Post-reading questions for week eleven

What I thought was the most interesting in the video was how much they degrade women in music videos. Like at first I thought the rap and hip-hop artists were only doing that because of the money but after watching that video, it made me realize that they’re doing it on purpose. I was also surprised by how Nelly suddenly dropped out from the bone marrow event just because he didn’t want to hear the women’s opinions about how his music video is showing women is a negative light. It definitely made me change my mind about how I thought of hip-hop because the video opened my eyes on how hip-hop can affect the lives of many people. Like I didn’t even think about what hip-hop could mean to the whites and how rap means so more to the blacks because of the way they could express the struggles they have been through. Like I strongly believe that rap has a much deeper meaning to the black people because the whites have not experienced the hardships, slavery, and pain that the blacks have. I definitely agree with the second one on how hip-hop is both homophobia and homoerotic because in the video we watched in class, when rap and hip-hop artists show their bodies in magazines, they’re not doing it just for the women, but also for the men. Furthermore, in the video, they talked about how guys who show emotion are less of man and loose their masculinity. For example, when Busta Rhymes was questioned about black gay men when it comes to music, he said he wouldn’t want to associate with them and just walked away. I also agree with number four about how the genre hip-hip is denigrating women. Like since these music artists are showing women in a negative way, it results women in real life being treated the same way just like those women in the video. For instance, in the video they talked about how there are two types of women: the “sisters” and the “bitches”. The sisters represent those who dresses classy and appropriate while the bitches represent those who dress all reveling just like the music videos being portrayed in hip-hip and rap. Some of the similarities between how black men were represented during slavery and Jim Crow and their representation in music today are that whatever they experienced or feelings they felt during those times; they will talk about it in music. They will talk about how being a slave was torture and how they would always have to work. They will rap about how the Jim Crow law segregated them. They will rap about all the emotions they have bottled up over the years. Yes and No I do and don’t believe hip-hop can be problematic. I believe it’s problematic because not only does the music video for the genre degrade women, but it makes people think that those who are gay are not masculine enough. No I don’t think it’s problematic because like I said before, the genre addresses the issues of what the blacks have gone through.

 

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Pre-reading questions week eleven

I think issues of race, gender, class, sexuality, and social justice engage with hip-hop and the music industry is that when someone is oppressed, they often maybe write their feelings down on paper which results it turning into music. For example, I don’t know if this counts as one since its not hip hop but the song “Black or White” by Michael Jackson talks about the racism between the white and black people. Lyrics such as this song often approach the emotions and feelings of how someone might be dealing with this injustice. I think the purpose of hip-hop music is not only to entertain people, but also aware the people of how someone might be feeling about a certain topic such as their sexuality or race. For example, if someone is afraid to say what they are actually feeling, they would instead write it in a song and let the whole word know. For instance, take Frank Ocean. No one knew he was gay until he expressed his sexuality in his song “Thinking about you.” He probably didn’t want to tell anyone because he was afraid people would judge him so instead he wrote it in a song. I think the role that race plays in hip-hop is that there is this ideology that most rappers or artists are usually black people. Personally to me, I’d say that the consumers of hip-hop are racially homogenous but only because the rappers and artists of hip-hip I see are mostly black. Like I can name so many hip hop artists that are black but when it comes to naming one white rapper all I can think of is Enenim. I never really knew hip-hop was problematic but I think its so popular today because it’s what “in” today with the teens. Like hip-hop is something teens in this generation can listen and relate to. I think Rock feels the need to defend rap music because he is sick of hearing people say “Rap is garbage. How can you listen to that garbage? How can you listen to that trash?” I don’t know if this counts as some of the things that he thinks are bad about rap but he says in the video that most black rappers are killed and the government doesn’t do anything about it. Like he repeats over and over again how “the government doesn’t like rap” and I think what he means by that is if it was a different situation, like if a white rapper was always the one getting shot, then they would be all over investigating it. But when it comes to black rappers, they just ignore it. I think the positive aspect of hip-hop is like I said before; it informs the people about the oppressions some feel. I think some of its problematic aspects are that some hip-hop or rap songs do degrade women which often lead to these debates. I don’t think hip-hop is misogynistic because I don’t think the hip-hop and rap artists mean to intentionally degrade women. Like what Chris Rock said, women who love rap music wouldn’t really care. As long as the beats good, then they are okay with it. I think that’s mainly what hip-hop, rap, or the music industry is trying to do. Not to degrade women or other people of race or gender, but to basically make money in the business.

 

Words: 567

Post-reading questions for week eight

Some reasons that students maybe diagnosed with a learning disability is for one their language. Like we talked about in class, language plays a huge role and can determine how someone does well on standard tests. If they do poorly on it, especially those who do not speak English very well, then they will end up in special education class. Take for example me. When I migrated here from the Philippines as a young child, I had a hard time learning how to speak English. I don’t remember if I was put into a different class or not, but it made me realize that maybe that’s why I always had a hard time with the standard tests. Another reason why some would be diagnosed with a learning disability is because it doesn’t fit into the “norm”. Since the white are usually the one with all the power, the others “look up to them” and follow whatever they think is right. For example, the disabilities that we talked about in class- drapetomania and hysteria- were made by whites and since they are the highest on the hierarchy, people just go allow with it because its part of the “norm”. Lastly, teachers can play a huge role in diagnosing whether a student has LD or not. If a student is just lazy doing their work, then a teacher might interpret that as having an illness and will put them into a special ed class. Race, class, and gender play into this process by having this intersectionality with the ideologies made by society. For instance, in the Michael story, since he was an African American male, he was stopped by the police 3 times: one for thinking he looked like the guy who stole something, the other for thinking he was picking up prostitutes, and the other for thinking he was smoking. Back then and probably still today, blacks had or still have a reputation for being known as criminals and thieves, violent, loud, and etc which all contribute to how teacher might think that there’s something wrong with the student. Also, in his story, since Michael had dyslexia, he couldn’t get a promotion because they probably knew that about him. Lastly, just like Michael, if teachers think you have a LD, they will probably put you into a different building where all the LD students are. So basically, segregation is involved. I think the similarities between race as a social construct and disability as a social construct is they both intersect with determining whether a student has a LD or not. For example, drapetomania in the 17^th and 18^th century was known as a disease where African American slaves run away.  Because it was “considered” an illness, many believed the cure was locking them up, cutting off their feet, or making them work harder. For me, I don’t necessarily think they are different because they both intersect. I think medicine upholds our racial, gender, and class hierarchies because like I said before, since the whites were the majority in society, most doctors and nurses were probably white and making up these crazy diseases like drapetomania, hysteria, and homosexuality. Because of their high power in society, people go allow with it because they assume it’s the “norm”. I think race, class, language background or any other factors work together to set-up how we define learning disability is for example if we see someone who is not fluent in English, we automatically assume that they have a disability. If someone is black, then we automatically assume the worst of them-the ideology we have about them-and think that they should be put in a different class. If someone is living in poverty, it can definitely affect how they do well in school which often leads us to conclude that they have a LD.  I actually liked this weeks reading, especially Michael’s, and it really surprised me that there were actually crazy disabilities made by these doctors concerning African American slaves and women.

 

Words: 667

Pre-reading questions for week eight

I think race, education, and disabilities are all connected by how they play a huge role in someone’s life. For example, if someone is Black and doesn’t have a good education or cannot function right, they will most likely be treated differently or “special” than others and will most likely have a hard time making friends or getting a job. So basically, all three of them have a huge impact on how someone can live their life. Learning disabled means having certain kinds of learning problems which can disable a person from learning and using those skills at home or at school. They also depend on the individual which basically means someone who has a learning disability may be different from someone who else has it too. Mentally retard means someone who is not able to function right and who learns and develops learning skills at a slower pace than others. It’s also known as a development disability which is usually found in children who are under 18 years old. Emotionally unstable means someone who cannot handle their own emotions. I think students of color are over represented in special education classes because I believe some people think that students of color are usually the ones who are born disabled; like they don’t bother to even think of the while students. They choose to ignore them and target those who are colored. I think race, gender, and class can intersect with disability to impact how people experience their lives is by let’s say a little girl who is white and middle class has a disability. She of course would get treated differently like all the others but I think since she’s white, she would receive a much better advantage than a little girl who is black and in the lower class. I don’t really understand what Connors meant when he said “these social constructs as a means of social organization” but if I had to take a guess I would say that in society or within a community, there are certain rules that people follow in which they prefer to have someone work in their store as white-middle class, and able-bodied as suppose to those who are a working class, disabled, and colored. In a way I agree because I don’t think someone who is disabled should work because they might have a hard time getting things done but at the same time I believe the white people or those who follow the rules should give the others the benefit of the doubt. To me, it doesn’t seem fair if they don’t receive the same opportunities because of their class, gender, race, or if they have a disability. I think someone’s race, class or language background can impact their ability to do well on these tests by like how they are seen by others. For example, if you are colored and maybe Asian, some might see you as smart which means they might give you a harder test because they expect you to pass it. But personally that just seems more of a stereotype. But I do believe that if someone’s native language is not English, then they will have a hard time understanding the test because it’s in a different language. Just like the activity we did in class with Paola, if someone’s paper was in a different language like how mine was, then the person will feel lost and confused and will do poorly on the test.

 

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Post reading questions for week six

Honestly for me, I’m still a little bit lost about intersectional theory but to put it in simple words I think its when like multiple factors such as maybe your gender or race play a huge part in your life. Like for me since I’m female and Filipina, I don’t have that much advantage as suppose to maybe those who are female and white. I don’t really know how it’s different from the other approaches that we’ve learned in understanding racial, gender, or class oppression but personally, I find this approach much better to understand. Like this approach helped me see how women, even men could be treated differently because of their race, gender, or even their social status in society. I think what Audre Lorde means in this quote is that it’s not the differences that create these different types of groups or oppressions from white women and women of color, but the way they are holding back in fixing the problem. Like I guess, she means that they are not exactly making an effort to fixing the problem. They may talk about fixing it, but are still doing nothing to change it. I think the steps that Lorde is talking about in order for all women to achieve social justice and equality is that all women should be able to acknowledge that every one of them is equal as suppose to seeing them as maybe poor or weak. That if they are able to recognize those differences and see each other as equal, then they can come together and help each other out during their time of struggles. Responding to Moraga’s statement, I would have to agree with her because she is explaining or comparing how being a lesbian is like being poor, being a color of race, and being a woman. In other words, being a lesbian means you get treated in an unfair way like those other factors too. I don’t really understand the second part of her quote when she is talking about “the danger lies in ranking the oppressions….” But to answer your question about if all of these oppressions are poverty I would have to say they are because like I stated before, being a women of color and or being a women in general means getting treated differently, and not in  good way too. Like I guess, she is saying that it’s sad to see every one get treated differently because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, and etc. But that’s just me though. I don’t really know how to answer this question. I think intersectional analysis can help us understand the lives of men also by like their sexual orientation and race. Like for example, if you were a black or African American man and were queer, then you may not get a lot of advantages as suppose to men who are white and straight. But that was back then. I don’t know if that still happens today.

 

 

Words: 497

Pre reading questions for week six

If you change one of the straight white women’s characteristics to maybe queer or something else, then of course her structural position will also change. I mean, she maybe different, but she’s still white. So in my opinion, she would still hold power but not as much as straight white women or straight white men. In others words basically, I believe she would still get better advantages that the minorities. If you change queer white men into straight white men then there structural position will change to where they hold all the power. For me and this is just my opinion, it doesn’t really make a difference if you change of one the characteristics of the white men because whatever you do or change, they will always be on the top of the ladder. Same goes for straight black men. I believe that even if you change one of their characteristics to queer, something else, or still straight, they will still be seen as below of the food chain and will still be given a hard time from everyone else, especially the whites. They will still have to work hard to get where they want to be unlike the whites whose advantages are already given to them. I don’t really know what you mean by political organization, but I think white women don’t really have that much needs as black women because like I said before, white women, even if you change their structural position, they will still hold some little power while as the black women, if you change their structural position, they will get nothing. If we are talking about political organizing, then the black women need more equality and power as everyone else. They should have a say in whatever they want to do without being looked differently. I also think it applies for queer Asian men and straight Asian men. I mean they both come from the same group, but when it comes to political organizing, the queer Asian men get looked differently because they are not the same as the others. Basically, straight Asian men have more advantages than queer Asian men because those who are straight don’t have to be scared of maybe using the public restroom. Personally to me, I think if people are only granted advantages and disadvantages because of their race, then that would be discrimination. Everyone should be able to receive equal advantages not because of their ethnicity, but how hard they work. I don’t really understand what you mean by if someone has racial privilege but not ability privilege but I think that if someone has an advantage because of their race but doesn’t have the ability to do it, then it causes some unfairness and injustice I think. I don’t really know how to answer this question. For the “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women redefining difference”, my two questions are: are women receiving less disadvantages because of their gender? And how are the ways the women are challenging this type of problem in their society? For “La Guera”, my two questions are: does this reading have to do with women also? And does the title reference have to do with something about war? For “The Combahee River Collective Statement,” my two questions are: does this reading have to do with the Native Americans? And does this reading have to do with like the Native Americans’s opinions about how they feel about the situation?

 

Words: 576

Post reading questions for week five

Eduardo Bonilla-Silva refers Color Blind Racism as ‘racism lite’ because he is saying that like instead of calling minorities these names such as niggers or chinks, it implies that they are behind and are not working hard enough as suppose to where God was the one who placed them in this crucial position. He also states that, “if two people who come from different racial groups get married, then it is looked as ‘problematic’ because of the location, children, and the burden it is placed the on the couple.” For me, I think the video is racist because well for me, it seems like here that she is generalizing or targeting what white girls are saying to black girls as suppose to you know talking about the different things white people say to black people. I also think that in a way its kind of racist because and this is just me, that she points out how some white girls can act not smart or in other words act as a dumb blond. But although I do believe that she didn’t mean to make the video seemed racist because I think she was just trying to show from her point of view what she has heard from maybe her friends or other people and she just wanted to share it and see if others have experienced it too. I think #5 about the one where people think Obama is Muslim is obviously CBR because to me, it’s the same way as how some people look at Arabs. When they hear the word Arabs or see someone that is Arab, they probably think of terrorist because of 911 and that’s what I believe is the same for Muslims. They have, to me that is, something against Muslims which is why they are saying that if Obama was secretly or maybe half Muslim, then he is unfit to be president. I also think its CBR because they are targeting Muslims as suppose to or compared to a different racial group. I mean if they said Obama was half white or something else half, then they would probably be on board with him being president. Like to me personally, I don’t think they should appoint a president because of whatever their race is, but what they can do to change or fix our country better. I think #10 is also obvious of CBR because again, they generalized Asian students plus strict, over-bearing moms. I mean anyone can be smart in school, it all depends on the individual and if they are willing to try and participate in school. The parents, especially the mom’s don’t really have anything to do with their kids getting good grades. I mean it does but usually students who do well in school are usually the ones who want to get an education and have a job in their future. This scenario to me is also like the stereotype, Asians are smart, which I hear almost often. #11 to me I find ambiguous because in a way it doesn’t seem racist but at the same time it’s not really. Like it wouldn’t hurt to have a White history month but it wouldn’t have the same impact or affect as it would for Black History month and Hispanic Heritage month because of the history they both went through. I also believe though if they did create a White History month, more people would probably celebrate it rather than the other two which would probably cause a lot of stir and debate. I think we study CBR in ethnic studies because it informs us that there are still some people who use CBR as an excuse to get away with things. Yes, I think it matters in pursuit of social justice because to acknowledge it would mean we are trying to fix the injustice or inequality there is in CBR and how unfair it is to minorities. I find all of this confusing because it’s a lot to take in so I’m a little bit lost but I think this is something really important to know in school because it informs us a lot about CBR and how its still used today.

 

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