Racism in America essay realtion to self and other cultures excellent 5 paragraph essay good ideas and helpful ideas relation with the book black girl and relation to self....

Essay by anniehahaCollege, UndergraduateA+, April 2002

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Racism as a Child in America

In "What It's Like to Be a Black Girl (For Those of You Who Aren't)" Patricia Smith writes about her life as a child. In Patricia Smith's poem, she wishes that she is White, and not Black. She writes about how difficult life is for her being Black born in a white society. She didn't want to be labeled as a Black person. In many different ways we are similar. I also, was born in a White society. Growing up as a child is very difficult in many ways. As a child she wanted to be as White as she could. She didn't want accept who she is. All she wanted is to be as White as possible, but she wouldn't blend in no matter what she tries.

Growing up as a Black girl in a society of White minorities, it is very difficult to blend in.

She says, "It's being 9 years old and feeling like you're not finished, like your edges are wild, like there's something, everything, wrong" (2,3,4). Everything to her is wrong. She think that being black is bad, or disgraceful. When I was growing up, I got picked on by everyone. Mexican's, whites, even Black people would say really mean comments to me. I was about six or seven years old. I remember when I was walking down the streets or at the store people would say all kinds of things. They would say, "che cha chang." Or do you know kung fu? Or do some kung fu or karate for me. And everyone would assume that I'm Chinese, but I'm not. I would tell them to leave me alone and they would start picking on me more. I didn't even know what they were saying. It...