Wendt Homelands Analysis

This past week was my first time tutoring at Bridges for service learning. When I arrived, I received an orientation from Kevin in which he briefly described the “homeland” of the students I would be working with. Kevin was intentional about highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the community the students lived in around York Road. He explained that he was passionate about offering an enriching afterschool program because the majority of the Baltimore City Schools offer few or no extracurricular activities. He mentioned the schools’ lack of resources as well, including the fact that students at Baltimore City Schools usually lack access to safe drinking water from the water fountains. After identifying these challenges, he went on to describe the children I would be tutoring. They were dedicated students who had supportive parents and members of the Bridges staff encouraging them to graduate from high school and pursue a post-secondary education.

            Unlike this formal orientation, in “Sons for the Return Home,” much of what we know about Samoa, the protagonist’s homeland, is from his interactions with other people. The principle, for example, tells his parents “‘Your whole race should be proud of this boy,’” (13) because of his academic achievements. The boy immediately expresses distaste for these types of comments. He likely does so because the reactions people have to him, often surprise, are a reflection of their expectations. Furthermore, these expectations are based on generalizations about the Samoan race. For this reason, their comments become a form of “othering.” Firstly, they ignore the humanity and individuality of the boy himself. Secondly, the boy is distinguished from similar classmates. While other students have made comparable achievements, his are viewed as exceptional because of this race. 

The boy’s experience is one that I intend to keep in mind when I work with Bridges student. Given the adversity that many students living near York Road have faced, I am inclined to react with surprise when I meet such high achieving students from this area. I tempted to believe that since these students belong to a racial minority which has historically underperformed in academics compared to other students, these students are likely underperforming as well. In reality, students within this minority group have often lacked the educational resources they deserve to achieve in school. It is unfair, then, to react with surprise when they are given comparable resources to students of the majority race and perform similarly well. Instead I am learning to recognize the importance of setting high standards for these students and not being surprised when they achieve them.

In our class discussion on Monday we watched part of the Ted talk “The Danger of a Single Story.” The speaker warned against reducing a group of people to a single quality or characteristic. This is exactly what happens to the protagonist in “Sons for the Return Home” and the other Samoans in his community. His relationship with his girlfriend suggests that the way to see beyond these stereotypes is to spend time getting to know individuals within a group at a personal level. Although the girl initially makes several insulting comments towards the boy, she is able to identify and correct her mistakes more easily after their relationship deepens. Eventually, when she makes a generalization about Samoan dancers, “She immediately noticed her mistake and apologised,” (23). 

In the case of Bridges, it can be easy to reduce York Road to single story of danger and hardship, as is often done on campus. As a result, I am seeking to develop a personal relationship with the students at Bridges this semester as the novel models. Hopefully by getting to know these students as individuals well I will gain a better understanding of their strengths and develop a deeper appreciation for the complex identity of York Road.