Freedom From Socio-Cultural Standards
Freedom is a word that is considered "very American" as the United States is where people went and still go to in order to earn that. My family immigrated to the U.S. hoping to find better opportunities and a better future. I was only about eleven years old then so those didn't concern me as much; however, on my first day of school, the environment shocked me. All of my classmates looked different from me and each other; this was my earliest memory of the concept of diversity because back in the Philippines, everyone looked similar. What was more surprising to my young Catholic-raised self was that we didn't have to pray at the beginning and end of every class; in fact, the idea of religion was barely touched upon in school as religious freedom is valued greatly in the U.S. I talked about those things with my dad and that's when I learned that freedom is an abstract that many desire because it heightens comfort in the lifestyles of racial, sexual, and religious minorities.
Freedom to express one's identity is vital to most people because it allows them to confidently face the world. The main character of Rivera's novel, Juliet, is a closeted-lesbian who yearns for freedom from her culture's construct of what women should be like and who women should be with. In the novel, Juliet says "I wondered what those dudes like them really expected of girls like me in those situations? Like, did they want me to drop to my knees in the middle of the supermarket and orally worship their Ds?" This quote is showing that Juliet finds what the guys thought or hoped she would do quite confusing; Juliet finds it ridiculous what other people actually expect of women and that others perceive women's role as to be under a man. This is an example of how some people think that women should be submissive to men and give them satisfaction. Freedom to express one's identity would allow women like Juliet to divert herself from those stereotypes and society's judgments.
Juliet also craves for freedom to be able to love her girlfriend without judgment from her family. In the novel, Juliet's mom tells Juliet "'But, Juliet,' she said, 'You've never had a boyfriend, so how would you know?...You might like Lainie, but it's not the same thing. I promise you that.'" This quote is showing that Juliet's mom thinks that women would only be truly happy with men; this exemplifies that in some cultures, women are only expected to be with men romantically and sexually because it reflects the "natural way of life" and because this is what they've grown accustomed to. Therefore, this led Juliet to desire freedom from her culture's standards on romantic relationships in order to live happily and confidently with whoever she loves. People desire the freedom to be with anyone they want because it would provide happiness in their relationships and no obstacles would hinder their lifelong partnerships.
Another type of freedom that is desired by many is religious freedom because it allows people to coexist without fear of persecution based on their beliefs. In Woodard's Founding New Netherland, he explains that religious freedom is highly valued because it is a pathway to successful business and overall thrive of the people who lived in the New Netherland. In the text, Woodard mentions that "...thousands of Sephardic refugees from Spain and Portugal lived in Amsterdam, worshipped in the world's largest synagogue, and invested in the trading companies that founded New Netherland and the Dutch East Indies." The quote describes people of different religions as able to coexist in order to better their lives. This shows that in order to build a better economy, people of New Netherland decided to set their differences aside such as their beliefs. Religious freedom is something that many desire in order to cooperate with each other because clashing beliefs could prevent a great business opportunity from happening.
Religious freedom also means that the residents in New Netherland could live together without worrying about their religious differences which led them to focus on other things. In the text, it states that "Catholics, Mennonites, and Lutherans lived peaceably alongside the Calvinist majority." This quote shows that people are willing to coexist with each other and form a harmonious society despite their different beliefs. The reason these people went to New Netherland is because their home countries limited their success and comfort based on their country's religious ideals. This proves that religious freedom is important for a society consisting of people from various cultures to work out and focus on their individual and societal growth.
Lastly, freedom from racial oppression is a desire of people all over the world especially the minorities as racism causes the lost of harmony within a community. In Baldwin's speech, he identifies the problem within the American society which is that although African-Americans resided in the U.S. for hundreds of years, they still desire the freedom and equality that they should be guaranteed. Baldwin states that "...'we've been here for 400 years and now he tells us that maybe in 40 years, if you're good, we may let you become president..." This shows the oppression Baldwin and minorities face just because of their different skin color. Because Baldwin and African Americans have been oppressed and are still being oppressed, they desire the freedom from racial oppression as they feel that no matter how hard they've worked for higher status in society, they still aren't treated the same as the white majority. Moreover, this line is an example that minorities desire the freedom from racial oppression as that would allow them to take on equal opportunities that white people already have such as becoming a president.
It is also seen in Petrosino's novel that African-Americans struggle to fit in and are scared to interact with others no matter where they go, even if they are considered free. The protagonist says "'Please, would you tell me,' you ask the cashier a little timidly for you're still not sure it's a good idea to speak to anyone." This quote is showing that a free African-American woman worries about the simple rights humans deserve to practice which is speaking. This line explains that African-Americans still fear how they would be treated by white people even if they didn't do anything and even if they are free. Minorities, specifically African-Americans, desire freedom from racial oppression because unlike white people in the U.S., their rights are indefinite and delicate. African-Americans and other minorities desire freedom from racial oppression because it would allow them to live life comfortably and interact with others without unrest.
It's amazing how although the plots of the different texts are overall different from each other, they share a common desire that is expressed in various ways. I chose these certain texts and scenarios as those reflect my desires which are freedom to express my identity, freedom from racial discrimination, and religious freedom. I believe that if we make these desires into reality, the world would be a much peaceful place. Although freedom is documented in the U.S. Constitution, we are still far from actually putting it all into practice because of our innate individual interests. Socio-Cultural standards are formed due to the behavior of the majority; in race, for example, the majority in the U.S. is composed of white people which explains that if one is not white, it's harder for them to adhere to the subtle and not-so-subtle expectations of the majority. By using sources that are told from the perspective of minorities (in matters of sexuality, religion, and race), it will clarify the reason why many desire the freedom from socio-cultural standards in order to live comfortably and happily.