The texts I am going to compare are “Child of the Americas” by Aurora Levin Morales and “What’s It like to be a Black Girl” by Patricia Smith. Both works center on the mindset of two women with African roots, burdened by the historical opinions of American society about their heritage. These negative opinions are significant in shaping the individuals’ mindset as they face prejudice. These false beliefs have affected and skewed the perception of these young African American girls. These poems demonstrate how two young girls from diverse American minority sub-cultures see themselves from completely different angles.
Two young women have contrasting desires when it comes to their cultural identity – one seeks connection with her African American ancestor’s slave owners, while the other wants to embrace and honor her African Latino heritage. The poem “What’s it like to be a Black Girl” sheds light on the inner thoughts of a black girl living in a society fueled by racism and discrimination based on both race and gender. This individual is navigating the transition from being a young black girl to becoming a young black woman, struggling to accept the changes happening in her body. Society has ingrained in her feelings of shame towards her identity, appearance, and roots.
The passage discusses a girl’s desire to have features that conform to societal standards. According to Smith (4), she expresses a sense of incompleteness at the age of 9, perceiving her edges as untamed and everything about herself as flawed. The poem highlights that the girl observes her physical transformation while also viewing herself through society’s lens. Society has instilled in her the belief that her appearance is incorrect. The phrase “wild edges” refers to the changes happening to her body, such as the development of breasts and the awakening of her sexuality.
The girl in Smith’s poem experiences dissatisfaction with her own identity and is not accepted by the society she lives in. She desires to change her race, hoping that by becoming white, she will be loved and accepted. She understands that her dark skin color, brown eyes, and nappy hair prevent her from being treated fairly. “It’s dropping food coloring in your eyes to make them blue and suffering their burn in silence. It’s popping a bleached white mop head over the kinks of your hair and primping in front of the mirrors that deny your reflection.” (Smith, 9) She acknowledges the changes occurring in her body as she grows into a woman but does not desire to become a black woman. Instead, she yearns for blonde hair, white skin, and pretty blue eyes because society has taught her these features are beautiful. Morales’ “Child of the America’s” presents an opposite viewpoint. The opening line, “I am a child of the America’s”, (Morales, 1) shows that this girl knows who she is and embraces her uniqueness despite it setting her apart from what she encounters on a daily basis.
The speaker in the poem “Child of the America’s” proudly embraces her Puerto Rican heritage, her multi-racial descent, and her identity as someone from the islands. She demonstrates a strong sense of self-awareness and purpose. In declaring herself as “a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean” (Morales, 2), she confidently establishes her mixed-race background and showcases her strength, confidence, and positive perspective on life.
The protagonist of the text comes from a social class that ranges from middle class to wealthy, with parents who worked their way out of poverty. As stated by Morales (5), she describes herself as a “product of the ghettos of New York”, a place she has never experienced. She expresses her strong affinity for the English language, describing it as the language of her consciousness and a powerful tool (Morales, 7, 8). Unlike the black girl in Smith’s poem, she fully embraces her heritage and appreciates her appearance when she looks in the mirror.
In Smith’s poem “What’s it like to be a Black Girl”, the author discusses the physical changes the girl goes through as she reaches adolescence (Smith, 12). The girl becomes aware of the transformation happening to her body, such as the space between her legs and a disturbance in her chest. However, instead of embracing these changes, she feels disappointed in her dark skin color. Her lack of self-confidence makes her susceptible to unwanted attention from the opposite sex.
The girl in “Child of the Americas” embraces her uniqueness and celebrates her Latin American heritage. She appreciates the Spanish language and its influence on her body and voice. The girl loves the confident mannerisms and sharp wit that she has developed.
She embraces her curvy hips and beautiful body, which is a result of her heritage. She proudly identifies as a sassy multicultural woman. According to Smith’s poem, she describes herself as “growing tall and wearing a lot of white”. For this black girl, white symbolizes everything that is right and good in the world. She believes that everything beautiful is associated with whiteness, which is seen as clean and pure. Unfortunately, she has been taught to view blackness as dirty and tainted, causing her to feel that her identity is ugly. However, in the poem “Child of the Americas”, the girl wholeheartedly embraces and loves every aspect of her multicultural existence.
The girl in the poem declares, “I am a U. S. Puerto Rican Jew, I am Caribena, island grown, I am Latinoamerica” (Morales, 4, 9, 13). Her identity is comprised of multiple races and she cherishes each one. Smith’s portrayal involves women yielding to men’s desires, whereas the multicultural girl stands out as resolutely independent. She possesses a strong sense of self and knows her own desires.
Respect is demanded and nothing less will be tolerated. Morales expresses in her writing, “I was born at the crossroads and I am whole” (Morales, 18, 19). The two poems convey completely different tones and distinct messages to the reader. Tone refers to the mood or attitude portrayed in a literary work. In “What it’s like to be a black girl”, the tone is one of confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. The protagonist doesn’t comprehend the changes happening to her body and questions why she wasn’t born white and beautiful. Conversely, “Child of the America’s” exhibits a tone of pride, self-love, and acceptance.
She understands her identity and heritage and takes pride in her unique characteristics. The two girls differ in their self-perception, with the black girl lacking positive reinforcement about her beauty and unique qualities. It is evident that she lacks role models who resemble her. She needed someone to reassure her that she is extraordinary just as she is and that the transformations she undergoes are natural and will shape her into a resilient black woman.
In a time when black was not considered beautiful, this girl faced prejudice and segregation due to her skin color. Despite being young and impressionable, she was influenced by various factors such as age, appearance, upbringing, and life experiences in defining her identity. These aspects are discussed in the article “This is who i am: defining mixed-race identity” (Turnbull, 2008). Fortunately, she had someone who instilled in her the belief that she is a beautiful and resilient woman.
Guided by strong individuals, this girl fully embraces her multicultural heritage and proudly displays it as a source of pride. According to the article “Transcending race and identity” by Goodman (2008), home is not determined by race or ethnicity but rather by one’s family. For this girl, her heritage has become her home. Growing up in an accepting era, she feels no shame about her identity or appearance.
Although the black girl encountered prejudice and segregation, the other girl did not share the same experience. However, she had an understanding of that era without personally going through it. To fully grasp the poems’ purpose, it is essential to consider both the author’s background and the time they lived in. Patricia Smith was born in 1955, a period when African Americans were no longer enslaved but still faced discrimination and unequal treatment compared to white individuals. Black people were considered inferior citizens who often held low-paying jobs in agriculture or industry. They attended underfunded schools with overcrowded classrooms consisting of 40 to 50 students.
Despite the abolition of slavery, African Americans still faced discrimination in various aspects of their daily lives. One common issue they encountered was the limited access to school books and supplies for many children. Furthermore, certain restaurants prohibited them from dining, and they were also denied the use of public facilities such as bathrooms and water fountains. The fear of arrest or physical violence prevented them from asserting their rights. Civil rights worker Janet Harris emphasized the dangers involved, stating that attempting to register could lead to job loss, credit loss, beatings, house fires, or even death (123HelpMe.com).
Shifting our focus to a different subject matter, Aurora Levin Morales was born in Puerto Rico in 1954 with a mixed background – her mother being Puerto Rican and her father Ukrainian. During that time period, Puerto Rico had a significant population of white Europeans. Discussions about racial significance in Puerto Rico often center around its history and the amalgamation of Spanish, African, and Taino cultures into a nationalist ideology known as mestizaje or blending (Denton & Villarrubia, 2007).
Puerto Ricans, much like early Africans in Mexico, had no desire or necessity to change their identity or believe that the white race was superior to them. They did not internalize the self-depreciation imposed by the colonial masters and slaves in full; they only embraced it partially to “pass” as non-African (Vincent, 2002). Mexico’s racial diversity was complex enough to give rise to a new social class (Vincent, 2002).
Both of these literary works delve into the theme of culture and identity. Morales never encountered the feeling of not belonging or being isolated from the society she resided in. She was surrounded by individuals who took pride in their ancestry. On the other hand, one girl expresses discontent with her looks, encompassing her curly hair and brown complexion. In opposition, the other girl wholeheartedly embraces her varied heritage and cherishes her physical attributes. “Child of the Americas” underlines that this girl does not feel compelled to apologize for her identity and acknowledges how history has shaped her understanding of herself.
The poem “What it’s like to be a black girl” illuminates the obstacles confronted by black girls in a biased society. It highlights the hardships they face when transitioning into black women, especially in a society that rejects their identity and physicality. Morales’s poem commemorates the girl’s acceptance of her diverse heritage and affirms that she is complete because of her identity. On the other hand, Smith’s poem explores the encounters of a black girl as she navigates an uneasy path towards womanhood during a time characterized by racial uncertainty.
