Written by Victor M. Rios, Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys is the book that I chose to review. I choose this particular book because the topic has been of interest to me since I could remember. When I was at home going thru my middle school and high school career we never learned about race and how it plays such a heavy role in society, especially looking at race nowadays. I picked this book because it has to do with minorities and how they are treated. In regards to my life, I can confidently say that my race did not have an impact on the way that I was treated in Hawai’i, however, it wasn’t until I moved here (Oregon) that I have seen the true impact that one’s race can have on society and the way that society responds …show more content…
I went in there with a nice collared shirt on, slacks, and dress shoes. Another individual who was also applying walked in with a regular shirt, cut up jeans, and skater shoes on. A couple weeks later I seen that he received the job. It was that moment that I truly realized the impact that one’s race could have on the opportunities that he or she is granted, or for lack of better terms, not granted. I thought to myself “Damn this is crazy, skin color really does play a significant role!” In the book Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys, it discusses issue regarding Latino and Black boys and the crimes that they commit around Oakland. According to the book Oakland, California, has about 10,000 gang members and about 33% of the population lives under the poverty line. Oakland also has the largest Black and Latino communities. What the world is doing is labeling these Blacks and Latino boys. These boys are living up to what people are saying about them. They are being labeled as criminals and gang bangers and because thats all that they are called, then they end up behaving likewise because they do not know …show more content…
The color of your skin matters, regardless if you have a college degree or not. This is all we talk about in class. It highlights many of the goods and bads of our society today. For example, when the book talks about how they label all Mexicans as being gang bangers, it’s exactly what we talk about in class. Majority aren’t gang bangers for no reason, they’re gang bangers because that’s the closest thing to a family that they have. But not all Mexicans are gang bangers, however, our society labels all of them as
The book Punished: Policing the lives of Black and Latino boys by Victor Rios is about the Latinos and African Americans in poor parts of the city joining gangs, do violence, and ending up in prison. It is also add how the police are handling the situation differently in these areas. The researcher is Victor Rios and the goal is to change how the police should handle in these poor communities and to have trust to prevent a crime that is unrelated with African Americans and Latinos. Additionally to develop new programs to help these young people out of prison to be productive, to be part of society, and to create a brighter future for these young people and their community. This is
Skin colour means nothing but identity. Many people use it to discriminate against others whereas they have equal intelligence and sometimes the person being discriminated upon could be having sharper brains. This book is also written for kids and immigrants to learn more about the past of where they live. I recommend that every person should see the other as a partner but not as superior to the other and that there will not be any discrimination in our society.
Stereotypes within our society have shaped the way we perceive each other. Throughout the book Punished by Victor Rios, a lot of stereotypes were not only reinforced but also used against a lot of the boys. A lot of the boys presented throughout the book had never actually committed a crime but they were treated as if they had. These boys were constantly labeled and categorized, like folders into a filling cabinet or a bin. Sure Oakland, California had a lot of gang-infested areas but that does not mean everyone in that area is part of a gang or is committing a crime. Thus, this book really demonstrates how one can be perceived or labeled as a criminal due to his or her surroundings and how these stereotypes can destroy one’s chance of freedom.
Jonathan Mendoza “Brown Boy, White Boy”, really did speak me, no I am not biracial but I was able to understand in a nutshell of what they go through. In a world that is divided by blacks and whites where should they fit in? From the outside looking in, I always thought that mixed kids had the best of both worlds, they the nice hair and skins, they could pass for white and have great opportunities and could kick it in the hood. But after listening to Jonathan I’ve learned that it is not all that simple. They go through so much trying to figure out who they are, trying to identify with what history is theirs. Like he said it is a game of tug of war. Which brings me into the Attitudes toward interracial relationships, where they hit on the concept
Chapter one focuses mainly on the patterns of punishment expressed on Black and Hispanic boys. He begins the chapter by describing a young Hispanic boy’s negative experiences on the streets of his neighborhood with the police as something that occurs
The author distinguishes white people as privileged and respectful compared to mulattos and blacks. In the racial society, white people have the right to get any high-class position in a job or live in any place. In the story, all white characters are noble such as Judge Straight lawyer, Doctor Green, business-man George, and former slaveholder Mrs. Tryon. Moreover, the author also states the racial distinction of whites on mulattos. For example, when Dr. Green talks to Tryon, “‘The niggers,’., ‘are getting mighty trifling since they’ve been freed.
Different social classes come with different perspectives and challenges, usually the belief is that higher society is much happier than those in the lower rank, but not including race into the education does not give all sides of that story. By evaluating parts in Cane by Jean Toomer, Quicksand and Passing by Nella Larsen, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston story of class and race is being told. Color and classism have gone hand in hand for many years and evaluating the lives of characters that are considered the lowest of the low and yet made it up the totem pole brings up an important discussion. The conflicting ideas of race and class actually encourage racism and ruin the lives of characters in the black bourgeoisie.
There are many books out there about racism, but none of them are like "All American Boys". Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely the authors of the book, offer a more modern day approach to stopping racism in the 21st century. And best of all this books appeals to a younger audience, but also sends us a message that what's going
...s existed in the society demonstrate a social trend where wealthy people and Caucasians move more freely in public space than minorities. According to this article, youth of color are facing exclusion and barriers to participate in workplace, school, and society, and they are at risk of being marginalized. This may potentially lead up to an avoidable serious racial issue in the future. Those in authority should take further action to ensure that children are protected from racial profiling.
Wise, T. (2011). White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. (2nd ed.). Berkley, CA: Soft Skull Press.
I was late for school, and my father had to walk me in to class so that my teacher would know the reason for my tardiness. My dad opened the door to my classroom, and there was a hush of silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on my father and me. He told the teacher why I was late, gave me a kiss goodbye and left for work. As I sat down at my seat, all of my so-called friends called me names and teased me. The students teased me not because I was late, but because my father was black. They were too young to understand. All of this time, they thought that I was white, because I had fare skin like them, therefore I had to be white. Growing up having a white mother and a black father was tough. To some people, being black and white is a contradiction in itself. People thought that I had to be one or the other, but not both. I thought that I was fine the way I was. But like myself, Shelby Steele was stuck in between two opposite forces of his double bind. He was black and middle class, both having significant roles in his life. "Race, he insisted, blurred class distinctions among blacks. If you were black, you were just black and that was that" (Steele 211).
That is where we see that the state and government have enormous power when it comes to defining what race actually is. The state can fundamentally shape your social status within their means. They have all access to one’s economic opportunities, including employment, and they also can control your political rights. The government pretty much has control of how you look and define yourself, but more importantly the control how others will define you. The state controls medical and research facilities and can influence all that fall under these categories, creating things such as race based
Racism, stereotypes, and white privilege are all concepts that affect all of us whether we believe it or not. If an adolescent of a minority can distinguish these concepts in his society then we all should be aware of them. These concepts are all clearly demonstrated in “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”. Anyone and everyone could clearly understand this novel but the intended audience is middle school to college level students. The novel’s goal is to help white students understand the effects of white privilege in an easier, more understandable way. Concepts are easier to understand when someone feels like they are connecting to someone they have things in common with, which is exactly what this novel does. I, for one, was always
Ogawa, Brian K. Color of Justice: Culturally Sensitive Treatment of Minority Crime Victims. Allen and Bacon: Needham Heights, MA, 1999.
One of the biggest elements is the theme. The theme of the story is that no matter what your skin color is we are equal. This is demonstrated by that hat which is a symbol of equality. “The hat was new and had coster seven dollars and a half”(Graff, Birkenstein 273). “She had on a hideous hat. A purple velvet flap came down on one side of it and stood up on the other; the rest of it was green and looked like a cushion with the stuffing out”(Graff, Birkenstein 285). Julian’s mother bought a new hat and decided to wear it to her reducing class at the Y. Later on the bus Julian saw a women with the same hat as his mother. Julian 's mother who is white and the black woman on the bus were wearing the same hat which makes them equal. If a white woman can have a purple hat so can a black women. Back in 1619 slavery began in America. White’s owned black’s meaning that the black’s worked for the white’s. Then blacks were considered less than white’s, blake’s were a lot more poor than whites. When desegregation started in 1957, black’s and white’s were considered equal. Another element is setting. The setting of this story is written shortly after whites and blacks are desegregated. Julian’s mother is still stuck in the past. “‘Of course;she said,’ if you know who you are, you can go anywhere’”(Graff, Birkenstein 275). White’s were always higher up than black’s. If you didn’t interact with blacks and stick with your skin color people would treat you like you were higher up, hence the “you can go