities like individuals and like individuals, they have enduring and stable traits that help us predict their attitudes and behaviors. An organization’s culture may be hard to define but is has a major impact on the behavior of individuals in the organization. A Freedom Writer states, “All this rivalry is more of a tradition.”(34) This quotation states things that happened in the past carries on into the future. Culture is everywhere around us. It is what makes us who we are. When growing up in a certain environment for so long it is hard to adapt to anything else but what we have been brought up with. “Ethnicity: identity with or membership in a particular racial, national or cultural group and observance of that group’s customs, beliefs, and language” (Dictionary.com).
When applied loosely, ethnicity becomes a blanket term to define large population, undermining the worth and the diversity within that group and emphasizing the differences between cultures. Yet those differences come down to matters of preferences and socialization with each culture. According to a Freedom Writer, “I’m not a bad person, but because of my friends, I sometimes get blamed for shit I have nothing to do with.”(11) Being affiliated with the wrong people can make you look like you are just as bad. Being a member of those types of people puts your reputation into jeopardy. Stated on Answers.com, “In 1935, the Nazis instituted a series of laws against Jews, called the Nuremberg Laws, which stripped them of citizenship and forbade them from
marrying
Christian Germans. Jews were excluded from civil serves jobs, and over time, from other persecutions as well.”(Answers.com) This is from the Diary of Anne Frank (Historical Context), basically saying if you were a Jew you had nothing and you weren’t anybody through anybody’s eyes. Goes to show things have changed since from the past but is still yet bad now in the present, and maybe worse in the future. Life isn’t about judging and criticizing others, it’s about learning to accept and respect others for who are of a different race, ethnicity, and culture aside from what you are. People are people, all alike, just different skin color or culture or ethnicity, but doesn’t mean anything, we are all human and should be treated like everyone else… EQUAL! In agreeance with the Freedom Writer, “Don’t judge a peanut by its shell, judge it by what’s inside of it” (Page 38)
Work Cited Page
“Ethnicity/Culture/Race” Dictionary.com Internet http://dictionary.reference.com/ browse/…
Gross, Terry. “Get On the Bus: The Freedom Riders of 1961.” January 2006. Online. Internet http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyld=5149667
“The Diary of Anne Frank (Historical Context)” Answers.com Internet http://www.answers.com/topic/the-diary-of-anne-frank-play-6
The Freedom Writers. New York: Broadway books 1991.