CULTURE HAVING A SAY

SILENT DANCING

Culture Having a Say In Environments Hector rea DeVry University Novem!er "#t$ %&"' (ro)essor *onag$an

CULTURE HAVING A SAY

SILENT DANCING

T$e essay +Silent Dancing, !y -u.it$ /rti0 Co)er really ma.e me reali0e some t$ings1 It 2as a!le to gra! my attention 3ust !y t$e 2ay it e45laine. certain t$ings6 an. I 2as 7uic8 to 5ic8 u5 on $o2 t$e essay a..e. to t$e 2$ole $ouse an. $ome conce5t1 ut t$is essay a..e. in a 2ay t$at I .i.n9t 8no2 it coul. .o so1 It !asically s$o2e. me t$at not only can certain events c$ange t$e 2ay 2e see s5ace !ut 2$ere 2e come )rom or $o2 2e are raise. can ma8e us loo8 at a ne2 s5ace or any s5ace .i))erently1 So !asically can t$e culture you are raise. in $ave a certain im5act in $o2 you 2ant live in your ne2 s5ace or $o2 you )eel com)orta!le in .i))erent s5aces : ;$at I really li8e. a!out t$is essay rig$t )rom t$e !eginning is t$at t$e aut$or 2as )rom (uerto Rico an. t$at<s 2$ere s$e 2as 5rior to !eing at t$e a5artment s$e tal8e. a!out t$roug$out t$e essay6 an. since I<m (uerto Rican6 I 2as a!le to a.. my 8no2le.ge o) our culture into it as 2ell1 I got an un.erstan.ing o) 2$at s$e 2as trying to e45lain to us as rea.ers1 S$e tal8e. a lot a!out $o2 $er mom acte. an. 2$at I got )rom it 2as t$at $er mom 2as not 7uite com)orta!le 2it$ 2$ere s$e 2as living an. t$is I t$in8 t$is 2as !ecause s$e 2as so use to $er culture an. !eing in (uerto Rico t$at it .i.n9t )eel t$e same1 ;e can see 2$en t$e aut$or tal8s a!out $o2 $er mot$er 2oul. go to +La o.ega, !ecause t$at<s 2$ere t$ey $ave all t$e stu)) t$at s$e li8es an. t$e aroma o) t$e store ma.e $er )eel com)orta!le1 ;$at also .i.n<t $el5 2as t$at 2$en t$ey move. in t$ere really 2asn<t many Latinos in t$at area an. t$is also le. to t$e )at$er 5utting tig$t rules on t$em1 Co)er =%&&>? states6 +S$e $a. !een given strict or.ers !y my )at$er to 8ee5 t$e .oors loc8e.6 t$e noise .o2n6 ourselves to ourselves1, @rom t$at sentence t$e rea.er can 5ic8 u5 $e 2as serious a!out t$em 8ee5ing t$em to t$emselves an. it 2as 7uite un.erstan.a!le coming t$at t$ey really .i.n9t )it in t$at area an. also mentione. is $o2 t$e aut$or .i.n<t 8no2 $o2 muc$ $er )at$er $a. getting t$em t$at a5artment 3ust !ecause t$ey 2ere His5anic an. mostly -e2is$ 2ere living in t$at to2n1 It 2as a racist issue an. $e 2as !eing conservative t$at t$ey .i.n<t give any reason to get 8ic8e. out1 You can tell t$is 2$en t$e aut$or Co)er =%&&>? mentions

CULTURE HAVING A SAY

SILENT DANCING

+AYou Cu!an:A one man $a. as8e. my )at$er B1 +No6, my )at$er $a. ans2ere.6 loo8ing 5ast t$e )inger into $is a.versary9s angry eyes1,I9m (uerto Rican1,111111,Same s$it1, An. t$e .oor close., @rom t$at sentence t$e rea.er coul. 5ic8 u5 t$at racism 2as aroun.1 T$ere 2ere also times you coul. 5ic8 u5 t$at t$e aut$or an. $er )amily misse. (uerto Rico an. trie. to inCcoo5erate as muc$ as 5ossi!le into 2$ere t$ey live no21 T$e 2ay t$ey calle. t$e a5artment +El uil.ing, an. $o2 t$ey calle. t$e city t$ey live. in (aterson6 !ut calle. it t$e barrio1 Certain t$ings ma.e it seem t$at (aterson to !e more li8e (uerto Rico1 ;$at also gra!!e. my attention is t$e role t$e men an. t$e 2omen 5lay in t$is essay1 y rea.ing t$e rea.ers can 5ic8 u5 easily t$at t$e )at$er is a $ar.2or8ing 5erson 2$o is usually a2ay at 2or8 an. .o anyt$ing 5ossi!le to $el5 t$e )amily 5ay )or t$e !ills an. anyt$ing necessary to live1 No2 t$e rea.er coul. 5ic8 u5 t$at t$e 2omen are stay at $ome ty5e o) moms 2$ic$ 2as very common .uring t$ose years1 No2 in my generation is 2$ere I )eel t$at i.ea o) 2omen only remaining at $ome 2atc$ing over t$e 8i.s 2$ile t$e men o) t$e $ouse go out an. ma8e all t$e money $as really .isa55eare.1 No2 at my age 2e see 3ust as many 2omen 2or8ing as you see men an. no2 2omen coul. .o 3ust a!out everyt$ing men coul. .o1 I )in. it more res5ect)ul t$is 2ay an. it ma8es li)e 7uite easier )or everyone since no2 you $ave t2o incomes instea. o) one1 ac8 to $o2 culture coul. a))ect 2e see s5aces1 Yet in t$is story I 5ic8 u5 t$at it loo8 li8e t$ey 2ere not $ome sic8 !ut t$at t$ey 2eren9t going to let t$em !eing a2ay )rom (uerto Rico ta8e a2ay 2$at t$ey 8ne2 ma8e t$em $a55y1 A)ter rea.ing t$e story you coul. almost automatically 5ic8 u5 on 2$at t$ey t$oug$t 2as t$eir $ome an. t$at 2oul. !e (uerto Rico1 T$e )act t$at t$ey 2ere loo8ing )or t$ose !eans an. t$e 2ay s$e li8e. t$e grocery store !ecause it $a. t$at certain aroma an. $o2 t$ey still )ollo2e. t$eir culture !eing so )ar a2ay )rom 2$ere it originally comes )rom ama0es me1 -ust t$e little t$ings mentione. !y Co)er can give you t$at un.erstan.ing o) $o2 a culture can use s5ace1 It s$o2s !y $o2 t$e (uerto Rican culture uses (aterson to slo2ly rise an. ma8e a )amily li8e t$e aut$ors com)orta!le1

CULTURE HAVING A SAY

SILENT DANCING

T$is goes !ac8 to my 7uestion6 I )eel culture coul. really a))ect t$e 2ay a )amily sees a s5ace an. 2$et$er it9s 5ossi!le )or t$em to see it as $ome1 As t$e !eginning t$ey .on9t6 !ut slo2ly t$ey starte. a..ing in t$eir o2n6 lets 3ust call it +Sa0on, 2$ic$ is )lavor to 2$ere t$ey 2ere living to ma8e t$emselves )eel com)orta!le an. )eel as close to $ome as 5ossi!le1 /nce someone is use to somet$ing it coul. !e $ar. to let go6 !ut I )eel t$at a)ter a2$ile t$e aut$or 2as 5ro!a!ly a!le to call (aterson $er $ome1

CULTURE HAVING A SAY Re)erences

SILENT DANCING

/rti0 Co)er6 -1 =n1.1?1 Silent dancing1 Retrieve. /cto!er "#6 %&"'6 )rom $tt5DEE222%1$a2aii1e.uEF)aco!aErea.ingsEco)er1$tm