Yoshino and Covering

When Kenji Yoshino expresses the sentiment that “the mainstream is a myth” in his passage The Pressure to Cover, he is not saying that there is no such thing as mainstream, but rather, that there is no one who is truly part of the mainstream. Because the mainstream is continually shifting, people will invariably have some part of them, which does not fit with the mainstream. Though there are people who fill nearly fit perfectly in with the “mainstream crowd,” no one will ever truly fit completely. I agree with his reasoning and found it to be fairly persuasive, especially when he stated that the word mainstream can be used in reference to a particular identity, but cannot be used generically. This definition agrees with my definition because, as he said, mainstream can be used for specific characteristics. To use his example, being straight is more mainstream than being gay, but just because you are straight doesn’t mean you are completely mainstream. Throughout his piece, Yoshino makes valid arguments that are intended to help bring about social change helpful to all, which is something the world should definitely be focusing on.