Lisette LeMerise

HON 1000
Section 505
Who Are We Reflection

Based on this essay, I learned historically about the U.S. in the early 1920s, as well as
Detroit and the various types of people migrating there. Specifically, I learned about the
difficulties migrants faced, including their ability to assimilate, the pressures of leaving behind
their culture and language, and their difficulties dealing with prejudices and finding work. In
Detroit, for example, different ethnicities settled in different areas, causing segregation within
Fishers supposedly uniform Democratic Social Space. In order to assimilate easily, however,
people oftentimes subscribed to the idea of becoming a Designer Person by reinventing
themselves, or by taking on collectivist jobs such as at Henry Fords assembly line. Either way,
the readings and lectures helped me to learn about Detroit, but also the ways in which people
impact their environments and, in particular, their cities. This can be seen within, for example,
our Passport Event of the Redford Theater, in which we learned about the urban form of the
theater which people built for entertainment, indicating their desires to become Designer
individuals and escape from the world.
Additionally, I learned more about the writing process itself from this essay, including
the correct aspects of MLA format, as well as the idea to be precise and concise when writing.
Therefore, I learned that I should avoid redundancy when writing. This will add clarity to my
writing, as well as aid my communication skills which will ultimately help me in my future
career. Furthermore, this essay has taught me to think critically about the pasts of my city and
my country. Therefore, this essay has taught me the skills needed to be reflective, and to
understand the lives and stories of others in order to sympathize with their situations and
understand where they may be coming from in regard to their choices and behavior.