Joshua Adams, a writer for the Huffington Post wrote about how he has learned to change to a different way of speaking in order to help Adams fit into different crowds of people and how it could do harm instead “But as i grew older,intellectual maturation and social awareness showed me the role language plays in our society, how it helps us, and how it hurts us”(Adams 1). People want to fit in and in order to do so many change their personalities to fit into the norm of the community they are a part of or are trying to be a part of.
Both Joshua Adams and Julia Alvarez and wrote about their personal experiences with assumptions and stereotypes and how it made them question or change their identities. Adams said he put up different personas when talking to different crowds of people to fit in. People change the way they act and speak to fit in with the norms of the communities they want to be a part of. Whether people realise it or not. Adams stated, “Black friends said I talked ‘white’ and my non-Black friends said I talked ‘ghetto’” (Adams 1). This has the effect of making Adams feel like he’s not part of the group because his friends always point out the differences.  When felt left out people try to fit in and Adams tries to do this by changing his identity and conforming to the norms of the different communities he’s trying to be a part of; though Adams realized this wasn’t a plausible strategy to try and become a part of a group “While we may speak similarly as another from the same culture, a racially monolithic way of talking is simply not possible” (Adams 1). Adams went on to say, “I learned that assuming everyone from a certain race does or should talk the same way is problematic”(Adams  1). Swapping between different ways of speaking and acting can backfire because you will base your changes off of what your conception is of the community you’re trying to fit in to; this can have the effect of stereotyping people. When discussing the sadistic crime Richard committed Karl also stated they shouldn’t make assumptions saying, “I think it’s important to keep in mind that none of us can know the mind, motivations, or intentions of the of the person who set flame to Sasha’s clothing” (Slater 187). Both Adams and Slater wrote about the different ways that assuming and speculating could do harm.  Assuming everyone from a certain race or community has to act the same is wrong because people who aren’t the same can’t express themselves because those people will be viewed as “other”. When people fear to act themselves there's a problem.
Speaking in a certain way can be a dividing line “But as Americans, we use ‘proper’ when we almost always mean ‘standard.’ And that’s where the issue lies” (Adams 1). When someone speaks differently from the way you do that doesn’t mean they don’t speak english properly. It just means they have a different definition of standard english than you do “Speaking ‘clearly’ to you or me may sound confusing to another. If you visit Paris and speak French, they may not be able to comprehend you, because you are saying French words but not enunciating them how French people do” (Adams 1). Adams states that there is no “proper” way of speaking and that the idea of one is strictly subjective.
 Alvarez had similar identity issues. She struggled with her Spanish names being mispronounced and as an effect kept on being given different nicknames; even though, being given a nickname is a sign of acceptance but it was still a struggle for her identity. “Someday the family predicted, my name would be well-known throughout the United States. I laughed to myself, Wondering which one i would go by” (Alvarez 1). Sasha had similar struggles with their gender identity as seen in the beginning of 57 Bus. “There was some core understanding: my identity is this. But Sasha didn’t feel that. Didn’t feel strongly This is what I am. Didn’t feel strongly This is what I’m not. Other people seemed to have a file in their brain marked Gender. Sasha ransacked their own brain looking for the file, but it didn’t seem to be there”(Slater 27). Sasha had difficulties when coming to terms or rather, discovering themself in terms of gender identity. And once they found themself as A-gender they were met with what they thought to be ridicule and disgust from Richard and his friends. This led up to Richard lighting Sasha’s skirt. In the ghettos of Oakland no one can trust each other forcing people to stay isolated from one another, putting up a ‘tough guy’ persona because being open is seen as a weakness there. This is a dividing line between the poor and the rich. This is very damaging to people’s identities because they can’t express themselves. They’re but a shell of their true self. The wealthy get to express themselves and act however they want. The poor don’t have that luxury. Everyday is a struggle for them This dividing line could’ve set richard up to commit this crime. To prove that he’s not soft. To prove he’s tough. After the fact Richard stated “I wouldn’t say that I hate gay people, but I’m very homophobic” (Slater 140). Richard starts his sentence saying he doesn’t hate gay people but then directly contradicts his statement saying he’s homophobic. This was due to richard not knowing what it meant. The officer then wrote down in the police report that “...THE SUSP STATED HE DID IT BECAUSE HE WAS HOMOPHOBIC” (Slater 143). Because Richard tried to change his identity or his way of thinking he unknowingly said he hated gay people when he actually meant he was hetero sexual and liked girls. And indirectly ruined his chances on getting a chance of parole.
Changing one’s identity can be a good and a bad thing. People change the way they talk and act to different crowds of people in order to fit in; this has the effect of stereotyping people. Due to the norms set up by our communities people shy away from how they really feel, how they truly are as a person; this makes them feel other. Being different isn’t a bad thing and societal divisions shouldn’t stop us from being different.