Natasha Rodriguez, in "Who Are You Calling Underprivileged" says that "[s]ocial research has found that those who are negatively labeled usually have lower self-esteem than others who are not labeled in that way" (207). As you read her story, you notice that she does not agree with being called underprivileged by others, or at all in that matter. Since the studies are not sited, it is hard for Natasha to win over her persuasive argument. .
In the beginning of her story, Natasha states that she has lived a happy life. From her reading, you can see that Rodriguez sees being called underprivileged a major issue. She states that the definition of "Underprivileged" refers to "a person who does not enjoy the same standard of living or rights as a majority of people in society" (207). The statement stated above doesn't help her argument because there is no given proof of where she got her information from. So her argument could not be as persuasive as she wanted it to be. We can see that she tries to make points to persuade her readers how it can feel when she says, "it is not appropriate to slap labels on people that they might not like or even agree with" (207). Which of course people will agree with, but I would also want to know if and where she got the information to get this conclusion. I am sure there is some truth to this statement, but when writing a persuasive essay, we need proof, not just our thoughts and opinions. So, unfortunately, her argument could not be deemed persuasive. .
Now let us talk about how her statement, "[s]ocial research has found that those who are negatively labeled usually have lower self-esteem than others who are not labeled in that way" (207), and how it relates to her overall argument. Her argument is that being called underprivileged is unnecessary and that "student in need" (207) would be a much better phrase.
