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Wriley wrote: ↑08 Jul 2019, 09:57 Frank faces racism by holding his head high and working hard. I am not sure with the case of Ciba Geigy if I wouldn't have gotten mad but at that time in history, that was not an option for a black man. I'm white so I can't even imagine that kind of racism.

briellejee wrote: ↑08 Jul 2019, 21:57 It broke my heart when his professor said that to him. Racism is ugly back then and still is now. Frank, however, faces this with determination to prove them wrong. I guess it is courageous and at the same time took a lot of mental strength to overcome those.

Florence Nalianya wrote: ↑10 Jul 2019, 06:30 The author faces several instances of discrimination in the USA to an extend where a lecturer feels he can't be a scientist and doesn't deserve that kind of education. At some point, the racist think he can't have a job for he is black.

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑06 Jul 2019, 09:42 So in the book, when Frank gets to the US, he experiences instances of racial discrimination that he hadn't in Guyana, from one of his professors saying that he would never be a scientist to Ciba Geigy's DLs not wanting to give him Max's job in full because of his ethnicity. This is obviously still a problem the world over, but the author makes it a point to confront these because he has a different experience of it. What do you think of Frank's experiences in this area and how he confronts them?

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑10 Jul 2019, 20:34

Florence Nalianya wrote: ↑10 Jul 2019, 06:30 The author faces several instances of discrimination in the USA to an extend where a lecturer feels he can't be a scientist and doesn't deserve that kind of education. At some point, the racist think he can't have a job for he is black.

Yes. I find it also quite interesting that this wasn't an isolated thing but ongoing even to this century. It's also clear that he wasn't quite expecting it too.

DC Brown wrote: ↑11 Jul 2019, 20:47

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑06 Jul 2019, 09:42 So in the book, when Frank gets to the US, he experiences instances of racial discrimination that he hadn't in Guyana, from one of his professors saying that he would never be a scientist to Ciba Geigy's DLs not wanting to give him Max's job in full because of his ethnicity. This is obviously still a problem the world over, but the author makes it a point to confront these because he has a different experience of it. What do you think of Frank's experiences in this area and how he confronts them?

He was brave and stuck to his principles. Unfortunately, racism is still alive and well in the US. Just last year, a friend and I went to a restaurant in a northern state and the staff did not want to serve us because my friend is black. I was shocked. She was not.

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑06 Jul 2019, 09:42 So in the book, when Frank gets to the US, he experiences instances of racial discrimination that he hadn't in Guyana, from one of his professors saying that he would never be a scientist to Ciba Geigy's DLs not wanting to give him Max's job in full because of his ethnicity. This is obviously still a problem the world over, but the author makes it a point to confront these because he has a different experience of it. What do you think of Frank's experiences in this area and how he confronts them?

Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑12 Jul 2019, 07:27

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑06 Jul 2019, 09:42 So in the book, when Frank gets to the US, he experiences instances of racial discrimination that he hadn't in Guyana, from one of his professors saying that he would never be a scientist to Ciba Geigy's DLs not wanting to give him Max's job in full because of his ethnicity. This is obviously still a problem the world over, but the author makes it a point to confront these because he has a different experience of it. What do you think of Frank's experiences in this area and how he confronts them?

I thin the author has a very determined personality and worked hard through all the racial discrimination he faced. For him, having already experienced discrimination due to poverty and social class back in Guyana strengthened his resolve and helped him face racial discrimination. I have experienced such discrimination and his reaction was understandable to me.

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑12 Jul 2019, 12:32

Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑12 Jul 2019, 07:27

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑06 Jul 2019, 09:42 So in the book, when Frank gets to the US, he experiences instances of racial discrimination that he hadn't in Guyana, from one of his professors saying that he would never be a scientist to Ciba Geigy's DLs not wanting to give him Max's job in full because of his ethnicity. This is obviously still a problem the world over, but the author makes it a point to confront these because he has a different experience of it. What do you think of Frank's experiences in this area and how he confronts them?

I thin the author has a very determined personality and worked hard through all the racial discrimination he faced. For him, having already experienced discrimination due to poverty and social class back in Guyana strengthened his resolve and helped him face racial discrimination. I have experienced such discrimination and his reaction was understandable to me.

Indeed. It's actually rather interesting to compare the American experience with that of the immigrant because the discrimination is still there but the reaction tends to differ, no?

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑09 Jul 2019, 06:11

Wriley wrote: ↑08 Jul 2019, 09:57 Frank faces racism by holding his head high and working hard. I am not sure with the case of Ciba Geigy if I wouldn't have gotten mad but at that time in history, that was not an option for a black man. I'm white so I can't even imagine that kind of racism.

Yeah. Not to mention, a lot of people think Europe is less racist than the US but there are still a lot of traces of it. I think it also depends on the culture of the organisation involved, because even though he had more pushback at Hoescht, it was due to his being from the U.S. branch, as opposed to Ciba Geigy, which was definitely about his ethnicity.

Wriley wrote: ↑14 Jul 2019, 09:11

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑09 Jul 2019, 06:11

Wriley wrote: ↑08 Jul 2019, 09:57 Frank faces racism by holding his head high and working hard. I am not sure with the case of Ciba Geigy if I wouldn't have gotten mad but at that time in history, that was not an option for a black man. I'm white so I can't even imagine that kind of racism.

Yeah. Not to mention, a lot of people think Europe is less racist than the US but there are still a lot of traces of it. I think it also depends on the culture of the organisation involved, because even though he had more pushback at Hoescht, it was due to his being from the U.S. branch, as opposed to Ciba Geigy, which was definitely about his ethnicity.

I've heard that Europeans can be rude people just for being from the U.S.A. I do know that I've experienced Europeans being rude but wondered if that was their culture. I especially felt it in Alaska last summer while on vacation. There were quite a few people from Northern Europe that were completely rude. I do know different cultures can be colder personality wise. Maybe Frank had some of those experiences too.