In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King stated, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” regarding to how to address racism in America. Having more class than your opponent and maintaining your dignity is still possible when pursuing equality, although it may not always be easy. Judith Ortiz Cofer tells in her essay “The Myth of the Latina Woman” what it means to grow up a Puerto Rican woman in white America, and also that there is no need for violence or cruelty to overcome racism and stereotypes or to obtain equality. The Americas tend to be closed-minded. If something is strange or unfamiliar to them, it is rejected. The average American simply doesn't get a decent perspective, especially when it comes to trying to understand other people's cultures. Instead of looking at someone's customs from the perspective and vision of their culture, they are almost always interpreted in a completely different context. Cofer would find that when she spoke to certain people, and they heard her accent, they thought she might just be an uneducated housekeeper. As she got older, she also realized that what she wore could also be a problem. What is normal to wear in Puerto Rice, such as wearing bright colors or something that is semi-revealing, is considered inappropriate or provocative in American culture (Ortiz-Cofer 93). On a similar note, James Baldwin was not given the chance to prove himself to be a dignified and polite young man, as she recounts in... middle of paper... she says of that entire day, she remembers that moment most vividly . She likes to remember the stereotypes that are out there, they are what she has to overcome. Which gives her a great sense of pride, since she is one of the ones breaking them (96-97). Works Cited Baldwin, James. "Notes of a Native Son." Cohen 50-70. Cohen, Samuel, ed. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford-St.Martin.2011. Print.King Jr., Martin Luther. "I Have a Dream" Speech. http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm. Intellectual Property Management: Georgia. Web.Ortiz-Cofer, Judith. "The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria." Cohen 91- 97.