what is the overall tone of the poem

The tone is critical and sardonic and at times fatalistic. Throughout the poem, Hughes contrasts his hopes for America with the reality of life for those outside of the socially and economically dominant racial, religious, and social groups. He evokes the fervent dreams of those who came to the United States because they saw it as a haven where they could be safe from the persecution they endured in their homelands - but those dreams of America have never come true.