This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Monday, September 10, 2012
PERIOD 7 - LITTLE BOXES
Today you read the story "Little Boxes" in class. Please share your thoughts about the story and the class discussion that followed in a reflective post. Make at least one comment about another student's post.
43 comments:
Sarah Fontaine
said...
The story "little boxes" really changed the way I think about my own identity. Just like Anthony Whright I have been asked to check off one of the boxes that describes who you are (white, black, hispanic, etc.). But if you think about it those boxes are so broad yet not broad enough. Not every single person, including myself, fits perfectly into one of those categories. So even though none of us have ever thought of those boxes that way, I know I will now.
The story "Little Boxes" really made me realize that on certain things when you are asked to check a box for ethnicity that it can be more complex than just what that box says. Anthony Wright was a perfect example of this and it was difficult for him to choose. He knew e was more and those little boxes limit you to a certain amount which you may not be any. I never took this the way he did i just checked off one box now i will think more about the little boxes.
I agree with Sarah and Olivia that these boxes are so unspecific and broad that for people of various descents, such as Anthony Wright, they can seem unfitting and people wish they had a spot to clarify.
Although I understand the points made in "Little Boxes", I did not feel like I could personally connect with the story. I come from white, European descent and there isn't much variation in my family's history. This has allowed me to thoughtlessly put an "x" in the box marked white without having to really question things. Hearing from someone like Anthony who has had to deal with this problem is really eye-opening because I would have never thought of dealing with an issue such as what he has encountered. I feel like the boxes should be replaced by a few lines asked for people to clarify how they few themselves instead of being limited to the assumptions that may accompany one box over another.
After reading "Little Boxes", I reflected on my own identity. I never considered the depth of 'who I am' before Anthony Wright's analysis of 'who he is'. I have been asked to check those "little boxes" on papers in the past, without thinking that I am more than what those options provide. It's important to know that each individual is not defined or limited to those "little boxes", or other ways that one may be categorized. Each individual's identity exceeds the options provided in those "little boxes".
I agree with Sara that the options in the boxes, although broad, are not broad enough. I will, just as Sara will, now think of those boxes as limited and non descriptive as to who a person is and what their identity may be.
I believe that the story “Little Boxes” really made us look into what creates our own identity and how diverse everyone is. Just like most of the Seniors in our class applying for college, we know that colleges favor a diverse student body. Yet no one realizes that they are really just racial profiling and not looking at each person by their identity, but only their race, gender, and other stereotypes. Most students know that if they are from another race, culture, or gender their acceptance rate is higher. I’m not saying that colleges shouldn’t be looking to only have one race or gender at their school, but they should be favoring people for their overall identity, including grades, extracurricular, etc. These little boxes make us define ourselves by what we look like, not who we are, and it doesn’t allow us to get to know the full person.
The story "little boxes" is a great example of how everyday people are labeled in society. An example of this is a college application the question might ask what ethnicity you may be and under it there are four answers but not everyone fits in those answers. People are all different and by putting them in a category such as white, Hispanic, or African American it cuts down their identity.
I had the same view as Molly Burke. Even though I’m mostly Ukrainian, to everyone I’m just a typical Caucasian. To those who aren’t easily just one of those “boxes” it can be hard to write down what you are viewed to others. It pushes people to really search through their identity and previous descent just to clarify what you are “most of”.
When I read “Little Boxes”, I realized that the way people identify themselves is definitely more than just what is provided on most applications and forms. I thought that it was interesting how Anthony identified with so many different cultures, and therefore had trouble fitting into just one category. Personally, I have never had experience with not knowing what to box to check, but it made me think about other people that do. Is there any way to fill out those forms that wouldn’t exclude people from certain groups? I don’t think that people can say “culturally, are you Hispanic, white, etc.?” or “based on your physical appearance, are you Hispanic, white, etc.?” because people like Anthony identify with each group in a different way.
After reading through the comments, I agree with Molly’s idea to have people write their own response. I think that that would allow people to clarify (at least to some extent) how they identify themselves with each ethnicity, which is important to individuals that want to maintain their identity.
After reading “Little Boxes” I fall in the same category as Molly. My family comes from a long line of White European decent, now whether it is from Italy or Ireland I still check off the “White” box and under that put European when asked. But it seems now after reading this that many people may have a problem when checking off these boxes. Like Anthony if you’re in this situation you would choose the box that most represents you, but by doing this people may feel that they are leaving out some of their own culture and I imagine that they would feel like they’re forgetting about other relatives and to me I would not like that. This because whenever I say I’m from Italian and Irish decent I am proud to say that. But when people have to choose what they are on these I feel they are losing their opportunity to be proud of who they actually are, not matter how many cultures they represent.
I also agree with Molly that there can be a way to say who you actually are in these boxes, even if you are like Anthony. If there was just a simple comments line people would be able to say who they actually are and represent all of their family history.
The story, “Little Boxes” made me see the struggle that Anthony and other people who are of different ethnicities have to deal with. We should get rid of the boxes or at least just be able to write all of the ethnicities that you identify with. Now that we are applying for college, they should be looking at our essays, GPA, and extracurricular activities instead of ethnicities because that can lead to racial profiling.
Anthony Wright’s identity is not defining by choosing simply one category. His background and experiences are very intricate which cannot be shown when he is required to narrow down his identity to pre-selected topics. This is unfair for an individual to have to degrade themselves to something they are not or not including all aspects of their identity. It is very offensive to be forced to make these decisions and I don’t think it is right to misunderstand the facts of a person’s life. Anthony had personal connections that broadened his identity network by having a mixed heritage, biological ties, and adapted lifestyles. Whenever a person is confined to parameters that do not reveal the absolute truth about themselves, the little boxes are limiting that person and their expression.
Alyssa you make a valid point. Why should your race be a form of judgement when you are applying to schools? It should be based on the individuals' identities, characters, and achievements. False impressions can be made from the resumes when it isn't always the most accurate portrayal of the person.
The story “Little Boxes” really emphasizes how many people are labeled and how much a label impacts a person. So when a person has to check a “little box: with their ethnicity they might feel obligated to chose one right away when truly they have multiple ethnicities but aren’t able to pick that many. And filling in these little boxes doesn’t truly show who someone is, they just pinpoint someone on one thing.
I also agree with what David said, that when people have to chose just on category like Hispanic, or Asian they fell like their identity is cut and doesn’t show who they fully are
The story “little boxes” really opened my eyes to the way I look at myself as well as the people around me. I never gave much though to checking off the boxes while filling out forms, whether for college or surveys, but after reading about Anthony’s struggles it made me think more about who I am and how I value myself. I think the fact that people are reduced to little boxes on a piece of paper is repulsive and completely demeaning. It takes away all individuality; there are no two people exactly alike and to give an option of white or Asian or African American doesn’t allow people to show who they really are, especially when it indicates to select one. Someone could be all of those things and no one would ever know based on their checking off of the “boxes”.
I agree with Sarah in saying that not everyone is going to fit perfectly into a single category and to only give someone so many options limits who they are and who they believe themselves to be. The boxes make it difficult for someone to identify themselves as an individual when they're being told that they must fit into one of the given categories and I dont believe that is right.
I agree with Molly in that I have never really thought very much of checking off the box labeled “white” before. When I was little, I remember asking my mom why there wasn't a European category, but after that, I never questioned it again. I quickly adapted to the identity that I was white or caucasian and continued to fill out paperwork in that way. In “Little Boxes”, Anthony Wright represented the part of America that we pride ourselves on, the diverse population. Even though we are quick to say that America is the land of the free and is comprised of people from almost every race and ethnicity, we forget this and force people to categorize themselves when filling out paperwork, making them lose their identity and stick with one little “box”.
The story "Little Boxes" made me question my identity and realize that we are all being limited by the generalized terms used to indicate race. I did not really look at who I was until I read Anthony Wright's story. I've recently encountered something like this during the college application process where the applicant had to indicate race by checking the boxes. I believe the race section of an application should be written out rather than being limited to certain answers.
"Little Boxes" helps demonstrate how designating individuals to arbitrary categories, and labeling them with a single word, trivializes their cultural history and strips them of any personal connections to their ethnicity. In many instances, people with Russian ancestors, Irish ancestors, French ancestors, or Italian ancestors are all stripped of their individual cultures by their collective designation of "white." The same applies to "black" or "hispanic." It begs the question: if I am being so generally categorized, how can this tell the school anything about who I am? It's not, really. In reality, it does not matter to the school which box Anthony Wright checks. They do not care which neighborhood he grew up in or if he could classify himself under three different boxes. They just want him to pick one. This information is used to satisfy affirmative action programs, or to allow a college to maintain its label of "very diverse." These companies and schools are taking advantage of our cultural backgrounds: by checking these boxes, I am no longer Jamie Cerny. I am just white, a percentage of the student population. These institutions do not care if my Irish ancestry is completely irrelevent to my identity, or if I grew up in Ireland. My ethnicity is being used to fulfill quotas, not to explain who I am. I am always tempted to check "I choose not to answer" so that my ethnicity remains mine instead becoming a statistic or getting me rejected from a school because they already have too many "white" people.
I think the story "little boxes" shows how society stereotypes people. Our society has become so accustomed to answering such defining questions about who you are on a daily basis when in reality we don't know at all who we are. A lot of us are like Anthony Wright in the fact that we don't know what boxes to check when we come across a question such as ethnicity. Instead of not thinking about the question and just checking off the box that everyone else checks, we need to think about what checking off a "little box" actually means to us.
I agree with Olivia. The little boxes make it seem like the question isn't a big deal when in reality it can be the biggest question anyone has to answer.
In response to Ryan's comment, I agree that it is demeaning to expect us to reduce our culture down to a single word, or a little box. I think it demonstrates that the schools do not care how our ethnicity affects us, or maybe they just expect that it doesn't affect us, and this is unfair to people whose lives are shaped by their families' native countries. By not providing an opportunity to show what ethincity means to someone or how it affects them, it shows their disregard for our values, supporting what I said about using this information, not to explain who we are, but for fulfilling quotas and compiling statistics. Using the little information that we are allowed to provide, colleges may seem very diverse or otherwise on paper, but they may, in reality, be the complete opposite because of their ignorance of the value we give to our ethinicity. For example, I know that certain ethnic backgrounds, such as Native American or Pacific Islander, give you an advantage in applying for schools because they think you will contribute to the diversity of the student population, but they do not know if you have any connection with that background. It may be something that you say about yourself but have no personal connection to and no further knowledge of, and that is unfair to people who have to check off general categories, like white or black, but have a deep connection to their country's culture.
The story "Little Boxes" made me and i'm sure most of the other classmates think about how some people we may know have to go through that regularly. it is very unfortunate that in our society today, people have to determine what they consider themselfs and what to select as their ethnicity if more than one 'little box' can be selected to catagorize themselfs.
After reading the "Little Boxes" it opened my eyes as to how broad those boxes that you check off about your ethnicity. Just like Sarah and Olivia had mentioned. I always go back in fourth when ever I come across those boxes because on my moms’ side of the family they are Native Americans. And on my dads side of the family they are full Irish. So I am constantly contemplating what to check off; white or other and say Native American. Due to society the male is the dominant figure in family so society tends to put the ethnicity of their father. My question is why don’t they let us write in our race because isn’t based on how we see our selves anyways.
I agree with Alyssa as to why our race be a form of judgment when it comes to applying to schools and sometimes jobs. If our country is about equality why should it matter our race. There are not any major or any advantages to being a different race we all have the same goal of a successful future. And like most of us had already mentioned we are all our boxes.
I do agree with David in that the boxes one checks on a survey can be demeaning to many and takes away a person’s individualism and restricts their identity.
Though I believe where these boxes would most likely appear, is on surveys, and censuses, which demonstrates their simple purpose to categorize, establish patterns, and collect data. Those collecting the data could probably care less about how special and individual you are or what makes up your total identity. So I do believe it is admirable to want to stand up and say “this little box with White, or Hispanic written next to it can never represent my individual identity” I don’t believe that this type of situation calls for it. Though I feel Anthony Wright does succeed in showing how complex and diverse a Modern individuals identity can be. The activity was also a good self reflection as it allowed me to look at how I identify myself if I were to literally write it down
I agree with Jake, I never really put that much thought into what I was checking off before. I usually just check off white or prefer not answer but only because that was the quickest thing to check off. Thinking more about Anthony Wright’s story I wonder if next time I am given a questionnaire will I take the time to check off a box that suits me the best, will I check two boxes? I definitely think that I will think twice before I just check the quickest box. I also really like the idea of having race be a written part not just a check.
Before reading “Little Boxes” I was always the person to check off white and be done with whatever the questionnaire, survey, and or application I was filling out at the time. The way I thought of it was that, for some of the lesser important things like surveys, whoever was reading it, if someone even was reading it, didn’t really care what I put, and I didn’t care what I put either. But as I have grown up and college applications and job applications are now what I am filling out, they’re obviously more important and someone is taking the time to read them and that person may care what I write. After reading “Little Boxes” it showed me that people do care what you check off and you will be judged upon a single little box (which I think is unfair). But, I will definitely become more attentive to what I am marking off now.
"Little Boxes" made me remember any time that I have had to check off my ethnicity for a document. Specifically when I was looking for a job. There's a seperate section that is just for Hispanics on alot of them. At first it didn't phase me, but then I realized more and more how prevelant it was. Why? Why did I have to check off the Hispanic box on my own seperate line? Was that supposed to say something about who I was? It's true, I am Hispanic, but I'm alot of other things also, more importantly, I'm Michelle Sa. And Anthony Wright is Anthony Wright. I don't think people should have to check off boxes that give a vague description for who they are culturally.
I think that Nancy has a good idea. When having to adress what our "ethnicity" is we should be allowed to write down how we best identify that. I think they give us very limited options and if we were to write it we'd be more accurate.
After reading "Little Boxes", the main idea which I came away with was that somtimes in society people are pressured into doing something, which in the case for Anthony here was picking a race that he could identify with. However, I don't think that the moral of this story teaches that limiting your options is only applied to race. I think a similar case for concepts such as religion, personality traits, etc. could also be used. The basic key is that in life, you're not just limited to the options you're presented with, sometimes you can do many of these options, and still be sucessful.
After reading "Little Boxes", the main idea which I came away with was that somtimes in society people are pressured into doing something, which in the case for Anthony here was picking a race that he could identify with. However, I don't think that the moral of this story teaches that limiting your options is only applied to race. I think a similar case for concepts such as religion, personality traits, etc. could also be used. The basic key is that in life, you're not just limited to the options you're presented with, sometimes you can do many of these options, and still be sucessful.
I side with Andy's comment, that what Anthony was faced with in terms of being limited to what boxes he could pick was kind of demeaning and restrictive, because he couldn't truly express who and what he was.
The story "Little Boxes" explains how a person cannot always just be judged exclusively by what is written in a survey box. In Anthony Wright's case he said that he doesn't feel like he belongs to any of those specific groups. He explains that he is influenced by both his parents, who are complete opposites. His dad who is asian with enlish and irish roots and his mother who is Hispanic. In my opinion I completely agree with this statement since personally I would not like to be lumped into one big crowd instead of being an individual.
Even though surveys are taken to collect data it doesn't mean that someone has to generalize themselves. In fact it may be more beneficial to be more specific since data is meant to be accurate. This subject matter is also difficult for a typical Westborough High Schooler to understand since the greater majority of Westborough High Schoolers are white and don't have to face this decision.
43 comments:
The story "little boxes" really changed the way I think about my own identity. Just like Anthony Whright I have been asked to check off one of the boxes that describes who you are (white, black, hispanic, etc.). But if you think about it those boxes are so broad yet not broad enough. Not every single person, including myself, fits perfectly into one of those categories. So even though none of us have ever thought of those boxes that way, I know I will now.
The story "Little Boxes" really made me realize that on certain things when you are asked to check a box for ethnicity that it can be more complex than just what that box says. Anthony Wright was a perfect example of this and it was difficult for him to choose. He knew e was more and those little boxes limit you to a certain amount which you may not be any. I never took this the way he did i just checked off one box now i will think more about the little boxes.
I agree with what Sarah said and how not everyone fits into the boxes perfectly.Most people are more than what the boxes provide.
I agree with Sarah and Olivia that these boxes are so unspecific and broad that for people of various descents, such as Anthony Wright, they can seem unfitting and people wish they had a spot to clarify.
Although I understand the points made in "Little Boxes", I did not feel like I could personally connect with the story. I come from white, European descent and there isn't much variation in my family's history. This has allowed me to thoughtlessly put an "x" in the box marked white without having to really question things. Hearing from someone like Anthony who has had to deal with this problem is really eye-opening because I would have never thought of dealing with an issue such as what he has encountered. I feel like the boxes should be replaced by a few lines asked for people to clarify how they few themselves instead of being limited to the assumptions that may accompany one box over another.
I agree with Olivia on how Anthony was a perfect example of why the boxes don't provide enough.
After reading "Little Boxes", I reflected on my own identity. I never considered the depth of 'who I am' before Anthony Wright's analysis of 'who he is'. I have been asked to check those "little boxes" on papers in the past, without thinking that I am more than what those options provide. It's important to know that each individual is not defined or limited to those "little boxes", or other ways that one may be categorized. Each individual's identity exceeds the options provided in those "little boxes".
I agree with Sara that the options in the boxes, although broad, are not broad enough. I will, just as Sara will, now think of those boxes as limited and non descriptive as to who a person is and what their identity may be.
I believe that the story “Little Boxes” really made us look into what creates our own identity and how diverse everyone is. Just like most of the Seniors in our class applying for college, we know that colleges favor a diverse student body. Yet no one realizes that they are really just racial profiling and not looking at each person by their identity, but only their race, gender, and other stereotypes. Most students know that if they are from another race, culture, or gender their acceptance rate is higher. I’m not saying that colleges shouldn’t be looking to only have one race or gender at their school, but they should be favoring people for their overall identity, including grades, extracurricular, etc. These little boxes make us define ourselves by what we look like, not who we are, and it doesn’t allow us to get to know the full person.
The story "little boxes" is a great example of how everyday people are labeled in society. An example of this is a college application the question might ask what ethnicity you may be and under it there are four answers but not everyone fits in those answers. People are all different and by putting them in a category such as white, Hispanic, or African American it cuts down their identity.
I had the same view as Molly Burke. Even though I’m mostly Ukrainian, to everyone I’m just a typical Caucasian. To those who aren’t easily just one of those “boxes” it can be hard to write down what you are viewed to others. It pushes people to really search through their identity and previous descent just to clarify what you are “most of”.
When I read “Little Boxes”, I realized that the way people identify themselves is definitely more than just what is provided on most applications and forms. I thought that it was interesting how Anthony identified with so many different cultures, and therefore had trouble fitting into just one category. Personally, I have never had experience with not knowing what to box to check, but it made me think about other people that do. Is there any way to fill out those forms that wouldn’t exclude people from certain groups? I don’t think that people can say “culturally, are you Hispanic, white, etc.?” or “based on your physical appearance, are you Hispanic, white, etc.?” because people like Anthony identify with each group in a different way.
After reading through the comments, I agree with Molly’s idea to have people write their own response. I think that that would allow people to clarify (at least to some extent) how they identify themselves with each ethnicity, which is important to individuals that want to maintain their identity.
After reading “Little Boxes” I fall in the same category as Molly. My family comes from a long line of White European decent, now whether it is from Italy or Ireland I still check off the “White” box and under that put European when asked. But it seems now after reading this that many people may have a problem when checking off these boxes. Like Anthony if you’re in this situation you would choose the box that most represents you, but by doing this people may feel that they are leaving out some of their own culture and I imagine that they would feel like they’re forgetting about other relatives and to me I would not like that. This because whenever I say I’m from Italian and Irish decent I am proud to say that. But when people have to choose what they are on these I feel they are losing their opportunity to be proud of who they actually are, not matter how many cultures they represent.
I also agree with Molly that there can be a way to say who you actually are in these boxes, even if you are like Anthony. If there was just a simple comments line people would be able to say who they actually are and represent all of their family history.
The story, “Little Boxes” made me see the struggle that Anthony and other people who are of different ethnicities have to deal with. We should get rid of the boxes or at least just be able to write all of the ethnicities that you identify with. Now that we are applying for college, they should be looking at our essays, GPA, and extracurricular activities instead of ethnicities because that can lead to racial profiling.
I agree with Olyvia and how peoples identity is more than what these "boxes" can provide.
Anthony Wright’s identity is not defining by choosing simply one category. His background and experiences are very intricate which cannot be shown when he is required to narrow down his identity to pre-selected topics. This is unfair for an individual to have to degrade themselves to something they are not or not including all aspects of their identity. It is very offensive to be forced to make these decisions and I don’t think it is right to misunderstand the facts of a person’s life. Anthony had personal connections that broadened his identity network by having a mixed heritage, biological ties, and adapted lifestyles. Whenever a person is confined to parameters that do not reveal the absolute truth about themselves, the little boxes are limiting that person and their expression.
Alyssa you make a valid point. Why should your race be a form of judgement when you are applying to schools? It should be based on the individuals' identities, characters, and achievements. False impressions can be made from the resumes when it isn't always the most accurate portrayal of the person.
The story “Little Boxes” really emphasizes how many people are labeled and how much a label impacts a person. So when a person has to check a “little box: with their ethnicity they might feel obligated to chose one right away when truly they have multiple ethnicities but aren’t able to pick that many. And filling in these little boxes doesn’t truly show who someone is, they just pinpoint someone on one thing.
I also agree with what David said, that when people have to chose just on category like Hispanic, or Asian they fell like their identity is cut and doesn’t show who they fully are
The story “little boxes” really opened my eyes to the way I look at myself as well as the people around me. I never gave much though to checking off the boxes while filling out forms, whether for college or surveys, but after reading about Anthony’s struggles it made me think more about who I am and how I value myself. I think the fact that people are reduced to little boxes on a piece of paper is repulsive and completely demeaning. It takes away all individuality; there are no two people exactly alike and to give an option of white or Asian or African American doesn’t allow people to show who they really are, especially when it indicates to select one. Someone could be all of those things and no one would ever know based on their checking off of the “boxes”.
I agree with Sarah in saying that not everyone is going to fit perfectly into a single category and to only give someone so many options limits who they are and who they believe themselves to be. The boxes make it difficult for someone to identify themselves as an individual when they're being told that they must fit into one of the given categories and I dont believe that is right.
I agree with Molly in that I have never really thought very much of checking off the box labeled “white” before. When I was little, I remember asking my mom why there wasn't a European category, but after that, I never questioned it again. I quickly adapted to the identity that I was white or caucasian and continued to fill out paperwork in that way. In “Little Boxes”, Anthony Wright represented the part of America that we pride ourselves on, the diverse population. Even though we are quick to say that America is the land of the free and is comprised of people from almost every race and ethnicity, we forget this and force people to categorize themselves when filling out paperwork, making them lose their identity and stick with one little “box”.
what sarah said is correct not everyone fits perfectly everyone is diffrent and everyone has there own box
I agree with what David said. It is very noticibale in our society everyday that people are labeled to try and put themselfs in a catagory.
The story "Little Boxes" made me question my identity and realize that we are all being limited by the generalized terms used to indicate race. I did not really look at who I was until I read Anthony Wright's story. I've recently encountered something like this during the college application process where the applicant had to indicate race by checking the boxes. I believe the race section of an application should be written out rather than being limited to certain answers.
"Little Boxes" helps demonstrate how designating individuals to arbitrary categories, and labeling them with a single word, trivializes their cultural history and strips them of any personal connections to their ethnicity. In many instances, people with Russian ancestors, Irish ancestors, French ancestors, or Italian ancestors are all stripped of their individual cultures by their collective designation of "white." The same applies to "black" or "hispanic." It begs the question: if I am being so generally categorized, how can this tell the school anything about who I am? It's not, really. In reality, it does not matter to the school which box Anthony Wright checks. They do not care which neighborhood he grew up in or if he could classify himself under three different boxes. They just want him to pick one. This information is used to satisfy affirmative action programs, or to allow a college to maintain its label of "very diverse." These companies and schools are taking advantage of our cultural backgrounds: by checking these boxes, I am no longer Jamie Cerny. I am just white, a percentage of the student population. These institutions do not care if my Irish ancestry is completely irrelevent to my identity, or if I grew up in Ireland. My ethnicity is being used to fulfill quotas, not to explain who I am. I am always tempted to check "I choose not to answer" so that my ethnicity remains mine instead becoming a statistic or getting me rejected from a school because they already have too many "white" people.
I agree with sarah because people have descendants from all types of backgrounds. Not everyone fits into those boxes perfectly.
I think the story "little boxes" shows how society stereotypes people. Our society has become so accustomed to answering such defining questions about who you are on a daily basis when in reality we don't know at all who we are. A lot of us are like Anthony Wright in the fact that we don't know what boxes to check when we come across a question such as ethnicity. Instead of not thinking about the question and just checking off the box that everyone else checks, we need to think about what checking off a "little box" actually means to us.
I agree with Olivia. The little boxes make it seem like the question isn't a big deal when in reality it can be the biggest question anyone has to answer.
In response to Ryan's comment, I agree that it is demeaning to expect us to reduce our culture down to a single word, or a little box. I think it demonstrates that the schools do not care how our ethnicity affects us, or maybe they just expect that it doesn't affect us, and this is unfair to people whose lives are shaped by their families' native countries. By not providing an opportunity to show what ethincity means to someone or how it affects them, it shows their disregard for our values, supporting what I said about using this information, not to explain who we are, but for fulfilling quotas and compiling statistics. Using the little information that we are allowed to provide, colleges may seem very diverse or otherwise on paper, but they may, in reality, be the complete opposite because of their ignorance of the value we give to our ethinicity.
For example, I know that certain ethnic backgrounds, such as Native American or Pacific Islander, give you an advantage in applying for schools because they think you will contribute to the diversity of the student population, but they do not know if you have any connection with that background. It may be something that you say about yourself but have no personal connection to and no further knowledge of, and that is unfair to people who have to check off general categories, like white or black, but have a deep connection to their country's culture.
The story "Little Boxes" made me and i'm sure most of the other classmates think about how some people we may know have to go through that regularly. it is very unfortunate that in our society today, people have to determine what they consider themselfs and what to select as their ethnicity if more than one 'little box' can be selected to catagorize themselfs.
After reading the "Little Boxes" it opened my eyes as to how broad those boxes that you check off about your ethnicity. Just like Sarah and Olivia had mentioned. I always go back in fourth when ever I come across those boxes because on my moms’ side of the family they are Native Americans. And on my dads side of the family they are full Irish. So I am constantly contemplating what to check off; white or other and say Native American. Due to society the male is the dominant figure in family so society tends to put the ethnicity of their father. My question is why don’t they let us write in our race because isn’t based on how we see our selves anyways.
I agree with Alyssa as to why our race be a form of judgment when it comes to applying to schools and sometimes jobs. If our country is about equality why should it matter our race. There are not any major or any advantages to being a different race we all have the same goal of a successful future. And like most of us had already mentioned we are all our boxes.
I do agree with David in that the boxes one checks on a survey can be demeaning to many and takes away a person’s individualism and restricts their identity.
Though I believe where these boxes would most likely appear, is on surveys, and censuses, which demonstrates their simple purpose to categorize, establish patterns, and collect data. Those collecting the data could probably care less about how special and individual you are or what makes up your total identity. So I do believe it is admirable to want to stand up and say “this little box with White, or Hispanic written next to it can never represent my individual identity” I don’t believe that this type of situation calls for it. Though I feel Anthony Wright does succeed in showing how complex and diverse a Modern individuals identity can be. The activity was also a good self reflection as it allowed me to look at how I identify myself if I were to literally write it down
I agree with Jake, I never really put that much thought into what I was checking off before. I usually just check off white or prefer not answer but only because that was the quickest thing to check off. Thinking more about Anthony Wright’s story I wonder if next time I am given a questionnaire will I take the time to check off a box that suits me the best, will I check two boxes? I definitely think that I will think twice before I just check the quickest box. I also really like the idea of having race be a written part not just a check.
Before reading “Little Boxes” I was always the person to check off white and be done with whatever the questionnaire, survey, and or application I was filling out at the time. The way I thought of it was that, for some of the lesser important things like surveys, whoever was reading it, if someone even was reading it, didn’t really care what I put, and I didn’t care what I put either. But as I have grown up and college applications and job applications are now what I am filling out, they’re obviously more important and someone is taking the time to read them and that person may care what I write. After reading “Little Boxes” it showed me that people do care what you check off and you will be judged upon a single little box (which I think is unfair). But, I will definitely become more attentive to what I am marking off now.
"Little Boxes" made me remember any time that I have had to check off my ethnicity for a document. Specifically when I was looking for a job. There's a seperate section that is just for Hispanics on alot of them. At first it didn't phase me, but then I realized more and more how prevelant it was. Why? Why did I have to check off the Hispanic box on my own seperate line? Was that supposed to say something about who I was? It's true, I am Hispanic, but I'm alot of other things also, more importantly, I'm Michelle Sa. And Anthony Wright is Anthony Wright. I don't think people should have to check off boxes that give a vague description for who they are culturally.
In response to Nancy:
I think that Nancy has a good idea. When having to adress what our "ethnicity" is we should be allowed to write down how we best identify that. I think they give us very limited options and if we were to write it we'd be more accurate.
After reading "Little Boxes", the main idea which I came away with was that somtimes in society people are pressured into doing something, which in the case for Anthony here was picking a race that he could identify with. However, I don't think that the moral of this story teaches that limiting your options is only applied to race. I think a similar case for concepts such as religion, personality traits, etc. could also be used. The basic key is that in life, you're not just limited to the options you're presented with, sometimes you can do many of these options, and still be sucessful.
After reading "Little Boxes", the main idea which I came away with was that somtimes in society people are pressured into doing something, which in the case for Anthony here was picking a race that he could identify with. However, I don't think that the moral of this story teaches that limiting your options is only applied to race. I think a similar case for concepts such as religion, personality traits, etc. could also be used. The basic key is that in life, you're not just limited to the options you're presented with, sometimes you can do many of these options, and still be sucessful.
I side with Andy's comment, that what Anthony was faced with in terms of being limited to what boxes he could pick was kind of demeaning and restrictive, because he couldn't truly express who and what he was.
The story "Little Boxes" explains how a person cannot always just be judged exclusively by what is written in a survey box. In Anthony Wright's case he said that he doesn't feel like he belongs to any of those specific groups. He explains that he is influenced by both his parents, who are complete opposites. His dad who is asian with enlish and irish roots and his mother who is Hispanic. In my opinion I completely agree with this statement since personally I would not like to be lumped into one big crowd instead of being an individual.
In response to Sean's post...
Even though surveys are taken to collect data it doesn't mean that someone has to generalize themselves. In fact it may be more beneficial to be more specific since data is meant to be accurate. This subject matter is also difficult for a typical Westborough High Schooler to understand since the greater majority of Westborough High Schoolers are white and don't have to face this decision.
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