Post-reading questions week twelve

I believe Lupe Faisco's "bad bitch" to be critically conscious because in his music video, he states how women are being portrayed as "sluts" due to what they are watching on television, the music videos they see artists make, and the magazines often displayed in stores. Not only that, but i think his video seems to be more critically conscious because it portrays how parenting can affect how a child sees the opposite sex. For example, if the roles were reverse, and the young girl was the one with the good mom, then she wouldn't dress up all revealing as she gets older. On the other hand though, if it was the younger boy who was watching the videos, he would grow up to be exactly like the girl when she got older. He would have disrespected her by trying to get at her and touching her ass. I believe the article about “Thoughts on Lupe Fiasco’s Bad Bitch” relates to me the most because I agree with what the author states. Like to some people there’s this different connotation to what “bad bitch” could mean just like what Lupe pointed out in the video. To the young girl, “bad bitch” means dressing up in revealing clothes while to the young boy, “bad bitch” means like being a hard worker, having job and taking care of your child, and dressing up appropriately. I also can relate it to the most because in the video, the author points out how the young boy turned into gentlemen because of how his mother raised him. The author states, “gender role confusion, wrought by Black women’s failure to parent their sons and mentor their daughters more proactively.” This statement I believe suggests that if parents were to control what their child watches more, then they would turn out to be more respectable when they older. For example me. I remember as I child, my parents would always monitor what I would watch or listen to. If they didn’t, I would probably end up being a girl with no manners. I think the connection between Lupe Fiasco’s music video and the quote is that well first of all, Jamila’s quote in the beginning, she states how feminist and feminism is not only addressing the issues of how women are being perceived today, but also calling to action about it. With that said, I think it relates to Lupe’s “Bad Bitch” because I believe he is doing the same. Not only is he showing how women are being mistreated, but his message clearly states that we should be doing something about it. I think what Jamila would say about this hierarchy is that it’s okay to sometimes wear revealing clothes, but not to the point where you dress up all the time to be called a “slut” and be disrespected by men all the time. I believe hip-hop as a music genre has more of a responsibility to be socially responsible because I think more teens listen to this genre more than any other music. Furthermore, I believe it has more of responsibility because to some people, the lyrics behind it have a deeper meaning than other people.

Words: 532

Pre-reading questions for week twelve

I believe hip-hop can be used to further social justice but it mainly depends on the rap and hip-hop artists if they want to actually provide music that will solve social and political problems.  I think hip-hop is more seen as a tool for critiques because I have never really heard of hip-hop or rap songs that deal with social justice or equality. Their music mainly focuses on degrading women, war, and like shooting people. Furthermore, I believe it’s more of a critique because those who are in the music industry wouldn’t want to make music that would un-interest people in buying their cds. For example, if people hear lyrics that talk about social justice, it might cause some debate or oppressions within them. Hip-hop can be a powerful tool for activism because these artists producing this music can use their voice for good instead of bad. For example, rappers like maybe 50 Cent or Nelly can write lyrics that don’t have anything to do with degrading women or getting shot. Instead, they can write music that has to do with solving these types of issues or the type of problems many people go through like violence, rape, etc. I don’t necessarily believe that it is more useful for this than other genre of music because I think any music artists of any genre can produce music that deals with social justice. It all just depends on the artists and if they are willing to actually go through and deal with the oppressions of the people. Although I do believe that it’s useful for all genres, I think hip-hop and rap is a more affective tool for activism because most teens listen to hip-hop and rap more today. Like I believe its beat and sometimes lyrics has more meaning to it for some teens. I found the song “Runaway Love” by Ludacris (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BNh3PumyAE) as an example of an artist who I believe is using hip-hop in a more conscious matter. I found this to be powerful and good because in his song, he explains how these girls are getting abused by their family and no one is doing anything to help them. Although he doesn’t explain how or what we can do to help, he does explain the situations about how cruel reality can be. I think some of the barriers to hip-hop artists creating and marketing critical hip-hop are the oppression of the people. If they ever produce music that literally talks about what they have gone through or things other people have gone through, it will cause lots of debate and fights over it which will probably lead less people in buying their music. Also, other barriers might be themselves. They probably don’t want to produce music that will make them re visit their past and struggles they have gone through.

 

Words: 473

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.

 

Words: 519

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.

 

Words: 579

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.

 

Words: 701

Pre reading questions for week five

I think racism still continues even though nobody or a few people identify themselves as racist because I believe and this is just me, that there are racism everywhere we go. It may or not be intentional, but racism is still taught in school such as the history of it in school books. Also, it may or not be intentional again, but I think there is racism in like movies and tv shows. For example, I haven’t really heard a lot about it and I don’t know if I’m right either, but I heard when the movie “princess and the frog” came out, there were issues about the princess being black and not white. I think when the commentators said that the election of Obama meant that racism doesn’t matter anymore in the United States was that he became the first ever black man to run for president and that him running for president actually showed the world something. They also believe that him running would possibly stop people from criticizing the United States as a racist country. Dr. Apollon argues that the election of Obama doesn’t mean that “racism is dead” because he states that, “Any racism is more than overcoming the hateful words. It’s about stopping the teaching of racism, the treatment of immigrants, and etc.” If I was talking to one of my friends about white privilege and they said that they don’t see color, they see people individually, I would ask them to clarify what they mean and maybe elaborate it more so maybe I could kind of get their point instead of maybe having a debate over it because to me, that statement has like two meanings behind it. Like I believe the first meaning could be where she is talking about how she doesn’t see racism in people at all but rather how a person treats her with like respect and how hard they work. On the other hand and this is just me again and I don’t know if this makes sense either, but I believe she could also be talking about how she’s blinded by a person’s color. Like even though she might see a person individually, she might treat them a little bit differently based on maybe their gender, their wealth, or status in society. So basically in other words, her statement could be racist. I would define diversity as having many choices or possibilities and I believe that it relates to structural privilege and social justice because I believe that by having structural privilege, you have a choice of working hard to get where you want and same goes for social justice. There are many varieties of getting social justice; it mainly depends on an individual and how much they want it.

 

Words: 462

Posts reading questions for week 4

During the exercise, the privileges and disadvantages that stood out to me where when you said if our parents ever told us we are beautiful, smart, and are able to chase our dreams, family having or owning 50 books, using a public restroom without having any thoughts of fear in them, walking alone at night, and having to skip meals because your family could not afford it. All of those I found to be pretty interesting because it lead and showed me the advantages and disadvantages that I had and didn’t have it. It also lead me to believe that there are certain advantages that I take for granted because I have those privileges while others do not. Although I did find the family owning 50 books and family having to skip meals because they not afford it to be troublesome because they applied to me. Back then, my family, especially from my dad’s side, could not afford to buy books for themselves let alone sometimes buy lunch at school and I know some relatives before who had a hard time feeding their family because they just could not afford it. I think the idea of structural privilege challenges the notion of meritocracy because meritocracy is a group of people or individuals who work hard and are rewarded by it rather than by their status in society or by power and if someone let’s say gets a better promotion at work then you because of their wealth or by their gender, then not only is it unfair, but it puts those who work really hard on the bottom of the food chain and those who didn’t on the top. Like I don’t really know how to describe it but I think the idea of structural idea makes people work harder. Like you said about the analogy of the video game, those who have the most materials or weapons start off easy compared to those who don’t have anything and have to work hard to get them. I think Jon Scalzi’s posts about “Straight White Male” and the analogy he uses helps understand structural privilege because in his blog, he explains how in the video game or in real life, straight white men have a better chance of gaining access to parts of the map as suppose to those who aren’t straight or who aren’t men. For example, he says “if you choose a to be a player who is a gay minority female, then that’s hardcore” because you get less privileges then the men and have to work a little bit harder than them. I think this is similar to the McIntosh piece because in some ways, both the reading and the blog talk about the advantages of what it’s like to be white.

 

Words: 464

Pre reading questions for week 4

To me, privilege is the same exact thing as having your own right; you are given the opportunity to do something by your own free will or choice. I don’t know if this counts as a privilege to other people in different societies but I think one of it is the privilege to practice your own belief, culture, or religion. Everyone has the right to practice it and not be told by the government or the authorities you can’t do this and that. I also think an example of privilege would be maybe the privilege to vote or like the privilege to sign up for the army. I think white privilege means the whites have their own set of rules or rights that they can do while others cannot. I think we talk about white privilege in ethnic studies because in some ways the things they can do and others cannot is racism. I believe structural inequality means the type of structure or government we have or had in the past was unfair and cruel. Others could do this and that, while others were unable to because maybe of their social status in government or they just didn’t have that much power, money, or labor. I think we talk about structural inequality in ethnic studies because like I said before with white privilege, it has something to do with racism. Advantage and disadvantage means like the same thing as pro and cons. Advantage means like having a positive or up side effect of something while disadvantage means having a negative and down side effect of something. I think we will talk about the advantage and disadvantage in ethnic studies because it probably has to do with white privilege, structural inequality, and racism and mostly the disadvantage it has towards the other racial groups and the advantage it has towards the white people. I would define racism as not being able to do something based on their color, gender, culture, belief, religion, etc. I also think it means not being liked for all of those same reasons too. I think my definition of privilege has somewhat something to do racism because I defined privilege as something to do with maybe your religion or belief and if someone doesn’t like you because of that, I think that counts as racism. Yes, I believe people of color can be racist because anyone can be racist. If you say no then I doubt that because everyone has their own good or bad opinions about other people. I think the white people have the most advantage in the U.S society because they are the most recognized. They hold the most power and if we were to say cause maybe some trouble against them, it would cause a major fight between them and the other groups. I think Lipsitz means by this quote is that the definition of racism changes over time because many people give their own definition and meaning to racism to the point where it leads confusion to some people in different eras. I think in the colonial America and I don’t know if this is right or not but I believe that racism was bad during that time. Not many had a say in their lives and the white people mostly had power and control. During the 20^th century and today, I still believe there is still racism out there but not as bad as it was before. Like the government today gives more people, besides the white, more rights and freedom then they had when they didn’t have any power at all.

 

 

Words: 601

Post reading questions for week 3

I think what Hattman is arguing is that we should remove the invisible line between race and ethnicity from the census but also take action and change the many and different ways ethnic privilege has been defined by ethnicity against race. I’m not technically sure if this is what she is arguing about but if she is, I would have to agree because we, as citizens or non citizens of the United States, have a responsibility to be able to check what we are on the census without having there be some sort of debate over it. I thought this was a land of opportunity not a land where there is still discrimination based on someone’s race. For example, today Latino’s are still not added on the census and that’s not fair at all. Furthermore and this is just me, I believe that by having this huge connection of ethnic privilege and ethnicity against race, it creates maybe some oppression from other people because they are not getting what they need and want from the government. If my friend asked me to fill out number 8 and 9 on the census I would check that I am not of a Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin for the first question and check Filipino for the second question. Although it was very easy for me to answer those questions it may be hard for others because their race is not there which I find odd because that just means in my opinion that whoever made the census forgot or did not want to add that race. I don’t know if that was the 2000 census or not but even today, every race should be up there and every one should be comfortable checking that box. Flores’ describes the demographic approach as by numerical count and the census while he describes the analytical approach by maybe having shared experience or labels. The last approach, the imaginary, he describes it has having a colonial relationship or having shared memories. It’s important we look at the community in these three ways because I believe that if we don’t do a numerical count or have the census, we would not be able to know what types of group there are in the U.S. We would not be able to know how many whites, black, Hispanics, Asians, etc. there are living here. By having the analytical approach, we wouldn’t really know what names to call these types of groups. For instance immigration is given labels to people who have crossed the border line. We have the imaginary approach because without it, we would not be able to share the same experience that we had back home with other people who are the same ethnicity as you. I think the census reflects racial categories in the U.S by showing us the many types of race and ethnicity there are and if for example someone’s race or ethnicity isn’t there it creates some sort of debate and fight over it. On the other hand, I believe it creates racial category in the U.S by adding more race and ethnicity. If the people who ever created the census decided to add more groups into the category, people might think they favor this group over the other.

 

Words: 546

Post reading questions for week 2

If I had to come up with my own definition of race and ethnicity, I would say that both are similar. They both deal with like where someone comes from and where like they originated from but what differentiates them is that I would say that race has more something to do with a person’s appearance. Honestly, my understandings of race and ethnicity somewhat changed from my pre-reading response. Like I’m still confused between the two of them but, I did learn that races aren’t something that was created naturally or forcefully. They were created because of how we see and classify other people. In other words I guess when we think a certain group is important or different than the others, we start to criticize or analyze them by giving them a certain meaning or definition, thus creating the word race. Also, from my understanding from the reading, I learned that ethnicity has more something to do with an individual and how they seem themselves as in their group while race I believe refers to everyone in a single group. Lastly, I’ve also read that ethnicity, like race, originated from us. That we can give the word itself an identity but it mainly depends on how we see us or other people. Since race and ethnicity have many meanings in this country, I believe it causes confusion because not everyone sees the same point of view as someone else. In other words, it all depends on the individual and how their opinion differs from another person’s view. Because of this, I believe this is the reason why there are still some debate on what the real meaning is behind race and ethnicity. Since no one can really agree on what the real definition is between the two, every one starts creating their own meaning which leads to confusion between race and ethnicity. Yes, I believe everyone has the right to self-identity their own race and ethnicity because no one should tell a person that “they can’t have the same skin color as them” or “they can’t be from the same culture.” I mean it’s not exactly their fault how they were born or like how they both have the same ancestry. Every individual has the right to be the person that they want to be without being judged. Honestly, I don’t really know if this counts as a link between biology and race but some people think that because I’m Asian, I’m smart. Like to me, I feel like this is more like a stereotype than something else. Like just because I’m Asian doesn’t mean I’m smart. Intelligence has nothing to do with someone’s race but how determine they are when it comes to during their homework or winning a competition.

 

 

 

Words: 462

Pre reading for week 2

To me, I would define race as where people originally originated from. For example, the Italians came from Italy, the Germans came from Germany, the Filipinos came from the Philippines, the Mexicans came from Mexico, etc. I also would define it as someone’s physical appearance such as nose, hair color, eyes, etc. Ethnicity on the other hand, I believe has to do with the same thing as race. They both deal with their nationality except maybe ethnicity deals with other things too such as their traditions, beliefs, culture, etc. Although I think both ethnicity and race have similarities, they also have differences that distinguish the two of them. Like I said before, I believe race has a lot to do with how someone looks while ethnicity deals with more of a person’s history and culture. Take for example, Filipinos. They are said to have a race of dark skin, black hair, sometimes morena, skinny, etc. Their ethnicity would probably be like their religion which is catholic and the language that they speak which is tagalog. I don’t exactly know what you mean by common racial classifications that we use here in the United States but if I had to guess I would say African Americans who were born or originated from Africa, the Mexicans who originated from Mexico, the Caucasians who originated from here in the United States, and the Pacific Islanders or Asians that originated from Asia. I think what makes a group a race is the similarities they share such as their background history, the food they eat, the religion they practice, what they do and don’t believe in, if they share any physical appearance, etc. There are a lot of things that make a group of people a race. But I think the most important one would be their language. If they share the same language, communication between each other would be much easier because they would be able to understand one another much better. Honestly, I would characterize my own ethnicity like every Filipino out there. Someone who practices Catholicism and goes to church every Sunday, someone who believes that if you jump on New year’s eve you will get taller, someone who takes off their shoes once you go into someone else’s house because its polite to, someone who knows how to speak and understand tagalog, etc. I chose these kinds of labels because that’s just how I was taught to be; Not just because I see other Filipino’s do those things too, but because that’s how my parents raised me to be. My race on the other hand I would describe it differently. Since most Filipino’s are dark skinned, morena, and dark haired, I am not. I am light skinned and have brown hair. Yes, a lot of people get my race or ethnicity wrong. Often I get mistaken as Chinese and I believe that is because I am not like all the other Filipino’s they see which is like I said in their eyes dark skinned. Although sometimes I get mistaken for a Chinese, some people do get my ethnicity right and I believe that is because my behavior is the same way as all the other Filipino’s. We eat the same food, we talk the same, we speak the same language, and we have the same beliefs and culture.

Words: 557

Post reading for week 1

Reading the three articles by Whitson, State of Arizona, and Monteiro, I was able to understand why ethnic studies are a big fuss all over the world. Many people, the government mostly believe that by having ethnic studies taught in school, it can somehow overthrow the current government. That’s why Arizona created the House of Bill 2281; because they saw ethnic studies as a threat to their power. They believed that by writing out a law that stated all of the consequences if ethnic studies still continued, it can scare them. I don’t know if this is exactly right but I think the problems that the 1968 strikers wanted ethnic studies to address was like the racial tension between like the white people and the black people. For example, the editor of the gater was attacked by a group of black people because he wrote an article stating that he and other people were not comfortable having a Black Student Union. Another example would be George Murray. He wanted black students to carry guns at school to protect themselves from anyone who was racist against them. I also believe that one of the problems that the 1968 strikers wanted ethnic studies to address was like the promotion of diversity. They wanted to voice out their opinion and thoughts on how maybe society can be changed. If a conversation between an HB 2281 and a 1986 striker happened, it would probably go with the striker saying that ethnic studies is not a promotion of resentment toward a race or class of people nor will it ever be the promotion of the overthrow of the United States government. Then the HB 2281 will retaliate by maybe saying that by teaching ethnic studies you are creating another racial tension between this group and another group just like during the 1968 strike at San Francisco State University.  The arguments Tom Horne is making against teaching Ethnic studies in the Tuscon Unified School District is that by teaching ethnic studies, they are separating different individuals or races as to oppose to teaching every single different culture in social studies as a unity. He also goes on by arguing that most people come to America because it’s the land of opportunity and that these people trust the schools to teach their kids about how America is the land of opportunity and that if they work hard, they can reach their dream instead of oppressing it. Although this is very true, I disagree with this argument. I believe that learning ethnic studies is not going to oppress anyone. I mean sure it might bring some feelings and emotions, but not to the point where they will take action and go on strike. Like I don’t believe that being oppressed will stop students from reaching their goal. In fact, it depends on the individual and how determined they are to reaching their goal. It has nothing to do ethnic studies and how it can affect their learning. The arguments Dyson is making in favor of ethnic studies is that by teaching ethnic studies, anyone from different backgrounds or color can learn ethnic study classes. He believes that white Americans can benefit from all of the different ethnic study classes that are being taught. I totally agree with this statement because by taking different classes other than your heritage, you are basically getting out of your comfort zone. You are able to learn about the different foods, traditions, beliefs, etc that they have. You will be able to realize the history and the hardship that they had to go through. If one of my family members asked me about opinion about this controversy, I would tell them that ethnic studies should be taught in school. That having ethnic studies will not oppress anyone’s feelings and if it does, it all depends on the individual and how they take it. Just because someone feels that way doesn’t mean everyone will.

 

 

Words: 660

Pre-reading/Pre-thinking response for week Sept. 3

Honestly, I don’t exactly know what ethnic studies are, but from what I’ve heard it’s like a group or a class that teaches you about your heritage and culture. Basically, your background history, what your rituals are, what you believe in and don’t believe in, etc. I don’t think ethnic studies is the same as sociology or anthropology because both of them deal with like the human society while as ethnic studies deals with individual groups like Mexicans, Chinese, Filipinos, etc. On the other hand though, I believe political science has a lot to do with ethnic studies because political science deals with our government and from just watching that video about banning ethnic studies in Arizona, our government is trying to get rid of them, while one teacher from Sunnyside High school is trying to keep his Mexican American Ethnic Study class. I feel like the main reason why there is a debate over why ethnic studies should be taught in high school is because some teachers, parents, other people, and our government, believe that students should focus more on their academic learning rather than their own heritage. I feel like they believe that learning a class about your heritage is not that important when you can just ask your parents or relatives at home instead. In other words, they probably don’t think learning about your heritage will help you in the future as suppose to learning math, english, or any other subjects that can get you a job. Just from watching that video, I feel like the white people will not like having Ethnic groups be taught in school. For example, thousands of white students from the Tuscan Unified School District left because they felt uncomfortable with some of the ethnic studies classes. Majority, I feel like the Mexicans would most definitely be in favor of having ethnic studies be taught because just like that video, when the teacher set an apple on their desk, one student said “he sees his family working hard on the field all day.” Not only does it show that Mexicans come from a hard working class, but it also can change some peoples perspective about Mexicans. I feel like the main reason why Arizona, and some other states and school district is considering banning ethnic studies is because they think that by having those classes, they will be able to overthrow the government. Not only do I find that statement ridicules, but I believe that banning ethnic studies is completely unfair. Everyone should have the right to know their heritage and be proud of it, just like that student Jose from the Arizona video. I believe that everyone equally will benefit from having ethnic study courses. Because like I said, everyone has the right to know who they are and where they come from. They have the right to be comfortable with their heritage and not be judged for who and what they are.

Words: 492