Racism and discrimination PDF

Running Head: ENGLISH 1
Social identity because of a single story and different tongues
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Introduction

EDUCATION 2
Racism and discrimination have existed in our society throughout the years and get
propagated from generation to generation. Despite higher awareness and greater tolerance, those
issues connote to challenge society and thus weaken the social fabric. One culture continues to
dominate the other because of some inherent desire to feel superior and to control the others.
Every individual gets involved in a battle or race that he is pushed into to prove himself, based
on where he comes from and the language he speaks.
Chimamanda Ngozi’s “The Danger of a Single Story” and Zadie Smith’s “Speaking In
Tongues” address the subject of dominant culture and the role of languages and stereotypes.
Adichie is amused by the stereotypical image of her home country, Africa created in the mind of
her American roommate as there are stories written from a single perspective (Adichie, 2009).
Smith discusses how one speaks the same language in a different way that measures his identity
and status (Smith, 2009). The articles by both writers show the racism that develops within the
dominant culture because of where we come from or how we speak.
I agree with both the authors and it is interesting how they evaluate how the society
measures us from where we come and the language we speak or how we speak. Racial ideology
has always been a part of our history and culture. While it is true that our identities are shaped by
race, at the same time those different races create a social disparity based on how the others look
at us or perceive us based on the stereotypes or the language we speak. Based on my own
experience, when I first came to the US as an international student, I faced difficulty adjusting in
the new environment. Although I could speak English fluently, I realized that my American
professors and friends had difficulty understanding me. Gradually, I took on the American
accent not to just be understood but also feel more accepted by them.