Question

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?

Answer 1

The text from 'A Genetics of Justice' by Julia Alvarez suggests that the lasting effects of injustice, such as habits of repression, censorship, and terror, are difficult to correct as they can persist internally even when external conditions have changed, echoing the prolonged psychological impact of living under a dictatorship.

Step-by-step explanation:

The evidence from the text that best supports the central idea that the lasting effects of injustice are not easy to correct is the author’s depiction of her parents’ inability to exercise their First Amendment rights due to their ingrained fear from years lived under a dictatorship. The excerpt from "A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez clearly states, "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." This illustrates the profound psychological impacts that repression can have on individuals, lasting well beyond the physical removal of an oppressive regime and into their new lives in a country that legally upholds free speech.

The mentioned habits of repression, censorship, and terror do not easily lift with a change in environment or legal systems since they have been deeply instilled through years of living under a dictatorial regime. Furthermore, Alvarez's reference to her parents still living "in the dictatorship inside their own heads" even after moving to New York with its free speech protections highlights the internal struggle individuals face as they cope with post-traumatic stress from past political oppression.

Answer 2

The lasting effects of injustice are not easy to correct. This is some evidence from the text:

1. "....my parents were still living in the dictatorship inside their own heads..." . The use of still shows the parents could not feel the difference bewteen living in the Dominican Republic or in the US.