Oppressive language? Right. Why would that bother me at all? How could that possibly affect a small, Asian girl who just moved to a completely foreign area to her known as Orange County?
It hardly fazed me in my family life, this “oppressive language.” The expectation that I should get a 4.0 GPA, be in every extracurricular activity, play three sports a year and practice the seven instruments I should know how to play is totally fine with me. As a matter of fact, I love it. I love that my parents tell me that “back in their day, if they got a B, they had to stand outside on the hard concrete in the blistering Vietnam sun.” It’s great. I just love hearing their rants about how they were treated, and how I could be treated the same way. I also really like it when they get angry at me because I am not a star piano player and compare me to my genius cousin who is actually amazing at that instrument. Them telling me I don’t try and how I’m not improving…you would think that would bother me, but it doesn’t. It’s not annoying at all.
And at school? Right. First of all, it’s really cool how because I am short, people automatically look down upon me. A person making fun of my size isn’t a big deal. And once again, that whole “smart Asian” stereotype comes into play. I swear, even my teachers expected it. They thought, oh, she’s Asian, she better get a good grade on this paper…and then, of course, when I don’t, I feel like a complete idiot. And my peers! Wow. First of all, the underclassmen at my high school apparently hated us, so they would find every way possible to make us feel like crap. They would boo us at assemblies, try and start brawls in the middle of assemblies, trash our hall decorations during Homecoming week…Most people would probably feel hurt or angry or just upset about all this that was happening, these kids that are younger than them talking trash. Oh, but it’s okay. It doesn’t matter. It’s not annoying at all.
And we can’t forget about work! I love the people I worked with at Starbucks. I really do. But some of the things they would say to me…boy, did they not bug me at all. One of my coworkers bugging me about doing his nails and getting my parents to do his laundry because I’m Vietnamese was totally expected when I got hired. Having customers get annoyed by me because I don’t understand why they want a quad venti decaf four-pump sugar-free hazelnut whole milk five Splenda with whip extra hot latte was a great experience to have to endure about four times a week. Then they start yelling at me and calling me a bad barista because I just can't seem to understand how important that drink is. They automatically think I have a hearing disability because I’m Asian. Talk about stereotypes! Not going to lie; I love it. IT’S NOT ANNOYING AT ALL.
Within my actual group of friends though, this so-called “oppressive language” wasn’t very existent. We’re all best friends, so the oppressive language that I just adore wasn’t really there. You can imagine how much I missed it. I mean, feeling completely and totally comfortable with my closest friends, not having to worry about what they think? Talk about crazy! Sure, I felt comfortable with my family, and at work and school too, but the “rude” words my friends and I would spit to each other were never anything more than just jokingly poking fun at one another. In all seriousness, my family is great. I love them more than life, but sometimes their words can be cruel and they may unknowingly hurt me. And at school, who doesn’t have an annoying grade below them? I guess it’s something I got used to. The stereotypical comments about being “Asian and smart” have always been something I’ve had to live with, and it really does get on my nerves at times. But, like the class feuds, I’ve grown used to it. And at work, my coworkers are just poking fun at me. They’ve never legitimately said something rude to me that made me upset. Customers, on the other hand…well, they’re a different story.
In all seriousness, language has never been too oppressive in my life. I’ve heard some terrible things being said about others, and I can only imagine how they feel. I’m lucky to live in a community where I am completely accepted for who I am and what I stand for. Hopefully I don’t run into situations where I’ll end up being seriously made fun of or emotionally hurt by other people’s words. In the end, I am proud to say I’m absolutely comfortable in my own skin and people’s words usually don’t offend me. But who knows; my irony may be very misleading…
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5 comments:
I think this essay was written with an indignant voice.
hey so throughout your essay you kept a positive attitude. So I think you displayed a resentful voice.
hmm... bitter or angry??
Hi. I wrote this post. And I meant to write it in a sarcastic tone.
I think you did a good job in the first paragraph of setting off a sarcastic tone.
It’s actually very funny, this sarcastic tone, which is a fine overlap to have. Good repetition of each idea (it’s great, I don’t mind, etc) to establish that you actually don’t think what you’re saying (indicating the opposite).
Very good sentence variation – switching rhythms, and shifting between long and short sentences.
I do think especially in paragraph three that you start to veer off oppressive language. The size doesn’t put language as primary, and neither does starting brawls or trashing decorations. By losing the key term oppression, or at least the sense of it, you start to lose the focus on language and focus on anything which is oppressive.
Here you slip out of sarcasm for a second: “But some of the things they would say to me…boy, did they not bug me at all.” First part is serious, as if you were bugged, then second half reverses and stays sarcastic. Revise first part.
“One of my coworkers bugging me about doing his nails and getting my parents to do his laundry because I’m Vietnamese was totally expected when I got hired.” Awkward syntax.
The actual group of friends paragraph veers off course. Each paragraph can only do one thing, and your Topic sentence sets up the paragraph for friends, but then the paragraph continues to cover family and school and co-workers. Avoid this type of summary, and avoid splitting paragraphs up into multiple topics.
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