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Junot Diaz is among the most artistic, literary writers of all time. Diaz has won many awards for his creative writing, including the innovative 2008 Pulitzer award for best fiction literary works. Diazs literary works mainly focus on racial issues, prejudice, Dominican attitudes and immigrant assumptions on U.S culture. Diaz presents his literary works through short narratives involving an alter-ego narrator or articles on personal experiences. In the narrative How to Date a Brown Girl, Black Girl, White or Halfie, Diaz uses an alter-ego, Yunir, to advise the audience on making advances on different girls according to their racial backgrounds. In the article MFA (Master of fine arts degree) vs POC (people of color), Diaz uses his personal experiences in MFA programs to present the racial issue regarding white supremacy. This essay compares and contrasts the racial themes Diaz presents in the two literary works, focusing on the impact of racial superiority in society.
Diaz highlights his obsession with race, mainly white superiority, socio-economic classes, and racial stereotyping in both literary works. According to the author, the race is hierarchal among different world populations. Diaz presents the various racial categories according to whites and Afro-Dominican perspectives in both literary works. While whites group race according to black or white, Afro-Dominicans have four racial categories: black, brown, half-white and white individuals in order of superiority. In How to Date, the author clearly shows racial classification in the title of the story, How to Date a Brown Girl, Black Girl, White of Halfie. According to Dominicans, blacks are inferior and belong to the lowest class. Hence, they identify as brown or Latino, which is a rank higher than black people. Contrary to white superiority, Afro-Dominions try to separate from blacks indicating their dominance by identifying as brown or Latino.
The author shows racial superiority in society through his experiences at an MFA program at Cornell. According to the author, most MFA programs have an all-white faculty which gives ultimate decisions on the programs events (Diaz). Although the author does not directly point the high status of whites compared to POC in MFA, it is clear that whites are at the top of most MFA programs and control everything from above. Diaz clearly describes how whites treat people of color by focusing on white literature only. MFA programs teach writing skills according to white beliefs, materials and assumptions without considering POC ethnic identities. Therefore, White supremacy controls and influences creative literature.
Similarly, Diaz demonstrates the influence of racial superiority in social interactions and forming friendships in society. In the narrative How to Date, his alter-ego advises the audience on presenting themselves according to a girls racial background. Different girls determine the level of hiding government takeout in the house to erase ones socio-economic background. If the girl is white, everything is hidden compared to half-whites and black girls where the government takeout is not entirely hidden. Yunir suggests the most prestigious eating venues for white girls than the other ethnic groups when taking the girls out (Diaz 2). Diaz shows how inferior ethnic groups show more reverence to white people than their counterparts and those below them. Giving white girls preference over the others shows their supremacy.
In both texts, Racial supremacy influences the stereotypic attitudes about different subjects or individuals. Due to white superiority, most people of color prefer to be white, implying certain privileges and advantages. Yunir advises his peers to act like white boys because girls prefer white boys over POC. Although stereotypic, the mindset influences many individuals to mimic whites in achieving the objectives. Through the narrative, Diaz advises the audience to date like a white person to obtain sexual favors from the girls. One can only admit to their ethnic backgrounds if it feels superior, even in temporal terms. Yunir says that when a white girl claims to like Hispanic men, one must be Hispanic regardless of ethnic identity.
Comparably, Diaz explains that he always thought MFA programs were for white people only since most students and faculty were white when he was younger. He refers to MFA programs as too white for him (Diaz 3), and he is not disappointed when he finally joins an MFA program at Cornell and discovers everything is white (Diaz 3). People of color have little to no say in MFA programs where the issue of race is also non-existent. According to Diaz, the faculty and white students dismiss race-related matters on the belief that racial superiority is a minor problem in the world today.
Racial supremacy is a global issue that affects people across all ethnic groups regardless of socio-economic status. Most people think that elite communities are not racially prejudiced according to race and only discriminate against poor minority groups. Diaz begs to differ on this worldview when he describes the racial discrimination in MFA programs. Despite being on the same level academically, and maybe socio-economically, white students have more advantages than the POC in the programs. White students are seen to be more artistic and show abstract thinking abilities than POC. For example, the faculty dismisses most artistic and real experience articles from POC but approves non-original literary works from white students on claims that black peoples work is cliché, particularly texts concerning race (Diaz 5). Although faculty regards racial works as cliché, White students can explore minority ethnic groups, indicating that white is mighty.
On the other hand, Diaz states that racial prejudice due to dominance is also seen among minority groups with the same socio-economic statuses. Yunir tells the audience to hide government takeouts entirely when a white or brown girl is visiting (Diaz 1), but a black girl would judge less even if she sees the takeouts since she has a lower status. He also states that half-white girls will claim to receive harsh treatment from black people, although they all belong to the same group of people of color. Therefore, half-white individuals prefer to identify as white despite the color differences to gain superiority.
Racial superiority also influences sexuality, gender preferences and the quality of relationships. Daiz demonstrates that race affects sexuality where whites are more open sexually than people of color. A white girl can offer more sexual favors than colored girl. Due to superiority, white girls demonstrate more independence and openness in relationships. Finally, Diaz states that it is better to be white than colored in addressing white supremacy. Minority groups are inferior not only socially but in physical attributes. Through his alter-ego, Diaz advises the audience to compliment the white girls complexion, lips and hair because they are better in texture and color than the other races.
Racial superiority is the central theme in both literary works. Since the same author writes both texts, the pieces are more similar than contradictory because they speak of racial superiority and its influence on society. White supremacy controls peoples social and academic lifestyles. Although presented differently, the author focuses more on white supremacy where whiteness is more desirable and guarantees more privileges such as fancy dates, excellent compliments and academic achievements
Works Cited
Diaz, Junot. How To Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, Or Halfie). Learning.Hccs. Edu, 2021.
Diaz, Junot. MFA Vs. POC . The New Yorker, 2021.
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