Untraditional Families - 1552 Words

Untraditional Families Naomi Gerstel and Natalia Sarksian have shed new light on the subject of minority families and their differences to the traditional nuclear families in their essay, â€Å"The Color of Family Ties.† According to their work, those of White descent make up most of all nuclear families which can be described as a father, mother and children all living in one household. Gerstel and Sarkasian point out that it is not always the case that, â€Å"Black and Latino/a, especially Puerto Rican families are more disorganized than White families, and that their families ties are weaker,† as they are often thought of by those in politics or the media (62). In fact Gerstel and Sarkasian write, â€Å"Blacks and Latinos/as, are as likely as†¦show more content†¦Jack was left out of his father’s nuclear family and he even goes on to say, â€Å"It was like we were strangers living a quarter mile from one another† (53). Many could argue that th ese circumstances are undesirable and frankly quite sad. In the poem â€Å"Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt† by Dixon we do not see any evidence that there is any abandonment by parents and the poem demonstrates stronger family ties and support than those of â€Å"An Indian Story.† â€Å"Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt† is a poem about an elderly woman who is stitching a quilt in memory of her great nephew, Junie, who has died of AIDS. It is a remarkable poem about a close knit family who comes together to help each other during hardship. Like â€Å"An Indian Story† this poem speaks of long family traditions and illustrates the importance of family. â€Å"My mama and my mama’s mama taught me†, says Aunt Ida (49). The two writings are also similar, in that, the main maternal figure also makes sacrifices for her family. This is illustrated when Aunt Ida helps sew a quilt for her family even though, as she describes, â€Å"My eyes ain’t good now and my fingers lock in a fist, they so eaten up with arthritis† (49).It is evident throughout the text that this family spends a great deal of time together and have a very strong bond. â€Å"That’s where Junie got his flair,† says Aunt Ida after she describes the secret that, she sews her name in red thread on the backside of every quilt that she has ever madeShow MoreRelatedFamily Structure And Children s Educational Success1280 Words   |  6 Pages Family Structure and Children’s Educational Success Taylor Yonce Sociology 2010-Section 012 Shannon McDonough 11/23/15 Introduction Nontraditional family structures have become more common and accepted throughout today’s society than in the past. This shift in family structure could have great implications for children and their future success. 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