Essay 1
Monica Paz
Professor Lassiter
English 101
20th February 2014
Everyone in this life has a need of survive. As an immigrant, is very difficult to come to a new country and start a new life from the beginning. In the essay “The Back of the Bus” written by Mary Mebane talks about a bus ride from North Carolina to South Carolina when the segregation laws were still in place. Mebane wrote this piece because she “wanted to show what it was like to live under legal segregation before the civil rights act of 1964” (Mebane, 167). On the other hand, the essay “Like Mexicans” written by Gary Soto, the author expresses how is to growing up in the ‘barrio’ and makes a comparison between two different cultures. Even though: “The Back of the Bus” and “Like Mexicans” are although different because of segregation and differences of cultures, they share the same struggles through racism, stereotype and having no choice. Even though “The Back of the Bus” and “Like Mexicans” are although different because of segregation and differences of cultures, they share the same struggles through racism. On “The Back of the Bus” Mebane wanted to show how racism was taking place before the Civil Rights Act. There was a big difference between white and black people. “Black people were at the bottom of society in all aspects of human life”, meaning that black people always will get the worst. African American can not used the same bathrooms and white people. African American were not allowed to seat on the bus, even thought with time it had a tremendous change. As for “Like Mexicans” Soto described how Mexican people were meant to marry Mexicans only. For both essays it seems that each culture had their own neighborhood of only African Americans or just Mexicans. Even though: “The Back of the Bus” and “Like Mexicans” are although different because of segregation and differences of cultures, they share the same struggles through stereotype. In “The Back of the Bus” we see
Professor Lassiter
English 101
20th February 2014
Everyone in this life has a need of survive. As an immigrant, is very difficult to come to a new country and start a new life from the beginning. In the essay “The Back of the Bus” written by Mary Mebane talks about a bus ride from North Carolina to South Carolina when the segregation laws were still in place. Mebane wrote this piece because she “wanted to show what it was like to live under legal segregation before the civil rights act of 1964” (Mebane, 167). On the other hand, the essay “Like Mexicans” written by Gary Soto, the author expresses how is to growing up in the ‘barrio’ and makes a comparison between two different cultures. Even though: “The Back of the Bus” and “Like Mexicans” are although different because of segregation and differences of cultures, they share the same struggles through racism, stereotype and having no choice. Even though “The Back of the Bus” and “Like Mexicans” are although different because of segregation and differences of cultures, they share the same struggles through racism. On “The Back of the Bus” Mebane wanted to show how racism was taking place before the Civil Rights Act. There was a big difference between white and black people. “Black people were at the bottom of society in all aspects of human life”, meaning that black people always will get the worst. African American can not used the same bathrooms and white people. African American were not allowed to seat on the bus, even thought with time it had a tremendous change. As for “Like Mexicans” Soto described how Mexican people were meant to marry Mexicans only. For both essays it seems that each culture had their own neighborhood of only African Americans or just Mexicans. Even though: “The Back of the Bus” and “Like Mexicans” are although different because of segregation and differences of cultures, they share the same struggles through stereotype. In “The Back of the Bus” we see