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Essay / Inheritance, Economic Class, and Race Issues in How to Date a Brown Girl, Black Girl, White Girl, or Half-Girl by Junot Diaz
Hierarchical systems exist in many places on this planet . One of the most common hierarchical systems is that the world is on the island of Hispaniola. The hierarchy on the island places Haitians at the bottom due to their self-proclaimed African heritage, while Dominicans are placed higher due to their opposition to taking a stand against the vast injustice occurring on the other side. side of the Massacre River. Even though it is common knowledge that ninety percent of Dominicans have African ancestry, the corrupt system persists. In the story "How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie" by Junot Diaz, Diaz writes about the complexities of race and how they affect the ability of Yunior, the main character, to use patriarchal views to cover up his enormous insecurities about his heritage, economic class and race. These three factors, linked to society, prevent Yunior from allowing herself to get closer to the young women in the story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayHeritage is a very important part of American society. Yunior talks about being Dominican and trying to erase that part of himself specifically in this line "hide the photos of you with an Afro and delete all the embarrassing photos of your family." Yunior hides his true identity and tries to become acceptable to society. He abandons his Dominican heritage and pretends to be someone he is not in order to be accepted. Yunior also analyzes what he should expect from the girl based on her race or social class. For example, he says, "a local girl may have thick hips and butt, but she won't be quick to let you touch her." By making these generalizations, he directly feeds into the culture that society is doing him harm. Socioeconomic status also plays a major role in Yunior's life. He mentions that his family receives "government cheese", which is a processed cheese provided to families receiving welfare. He attempts to hide that his family is poverty-stricken, while giving a step-by-step guide on where to hide the cheese based on where the girl lives. “Take the government cheese out of the fridge. If the girl is from the Terrace, stack the boxes in the vegetable drawer. If she’s from the Park or Society Hill, hide the cheese in the cupboard above the oven, where she’ll never see it.” This is strongly related to how African American individuals tend to purchase things like gold chains, Air Jordans, and various other luxury goods to hide the fact that generational wealth does not exist in their community. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayIn conclusion, “How to Date a Browngirl” explains how one can use society to cover up their insecurities, from heritage to economic class. Yunior faces endless identity upheaval and uses a patriarchal view to express his frustration on society..