Based on what you've learned about poverty and racism. What are the predictions about Miguel that you could make?
After Miguel crosses the border in hopes of getting a better life, he might not... Because people are racists, they'll give Miguel the bad jobs with low pays. Miguel and his family will have to work their butts off to make ends meet.
Our Struggling World
There are many examples of struggle such as: mental disorders, bullying, diseases, drugs, alcohol, abuse, money, work, family, love, relationships, emotions, greed, worry, jealousy, the past, the future, the present, addiction, failing, safety, grades, school, motivation, anxiety, low self-esteem, people, teasing, taunting, control, controlling oneself, caring too much, weight, loss, poverty, documents… Some may agree that struggle is good; everything in life teaches you a lesson whether if its good or bad. Others are convinced that struggle is negative. Much research has been conducted on this topic. Struggle, specifically poverty and racism, is multidimensional and has implications that can harm us.
Notably, struggles are multidimensional. We see this in Breaking Through. Particularly, struggle causes him to feel fear. From the text that provide evidence of his fear is when he says, “As I got older my fear of being deported grew”, (Jimenez, 2). Another example is, “ I lived in constant fear for 10 long years, from the time I was four until I was fourteen years old.” (Jimenez, 1). Finally, the book shows that he got deported because it said, “ Yes, they caught us, I repeated. I have never seen my brother so sad.” (pg 4). Struggles have many perspectives, and we can perceive this in Breaking Through.
Along the lines of struggle being multidimensional, we can also consider its implications. Once again, using Breaking Through, Panchito struggles with poverty. Poverty affects Panchito’s education, health, treatment, and living conditions. There are examples from the book that shows the implications of poverty. For instance, "Roberto and I missed months of school to help papa and mama work in the fields." (Jimenez, 2) This shows that because they were poor, Roberto and Panchito have to sacrifice their school time, and pitch in to help the family. As well as, "When I was in 3rd grade I had 2 red spots about the size of a quarter on...my stomach" (Jimenez, 12). This proves that because Panchito’s family was poor, they didn’t have the money to treat Panchito’s two red spots. Furthermore, "Whenever I came near them, they yelled, 'You stink like a Mexican!' and sprinted away from me, holding their noses" (Jimenez 12). This confirms that they were poor, because the kids at his school made fun of him because of the smell that the medicine his mom gave him, because they couldn’t afford a doctor. Lastly, "...Rest in our barrack" (Jimenez, 7). This explains their living conditions, because they couldn’t afford a better home to stay in, they were forced to live in shacks. These evidence supports that being in the state of poverty have many consequences and outcomes.
Especially, there are implications of poverty found in other sources besides Breaking Through. Poverty affects the treatment of people. In an article, “Being poor in America can, quite literally, become a crime. Enrenreich recalls the story of a 62-year-old homeless Vietnam veteran in a wheelchair who was arrested while sleeping in a homeless shelter because he had an outstanding warrant. His warrant was for criminal trespassing due to the fact that he had been previously caught sleeping in the street. So, in fact, they arrested him for being homeless.” (Flores, Julie) Not only this, a website stated, “Under pressure from her family, she married a man who was also abusive.” (HealingWell.com) Because the family was poor and the dad was very stressed, he mistreats his family. Another example argues, “Why is it that public policy is to treat poor people as if they did not exist? For years, policy makers from both parties have ignored the suffering of poor families. To make matters worse, policies currently pursued by the governor are designed to push more poor people into the shadows.” (TheAthensNews.com) Truly, being in poverty affects on how people treat you.
To illustrate, being poor can also affect your health. “When you are poor you are more likely to be obese. You don’t get enough of the healthy foods and you don’t get good nutrients. You are more likely to be addicted to cigarettes.” (Levy, Barry S). Because people cant afford healthy food, so they’re forced to buy what they can afford, and poor people have many worries, so they use cigarettes to lower their stress. There’s more, “If you are poor, you are more likely to develop many illnesses, more likely to become injured, more likely to become disabled, and more likely to die early. You are less likely to have access to high-quality medical care – or any medical care at all- and less likely to have access to preventive services.” (Levy, Barry S.) It’s very expensive to get medicine or even a doctor. Also, “If you are poor, you are more likely to live in communities with hazardous outdoor and indoor air pollution. Your children are more likely to have elevated lead levels and resultant problems, such as lower IQ scores and reading levels, attention deficits and behavioral problems” (Levy, Barry S). It’s really hard to get good grades in school, because you would have to help the family or you have many worries. People in poverty really struggle to be healthy, and they shouldn’t.
Similarly, poverty can also affect you’re education. “ ‘Don’t you have to be in school?’ I asked. ‘Not during harvest. Everyone works then,’ says Rue.” (Suzanne, Collins “In the Hunger Games poverty affects education. How? Because Katniss’s sister, Prim does not go to school because she has to work to make money” (Suzanne, Collins). Just like Panchito, children have to skip months of school and miss out on a lot of stuff to help their family because they’re poor. “But persistent poverty makes earning that diploma a tough challenge” (Celia R. Baker). People that are in poverty consistently are lesser likely to get a diploma because of all the things they have to worry about. Like getting enough food for family, paying bills. That leaves no space for learning and homework. Really, poverty affects your education greatly.
Another implication of poverty would be living conditions. “Seventy-eight percent of the non-poor live in homes their families own, compared to 41 percent of the poor and 24 percent of those living in poor, single parent families” (www.Irle.berkeley.edu). So 22% of the non-poor don’t live in homes their families or thy own. “Roof, foundation, or other structural defects that may expose the occupant to fire, burns, shock, accident, or other dangers to health or safety” (HAP Housing). Additionally, “35% of the homeless population is families with children, which is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. In addition, 3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelter or cars” (Potter, Alayne). Because they are in poverty, these people are forced to live in these conditions, which can harm them dearly. Poverty can also hurt your living conditions significantly.
In conclusion, this essay has shown the implications of poverty. Some may argue that poverty is good for you and that it teaches you a lesson and all that. I disagree and I truly believe that poverty completely affects one’s education, treatment, health, and living conditions.
Poverty is the only struggle that has negative implications. Racism is just as damaging. Racism is thinking that one race is better than the other.
We can also consider its implications. Once again, using Breaking Through, Panchito struggles with racism. Racism affects Panchito’s dating, jobs, and treatment. Such as, " ‘Susan's parents don't want her to go out with me anymore,’ he said, teary eyed. ‘Why?’ I asked putting my arm around him. ‘Because I am Mexican,’ he said (pg 6). Just because Roberto’s Mexican, he couldn’t date Susan. Also, “When I got the job I said I was an American citizen" (pg 21). This proves that racism has implications, because if Roberto said that he isn’t an American citizen, he wouldn’t be hired. In other words, no matter how good Roberto is at his job, an American will take that job. Lastly, "We have excellent vocational programs in car mechanics, electronics, and wood shop. We also have a program for future farmers" (pg 75). The councilor stereotyped him to be a future car mechanic, electronic, wood shop, or a future farmer. But the councilor didn’t think of Panchito as something important as going to college and being a teacher, because he’s Mexican. Truly, racism does affect people.
Furthermore, in the movie 42, it shows racisms and its implications. It shows segregation, treatment, beliefs, and bullying. In the movie, they show segregation between the white and black people. The baseball teams were racially separated, with the whites on major league teams and the colored in the other teams that are not as good. The stadiums were divided into where different races would sit. They also have separate hospitals for colored and whites. The movie also demonstrates how the colored were treated roughly. The man with the gas station won't Jackie use the toilet, because it’s only for white people. Also when Jackie was doing baseball, a police threatened Jackie that he will go to jail if he doesn't get out of the baseball field because he don’t belongs there. What’s more, people that were in Jackie's team started signing petitions that they don't want Jackie Robinson on their team because he’s black. The movie also expresses beliefs that most people accept. Such as, that black people can't play on the better teams like the major leagues. People feel that Jackie doesn’t have to chance to play with whites no matter how skilled or talented he is. Moreover, people believe that blacks can’t be with whites. This movie also illustrates bullying. Specifically being treated badly because of a skin color. People call Jackie racial slur words and would ‘boo’ Jackie when he’s up batting, once again because people believed that black people don’t belong there. Also, the manager of the other team was yelling racial slurs at Jackie while he's batting, and it got Jackie really ticked off. Then the pitcher, Austin, also told Jackie that he didn't belong in the field because he’s black. Obviously, these are the things people have to struggle with everyday, and it’s not easy. So this movie proves racism around the world and revealing its implications.
Not only Jackie Robinson experienced racism but there is also racism around me. My grandparents didn’t like their sons dating someone outside their race. But my uncle didn’t care. He began dating someone, and eventually he got engaged. My grandparents weren’t really happy because she was outside of our race. But as time goes, they thought that my aunt was pretty cool. So sooner or later, my grandparents didn’t really mind about my aunt anymore.
In contrast to all I have shared, Kelly McGonial provides an opposing perspective. In TED Talk, Struggle is Your Friend, Kelly argues that struggle, specifically stress is good for you. Kelly McGonical discusses that, “ The researchers estimated that over the eight years they were tracking deaths, 182000 Americans die prematurely not from stress but from the belief that stress is bad for you.” She also says, “ When you change your mind about stress, you can change you body’s response about stress, you can change your mind about stress.” Kelly also speaks about, “ Stress makes you social, Oxytoxin makes you do things that strengthens close relationships. It enhances your empathy. It even makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about. But here’s what most people don’t understand about Oxytoxin. It’s a stress hormone.” In all of these points Kelly mentioned, she explained how stress is good for you. However all of these reasons she stated don’t explain how struggle is good for you. Particularly she never clarified how other forms of struggles are good for you, specifically poverty and racism. Reasons that Kelly suggested are good, but that won’t convince me how struggle is good for you, because we can’t view struggle as something positive. Moreover, struggle is not your friend.
Concluding struggle can hurt you. Poverty can affect your education, living conditions, treatment, and health. Racism can create segregation, bullying, and racist beliefs. Ultimately, I believe that struggle, mainly poverty and racism has implications that can damage you negatively.
Notably, struggles are multidimensional. We see this in Breaking Through. Particularly, struggle causes him to feel fear. From the text that provide evidence of his fear is when he says, “As I got older my fear of being deported grew”, (Jimenez, 2). Another example is, “ I lived in constant fear for 10 long years, from the time I was four until I was fourteen years old.” (Jimenez, 1). Finally, the book shows that he got deported because it said, “ Yes, they caught us, I repeated. I have never seen my brother so sad.” (pg 4). Struggles have many perspectives, and we can perceive this in Breaking Through.
Along the lines of struggle being multidimensional, we can also consider its implications. Once again, using Breaking Through, Panchito struggles with poverty. Poverty affects Panchito’s education, health, treatment, and living conditions. There are examples from the book that shows the implications of poverty. For instance, "Roberto and I missed months of school to help papa and mama work in the fields." (Jimenez, 2) This shows that because they were poor, Roberto and Panchito have to sacrifice their school time, and pitch in to help the family. As well as, "When I was in 3rd grade I had 2 red spots about the size of a quarter on...my stomach" (Jimenez, 12). This proves that because Panchito’s family was poor, they didn’t have the money to treat Panchito’s two red spots. Furthermore, "Whenever I came near them, they yelled, 'You stink like a Mexican!' and sprinted away from me, holding their noses" (Jimenez 12). This confirms that they were poor, because the kids at his school made fun of him because of the smell that the medicine his mom gave him, because they couldn’t afford a doctor. Lastly, "...Rest in our barrack" (Jimenez, 7). This explains their living conditions, because they couldn’t afford a better home to stay in, they were forced to live in shacks. These evidence supports that being in the state of poverty have many consequences and outcomes.
Especially, there are implications of poverty found in other sources besides Breaking Through. Poverty affects the treatment of people. In an article, “Being poor in America can, quite literally, become a crime. Enrenreich recalls the story of a 62-year-old homeless Vietnam veteran in a wheelchair who was arrested while sleeping in a homeless shelter because he had an outstanding warrant. His warrant was for criminal trespassing due to the fact that he had been previously caught sleeping in the street. So, in fact, they arrested him for being homeless.” (Flores, Julie) Not only this, a website stated, “Under pressure from her family, she married a man who was also abusive.” (HealingWell.com) Because the family was poor and the dad was very stressed, he mistreats his family. Another example argues, “Why is it that public policy is to treat poor people as if they did not exist? For years, policy makers from both parties have ignored the suffering of poor families. To make matters worse, policies currently pursued by the governor are designed to push more poor people into the shadows.” (TheAthensNews.com) Truly, being in poverty affects on how people treat you.
To illustrate, being poor can also affect your health. “When you are poor you are more likely to be obese. You don’t get enough of the healthy foods and you don’t get good nutrients. You are more likely to be addicted to cigarettes.” (Levy, Barry S). Because people cant afford healthy food, so they’re forced to buy what they can afford, and poor people have many worries, so they use cigarettes to lower their stress. There’s more, “If you are poor, you are more likely to develop many illnesses, more likely to become injured, more likely to become disabled, and more likely to die early. You are less likely to have access to high-quality medical care – or any medical care at all- and less likely to have access to preventive services.” (Levy, Barry S.) It’s very expensive to get medicine or even a doctor. Also, “If you are poor, you are more likely to live in communities with hazardous outdoor and indoor air pollution. Your children are more likely to have elevated lead levels and resultant problems, such as lower IQ scores and reading levels, attention deficits and behavioral problems” (Levy, Barry S). It’s really hard to get good grades in school, because you would have to help the family or you have many worries. People in poverty really struggle to be healthy, and they shouldn’t.
Similarly, poverty can also affect you’re education. “ ‘Don’t you have to be in school?’ I asked. ‘Not during harvest. Everyone works then,’ says Rue.” (Suzanne, Collins “In the Hunger Games poverty affects education. How? Because Katniss’s sister, Prim does not go to school because she has to work to make money” (Suzanne, Collins). Just like Panchito, children have to skip months of school and miss out on a lot of stuff to help their family because they’re poor. “But persistent poverty makes earning that diploma a tough challenge” (Celia R. Baker). People that are in poverty consistently are lesser likely to get a diploma because of all the things they have to worry about. Like getting enough food for family, paying bills. That leaves no space for learning and homework. Really, poverty affects your education greatly.
Another implication of poverty would be living conditions. “Seventy-eight percent of the non-poor live in homes their families own, compared to 41 percent of the poor and 24 percent of those living in poor, single parent families” (www.Irle.berkeley.edu). So 22% of the non-poor don’t live in homes their families or thy own. “Roof, foundation, or other structural defects that may expose the occupant to fire, burns, shock, accident, or other dangers to health or safety” (HAP Housing). Additionally, “35% of the homeless population is families with children, which is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. In addition, 3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelter or cars” (Potter, Alayne). Because they are in poverty, these people are forced to live in these conditions, which can harm them dearly. Poverty can also hurt your living conditions significantly.
In conclusion, this essay has shown the implications of poverty. Some may argue that poverty is good for you and that it teaches you a lesson and all that. I disagree and I truly believe that poverty completely affects one’s education, treatment, health, and living conditions.
Poverty is the only struggle that has negative implications. Racism is just as damaging. Racism is thinking that one race is better than the other.
We can also consider its implications. Once again, using Breaking Through, Panchito struggles with racism. Racism affects Panchito’s dating, jobs, and treatment. Such as, " ‘Susan's parents don't want her to go out with me anymore,’ he said, teary eyed. ‘Why?’ I asked putting my arm around him. ‘Because I am Mexican,’ he said (pg 6). Just because Roberto’s Mexican, he couldn’t date Susan. Also, “When I got the job I said I was an American citizen" (pg 21). This proves that racism has implications, because if Roberto said that he isn’t an American citizen, he wouldn’t be hired. In other words, no matter how good Roberto is at his job, an American will take that job. Lastly, "We have excellent vocational programs in car mechanics, electronics, and wood shop. We also have a program for future farmers" (pg 75). The councilor stereotyped him to be a future car mechanic, electronic, wood shop, or a future farmer. But the councilor didn’t think of Panchito as something important as going to college and being a teacher, because he’s Mexican. Truly, racism does affect people.
Furthermore, in the movie 42, it shows racisms and its implications. It shows segregation, treatment, beliefs, and bullying. In the movie, they show segregation between the white and black people. The baseball teams were racially separated, with the whites on major league teams and the colored in the other teams that are not as good. The stadiums were divided into where different races would sit. They also have separate hospitals for colored and whites. The movie also demonstrates how the colored were treated roughly. The man with the gas station won't Jackie use the toilet, because it’s only for white people. Also when Jackie was doing baseball, a police threatened Jackie that he will go to jail if he doesn't get out of the baseball field because he don’t belongs there. What’s more, people that were in Jackie's team started signing petitions that they don't want Jackie Robinson on their team because he’s black. The movie also expresses beliefs that most people accept. Such as, that black people can't play on the better teams like the major leagues. People feel that Jackie doesn’t have to chance to play with whites no matter how skilled or talented he is. Moreover, people believe that blacks can’t be with whites. This movie also illustrates bullying. Specifically being treated badly because of a skin color. People call Jackie racial slur words and would ‘boo’ Jackie when he’s up batting, once again because people believed that black people don’t belong there. Also, the manager of the other team was yelling racial slurs at Jackie while he's batting, and it got Jackie really ticked off. Then the pitcher, Austin, also told Jackie that he didn't belong in the field because he’s black. Obviously, these are the things people have to struggle with everyday, and it’s not easy. So this movie proves racism around the world and revealing its implications.
Not only Jackie Robinson experienced racism but there is also racism around me. My grandparents didn’t like their sons dating someone outside their race. But my uncle didn’t care. He began dating someone, and eventually he got engaged. My grandparents weren’t really happy because she was outside of our race. But as time goes, they thought that my aunt was pretty cool. So sooner or later, my grandparents didn’t really mind about my aunt anymore.
In contrast to all I have shared, Kelly McGonial provides an opposing perspective. In TED Talk, Struggle is Your Friend, Kelly argues that struggle, specifically stress is good for you. Kelly McGonical discusses that, “ The researchers estimated that over the eight years they were tracking deaths, 182000 Americans die prematurely not from stress but from the belief that stress is bad for you.” She also says, “ When you change your mind about stress, you can change you body’s response about stress, you can change your mind about stress.” Kelly also speaks about, “ Stress makes you social, Oxytoxin makes you do things that strengthens close relationships. It enhances your empathy. It even makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about. But here’s what most people don’t understand about Oxytoxin. It’s a stress hormone.” In all of these points Kelly mentioned, she explained how stress is good for you. However all of these reasons she stated don’t explain how struggle is good for you. Particularly she never clarified how other forms of struggles are good for you, specifically poverty and racism. Reasons that Kelly suggested are good, but that won’t convince me how struggle is good for you, because we can’t view struggle as something positive. Moreover, struggle is not your friend.
Concluding struggle can hurt you. Poverty can affect your education, living conditions, treatment, and health. Racism can create segregation, bullying, and racist beliefs. Ultimately, I believe that struggle, mainly poverty and racism has implications that can damage you negatively.