Jose M. Martinez

Unit Plan

English 112B � Literature for Young Adults

Dr. Mary Warner

Fall 2006

 

Attempting to Break the Tradition of Acceptance

of Racism and Prejudice In Our Society

 

 

            The topic of race relations in this country continues to stir up emotions and create controversy among many Americans. Some Americans claim that racism does not exist in this country anymore. Others claim that racism does exist, but that we�ve come a long way since the days of ethnic genocide, slavery and exploitation. Some folks believe racism will disappear all together some day since so many cultures are mixing at such a rapid pace these days. There are also those who believe that racism is here to stay because it is part of human nature to be racist, and that one just needs to know how to control it. Friends, family members, co-workers and fellow students throughout my life have bestowed every one of these beliefs on me. The only thing I know is that racism does exist and that it has absolutely no place in our schools.

While working as a teacher�s aide in San Jose�s East Side Union High School District, where the majority of students are of Latino and Asian background, I witnessed what I called �discreet racism� among some students and teachers alike. I called it that because it was not the blatant, over-the-top type of racism people often hear about and see in movies, on television or in books; it was more subtle, making it that much more disturbing to me. I understand the instinctive nature to use a physical trait of a person as a form of reference to that person, but what I witnessed was, unfortunately, more than using the color of someone�s skin as a source of reference. What I witnessed was a trend within our culture that has only grown since I was a teenager�a trend that labels those who look different as a threat or an obstacle, and that creates the mentality of �us vs. them.�

As a Latino with African features, racism has always been a part of my life in some way, shape or form. I was considered too dark by many of my fellow Latinos, too light by many of my African-American friends and just plain Black to nearly every person who�s ever laid eyes on me. I sometimes believe that had I been exposed to racially charged comments from the people I admire most (my parents) I wouldn�t think racially charged comments to be such a big deal. But my parents never exposed me to that racist way of speaking or thinking and so it is a big deal for me.

Today there are too many media-related avenues that expose our society�s tolerance of racism and prejudice to young developing minds. Movies that condone racial stereotypes, comedians that use racially charged material as the basis of their routines and popular songs that continue to use the N word as if it were a badge of honor -- all contribute to the acceptance and tolerance of racism.

What causes the most harm in developing and nurturing a racist state of mind are the belief systems within some communities which perpetuate that there are only two ways to get ahead in this country:  either stick with �your own kind�, or assimilate to the ruling majority until all sense of heritage, culture and ethnic pride is lost -- better known as the "melting pot theory." Due to these belief systems, I find it extremely important to teach high school students how to truly develop an open mind and to judge people strictly on an individual basis despite the color of their skin, their culture or their religious belief. And despite what they may have learned from friends, relatives or society-- and this is the tricky part-- that each and everyone of us has the capacity to accomplish great things with the proper guidance and the right frame of mind. This is particularly important because, in my experience, many people who grow up being discriminated against acquire low self-esteem and the inability to believe that they are worthy or capable of above-average lives.

To set about the task of creating a powerful unit on racism, its consequences and its utter uselessness, I propose using several books combined with poetry, music and film. The unit should also emphasize breaking free from many of the false ideologies concerning racism that are passed on to our young people by their parents, friends and society in general. The books involved should wholeheartedly address racism as a serious problem.

The problem novel, however, is based on the philosophy that young people will have a better chance to be happy if they have realistic expectations and if they know both the bad and the good about the society in which they live (Donelson and Nilsen, 2006).

I propose using the novel Kindred by Octavia E. Butler as the centerpiece of the unit. Although not a realistic work of fiction per se, its realistic portrayal of slavery and modern racism combined with its poignant images and historical accuracy make for a powerful starting point. The fact that there is time travel involved should only add to the creative process of the unit.

 

Launching The Unit

 

1. Even before getting into the story, consider reading the following passage from page 60 that encompasses much of what the unit should address:

�Who�re you?� asked Rufus.

�My name�s Kevin�Kevin Franklin.�

�Does Dana belong to you now?�

�In a way,� said Kevin. �She�s my wife.�

�Wife?� Rufus squealed.

I sighed. �Kevin, I think we�d better demote me. In this time��

�Niggers can�t marry white people!� said Rufus.

I laid a hand on Kevin�s arm just in time to stop him from saying whatever he would have said. The look on his face was enough to tell me he should keep quiet.

�The boy learned to talk that way from his mother,� I said softly.

�And from his father, and probably from the slaves themselves.�

�Learned to talk what way?� asked Rufus.

�About niggers,� I said. �I don�t like the word, remember? Try calling me black or negro or even colored.� (�Kindred� 1979)

 

2. Immediately following the reading of the passage, consider playing �One Love� by Bob Marley and �Imagine� by John Lennon. Hand out copies of the lyrics to both songs and engage the students in a discussion on racial tolerance and Universal acceptance of all cultures and religions.

 

3.     Have the students answer the following questions:

a.     Have you ever been discriminated against?

b.     Have you ever judged someone simply based on the color of their skin or where they came from?

c.     Do you think racism is natural or something that is taught?

d.     Are you currently or have you ever dated outside of your culture? If so, what challenges/issues regarding your different cultures come up for you and your partner?

This will promote a class discussion on the nature of racism and how it can either be nurtured or abandoned.

           

4.     Read and discuss the following poems. The first is �Song For The Nineties� by John Sheehan from his poetry collection, Leaving Gary, and confronts issues of race, class, religion and the media. The other is Philip Larkin�s �This Be The Verse� that deals with the inevitable influence of parents, which sometimes may not be a positive thing.

 

�Song For The Nineties�                                            �This Be The Verse� 

John Sheehan                                                         Philip Larkin

 

Beware of the Arab, beware of the Jew,         They fuck you up, your mum and dad          

beware of the English, the Irish,                     They may not mean to, but they do.

the Tutsi, the Hutu,                                        They fill you with the faults they had

the Serbs, the Croatians,                                 And add some extra, just for you.

beware of the born-again Christian.

                                                                        But they were fucked up in their turn

Beware of the Black, beware of the White, By fools in old-style hats and coats,

beware of the students, the teachers, Who half the time were soppy-stern

the old, the young, And half at one another�s throats.

the rich, the poor,

beware the wild Indian swinging his tomahawk. Man hands on misery to man.

                                                                        It deepens like a coastal shelf.  

Beware the Catholic, beware the Protestant, Get out as early as you can,

The atheist, the agnostic. And don�t have any kids yourself.

Beware the criminal, beware the police.

Beware of your friendly protectors,

the status quo, the avant garde,

beware the revolution.

 

Beware of the devil who lies inside

your brother, your sister, yourself.

 

Beware of talking with any of these,

but beware the more if there is no talk.

 

Just beware, Baby, beware.

The actual reading of the novel should begin by the second week. While reading Kindred, students should keep track of the different relatives Dana encounters each time she returns to the past, beginning with Rufus. After the reading is done, suggest a short story assignment in which students can do one of two things:

A.                    They can research their own ancestry through the web or their relatives and then write a short story where they go back in time and encounter racism and life threatening circumstances trying to save one of their ancestors, or

B.                    They can write a short story where they go back to the time of slavery and describe how they are received, treated, etc. Perhaps they can return to the answers of the pre-reading questions and incorporate their own experiences in the story.

Once the stories are done, you can ask for volunteers who�d like to see their

stories acted out. The chosen shorts can then be turned into one-act plays that emphasize the impacts of discrimination. As an in-class assignment, have the students write a short paragraph about the one-acts and pose the question�would you want your children and grandchildren discriminated against?

 

                                                EXTENDING THE UNIT

 

The suggested Young Adult texts and media outlets that follow are designed to ignite emotions and promote communication between the students. They all deal with racial intolerance, racial stereotypes, bigotry, and two of the most redeeming of human qualities: love and compassion. The idea is to not solely put emphasis on the fact that racism exists, but that human beings have the natural capacity to see beyond color, creed and religion. And that everything that is learned can be unlearned.

 

1. Witness by Karen Hesse. (Novel) - This story, told in poetic form from different characters in a small Vermont town in 1924, tells the story of how the Ku Klux Klan attempts to infiltrate the town along with the hearts and minds of its inhabitants. It shows both the good and the bad of being part of a community.

            With the class still reeling from the one-acts, this would be a great story to act-read and then discuss.

 

2. Zoot Suit (1981) by Luis Valdez (Movie) - A story involving the real-life events of the

Sleepy Lagoon murder trial � when a group of young Mexican-Americans were wrongfully charged with murder � and the Zoot Suit Riots. In the play, Henry Reyna (inspired by real-life defendant (Henry Leyvas) is a pachuco gangster and his gang, who were unfairly prosecuted, are thrown in jail for a murder they did not commit. The play is set in the barrios of Los Angeles in the early 1940s against the backdrop of the Zoot Suit Riots and World War II.

This is a great movie to show the fact that African-American�s were not the only victims of discrimination in this country. After the movie the class can discuss other events that show discrimination towards other cultures in the U.S. (the Japanese-American camps after Pearl Harbor, 9-11 and its impact on American Muslims, the current immigration debate).

 

 

3. The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski (Novel) - A truly disturbing account of a young boy�s journey through a war-torn European country, based on the author�s own experiences. This book is considered to be one of the most important books about the holocaust.

This book serves as yet another vehicle that depicts the hardships of being discriminated against. Its potency lies in that it is told from a young person�s perspective. A writing assignment that puts students in the place of the main character would be interesting.

 

4. Marriage Is a Private Affair by Chinua Achebe (Short Story) � A story of how a father can not forgive his son for marrying a woman who was not from the same tribe.

Ask the following questions:

How many of you have dated outside of your culture?

How many of you have wanted to but were scared of your parents/peers reaction?

Do you believe that cultures should not mix? Why or why not?

 

CONCLUDING ACTIVITIES

Since racism is a topic that so many people do not want to engage in, it is important to encourage the students to take what they learn from this unit and incorporate it into their daily lives. One way to try to accomplish this is to assign an exercise in which every student, for one week, must refrain from describing someone from a different culture by their skin color or where they think they come from. At the end of the week, ask how hard or easy it was to accomplish that. If enough students become aware of how much more alike we are than different, they will more than likely pass on that philosophy to their children and their children�s children.

 

WORKS CITED

                                                                                                            

Achebe, Chinua. Marriage Is a Private Affair. Aroms Publication, 1972.

 

Butler, Octavia. Kindred. Boston: Beacon Press, 1979.

 

Donelson, Kenneth L. and Nilsen, Allen P. Literature for Today�s Young Adults. Boston: Pearson Custom Publication, 2006.

 

Hesse, Karen. Witness. Scholastic Inc., 2001

 

Kosinski, Jerzy. The Painted Bird. Grove Press, 1965.

 

Larkin, Phillip. This Be The Verse. www.artofeurope.com/larkin/lar2.htm

 

Sheehan, John. Song For The Nineties. Tia Chucha Press, 2005

 

Valdez, Luis. Zoot Suit. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_suit