But the execution was an external event, not necessarily an internal exorcism. All their lives my parents, along with a nation of Dominicans, had learned the habits of repression, censorship, terror. Those habits would not disappear with a few bullets and a national liberation proclamation. They would not disappear on a plane ride north that put hundreds of miles distance between the Island and our apartment in New York.
And so, long after we had left, my parents were still living in the dictatorship inside their own heads. Even on American soil, they were afraid of awful consequences if they spoke out or disagreed with authorities. The First Amendment right to free speech meant nothing to them. Silence about anything "political" was the rule in our house.
–“A Genetics of Justice,”
Julia Alvarez
Which evidence from the text best supports the central idea that the lasting effects of injustice are not easy to correct?
“a national liberation proclamation”
“the execution was an external event”
“The First Amendment right to free speech”
“still living in the dictatorship inside their own heads”
1 answer
“The execution was an external event” and “still living in the dictatorship inside their own heads” best support the central idea that the lasting effects of injustice are not easy to correct. The first evidence suggests that even with a major event like a national liberation proclamation, the habits of repression and terror do not easily disappear. The second evidence further illustrates that the effects of injustice can continue to affect individuals even in a different environment, such as living in a dictatorship inside their own heads.