How Do I Relate With These Two Stories

  "Watching My Back" narrates the story of a couple that gets into a confrontation with a drunken man in the street. It is not actually based on the altercation itself but in the fact that it was his wife the one that took the initiative to fight the attacker. He had not been in a fight since he was a kid and had no idea how to react when they walked into it. He found the fact that his wife knew how to defend herself and even him very attractive. After that, he decided to take the same self-defense classes she had taken and found that many of the men in there, were there because they had gone through something similar than him. It is definitely not smart at all to wait for a bad moment to step in our way to realize how important it is to know how to defend ourselves, whether it is a man or a woman. Fortunately, I have never had to go through any uncomfortable or dangerous scene that would require me to act right away and defend myself from an attacker. However, this story helped me see how useful it is to really know how to confront an assailant in any type of confrontation that one might step into. The fact that especially a woman knows how to defend herself is more than advantageous. Nonetheless, if I am with my significant other in the wrong place at the wrong time, I think my first instinct would be to wait for him to take the initiative. It is not the fact that he is a man but actually the fact that I feel secure when I am by his side. At first, I know I will be so in shock that I won't react, or maybe I will. Maybe what I do is run and run or maybe I start throwing punches every where. I think you do not know how you will react in a bad situation until you are in it.

  "Coming To Black America" tells the story of a black woman that comes to the United States of America and has to suffer racism in several opportunities. She grew up in Africa with her mind set to black Americans being basically careless, dependent and criminal so she always tried to stay away from groups like that. However, she was judged like one of them in several times just because of the color of her skin. It was not fair at all because her, even being black, tried to always do the right thing to show everyone and herself that she was not like them. I can proudly say that I have never been racist in any of its ways. We have progressed so much in other fields; however, this one specifically, continues being part of some people's nature. I have to say I was not comfortable when reading this story. I felt very bad for her; racism definitely hurts the victim's feelings and there is no reason for it. You do not have to be black to suffer from racism. It is not only related to the color of the skin. For example, in my case I have suffer it not many but a few times because of my nationality. Even though a big part of this country population is Cuban, there is still racism against Cubans. I do not know exactly why it is, but I can notice when some one discriminates me because I am Cuban. It is definitely a horrible feeling and no one should feel with the right of doing this to anyone.