Worthless

During the early American time when slavery was allowed, many African American were treated like animals or property. Europeans judge Africans by the way they act, talk, dressed, lived not being use to Africans living they would call them the same thing as they called American Indians “Savages.” American believed that because good sent them to be in high position and African Americans were dark skinned because they were being punished because they were evil and dumb that African Americans were meant to serve them. “A lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines it proves how many African American were being humiliated and where taken their dignity during the 1940s in states that African were not really treated as humans after a hundred years that slavery was abolish.

 “A lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines. Is about an injustice that has been committed against a young African American boy named Jefferson. They humiliate him and treat him like he is worthless. “But let us say he was (guilty). Let us for a moment say he was (guilty). What justice would there be to take his life? Justice, gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this.” (Page 8) Jefferson’s Attorney tries to win his case by humiliating Jefferson by calling him a hog and that it really would not matter if he was sentence to help. He really didn’t care so he just treated him like nothing and did not really try to help out Jefferson’s life. By telling him that he is nothing, that he is ignorant, he couldn’t possibly kill the owner of the store. Humiliating him in front of the whole courthouse in front of those he loved. Little by little talking his dignity, freedom, and humanity away.

For many different cultures there was trauma a treatment that made other cultures feel less by taking everything away American Indians is a good example of treatment that leads them now believe something they are not. UK Pubmed Central stated, “American Indians experienced massive losses of lives, land, and culture from European contact and colonization resulting in a long legacy of chronic trauma and unresolved grief across generations. This phenomenon, labeled historical unresolved grief, contributes to the current social pathology of high rates of suicide, homicide, domestic violence, child abuse, alcoholism and other social problems among American Indians.” For there American Indians were treated as well like animals they were taken out their homes treated as well as slaves, raped many women and men, and taking their humanity away.

As Hispanic women many stereotype that Mexicans are lazy, and are made to have babies and people that live in the United States treat Hispanic people like they are not worth anything. For some that traumatized them and start believes something they are not. They started acting like people society wants them to act. Instead of proving them wrong they are proving them right and makes it harder for upcoming people generation and start generalizing. Jefferson was called a Hog so because he already was sentence to die he did not believe that he could change the way people look at him. He started acting like someone he was not. He acted like an animal, he ate like and animal.

            During the Jewish Genocide many families were separate, murdered, raped, treated like animals. Hitler managed to influence people to treat other people like animals. Debbie came to Animo Locke Tech Charter High School. She told us of her experience of the Jewish holocaust. Even though it was very sad she still tell us her story to help others understand what happen from a persons first had experience. She told the class that in order for her to survive she told us that she would prick her finders and use her blood as make for her to look like she is healthy so they would not kill her. If you where sick they would kill you because that’s what they wanted them to die slowly. Suffering. They lived in in a room with a lot of people it was crowded. Many families where torn apart like her family that was torn apart. Many people where treated like animals they got them like animals like sheep’s getting them and slaughtering them.

            A for Jefferson he was treated like a hog he started to believe it he “Gentleman of the jury, look at him-look-look at this. Do you see a man sitting here? Do you see a man sitting here? I ask you, I impure, look carefully-do you see a man sitting here? Look at the shape of this skull, this face as flat as a palm a murder of intelligence? Do you see anyone here who could plan a murder, robbery, can plan-can plan any-thing? A cornered animal it strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited for his ancestors in the deepest jungle of blackest Africa-yes, yes, that he can do-but to plan?” (Page 7) The attorney who was supposed to represent him helps him out off this situation. To show him that he is innocent. He is did not commit the crime. But the attorney does not like him because what he is really doing is humiliating him in front of many people. People that he loved that he cannot him self. People that are judging him. Feeling that everyone the whole world is against him he feels that whatever the attorney and what he always been called that is true. That he is and animal that he cannot be anything in life that he degraded and de humanized.

Work Cited

Brave Heart MY, DeBruyn LM. "The American Indian Holocaust: Healing Historical Unresolved Grief." UK PubMed Central. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://ukpmc.ac.uk/>.

Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson before Dying. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1993. Print.

No where to be found

Imagine that one day you come from work or school, and coming to the gate and it’s locked not being able to go inside you warm home. Not being able to go get your things because the bank took your house. Not having a place to sleep and you have to go sleep in someone else’s home. Slowly fading away becoming into this person that starts to disappear. We hear about people getting killed, Celebrity gossip but what happens with those individuals that are not shown in the television? Those people that are in need of a helping hand. Those people who do not have a home a job or anything. They do not exist they are nameless, nobody, homeless, nothing. That’s why the news does not talk about them because they are nobody.

According to Poor in America 18.7 percent of Americans ages 65 and older live in poverty, 14.3 percent of adult’s ages 18 are below the poverty. 17.9 percent of Americans ages 17 and younger live in poverty. The National Agency Security poverty Rate that in 2008 Whites was 11 percent, Asian Americans 17 percent, African Americans 24.7 percent, and Hispanic Americans 29 percent lived in poverty. 28.4 million families have been provided with food Stamps. Four families that has been going through homeless or just not having enough at home because the family is going through some choices between food and electricity. For those individuals they cannot learn or work because you do not have food in your body the only thing that you would think of is food. 

MEND is an organization that helps people who are though economic crisis. MEND pervades services like food, clothing, dental help, showers baby showers, helps them seek for jobs. Walking in to the building there is a feeling of sadness, desperation, clueless, but also an overwhelming vibe that there is still hope and comfort. Never seeing coming across to a facility that pervades all of these programs is the greatest things in life. Coming from a low-income family and also going to churches to ask for food and feeling embarrassed because we had to stand out side and as a teenager you didn’t want no one from school see you stand in line waiting for food. MEND gives you this building that gives you and let’s you keep you bit of dignity. They stand for that they are titled (Meet Each Need with Dignity).

My group and I were giving the opportunity to take an orientation. We walk around and went behind the walls were they distributing food. You can feel that vibe that feeling that everyone is working together for one good cause. Nobody is higher then anyone everyone does everything as a group. People smiling working hard. We also walk to the health center a beautiful place. The facility is better then other places that you pay for to see a dentist or a doctor. Their boutique it is just like a store. They give call you buy a number, give you 20 minutes to find clothes, you can get only eight clothes for each family member. They help you find a job and if you have a job interview they help you pick and outfit and help you look sharp for your job interview. You can see how everyone is trying to help those people that are in need that want to do something in their life but right now it is difficult. Even though MEND do not supply them with a home they supply them with other things that can help them progress in life. Feeling with emotion and trying to keep it in because I wish that there were a place like this in my own community

As a volunteer my group decided that we were going to make home visiting. We went to this house in a pretty neighborhood. We thought it was a scam because it was a pretty beautiful house. We meet the lady that we were suppose to meet but she told us that she live with her seven kids plus her and her husband in one room. I wasn’t shocked because I live in a one bedroom with my two sisters plus my parents but never with seven in one room. Growing up in black and immigrants Hispanic community poverty is seen a lot.  Churches how they would donate food and clothes for those who are needed. My parents would let other needed families, and single moms. First was with this mom that her and her daughter would live in the streets would live in homeless shelters. Some parents that are hooked up to drugs or just prefer to live from the government and not decided to do anything for their selves. Some parents do not see what harm they can do for their child. It’s becomes a cycle. I have learn from a mom that some that have and till this day still does anything I mean anything for their kids to be able for them to succeed in life.

There are those types of people that they do not have a chose and start fading away slowly. Not being an able to find the light to get back on their feet. There are those who still try to hold on to the last bit of hope to be able to get back on track. There are also those people that prefer to get help from the government with out them trying to succeed, and those who just love being homeless. We should all start becoming more aware and not take the things we have for granted because one day it can be yank out of out hands. We should be always thankful because we are never guaranteed that we will live in abundance. We should always try to help those who want to get back in our feet because you will never know if you might need them.

NAMELESS

By

Jane Ramirez

An alarm clock goes off. Marco turns it off he, looks at the time. He reads Five O’clock. Sleepy and cold, trying not to wake up his mother, who came from work late again because She went to clean a house all the way in calabazas. He wakes up his two twin brothers and sister to wash their faces and get ready for school, while he finds them something to eat. He finds in the old unfinished cabinets and cereal finds. he goes to the old rusty refrigerator and finds no milk. He tells his brothers to help their baby sister get dressed. Marco puts a on scrappy old uniform, pants that he wore yesterday and the day before that. He puts on his old shirt that has a hole. His mom is still asleep.

He drops his brothers and sister to school and then walks to the metro blue line on Washington street gets off on the 7th Street and takes the red line to Vermont/ Beverly. Feels hungry because he did not have time to eat again, standing in the metro hoping that he will get time to eat breakfast at school. He gets of on Vermont/ Beverly to go to school, Virgil Middle School.
Jason is a middle class boy. His parents work as a business men an travels a lot and the mother work in the same construction company as the both parents go out a lot.  With that he doesn’t get enough attention an tries to get attention at school. He is known to be one of the popular kids in school, gets what ever he wants and, the way he wants. Marco arrives to school but unfortunately doesn’t make it on time to get breakfast. Jason notice that he doesn’t make it on time he goes over and tell him that if he does anything for him he will give him his breakfast that he brought. Jason always bullies and makes fun of Marco because he has old pants and shirt and does not live like him. another thing he does not like is that his family lives in a bigger home. Jason tries to make him feel like nothing. Marco begins to believe that he was worthless. Marco gets out of class before 2:30pm to be able to pick up his younger siblings on time from school. Never saying anything about his struggles he had. The only friends were his brothers and sister.
Years went by struggles and bulling that now 17 year old Marco how try to over come and think that everything would be fine. Trying to help his hard working mother, he has a job to help support the family too. working as a waiter, being a good brother, and on top of that trying to go to college and become someone of good to help support his family. One day sitting in class in his Economy class a beautiful girl with caramel skin tone, curvaceous, two juicy mangos on her chess, and with a silky hair girl walks in. The class was hypnotize at her beauty. Her teacher ask her to stand in front of the class to announced her soon her face started to change. the teacher asked her if she rather be named Ana and she said “yes please”.

Ana looked relieved. Not soon after Ana was part of the popular crowd. happy, cheerleading, and her boyfriend of course Jason was president of the class one of the hottest basketball players. Got anything he wanted like he was always use to. Jason and Ana where inseparable. Ana, madly in love with Jason she decided to give him something right after a basketball game in the play-offs party. She decided to give her virginity. Jason was still acting like the same guy but not after Ana’s big secret spilled out. Her real name was Lesbi Ana Cortes everyone made fun of her even those who she thought that were her friends.Marco was walking in behind the bleachers with a girl and saw Ana. Marco told the other girl to leave. He walked up to Ana. He asked her if she was okay and try to make her feel better and laugh. Since then they talked hung out and everyone starred at them weirdly.

They weren’t going out, they were just friend. but everyone saw their friendship previously. Marco always asked him-self why was Ana given the name Lesbi-Ana. He couldn’t hold it no more, he asked. Ana was shocked and nervous but she told him that his dad caught her mother with another women. Days after the mother and father found out she was pregnant. To punish her he called their daughter Lesbi Ana Cortes. One day as the mother went to go buy some groceries the mother had and “accident.”

She was stuck with her dad. Her father didn't treat her good. Her father died and Ana was left with with their nanny who took care of her before she was born. He also asked her why keep the name and she said she has to if she wanted to go to her dream school which was Hawaii Pacific University. She would only keep that name until she graduated from college because and take care of the Ranch, family ranch, and good. Soon Graduation came, Marco Was admitted to California State University of Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and California State University of Northridge, but because Marco couldn't go to his dream school because he wanted to care for his family so he went to Los Angeles Trade Tech school. Ana Was accepted to Hawaii Pacific University, she made it in the cheer-squad. Both didn't want to let go because they have became really good friends and have struggled together. Now it was time to separate and began a brand new life and prove the world wrong.