This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Monday, February 3, 2014
PERIOD 6: LITTLE BOXES
Today you read the story "Little Boxes" in class. Please share your thoughts about the article and the class discussion that followed in a reflective post.
27 comments:
Jameson Bradley
said...
I thought that the article we read in class today called, "Little Boxes" was an article that showed how much checking off a certain box, can influence how a person will think about themselves. Anthony Wright has basically destroyed his own self confidence due to the fact that he can't decide how he wants to be viewed as a person. He tells us that he doesn't know his ethnicity and he doesn't know his family's social class, which are examples of how he is confused and shows he actually does have a classification problem, however i do not agree with his main point of view. Anthony is saying that he is not as good of a person because he doesn't know his ethnicity, just because you don't recognize part of your identity doesn't mean you should determine that you are lesser of a person than someone else. I do know of people that share the same dilemma as Anthony, but they just ignore it and it does not affect them in any way.
Durning class we read the article "Little Boxes" by Anthony Wright. Anthony was obviously passionate about his heritage and he made good points about grouping yourself. When groupings are made stereotypes are formed and an individual can be lost. i think its also important that when filling out a survey it usually states to only check one of the "little boxes". This instruction makes it impossible for someone to identify themselves with more than one ethnicity. Durning the class discussion my individual response was reflected in the way I see myself. To some people nationality and ethnicity plays a major role in their day-to-day life, for me thats not the case. I don't even know my heritage, this article made me question if these things should be more important to me.
I agree that the boxes to indicate one’s race may bring conflicts to a person’s identity and what they think of themselves. I also agree with how Wright explained how people are categorized. Generalizations can offend a person since wrong assumptions can be made and parts of a person’s identity will be excluded. I understood Wright's arguments in his article; however, I felt that they were in vain. The elimination of identification boxes doesn’t end the thoughts that people have that are associated with people who look a certain way. I think it’s impossible to stop the thoughts that everyone forms about any group that they create no matter how educated they may be. The issue that Wright faces is much bigger than just those boxes on forms and paperwork. Unfortunately, the mindset of people now and to come will be very judgmental and assuming and identity becomes an increasing struggle.
I thought that the kid who had a hard time trying to fit in with an ethnic group was just inventing a problem for himself. I also thought that maybe it would be better if everyone stopped defining themselves by a race or ethnic group, and not let our ancestors define who we will be or act like. It was a good thing that he was different from everybody else because that made him unique. He shouldn't be trying to fit into a group but instead maybe start his own and instead of depending on his ancestors it would depend on him
I thought that the article "Little Boxes" brought up a point that most of us don't think about often; how stereotypes can offend and hinder a persons unique individuality. Wright talked about how when he was young he was stereotyped because of his looks, which made him less confident in himself. Once a person is labeled as a certain "type" of person, it is hard for them to keep their individuality, because of the stereotypes other people put on them. Society as a whole also categorizes people based on race, which Wright shows through his struggle filling out little boxes on forms. Since his family comes from so many different cultures, he does not feel that he fits into one specific box. These little boxes seem to take away a persons individuality by making them choose one of a few races, even if one doesn't fully describe them. Society always feels the need to label and stereotype people in different ways, which hinders a persons unique, individual qualities.
While I agree that one's heritage and culture is central to the base of Maslow's basic hierarchy of needs, the fact that he is not comfortable due the the standardization of a box when it comes to choosing his heritage, (of which he's proud of but doesn't completely identify with one specifically...?) is rather childish and humorous. I understand the point; these are things that strip people of who they actually are, but if you look at the context of simple checking off a "little box," of course their not going to know who you are. It is intentionally made that size in order to keep your identification simplified! Once again, I understand what he is getting at; lose of specific culture and its consequences, but in the end, this is infantile approach to addressing who he is is already flawed when you base your personal intellectual and emotional intelligence on race.
I think that the story “Little Boxes” puts a huge emphasis on the point the way you think about yourself. Anthony Wright tells us how he was different due to the fact that he was not exactly the same among st the kids in his neighborhood. Generalizations can seriously offend a person due to the fact that they can harm someone’s feelings about their personality or ethnicity. Anthony Wright says he is worth less than any other person because of the fact that he doesn't know his complete family history. In my opinion, you are not a worse person only due to the fact that you don’t know your ethnicity. What makes a good person is about their personality and how they are to others/ their society. The society in general should stop making stereotypes on people’s ethnicity, and focus on the person’s personality.
Reading "Little Boxes" today in class makes you realize how our society and people in our society categorize you and put you into specific groups based off of things such as age, race, and religion. Things like race do not define who you are. And in my opinion when it says "check one" you're being limited and possibly judged. This can cause you to be uncomfortable or feel disrespected for something that you cannot help.
While I don't exactly share Anthony Wright's dilemma, I do agree with the point he is trying to make. I personally have never had trouble identifying myself as a member of one ethnic group, so I can't say that I know how he feels. However, reading this article made me think about this problem and try to understand it. I think what he is getting at is that it can sometimes be difficult to label ourselves as a member of a certain group, ethnic or otherwise, because we feel like we don't really fit into the "little box" associated with this group. Every label brings with it stereotypes, prejudices, and other pre-conceived notions of what a person in that particular group should be like. For this reason, I think that Anthony Wright was saying that we shouldn't be forced to put such labels on ourselves because doing so only brings about these issues.
Reading the article "Little Boxes" opened my eyes to just how limiting these boxes can be. As a person who identifies myself primarily as "white", this is an issue that I have neither faced or considered. While I believe its important not to stereotype people based on their ethnicity and to always be aware that there is more to a person than the box they check, at the same time if we have a box for every single ethnicity it would be 5 pages long. I agree with what Anthony said about not being judged for anything other than his words and actions. Personally I'm not sure its necessary to have these boxes at all. People like Anthony will spend too much time worrying about which box to check than the actual assignment or task itself.
The Article “Little Boxes” brought our attention to an issue that we would never think about when filling out surveys or any forms with check boxes that group us with certain groups; for example ethnicity backgrounds. Anthony Wright got us thinking of how limiting these boxes can be to one’s life. He is surely conflicted with the fact that he has to only limit himself to one ethnic background because the instructions say so. But due to his wide range of different ethnic backgrounds this becomes harder for him because he can’t figure out which one he belongs too plus he doesn't want to be like everyone else. He likes being a part of multiple ethnicities in his family but check boxes present a challenge for him. And I would agree with him because we shouldn't be pushed into certain groups that don’t define who we are, we should be able to express who we are freely without limitations.
I think the article “little Boxes” brings our attention to a struggle many people face. It uses a situation we have almost all been through, filling out information about yourself, when you reach a section where you don’t seem to fit. Trying to fit peoples identities into generalized ideas can be damaging in many ways. If you look for your box, and don’t find one, you can feel like your identity isn’t important to anyone, or like you are in the wrong place. This can lead to you saying you are part of a different box, just to avoid the situation, but the more you choose boxes that aren’t yours, the more you lose your unique identity. I thought Keegan’s different point of view was interesting, and while this specific case may seem trivial I think that the bigger message it is trying to convey of how stereotypes damage individuality is important.
Personally, I have never had difficulty choosing which ethnicity to identify myself with, however, I can see Anthony Wright’s problem in the article “Little Boxes.” These “little boxes” on applications/ forums can be restricting because in reality they “reduce an individual to a category” as Deborah Tannen wrote in the article. Nowadays, many people in the United States are a mixture of races which would make it difficult to generalize/label what ethnicity you associate yourself with on an application/ forum. We often want to be a part of a group, but sometimes these groups will have stereotypes that are associated with them which can make it hard to fit into the “little box” because it reduces an individual to a category that may not fully describe their unique and mixed background. I come from a French-Canadian, German, and Irish background, but I do not find it difficult to associate myself with just one group because I know less about my mixed background and more about American culture and customs making it easy for me to classify myself as white in the “little boxes.” Without these boxes on forums, there would be less stereotyping and prejudices that come with categories like race, gender, and religion.
In the article we read, "Little Boxes," Anthony Wright touches upon the important idea about the dangers of generalizations about entire cultures, or the reduction of vast ethnic groups into a classification using a single word. He also touches upon the idea that individual should be responsible for how they are labeled or identified, as opposed to their identity being built of the perceptions of others. But his argument could have be strengthened with examples that expose this danger out of the context of just "little boxes," since I don't believe any of usincluding those who make the surveys or the exams that have the aforementioned boxes truly consider those boxes to be indicative of our whole identities. Any examples of systems that use that process of boxes or labeling are rather innocuous (then again, I'm still a minor and haven't had to go through any major civic paperwork or processes). I can see where he's coming from, we're all more guilty of generalizing and stereotyping then we realize and it is a serious issue. Our society needs to do a better job of reinforcing how complicated our own identities are, especially our cultural identities, which at often times are more than just American or white. But at the same time, Anthony's comment on this issue remained mostly personal, and people aren't often spurred to feel passionate about something until they see the larger effects of it, or how this issue could infringe on their own lives or those close to them.
Reading Little Boxes today spoke of Anthony Wright and his views on the description and overall classification of people based on race. He doesn't believe that checking a box next to a vague description of your ethnicity should define or be the first impression someone else gets of you. His cultural background is made up of many cultures and he's not sure which one people see him as. But his essay states it shouldn't define you and shouldn't group you with billions of others. Because then you are part of a larger group without any identity at all.
Today in class we read “Little Boxes” written by Anthony E. Wright. I agree with his opposing views of categorizing people by the extent of their race or religion instead of by the “content of their character” as Martin Luther King once said in his ‘I Have a Dream Speech’. Checked boxes whether it be for the SATs or a college application are not enough information for people to judge by, yet it happens all the time. A little closer to home, my group and I talked about how a few years back there was a health survey given out in Westborough high school and on it were ‘little boxes’ to check your race off. We noticed that yet Westborough states it does not discriminate bases on race, if the statistics happened to show that African Americans drank more that Caucasians, then of course stereotypes and judgments would be made from that. Even if ‘little boxes’ are used for statistics or generalizations, they still raise a problem and a divide, instead of America uniting people, these little boxes split them apart again. I find it especially disturbing that colleges use them so often, there should be an option to state your religion or race, therefore the admissions office focuses on how qualified you are to enter that school instead of focusing on the amount of a certain race or religion they want at their school.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Little Boxes" and discussing ideas surrounding identity. I feel like it's a very relevant topic for kids our age as we try to discover who we are exactly. In his essay, Wright describes very well what it feels like to be judged, stereotyped, and categorized. He's lost a sense of himself as an individual because others have reduced him to a couple of simple terms and characteristics: He doesn't seem to identify with any particular race, religion, or friend group as a result. Despite the overwhelming argument that categorizing others is harmful, I enjoyed discussing the positive aspects of identifying with particular groups. Classifying helps us understand the world we live in: by picking which groups we fit into, we form an identity. However, the danger comes when you don't full understand or appreciate those groups you don't identify with. The tendency to oversimplify others' characteristics causes the formation of these "Little Boxes."
I was able to relate to this article in a way because coming from a Latin country every time I fill out an application there are several options and sometimes I am forced to question my identity. For example when I filled out my common app I was asked to check all boxes that applied to my ethnicity and race and I checked off Hispanic. The following question however asked, now identify how you think of yourself but there was no Hispanic option, so I was forced to check the box for "white." I then wondered why they would ask that after asking about our race. I myself have always considered myself pretty diverse and most of my friends say I'm the whitest Mexican alive, so I guess I didn't really lie when I checked off white since I have lived over half my life here in the USA but it was still weird checking of "white" when in reality I consider myself a Mexican. I was able to relate to his dilemma in some way but in another way i never really saw a problem with the boxes before this article because I always check off Hispanic which is common but what if I was middle eastern? I don't always see that option so it got me thinking that maybe the boxes are a little demeaning.
I found "little boxes", the article we read in class today, to be both interesting and relatable. I agree that we as a society in general like to simplify, categorize and group things. I was born and raised in Denmatk but I have lived long enough in the states to feel somewhat American as well. It is therefore difficult for me to identify myself with one certain group. In the US, I'm the "European kid" but when I'm in Denmark it is very obvious that I have certain American tendencies as well. The writer of the article had a similar problem, as he felt that society wanted to limit and simplify his otherwise complex cultural background. I do understand that certain things like a national census or a college application are easier to administrate when the "little boxes" discussed in the article are used, but perhaps we shouldn't need to limit ourselves and our individuality to a little box.
The article “Little Boxes” displayed the huge significance that generalizing can have on an individual, essentially stripping the individual of individuality. When asked to check off a box to categorize himself, Anthony Wright found that his large identity could not fit into these small boxes. Each person’s identity can be comprised of many aspects which play a part in their culture, beliefs, and morals. I agree with Deborah Tannen’s statement “it is offensive to reduce an individual to a category, and it is also misleading”. When each identity becomes a set of categories one can be grouped in, it removes all elements of individualism which makes a person unique. Each part of one’s identity comes from a story or a background which is detached once the person is forced to fit these aspects into a “little box”. Each time I check off “White” and “Jewish”, I am immediately categorized and my background story becomes lost. Identity is an aspect of life in which many people struggle to define, and groupings remove the ability to view one’s identity as unique. Our identities are too big to fit in one little box.
In the article "Little Boxes", Wright brought up some valid points about how peoples ethnicity and heritage are very generalized when it comes classifying them. I personally have a hard time understanding why he is so deeply offended by this issue, but that could be because I have not experienced and I do not know anyone who has experienced feeling incorrectly classified based on there ethnicity or heritage. In my opinion, Wright's points about the corruption of classification of race are somewhat correct but I feel that these simplistic ways of categorizing people on their ethnicity should not be taken too seriously. I think that the reason the categorization of these "Little Boxes" are so simplistic, is to keep things simple and more easy to understand. I realize that he feels that he is disrespecting his race, but he is way to concerned about this issue and makes himself come across as very insecure and an overall confused person. Again, I have not experienced this issue personally, but I still feel that Anthony is taking this issue way over the top because it is something that should not be taken too seriously. All that should matter to him is how he thinks of himself, and if he lets these "Little Boxes" affect how he thinks of himself, he is being too insecure and is making it hard for himself to be comfortable with who he his. I think this story relates a lot to "The Bear that Never Was" because they both discuss struggles with identity. They both explain how society can affect how you think of yourself, but the bear dealt with that issue much better than Anthony Wright did.
I thought that the article talked about destroying identity through a simple act of checking a box. By checking a box, he classified himself as a single individual, while his identity is many different ethnicities was reduced down to only one. He says that he refuses to be identified as only one type of person, which is how it should be because with the number of multi-cultural people in this day and age, it should allow a person to check off the box or boxes that apply to them. He also likes how he can identify with many groups, because he can view things from many different perspectives. I think that this is a huge plus to the situation, because I am mostly English, so I can't look at things from different perspectives like Anthony can.
I think that Wright makes a very good point in his writing "Little Boxes" that people don't usually think about. In today's society there are so many things that ask you to check off a box for your race that we don't even think twice about it. While I identify myself as white, it is true that Wright is in a dilemma when this question comes up. Unfortunately, it will be hard to eliminate this problem since so many forms use these boxes. Although I think it's unfair that people need to identify themselves based on the boxes, I do understand why some organizations need race. For example, colleges ask people for their race because they are trying to get the maximum diversity at their school. I think that it is possible for Wright to check one box that is close to his race but still keep in mind that it doesn't completely describe him. After all, what is important is how you identify yourself, not how others see you.
During class, we read little boxes by Anthony Wright. I thought that the "little boxes" the author refferred to, litterally was a reference to filling out boxes on ethnicites and races that are suppose to categorize people. I also agree with him on his point that people are so diverse, putting them into vague categories doesn't really do anyone justice in describing the way they are. I agree that your ethnicity shouldn't be a deciding factor on the way people judge you, but I also see that there are many statistics that proove that ethnicity can shape who you are. Statistics don't lie. Whereas, Anthony Wright is clearly an outlier.
The article that we read titled "Little Boxes" was proof that there are ways to demolish a person's identity by putting them into a spacific group. Anthony Wright states that whenever he has to fill out a servey or an application of some sort, he feels it is degrading to have very broad catagories that would describe his race. Becuase Anthony has a very diverse family, he feels unsure of what little box he should check off when he is identifying his race. I think it is very important to realize that to put an individual in a broad catagory takes away their own heritage and in essence, what makes them unique. Anthony also states that no one deserves to be generalized based on what they look like. Often times, people make assumptions about people based on what their race is, and these individuals are expected to act a certain way. But this is not often the case. Anthony says that he grew up in an area where drugs were common, but he did not participate in these activities. Judging someone based on their race is wrong and it can hurt those who are being wrongfully judged by those around them.
27 comments:
I thought that the article we read in class today called, "Little Boxes" was an article that showed how much checking off a certain box, can influence how a person will think about themselves. Anthony Wright has basically destroyed his own self confidence due to the fact that he can't decide how he wants to be viewed as a person. He tells us that he doesn't know his ethnicity and he doesn't know his family's social class, which are examples of how he is confused and shows he actually does have a classification problem, however i do not agree with his main point of view. Anthony is saying that he is not as good of a person because he doesn't know his ethnicity, just because you don't recognize part of your identity doesn't mean you should determine that you are lesser of a person than someone else. I do know of people that share the same dilemma as Anthony, but they just ignore it and it does not affect them in any way.
Durning class we read the article "Little Boxes" by Anthony Wright. Anthony was obviously passionate about his heritage and he made good points about grouping yourself. When groupings are made stereotypes are formed and an individual can be lost. i think its also important that when filling out a survey it usually states to only check one of the "little boxes". This instruction makes it impossible for someone to identify themselves with more than one ethnicity. Durning the class discussion my individual response was reflected in the way I see myself. To some people nationality and ethnicity plays a major role in their day-to-day life, for me thats not the case. I don't even know my heritage, this article made me question if these things should be more important to me.
I agree that the boxes to indicate one’s race may bring conflicts to a person’s identity and what they think of themselves. I also agree with how Wright explained how people are categorized. Generalizations can offend a person since wrong assumptions can be made and parts of a person’s identity will be excluded. I understood Wright's arguments in his article; however, I felt that they were in vain. The elimination of identification boxes doesn’t end the thoughts that people have that are associated with people who look a certain way. I think it’s impossible to stop the thoughts that everyone forms about any group that they create no matter how educated they may be. The issue that Wright faces is much bigger than just those boxes on forms and paperwork. Unfortunately, the mindset of people now and to come will be very judgmental and assuming and identity becomes an increasing struggle.
I thought that the kid who had a hard time trying to fit in with an ethnic group was just inventing a problem for himself. I also thought that maybe it would be better if everyone stopped defining themselves by a race or ethnic group, and not let our ancestors define who we will be or act like. It was a good thing that he was different from everybody else because that made him unique. He shouldn't be trying to fit into a group but instead maybe start his own and instead of depending on his ancestors it would depend on him
I thought that the article "Little Boxes" brought up a point that most of us don't think about often; how stereotypes can offend and hinder a persons unique individuality. Wright talked about how when he was young he was stereotyped because of his looks, which made him less confident in himself. Once a person is labeled as a certain "type" of person, it is hard for them to keep their individuality, because of the stereotypes other people put on them. Society as a whole also categorizes people based on race, which Wright shows through his struggle filling out little boxes on forms. Since his family comes from so many different cultures, he does not feel that he fits into one specific box. These little boxes seem to take away a persons individuality by making them choose one of a few races, even if one doesn't fully describe them. Society always feels the need to label and stereotype people in different ways, which hinders a persons unique, individual qualities.
While I agree that one's heritage and culture is central to the base of Maslow's basic hierarchy of needs, the fact that he is not comfortable due the the standardization of a box when it comes to choosing his heritage, (of which he's proud of but doesn't completely identify with one specifically...?) is rather childish and humorous. I understand the point; these are things that strip people of who they actually are, but if you look at the context of simple checking off a "little box," of course their not going to know who you are. It is intentionally made that size in order to keep your identification simplified! Once again, I understand what he is getting at; lose of specific culture and its consequences, but in the end, this is infantile approach to addressing who he is is already flawed when you base your personal intellectual and emotional intelligence on race.
I was absent for this assignment
I think that the story “Little Boxes” puts a huge emphasis on the point the way you think about yourself. Anthony Wright tells us how he was different due to the fact that he was not exactly the same among st the kids in his neighborhood. Generalizations can seriously offend a person due to the fact that they can harm someone’s feelings about their personality or ethnicity. Anthony Wright says he is worth less than any other person because of the fact that he doesn't know his complete family history. In my opinion, you are not a worse person only due to the fact that you don’t know your ethnicity. What makes a good person is about their personality and how they are to others/ their society. The society in general should stop making stereotypes on people’s ethnicity, and focus on the person’s personality.
Reading "Little Boxes" today in class makes you realize how our society and people in our society categorize you and put you into specific groups based off of things such as age, race, and religion. Things like race do not define who you are. And in my opinion when it says "check one" you're being limited and possibly judged. This can cause you to be uncomfortable or feel disrespected for something that you cannot help.
While I don't exactly share Anthony Wright's dilemma, I do agree with the point he is trying to make. I personally have never had trouble identifying myself as a member of one ethnic group, so I can't say that I know how he feels. However, reading this article made me think about this problem and try to understand it. I think what he is getting at is that it can sometimes be difficult to label ourselves as a member of a certain group, ethnic or otherwise, because we feel like we don't really fit into the "little box" associated with this group. Every label brings with it stereotypes, prejudices, and other pre-conceived notions of what a person in that particular group should be like. For this reason, I think that Anthony Wright was saying that we shouldn't be forced to put such labels on ourselves because doing so only brings about these issues.
Reading the article "Little Boxes" opened my eyes to just how limiting these boxes can be. As a person who identifies myself primarily as "white", this is an issue that I have neither faced or considered. While I believe its important not to stereotype people based on their ethnicity and to always be aware that there is more to a person than the box they check, at the same time if we have a box for every single ethnicity it would be 5 pages long. I agree with what Anthony said about not being judged for anything other than his words and actions. Personally I'm not sure its necessary to have these boxes at all. People like Anthony will spend too much time worrying about which box to check than the actual assignment or task itself.
The Article “Little Boxes” brought our attention to an issue that we would never think about when filling out surveys or any forms with check boxes that group us with certain groups; for example ethnicity backgrounds. Anthony Wright got us thinking of how limiting these boxes can be to one’s life. He is surely conflicted with the fact that he has to only limit himself to one ethnic background because the instructions say so. But due to his wide range of different ethnic backgrounds this becomes harder for him because he can’t figure out which one he belongs too plus he doesn't want to be like everyone else. He likes being a part of multiple ethnicities in his family but check boxes present a challenge for him. And I would agree with him because we shouldn't be pushed into certain groups that don’t define who we are, we should be able to express who we are freely without limitations.
I think the article “little Boxes” brings our attention to a struggle many people face. It uses a situation we have almost all been through, filling out information about yourself, when you reach a section where you don’t seem to fit. Trying to fit peoples identities into generalized ideas can be damaging in many ways. If you look for your box, and don’t find one, you can feel like your identity isn’t important to anyone, or like you are in the wrong place. This can lead to you saying you are part of a different box, just to avoid the situation, but the more you choose boxes that aren’t yours, the more you lose your unique identity. I thought Keegan’s different point of view was interesting, and while this specific case may seem trivial I think that the bigger message it is trying to convey of how stereotypes damage individuality is important.
Personally, I have never had difficulty choosing which ethnicity to identify myself with, however, I can see Anthony Wright’s problem in the article “Little Boxes.” These “little boxes” on applications/ forums can be restricting because in reality they “reduce an individual to a category” as Deborah Tannen wrote in the article. Nowadays, many people in the United States are a mixture of races which would make it difficult to generalize/label what ethnicity you associate yourself with on an application/ forum. We often want to be a part of a group, but sometimes these groups will have stereotypes that are associated with them which can make it hard to fit into the “little box” because it reduces an individual to a category that may not fully describe their unique and mixed background. I come from a French-Canadian, German, and Irish background, but I do not find it difficult to associate myself with just one group because I know less about my mixed background and more about American culture and customs making it easy for me to classify myself as white in the “little boxes.” Without these boxes on forums, there would be less stereotyping and prejudices that come with categories like race, gender, and religion.
In the article we read, "Little Boxes," Anthony Wright touches upon the important idea about the dangers of generalizations about entire cultures, or the reduction of vast ethnic groups into a classification using a single word. He also touches upon the idea that individual should be responsible for how they are labeled or identified, as opposed to their identity being built of the perceptions of others. But his argument could have be strengthened with examples that expose this danger out of the context of just "little boxes," since I don't believe any of usincluding those who make the surveys or the exams that have the aforementioned boxes truly consider those boxes to be indicative of our whole identities. Any examples of systems that use that process of boxes or labeling are rather innocuous (then again, I'm still a minor and haven't had to go through any major civic paperwork or processes). I can see where he's coming from, we're all more guilty of generalizing and stereotyping then we realize and it is a serious issue. Our society needs to do a better job of reinforcing how complicated our own identities are, especially our cultural identities, which at often times are more than just American or white. But at the same time, Anthony's comment on this issue remained mostly personal, and people aren't often spurred to feel passionate about something until they see the larger effects of it, or how this issue could infringe on their own lives or those close to them.
Reading Little Boxes today spoke of Anthony Wright and his views on the description and overall classification of people based on race. He doesn't believe that checking a box next to a vague description of your ethnicity should define or be the first impression someone else gets of you. His cultural background is made up of many cultures and he's not sure which one people see him as. But his essay states it shouldn't define you and shouldn't group you with billions of others. Because then you are part of a larger group without any identity at all.
Today in class we read “Little Boxes” written by Anthony E. Wright. I agree with his opposing views of categorizing people by the extent of their race or religion instead of by the “content of their character” as Martin Luther King once said in his ‘I Have a Dream Speech’. Checked boxes whether it be for the SATs or a college application are not enough information for people to judge by, yet it happens all the time. A little closer to home, my group and I talked about how a few years back there was a health survey given out in Westborough high school and on it were ‘little boxes’ to check your race off. We noticed that yet Westborough states it does not discriminate bases on race, if the statistics happened to show that African Americans drank more that Caucasians, then of course stereotypes and judgments would be made from that. Even if ‘little boxes’ are used for statistics or generalizations, they still raise a problem and a divide, instead of America uniting people, these little boxes split them apart again. I find it especially disturbing that colleges use them so often, there should be an option to state your religion or race, therefore the admissions office focuses on how qualified you are to enter that school instead of focusing on the amount of a certain race or religion they want at their school.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Little Boxes" and discussing ideas surrounding identity. I feel like it's a very relevant topic for kids our age as we try to discover who we are exactly. In his essay, Wright describes very well what it feels like to be judged, stereotyped, and categorized. He's lost a sense of himself as an individual because others have reduced him to a couple of simple terms and characteristics: He doesn't seem to identify with any particular race, religion, or friend group as a result. Despite the overwhelming argument that categorizing others is harmful, I enjoyed discussing the positive aspects of identifying with particular groups. Classifying helps us understand the world we live in: by picking which groups we fit into, we form an identity. However, the danger comes when you don't full understand or appreciate those groups you don't identify with. The tendency to oversimplify others' characteristics causes the formation of these "Little Boxes."
I was able to relate to this article in a way because coming from a Latin country every time I fill out an application there are several options and sometimes I am forced to question my identity. For example when I filled out my common app I was asked to check all boxes that applied to my ethnicity and race and I checked off Hispanic. The following question however asked, now identify how you think of yourself but there was no Hispanic option, so I was forced to check the box for "white." I then wondered why they would ask that after asking about our race. I myself have always considered myself pretty diverse and most of my friends say I'm the whitest Mexican alive, so I guess I didn't really lie when I checked off white since I have lived over half my life here in the USA but it was still weird checking of "white" when in reality I consider myself a Mexican. I was able to relate to his dilemma in some way but in another way i never really saw a problem with the boxes before this article because I always check off Hispanic which is common but what if I was middle eastern? I don't always see that option so it got me thinking that maybe the boxes are a little demeaning.
I was absent for this assignment.
I found "little boxes", the article we read in class today, to be both interesting and relatable. I agree that we as a society in general like to simplify, categorize and group things. I was born and raised in Denmatk but I have lived long enough in the states to feel somewhat American as well. It is therefore difficult for me to identify myself with one certain group. In the US, I'm the "European kid" but when I'm in Denmark it is very obvious that I have certain American tendencies as well. The writer of the article had a similar problem, as he felt that society wanted to limit and simplify his otherwise complex cultural background. I do understand that certain things like a national census or a college application are easier to administrate when the "little boxes" discussed in the article are used, but perhaps we shouldn't need to limit ourselves and our individuality to a little box.
The article “Little Boxes” displayed the huge significance that generalizing can have on an individual, essentially stripping the individual of individuality. When asked to check off a box to categorize himself, Anthony Wright found that his large identity could not fit into these small boxes. Each person’s identity can be comprised of many aspects which play a part in their culture, beliefs, and morals. I agree with Deborah Tannen’s statement “it is offensive to reduce an individual to a category, and it is also misleading”. When each identity becomes a set of categories one can be grouped in, it removes all elements of individualism which makes a person unique. Each part of one’s identity comes from a story or a background which is detached once the person is forced to fit these aspects into a “little box”. Each time I check off “White” and “Jewish”, I am immediately categorized and my background story becomes lost. Identity is an aspect of life in which many people struggle to define, and groupings remove the ability to view one’s identity as unique. Our identities are too big to fit in one little box.
In the article "Little Boxes", Wright brought up some valid points about how peoples ethnicity and heritage are very generalized when it comes classifying them. I personally have a hard time understanding why he is so deeply offended by this issue, but that could be because I have not experienced and I do not know anyone who has experienced feeling incorrectly classified based on there ethnicity or heritage. In my opinion, Wright's points about the corruption of classification of race are somewhat correct but I feel that these simplistic ways of categorizing people on their ethnicity should not be taken too seriously. I think that the reason the categorization of these "Little Boxes" are so simplistic, is to keep things simple and more easy to understand. I realize that he feels that he is disrespecting his race, but he is way to concerned about this issue and makes himself come across as very insecure and an overall confused person. Again, I have not experienced this issue personally, but I still feel that Anthony is taking this issue way over the top because it is something that should not be taken too seriously. All that should matter to him is how he thinks of himself, and if he lets these "Little Boxes" affect how he thinks of himself, he is being too insecure and is making it hard for himself to be comfortable with who he his. I think this story relates a lot to "The Bear that Never Was" because they both discuss struggles with identity. They both explain how society can affect how you think of yourself, but the bear dealt with that issue much better than Anthony Wright did.
I thought that the article talked about destroying identity through a simple act of checking a box. By checking a box, he classified himself as a single individual, while his identity is many different ethnicities was reduced down to only one. He says that he refuses to be identified as only one type of person, which is how it should be because with the number of multi-cultural people in this day and age, it should allow a person to check off the box or boxes that apply to them. He also likes how he can identify with many groups, because he can view things from many different perspectives. I think that this is a huge plus to the situation, because I am mostly English, so I can't look at things from different perspectives like Anthony can.
I think that Wright makes a very good point in his writing "Little Boxes" that people don't usually think about. In today's society there are so many things that ask you to check off a box for your race that we don't even think twice about it. While I identify myself as white, it is true that Wright is in a dilemma when this question comes up. Unfortunately, it will be hard to eliminate this problem since so many forms use these boxes. Although I think it's unfair that people need to identify themselves based on the boxes, I do understand why some organizations need race. For example, colleges ask people for their race because they are trying to get the maximum diversity at their school. I think that it is possible for Wright to check one box that is close to his race but still keep in mind that it doesn't completely describe him. After all, what is important is how you identify yourself, not how others see you.
During class, we read little boxes by Anthony Wright. I thought that the "little boxes" the author refferred to, litterally was a reference to filling out boxes on ethnicites and races that are suppose to categorize people. I also agree with him on his point that people are so diverse, putting them into vague categories doesn't really do anyone justice in describing the way they are. I agree that your ethnicity shouldn't be a deciding factor on the way people judge you, but I also see that there are many statistics that proove that ethnicity can shape who you are. Statistics don't lie. Whereas, Anthony Wright is clearly an outlier.
The article that we read titled "Little Boxes" was proof that there are ways to demolish a person's identity by putting them into a spacific group. Anthony Wright states that whenever he has to fill out a servey or an application of some sort, he feels it is degrading to have very broad catagories that would describe his race. Becuase Anthony has a very diverse family, he feels unsure of what little box he should check off when he is identifying his race. I think it is very important to realize that to put an individual in a broad catagory takes away their own heritage and in essence, what makes them unique. Anthony also states that no one deserves to be generalized based on what they look like. Often times, people make assumptions about people based on what their race is, and these individuals are expected to act a certain way. But this is not often the case. Anthony says that he grew up in an area where drugs were common, but he did not participate in these activities. Judging someone based on their race is wrong and it can hurt those who are being wrongfully judged by those around them.
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