Critique # 1:The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain Article Critique

Langston Hughes begins his article with the struggle of Black artists in America. He highlights this with a story about an aspiring Black poet, who said to Langston Hughes “I want to be a poet—not a Negro poet”. I agree with Langston Hughes argument that this Black poet wanted to a White poet, rather than being himself and being proud of his heritage. I do not agree with Langston Hughes argument that being an American means that you want to be or act White.
            Langston Hughes writes “…the desire to pour racial individuality into the mold of American standardization, and to be as little Negro and as much American as possible.” I understand that during Langston Hughes’s time period, and even today, the dominate aesthetic in America is to be White. My disagreement with his statement is, I believe being an American means you can be any color, race, religion, or creed and this individuality is added to you being an American; that you should not have to act or attempt to look White to qualify as an American.
            Langston Hughes could argue back that the Blacks in America did not want to be Americans. That the Blacks were forced to build America with no compensation and little credit given to them by history. To this I would answer, someone who is born in America is American due to the fourteenth amendment, and even if they do not want to be in America, they are a part of America and affect her with their actions. So, yes, Black artists may fight a white aesthetic, but they are still American regardless of their race.