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Jessica Bui

Dr. Cruz Medina

English 1A

September 30, 2023

Rhetorical Analysis draft 1

Whether you're a first generation college student navigating the foreign world of higher

education without the assistance of family members who have already been through it, or a first

generation in general, it’s not easy navigating a world your parents are unfamiliar with. It's a

journey that includes not only academic achievement but also a variety of life decisions, such as

selecting a career and adapting into a new culture. I myself have felt this way especially during

the time when I was deciding on my academic and professional future. I had no one to turn to for

guidance except my mom’s limited experience when she went to community college a few years

back. The author of My Time Among the Whites, Jennine Capó Crucet offers insightful

information on the difficulties of being a first-generation student and professional. Her

open-hearted storytelling encourages readers to consider the ways in which these journeys of

self-discovery intersect with more general issues in society.

Firstly, the author, Jennine Capó Crucet appeals to pathos that brings an emotion of

anguish and frustration when bringing up the American Dream. She says,“But I’ve come to see

the American Dream for what it really is: a lie my parents had little choice but to buy into and

sell to me, a lie that conflated working hard with passing for, becoming, and being white.”

(Crucet 21). Regardless of their backgrounds, readers can relate to experiences in their life where

they had to face painful facts or realized that what they had previously considered to be true was

actually a "lie." Due to this emotional connection, Crucet's message is able to cross cultural and
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social barriers and resonate with a broad audience of readers who have gone through their own

periods of disappointment and personal growth.

Furthermore, Crucet demonstrates her everlasting faith in the value of hard work as a

path to achievement while allowing readers to feel sympathetic towards her. She says, "You can

accomplish anything if you work hard enough for it. All you have to do is work hard. My parents

really believed this, and I believed it long enough to get me to college" (Crucet,p.28). It

emphasizes the hopeful and emotionally driven idea that hard work can lead to achievement.

Readers who have their own goals and aspirations may find this to be motivating and inspiring.

The phrase gains a personal feel when it is mentioned that the speaker's parents valued effort.

Many people may find this to be emotionally resonant because it indicates a feeling of familial

values and history. The emotional impact is also heightened by readers' memories of their own

family's morals and experiences. The concept of putting out a lot of effort to achieve something

can be related to by readers, which might inspire empathy.

Crucet shares an insightful reflection on her limited knowledge of white American

weddings in the chapter “Say I Do,” revealing that, up until that point in her life, she had only

attended two such weddings, which had a significant impact on how she understood a specific

aspect of these events. She mentions,“I’d been to only two white American weddings in my life

by that point, and my concept of this DJ type was largely conflated with my memory of Adam

Sandler’s character in The Wedding Singer...” (Crucet, 74). The author must have learned her

Caucasian knowledge through Western media, hence mentioning Adam Sandler. By referencing

Adam Sandler in this quote, she is using logos to tell the readers how this establishes a logical

connection between the author's idea of a DJ and a well-known cultural reference. By providing

a specific and well-known example from American culture, such as Adam Sandler's character,
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the author establishes this logical connection and makes it simpler for readers to understand and

connect to the author's point. Crucet probably had prejudices about what a DJ may be like

because of the comical portrayal of a wedding DJ that Adam Sandler's character in the film is

known for. This quote shows how moving to Nebraska was a turning point for her because while

her childhood in Miami was extremely diverse, Nebraska was completely the opposite which

made Crucet realize that she is just the minority group here. Her worldview may have been

challenged by the transition from the diversity of Miami to the lacking culture of Nebraska. It

emphasized how important location and surroundings are in shaping a person's worldview. This

shift of viewpoint might have dramatic effects on her personal life as well as her writing and

artistic expression because it gave her a wider range of experiences to draw from and explore in

her writing.

Furthermore, in the chapter “Imagine Me Here, Or How I Became a Professor,” Crucet

discusses her experiences as a professor of color at predominantly white campuses. She states,

“When I speak at other predominantly white campuses, I've reminded the students of color and

the women about this fact: This place never imagined you here, and your exclusion was a

fundamental premise in its initial design,” (Crucet, 174). This statement makes significant use of

pathos. By addressing "students of color and the women," the author specifically refers to the

feelings and hardships of these underrepresented groups. In a setting that has historically neither

anticipated or welcomed them, she acknowledges the emotional weight of their presence. With

her audience, she can inspire empathy and a sense of shared hardship by recognizing their

struggles. In addition, the author also utilizes ethos in this quote. She increases her credibility by

saying that she speaks at "other predominantly white campuses," which also suggests that she is

well-known in the academic and diversity advocacy communities. Her background in dealing
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with issues of diversity and inclusion on college campuses is indicated by her experience. Her

many appearances as a speaker suggest that she has probably interacted with a range of

audiences and heard different points of view, which strengthens her knowledge of the topic. Her

reputation as an informed and respected voice in talks about diversity and discrimination in

higher education is strengthened by her constant involvement.

In conclusion, as a first-generation student, navigating the difficulties of higher education

can be a difficult path. You may not have family support and may be in a foreign environment.

Academic success, job decisions, and cultural acculturation are all parts of this path. Jennine

Capó Crucet, the author of My Time Among the Whites, offers helpful insights on the difficulties

of being a first-generation student and professional. In order to engage with first-generation

students and emphasize concerns of diversity and inclusion, Crucet uses pathos and logical

connections in an effective way.

Works Cited:

Crucet, Jennine Capó. My Time Among the Whites: Notes from an Unfinished Education.

Picador, 2019.