Everyday individuals such as you and I are faced with basic choices such as what to wear, when we eat, and whom we befriend. But all individuals are faced with harder decisions, Moral decisions that are backed by ethical beliefs and consequently posses the power to alter an individuals" life. A decision so difficult that it has more than one right answer and how it is tackled is definitive of who we are. Both Black and Latino and Honor Bound reveal individual experiences from a personal point of view. Both men are faced with moral decisions in which personal integrity and moral character guide their path. However the choices they choose are not simple. These passages provide a look at how two men feel disconnected from the norms of society due to circumstances beyond their control. The result will define who they are and ultimately has the ability to change their lives and the way they live them.
"My life has been shaped by my black and Latino heritages, and despite other people's confusion I don't feel I have to choose one or the other. To do so would be to deny a part of myself" (Santiago 322). Black and Latino is written from the perspective of Roberto Santiago and analyzes" the Puerto Rican and black races while posing questions pertaining to origin and culture. Santiago vividly describes from a child's eyes the pain of feeling stuck in the middle of two races. He learns with the help of his aunt that his individual culture is dually sub-divided and that he should feel confident within his unique identity (324).
Aikens 2 .
"The moment of truth had arrived. In a way, I was surprised that he was even asking me the question. Captain Holderby had already basically told him the answer. Was he offering me an out, a chance to deny it, to say that it was all a big misunderstanding? Was he offering me a chance to lie?.