Gabriel Beninati

P.8

It is in human nature to learn. From the moment that our eyes open for the first time to the
moment they close for the last time. One of the best ways to learn is from others, whether it be from their
mistakes, actions, or direct statements. That being said, it is just as important to teach as it is to learn.
This is demonstrated in two stories, Fish Cheeks, written by Amy Tan, and A Child of Slavery Who
Taught a Generation, written by Karen Grigsby Bates. Each tells a different story, but both convey a
similar moral.
The story Fish Cheeks is about a young Chinese American girl, and her struggle to balance her
Chinese heritage and her American customs. It is set at a dinner table, where the food served and her
familys actions embarrassed her in front of the minister and his family. Her mother saw that she was
riddled with shame, and said something to her that took her years to finally understand. You are you, and
nothing should make you ashamed of that.
In A Child of Slavery Who Taught a Generation, the life of Anna Julia Cooper is told. She
strived to educate the newly freed black population, and let nothing stop her from that goal. Anna
founded the Washington Colored High School, later renamed in honor of Paul Laurence Dunbar. No
matter what obstacles were presented to her, she hurtled them all, living a full 105 year life. She educated
countless students, and prepared them all for the life ahead of them. None of them should doubt
themselves because of skin color.
Both stories tell of a less than pleasant experience that demonstrates the same thing: No matter
who you are or what you look like, you neednt be ashamed, because you can excel and create amazing
things with your time on this earth. Every person is capable of making a lasting impact, capable of
teaching the next generation. It doesnt matter what is standing in your way, if you dedicate and stay true
to yourself, there is nothing you cannot do. This raises one final question: What impact will you leave?