Through our history, the biggest Civil Rights movement occurred during the 1960's, amidst the segregated South. The fight here was clear, a morality backed the marchers that fought for the rights they attained, a morality the oppressors found hard to deny after too long. During our modern era, however, the clarity that once was is clouded, and the answer as to why discrimination in the United States occurs is not as simple. What was once a matter of skin tone is more about what class a person is in, or Classim, mixed with the history of long term racism. Classism has a part because there seem to be 2 types of people, those who have a believe that they can do anything, and others who feel they cannot because of barriers placed on them by society. This contains gender, race, economic influence, and many more traits that are deemed less than by the other society. This classim is amplified when subtle stereotypes based on race are present, and it creates an image of African Americans that is by no means the same as it was in the past. It's enough, however, to create a divide that tore the city of Ferguson, and our whole nation, apart. There were complicated reactions from every type of person, but the economic and societal limitations on African American, as well as anyone that fit the bill, had been exposed. What will happen next will be decided if this problem, as complicated as they are, are not only addressed but solved.
Link to article about this topic down below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/opinion/david-brooks-class-prejudice-resurgent.html
This can be related to the events of Farming of Bones, where events are escalated by the societal classes perceptions of one another. When Joel, a young Haitian cane worker, is killed by the careless driving of Senior Pico, reactions follow that clearly demonstrate a prejudiced type of thinking. This was shown in the initial moment after the incident, when the entirety of the car did not bother to go check on the body, but instead found it more important to go see the newborn Rafi. This disregard of life was later regretted by Papi, a relative of Pico who wished to make amends with the man's father Kongo. He did not want this however, as the friends and family of Joel, the workers of the cane fields, returned the prejudice. They began fabricating stories about the event in order to differentiate themselves further from the upper class. The events seem to be escalating out of control, when Senora Valencia begins to seemingly shift things out of that direction. She invites as many of the sugar cane workers as she can to have tea with her, this being done so as a result of her losing her son. Kongo comes with 20 more people, and he expresses his condolences for her loss. Shortly after they leave, despite the gesture, Pico destroys all of the silverware the people used, as if their mere use of these dishes had sullied them from ever being used. This kind of thinking will only propagate more rash actions against each other, and they will spiral out of hand.
The modern issue and the fictional issue both deal with the issue of class. Our society is confronted with a harmful mix between racism and classism, where the novel's characters deal with this same issue in a different context. In both instances, the two parties allow preconceptions of a type of people different than them to monitor their judgement of them. If they were to keep an open mind and fight the prejudiced preconditioning societies often employ, situations such as these may not have to careen out of control.
Link to article about this topic down below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/opinion/david-brooks-class-prejudice-resurgent.html
This can be related to the events of Farming of Bones, where events are escalated by the societal classes perceptions of one another. When Joel, a young Haitian cane worker, is killed by the careless driving of Senior Pico, reactions follow that clearly demonstrate a prejudiced type of thinking. This was shown in the initial moment after the incident, when the entirety of the car did not bother to go check on the body, but instead found it more important to go see the newborn Rafi. This disregard of life was later regretted by Papi, a relative of Pico who wished to make amends with the man's father Kongo. He did not want this however, as the friends and family of Joel, the workers of the cane fields, returned the prejudice. They began fabricating stories about the event in order to differentiate themselves further from the upper class. The events seem to be escalating out of control, when Senora Valencia begins to seemingly shift things out of that direction. She invites as many of the sugar cane workers as she can to have tea with her, this being done so as a result of her losing her son. Kongo comes with 20 more people, and he expresses his condolences for her loss. Shortly after they leave, despite the gesture, Pico destroys all of the silverware the people used, as if their mere use of these dishes had sullied them from ever being used. This kind of thinking will only propagate more rash actions against each other, and they will spiral out of hand.
The modern issue and the fictional issue both deal with the issue of class. Our society is confronted with a harmful mix between racism and classism, where the novel's characters deal with this same issue in a different context. In both instances, the two parties allow preconceptions of a type of people different than them to monitor their judgement of them. If they were to keep an open mind and fight the prejudiced preconditioning societies often employ, situations such as these may not have to careen out of control.
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