In the short story of “THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO SAY PHOENIX, ARIZONA” we see the rulership of colonization and its effects on the descendants of Native Americans and how drastically rules their lives. we see how the how victor and his relatives and pushed off into reservations and left with little means of self sufficiency. we also see the bad shape the economy is in their community leaving close to no one with money the firework sellers. the only source of money they have as a community is with their tribal council, who are reluctant to even give victor money due to its scarcity
Daily Archives: November 28, 2022
discussion post: is writing still viable?
I think writing can still be a viable means of activism but it won’t be the most used because of today’s advancement in technology such as social media. We live in a very fast paced society where we can gather information quickly without having to read as much. We also live in a time where most people are in a rush with little freetime. With activism, the goal is to reach as many people as possible, so an activist knows that a one minute video clip or news report is going to attract people more than a writing piece will. Marches can also be more effective because it grabs a lot of attention and sends a strong message. An example is the impact of the George Floyd protest and how the protests really helped bring justice to him being how massive those marches were. Marches also draw more fear to leaders because those leaders see the amount of people fighting for their rights and threaten their power. I think writing is a cherishable element of activism and liberation but wont grab an audience in today’s society the way other new outlets will.
“This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona”
In “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” Victor and Thomas touch on their feelings towards the American government a few times. During a Fourth of July party, Thomas mentions how strange is is that they celebrate the holiday because “it ain’t like it was [their] independence everybody was fighting for.” With this statement, Thomas expresses the disconnect he feels between his community and American society. This idea is brought up again when Thomas and Victor are speaking with the gymnast on the plane. The woman complains to the boys about her feelings towards the government in regards to the boycotting of the Olympic Games she would have been apart of. Thomas responds to the woman by saying, “sounds like you all got a lot in common with Indians.” This statement reinforces Thomas’ feelings of contempt towards the American government. The Olympic team was forgotten and forced to abandon all they had worked for in a similar way Native American communities have been repeatedly overlooked and displaced by the government.
