We are the one who decides on how we can face each challenge in our life. It could make us miserable or a better person. In the book of Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James Houston and Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo Beals are all about life challenges between two girls named Jeanne and Melba. Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston is one of a daughter of first-generation Japanese immigrants in United States. She was born here and only seven-year-old when her challenges in life began. However, Melba Patillo Beals was one of the nine African-American students involved in desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957. She was also born in United States and only fifteen-year-old when she bravely face all the challenges in her life. Jeanne tries her best to associate with her fellow Japanese as well as with American people while Melba fights for their rights as they both experiencing discrimination, racism and different problems with their families.
Jeanne and Melba both face discrimination, but while Jeanne trying her best to be accepted, Melba fights into it. This challenge began in Jeanne's life when Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Therefore, Japanese-Americans considered as a "dangerous enemy aliens". They were forced to live in a camp called Manzanar and treated them as an inferior class. Since Jeanne must lived with her fellow Japanese which she didn't know before, she needs to get along with them. Many people in the camp was discriminating her especially children of her age. Jeanne wanted to accept her. She once said, "By the time I was desperate to be "accepted," and baton twirling was one trick I could perform." (109) On the other hand, Melba also experienced discrimination. It became worst when she was chosen to be one of the nine African-American students to integrate a school over white students. All white students were shouting every time they saw Melba and her friends.
