Essays by American Minorities Essay

1. The Age of White Guilt by: Shelby Steele In this essay written by African American Shelby Steele, he tells of the hard times of his people. He leads the reader through his experiences in the civil rights movement and compares the life of an African American in the 1960’s and one in the present day. He writes that African Americans today would have to use ever ounce of their intelligence and imagination to find reasons for them not to succeed in today’s society. He goes on to say that African Americans use the harm done for them in the past and try to use it as guilt for the white Americans. It goes on to explain the importance in fighting for a cause in a group and not breaking off as individuals. 2. I’m Black, your white, who’s innocent? By: Shelby Steele In this essay by Shelby Steele, he tells about the inequality of blacks even in today’s society. I think it also shows the tenderness in the subject of racism and inequality even today. He also writes of how he used to use white liability against white Americans and how it gave him much guilt. He also tells how young African Americans still blame racial problems to be the motivation of many things done by African Americans. He says that an African American that points out white shame is showing power and that when whites respond with silence that that is also a gesture of power. He ends with saying that that whites and blacks truly fear the sacrifices that come with total racial harmony. 3. I hated Tonto by: Sherman Alexie In this essay written by Native American Sherman Alexie, he points out the racial stereotypes that accompany the Native Americans that were given to them by America and the rest of the world. He tells of how he used to accept the racial stereotypes of his people when he was a kid but now he understands how embarrassing the stereotypes were. 4. Why don’t we complain by: William Buckley This essay by William Buckley tells of the difficulties of society and how, instead of taking action when we are mistreated, we just stand by and let the violators have their way. It also tells of how people often wait on others to take action instead on doing so themselves. He says this is because we are afraid to make our voices heard and afraid that someone will get their feelings hurt. He also says that when we do complain, we shouldn’t do so in a calm voice like you are scared but in a bold, demanding voice that lets the person know that you mean business. He says that Americans are not comfortable taking actions in difficult situations because we live in an age of technology where we rely on machines and computers to do things for us, but in earlier times, if we needed something we got up and did it. 5. Just Walk on By by: Brent Staples This essay written by Brent Staples tells of the first time the author experienced a negative reaction from someone just because he was black. He tells of how he noticed signs of fear when people saw him and realized that most of Chicago’s rapists and muggers were black and that his appearance could cause fear. He tells of how society tells us that we should be tough and shouldn’t back down and how some young men take this literally and get into trouble. Essays on the Use and Power of English 1. Politics in the English Language by: George Orwell This essay written by George Orwell tells of the inaccurate and misuse of the English language in today’s society. He says that instead of â€Å"foolish thoughts† coming from language, language comes from foolish thoughts. He also says that metaphors and other types of figurative language used today do not lead to concrete ideas. He says that vagueness is the most common characteristic of the English language. 2. How English is Evolving into a Language we might not understand by: Michael Erard This essay by Michael Erard tells of how the English language is being used in many other countries including China but is not being thoroughly explained which leads to misuse of words and different pronunciations. He tells of how China and other Asian countries are making changes to the languages such as pronunciation of vowels and words. He also says that Asians will introduce tone to the English language which means if a word is pronounced with a different tone it means a different word. He tells the reader that there is nothing wrong with the language and it is just as proper as any other English and that it might even be more efficient. 3. Do Our Writers Abuse the English Language? by: Dr. Rossiter Johnson This essay written by Dr. Rossiter Johnson tells of the criticism from our cousins the English against American writers. It tells of how the British criticism is accompanied by their idea of our ignorance. It tells that the British believe that there is no way that American writers can possibly improve when it comes to proper use of the English language. Johnson then points out some British writers that have misused the language such as Grey and Dean Alford. He tells of the words of Sydney Smith, a British critic that said who reads American books? Who goes to an American play? Who looks at an American picture or statue? Who sleeps in American blankets? What do we owe to American surgeons and physicians? He responds to these words by telling of how Americans have surpassed these accomplishments and have proved Smith wrong. 4. Importance of English in India by: Rajesh Mohan. This essay by Rajesh Mohan is about the role of the English language in India and how it is the language that bonds all the other languages together in the Indian sub continent. The reason English bonds these regions together is because everyone understands it and so that makes it a common language to everyone. It also tells of how English is good for countries who are trying to expand and grow and that Indians recommend other countries to learn English. 5. How English Became a Global Language by: Jennifer Claerr This essay by Jennifer Claerr tells how English has become one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world. She says it is mostly because of its effectiveness. She says that the other reason the world is comfortable with English is because it uses a Romanic alphabet which is easier for Easterners to grasp than other alphabets. The English language is used heavily in television, movies, products, ads, and everything else that many non native speakers feel that they should learn it. So in conclusion this is the reason that English has over 1 billion speakers both native and non native.