final dear president

Dear Mr. President,
There are things that I feel you should know and take actions toward while you’re in office. The arts are a major part of our country and what America stands for. New York City is a very well known place that is involved with the arts. Even though we have come a long way since our days of segregation, not till a little while ago did the tension ease. There is a need for the inclusion of different cultural stories on Broadway. I’ll give you examples of my own life to help you see the grown we have made as a nation and the things you still should work on or help society work on so we can get closer to the utopian society we wish to live in.
Growing up I was always a fan of musicals. I had never seen one live but I had heard most of the soundtracks and I had seen musicals that were portrayed as movies. As a young Latina girl many of the people in my culture did not understand why I enjoyed listening to English “White folk music” than Spanish music like them. They would tell me “You have never even seen these shows; they are to high class for your kind. You can’t afford those shows for a reason.” I never saw myself more any different than the theater goers, I knew that it was not affordable for me but I still loved it and could not wait to break out in it. I did not see the need for people to go to the shows all dressed up; after all you were to be there to be entertained not a distraction. I hated how all those around me thought that Broadway shows were for only the white and the rich. I did not believe it was for whites or the rich, I thought that it was possible if you saved for it. What I hated the most was that they wanted to push this idea on me that would not stick. I also wanted to change how Hispanic roles were played by Italians and not Hispanic talent. Our present time has come a long way from when I was younger. Broadway is no longer considered for the rich, it is open to a very large audience. The shows are still pricy but many people are able to afford it. Many people do not dress up; many go in regular clothing, like jeans. I personally have been able to watch many shows. Hispanics seem to be very welcome on Broadway since the musical “In the Heights” opened and is based of Hispanics and has many Hispanic performers on it. This progress is very beneficial to me, because I can now prove to all the people who said that Broadway was the impossible that it is truly not. I see a clearer path for myself to enter that realm.
I have had peers around me not understand why I was into Broadway shows because they believe it was not in my culture. In “The Eyes on the prize, Civil Rights Reader” young girls were examined on their opinions of what dolls represent. Many of the girls preferred to play with the white dolls because they had a presumption of white people being nicer than dark dolls. The girls were not comfortable with their culture being perceived as the good one because all around them white was what was good. In my story there were people who did not agree with me being into Broadway shows. They believed it was not part of my culture. The stories tie in because both groups of people had not assimilated to the thought that their culture can be just as great and can fit in at the same ranking as other cultures. I believe they thought this because they had not seen or heard of a Hispanic succeeding in the field. They were scared of the reaction it would have in our society. In “The sky is Gray” a young boy is threatened in his workplace and is told to remain in his place. In his time period African Americans were not to progress. Progression meant that they wanted to gain knowledge and this was a threat to many White people, something they refused to permit. In my story even though it is a different and more accepting time period , my peers did not want me to deal with a world that was not used to Hispanics in it. They wanted me to progress but did not see why I would even attempt. I am grateful of the time period I am living in because I am allowed to progress. I can break barriers and not be afraid of what others think of me because I am able to break all the barriers I need to and can leave my trails for others to learn from. Back then Hispanics were not welcomed on Broadway. Hispanic roles would be played by other Caucasian actors and they would feed off energy through stereotypes. Nowadays Hispanics are welcomed and they can take the character to the place or position where it should be because they are of the background. We are now able to do what we want. The groups that were once considered minorities are now allowed to shine on their own. The time periods has definitely affected Broadway which has affected me. Things will always be changing and Broadway will assimilate. If we want things to assimilate to our needs we must be the ones making the change in our time period.
I truly believe that it is the people of the country that set the trends and cause things to occur. Mr. President I see you as one of those influential people among our society. If the leader of our country encourages diversity in anything, people are most likely to assimilate and put it into practice. Mr. President you have the power of the voice. You can maybe request for diverse shows and be involved with the entertainment. Imagine what impression it would have on people for a president to attend and recommend a diverse show. Our present time is evolving. Broadway is slowly accepting all the diverse talent. Because unlike what people of my culture believed people are as talented as the white and high class. In this present time I would like you to help change the perspective of the majority of people that live in our society, all races that are not white. A few only see the beauty of Broadway because only a few believe in it. The only way we can be represented on Broadway is if we are involved in it and make a mark for ourselves. By influencing those among us that are non-believers you can be helping establish the future and where minorities stand in the entertainment of Broadway. People like me would thank you so much Mr. President because it can change people’s perspectives on whether minorities like Latinos are the ones taking over direction or are the leads on Broadway. Today there is only one Hispanic concentrated Broadway show written by a Hispanic, “In the Heights" by Lin-Manuel Miranda. He has inspired many Hispanics like me to pursue their dream on Broadway whether it’s performing, directing or backstage. I know that with your position, in our tomorrow we can have many minorities besides Hispanics taking charge on Broadway. You can help transform one of America’s biggest entertainment into a multiracial movement and entertainment for all since its entertainment for all and no longer whites. Whites are no longer superior in population; minorities can be as successful as them. I believe we have come a long way but the road continues and there are still glasses needed to be broken. By changing Broadway and people’s perspectives, our society can unite and all enjoy entertainment in peace.
Sincerely,
Nikaury Roman