Hwangs trying to find Chinatown version4 Essay

Race has been a root of a lot of discords and wars for umpteen centuries. From the past to the present, the world has been divided into different sides just because of this. However, the conflict that is caused by ethnicity is non only between pile. Oftentimes, it is alike between a individual and himself. Many people from marginalized ethnic groups face internal struggles due to their incapableness to usurp their history, status and nationhood. They cannot accept their identity element as a comp acent of a true aftermath.However, people should accept their identity as a individual belonging to a true group of people. The reasons for this are numerous. first of tout ensemble, acceptance of ones own identity helps make a person satisfied and happy. Second, a person who cannot accept his identity is shamefaced, not only of his race, but also of himself. Third, failure to accept identity pr regularts people from uniting and advancing a certain cause. Last and most impo rtantly, of all aspects of identity, ethnicity, whether by blood by agriculture, is something that cannot be changed forever.These arguments lead be explained in the following paragraphs using the experiences and opinions of Benjamin and Ronnie, as expressed in the forge Trying to Find Chinatown. First, acceptance of ones own identity helps make a person satisfied and happy. This is because that person has less to passion or wish for. On the contrary, a person who cannot accept his own identity is often dissatisfied and sorrowful. Aside from the things that he need and commit such as money, food, success, popularity and friends, he will have an additional thirst that is difficult to obtain.He will want to escape his own race and be crack of an opposite, which he believes to be better and to a greater extent superior. This may be shown by the attitudes of Ronnie and Benjamin in the play. Of the two, Benjamin seems to be happier and more satisfied. In fact, he is more at peac e. He is able to come through this happiness from impartial things such as the sounds of screaming in Cantonese and Sze-Yup in Chinatown (Hwang 1484). He is happy remembering his father chasing the boys who was shouting to him, Gook suction stop Slant-eyes (Hwang 1482).He is also at peace sitting on a stoop on Chinatown while sucking hua-moi because he feels at post and he is happy to China as his home (Hwang 1484). This is the exact arctic of how Ronnie feels. He views himself to be nobody (See 1484) because he recollects his ethnic group is not important in the world, thus he cannot get a common sense of pride for just creation a part of it. While it takes simple things to make Benjamin happy, it also takes simple things to make Ronnie unhappy. He is unhappy using chopsticks, seeing ducks hanging on windows of restaurant and eating swart sum (See Hwang 1483).It is true that there are other factors like wealth and education that determines a persons happiness and satisfact ion. However, what differentiates a person who accepts his race from the one who does not is that, for the latter, satisfaction is always not possible. condescension his riches and the things he achieved, he will always have that mystical desire to have a different identity. Second, a person who cannot accept his identity is ashamed, not only of his race, but also of himself. He will always be in denial of what he is.For pillow slip, in the play, Ronnie repeatedly denied being a part of the Chinese community such as that one that may be found in Chinatown. For him, such types of places do not tell anyone anything about who he is (See Hwang 1483). He takes any affiliation of himself with his ethnicity as an insult. In the beginning of the play, Benjamin asked Ronnie where Chinatown is and the latter got mad because he though the former chose him to ask because he is Chinese (Hwang 1480). He even tries to hide his ethnicity through his clothes (See Hwang 1480).On the other hand, n o tie of this shame as regards his race may be found on Benjamin. In fact, he is the one who tells people that China is his roots (See for example Hwang 1481). He takes pride of his history and his ancestors. Such pride in his undercoat helps him to be proud of himself. Third, dissatisfaction with ethnicity prevents people from uniting and advancing a certain cause. On the contrary, satisfaction will help people achieve unity. level off just between Ronnie and Benjamin, this inability to unite is evident.Instead of being on the same side, they argue on the worth of being Chinese. Ronnie finds being part of a community that has opium dens, chopsticks, ducks, Ms. Saigon and dim sum is not something worth being a part of. On the other hand, Benjamin defends Chinese communities establish on these features and more like the sweets, the railroads and the workers. (See Hwang 1481, 1483-1484) If they cannot unite as between themselves, it is precise difficult to imagine them fighting fo r the cause of their community together.This may be compared to the group of Asian students in the Midwest who went on hunger come to despite the probability that they have not experienced directly the evils they are fighting against (Hwang 1481-1482). Due to their acceptance of their ethnicity, they were able to identify with each other and unite to fight for a cause. Last and most importantly, of all aspects of identity, ethnicity, whether by blood by culture, is something that cannot be changed forever. It is ingrained in the way one talks, speaks and lives everyday.Even for someone like Benjamin who is not ethnic by blood, the Chinese culture has been ingrained in him from his childhood. Therefore, this culture becomes rooted in him too deep that it becomes a part of his identity. This cannot be uprooted easily. As a consequence, the dissatisfaction, shame and other things that arise from dissatisfaction will also stay. Therefore, a person like Ronnie may be able to assimilate to another culture and lead another mind. However, deep in the recesses of his mind, and in his heart, he knows that he does not belong and that there are people who will think such.Therefore, he will always be defensive of his status and ashamed of his past. In conclusion, people should accept the fact that they belong to a certain ethnic group. First of all, this will help them become satisfied and happy. Second, a person who cannot accept his identity is ashamed, not only of his race, but also of himself. Third, failure to accept identity prevents people from uniting and advancing a certain cause. Lastly, ethnicity, whether by blood by culture, is something that cannot be changed and will retain as part of a persons identity forever.