Category: Neighborhood

Introduction

Sandra Cisneros’ novel, ‘The House on Mango Street,’ is a coming-of-age story that explores the experiences and aspirations of a young Latina girl named Esperanza. One of the most prominent literary devices employed by Cisneros in this novel is the use of motifs. Motifs are recurring symbols, themes, or images that contribute to the overall meaning and atmosphere of the story. In ‘The House on Mango Street,’ motifs such as the house, the garden, and the language of the characters are employed to convey the central themes of identity, community, and the search for belonging. This essay will delve into the significance of these motifs and their impact on the narrative.

The House

The motif of the house serves as a central symbol throughout the novel. Esperanza’s perception of the houses she encounters reflects her evolving understanding of herself and her place in the world. Initially, the dilapidated houses on Mango Street symbolize a sense of confinement and limitations, representing the oppressive nature of Esperanza’s environment. As the story progresses, however, the motif of the house transforms to represent Esperanza’s dreams of a better life and her longing for a place she can call her own. The house becomes a metaphor for her aspirations and a symbol of her desire to escape the limitations of her current circumstances.

The Garden

The motif of the garden is used to explore themes of growth, transformation, and female empowerment. The garden symbolizes a sanctuary where Esperanza and the women in her community can find solace and freedom. It represents their hopes, dreams, and the potential for personal growth and self-expression. Through the motif of the garden, Cisneros emphasizes the importance of cultivating one’s identity and finding beauty and strength even in challenging circumstances.

Language and Communication

The motif of language is woven throughout the novel, highlighting the power of words and communication in shaping identity and connecting individuals. The characters in ‘The House on Mango Street’ use language to express their desires, dreams, and experiences. However, the limitations of language, particularly in relation to cultural and gender barriers, also become evident. Through the motif of language, Cisneros explores the challenges of self-expression and the need for authentic communication in establishing meaningful connections and forging a sense of belonging.

Community and Belonging

Motifs in ‘The House on Mango Street’ also serve to emphasize the importance of community and the search for a sense of belonging. The interconnectedness of the characters and their shared experiences are symbolized through motifs such as the neighborhood, the streets, and the collective struggle against adversity. Cisneros portrays the power of communal support in shaping individual identity and fostering resilience. The motifs of community and belonging underscore the importance of human connections and the quest for a place where one is accepted and understood.

Conclusion

In ‘The House on Mango Street,’ Sandra Cisneros expertly utilizes motifs to deepen the reader’s understanding of the central themes of identity, community, and the search for belonging. Through the recurring symbols of the house, the garden, language, and community, Cisneros creates a rich and multi-layered narrative that resonates with readers. The motifs serve as powerful tools to convey the challenges, dreams, and aspirations of Esperanza and the characters in her community. They invite readers to reflect on their own experiences of identity and the universal human need for connection and belonging.

Long Beach, California, is seen as one of the most diverse cities in the United States, it’s been my home since the age of 5 and I really can’t imagine myself anywhere else. Living in Bixby Knolls/ California Heights for most of my years, I’ve noticed the lack of diversity that surrounds me, and because of this I believe as a community we lack cooperation and empathy between people of different colors and backgrounds.

Learning about Long Beach and its racial history, it’s no shocker to me that my neighborhood is made of mostly white females and males. Long Beach throughout the 1900s was faced with many hardships, including hate crimes towards African Americans and segregation all over this city. Although most people believed segregation and discrimination only took place in the South, it was a huge struggle in the Signal Hill/ Long Beach area. According to the Signal Tribune newspaper, Claudine Burnett, a Signal Hill Historian, wrote about the racial tensions that roamed the streets in the 1950s, particularly in Bixby Knolls. Just a couple blocks from my house, $50,000 worth of vandalism was done to a newly built 1948 home in an all-white lavish neighborhood. Charles and Ruby Taylor, black homeowners, purchased a beautiful home for it to be soaked in water, full of bleach, with the carpet being ripped out. Ruby and Charles were constantly harassed by their fellow neighbors in order to sell out the house and not move in. That didn’t stop the Taylor family from moving in. Time went on and they were always treated differently from their peers when they were really just trying to provide a better life for their three kids. It wasn’t until 1958 when someone threw a rock into their window almost hitting the babysitter and the kids that civic leaders decided to do something about the injustice going on in this community. These leaders formed the City Human Relations Committee to improve racial harmony in Long Beach. Racial tensions and the way a neighborhood can come to a resolution to end discrimination were a huge part of their mission. Bixby Knolls is still known for being the white side of town, and although I haven’t heard about any racial tension in my neighborhood, white privilege is deeply rooted amongst my neighbors and community.

According to social explorer, most people in my neighborhood are between the ages of 55-64. This means people in my community witnessed first-hand the harsh struggles people of color had to go through or may have even participated in such hate crimes. As a society, most of us don’t know the struggles that colored people faced, so it’s important for me to educate others on the history that happened next door to us. Educating others will spark conversations that ultimately one day will lead to cooperation and new ideas.

Over 59% of the population is white, 34% are Hispanics and only 13% are African American. These numbers are very prominent when walking around my neighborhood or even when observing the children getting out of school, how many walk home, and how many are picked up. Most children getting picked up from school are of color, meaning that they come from other sides of town. When I attended Longfellow Elementary and Hughes Middle School, I was surrounded by all races, classes, and genders. I learned a lot about different cultures, and at a young age, I was aware of the ways people of color were treated differently. Both of these schools are still seen as diverse, and the demographics are forever changing. The significance of learning and being around different types of people helped me build my own identity and made me who I am today.

Bixby Knolls’ sex population is 51% females and 48% male, although very close in percentages women are now more prominent, and according to the social explorer, 21% of women are homeowners and 18% are males. Women and men owning their own houses can increase the economic stability of families and the community they surround themselves with. Women nowadays are dominating the workforce, and since Atlantic Avenue is two blocks away from me, I am able to see all these female-owned businesses evolve, and as a community, we can surpass that barrier that prevents women from ever reaching higher-paying positions. My neighborhood is considered upper middle class since 82% of people will never know what being poor is like. Only 6% of people in my neighborhood are considered poor, and those are most likely homeless people who have no place to stay. Homelessness is not easily seen in my area, and since they’ve been cutting down trees and plants on the main roads, homes have been destroyed and people now are living by the freeway in grassy areas. According to the Long Beach Post, the 2019 homeless count found 31 more people living on the streets; after many efforts and all the federal dollars you’d think by now, we would have solved this homeless situation. But until we build more affordable housing in our community, we will continue to see people end up on the streets.

In conclusion, 19,000 people live in my community, and without the social explorer and the regions I pressed, I would have never known the demographics within my neighborhood. Living here for most of my life, I’ve never really thought about the history and the implication it has now. Millennials are seen as the largest and most diverse population generation, so it’s our job to teach the older population about the history of our city, what it means, and how we can change it. By researching and analyzing other ideas, beliefs, and lifestyles with an open mind, we unlock ourselves to practice creativity and problem-solving by looking at things from others’ perspectives. If we only take one viewpoint about what happens around us, we will never apprehend the other perspectives, and therefore as a community, we will never flourish, and only harm will be done.

Over the years the meaning of ‘neighborhood’ has perceived a shift in the ideas of urban planning. A neighborhood is designed or planned on one idea, that is based accordingly on the people or community it is going to facilitate or inhabited. It’s considered that a progressive neighborhood design plays a pivotal role in the urbanization of the city. Once a neighborhood is developed and it’s inhabited by a community, it’s prone to changes that may occur due to actions. In this paper, I will discuss how these actions make the neighborhood change and whether these actions are either collective (macro-level) or individual (micro-level). Neighborhood change refers to the built and communal change that occurs within the boundaries of a neighborhood, and sometimes in between neighborhoods. Now, whatever change the neighborhood has overseen, has an associate that is time. A neighborhood could change over time gradually with an increase or decrease in change, and changes could be occurring in the neighborhood actively.

The changes are observed thoroughly with a series of surveys, research, and interviews, particularly when focusing on an individual neighborhood under a set of conditions. It also includes a methodical analysis of the changes that occur in the neighborhoods and their comparison with other neighborhoods, which is based on statistics and data collected from different sources. Humans are prone to changes, and this leads them to implement or need change over time; this process could also be influenced by changes occurring within nature or their surroundings.

Kirkwood, Atlanta is a prime example of how a neighborhood has gone through the process of gentrification in terms of housing units in just a few years. The key is to be aware of gentrification that could happen or is happening in the neighborhood so that an appropriate response could be given whether the response is to do absolutely nothing to mitigate it. But the important thing is to observe it as early as possible.

Now, the actions that ignite gentrification could be initiated by an individual action or collective action. An individual action is initiated for the improvement or upgradation of an individual’s own property or residence in a neighborhood, it could be even moving from one neighborhood to another that offers better facilities. The other way of action that could be accounted for neighborhood change is a collective, in which a group of people who have the authority or ownership possess a school of thought for a change or upgrade for the neighborhood. This change is sometimes also brought from the outer boundaries of the neighborhood. As Brown-Saracino in her book explained, people who just moved to the neighborhood are considered as the people who could change the way the neighborhood looks by making changes or revitalizing their own properties. But there are some newcomers who are would prefer to preserve the neighborhood as it is because they would want to keep it the way it is. During her research over four neighborhoods, she concludes that recently the people who are labeled as gentrifiers have had a wake-up call, that has made them appreciate the distinctive and delicate features of whether a derelict residence, deep-rooted scenery, or the people who have inhabited the neighborhood for years.

Now, whether this change or any other change in any neighborhood is either collective or individual, I think that change is initiated always by a single individual. Whether it could be only an idea or an action. As I said, humans are prone to change, they get tired or are easily amused, and that leads them to aspire for change. This has an effect on the neighborhood, maybe an individual wants to add a garden to his/her residence or is intending to migrate to a different neighborhood for better amenities. As one domino falls, others follow. This is the way humans are designed, they get amused effortlessly and want what others possess. It always comes down to one individual intending or creating a change on a singular level or small level, and it leads its way towards the change, turning into a collective change. Every individual is entitled to his/her will, which means the individual change they bring, if it doesn’t pose any threat to the neighborhood, could be allowed to happen, but as it happens, it affects the individuals around, leaving an impact on them. This could have both positive and negative effects.

Now, when these changes that are due to individual actions start affecting a collective group, a hierarchy could interfere and mitigate these changes. Sometimes it’s the hierarchy introducing a change on a collective level that could be opposed, as R. Sennet in his study demonstrated with a group of people opposing the change. It depicts that how humans are prone to resist together to a change that they don’t want on the other, if the change was from within the resistance wouldn’t be much. It always comes down to an individual’s action for a change, and it may become a collective change, but still is an individual action.

So, it could be said, an individual action brings a neighborhood change. As most actions are a depiction of an individual wanting to achieve a standard of living, more often making changes such as expanding a property or adding spaces to the residence. These small changes sooner or later affect the neighborhood.

The main characteristic of my suburb (Mount Waverley) is The Riversdale Golf Club and Mt Waverley Reserve. The Riversdale Golf Club was there since 1892, every time we drive past the golf course, we see people playing there. It is really beautiful when it is spring because the flowers grow out of the fence and everyone can enjoy the view. There are 2 parks near my house, we can sometimes see mums/dads take their child(ren) to the park but sometimes you might see no one in the park and it is just silent. There is

In my neighborhood there is a church right next to my house for both Mandarin and English, the church had quite a long history; it was built in 1976. Most of the houses in Mount Waverley are old houses that have been rebuilt. My neighborhood is liveable because there is a library Mount Waverley Library is 50 meters away from Mount Waverley Station which is very convenient for many people in my neighborhood, there are also some schools in Mount Waverley… (I don’t think this is all the schools around Mount Waverley)

The primary schools in Mount Waverley

Public Schools

• Mount Waverley Primary School
• Mount Waverley North Primary School
• Essex Heights Primary School
• Sussex Heights Primary School
• Syndal South Primary School
• Pinewood Primary School

Private Schools

• Holy Family Primary School

The secondary schools in Mount Waverley

Public Schools

• Mount Waverley Secondary College

Private Schools

• Huntingtower School
• Avila College

The city of Monash was a dry zone which makes Mount Waverley safe, there are no bars in this area because many schools are gathered around here and no one can sell alcohol, which prevents people from doing a thing without their consciousness

My House is a townhouse. New houses are mostly townhouses and there are a lot of old types of Edwardian and Californian Bungalow types of houses. Mount Waverley is a large suburb and it is rectangular, there is a Mount Waverley Shopping Centre in the middle of Mount Waverley. Mount Waverley is 16 km southeast of Melbourne’s central business district, its local government area is the City of Monash. At the 2016 census, Mount Waverley had a population of 33,611. In the neighborhood 48.8% were male and 51.2% were female. in the neighborhood the most populated age was 45-49 years(7.6%) and 20-24 years (7.3%), there are 9,257 families and there are 17,372 people who are born in Australia(51.7%), 3,793 are born in China(11.3%), 1,418 are born in Sri Lanka(4.2%), 1,246 are born in India(3.7%), 944 are born in Malaysia(2.8%) and 724 are born in England(2.2%). The most spoken language outside was Mandarin which is (13.5%) of the whole neighborhood but most spoke English at home (51.9%). Many people in the neighborhood had no religious beliefs (32.6%) and the most popular religion was Catholic (18.3%).

My neighborhood is liveable because it is safe and has a lot of schools which they need to keep safe. There is countless school around my neighborhood and Asian families attach great importance to education. There are a lot of Chinese who were born in Australia and most likely have a Chinese-born parent or have been living in Australia for generations

On February 26, 2012, an innocent African American teenage boy was shot and killed because he was wearing a hoodie, and his skin was dark, so he looked ‘suspicious.’ He was walking home from a trip to the convenience store and Trayvon was noticed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. The volunteer approached him because there had been several robberies and break-ins in just a few days. Trayvon Martin, born February 5, 1995, had no criminal record. He was a good kid according to his community. The shooting gained international attention which caused protest rallies worldwide to get justice for young black teens getting killed and an end to law enforcement getting away with no consequences. The injustice of African Americans in the justice system.

Racism in America is known as the “system”. It’s designed to target African Americans for white supremacy. Such as voter suppression, a method used to stop specific groups of people from voting. Also, almost two million African-Americans, over 8 % of the adult African-American population, are impotent in their right to vote by their conviction by the criminal system. This event is three times the national Average. (“Quigley 424”). Also, concerning is the racial profiling imposed by officers and searches without evidence of criminal activity and based on perceived race, or national origin is illegal.

Racial profiling influences many neighborhoods where many African Americans live. (“Racial Profiling”). Black residents are more than likely to be stopped by the police than white people. “More than 1 in 6 Blacks that were pulled over or stopped on the streets had several interactions with the police over the year.”(“Jones Alexis 2018”). They were more likely to threaten or use force against black inhabitants. The racial divergence in policing has had effects on the public trust of the police. “60% of Black residents who have experienced the threats or use of force, perceived the force as excessive, compared to 43% of white residents who experienced force.”(“Jones Alexis 2018”). Along with this, Black people have the most trouble with finding a job after being incarcerated because of discrimination in hiring.

When being released from prison, race dominates. “A study by Professor Devah Pager found that 17% of white job applicants with criminal records received callbacks from employers while only 5% of African-American job applicants with criminal records received callbacks. Race is so prominent in that study that whites with criminal records actually received better treatment than African Americans without criminal records.”(“Pager 2012”). Racial discrimination happens everywhere. black employment may have grown more serious over time, as more and more employers move away from dominant city areas where less than half of low-income continue to be condensed. Additionally, fewer black people without a job are more likely to experience police brutality or even be killed by the police

More and more innocent black teens are being killed by the police. Micheal Brown is a victim. On August 9, 2014, Michael brown jr, who was only 18 years old was shot and killed by a 28-year-old white Ferguson officer. In the city of Ferguson, Missouri. the officer said, “brown was trying to attack him and his car for control of his gun until it was fired.” Johnson, who was his friend stated that “the officer initiated a confrontation by grabbing brown by the neck through his car window threatening him, and then shooting at brown.” Brown got out of the car and surrendered with his hands up saying “Don’t shoot” before he was shot. The officer continuously shot at brown until he fell to the ground, he was shot six times all from the front. The officer shot twelve bullets in total during the altercation.

Supporters of police behavior argue that police brutality is not a significant problem and that accusations about it are over-exaggerated. They claim “Many claims of brutality, they contend, are made by criminals attempting to manipulate the justice system by filing false complaints.”(“Police Brutality August 6, 2016”). Police say that they are trying to do their best in a very dangerous job. Police are not deliberately targeting the outnumbered group, they resist, and shouldn’t take the fall for broader social abuse. Blacks can prevent the use of force by complying with officers’ orders. Sunil Dutta, a Los Angeles police officer, argued that if you don’t want to be a victim of police brutality simply don’t argue with them, threaten that you’ll sue them, and don’t aggressively walk towards them.

The controversy of illegal use of firearms and police brutality against African Americans still has not settled and is still in effect today. So many lives were lost because of the unnecessary use of force and getting victimized because of their skin color. Up until this day, African Americans still do not have respect from law enforcement.

Work Cited

1. Carter, Robert L. “The Criminal Justice System Is Infected with Racism.” Vital Speeches of the Day, vol. 62, no. 10, Mar. 1996, p. 290. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9603196080&site=ehost-live.
2. ‘Police Brutality: Do U.S. police departments use appropriate force when dealing with the public?’ Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 3 Aug. 2016, https://icof-infobaselearning-com.ezproxy.rose.edu/recordurl.aspx?ID=14188. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020
3. Quigley, William. “Racism: The Crime in Criminal Justice.” Loyola Journal of Public Interest Law, 16 May 2012, law.loyno.edu/sites/law.loyno.edu/files/Quigley.pdf.
4. “Florida Teen Trayvon Martin Is Shot and Killed.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 12 Nov. 2013, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/florida-teen-trayvon-martin-is-shot-and-killed.
5. pager, Devah. “Racism: The Crime in Criminal Justice.” Loyola Journal of Public Interest Law, The Free Library, 2012, ‘Racism: the crime in criminal justice..’ The Free Library. 2012 Loyola University New Orleans, School of Law 25 Feb. 2020 www.thefreelibrary.com/Racism: the crime in criminal justice.-a0296951993.
6. Jones, Alexis. “police stops are still marred by racial discrimination, new data shows..” prisonpolicy.org. Prison policy initiative, 12 Oct. 2018. Web. 26 Feb. 2020.

On February 26, 2012, an innocent African American teenage boy was shot and killed because he was wearing a hoodie, and his skin was dark, so he looked ‘suspicious.’ He was walking home from a trip to the convenience store and Trayvon was noticed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. The volunteer approached him because there had been several robberies and break-ins in just a few days. Trayvon Martin, born February 5, 1995, had no criminal record. He was a good kid according to his community. The shooting gained international attention which caused protest rallies worldwide to get justice for young black teens getting killed and an end to law enforcement getting away with no consequences. The injustice of African Americans in the justice system.

Racism in America is known as the “system”. It’s designed to target African Americans for white supremacy. Such as voter suppression, a method used to stop specific groups of people from voting. Also, almost two million African-Americans, over 8 % of the adult African-American population, are impotent in their right to vote by their conviction by the criminal system. This event is three times the national Average. (“Quigley 424”). Also, concerning is the racial profiling imposed by officers and searches without evidence of criminal activity and based on perceived race, or national origin is illegal.

Racial profiling influences many neighborhoods where many African Americans live. (“Racial Profiling”). Black residents are more than likely to be stopped by the police than white people. “More than 1 in 6 Blacks that were pulled over or stopped on the streets had several interactions with the police over the year.”(“Jones Alexis 2018”). They were more likely to threaten or use force against black inhabitants. The racial divergence in policing has had effects on the public trust of the police. “60% of Black residents who have experienced the threats or use of force, perceived the force as excessive, compared to 43% of white residents who experienced force.”(“Jones Alexis 2018”). Along with this, Black people have the most trouble with finding a job after being incarcerated because of discrimination in hiring.

When being released from prison, race dominates. “A study by Professor Devah Pager found that 17% of white job applicants with criminal records received callbacks from employers while only 5% of African-American job applicants with criminal records received callbacks. Race is so prominent in that study that whites with criminal records actually received better treatment than African Americans without criminal records.”(“Pager 2012”). Racial discrimination happens everywhere. black employment may have grown more serious over time, as more and more employers move away from dominant city areas where less than half of low-income continue to be condensed. Additionally, fewer black people without a job are more likely to experience police brutality or even be killed by the police

More and more innocent black teens are being killed by the police. Micheal Brown is a victim. On August 9, 2014, Michael brown jr, who was only 18 years old was shot and killed by a 28-year-old white Ferguson officer. In the city of Ferguson, Missouri. the officer said, “brown was trying to attack him and his car for control of his gun until it was fired.” Johnson, who was his friend stated that “the officer initiated a confrontation by grabbing brown by the neck through his car window threatening him, and then shooting at brown.” Brown got out of the car and surrendered with his hands up saying “Don’t shoot” before he was shot. The officer continuously shot at brown until he fell to the ground, he was shot six times all from the front. The officer shot twelve bullets in total during the altercation.

Supporters of police behavior argue that police brutality is not a significant problem and that accusations about it are over-exaggerated. They claim “Many claims of brutality, they contend, are made by criminals attempting to manipulate the justice system by filing false complaints.”(“Police Brutality August 6, 2016”). Police say that they are trying to do their best in a very dangerous job. Police are not deliberately targeting the outnumbered group, they resist, and shouldn’t take the fall for broader social abuse. Blacks can prevent the use of force by complying with officers’ orders. Sunil Dutta, a Los Angeles police officer, argued that if you don’t want to be a victim of police brutality simply don’t argue with them, threaten that you’ll sue them, and don’t aggressively walk towards them.

The controversy of illegal use of firearms and police brutality against African Americans still has not settled and is still in effect today. So many lives were lost because of the unnecessary use of force and getting victimized because of their skin color. Up until this day, African Americans still do not have respect from law enforcement.

Work Cited

1. Carter, Robert L. “The Criminal Justice System Is Infected with Racism.” Vital Speeches of the Day, vol. 62, no. 10, Mar. 1996, p. 290. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9603196080&site=ehost-live.
2. ‘Police Brutality: Do U.S. police departments use appropriate force when dealing with the public?’ Issues & Controversies, Infobase, 3 Aug. 2016, https://icof-infobaselearning-com.ezproxy.rose.edu/recordurl.aspx?ID=14188. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020
3. Quigley, William. “Racism: The Crime in Criminal Justice.” Loyola Journal of Public Interest Law, 16 May 2012, law.loyno.edu/sites/law.loyno.edu/files/Quigley.pdf.
4. “Florida Teen Trayvon Martin Is Shot and Killed.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 12 Nov. 2013, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/florida-teen-trayvon-martin-is-shot-and-killed.
5. pager, Devah. “Racism: The Crime in Criminal Justice.” Loyola Journal of Public Interest Law, The Free Library, 2012, ‘Racism: the crime in criminal justice..’ The Free Library. 2012 Loyola University New Orleans, School of Law 25 Feb. 2020 www.thefreelibrary.com/Racism: the crime in criminal justice.-a0296951993.
6. Jones, Alexis. “police stops are still marred by racial discrimination, new data shows..” prisonpolicy.org. Prison policy initiative, 12 Oct. 2018. Web. 26 Feb. 2020.