Erasing Race

In “Erasing Race” by Beth Kolko the article talks about technology drawing people to the internet where virtual worlds define what race is. People then create identities that determine who people say they are even if it is not a person’s true identity. The author tries to explain how race tends to be missing from the cyber world and how it affects the communication process within our social networks.
These cyber worlds, also known as MUDs, can be broken down into different categories such as text-based descendants of the old Adventure game, three dimensional graphic worlds, and business environments, just to name a few. The one main element about these worlds is establishing an identity within a network. The author states, “[you] must assemble a virtual self. While the elements of identity that are offered to users vary from world to world, the general act of creating a persona within the world does not change.” Language is another key factor when it comes to cyber networks. The language you use also describes who you are because if you talk a certain way people may have an idea of your background. I like the quote where the author states, “The lack of an @race property means that the MUD is an environment where racial identity is presumed to be either irrelevant or homogeneous.” What she means is that most people are going to be assumed to be white unless some factor suggest otherwise. The networks out today and the rapid growth of personal computers makes it easier for people to create a person online that may seem to be more appealing because of the different networks and the requirement of an identity.
A quote in the reading that stated, “ Too frequently people must adapt to technology rather than adapting it to their needs.” Why do people care so much about technology. People can just as easily go out and meet people in person, but the cyberspace just made peoples’ search ten times bigger. It seems like people are losing touch with reality and meeting people on the internet is tricky. People give false identities and make them seem a lot more attractive or more outgoing when in reality you may not even know the race of a person because of these fake identities.
I thought the reading was different and it seems to be true how cyberspace is taking over and making people different.

Facebook Analysis

The Facebook page I chose to analyze was a girl named Whitney DeGendt. Whitney’s profile states that she is in an “open relationship” with another girl. A lot of people tend to do this because they think its fun or the person is their best friend. But most people do not take thing like that seriously because someone’s profile, who is a female, may be married or in an open relation ship with another female yet they list that they are interested in men. A picture I found on her page came from a spring break 2007 album. The picture show Whitney at some kind of restaurant and she is holding a cup of beer and a cigarette to her mouth. The caption under the picture says “I have problems.” But Whitney’s facial expression shows that she is laughing and just joking around. Whitney is a white heterosexual female college student. Although Whitney may or may not drink or smoke she is portraying the image of a “typical” college student who drinks a large amount of alcohol and smokes and like to party on spring break. Not to mention she is wearing four leaf clover head piece that lights up.

ill take my stand in dixie net

In the article “I’ll Take My Stand in Dixie-Net” by Tara McPherson cyberspace seems to be the place where people can express their views without pushing the boundaries of race. The article explains how she came about the neo-confederate sites that explained how people wanted the south to be today and how people viewed such sites. When the sites have such slogans as, “Preserving OUR heritage is preserving YOUR heritage” they mean white people from the south.
People are glad that the cyber net has overcome boundaries of race in a way that people do not feel like discrimination is a problem or such an issue as it was years ago. Others believe that the cyber net is a place where people can have multiple identities to but has the “ability to destroy one’s sense of place.” Race and identity have been major issues throughout the years but people may think the cyber net doe not apply when it comes to those terms. When the author told her friends about going to such sites they responded with grimaces and questions about why someone would even go to such sites consisting of “rednecks and racists.” Many of these sites try to uphold the meaning of a confederate and southern heritage. They also explain the heritage violations meaning the people who try and ban the confederate flag. Other sites may talk about what a southern woman must be like and provokes images of a black male rapist. Such stereotypes make it hard for people to even look at such sites because it is almost as if you’re an active participant with these sites you are racist or you HAVE to be racist.
Why do these people want the south to remain like it was so many years ago? After everything that has changed over the years society has become more accepting to different races and cultures than ever before. These people can have their sites and express their personal views, but not everyone will agree with their views. Overall the south is not going to change into what it used to be, but if these white southerners feel it should be changed they have a right to think that, but in reality society will not go back to its “old ways.”
I thought the reading was decent and it made me think about the cyber net a little more. There are so many good and bad sites out today but I really do not even realize, or take notice, to such sites.

Cybernetic Tourism, the Internet, and Transnationality

In the article “Where Do You Want to Go Today?” the article talks about cyberspace that has no boundaries. For example there is no racism, discrimination, no gender, and no age limit. Yet the commercials these big companies put out, such as IBM MCI and Anthem, use a technique that pushes the racial barriers to try and promote their company and products. The “other” groups that these companies are referring to are Arabs or people in African tribes. The companies also are trying to keep the privilege of the white society.
The ads that these companies put on TV makes it seem as if Americans are the dominant society and how we are able to go to different places and experience different thing because of the privileges that Americans have. Nakamura states, “Like the Microsoft and AT&T slogans this one links networks with privileged forms of travel, and reinforces the metaphor by visually depicting sights that viewers associate with tourism.” The author is explaining one of the commercials put out by Compaq. Even ads put on TV by Coca-Cola have a distinct image they are trying to portray to people. One of their ads consisted of the slogan, “I want to teach the world to sing.” The ad features people of all ages and races and tries to get people to be “uniform” and get the idea that people can all be “just minds”.
Why do these commercials have such underlying meanings? Why do people not see the techniques these companies are using to advertise their product? Some people may not think about the commercials in a discriminating way, but others take it in to consideration. The strategies to promote such products could be changed, but the companies are only thinking about the privileged community and how it may apply to them.
I thought the reading was different. I did not enjoy it that much because I somewhat lost interest in the piece. But overall I think that the reading does have a point in how these major companies advertise their products and try to eliminate race discrimination in cyberspace. I believe all advertisements have some sort of underlying theme that people do not usually see unless it is pointed out to them.

Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch

In the reading, “Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch” the author talks about a side of Abercrombie that people do not like to talk about, but still knows that it exists. First the author asks the question about why white gay men wear Abercrombie. Then goes on to talk about the history of Abercrombie and what it has stood for over the years. People may not realize the types of actions related to race and discrimination that has been associated with Abercrombie.
The author, Dwight McBride talks about the history of Abercrombie and how it all first started with David T. Abercrombie. Abercrombie was known to be the clothing store for the rich and famous. Some famous people that first wore Abercrombie included some presidents, Amelia Earhart, and Katherine Hepburn. The company was popular for selling clothes for both men and women in one single store. Over the years Abercrombie changed its headquarters and expanded its shops across the country. In 1977 the company filed for bankruptcy. Over the years other companies tried to revive what was still left of Abercrombie but no one succeeded except for Michael Jeffries. Jeffries hired a professional photographer and targeted the college students who were white and in the upper class status. The author states, “Abercrombie has worked hard to produce a brand strongly associated with a young, white, upper-class, and leisure lifestyle.” Abercrombie has a quarterly magazine that comes out and a look book for the employees. It was noted that, “of the group shots [in the magazine] two include the one African American model in these pages, while all of the rest of the photos are of male and female models who appear to be white.” Abercrombie has even faced a lawsuit because of the company discriminating against hiring people of color, and firing people for not fitting the “Crombie look”.
When the news of Abercrombie got out people may not have been too shocked about what was going on with the company. Why did people not say anything about the stores and what they were doing? Why did it take so long for a lawsuit to be filed? People wanted to keep Abercrombie an all white store but in reality that was never going to last. People do not realize how situations like this affect other ethnic groups looking for jobs. Discrimination will always be present in the world but Abercrombie seems to take it to a whole different level.
I was disgusted when I read this. Growing up I wore some Abercrombie but it was maybe one or two shirts I owned. People used to talk about me when I wore it and now I realize the true meaning why. I think that people need to wake up and realize times have changed and discrimination like this needs to stop.

Takaki Chapter 12

In chapter 12, “El Norte”, Takaki talks about the struggles of the Mexicans and how immigrating wasn’t always what it seemed to be. The Mexicans were not shown respect and their children were not given a valuable education. Throughout the struggle the Chicanos fought for higher wages and equality.
Many Mexicans left Mexico to escape from starvation but others went to America to be with family that had already settled in and established themselves. They wanted to find jobs and have their own wealth. But another factor that forced the Mexicans to move was the civil war in Mexico. The war forced numerous industries to shut down, such as mines and factories, leaving the Mexicans out of jobs and no money to support their families. Inflation was also a problem because it made the cost of food rise up to 2,000 percent. The development of transportation was also another reason why the Mexicans moved to the north. Although there are numerous reasons why the Mexicans crossed the boarder they were soon being welcomed because their labor was needed. “Mexicans represented about 75 percent of all the construction labor in the state.” A Mexican worker talked about his view on the jobs the Mexicans have and how they are not able to succeed in getting promotions. He stated, “I know that if I want to amount to something in any work I will have to do it in Mexico.” The Chicanas had horrible jobs and get the lowest wages and most Chicanas worked as waitresses, cooks, and maids. Most Chicanos worked in agriculture and really had no other choice but to work on the railroads. Most of the workers in agriculture could not leave their employers because the employers set up a system to put the Mexican workers in debt. During that time the workers had to pay off all their debts before leaving.
The Mexicans would send their children to school, but when they sent their children to school they would only learn about jobs that their parents were doing and how to take over those jobs when their parents could no longer work. A teacher even told one of her students, “Your people are here to dig ditches and to do pick and shovel work….I don’t think any of you should plan to go to high school.” Why would someone ever say this to a child? People really did not have respect for the Mexicans even though they were the ones who did the hard labor that others did not want to do. It not that white people were incapable of doing work it is just they wanted the Mexicans to do it for them.
I thought the reading was sad for the facts about the education the children got and how they were not respected. No one deserves to be treated that way but everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Race: The Power of Illusion

In the short film that we watched in class the film expressed that people do not really know how to define race. People may think that race is just who someone is because of how they look. Everyone tends to notice how people look before they think anything else of them. In the movie the narrator quoted, “we notice appearance before anything” because that is how people judge others.
Race is really defined as the laws and practices in different cultures. Immigrants have to fit in a society based on race because they are not seen as the “typical” American. Immigrants come to America to seek freedom, work, and a future for themselves and for their family. Most of the Immigrants that came to America were from eastern and southern Europe. When they came here it was said that, “58% were miners.” People say that “biology is destiny” because years ago what race you were determined your status and how you lived your life. The black people were seen as lazy and stupid, the Jews were of the lower class, and the whites were the privileged ones. Lynchings were very common during a certain period of years and black people were not the only ones getting lynched. The narrator talked about a Jewish man being lynched for supposedly killing a white woman. Whiteness was also a key to citizenship. Also after the war blacks got the right to vote but the majority of voters and juries were predominately white so the black people really did not have much say in the government.
In the film it stated that different states had different definitions of what qualified people for being black and white. For example one state had a law saying a person was considered black if they had at least 1/8 of African American heritage in their background and other states had somewhat similar laws. Why would states have such rules? Why did people not realize what they were doing? In the past it was all about race and what race you were determined your future. Today race is not an issue but has other problems associated with it. People do not realize what is going on until their culture or race is affected and someone gets laws changed to make a difference.
I thought the film was different in a way. Although it was a review of issues we have already discussed in class it was interesting to watch.

How Jews Became White Folks

In the article “How Jews Became White Folks” Karen Brodkin talks about how Jews became privileged mainly because of the G.I. Bill that paid for their housing, provided them with jobs, and paid for their education. Jews moved up into the middle class and African Americans and other people of color were being discriminated against.
“European immigrants, including Jews, had been largely assimilated into the white population.” The European races were divided into in Nordics, Mediterranean, and Jewish people. The peoples’ definition of a “real American” consisted of being white and having a background from northwest Europe. Jews were the first to enter college which put them in a privileged category. Jews tended to be discriminated in the work force such as not being able to become corporate managers and corporate employed professionals. The G.I. Bill of Rights that came out in 1944 became one of the largest affirmative action programs in American history. Although the G.I. Bill was intended to help all people, it discriminated against African Americans, for the most part, and other ethnic groups. African Americans were dishonorably discharged so they would not be able to qualify for the benefits such has education and jobs. Also, the African Americans were affected by the red line which meant they were forced to live in areas that were predominately black because they would not be able to afford the houses where the white people lived. Realtors discriminated against the African Americans even when there was laws passed saying discriminating against people was illegal.
Over time things got better the different ethnic groups. Why do some people believe that affirmative action today should not be allowed? Why did the African Americans get treated in such a way where they were not allowed to be equal like everyone else? It seems like affirmative action today is helping those ethnic groups who were oppressed. The people who were not discriminated against were the white males. Now that they are not in a privileged society they feel they are being treated wrong even though other groups had it 1000 times worse then them. As soon as people are put in an underprivileged category they tend to be offended.
I thought the reading actually made me think about our society today. Affirmative action and the issues in the past have changed over time, but in the end people still feel like they are discriminated against such as homosexuals. I think that there will always be someone discriminating against a group of people.

Takaki Chapter 7

In chapter 7 Takaki talks about the Mexicans and how they struggled from being land owners to workers and fighting for acceptable wages and lands. Boarder disputes throughout the years forced the Mexicans to give up what is now Texas, but overall the Mexicans have struggled to be accepted and had somewhat succeeded.
The chapter starts off by talking about the struggle over California. Commandante Vallejo was the authority figure in California at the time representing the land north of San Francisco. Vallejo explained after being released, “I left Sacramento half dead, and arrived here almost without life but am now much better.” He did not let his captors get the best of him even after he lost his land. Vallejo’s servants never asked for pay and in return Vallejo provided them with everything that they needed. For example they were provided food, shelter, and were taken care of when they became ill. The people had various ranks though. The gente de razon were the people at the top, the laboring class was below them, and the Indians consisted of the lower class. The Mexicans were then criticized as being Yankees and were said to have “lacked the enterprise and calculating mentality that characterized Americans.” Soon enough the Mexican-American War started and California was annexed. The Mexicans then outlawed the immigration into Texas and slavery. Although this made people upset people still continued to own slaves and illegally immigrate into Texas. The president at the time, James K. Polk had to order troops to dispute the boarder of Texas which ended up being near the mouth of the Rio Grande. Over the years Mexicans were granted suffrage but to a certain extent. For example Takaki states, “Mexicans in San Antonio could elect a government if they voted” but were then called ignorant and were said to not be able to make such choices.
In the end the Mexicans established a Mexican-American identity and continued to fight for equality. But why did the Mexicans strike more than the other groups? It is almost as if they felt they deserved to be treated equally and have fair wages so that is exactly what they demanded. The other cultures may have felt scared, at first, to stand up to authority, but the Mexicans stood their ground.
I thought the chapter was very informative and I recalled some information from previous history classes. I am glad the Mexicans stood up or what they believed even though they were defeated in areas such as the land disputes.

Takaki chapter 6

In chapter 6 Takaki explains how the Irish were treated in America and why they immigrated. The Irish were viewed as savages like the slaves and were not given the respect they thought they deserved. Takaki explains how they had to struggle to keep their jobs and how certain stereotypes accompanied them.
The Irish had somewhat survived a famine and lived off of potatoes for a long time. Irish families would receive letters from family members in America saying how they were able to be independent and get good jobs, so more of their family members immigrated to America to have the same opportunity as them. Unfortunately the conditions on the ships were almost unbearable. The ships reeked of the smell of previous immigrants and the Irish were pack into small shelves. Takaki states that, “20 percent of the immigrants died during the passage or immediately after arrival.” When trying to get a job in America the Irish had only one choice. The only job they could obtain happened to be the most dangerous of them all. The Irish started laying down the railroad tracks and some men would fall into ditches, or be crushed by the beams. Accidents happened all the time and became very common in the news. As the Irish struggled with jobs and continued to strike another problem arose. The Irish people were being compared to the black slaves who made them classified as savages. The Irish saw blacks as “a soulless race” and were appalled to be compared to them. The only difference between the blacks and Irish is that the Irish were allowed to vote. The blacks would not obtain their suffrage until many years later.
The Irish women became servants and obtained different jobs, but what really drove the Irish to succeed? It seems as if the Irish wanted to belong and be together as they were before coming to America. When the Irish immigrated they split up to find jobs and many of the Irish women seemed to obtain jobs where they would have housing and food provided in exchange for their labor. In the end the Irish were happy to be away from the British rule and America was their new home.
I thought this chapter was interesting and I learned something new. I never thought about some of the struggles the Irish had to go through and how they were compared to the black slaves.

A Challenge to Democracy

The Japanese were sent to relocation centers which housed around 18,000 people. The entire community was surrounded by wire fencing and guards. The films talks about what they went through and the struggle they had to overcome. The Japanese were placed in these camps because of World War II. The Japanese were relocated and this situation went against the constitution.
The Japanese were forced to work to grow crops. They had to level the land and built irrigation systems to start off the farming. The wages they received were low and they got very little money to spend on clothes and toys for their children. The children still went to school and the older children learned how to farm in school. Japanese workers had their own professions on the west coast before they were sent to the camps such as being in the medical profession. The crime rate has always been low and this had stayed the same in the relocation centers. In order to have fun in the centers they would start their own football teams, and other sport teams, but the government refused to spend much money on their recreation. The USO club was established for the Japanese-American soldiers and other clubs were form such as boy scouts. The film stated that “Relocation centers are not normal and will never be.” It also said that the relocations centers were not even needed. After leaving the relocation centers the Japanese would get jobs such as nurses and making parts for bombs. Others went on to college and some still continued to farm.
The relocation centers were only built to make sure the Japanese already in the U.S. were not trying do any harm to the U.S. Everyone was paranoid after the Pearl Harbor attacks but was it really worth it to put all the Japanese people in relocation centers? It seems as if there could have been other solutions to this problem. The relocation centers just did not seem ethical. How can people just lock up a race because of who a country is feuding with? The U.S. should have never done this. If they had pure evidence of Japanese Americans committing terrorists acts then that is who they should go after, not the entire Japanese population.
I thought what the U.S. did was wrong. I remember learning about these camps in past history classes and this video refreshed my memory about it. I think the U.S. has made some major mistakes in the past, but we cannot change things today because we have other issues to worry about such as the war in Iraq.

Takaki chapter 10

In chapter ten Takaki talks about other groups of people that were discriminated against which were the Pilipino, Japanese, and Chinese people. These groups came to America for various reasons, but ended up experiencing different hardships. What they thought America was ended up being something completely different that they had imagined.
When the Japanese came to America they mainly settled on the east side. Numerous people wanted to come to America because they heard the wages were better. Japanese women also went to America and “forty-seven percent of Japanese women made up the Japanese population.” Because of the major influences to come to America and, so many people immigrating, the U.S. came up with the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Chinese and Japanese differed somewhat with their values and traditions. In a Japanese family the first bon son was to follow in his father’s footsteps and the second son had to find a job. Soon enough the field work was being divided between Korean laborers. Takaki stated that, “the Korean government prohibited further immigration to Hawaii” because the workers were complaining about suffering from abuse. Later on the different work groups formed into gangs and would often get into fist fights and riot. Work gangs would consist of 20-30 people. Gangs included some nationalities like Hawaiians, Filipinos, Japanese, and Chinese workers. Since the Japanese were composed of much of the work force they then realized they wanted better pay like the Portuguese workers. The Portuguese workers earned around 22 dollars per month compared to the 18 dollars the Japanese workers were making.
During the 1920s the people in America were very anti-Japanese. The Japanese were not even considered second class citizens and were treated like animals. It like they did not matter to anyone and people held grudges and biases against them. Shoe keeping and farming soon became the main Japanese trade. The Japanese workers came to America to work and have a better life but they could not get a break being harassed by the white population. Why do people continue to discriminate against a different group of people throughout the decades? It went from African Americans in the past to Arabs and Muslims in today’s society. No matter what people do someone or some major event is going to put a group in jeopardy and make them hated by many people.
I thought this chapter was very long but interesting. I learned some new facts about the Japanese and their past. I think that learning about different groups’ past is important because people do not realize that everyone has gone through some kind of struggle.

Extra Credit:the ethics of living jim crow

The Ethics of Living Jim Crow gives the perspective of a young black boy in search of jobs and dealing with white co-workers. Throughout his life he has struggled with getting beat and tormented, and trying not to be perceived in the wrong way that would make his fellow white co –workers upset with him.
As the young boy grows up behind the railroad tracks he is in a close vicinity to the white neighborhoods. When he and some of his friends get into a fight he ends up going home with three stitches in his neck. Once he tells his mother about the incident she beats him till he has a fever. She had to beat him to teach him a lesson not to get into fights with the white people because it always leads to trouble. His mother asks him, “How come yuh didn’t hide?” She said that because she already knows what danger her son could have been in and that he should never, under any circumstances, start fighting with white people. But as he grew older he needed to get a job because his mother could not support the both of them with her job. He states that, “There is but one place where a black boy who knows no trade can get a job, and that’s where the houses and faces are white, where the trees, lawns, and hedges are green.” Having different jobs such as working as a bell boy and delivery boy white people have approached him and accused him of doing things he has never done. Being cut up with beer bottles and harassed is one issue, but seeing such violence happen to another person is unacceptable. Although when people saw such abuse being conflicted on another no one would ever dare say anything, especially if a black person saw this happening.
Being harassed and trying to survive everyday without getting beaten or accused was probably one of the hardest things to accomplish in the past. Today things are very different, but what if things never changed? How would society react? People today really do not understand the actions of the past. If society never changed and black people were still considered savages and beaten for no reason the world would have one dominant race forever.
I thought the reading was interesting and it made me think of the horrible things they would do to him. He would mind his own business, and the next thing you know he is bleeding from being hit by a beer bottle or accused of no saying “mister” before someone’s name. I am glad society has changed because I would not have been able to survive such things. What people are capable of doing to each other is horrifying.

Ethnic Notions

In the film Ethnic Notions cartoons, figurines, and pictures overemphasized black features and provoked a negative image to the black race. Over the years the views of black people changed, but in the end even today we see images that remind us of the past.
In the early movies being made black men were made to seem childlike, careless, and always smiling. The black man was seen as being a happy slave. The Mammy was also portrayed as a happy slave who was always loyal to her master. Her image consisted of being a big black woman wearing a headscarf and happily doing her chores. Black people were identified as being brutes, but over time when they got their freedom competition arises between the blacks and whites. In certain movies such as Birth of a Nation white people would take over the roles of black people by painting on the “black face”. When black people were allowed to be in movies they were forced to fit their stereotype and make their skin even blacker. The black actors would put soot on their faces to make them appear darker and then widen their mouths with more face paints. Over time when blacks became free they still did not get the respect they wanted because of the views white people still held about them. The status quo of the north was threatened by emancipation when black started moving from the country to the city and competed for jobs.
The two main points the video pointed out were that blacks were seen as savages and that blacks were happy servants. Blacks were put into these stereotypes, but in the end slaves did not fit such an image. Why is it that some of these images are still present today when people have work hard to get rid of them? Overall it seems as if these images are a reminder of the past but they still represent hatred and harmful stereotypes toward black people. Some products they we still see these images on are food products like pancakes and syrup.
I thought the film was interesting and it was just another reminder of the things I learned in my past history classes. I knew of some of the material in the videos because of what my grandma would teach me when I was younger. I think racial issues will always be present and I hope that what happened in the past never reoccurs again.

Takaki Chapter 3

In chapter 3 Ronald Takaki talks about the hidden origins of slavery and the giddy multitude, which is a disconnected class of indentured servants, slaves, and landless freemen both white and black. He then goes on to talk about the history of slavery and the indentured servants and how things started to change over time.
First Takaki talks about why the Indians were not able to become slaves and how they resisted. No matter if they were slaves or not they would be able to escape and survive off of the lands because they were accustomed to the lands already, and they could never be found. So when the slaves were brought in they were forced to work with the white indentured servants. At first the slave population was small but began to grow over time. Soon enough there was as many back people as there were white people. Punishments were severe for the slaves and indentured servants, but slaves had a more severe punishment than the servants. For example blacks were serving longer time periods for service than the indentured servants, and if they ran away they were not only whipped but also branded with the letter R. The difference between an indentured servant and a slave was that the slaves were serving their master for a lifetime and were by law considered to be property. Soon enough more laws came into effect about slaves stating that all servants who came into the country that were brought by land or sea and were not Christians were to be slaves. One of the reasons why slavery became so popular was because conditions in Virginia improved and black slaves would serve for a lifetime instead of a certain number of years like the indentured servants.
Takaki stated that Thomas Jefferson owned about 267 slaves and over time thought that slavery was wrong and something should be done about it. But the real question is why he had a sudden change of heart after he owned so many slaves and was just like every other cruel slave owner. It even stated that he would make sure he kept his slaves in line with severe punishments. I believe that Jefferson did realize there was a difference between the two races, but overall he did not think that blacks and whites would really get along if the blacks became free.
I think this reading was just refreshing my memory about slavery. I remember most of this information from previous history classes talking about how slavery came about.

Zinn Chapter 2

In chapter two, Drawing the Color Line, Zinn talks about how racism has been so important in the United States alone. Over the last 350 years feelings of racism has been mixed. Zinn goes on to talk about the history of slavery and how it all came about. Zinn also states that slavery was carried out because of the need for profit, desperate settlers, and for the superior status for the poor whites.
Zinn describes how slavery was the answer to peoples’ problems. For hundreds of years African blacks were stamped as slaves and even Christopher Columbus brought back slaves from his journeys. The people and tribes in Africa were very spiritual and had their own laws, but their punishments were not too harsh. It was not like the Africans did not want the people to come into their land, it’s just that they did not have the weapons like the Europeans had so they were not able to defend themselves or make the Europeans obey them. The reason why African slavery was so cruel and unjust in the United States was because of the status the slaves were given and from the profit that people could make off of them. The slaves were more like dogs than humans. They never got respect and when they were punished for doing something wrong or running away their punishment was always the harshest of them all. There were white indentured servants, but their punishments were still less severe than those of the slaves.
In the chapter Zinn talks about what would happen if slaves ran away or tried to revolt. When slaves ran away how would people really treat them even if they did have the papers to prove they were free? I think that whether the slaves were free or not they were still treated like the scum of the earth. No one ever appreciated what they did or even gave them the time of day. The fear they had instilled in them was horrible and I actually understand why they would jump off the ships they were on. No one, no matter what race, should have to be in such filth and horrific conditions.
It makes me sick to think about what slaves were put through. I don’t think I would even survive something like that. I thought this chapter was well written in how Zinn tells the readers where slavery came from and what it was all about.

Johnson chapter 4

In chapter four Johnson talks about making privilege happen. We tend to give privilege to some people, and others are just ignored or have their privilege taken away. Racism has been present for a while now and Johnson talks about racism in society today.
Johnson then goes on to talk about racism, privilege, and organizations. Johnson gives some good examples of how racism plays a role in our society today. For example student of different ethnicities may be treated differently in the college setting, or banks will deny certain people for loans that they may need. It was stated that black people are the most residentially segregated. Racism can lead to many different actions, but the main act would be violence. Privilege can separate people dramatically, or connect them in a way. Being privileged can mean a lack of diversity. When organizations lack diversity the environment can be challenging, which in turn can upset the employees and encourage them to resign. Today women are still making less then man and the wage gap has increased dramatically since the 1908s. Although the work force is still greatly segregated maybe things will start to change in the future.
Johnson stated that African Americans and Latinos having a college education does not account for much in the work force, and a lot of other ethnic groups that make major accomplishments are ignored or are rarely heard of. Why do we desegregate schools and want everyone to get along, but what is going on in today’s society is the same issues that were going on many years ago? I think that something drastic has to change in order for society to change. Right now it doe not even seem like people want much change because the privileged people want to stay privileged and feel like they are better than others. How are people really supposed to get out of poverty if they do not even have a chance? I think that no matter what goes on in society one group is never going to get along with a another group.
I think that this chapter was interesting because of the facts Johnson stated about the work force. Being an African American female and the first to go to college in my family I feel like I do have a lot of pressure to succeed. And what I want most is to prove people wrong and that I’m not going to fall into the category of one of those statistics.

Johnson chapter 3

In chapter 3 Johnson talks about capitalism developed white privilege. Capitalism, race, gender, and privilege are all interconnected in a way. Capitalism connects to racism in direct and indirect ways.
Johnson talks about how capitalism works. Capitalists sell the goods and services that the workers produce, meaning they are not the ones who are really working. Some people have no choice but to work for little money that the capitalists offer. Although white racism has not been around forever some people are sill confused of how it came about. Land and raw materials have also been incorporated into the capitalists’ connection to white racism. Capitalists have used racism as a way to keep their workers wages low, and their productivity high. Workers did not ask for higher wages for the simple fact that they would be fired for asking such questions. Being privileged can also be complicated in a way. People who may be privileged in one category, ant then not privileged because he or she may fit into a different category.
Privilege can serve as dominating over others. For example when a woman challenges a man and he calls her a lesbian or the women just gets quiet and may not say much. People take these insults seriously because it does hurt a woman’s reputation, and there is not much she can say to the man for calling her that because the men are perceived as dominant. Why is it that men make more money than women on average? Why do women have to be considered a lower status compared to men? No mater how times change these issues will still seem to be present.
I think this was an interesting chapter in how capitalism and class are related, but also how he gives examples of why people feel the way they do if they are privileged or not. Sometimes I do not understand peoples’ greed to succeed and be powerful is done at the expense of others. People should not be afraid to ask for a bonus or any kind of pay increase if they have been hard workers and have held a superior job title for many years. Johnson states that part of the misconception is that privilege is all about individuals and I agree with him. Sometimes I just do not understand why people put others in categories that make them feel “less like a man” or how women are the weaker sex compared to men.

chapter 2

In chapter 2 of Privilege, Power, and Difference it first discusses how difference is not the problem. People may think that being different is what we are all afraid of. It then goes on to discuss a diversity wheel that demonstrates our characteristics that we show to others, and how others see us. Privilege is defined as one group having something of value that is denied of all other groups. Most people are unaware of being privileged. People experience being privileged or not based on the jobs they have, income housing, and even healthcare. Oppression then comes into effect with people of color and different races.
In order to understand these terms we need to know what they mean. For example being privileged but having an oppressive relationship does not mean that your behavior is oppressive too. The author is trying to define these terms and clarify examples of what people may think they mean. The relationship with these terms can go hand in hand with each other, but for the most part it all depends on what people think they mean. Some people do get offended when talking about these issues, but overall they are present in society and they will always be discussed.
I agree with the author when he says there are 2 types of privileges. One being unearned entitlements, and the other being conferred dominance. The first privilege talks about things everyone should value such as security. But this isn’t provided to everyone. For example inner city schools need more security compared to wealthy public schools in the suburbs. All public places should be safe but, are not because of where people are located. The second privilege talks about giving a group power over another group. The perfect example of this is that men should dominate over women. It is almost as if being privileged in one way or another makes you seem better than everyone else, or at least those who are not privileged.
I thought this chapter was interesting and is a good way of understanding what privilege, oppression, and difference really mean in today’s society. I do not know whether things will get better in the future or not, but for now we have to deal with these issues and talk about them, whether people want to or not. It is sad how so many people think they are better than others because they have a good job or make good money, when in reality someone else could possibly have the same qualifications for the same job but aren’t privileged.

A Different Mirror-The Tempest

Ronald Takaki explains “In a Different Mirror” that Indians were not the only ones that had to deal with the English settlers taking over their land and killing them by the hundreds. It all had to deal with being racialized. The Irish were treated like the Indians and were considered savages, but the difference between the Indians and the Irish was skin color. The English settlers viewed the Irish as “different” because although they had the same skin tone they did not have the religious views and beliefs of the Englishmen.
According to the colonists the Irish people did not have the knowledge of God or good manners. The “Tempest” was actually referring to the new world, and was referring to the English settlers moving to America. As more and more people arrived from England problems started occurring such as starvation, and numerous Indians dying from diseases from the colonists. Soon the need for tobacco really forced the Indians away from their lands. The Irish were to be forced off their lands and denied of marriages between the Irish and colonists and forced to learn Christianity as the English viewed it.
There was a quote in the reading that stated God was “making room” for the colonists. A plague had killed a large amount of the Indians which was believed to be a sign also. Since the Indians and Irish were being racialized why did it have such an affect today? It could possibly be because of the numerous races and cultures that are present now, and everyone is not going to get along because that issue is among the inevitable. Overall the cultures are so different that most people may not fully understand how they function.
I thought the reading was interesting and I feel that what was done to the Indians and the Irish was unacceptable. The one part that really disturbed me was when it said a man killed his wife and cut out their unborn child and used his dead wife as a source for food. It makes me sick to my stomach that people actually to these things to one another. It is one thing to starve to death, but it is a completely different issue to kill another human being for food. In the end I think that race should have nothing to do with judging a person for who they are, but then again we all judge people.

Rosenblum and Travis "framework essay"

In the Rosenblum and Travis essay the American society is depicted as being very different in the eyes of different people. Everyone interprets individuals differently because of various backgrounds and ethnicities, which can sometimes lead to discrimination. People who go against the norms, or considered to be different, are actually being stigmatized, or marked as worthless or a bad person because of their race, sexual orientation, or even social class. Overall the author makes a point that these stigmatized people are seen as a problem and are unfairly put in this category even though they may not deserve to be treated in this way.
When people make judgments and assumptions about others just because they simply do not like them or because of their status it makes people unaware that the person that they do not like could actually be just like them. For example someone who looks good and dresses well could actually be a murderer, but all people focus on is what is on the outside. Hate crimes have surfaced because of people making judgments about others that are not of the same background as them, or from what they were taught growing up. People are also subject to objectification or devaluation. Women and the poor are good examples of this. Women are seen as objects and not people because they had to work to get respect, and to this day women still fight for executive jobs or to make as much money or mare than what men make.
The one issue that continues throughout society is stereotypes. Why do people continue to put people in certain stereotypes just because of how they look? It seems that as long as people will be stigmatized and put into different categories of good and bad people will make these assumptions because society somewhat enforces it. People think they know others because of who they associate with and that’s when the stereotyping begins. For example some stereotypes may be that Asians are really smart or black people like being on welfare. When it comes to the poor people most people see them as not even being citizens. I have to agree with the author because when you see a poor person on the street corner most people ignore them or do not even give them the time of day. They are being stereotypes as being lazy or worthless.
I thought the reading was a reality check. Some people may not think of stereotyping someone, but in all actuality it goes on everyday. I have even been put into stereotypes myself and I was shocked when I found out what people were saying about me just because of how I looked. Stigmatized people should be seen as the blemish on America’s face. Society will always have problems, and with the problems the stereotyping will continue.

Zinn

In the article “Columbus, the Indians, and Human progress”, by Howard Zinn, Christopher Columbus is emphasized as this victorious explorer who discovered America. History shouldn’t focus all the attention on the glorious aspects of wars and the courageous people who truly made a difference. People like to focus their attention on who won the battle or the war. What we really aren’t focusing on are the people that were slaughtered or people that also tried to make a difference but weren’t as well known as Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus was the one who first “discovered” the Americas, but I all actuality all he contributed to was the killing of thousands of people. There is no reason why his encounter with the Arawak Indians should be ignored.
In 1492 Columbus supposedly found the Americas after trying to make a voyage to Asia. Columbus was in search of gold and apparently he wanted nothing to stop him in his path. Once his ship reached the Americas he saw the Indians wearing gold earrings. Columbus could have easily searched the land himself for the gold but instead he took the Arawaks as prisoners and as things got out of hand, one by one the Arawks were murdered. Soon enough they were taken as prisoners and were being sold as slaves. The entire Arawak tribe was killed all for the love of gold and Christopher Columbus’s greed. Yet history doesn’t tell the story in such a manner. How the history books are written today, the story of the Arawak Indians would be considered such a minuscule story considering they are not credited for being the ones who truly found the Americas first.
I agree with Zinn’s argument and I feel that so many issues and stories are covered up in history all because someone feels it may not be important to know or learn. The Arawak Indians didn’t even get credit for living on the land first. Christopher Columbus took all the credit just because he didn’t want to disappoint his king and queen because they funded his expeditions. Reading like this make me upset when people succumb to genocide all because of wealth, greed, or power. When will people learn that money or power is not worth taking someone’s life? Even though history puts more emphasis on such wars and powerful movements, we still should not forget about the people who made somewhat of a difference and didn’t sit around waiting for change.

Introduction

My name is Tiara Wiley! I'm a freshmen and I live in McDonald. I'm undecided with my major right now, but I'll be deciding before the end of this year. I love playing volleyball and watching movies. I wanted to tak this class because it sounded interesting, and because I dropped a class and needed another one.