"Honky," by Dalton Conley, tells the story of a young man who must come to terms with his whiteness in an African-American/Latino ghetto. Being a white person is usually a gateway to certain privileges in American culture and being part of a majority. Whites are usually the last ethnic group to be poked fun of. In the case of this memoir, Dalton Conley's skin color proves a difficult life he must face in the racially tense climate of New York City in the 1970's and 80's. There are many issues that held him back from being a wholesome and fully adapted human being. Throughout the memoir, Dalton struggles to fit in with his surroundings, but eventually is able to express his individuality.
The main issue holding Dalton back from being a wholesome and fully adapted human being is his struggle to fit in at school and his neighborhood. He struggles to fit in as a result of being white in a neighborhood that is predominantly Black and Puerto Rican families. As a result, Dalton becomes more aware of race compared to other children his age. In school, he is the only student in his class that does not receive corporal punishment, because it would be unthinkable for a black teacher to hit a white child. He says, "I even tried to get into fights in that school," he writes, "fights I knew I would lose; I wanted to feel the relief of being struck" (Conley 46). Dalton needs to feel the "relief" of being struck, just to fit in with his classmates. .
Conley begins to live two identities: he spent his school days with children of wealthy white families and came home in the afternoon to violence and crime in a minority neighborhood. He was embarrassed to bring his white friend from school to his house. When his baseball glove was stolen he got into a fight with a black gang member and almost got his throat slit. His friends did little to help in the situation and this made him realize that he was an outsider.
