The voices of marginalized people will sometimes challenge their audiences to examine (or re-examine) some of the historical and existing elements of culture that prove to be problematic for so many people.

The voices of marginalized people will sometimes challenge their audiences to examine (or re-examine) some of the historical and existing elements of culture that prove to be problematic for so many people. Oriental, poor, Native, immigrant, or Negro/Black — these terms and categories of thought have undoubtedly produced suffering and injustice. But even if we agree on that, we may still have no clear path forward. What do we do to address such troubles? Should we insist that certain words be stricken from our dictionaries, school books, and government documents so that we no longer see each other and ourselves that way? Maybe; but even if perception and identity are so closely tied to language, would this departure from the words of our fathers and mothers be enough to produce a genuinely better society? Perhaps it would be wise to ensure that we have correctly understood the problem before we try organizing a solution. We might find that the best next step is not about words at all, but action, grounded in a recognition of a deep strength we all share. Comment.

Be sure to consider the ideas presented by at least two of the authors we are reading in this unit.