By: LAUREN LANDIN
Staff Writer
I chose the story “New Appreciation for her Father” because it reminded me that violence and discrimination follow people everywhere. Through the author’s eyes, moving to America would solve all her problems. However, this narrative fell short when she overhears a racist encounter on the beach – and in a matter of seconds – she was back at square one. I picked this story because it was a strong representation of the reality of people who deal with discrimination, directly or indirectly. It can feel like you can’t escape and can’t get away from this type of verbal abuse. Her parents being targeted as well had an impact on her, and this could explain why moving to America was such a big deal to them. This was supposed to be an empowering moment for each of them, as well as a chance to start over. Even though moving to America didn’t stop the discrimination or racist remarks, Debra defended her family and this was a defining moment for her. This verbal story made me recognize the difficulties people of color face and how difficult it is to stand up for yourself time after time after time. Something I’m taking away from this story is to be sensitive towards others and mind your own business, because you never know what someone is going through.