Nickel And Dimed Essay

During Nickel and Dimed there are a lot of statements about how life in general is a hard task to complete. She makes a point about racial issues and how society looks and places you in social standing. Throughout the book she talks about how races are a slight key point in what job you get or how youre looked at. Being half black and half white I am able to understand what she means by this because I see and live both parts of my races and even others because I am often thought of to be Mexican. Not only that but how your ethnicity can lead you forward or even pull you back making everything much harder.

In the book Ehrenreich makes quite a few racial comments and statements. In one quote she states Maybe it occurs to me, Im getting a tiny glimpse of what it would be like to be black. (100). That statement reached out to me out of all the others because it is something I can relate to and understand. Shes talking about how her uniform sticks out and how she is quickly judged by others just like it was back when racism was a large problem. Will I get insurance or a health plan that I can depend on if I come to work here?or will my pay be any different from his because of my race? are questions that many ask themselves when going into a new company or job and Ehrenreich proves that it is true in some cases.

When you first apply to a job you have to start out at point one and thats sending in a application, everyone has to do it no matter what job you are looking for. So Im very sure that everyone can agree that when it may come as a shock when you are completing the application then the next question pops up and its about your race. You think Okay I understand why they may need this information so you click the choice of your race but have you ever noticed the options are very to the point. Asking if you are Hispanic every other choice or if you have Hispanic blood and if you are can you provide legal citizenship or not. Now I understand that illegal immigrants are a issue but just because you are Hispanic doesnt mean that you are illegal and cannot work in the U.S.A.

Ehrenreich states Not to mention my worry that the Latinos might be hogging all the crap jobs and substandard housing for themselves, as they so often do (121). When I read this I thought to myself Well why do you think theyre there? do people ever stop to think that maybe that person that they are judging has a very good reason for why they are there? Maybe thats all they can afford because the job that they applied at declined them and they are forced to work a low wage job because he/she is of a different race. Even if you are accepted into the work force the next step you have to prove is education and your income and experience. What if you dont have any because the government wouldnt support you or you had to fight to get to where you are even now? Its a very a very twisted world out there and just because your skin is darker or a different color it could become twice as twisted.

Not only are you judged by your race in the work place but also in day to day life. A personal experience that I have had is that because of my style that I choose to wear many people automatically think that I am Hispanic/Mexican. I am often spoken to in Spanish and also asked to translate things that are in Spanish. When I do explain that I have not Hispanic blood or family people look at me and ask REALLY?? as if Im lying to them. Im to the point where I feel like I should learn Spanish and be able to reply as if I were Mexican because it almost happens every single day.

Being judged by your skin or your looks is something that happens to every single person every day. It has even led to fights among the races like we are from different planets and are different from someone of the different race. Names are called and things are said but to me the funny thing is that if we were to remove the pigment of every ones skin we would be exactly the same color. I wonder that if that were to happen what would everyone do then? Would they except their fellow human or try to find a new way to discriminate and continue on from where they started.