Essay 3 Final

Are there benefits to constructing beauty?

Nicolas Siino

ENGL 1100, Writing Skills Workshop

Professor Young

November 21, 2014

                                                           

           

                                                            "Because You’re Worth It"

 

            Beauty is routinely associated with morality, sociability, kindness and other positive characteristics. It seems that women are not striving for beauty, but rather desire to regulate their bodies in order to appear within the bounds of 'normality'. The actor, athlete, model and advocate Aimee Mullins hosted a TED talk in which she spoke about her many pairs of legs: "It's not fair having 12 pairs of legs" (Mullins,1). Born without fibula bones, Mullins lost both of her lower legs when they were amputated below the knees when she was a year old. Mullins said she grew up learning to walk, run, and compete in sports on wooden prosthetic legs. Her prosthetic legs empowered her and provided insight that impacted the evolution of the common prosthesis.  So, are there benefits to constructing beauty? I believe Mullins has proven that beauty can mean so many things and can differ from person to person. She has been an advocate for beauty construction, which has allowed her not to be viewed as disabled, but rather as a beautiful woman that, despite her physical limitations, has pushed herself physically and mentally to succeed.

            Mullins's first appearance on TED was back in 1989 with her short, powerful talk, which was titled "Running on High-Tech Legs". TED is a nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. These conferences have been known to create life-changing experiences for both speakers and attendees and Mullins was no exception.  She explained that "TED literally was the launch pad to the next decade of my life's exploration" (Mullins,1).  At the time, the legs she presented were groundbreaking in prosthetics, which she viewed as constructed beauty.  Rather than mimic human anatomy, she wore woven carbon fiber sprinting legs modeled after the hind leg of a cheetah, and also very life-like, intrinsically painted silicone legs. Through this creativity, it enabled Mullins to view her prosthetics as art rather than as a disability. The word disability is commonly referred to as something that is not attractive to the eye of the beholder.  Mullins's objective is to engage her audience and make the point that she can truly transform people's perceptions of women with disabilities as well as empower people to see the beauty in themselves.

            Beauty can be defined as feeling your best and worthy of attention. For Mullins wearing prosthetics is considered constructed beauty which includes many benefits, such as feeling accepted, desirable, confident, stronger and faster. Over the years, Mullins has guided people in a direction that adversity and change are not to be dreaded, but actually welcomed as exciting parts of today's "new normal." The construction of beauty can give people hope and confidence in themselves, and can lead them to finding what they deem truly beautiful. Mullins gained notoriety from appearing on a TED Talk, which gave her the opportunity to reach out to innovators outside the traditional medical prosthetic community. She asked them to bring their talents to the science and to the art of building legs. She believed that representations of beauty not only impact what the larger society believes about the body, but also how individuals value and identify with their own bodies.

            After appearing at the TED conference, Mullins posed on the cover of ID wearing running clothes and her carbon fiber cheetah legs. This was only one of the many benefits Mullins reaped from her constructed beauty.  She was sought after by fashion designer Alexander McQueen and photographer Nick Knight.  She did a fashion shoot  for the cover of DAZED magazine, titled "Fashion-able" and participated in her first runway show for Alexander McQueen on a pair of hand-carved wooden legs decorated with grapevines and magnolias, and made from solid ash that appeared to be long brown boots. Mullins's next adventure was when she met the visual artist Matthew Barney. She appeared in his film called The Cremaster Cycle.  Mullins realized that her legs could be wearable sculptures, and she began to move away from the need to “replicate human-ness as the only aesthetic ideal” (Mullins, 1). She posed in this film as a half-woman, half-cheetah wearing her woven carbon fiber legs. She also posed wearing legs that were cast in soil with a potato root system growing in them, and beetroots out the top, with a brass toe as well as legs made out of polyurethane to look like jellyfish legs. The purpose of these legs was to “provoke the senses and ignite the imagination”(Mullins,1). As stated by Mullins, “I want to get people to understand that a prosthesis doesn’t necessarily need to look human. It can be a leg that you yourself consider beautiful” (Persson,1). This quote illustrates how beauty as constructed art can change what people may view as not attractive into something that is beautiful and intrigues the senses.  Mullins realized that her legs could be wearable sculptures and transformed what she may have feared, her disability, into something that can be considered beautiful works of art.

            Aimee Mullins has changed the world's understanding of what is beautiful, what is normal and what is physically possible. Beauty can be constructed and Mullins has shown that there are benefits that go along with creating beauty.  Some people may suggest that both women and individuals with disabilities are believed to represent negative, less valuable figures in society. Traditionally, individuals with physical disabilities and deformities have been presented as flawed, not as people with their own identities. Mullins is a motivational speaker that I believe encourages women to discuss issues of beauty, to challenge traditional standards, and to support one another. Mullins once said, "Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can have. It's much sexier than any body part.” (Hudson, 1). Mullins's TED talks can give people hope and confidence in themselves, which teaches them to overcome their affliction and motivates them to construct gratifying values about the real definition of being beautiful.

Can Beauty Be Constructed?

 

 

Nicolas Siino

Writing Skills Workshop

November 2, 2014

Professor Young

 

                                                            Creating Beauty

 

 

            Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and physical beauty is something that a person can create. People that are born beautiful seem to have won a genetic lottery. But those people that have to work at being beautiful can obtain help. Help can come in the form of cosmetic surgery, fake tanning, implants, and so much more. Physical beauty is something that can be constructed but a person's inner beauty is something that comes from the heart.

            Some people are born naturally beautiful.  These people are usually slender, tall, feminine and look young. However, some people can be constructed to look beautiful.  This is where makeup artist, hairstylist, designers and sometimes in extreme cases reconstructive surgery comes in.  These professionals can help construct someone into that perceived beautiful person that they want to be or need to be because of a job or other circumstances.  When someone alters their appearance they are trying to be someone they're not.  Once, the makeup and hairspray is washed away these people are still the same person they were before they began the process of becoming beautiful.

            As seen in the video "Ted Talks", Cameron Russell is a model who is naturally beautiful.  However, the pictures that are seen in magazines are not the true Cameron.  She was constructed to look older and sexy by using makeup, wearing high fashion clothes and having glamorous hair. One picture taken showed her having to run her hand through a young man's hair and arch her back seductively. This photograph happened before she got the chance to even experience having a boyfriend and made her feel uncomfortable. Cameron in this picture is a constructed beauty. She was constructed to look older and sexier because that's what the media thinks people want to look at and emulate.  Cameron has found it very difficult to find a true balance, she is insecure because she needs to think about how she looks every day.  Cameron knows it's not possible to reap the rewards that go along with modeling without making changes to her appearance. Image is powerful, it helps people get ahead in their careers, but it's also superficial. Society today are too concerned with beauty and how they are perceived, that just being their beautiful selves is lost in the shuffle.

Essay 1 Revised

Nicolas Siino

Professor Young

ENGW Writing Skills Workshop

October 28, 2014

Final Essay 1

From Difficulty to a Sense of Identity.

According to James Baldwin, "An identity would seem to be arrived at by the way in which the person faces and uses his experience.” Identity helps define one as an individual. In "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," by Gloria Anzaldua she defines her identity by her use of variations of Spanish. However, in the essay "Black Power," James McBride struggled with his identity  because he was black, his mother was white, and he grew up in a time associated with the Black Power movement. My identity has been defined by the fact that I have had to overcome many obstacles. For McBride, Anzaldua and myself, difficulties help to create a sense of identity.

The dictionary defines identity as "who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define you." According to Patricia Briggs, identity is “partly heritage, partly upbringing, but mostly the choices you make in life.” Gloria Anzaldua struggled with language to find her identity. When she spoke English her friends called her a “cultural traitor.” However, at school she was punished for speaking Spanish. Depending on her situation, she had to speak one of eight dialects: standard English, working class and slang English, standard Spanish, standard Mexican Spanish, North Mexican Spanish, Chicano Spanish, Tex Mex, and Pachuco. Anzaldua believed in individuality and her language relates to her cultural heritage which defined her. Identity is important because it helps us to know who we are and what we stand for in a given situation or society. For Anzaldua the struggle for identity continues, but she is proud to be Chicano. She writes, “We know how to survive when other races have given up their tongue, we’ve kept ours” (254).  Anzaldua is proud to speak her native language and no one was going to take that away from her.  She continued to speak her language even though it was not accepted by others. 

McBride had to overcome certain obstacles in order to get to know himself. He struggled with difficulties reconciling the rise of Black Power and being raised by a white mother. African Americans were uniting in order to be heard because they had an idea that conditions could change for the better.  He felt fear of the Black Panthers because he thought they would harm his mother. For example, when he saw a Black Panther standing near his mother he was so upset that he punched the man’s son. McBride felt his mother was in great danger, because this is what was portrayed by the media. People were lead to believe that the Black Panthers were a danger to white people.  By analyzing his thoughts and emotions he was able to discover that his identity as his mother’s son was more important than race. 

            Like Anzaldua and McBride, I found a sense of identity through difficulties. Since I was an infant I have suffered with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that is debilitating. However, I have learned to rise above it. RA has affected my hips, knees and ankles, which has made it difficult to walk, run, and perform simple tasks.  I was always told not to worry about being the last person to finish a race or having to take multiple breaks during gym class, but I did worry.  Over the years, I felt that combating these issues was so much harder than living with physical pain.  RA has brought a lot of issues into my life that I can’t control. However, I constantly remind myself that the one thing I can control is my attitude. My favorite sport and one I loved to play was football. Being part of a team and having comradery was something I took pride in.  As my disease progressed, I could no longer participate in the sport that helped me forget about the pain. Once, I entered high school I felt that things were more within my grasp.  I volunteered my time as an assistant coach for my younger brother’s football team. It was very rewarding to have children look up to me with respect and value my guidance and determination.  I was so determined to continue my love for football that I was not going to take a seat in the bleachers. I applied my skills that I had acquired from playing the sport and persevered. My drive and determination helped shaped my identity.  My experiences have helped me grow, mature, boost my confidence and increase my self esteem. This has given me great satisfaction that I have actively done something for my health, not just taken an injection, but physically and mentally contributed towards conquering my RA.               

As one lives life, identity continues to be refined and change the way a person is and who that person becomes.  At age 18, I developed Crohn's disease, which is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the intestinal tract.  I was hospitalized at the end of my senior year of high school for one month and had to endure a major surgery. Even so, I triumphed from my experience.   Developing Crohn's disease caused me to reevaluate my strengths and weaknesses. I had to change my diet and had to overcome the pain of injecting myself with the drug Humira.  Now Crohn's is something besides my RA that defines me, but this made me a stronger person.

            Like McBride and Anzaldua, I found my identity through difficulties. I am who I am, and this mindset has been so crucial to my own personal happiness. I felt at times so many different people were telling me who I was and how I was supposed to feel, it was imperative for my own sanity that I maintained some element of my own identity. Having Crohn's disease and RA has defined me and this is something no one will ever change.  According to the author George R.R. Martin, “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” Safeguarding one’s identity is essential, since this is the one thing that no one can ever take away.  I am more than this disease; I will not let this overcome my life, my conversations and my attitude. No one will ever take my identity or any of the things I have accomplished away from me.

 

Essay 2 Final

Nicolas Siino

English Writing Skills Workshop

Professor Young

10/07/14

 

" Hanover Township A Community that Inspires Excellence "

            “Great Things Happen in Hanover” is the tagline for the township that I live in.  Hanover Township comprises the communities of Whippany and Cedar Knolls and is located in Morris County, New Jersey.  Located at the crossroads of Morris County, Hanover has excellent access to major highways and transportation hubs, offers excellent schools and services while maintaining a very high quality of life for its residents.  So I live in a desirable suburban community.  So, what is the problem?  The problem is that Hanover has seen significant growth in the community in terms of its population due to the recent construction of new high density condominium communities. These developments have created the problem of overcrowding in our public schools. Valerie Kinloch describes a similar situation in her essay "Harlem is art, Harlem as art". She explains the identity changes that Harlem has gone through and how the native Harlem residents were forced to relocate because it's becoming too difficult to live there. There will always be change within my community however, the Economical Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) needs to take action and explore other options to keep taxes low in Hanover before the longtime residents are forced to leave. The continual growth of the community cannot solely be based on residential housing but rather EDAC needs to focus on economical development.  These businesses will absorb most of the ratables and for this reason Hanover will be able to offer a low municipal tax rate and this will also aide with the overcrowding in the classrooms.

           Hanover Township consist of  three public elementary schools in the Township teaching grades K-5: Bee Meadow School (BMS), Salem Drive School (SDS), and Mountview Road School (MTV). Memorial Junior School (MJS) teaches grades 6-8.  As the housing market expands in my community, this is greatly impacting the class sizes and quality of education.  For example, Bee Meadow School actual student body for 2013 - 2014 school year was 330 pupils however, the class size for 2014 - 2015 school year is 351 pupils. Salem Drive School's  actual student body size for 2013 - 2014 was 265 pupils, but the class size for 2014 - 2015 is 278 pupils.  As for Mountview Road elementary school the actual school population size for 2013 - 2014 was 314 and the enrollment for 2014 -2015 school year is 329 pupils. As, the class sizes grow in the elementary schools this is going to result in larger class sizes in the middle school, since this is where all three elementary schools merge together.
          My mother and father have both grown up in the township and chose to stay and raise my family here. When I attended Mountview Road elementary school, I remember having 15 students in my class and there was only 2 classes per grade. Now this school consisted of  18 - 22 students per class and have increased to 3- 4 sections in some grades. The economic development of high density townhomes and condos in Cedar Knolls and Whippany have caused overcrowding in our elementary schools.  For example, the development of Sterling Parc  a 317 unit apartment complex, Saddle Brook Court which consists of 87 affordable housing units, Woodmont Knolls a 126 unit apartment complex and Riverview which consist of 60 townhouses constructed three years ago in Cedar Knolls have all recently contributed to the overcrowding of Mountview Road School.  Because of the recent construction of the Saddle Brook units on Horsehill Road in Cedar Knolls this resulted with 20 new students enrolling at MTV beginning in 2013 - 2014 school year.  The school had to add a 4th class in the 3rd grade. They had to lose their aftercare room and a Girl Scout Troop can no longer meet in the school building, because there is not an empty room for the troop to hold their meetings. The capacity at MTV is 340 and currently there are 329 students enrolled.
          As for the two elementary schools on the Whippany side of town, they too have been impacted by the development of condos and townhomes.  For example, Eden Lane Village, Oak Ridge Condos and Sunrise at Hanover, are three high density condo and townhouse communities. These new developments have all contributed to the overcrowding at Bee Meadow School and Salem Drive School.  On the first day of school this past September, Mr. Stark the principal at Bee Meadow made an announcement that there were 24 new students in the school. Ten of the new students were in fifth grade.  Bringing both fifth grade classes up to 25 students in each class. As, the class sizes increase there is a requirement for additional aides in the classroom which is costly. Also, because of the larger class sizes there is more disruptions and the students find it hard to concentrate on what's being taught. 
        There is now a proposed building site named the Whippany Village along Route 10 West, which will consist of approximately 40 residential apartment units built over retail space once it's completed. I do not think there is any question that the development activity has negative impact on the school system.  The Economical Development Advisory Committee, I believe has not taken a stand against the increasing of housing in our community.  This will ultimately impact our present schools and class room population sizes.
       If, the Economical Development Advisory Committee and planning board allow for this increased expansion in my town, taxes will go up and Hanover will no longer be known for low taxes.   Every time the schools has to add a section to a grade, we have to hire a new teacher which has a starting salary of approximately $51,000 plus benefits, equating to a cost of $70,000.  How do we defer this cost and reduce the potential for increased taxes in Hanover?  It is my recommendation that EDAC takes a look at increasing the amount of tax ratables in the community and focus on economic development.  Bayer Healthcare, which recently consolidated multiple locations into a single location in Hanover has aided to keep taxes in check. Also, the Red Bulls soccer team plans to expand their training facility in Whippany to include a practice field, bleachers, ticket booths, restrooms and locker rooms. This will allow for the United Soccer league pro teams to play at this facility.  Another, business still to come in 2015 is a high end Wegmans supermarket off Route 10. Economic development in the form of increased retail space along Route 10 will also aid in increasing the tax base within the town and can be used to keep taxes lower and offset the additional costs in our schools.  
         I spent the past 18 years in Hanover Township and would like to stay here and raise my own family someday. I know that change within the community is enviable however, I can only hope the  township committees can maintain the small intimate feel of the town and the school system. In Valerie Kinloch essay "Harlem is art, Harlem as art" she describes how symbols such as condos, the Frederick Douglass house and the stores that have closed and now re-opened  signifies the changes that the community has gone through. A once predominately black community has changed to a mixed community. Hanover Township in order to attract family's and keep the ones that already live here, needs to continue to offer amenities such as housing opportunities, retail establishments, athletic fields and parks. But, our fine schools should not be compromised nor should our taxes increase as a result of new housing communities within Hanover Township. This is similar to what Valerie Kinloch wrote about keeping the people of Harlem in Harlem in her essay.  Kinloch describes in her essay how the identity changes in Harlem have made it more expensive to live there and has enticed wealthier people to move to the community. This in turn raised the taxes and forced the native people in Harlem to move elsewhere. I am very confident in Hanover's future and its ability to openly discuss these economic development issues and planning challenges. I hope the identity of my community doesn't change too much, because it's my plan to live there for a very long time.  

Essay 2 Draft

Nicolas Siino

English Writing Skills Workshop

Professor Young

09/30/14

" Hanover Township A Community that Inspires Excellence "

“Great Things Happen in Hanover” is the tagline for the township that I live in.  Hanover Township comprises the communities of Whippany and Cedar Knolls and is located in Morris County, New Jersey.  Located at the crossroads of Morris County, Hanover has excellent access to major highways and transportation hubs, offers excellent schools and services while maintaining a very high quality of life for its residents.  So I live in a desirable suburban community.  So, what is the problem?  The problem is that Hanover has seen significant growth in the community in terms of its population as seen in new housing communities and in a change from a pre-dominantly older generation to a new, younger generation.  This demographic shift has created a new problem, overcrowding of our schools.

Hanover Township consists of three public elementary schools in the Township teaching grades K-5.  These schools are Bee Meadow School (BMS), Salem Drive School (SDS), and Mountview Road School (MTV), and Memorial Junior School (MJS) which teaches grades 6-8.  As the housing market expands in my community, this is greatly impacting the class sizes and quality of education.  For example, Bee Meadow School actual student body for 2013 - 2014 school year was 330 pupils however, the class size for 2014 - 2015 school year is 351 pupils. Salem Drive School's  actual student body size for 2013 - 2014 was 265 pupils, but the class size for 2014 - 2015 is 278 pupils.  As for Mountview Road elementary school the actual school population size for 2013 - 2014 was 314 and the enrollment for 2014 -2015 school year is 329 pupils. As, the class sizes grow in the elementary schools this is going to result in larger class sizes in the middle school, since this is where all three elementary schools merge together.

When I attended Mountview Road elementary school, I remember having 15 students in my class and there was only 2 classes per grade. Now this school consisted of  18 - 22 students per class and have increased to 3- 4 sections in some grades. The economic development of high density townhomes and condos in Cedar Knolls and Whippany have caused overcrowding in our elementary schools.  For example, the development of Sterling Parc  a 317 unit apartment complex, Saddle Brook Court which consists of 87 affordable housing units, Woodmont Knolls a 126 unit apartment complex and Riverview which consist of 60 town houses constructed three years ago in Cedar Knolls have all recently contributed to the overcrowding of Mountview Road School.  Because of the recent construction of the Saddle Brook units on Horsehill Road in Cedar Knolls this resulted with 20 new students enrolling at MTV beginning in 2013 - 2014 school year.  The school had to add a 4th class in the 3rd grade. They had to lose their aftercare room and a Girl Scout Troop can no longer meet in the school building, because there is not an empty room for the troop to hold their meetings. The capacity at MTV is 340 and currently there are 329 students enrolled.

As for the two elementary school on the Whippany side of town, they too have been impacted by the development of condos and townhomes.  For example, Eden Lane Village, Oak Ridge Condos and Sunrise at Hanover, are three high density condo and townhouse communities. These new developments have all contributed to the overcrowding at Bee Meadow School and Salem Drive School.  On the first day of school this past September, Mr. Stark the principal  at Bee Meadow made an announcement that there were 24 new students in the school. Ten of the new students were in fifth grade.  Bringing both fifth grade classes up to 25 students in each class. As, the class sizes increase there is a requirement for additional aides in the classroom which is costly. Also, because of the larger class sizes there is more disruptions and the students find it hard to concentrate on what's being taught.  

With proposed building sites such as the former meat packing facility on North Jefferson Road in Whippany which has been rezoned to accommodate 16 single family homes and the Whippany Village along Route 10 West, which will consist of approximately 40 residential units built over retail space once it's completed. I do not think there is any question that the development activity has negative impact on the school system.  The Township Committee and planning board I believe have not taken a stand against the increasing of housing in our community.  This will ultimately impact our present schools and class room population sizes.

If the township committee and planning board allow for this increased expansion in my town, taxes will eventually go up and Hanover will no longer be know for low taxes.   Every time the schools has to add a section to a grade , we have to hire a new teacher which has a starting salary of approximately $51,000 plus benefits, equating to a cost of $70,000.  How do we defer this cost and reduce the potential for increased taxes in Hanover?  It is my recommendation that we look at increasing the amount of tax ratables in the community and focus on economic development.  Bayer Healthcare, which recently consolidated multiple locations into a single location in Hanover has aided to keep taxes in check.  Economic development in the form of increased retail space along Route 10, or industrial parks along Jefferson Road or Ridgedale Avenue will also aid in increasing the tax base within the town and can be used to keep taxes lower and offset the additional costs in our schools. I am very confident in Hanover's future and its ability to openly discuss these economic development issues and planning challenges. Hanover Township  in order to attract family's needs to continue to offer amenities such as housing opportunities, retail and parks but fine schools need to go along with that.

 

"Harlem, Is Art"/"Harlem as Art" Reading Response Questions

Nicolas Siino

09/26/2014

English Writing Skills Workshop

Professor Young

 

1.         The sentence "From architectural designs to cultural activities to the role of local communities in civil rights movements, urban places and spaces are rich in history" refers to the identity of the community is created by what happening in the community, the history of the community, the buildings in the community and what is happening in the community.  This identity can change over time and provide a new identity to the community today than it had in the past as exemplified in the changes of buildings with faulty fire escapes to new condos to the newly renovated Apollo theatre.

2.         125th street is focused on because it's a place that has deep roots to Harlem's culture and history. This street represented Black power.  The Hotel Theresa located on 125th street had Louis Armstrong and Lena Horne stay there. It was also know for the location where Malcolm X held meetings and Joe Louis celebrated victories. A hang out spot in my town is the local Quick Check. I wouldn't necessary say it's famous, but the kids from town gather there to buy candy, drinks, and to hang out and talk. The corner where it is located on is within walking distance from the middle school and high school.

3.         Valerie used symbols such as the buildings with faulty fire escapes, new condos, the Frederick Douglass house and the stores that have closed and re-opened to signify the changes that the community has gone through and how it's identity as a predominately black community has changed to a mixed community where people that were once afraid of going there, now felt safe.  Symbols are also used to signify that Harlem is Art and that these symbols signify an art form that creates the identify of Harlem.  Symbols are important in that they enable the reader and people in the community to visualize the changes that have occurred and what was the community's identity.

4.         Harlem's buildings expressed the culture of the people living there and art was something inside of them that was free to express.

5.         The use of symbols as signs of history by Kinloch refers to the changes in the identity of the community and how it has changed over time from what it was to what it is today. For example the Theresa Hotel was a place African Americans could visit and famous people stayed there. Historical symbols in my community include General George Washington, "the Father of our Country" was known to have visited Whippany during the American Revolution.

6.         The use of photographs and other digital documentation help show the residents the changes that have occurred to Harlem over time and how the identity has changed.  The diagrams used in the text provide to the residents a simple view of what is happening today in the community. 

7.         The questions at the end of the essay aim to uncover how the identity of Harlem could be different if these people were around as leaders to protect the community .

 

Final Essay 1

Nicolas Siino

Professor Young

ENGW Writing Skills Workshop

September 26, 2014

From Difficulty to a Sense of Identity.

     According to James Baldwin, "An identity would seem to be arrived at by the way in which the person faces and uses his experience.” Identity helps define one as an individual. In "Tame the Wild Tongue," by Gloria Anzaldua defines her identity by her use of variations of Spanish. In "Black Power," James McBride was unable to identify himself because he was black, his mother was white, and he grew up in a time associated with the Black Power movement, whites against blacks. My identity has been defined by the fact that I have had to overcome many obstacles. For McBride, Anzaldua and myself difficulties help to create a sense of identity.
     The dictionary defines identity as "who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define you." Gloria Anzaldua struggled with language to find her identity. When she spoke English her friends called her a “cultural traitor.” However at school she was punished for speaking Spanish. Depending on her situation, she had to speak one of eight dialects: standard English, working class and slang English, standard Spanish, standard Mexican Spanish, North Mexican Spanish, Chicano Spanish, Tex Mex, and Pachuco. For Anzaldua the struggle for identity continues, but she is proud to be Chicano. She writes, “We know how to survive when other races have given up their tongue, we’ve kept ours” (254).
     McBride had to overcome certain obstacles in order to get to know himself. He struggled with difficulties reconciling the rise of black power with the fact that his mother was white. He felt fear of the Black Panthers because he thought they would kill his mother. For example when he saw a Black Panther standing near his mother he was so upset that he punched the man’s son. This shows that he identified more with his mother than with another black child. By analyzing his thoughts and emotions he was able to discover that his identity as his mother’s son was more important than race. 
     Like Anzaldua and McBride, I found a sense of identity through difficulties. Since I was an infant I have suffered with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that is debilitating. However, I have learned to rise above it. RA has affected my hips, knees and ankles, which has made it difficult to walk, run, and perform simple tasks.  I was always told not to worry about being the last person to finish a race or having to take multiple breaks during gym class, but I did worry.  Over the years, I felt that combating these issues was so much harder than living with physical pain.  RA has brought a lot of issues into my life that I can’t control. However, I constantly remind myself that the one thing I can control is my attitude. My favorite sport and one I loved to play was football. Being part of a team and having comradery was something I took pride in.  As my disease progressed, I could no longer participate in the sport that helped me forget about the pain. Once, I entered high school I felt that things were more within my grasp.  I volunteered my time as an assistant coach for my younger brother’s football team. It was very rewarding to have children look up to me with respect and value my guidance and determination. My experiences have helped me grow, mature, boost my confidence and increase my self esteem. This has given me great satisfaction that I have actively done something for my health, not just taken an injection, but physically and mentally contributed towards conquering my RA.  I am more than this disease; I will not let this overcome my life, my conversations and my attitude. No one will ever take my identity or any of the things I have accomplished away from me.
     As one lives life, identity continues to be refined and change the way a person is and who that person becomes.  At age 18, I developed Crohn's disease, which is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the intestinal tract.  I was hospitalized at the end of my senior year of high school for one month and had to endure a major surgery. Even so, I triumphed from my experience.   Developing Crohn's disease caused me to reevaluate my strengths and weaknesses. I had to change my diet and had to overcome the pain of injecting myself with the drug Humira.  Now Crohn's is something besides my RA that defines me, but this made me a stronger person. According to the author George R.R. Martin, “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” Safeguarding one’s identity is essential, since this is the one thing that no one can ever take away.
     I am who I am, and this mindset has been so crucial to my own personal happiness. I felt at times so many different people were telling me who I was and how I was supposed to feel, it was imperative for my own sanity that I maintained some element of my own identity. Having Crohn's disease and RA has defined me and this is something no one will ever change.  Just like the way Gloria felt in the "Tame the Wild Tongue" she embraced the Chicano Spanish language and did not conform to society. Gloria Anzaldua believed in a individuality and her language relates to her cultural heritage which defined her. "Identity was partly heritage, partly upbringing, but mostly the choices you make in life.” Patricia Briggs. Identity is important because it helps us to know who we are and what we stand for in a given situation or society.