One Crazy Summer Prejudice

Us humans have issues with prejudice—whether it takes the form of bullying, stereotyping, or blatant racism. Seriously, just pause to think about; we're betting you can identify prejudice you've witnessed or come across just within the past couple of days. In One Crazy Summer, prejudice shows up in spades. Whether Delphine and her sisters are being photographed for being well behaved, Delphine's wondering what's up with Hirohito, or the cops are busting up Cecile's printing press, prejudice runs rampant in this book.

Questions About Prejudice

1. What type of prejudice does Delphine come across in Oakland? What upsets her the most about these encounters?
2. How is Delphine prejudice against other races and people? Think about how she treats Chinese people or men with Afros. What does this tell us about prejudice in the book?
3. Societal prejudices change over time. Is it possible to read something historical like One Crazy Summer and still understand the role prejudices play in it without turning to outside references?

Chew on This

Delphine is so focused on racial prejudices against her that she fails to notice her own stereotypes and assumptions about people all around her.

Fern and Vonetta are the only characters who don't reveal prejudices in this book, which shows the prejudice is something learned over time.