Hernandez, Yuri
H10 8am
Total Word Count: 888
Summary on A Different Mirror Chapter 1
In the book, A Different Mirror, Ronald Takaki writes about American history through the lens
of its diverse population. The chapter opens with an anecdote that Takaki is recalling. It’s about
an interaction that he had with a taxi driver. The driver asked him how long has he lived in the
U.S since his English is very good. Takaki then has to explain that he and his family had lived
in the U.S for several decades. He goes on to say that despite telling the driver he’s American,
he’s not seen as one due to his race. During the rest of the ride, Takaki contemplates about how
Virginia was “...the beginning of multicultural America.”. Since tobacco became a huge export
in Virginia, it created a need for more land and labor from England, Ireland, and Africa.
Takaki goes back to the interaction with the taxi driver. He talks about how often he gets asked
similar questions and how it’s not entirely their fault. He talks about how the education system
only depicts Asian Americans through a filter he calls “Master Narrative of American History”.
He talks about how the whole narrative has created the idea that Americans can only be white,
and that anything else is seen as “other”. This separation has caused a negative outlook to people
of color. He lists people, such as Fredrick Jackson Turner and Oscar Handlin, that first pushed
and reinforced the idea of the “Master Narrative” when talking about American history. Through
their work, Takaki points out how their accounts glossed over the history of the indigenous
people who already inhabited the land, as well as the other people they brought over to America.
Nowadays, we see a huge diversity in race and culture in America, yet that same narrative is still
being taught in schools. Because of this huge gap in our understanding, Takaki talks about how
many educators are now advocating and implementing ethnic studies classes as a requirement for
graduation. Even with this change, many scholars are still only sharing one perspective at a time.
Takaki acknowledges this when referencing his book “Strangers from a Different Shore”, where
he talks about the experiences of Asian Americans. Trying a new approach where Takaki blends
the history of many different races and ethnicities, he hopes that it’ll paint a better picture of
America’s history. He goes through a brief history of African, Asian, Irish, Jewish, Mexican,
Muslim, Afgan, and Native American. He talks about their struggles and their reasoning for
moving to America, how they won their freedom and rights, and how they were able to keep hope
throughout it all. Without their help, we would still live in a nation that discriminates against
anyone who isn’t white. These stories are what help shape America’s history. Without their voices,
America would still perpetuate the notion that you have to be white to be an American. Takaki
hopes that bringing up their history and educating the public, it will make us less ignorant to the
people around us.
Word Count: 506 words
Critique/ Analysis of A Peoples History of the United States Chapter 1
The purpose of the book, A Peoples History of the United States, is for Howard Zinn to retell
history through the lens of the Arawak people and other indigenous groups. Reading only the first
couple of pages, we can see Zinn cite a couple of sources by different authors such as Samuel
Eliot Morison and Mariner, who don’t view Columbus as a hero. Zinn himself does his best to
