I Too Sing America Analysis

No one was able to choose what they were going to look like and where they were going to live. Many of us don’t think about everyone’s cultural background when living in America, but that doesn’t mean that we are all treated the same. Everyone is different, but as a country, America has a hard time recognizing that we all deserve the be treated the same. Living in America means having the ability to rewrite our own stories. We are faced with a wide range of opportunities and we are striving toward the depletion of racism. Everyone should be treated the same without having to hide their ethnicity and cultural background. Living in America means having my family want to erase our history to be treated the same as everyone else. We were all born into these

circumstances by chance, so knowing your story is an important part of figuring out what makes you a valuable individual.
Being an American of Mexican descent, I often think about what my family has been through to get to where we are today. If you asked my grandpa what he was, he would say he is American, even though he has a thick spanish accent. My parents grew up in an environment where they were made fun of for being Mexican. Eventually, they were able separate themselves from their accents. They were whitewashed by society, just to be treated like they were American. More often than not, American and White are used synonymously, and I don’t think that is fair. It’s true that people try their hardest to get here, but if they aren’t going to be treated as equals just because the color of their skin or the way they talk, then the journey here isn’t worth as much. However, I’m thankful for the sacrifices my family has made to get me where I am today. I have been presented with more opportunities than my grandparents could have ever imagined. Where my family comes from doesn’t dictate how I should be treated. Some family legacies end when they decide to stop showing their kids where they came from. History shouldn’t be lost for people to be treated the same as everyone else. My job is to further my family’s legacy, by being as successful as I can be in the environment that I was lucky enough to be put in. The idea that part of my history is being erased is frightening, but it is reassuring to know that there are ways that I can fill it back in. My parents didn’t teach me or my siblings how to speak spanish, but I have been presented the opportunity to take spanish classes in high school. I want to be an occupational therapist, so by having the ability to speak both languages, I will be able to help a larger range of people.
Racism isn’t as apparent as it use to be, which shows great progress as to how far America has come to end it.

My parents didn’t want me to be made fun of for being mexican like they were when they were in school, so they didn’t teach me how to speak spanish. If only they knew how different our country is now as opposed to when they were in school. Spanish is America’s second language, making it an extremely valuable skill to have. In the poem, I Too, Sing America by Langston Hughes, it says, “Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed -- I too, am America.” This poem shows how in the past, the hate against other races was extremely visible, but people knew their worth and they knew that people who treated them wrong would regret it in the grand scheme of things. Knowing multiple languages opens up a wide range of job opportunities. When employers see the skill set that you have, speaking multiple languages and coming from a culturally diverse background is desired and often looked for. These traits can show that you have to ability to bring them new perspectives, thoughts, and ideas, based on where you came from. Knowing your story is an important part of knowing what makes you an

individual.
My parents had the idea of erasing our identity and where we came from, just so I can live in America comfortably. I am still American, I still live in America. But it’s not just my family, it’s many. Families from all different backgrounds have felt the urge to erase their heritage so they will be treated as equals in America. Although this shouldn’t be the case, it can help generations further the legacy of their families’ by pursuing dreams that they didn’t think were possible.