Internet=Utopia??

A place where there are only minds, is this a Utopia, and can it be found with in the Internet? Every morning I wake up and instantly turn on my music, load my e-mail, while checking my facebook all the same time. It is said that the virtual universe is a universe of anti racism, and no one cares about the ethnicity you are. But in fact, there are many hidden and subliminal messaging going on behind the scenes of our P.C’s.
In the document we read called Cybertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet it explains that there is an anthem that commercials play repeatedly on the television. This anthem speaks of the Internet being a way to discover the world, or to expand society past gender, and race, and even the age factor. Their idea of discovering the world is simply logging on to their networks, and looking at a series of pictures from around the world. For example, it is said that they portray the scene with camels and pyramids having blue skies and bright sand surrounding it. But, where is the trash and the road kill, or airborne warning and control systems? It also goes to explain how the third world countries are portrayed as unspoiled, and truly different. Truly different? This shocked me that they would put this in an ad because it just goes to show how un-open people are today about other cultures. If there is a tribe in Africa where women are dominate, and they take their last names our society would say that it was weird, and try to change them instead of us taking a step back and looking around to see what is wrong in our culture.
When I first read over this article my first reaction was, “what!” But, after reevaluating and discussing it in class I have began to see the different stereotypes, and racial mocks that are posted all over the internet. For instance, the place called youtube in which movies are openly submitted are often times, racial and said to be funny because of the racial slurs with in it. Not only are the movies on the Internet portraying wrongful messages, but also just the pictures posted on things like facebook, and myspace. These are web pages that many teens use today, and don’t even realize the meanings behind the pictures they are looking at. All in all, the Internet is no utopia, but just another reality with the double meaning pictures, and the slurs that put other people down.

trends of today

Walking through a mall today a person can usually see instantly the different groups of people just by what they are wearing and where they are shopping. People today judge on the outside, and clothing plays a major role in deciding which “groups” one would hang out with. Every store has its targeted audience, there is fubu with its target of young black teens, and then we have hot topic for the “punk” audience. There is also a store called Abercrombie and Fitch who has a main target of young teens of today. However earlier in their campaign, they targeted what they would call the all-American, the young white teen.
This company started out as a modest out doors shop that clothed the best for hunting trips. It was stated that they even clothed Teddy Roosevelt for his hunting trips to Africa. However, Fitch retired in 1928 as the company was just beginning to expand its horizon and opening in the Midwest and the west coast. This is when the major changes began to roll in and take over the company. Then a thing called the look book began to evolve around the company. This book stated what you could or could not wear. It had the looks that were and were not allowed. For example, its states in the look book that no golden chains can be worn in fear that it will look like people like Mr. T, and that there is to be only one piercing on the girls. They made logos stating it was the American store, and they were the classic people. The look book even said that a ring may be worn on any finger except the thumb. This was because if the ring is on the thumb it could signify an alternative life style such as gay and that would be deadly for the company.
What I don’t understand from this company is why they think that white is all American. When in fact the only “true” American is the Native Americans. Also looking back through and over the look book, everything that was a no go related to something that made you look like you were in a minority. It makes me laugh when really looking back through today, the store is trying to be unique now, and expanding on “diversity”. Over all I can see where a&f is coming from because there are other stories targeted for different races, but then again I believe they cross the line with the look book and claiming they are the American store.

Movie Part three! ;)

Walking down a street, or on the way to class you spot someone, what is the first thing you see? The average person bases race on physical appearance. We base is on things such as eyes, color, hair, and even the nose type. Yet it is a fact that there is no sub-species so why do we look and or even care? America is known as the Melting Pot, where everyone can assimilate to the “American” ways. But in 1915 a man named Leo Frank was pulled from Jail and killed for murdering a white girl. This may sound typical of the time, but if you really think about it he’s a Jew, which typically in that era it means he was also light skinned. So what was white back then, obviously it was no longer the color of your skin anymore. Whiteness changed from color, to religion, heritage, and freedom or wealth. In the movie it even goes on to explain that the term white was brought into the court system. A Berkley Grad named Takao Okawa applied for citizenship in Hawaii and was denied. It was clearly noted that Takao may have been Japanese, but appeared whiter them most men that were considered to be white!
Then at the end of World War two, the federal government made the federal housing administration. This consisted of loans for the average Americans. The GI Bill was well know n the town of Levitown, which took the average monthly payment of one hundred and fifty down to a mere sixty five dollars per month. The problem with this system was that even though it was to be equal and for all men in reality, it was for the white man of that day and age. Red lining played a major role in who got what house, and what social standing a person was going to get in their homes. Real estate tangoed with which neighborhood it was placed in and what color of people were mainly in that area. The more black people moved into an area, the more the real estate went down. The community and property value was based on how many white people were in that area, white people became cash. Even today we struggle with equality amongst living conditions and payments. The average black person has one eighth of that of the white community. I think the movie gave a good point for the last line. “Why can’t we all just be a colorblind society?”

chapter 7 Takaki

“So began the revolt to wrest California from Mexico and establish what would be called the Bear Flag Republic ( 167)”. I took this quote because it pretty much establishes what this first section is about. In chapter seven of Takaki it goes in detail to explain what happened wit h the Irish and Mexicans during the Manifest Destiny in the Southwest. He then goes on to explain the change in distinguishing Californians and Mexicans, and saying how “Americans” were struggling with inter-mixing relationships. But this looses me in who is considered American at this time and who is not. Once the Anglos had an upper hand they began to establish state legislature aimed at the Mexican Americans. For example on page 178 it explains they had an act referred to as the Greaser Act. This act said all persons who are commonly known as greasers or not peaceable and quiet persons. A foreign miner’s tax of twenty dollars took fees mainly from Spanish-speaking miners, including American citizens of Mexican ancestors. Before they knew it many Mexicans found themselves stung into a system similar to the caste system. It gives examples on page 186 explaining how the Anglo’s would own a ranch in a place like Texas, and the cow hands were then Mexican. Finally around the early nineteen hundreds they began to go on strike for their rights wit h their fellow laborers of the Japanese descent. “Abajo los gerents” This was supposedly a good line taken from the Mexican at this time which interprets to down with the bosses. This is around the time when the mutualistas were formed. These were laborers as well as shopkeepers and professionals such as lawyers, newspaper editors, and doctors. These assoc. helped people cover emergency situations with loans and etc. “They were a dispelled myth of the Mexicans as a quite, siesta loving, sombrero people (190).”
When reading this section, a lot of different things came across my mind. First off, in the middle of this section it was saying that they were making the Mexicans pay extra and treating them like dirt. But who were they to honestly determine who was American and who wasn’t? I’m honestly surprised by how long it took the Mexicans to rebel against them in the first place. Looking through history there was power in numbers and no one seemed to realize that until they were at their last straw. For example, the Irish and the indentured slavery, the African American slavery that turned into a war. The Mexicans turned into a dangerous and invigorating rebellion and a war.

how jews became white

Conventional wisdom has it that the United States has always been an affluent land of opportunity. But the truth is that affluence has been the exception and that real upward mobility has required massive affirmative action programs (50). Karen Brodkin makes a very good point here suggesting that the reason that people of minority cultures moved up wasn’t due to one reason of working hard, but also for the movement of affirmative action. Affirmative action is a program that is around to try and level the playing field, or to make as many opportunities as equal as they should be. One example of this is title nine through out the school system. Schools must have as many girl programs in the athletic program as the boys. Secondly in this quotes she makes it clear for one to really think about is the United States a place of real opportunity now, and was it in the past? This really got me thinking about if I were here in the nineteen twenties what would become of me? Especially with my heritage of Irish, would this really be an opportune place for me to migrate to? This chapter also goes on to explain what red lining was and the Gi Bill. Until this chapter I never really quite understood why they call it red lining. Red lining was given this name because bankers and loaners would have this map that would circle in green the places in which they were to keep out the minorities, and then circle in red where they were allowed. The sad part about this whole situation is that it was kept away from the public eye so no one could pin on them discrimination. It also goes on to explain just how corrupt the GI Bill truly was. For example, the men were promised a better education, a good amount of money, and security. Out of all three the African Americans only received one, and it was horrible education compared to what they should have got.
Over all, reading this paper I got mixed reactions. My mixed reactions however, were and are mainly over the topic of affirmative action. Affirmative action could be good in a sense that it is trying to equal job and school opportunities. However, on the other hand I’m kind of shaky about the whole idea due to the meaning it. I know as a woman in the employment area I would not want to get my job to help out a statistic. But in summary, this paper has opened my eyes to the struggles that were put on minorities not only of color but of different religion. Color back then wasn’t all they shunned but also the lesser amount of religion in society.

emmigrants from erin

When I lay me down to sleep, the ugly bugs around me creep, bad luck to the wink that I can sleep, while working on the railroad. This was a common riddle or song that the Irish would sing while beating down on nails for the railroad system all day long. This song really hit me hard because it sounds very similar to the Christian prayer that many children say before they go to bed. In my history class at my high school we learned of the potato famine, but never anything to the extent of discrimination that took place when the arrived in America. Takaki explains throughout this chapter that the Irish were not considered “white” but instead another version of the African American slaves. This began a hate war between the Irish heritage, and the African American descendants. They came up with songs and rhymes with threats of rage if one would approach them. They viewed blacks as “a soulless race”. The Irish were not only affected by the black race, but also by the dominant group who claimed the Irish were not white at all and continued to look down upon them. The women who worked in homes as maids or nanny’s were not to have husbands because it was of an inconvenience for them. However, one may think that being a nanny would be better then working the mills with degrading men, but if you really look at it either job was horrific on them. For instance, if you worked in the domestic care field then you had to constantly live with those people and get looked down upon constantly and work twenty-four seven. While in the mills you were working with men who were very degrading, however, you could leave at the end of the day and put all of that slander away.
In summary while reading this chapter it really opened my eyes to how history repeats itself over and over. One would think that people would learn from the past mistakes and stop trying to get more and more. Also, it surprised me just how much they overlooked the similarities between the British and the Irish men. For the extent of which the British exaggerated how important color was they really pushed aside the extreme paleness in which the Irish were. My heritage is largely from the Irish side and before reading this I never really realized just how many struggles the Irish settlers went through just to get their foot in door. I will never forget many of the songs I have read in this chapter, they have really struck a nerve while reading through some of them. The Irish men had a hard life, just as the natives, and the slaves before that.

el norte!

In the early nineteenth century, many Mexicans saw the Americas as flowing rivers full of opportunity and riches. During this time period rebels were flowing throughout their beloved country of Mexico. So naturally, they began to migrate toward the Americas in search of better job opportunities. However, what they would later learn was that they were inferior, or dominated and seen as strictly blue-collar workers. Anglos began to see them as tools for their industry, or cheap farm equipment. They were as said to be born agriculturalist, and able to bend and kneel through the day unlike the Anglos who were not built to work. They began to bring the families into the Americas, rather then just the husband sending money back home to his family. One would think this is a noble thing to do, but on the contrary they were just doing this for selfish reason such as it would make the Mexicans happier therefore more work would come of them. Or, they also did this for the reasoning of if they saw the Mexicans were happy, then they would feel better about themselves. The dominant society promised the families that they would educate their children, which kept the parents full of hope for a better life for their young. On the other hand, the schools provided had very little education, and more of an environment to teach the children obedience, and told them this was all they needed to get through life because they would be working in the fields. The Mexicans were looked down upon as not only farm equipment, but as more began to come to the USA, they were looked at more toward farm animals. For example, in the text on page 325 it states that the Mexicans are trash, and they have no standard of living, we herd them like pigs. This was stated because the pay of a Chicano was two dollars or 1.75 for each 100 pounds of cotton, which was ridiculous. To get this one hundred pounds Chicanos would pick cotton as a family to put bread on their table at the end of the week.
While reading through this section of Takaki, the part that stunned me the most was when they were discussing the working conditions of the mothers/ wives. The wives of the Chicanos were expected to also work in the fields with the husbands with all the children. They would baby-sit or walk around carrying the child while picking their crops to survive off. Not only did they have to do the hard labor during the day, but at night the wives back then were also expected to cook dinner, put the kids to bed, and tidy up the things in which they had. I have grown the greatest respect for these women because today, I could never imagine going through what they did back then. Also what surprised me was the lack of education the children were put through. I could never imagine being told that the only thing I needed in life was to obey my dominant group.
In conclusion, this section of Takaki opened my eyes to the other minorities of the early nineteen hundreds. It covered a lot in one chapter of the struggles and hardships of the Mexicans. The land of opportunity wasn’t as opportune as it was made to be in my history class. I just wish I would have learned some of this before, because before now I only learned of the African Americans and the Civil War. There is obviously a lot more to the history of the USA then in our small text in elementary and high school.

A Challenge To Democracy

In the beginning of this flick we see happy Japanese loading a train to enter a world of fun, and safe “American” living. But, what we don’t see are the business they worked hard for being shut down, and their beloved homes being ripped to shambles. The Japanese immigrants moved to America looking for a better opportunity and to escape the poverty, and rules of their native land.
This movie really kind of irks me in the way it was created to show the people of America they were safe and what they were doing was justified. This movie creates a setting that’s happy, and non-problematic. It hides the struggles of the Japanese to work for that extra dollar to buy an extra loaf of bread, or the struggle to make their diminutive rooms a home setting for their children. The room the government so humbly supplied them with was 20 by 25 feet. This compares to my dorm room in which I’m constantly complaining about, and I’m by myself. I could never imagine living in that small of a “house” with my entire family. They claim towards the beginning that these people are not prisoners, but they are just staying there by their own free will to make America a safer place, and free of terrorism or spies. The count of who is “American” vs. who is Japanese was a surprise ration of 2/3 were reported as registered Americans while the rest were not. So why did they put “Americans” in these relocation processes when they obviously exhibited no threat to the society. When they were relocated they were told that their belongings and valuables were on the West Coast in safe storage for when they freely left the camp. This statement I think if anyone believes that the Japanese still had their belongings when they left the camp is very naïve. Also, who is to say they would have anywhere to go once they left the camp that they were “placed” at. Their wages while they lived here were so small that I’m surprised they managed to put clothes on their children’s backs. In conclusion this movie portrayed a lot of messages to Americas society to basically make them feel better about what they were doing, and that it was right.
After really looking at this movie and reading between the lines I realize that it really does kind of reflect the Holocaust. We put them in things that resembled camps, structured their way of living around how we thought was right. Segregated one group of people and limited their resources, which in return made the dominant group of that time, feel even more powerful. What we did was wrong on all levels, and I was surprised at the length people went to feel the power and justify their wrongs. Because in the end, was it all really worth it?

pacific coast

Chelsea Bates
Ethnic Studies
Melissa Altman

Pacific Crossing
With tears in my eyes I turn back to my homeland, Taking one last look. This was a quote taken from Takaki Chapter eleven that was put in here by Tears in the Canefields. This quote struck me as both painful, but yet a good point to put into this document. Takaki talks of the Japanese hardships while coming to America through out this chapter. There was a lot of material in this paper dealing with what the Japanese expected and the little they ended up with. It started off as a place to rebuild their lives, to step up in the world, and make a name for themselves. However, at the time the Japanese government was ran by a strong central government that had a screening for any of those who wanted to transfer. The only reason that Japanese women were more prominent in America was due to the fact that the Japanese government was seeking to avoid the problems of prostitution, gambling, and the drunkenness that reportedly plagued the predominantly male Chinese community in the United States, the Japanese government promoted female emigration (248). But, as they started to realize that Japanese men were good for their labor force, they started to ask for men with families to come work for them in Honolulu. Of course, this was not enough because later in the chapter it went on to explain that the farmers began to start importing Korean and Phillipinos for extra labor. That is when the racial pride competition started to come along. Farmers would approach their workers with comments such as we are Phillipinos we are better then that, or we are Koreans lets show them what we are made of. The field work these men partook in was extremely brutal and demeaning. The lunas which were the over seers came to the point where the workers no longer had a name. The workers were away bango and then a random number. In the America’s a highly educated Japanese man could be a farmer or a picker in the fields. The typical job for Japanese man in the nineteen twenties was in agriculture, railroad construction, and the canneries. In summary in our text books we learn of enslavement, and French and Indian war, what I never realized was just how prominent the Japanese History in our society was. Or how brutally they were treated on the plantations.
While reading through this document I have gained a lot more respect for the history of the Pacific Coast people. I mean the quote at the beginning of the paper really hit me right off the bat. I thought leaving for college was bad, but these people left their families for America with the intentions of never seeing their family or homeland ever again. They left with high hopes of their dreams coming true and finally being able to make a name for themselves. However the way they were treated once arrived was horrific and I believe it is really over looked though out our high school and elementary text. I wish I would have been able to learn about this a lot sooner in life and understand where they were coming from in their hardships. I believe this is really related to the enslavement of the African Americans. The similarities being the fact of competition once again with class. For example, the black plantation owners told the white indentured servants that they were better then those of color. While in this situation they were just flat out seeking hatred and competition amongst the different races just to get more work out of their already over-worked souls. I am beginning to believe the new motto for this class is going to be the famous why cant we all just get along as stated in the book of Power and Privilege. What drove the white plantation owners to desire superiority, and power to the extent of hurting men, and women? Or why didn’t the groups join together and rebel? I believe history would have been so much different if groups of the lower class stood up and took a stand. Just think how much different would our world and our social classes be today?

pacific coast

Chelsea Bates
Ethnic Studies
Melissa Altman

Pacific Crossing
With tears in my eyes I turn back to my homeland, Taking one last look. This was a quote taken from Takaki Chapter eleven that was put in here by Tears in the Canefields. This quote struck me as both painful, but yet a good point to put into this document. Takaki talks of the Japanese hardships while coming to America through out this chapter. There was a lot of material in this paper dealing with what the Japanese expected and the little they ended up with. It started off as a place to rebuild their lives, to step up in the world, and make a name for themselves. However, at the time the Japanese government was ran by a strong central government that had a screening for any of those who wanted to transfer. The only reason that Japanese women were more prominent in America was due to the fact that the Japanese government was seeking to avoid the problems of prostitution, gambling, and the drunkenness that reportedly plagued the predominantly male Chinese community in the United States, the Japanese government promoted female emigration (248). But, as they started to realize that Japanese men were good for their labor force, they started to ask for men with families to come work for them in Honolulu. Of course, this was not enough because later in the chapter it went on to explain that the farmers began to start importing Korean and Phillipinos for extra labor. That is when the racial pride competition started to come along. Farmers would approach their workers with comments such as we are Phillipinos we are better then that, or we are Koreans lets show them what we are made of. The field work these men partook in was extremely brutal and demeaning. The lunas which were the over seers came to the point where the workers no longer had a name. The workers were away bango and then a random number. In the America’s a highly educated Japanese man could be a farmer or a picker in the fields. The typical job for Japanese man in the nineteen twenties was in agriculture, railroad construction, and the canneries. In summary in our text books we learn of enslavement, and French and Indian war, what I never realized was just how prominent the Japanese History in our society was. Or how brutally they were treated on the plantations.
While reading through this document I have gained a lot more respect for the history of the Pacific Coast people. I mean the quote at the beginning of the paper really hit me right off the bat. I thought leaving for college was bad, but these people left their families for America with the intentions of never seeing their family or homeland ever again. They left with high hopes of their dreams coming true and finally being able to make a name for themselves. However the way they were treated once arrived was horrific and I believe it is really over looked though out our high school and elementary text. I wish I would have been able to learn about this a lot sooner in life and understand where they were coming from in their hardships. I believe this is really related to the enslavement of the African Americans. The similarities being the fact of competition once again with class. For example, the black plantation owners told the white indentured servants that they were better then those of color. While in this situation they were just flat out seeking hatred and competition amongst the different races just to get more work out of their already over-worked souls. I am beginning to believe the new motto for this class is going to be the famous why cant we all just get along as stated in the book of Power and Privilege. What drove the white plantation owners to desire superiority, and power to the extent of hurting men, and women? Or why didn’t the groups join together and rebel? I believe history would have been so much different if groups of the lower class stood up and took a stand. Just think how much different would our world and our social classes be today?

Jim Crow!!

For this reading we were given a chapter from the book Race, Class and Gender in the United States. This portrayed the life of a Jim Crow thriving throughout society. It starts off explaining his childhood, and how he came to be. The man explains fighting with the white boys who live on the other side of the tracks. He gives details of his Moms punishments and reasoning behind how she raised the boy. His mother beat him black and blue for trying to mess with the white boys and stand up for himself. She made a comment of “How come yuh didn’t hide?” Or “How come yuh awways fightin?” Later in the story he explains his first of many jobs that he held. The first job he worked for an optical company in Jackson, Mississippi. He worked for a mere sum of five dollars a week, and was treated horribly for the short time he was there .He was promised an education on how things worked through the time he spent there. But, after a good amount of time he was there he was getting neglected and not learning anything. When confronting the situation he got set up and was beating for not properly saying Mr. Pease (his boss). Another job he then worked was in a clothing store. What he experienced here I could never even imagine it happening today. This man was working and heard shrills of screams and then saw a bleeding woman walking meekly around the corner. As she stumbled into the street, she got arrested for allegedly being drunk in public. Later he learned that she was tortured for not paying her bills on time and they justified saying they should have done something worse. The next lesson he learned was while delivering a package in the white neighborhood he got harassed by some cops, and beaten by boys after offering him a ride. The next job he survived to see was working as a helper to bell hops and waiting on hotel rooms. While working at the hotel jobs, he experienced many more discriminating acts such as, humiliating the waitresses, humiliating them, and getting threats almost everyday.
While reading this paper I gave up on highlighting the important points. This entire paper is a perfect example of basically how society should not be. Just like this mans mom commented, “How come yuhs always fightin?” I really don’t think the mother really knew how much of an impact these words could be. Why do we fight? Why is it they felt pressured to have to fight the boys across the railroad tracks? I love his next answer to this question. It was that he didn’t have any trees or hedges to hid behind. If you really think about this response many will come to realize that a lot of people even in today’s society are hiding behind trees or their hedges just to fit in. Many feel the pressure to hide and discriminate under the bush, secretly battling for the name of superiority. I believe it is sad how we have to hide to hurt people. I just people would just come out with their problems and get over it. Who needs a trench really? We are supposed to be a free revolutionized continent where bells will toll, and freedom rings through our ears. But yet, we are still even today hiding in trenches while trying to keep an upper hand. This section alone opened my eyes up to the many that hide today. This was just one of the many sections in this chapter by Richard Wright that really touched me. To sum it up, Why do we fight? I believe it is simply keep the upper hand because what people are taught to want in our society is more. So we need to stop hiding in the trenches and demanding more, and maybe even this will be a small step toward a better environment.

why if we had both black and white slaves does society not know much about the white ones today?

ethnic notions

Walking down a street such as one in Bowling Green, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you see someone? For many people they categorized or judge by the outward appearance. While watching a movie I saw characters of out past being articulated and broken down to show me what I never saw before. They made cartoons of color have ridiculously large lips, and monkey aspects. This was “funny” and drew in the white class to laugh and joke about the features of their slaves of that time. Many people poked fun at how they danced because back then crossing your feet while you danced was illegal and considered demonic. They made them appear to want to be in slavery, and happy to serve their superiors. For example, the famous nanny in which appeared in many of the shows. She was always as dark as can be, bigger in size, and humble towards her master. She was strong, and ugly so it would appear to be no threat against the masters wife. By the time slavery was banned they still poked fun and said that the free slaves were out of hand. They made children appear to be sub-human and always dirty. The children were often called brutes and often appeared as baby monkeys. Even the famous bugs bunny who all children were told to grow on and love was very racist. When the black people were recognized it was usually as entertainment which made them appear to be only good for a laugh, never serious.
Really looking at it now, there are still images of our past still with us. For instance, the lady on the famous aunt jemima syrup bottle is still used as the famous logo. She appears to be like they made her in the past, dark, chubby, and a huge grin on her face. Also, the famous Rambou cop who is usually either the detective, or side kick and normally emphasized brutality or violence. I have even begun to notice the branches off of the stereotype in which were most often used in our past. In conclusion after watching this movie I pay more attention to the movies I watch today and try to recognize what has been branched off of our past. Even today as I have said walking to class or to a store we judge and exaggerate features in our mind to make ourselves feel better. Why must we do this? I don’t know if its nature or nurture but no matter how the situation is looked at it is wrong and I wish someone would do something to go against stereotypes of today.

The Giddy Multitude

The hidden origins of slavery
The giddy Multitude is about the British view on the Africans and how they treated them. If you had a different skin color back then, you were considered “deeply stained with dirt” or “dark” and “deadly”. Many Africans had been transported as slaves and soon there were too many Africans that it almost became impossible to ever get rid of them again. However, at that moment no one cared because they wanted people to work for them; slaves.
Furthermore, even though people had blacks as slaves, there was also the lower white class who they considered as slaves. Both did the same work and were treated the same way until the blanks and whites started rebelling together, for example, they both ran away. I think the planters could have expected this because both were treated so bad that they probably didn’t see the difference anymore between black and white. Unfortunately people still saw black people as being worse as the white slaves. They punished the blacks more and harder than the whites; they were being “degraded into a condition of servitude for life and even the status of property” (57). I think that this made it seem like the whites were more important than blacks, which created white slaves vs. black slaves. It also talks about Jefferson’s point of view about slavery. It is clear that he was not very fond of the blacks. He owned around “267 slaves” (69). They treated the blacks like animals; they sold them and bought them like they had no soul. The slaves didn’t have any rights and they weren’t “smart” enough to come up with poems or math problems. Also, when he thought “blacks and whites could never coexist in America because of “the real distinctions” which “nature” had made between the two races”(71), he decided all the slaves had to die to get rid of them.
Of course, as long as the majority of the people agree with each other it is very easy to make decisions about the slaves. But was it really necessary to tell them who they could and could not communicate with? The only people they were allowed to associate with were each other, they weren’t allowed to speak or associate with whites. Even white slaves were a threat to the black slaves because they bonded together and ran away. To stop this, they would punish the black slaves worse than whites. Blacks did not have any rights, why couldn’t they been seen as “normal” people? Because their skin color was different, it meant they must have been different people. Reading this chapter was quite interesting because I did not know how many white slaves there were involved and how they were compared to the black slaves. Both were treated horrible but in the end the black slaves were punished so much more. It seems so unfair how they were seen. They were “animals” or “products” and people killed them and got rid of them like it was no big deal, which at that moment, wasn’t.

giddy multitudes!!

Through out chapter three, The Giddy Multitudes, Zinn describes
the British points of view as they discovered Ethiopians and
Africans. For instance The English Caliban seemed to say they
were beastly, with out a god, law, or religion, and that their
color made them the “devils incarnate.” Later in 1608 Edward
Topsell even wrote a book on the associations between apes and
Africans. It also goes on to explain that in the early days
that the Virginia Colony was mostly white indentured servants.
Just like the Africans, many of the white indentured servants
came with involuntarily. Many were kidnapped as were the
Africans from their beds in their own homes. That’s when the
higher society began to notice the similarities and the
problems that could possibly arise. The white indentured
servants began to run away with the African slaves, and many
complaints were taken to the Virginia legislature. They feared
the black and white indentured slaves would bind together and
rebel. I also learned that Jefferson viewed that slavery should be abolished. But, the way he saw it was that once slavery is abolished that the ex-slaves should then be expatriated. He stated that blacks and whites could not coexist in nature because of the “real distinctions”
Through out this article the fact of did the Indians waste their land came up. However, who is to say what is a waste and what is not. Is it a waste not to have tractors to till the land and produce an over abundance of food. Or is it just respect for the land in which they live? I think that the Indians were leading a perfectly good life, and that maybe the new settlers should have taken some notes on appreciating their environment. Also, the setters had reasoning to say the “new” discovery of Africans were beasts and were burning with Gods fury is ridiculous. I was just shocked as I read this entire article on the accounts of what prestigious people such as Jefferson were saying in our history. Like Jefferson said, Like Giddy Multitude, and that is they have constantly threatened social order. Or instead of worrying about what they were doing to these people Jefferson was worried that whites would continue to face the danger of servile insurrection. In conclusion, why did it take so long for someone to stand up to societies ways and stand for what they believe in? Or why did the new settlers almost automatically think of slavery, and being dominant when they first discovered our new amazing continent?

Drawing the Color Line

“There is not a country in the world history in which racism has been more important, for so long a time, as the United States” (pg. 23). Zinn writes this to open up his chapter on Drawing the Color Line. I thought this was very interesting because our country is supposed to be free, thriving, and full of opportunity for everyone. He explains in this chapter the white settlers acted as a pressure for the enslavement of blacks. Because they needed the help to thrive, and they certainly could not enslave the Indians because the Indians knew more about the land then the white settlers. They could just “disappear” into the lands whenever they wanted. “By 1619, a million black slaves were already brought from Africa to South America and the Caribbean, to the Portuguese’s and Spanish colonies, to work as slaves (pg. 24).” To me, it is outstanding in how fast the white settlers brought in slaves from Africa or what not with out hesitation. It was stated through out the text that this unfair racial treatment that we today refer to as racism was the “natural” result of the antipathy of the white against black.
When reading Chapter two a lot of the content that Zinn had written were the facts that I never really thought about. For instance, towards the end he wrote how the fear in the white settlers was not of rebellion of the black slaves, but of the cooperation of the white servants and the black slaves to over through the wealthier white settlers. Also the fact that their system of control was not only physical but also, psychological still stuns me when I hear stories. Bumps and bruises heal over time, but the amount of emotional pain that was brought unto the black slaves was very cruel. The slaves were disciplined in a way to make them think they were inferior and to know their place. It stuns me that the reason that the white settlers put Africans to slavery was merely out of fear and greed. How did human kind become so greedy that they needed to inflict emotional and physical harm due to the color of their skin? They were in so much fear of rebellion and unity that they made a law that all white men were superior to black, in 1705. This shows signs of desperation and fear of being over taken. So why did it take so long for someone to stand up? Or why didn’t anyone unite and rebel in numbers rather then as individuals? Was it natural or is our term racism made by the childish actions of our past? Natural or not it was wrong, and there is no excuse for what the white settlers did not only in their time, but also how it has affected ours. Racism is still around, but where exactly did it start?

chapter 8!!

In chapter eight on getting of the hook: denial and resistance, Johnson describes the many ways in which people try to get off the “hook” in different circumstances. He explains this simply as people who are in the dominant groups look at topics dealing with racism and try to convince them that it is not a problem. Denial is everywhere he goes on to explain, and that the easiest way to get off the “hook” is to just simply hide the issue, not talk about it, and them maybe magically it will go away. Johnson uses several phrases in which one may try to talk themselves out of seeing the discrimination. One such phrase that caught my eye was “ The American dream is alive and well and available to everyone.” This caught my eye because I too have convinced myself with out even realizing that the American dream is available to everyone. But, when actually looking at our society it is very difficult to obtain, and in most cases almost impossible. In the end Johnson explains that being off the hook is like a piece of wood floating with the current. While being on the hook, is having a forward motion and a rudder to steer by (124). He explains, that people in the dominant group need to embrace this hook and not be guilty but to see it as an obstacle or challenge to overcome.
Through out this chapter I have read several good points in detail. For instance, he says that some methods to get off the hook can be blaming the victim or giving it another name. I have seen this on several occasions, but never really realized it until I just heard about it in this book. I just can’t believe how many things that are true and I never realized until someone points them out to me. Basically this was one of my favorite chapters throughout this whole book because everything clicked and kind of blended for me. I probably would have never even realized how many times us, as a society can discriminate with out even knowing until I read this chapter. Simple things like anyone can have the American dream or sexism is no longer a problem anymore are completely false. These problems still do exist and people need to stop getting off the hook and face up to reality and put their foot down. Running away or hiding isn’t the answer its about time that people faced the facts and stopped discrimination.

movie

Only one nucleotide different, and yet discrimination still lingers throughout not only our history, but through our society today. While watching a movie in our ethnic studies class I never realized just how in common everyone is through their dna. If I was asked who I thought my Dna would resemble I would reply probably someone Caucasian and with an Irish decent. Come to find out humans are the most related beings that scientist have discovered so far. Fruit flies can look identical, however that appearance is on the outside. The two flies that appear to be the same are actually just as different as humans are compared to chimps. Biologist and specialized scientist have been searching over two hundred years for a difference between races. In the past they have explored from skull sizes to brain color, and even foot or clavicle type! When 1920 came around, it was said that it was a fact that their spot was to be on the bottom on the social ladder. An article called Vital Capacity even said they’d go extinct in 1896, and it was natures wish that they would. What they didn’t consider was their data was flawed due to poverty and hardships with their subjects. In the 1930’s sports started to favor the minority groups. Such as basketball among the Jewish decent and other sports in general with those of an African American decent. Dean Cromwell, the Olympic track coach commented saying it was in their nature because they were primitive beings who are used to running like beast. As soon as Jesse Owens started to make a name for himself scientist were all over him trying to figure out why he was so fast trying to prove the negro decent was primitive.
So my question is why do we even care if there is a difference in the dna. Its already proven that there is just as much difference between white and non-white as there is with white and white. The human lineage started in Africa and many of us may have adapted to different environments which could lead us to different skin color. What it comes down to is we are all human so it all goes back to Rodney Kings Question. Why cant we all just get along?

chapter 6

“We live in a society that encourages us to think that the social world begins and ends with individuals.” Before reading chapter six, What it all has to do with us I never really realized just how independent and defensive a lot of people are. This chapter explains that individualistic thinking is paralytic. To break this paralysis we need to not hide it or mock the issues, and to realize that the individualist model is wrong. He states that we need to learn that our problem is as a whole, a society or system, not just individually. He also makes a good point in saying we only choose the path in which we can see. His example gave me something to think about. He states if you walk onto an elevator you naturally stand facing the way in which you are going to exit. But when someone turns the other way in the back people stare and pressure is felt to do what everyone else is doing. Or when playing monopoly the competitors find themselves becoming very greedy when they themselves are not the greedy type. Johnson describes how our society is not made through and individual, but a group of people. Johnson makes his point saying the “good” people are silent on too many things. He sums up this chapter saying our power thrives in if we choose to follow that path or not.
After reading through chapter six on what it all has to do with us, I started to realize that I do take part in a lot of things just to avoid conflict. I as he has stated, stand on an elevator facing the exit, and I get very greedy in the game of monopoly. But why society does this and who all started it is what stuns me. All the complications and the hatred had to start somewhere. If someone were to make an offensive joke in front of everyone and me laughed would I laugh to? That question is hard and it kind of reflects upon everything that is being discussed in this chapter. To be quite honest before I read this I more then likely would have laughed reflexively. But now, after realizing I have no reason to laugh and I shouldn’t be ashamed to not laugh I probably would not. So what does it all have to do with me? It has everything because in the end we are the society, and we are the ones who chooses the paths in which it flows.

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dichotomizing sect.

When my group was first given the assignment to read over the section, dichotomizing into sexual orientation I never knew what the term dichotomizing was. Come to find out dichotomized is explained to mean into black/white, white/black, or gay/straight- and individuals are expected to fit easily in one category or the other. This section has made it clear to me just how casual the word gay has become in our language and the mood in which we treat the whole situation. Until this article I never realized that still until this day, scientist are seeking ways biologically to prove who is straight, or gay, and who is what race. However wit hall the studies done there is not one study that can confirm with a percentile rating of who is who biologically. It speaks of a man whom said he felt obligated to be with women, but was at his happiest when he was with men. This section also includes something on dichotomizing class. This section points out how social class points out a persons core worth and who is in merit on society. Following this it the goes on to explain terms dealing with dichotomizing sex. It says the pressures dealing with sex and how its all biologically linked except the one in 200000 people who have conflict biologically with their identity.
While reading through my section I was rather surprised at the amount of experiments that scientist do to biologically differentiate between who is gay and who is straight. To me that concept is kind of disappointing because what does it matter who is what? If that is the way someone chooses to be then we should respect that and let them live their life the way they please! It also pointed out to me how casually society uses the phrase “that’s gay” or “your gay!” I never realized how insulting that could be or how disrespectful we are truly being when we say those phrases. It also disappoints me about the woman who happened to have the male gene getting disqualified from the Olympics. I could see maybe if she was using steroids, but in her case it was a biological dysfunction so why punish her for it? I hate how women and men are assigned to different categories, and why we are blows my mind. Logistically speaking men are biologically built “stronger” but who is to say what is stronger then what? Women bear children and that in its self takes strength, and women deal with cramps, and menstrual cycles. Who is to say we are weaker because of our muscle mass? All in all, this has opened my eyes to how casually we accept discrimination and disrespect people without even noticing

rodney kings question

In the first chapter Johnsons book it contains the title of Rodney King's Question. This quiestion has exsisted for a while and is known around the United States. Why can't we all just get along? Humans have had controversy with each other it seems to be for ever. He goes on to give statistics such as the average wealth of white families is almost fourteeen times that of blacks. He also gives good points on how men dominate virtually every major organization which is completely true. I also never realized how many disablities exist in americans today, and how bad our society helps them out. SO why can't we get along?
I beleive we cannot get along because ever since humans exsisted they felt the drive to stride to be the best by nature. There is also t he fact that yes, we have affirmative action but is it really fair and making people get along? No! As a woman in todays society i like that they are trying to make the jobs equal opportunity but the fact is that its not really fair to the men. Because what if a woman is not as educated in the field as a man is but she gets the job because she is a woman and they need to up their quota. I would much rather get a job for my qualities rather then to be just another statistic to the company. No matter how society acts its going to be hard to get along with every one because of the nature of a human being. That nature is drive. Drive to be the best, and drive to succeed is my answer to Rodney Kings question and why we all just cant get along.
Another subject I believe is important in this chapter is the section on if we cant talk about it if we cant use the words. He says when you name something the word draws your attention to it and it sis then that the topic can be talked about.People are afraid to use the words sexism, and race and dominant. But why should we be afraid of words? I think its because of our past what has happened and what people are ashamed of or afraid will happen. The fact is if we dont use them or say them they may fade in society but be in the back of everyones mind. We may be lead to believe that this doesnt happen any more but the fact is it does. Maybe even in worse ways then we believe. Its just hidden better and considered free to do. Rodney King brought up a good question, but can it ever be answered?

about me

I come from a small farm town in the middle of no where and of course grew up on a small farm. I am not only in this class to fullfill my credit for my major, but also to finally hear other perspective on issues and to expand my horizon. I went to a catholic highschool, and grew up catholic. However, many of the beliefs that were pounded in my head i do not fully agree with and hope to hear other opinions on issues. I love my small town and my religion, but i am a very open person and would love to learn other points of views.

Zinn

Through out the article A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn writes of instances in the history of Christopher Columbus and the false nature that has been fabricated by many historians. He unfluffs the history on how Columbus “discovered” our nation and how he treated the natives that presided here first. He concludes that unlike our basic history Columbus was here for mainly gold and slaves. He treated the natives harshly and took advantage of their good nature. He argues that the assassination of many of the first natives was on the hands of Columbus.
Zinn comments on the entries that Columbus made that many historians have over looked and then documented Columbus him down as being noble. But there is the question of should we go with what Zinn is stating and teach the children in elementary schools? I think that this may be pushing the limits due to the fact that maybe children are not old enough to understand what is going on. I think that the censorship put on the history of Christopher Columbus was necessary to an extent, but the facts should get straightened out and maybe a limit on what we teach our children.
When I read this document my first reaction was to the title and honestly I thought it was going to be a boring piece. But after reading the first couple paragraphs I realized how many facts about our history have been simply left out and revised to make the white male look better. I believe that this piece of writing is very influential and makes several good points throughout it of how not only in the past but now we view those around us and our history. Many times today I find myself reading information on history and pieces on what is happening today and I believe the versions that are fluff and make the majority sound better.
Over all, this article has opened my eyes to many of the things that our history has censored and chapters have left out. Discrimination has been in everyone’s life not matter what race, sex, or social status your in. Through out history no matter every fact is put into some point of view. No matter how we look at it, its going to be fluffed even Zinn commented on this. All in all, this piece was very real and just goes to show the reality of censorship, and the way in which history has been fluffed in the dominant favor.