On the Subject of Colorism

   The excerpt "Emergence of Modern Colorism in the Americas" greatly intrigued me in its attempt to really define colorism. The dictionary would define this term as; "Discrimination based on skin color, or colorism, is a form of prejudice or discrimination in which human beings are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color." Such a simple definition is too simple. In order to properly define this term one must first venture into its origins, thus the topic of colorism becomes a much larger topic to discuss. The excerpt does this in a very lucrative way eventually coming to explain how modern colorism came to be displayed throughout the Americas. I give the author a lot of credit for presenting the ideas in such a clear way, this topic is indeed very difficult to understand for it digs in deep to questioning and analyzing a very regrettable aspect of human nature. Thus, by being able to take something out of this excerpt proves its efficiency and dedication.
   Colorism is yet another branch out of the inexhaustible power of racism. It has unfortunately and inevitably blended into our modern culture, even though we might think it has not. This branch has been growing for centuries. The excerpt cleverly displays through history how colorism developed, and how those who fed its existence modeled the term to prove their superiority. No modern day scientific analysis can come to prove that the color of our skin determines our superiority over others. Yet colorism is a very typical form of judgment that can come to shape someone's life if you let it. Why is this? This is the question I constantly asked myself throughout this reading. Even though the excerpt did a fabulous job in trying to answer this question it never fully lived up to the task. It seems like no one has really lived up to the task. Why this brand of racism forms such a deep crater in modern and historical social eras, we may never really have a straight answer. That circumstance may be in consequence to the fact that there really may not be an answer. The convenience of colorism to those who formed it was never truly justified. The white man's burden was one placed on himself, never did there exist an obligation, only an opportunity to take what you want and argue it was the "proper" thing to do. The world is those whom hold the most power, and in the eyes of the world colorism has evolved into the "proper" thing. Thus they do. How do you define something that does not exist? That is the big question that invades my mind while reading this excerpt. I lack the words to truly define it for its like trying to catch air. I lack the mentality to even aknowledge it exists. The excerpt may perfectly describe its presence, but I do not see how it can be scientifically justified. This concept remains an illusion that lived as a reality, it is the darkest aspect of our nature.
  

On The Subject of "Little Failure"

  Gary S., in my opinion, brings upon an interesting set of ideas within his memoir "Little Failure". His conflicted self image and inability to cope with the circumstances of his past set a particularly intriguing tone to his novel. A vast majority of first generation American immigrants would come to enjoy this novel, but more than that I believe any individual who has come across any type of troubling circumstance from his past come to relate to Gary in some way, thus this novel reveals it self as a truly universal artifact. With that said, there are some aspect of Gary's memoir that I do find somewhat unsettling, for instance his take on racism. In the chapter he discusses his time at Stuyvesant High School he explains how he grows away from his previously racist state of mind, yet in this explanation he brings up a multitude of stereotypes that he has come to learn to live with and thus labels his own culture as the "normal" habitual circumstance in order to differentiate himself from everyone else. Counterproductive arguments like this one and a couple more throughout the book tend to take m out of his work and leave me in a sort of perplexed condition. Another circumstance from his book that seems to display a similar effect on me is the fact that various chapters are taken from different works of his from different times in his career. This, to me, creates loopholes to disable the novel to form a concrete plot and thus the novel itself risks not developing it self enough deeper meaning that the reader can come to understand. Yet this conflict is resolved with the consistent mystery of what happened with the church and the helicopter, giving the novel a direction in which to aim. Overall I enjoyed "Little Failure" up to the point I was able to make a connection from my own circumstances to what Gary was trying to say in his memoir.