Amazing Grace By Jonathan Kozol

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is quite different than it is for most of us. Living with drug dealers, pollution, poor hospital care and an abominable education system not to mention the social system of the city, is the “norm” for these children. In his interviews with the children of this squalid neighborhood, we find that the children speak honestly and freely about their feelings. Forgotten, hidden, abandoned, are just some of the words that come to mind. One boy named “Malcolm X” wears his hair in a style referred to as “25 years to life”. His sister asks “Like in prison..? This is how you want to wear your hair?” His reply ”You don’t have to be in jail to be in prison”. This is just one of many examples given to show the reader the effects that this environment has upon youths.
As we read further, we find that there are multitudes of problems inherent within the South Bronx. One of the only ways of determining where these problems stem from is by looking at the possible reasons as to why they ...

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the elderly. Once these people go outside, they are met with an extraordinary amount of drugs and violence and find it much safer to just stay inside their homes.
Cultural differences between these people and those of higher income communities add to the list of reasons as well. Racism is blatantly obvious to the people of the South Bronx, particularly when they leave their district. If someone from this neighborhood goes to a hospital in one of the wealthier districts, they are usually treated in such a way that they don’t feel welcome. One nurse who has been working in the South Bronx for five years tells Kozol, “As bad as Lincoln or Bronx-Lebanon may be, at least receptionists ...

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