The current society is diverse. A majority of the people are uninformed of prejudice and discrimination they provoke every time they communicate. The essays and provide insight into a cultural identity crisis in new worlds. In “I’m a banana and proud of it,” Wayson Choy outlines the difficulties he experienced as a Chinese man trying to survive in North America in terms of his identity. He argues that he belongs to both races because from the outside he looks Chinese while from the inside he acts like a White individual. In “Going Dutch: Reflections on nation, race, and privilege,” Sadiqa Khan discusses the struggle of belonging to a particular ethnic community (Dutch), but not looking like it. She argues that there are many ways that personal identities can be used to elevate the issues of racism even unconsciously. The following paper argues that Choy provides a more compelling argument on issues of race and identity as compared to Khan because of the deep appeals of logic, ethics, and emotions and less usage of fallacies.
Individual Cultural Identity Struggles
Migrants might find it difficult to mix their ethnic and individual ideals as they attempt to understand where they belong in a new world. Choy, in his article, uses an inductive argument to communicate why he is proud of being called a banana. He utilizes the history of his parents’ arrival and struggles in North America to make a connection to reasons why the Chinese are referred to like bananas. Choy’s main intention was to make his audience understand why he is comfortable with the term “banana.” However, he argues off topic when he decides to discuss the history of his parents’ arrival to North America. The story of his parents’ arrival does not strengthen his points on his struggle with cultural identity. While the history might be important to prove his overall point, it does not correlate with his intention to prove why he is comfortable being referred to as a “banana.”
Khan, on the other hand, utilizes inductive reasoning to transmit her message on the struggle with her cultural identity. According to the article, she is “all shades of brown,” unlike a majority of the Dutch people who are White. A majority of people she interacts with do not believe she is Dutch because of her skin color, which is a struggle for her. “I do not know how to divide myself into fractions when it comes to my ethnicity” (Khan 213). However, Khan launches an attack on every “wealthy minority in the global north” (Khan 214) for persistent discrimination against Non-White Dutch. Every wealthy minority is guilty by association because of a small fraction of individuals.
Stereotypes
It is easy to judge individuals based on their religion and skin color especially when we have never encountered them. Choy provides the different stereotypical names used on immigrants in North America such as “Native Indians are ‘apples,’ Blacks are ‘Oreo Cookies,’ and Chinese are ‘bananas’” (216). On entry to North America, Choy’s father is referred to as “chink” (Choy 216), which has a racist connotation. However, Choy has become comfortable with the word “banana” as a stereotype because he is more aware of himself. In his explanation, Choy avoids becoming too emotional on the topic. His ethics are clear because “he recreated the past, explored the beginnings of the conflicts trapped within himself…” and he “discovered a truth… struggles are universal” (Choy 217). Choy incorporates the various ways that he utilized to accept his identity as a “banana” without necessarily involving his feelings.
Khan provides different conversation of her encounters with different individuals who quickly dismiss her Dutch heritage. A majority of individuals question her claims of being Dutch because of her skin color because of the racist assumption that all Dutch individuals are supposed to be White. The claims made by the author on her treatment can be interpreted as true and appeals to logos and pathos because she has lived the experience. The author has gone through situations where she has been stereotyped because of her skin color, which makes it easier to connect with the audience. However, the author lets her emotions show through the text. The statement “The difficulty, for me, is in understanding why people will persist in stating that I cannot be Dutch” (Khan 214) is raided with personal feelings, which fails to appeal to an audience’s ethos of the writer.
Historical Contexts
History has a great influence on history because of the connection between the past and present is continuous. Choy incorporates the history of his parent’s entry into North America to clarify the start of racism against the Chinese. He utilizes evidence from this history to elaborate on the emergence of the term “banana.” Initially, the term “banana” was used to “describe generations who assimilated so well into North American life” (Choy 216). The use of this evidence is important because it gives life to the claims made by the author. Use of historical evidence appeals to the logos of the audience
Khan also utilizes pieces of evidence from the late “1950s and 1960s” when “there was a demand for cheap, unregulated labor in the Netherlands” (214). Khan employs this evidence to indicate the past basis of the current racist behavior of White Dutch to Non-white Dutch residents. According to Khan, the wealthy minority historically satisfy their “demand for material comfort” using the labor of “devalued people” (214). However, the use of this evidence by Khan fails to amplify the issues mentioned at the start of the essay. The incorporation of slave labor has no connection of any kind with individuals failing to acknowledge Khan’s identity as a Dutch.
Conclusion
Use of the rhetorical triangle to appeal to audiences makes an argument more persuasive and agreeable. While Khan and Choy utilize the rhetorical triangle to argue their points, however, the latter is able to employ tactics that do not dilute his arguments. The type of historical data that Khan incorporates contributes to his overall point, unlike Khan. Further, Khan does not let his personal feelings obstruct his major points. He is able to present his points in a straight-forward and ethical manner. Lastly, Choy appeals to the emotions of his audience by presenting his point of view in a simple yet believable and relatable manner. For this reason, Choy’s essay is more persuasive as compared to Khan’s.
Works Cited
Choy, Wayson. "I'm A Banana And Proud Of It". Strategies For Successful Writing A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, And Handbook, James Reinking and Robert von der Osten, 6th ed., Pearson, Toronto, 2016, pp. 216-217, Accessed 24 Oct 2018.
Khan, Sadiqa. “Going Dutch: Reflections on nation, Race and Privilege.” Strategies For Successful Writing A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, And Handbook, James Reinking and Robert von der Osten, 6th ed., Pearson, Toronto, 2016, pp. 213-215, Accessed 24 Oct 2018.
