Christian Arambula

Storer
English 3 Honors
March 16th 2020
My Biggest Takeaway from A Raisin in the Sun
The biggest takeaway I had from reading Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is just
how drastically racism in the 1950’s affected every facet of the Younger family’s lives. The
racism in their society had an effect on every decision they made from Walter’s rash decision to
invest in a liquor store to Ruth’s decision to have an abortion.
Walter’s low paying job as a chauffeur came as a result of the limited opportunities that
were given to people of color . This low paying job not only resulted in Walter’s low self esteem
shown through his outburst at Mama “I want so many things that they are driving me kind of
crazy…Mama – look at me” (Act I, scene ii) , but also many more problems including his
marriage. A poor black man in the 1950’s had little to no hope of achieving his dreams due to the
racism ingrained in American society at the time. In fact, the only time the Younger family had a
chance of upward mobility came from the insurance check that arrived following the death of
Walter Senior. The idea that the death of a family member was the price they had to pay for such
an opportunity shows how restrictive their society was. What’s even more mindboggling to me is
the fact that regular people thought they had the right to regulate the actions of others using race
as an excuse. For example, once news came out that the Younger’s were to move into an all-
white neighborhood a representative came to visit them and offered to buy the home at a
financial gain using the excuse that “ for the happiness of all concerned that our Negro families
are happier when they live in their own communities.” (Hansberry 119) The fact that they would
rather LOSE MONEY than allow black people into their community was comedic to me at first.
However, it did paint an accurate picture to the reader in order to show the mindset many people
had that restricted significant change for decades. Today people often take for granted the
opportunities available.
As a first-generation immigrant I often feel the pressure of not letting my parents down.
But nonetheless I’m still grateful for the opportunities I have today that come as a result of the
sacrifices they’ve made to make a life in the United States. Looking back at what I’ve learned
I’ve come to realize that I take for granted the educational opportunities I have. In the 20th
century people of Hispanic descent were segregated from white people and were forced to attend
schools of lower quality. Today I’m able to go a private catholic school where people of all races
are allowed to interact. These opportunities only came as a result of decades of legal battles such
as the Mendez v Westminster Court case. However, it’s still important to realize that even today
factors such as race and gender still affect how people are treated.
Today racism is often seen in more subtle ways than in the 1950’s. Such discrimination
against African Americans in the modern age led to the Black Lives Matter Movement that
called Americans to once again reconsider their treatment of minorities. Although we have
moved bounds since the time period of the play it’s important to read such literature in order to
remember what once was and not go back. For if we forget what we moved on from we are
destined to return to the past and not achieve true equality.