Identity Identification

Identity can be defined or created by mostly anything and is rarely defined by one person, place, or thing. The greatest influence on a person is who they spend most of their time with, this influence then affects the overall identity of a person. The people that I spend the most time with include my family and friends but, my emphasis is on the friends I grew up with. Each friend has a certain quality that defines who I am as a person. My best friend Devin, Kyle, and Chad. Each of these friends represents different aspects of my identity Devin is a small kid that is hard working, Kyle is a laid back kid who is funny, and Chad is an intelligent kid who is athletic.

            My best friend Devin or is more like myself than any of the other people I listed but in ways that are not evident on the surface. In appearance we are opposite he is about 5 foot 5 inches and I am 6 feet 3 inches and other things so it is visually funny but our personalities are quite similar. He and I are both hard working in everything we do, he shows me that he has to put in so much effort in anything he does athletically due to his lack of height. On a couple occasions two seasons ago he got a concussion so he worked out all off season to get stronger so he would be less susceptive to get another. His effort put in on and off the field highlights the dedication he lives with every moment of the day. I try my best to dedicate myself half as much as my as Devin does daily.

            These three friends are an adequate evaluation of the way I view my identity. Aspects of each of these friends have been adapted into my own character and everyday behavior.

Ease Around All

Blog Entry 2

 

            The idea of the passage “Black Power” by James McBricle was the principle that identity can be shown through may thing including pride of race. The concept of Black power was originated in the late 1960’s with the creation of the “reform” group named the Black Panthers. Their ideals were that the original view of nonviolent approach to civil rights was just not getting the right message across in a timely enough fashion. The leaders of this activist groups included Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale were advocates of placing the idea of fear into the “White Devils” mind, that this idea that they were not only threatened mentally but physically at risk would encourage the idea of change to be equal. The physical presence of fear is highlighted in this passage by the car that the author talks about on page 26 he says “Our favorite was a gleaming black, souped-up GTO… He drove like a madman… We thought he was God. But there was a part of me that feared black power very deeply for obvious reason.” This page gives an analogy for the real movement of black power, it in fact highlighted the ideas of fear and power they possessed over people in the sense they looked up to the group heading the “Black Power” movement  in the Black Panthers they were revered as a higher power such as God. This passage is not a story about his identity this section of writing is not about who James McBricle is, while I personally do not know Mr. McBricle reading a chapter from his book these ideals of Black vs. White are not the ideals he was raised with or appear evident.

Friends and Language

Blog Entry 1

“Who you hang out with is who you become” Rick Sliver he was just one of the many people to say this sincere intentions of it. Who you are is consistently the same for an extended it eventually becomes the person’s identity. Just as the way an identity can be the way or language a person speaks.  As in Gloria Anzadula’s piece “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” she identifies herself by the language she speaks. Her identity of a Chicano Spanish Mexican/or American who speaks their own language. In her passage Gloria speaks the language of Pachuco and this is how she describes who she is. She embodies both cultures quite well, while I believe that my friends embody my identity and my overall character.

Each of my friends are a different characteristic I portray in my everyday life. The qualities that are most apparent throughout my friends is the relaxed, laid back, and fun loving attitude most my friends show daily but truly shown by my close friend Kyle. He is a friend I grew up with and continue to hang out with to this day and this attitude is reciprocated between both of us. More this is just part of my identity just as Ms. Anzadula’s language only makes up part of what she is there is other aspects just as I have other friends and family that contributed greatly to my make up as a person, and in the creation of my identity.