5 Books that Helped Me Understand Your Struggles
5 Books That Helped Me Understand YOUR Struggles
Using books to break misconceptions and create healthier perspectives.
I am fortunate to born and raised in Queens, New York. I lived here my whole life. I have friends from all different backgrounds. I have friendships that range from young children down the block to old senior citizens at the library. But some people are not as fortunate as me. They are secluded from the rest of the world. Their friends, relatives, and acquaintances tend to look like them.
During my last semester in college, I met a girl who’s from Idaho. She said that her inner circle back home are all Caucasian. I can’t even fathom that idea. After 18 years, she never had any friendship with people that did not look like her. It’s not her fault. And she isn’t a racist. But she’ll never truly understand the struggles of a minority.
And this got me thinking. I was reading, “The Souls of Black Folk” by W. E. B. Du Bois, when it struck me. I don’t KNOW the struggle of being an African-American. I have an idea. But I don’t know it. Though I’m aware of explicit and implicit racism, I don’t know the residue that the Jim Crows and slavery still has on African-American. The book helped me rethink my ideas and beliefs. Hence, my optimism within the power of books.
Now to the fun part. As an avid book reader, I have come across some real good books. Some of the good books helped me break biases and gain fresh perspectives. Hence, I created a list of 5 books that I think will greatly help widen YOUR experience.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
I’m sure you’ve heard of this book. If not, shame on you. Just playing, but you should seriously read this book. You probably learned about Hitler and the Holocaust. And if you haven’t read this book, you probably never lived this era through the eyes of a young teenage girl. This book deals with Anne’s coming of age during Hitler’s reign. And I will never personally experience this which is why I believe this book is so important.
Even now, we see differences between young girls and boys. Being raised in a Hispanic household, I learned that there is some implicit favoritism towards males. And a lot of the times, these young girls aren’t heard. Hence, I enjoyed learning about the frustrations and emotions that Anne Frank had during Hitler’s reign.
Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur and Monster Kody Scott
This book is fucking vivid. Monster Kody, a hardcore gang member, explains his journey within this book. This topic this book covers range from joining the gang to going to jail and starting a family.
This book helped me rethink my journey. Most of my peers didn’t go to college. In fact, some went to prison. But in my opinion, they are genuine people. We did well academically in elementary and middle school. But some of them had struggles that I didn’t struggle with, like the absences of a father figure. This book helped me appreciate the small pieces that went right for me.
If for some reason you believe you’re better than the friends who didn’t pan out as good as you, read this book.
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
If you’re like me, you probably never heard of Frank McCourt. And if you’re like me, you probably don’t know why he deserves an autobiography.
The main lesson that I toke from this book is the fight we have with ourselves. Frank’s father is the centerpiece to this autobiography. His dad struggled with alcoholism. Whenever he saved some money, he would intend to use it for his children but would end up splurging it on drinks. I gained the trouble people face with addiction. A lot of times, I judge these people.
This book taught me not to judge people. While some are ok with their addictions, I do think that there are others who do want to change their habits. But they are so entrenched with their vices, that their vices get the best of them. They might be doing the best they can but can’t seem to be making progress. This book will help you feel more empathy for those who struggle with addiction.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
This book is newer than the previous books. Trevor Noah is the host of the Daily Show. Can his book bring value? I think so.
His background is diverse. His mom is black while his dad is white. Hence, the title of his book. Deeper than that, he offers the perspective of being mixed in South Africa. You learn that being black in America and being black in South Africa might have some similarities, but there are large differences.
The main takeaway from this book is learning the same social-economic issue we face but in another country. It’s important to know that despite the adversity minorities face, it’s nothing compared to others is developing countries
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
This lesson from this book is very similar to Monster Kody’s book. However, there’s one huge difference. We get to the result of small changes in two similar background.
The author details his personal life and the life of another man, who happens to be Wes Moore as well. One of them ends up in jail while the other is an author. Other than being interesting, I helped me look in the mirror and say that I’m not better than those young adults in prison. Yes, to society I might be. I know I could have had their lifestyle if it wasn’t for small adjustments from my parents.
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur and Monster Kody Scott
- Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
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