Amy Cottle
Essay 1
Prof. Sue Briggs
English1050
02/16/2015
“Othering”
Othering, is it still alive? Othering is a term used to describe how a
majority group of individuals view a group of minorities and also how they
treat them. Throughout history, “othering” has had a place in our country
and world for hundreds of years and it has still not disappeared. Even though
slavery has been abolished for many years, African Americans still
experience unfair treatment. Immigrants, who come to America to create a
better life for themselves, still find it difficult to be treated equally in society.
About 1 million immigrants were detained, inspected and examined on
Angels Island. After the Chinese Exclusion act was passed, it was more
difficult for Chinese immigrants to be allowed into America through Angels
Island. Some Chinese immigrants spent years on the island. While on the
island, the Chinese immigrants would write poetry on the walls of their cells.
Many of the poems expressed how the immigrants felt while being detained.
Although they were in troubled times and terrified, they still had hope and
dreams of America and the success America would bring to them.
According to the text, there weren’t such actions on Ellis Island. Ellis island
had about 6 millions immigrants pass through and approximately 250,000
immigrants rejected. “For some there was nothing to go back to, or there was
certain death” (433). Some immigrants weren’t allowed into the U.S and
they resorted to suicide. There were about 3,000 suicides reported of Ellis
Island immigrants. Natalie Melendez, a student in my English 1050 class
states, “The immigrants who traveled to America to begin their lives, who
left punishment and torture showed up to the U.S. only to be treated so
poorly, to be treated with such harshness.”
In modern day, some still have a problem with immigration and it
could be for multiple reasons, but what most don’t understand or they often
overlook is a lot of immigrants are coming to America to better their lives
and their families lives. Many immigrants fine it difficult to be treated
equally and with kindness in our society. They still experience the pressures
just like the immigrants on Ellis and Angels Island.
Othering has always been something one racial group in particular,
the African Americas, have experienced. Throughout history they have been
discriminated and been treated badly. An activist, Fredrick Douglass, spoke
out against slavery in a speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” In
this speech he makes a great point. “To say now that America was right, and
England wrong, is exceedingly easy. Everyone can say it.” (462) It’s easy to
say how wrong slavery was, but with good there is always bad. There are
still people who are racist and some African Americans are still getting
treated unfairly. This treatment isn’t seen as often now days, but in the older
generations it’s the way they were raised and it is hard to make the change.
Another example of othering is language. In Gloria Anzaldua’s work
titled, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, she describes how she faced being
treated poorly just by speaking her language. She describes how she was
once punished for speaking her language in school and for “talking back” to
the teacher for correcting her on how to say her name. Othering is seen in all
different forms but language I think is often a form of other. Often, I hear
people at work comment about how a customer doesn’t speak English and
how “if you’re in America you need to learn the language”. I think often we
forget how much of a melting pot America is and how we should be grateful
for all the diversity in America.
The way an individual looks or speaks shouldn’t determine their
treatment. It may seem that racism and discrimination has disappeared, but
unfortunately it is still all around us. “Othering” has been in our history,
country and all over the world for hundreds of years and still today it is still
very much a live and well. It’s hard to have opinions change, but that first
step of changing starts with us and hopefully change the ideas of the
generations that come after us.
Rhetorical Analysis
Barrack Obama A More Perfect Union
In 2008, Senator Barrack Obama gives the speech, A More Perfect
Union. He starts out the speech describing who he is as an individual. He
takes a firm stance on Reverend Wright’s comments, and explains why he
took the stance that he did. He then discusses the underlying issues related to
race found in our society and the problems we have never really come to
grips with. Before discussing today’s issues, he expands on how we got to
this point in history. He talks about slavery, segregated schools and the lack
of economic opportunity.
Obama then lays our today’s issues. He doesn’t just assume everyone
sees the situation in the same manner and he recognizes all the differences
and tries to relate to all of them on a personal level to bring his audience
together.
After laying out today’s issues, he talks about the frustrations of the
African American’s today, which puts his message on a very personal level,
but also states that “a similar anger exists within segments of the white
community.” He references real life situations that people of all races could
relate to and inspires unity, but also establishes himself as an individual and
candidate who understands both races.
In the end he brings it all together by combining broth group’s
problems into one problem, that as a country we must all face and change.
He manages to bring everyone to the same page and explains that all
together; we can make the country better.
Works Cited
Anzaldua, Gloria. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” Reading Culture. By
Diana George and John Trimbur. 8th ed. White Plains, NY: Longman,
2011. 521-529. Print
Obama, Barack. “A More Perfect Union” Reading Culture. By Diana
George and John Trimbur. 8th ed. White Plains, NY: Longman, 2011.
476-484. Print
Douglass, Frederick. “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Reading
Culture. By Diana George and John Trimbur. 8th ed. White Plains,
NY: Longman, 2011. 460-475. Print
Gordon, Mary. “More Than Just a Shrine: Paying Homage to the Ghosts of
Ellis Island.” Reading Culture. By Diana George and John Trimbur.
8th ed. White Plains, NY: Longman, 2011. 430-435. Print