In the article, "Don't talk about my Mama" by June Jordan, it explains how black family life may be different than the family life of other races. The "normal" family life is patriarchal, with the dad being the head of the household, followed by the mother, and then the two kids. However, in a lot of black and families of other minorities, the mother is the head of the household because either the father is not in the children's life, the mother and the father or not together, or the father is constantly working so he can provide for his children.
The article also explains how since the mother is the head of the household, she is held to an extremely high standard as sometimes the only parent in the house. She also explained that "yo mama" jokes are sometimes more offensive in the black community, because as the mom, that is the only person the children really have.
I liked this article because it does show that just like everything, minorities have different standards and some things mean more to them, like family. The family life for everyone is different, and being a mother means different things to different races, even though they are all important.
Having role models is so important to the early development of someone. I find that the strength of this ethnic family model may play a tremendously important role in the perseverance that minorities may hold. Being taught at a young age what respect means and how it is important forms the future of these children, setting the mold for what the child may tolerate and what it may stand up for. Strength is a virtue that all classes of society hold with reverence, and that may also be the key to finally finding a way to loosen the grips of oppression.
ReplyDeleteI love how you further draw on the idea of minorities having different standards. I think that simple idea has spawned the origins of many confrontations they encounter in their lives, and it is clear that their valiance to defend such concepts has set the foundations for their personalities. It is amazing how different a change in perspective can effect the world, as well as those who live within it. I will take more notice of the simple things that others may differ in opinion with, and try to mold my own mindsets on their alternations. Taking steps is important for progress.
Morgan I think it's interesting you chose to write on this article as I often find my self wanting to do writings or make comments based on race in our class because I now see how closely related race and gender are in terms of out intersectionality. My entire life I have noticed a difference between how my white and black friends have treated and interacted with their mothers and what I have concluded is that the generalities made in Jordan's reading for the most part hold true. Not to say that my white friends have treated their mother's with less respect but their relationships are very different in my opinion. It seems as though my white friends have much more dialogue with their mother's like they are peers. In the African American community the relationship between a mother and a child looks almost nothing like friendship. A black relationship between a mother and child can be filled with love and it never has to be expressed which I have found is very different than in white families. These are just a few things I have noticed through my life experience and I now try to use to understand other peoples perspectives.
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