Question

What aspects of this case demonstrate oppression and marginalization? How do these factors impact the children and adults in this case

Jenna Harris is a 33 year old Caucasian woman and a single mother of three children; a 16 year old boy named Jimmy, a 10 year old boy named Hector, and a 7 year old girl name Kim. All of the children have different fathers, none of whom Jenna married. Jimmy’s father is Caucasian, Hector’s father is Mexican, and Kim’s father is Korean; Hector and Kim’s fathers are both immigrants. Jimmy loves his siblings, but they perceive that he is treated better than them because he is Caucasian. Jimmy is popular in school, enjoys playing on the football team, and works part-time after school at the supermarket. Jenna’s new boyfriend of six months, Sean, who is Caucasian, has recently moved in with her and the children into a two bedroom house in a rural community in Sussex County. This has caused a conflict especially for Hector who is bright but has recently been demonstrating negative behaviors in school such as failing to follow directions, talking back to his teacher, and picking fights with his peers. In addition, his grades are beginning to slip. Kim, a quiet child, does not want to go to school because she is often teased on the bus and in school for being “Chinese.” Sometimes Hector gets in trouble for defending and protecting his sister from the teasing and taunting. None of the children have a good relationship with their fathers or their fathers’ families. And, while Hector’s father provides financial support, Kim and Jimmy’s father do not. This has provided economic hardship for Jenna who has had to move the family often to find affordable housing. She sees Sean as a hope for some financial stability since he has a good job as a plumber with a local company. Jenna dropped out of high school when she was pregnant with Hector but completed her GED a few years ago. She works at Wal-Mart as an Associate.

Answer 1

Oppression and marginalization are deeply associated with the concept of diversity in terms of race, culture, ethnicity, gender, age etc.

Perception of Hector and Kim that Jimmy is treated better shows their feeling of marginalization.Jimmy is accepted in school but Hector and Kim have issues because Kim is marginalized on the basis of ethnicity and Hector wants to save her sister.

After Jenna's boyfriend Sean moves in to live with them then the ethnic differences between Sean who is a Caucasian and Hector whose biological father was a Mexican immigrant would have become the cause of tension between the two which lead to the deteriorating performance of Hector in social relations, attitude and academic outcome. Though it is not mentioned in the text but it could be assumed that Sean would be having oppressive attitude towards Hector (and may be Kim) because of his (and her) ethnic background. This plus his conflicts to save her sister would have changed the performance and attitude of Hector. Since, Hector's father gives the financial support hence he would have thought that he in independent and has become arrogant and carefree. Kim is silent because her father does not care to give financial support to her and she is marginalized at school.

In this case, marginalization and oppression are two important factors having serious impact on the attitude, personality, performance and behavior of the adults and the children. Kim and Hector have tensed relation in the school as discussed earlier. At home Sean, Jimmy and their mother Jenna are Caucasian and Hector and Kim are different as their biological fathers are Mexican and Korean respectively. This could be assumed that Jimmy would have a balanced life and personality, but due to marginalization and oppression at home and in school would have serious impact on the personality development of Hector and Kim. Not only that but the environment at home will not be as it should be for a family.