In Chapter 7 of Takaki, he discusses the control that the Mexicans had over California. The Mexicans were the first to find California, where they were able to build up their own sort of lifestyle there. Very few Americans lived in California at this time. “Initially, Mexicans in California… welcomed foreigners from the United States (170). Eventually, problems soon developed. Americans were coming to California for the wealth and land ownership. They weren’t trying to “fit in;” instead they wanted to transform the territory into their own image” (171). “The Bear Flag Republic” was established when Americans tried to gain control over California from the Mexicans. The Mexican-American war took place in Texas and began due to the American “invasion” of the Mexicans in California. The immigration of Americans into Texas became an illegal act, yet it still happened. Many of them were slaveholders. In 1830, the Mexican government outlawed the institution of slavery and prohibited further immigration into Texas (173). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo states that the United States handed Mexico $15 million for nearly one half of Mexico’s territory (at that time). This treaty gave the Mexicans the option to either stay or move to Mexico. During this time, many of the Mexicans that stayed felt alienated. They felt that the Americans hated them. “They had become foreigners in their own land” (178). Even though the constitution stated that if the Mexicans stayed, they would be “guaranteed the employment of all the rights of citizens of the United States,” (177) they were still treated unfairly. No division was made between Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. The people of Mexican-American decent were plainly considered to be Mexican. Work conditions were different as well. “Anglo workers operated the machines while the Mexican minors did the manual and dangerous work” (186). The same amount of work was done, but the pay was significantly different.
While reading this chapter, I felt bad for the Mexicans because of the treatment they received. It was obvious that they were in California first, but the Americans didn’t take that into consideration. They made the land their own without any understanding of what the Mexicans would have to go through. Their work was unfair, as well as their pay. This chapter relates to a lot of the course material we’ve discussed through out the semester. It shows the unfair treatment the Americans give to other races, which makes Americans look bad.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Facebook Analysis - King Arthur Burt
Looking at Facebook, I came across the page of ‘King Arthur Burt.’ By looking at his profile picture, I could see that he is an African American male. In his picture, he is bending down low in front of a black SUV, holding an intimidating look on his face. His profile shows him to be heterosexual. He has numerous “favorite quotes” listed on his profile page which are song lyrics by artist such as Jay Z and P. Diddy. Both of these artists are African American as well and rap in the music industry. He seems to be strongly involved with his fraternity which looks as if mostly African Americans are involved in it. On his “wall” where people post comments for him, it was filled with comments from only African American men and women. One person wrote, “CALL ME SO WE CAN KICK IT IN THE D!!!” From personal knowledge and by looking at where King Arthur Burt is from, I can conclude that “The D” means Detroit. Another person (who was also African American) used the ‘N’ word on his wall.
Most of the pieces of King Arthur Burt’s profile are commonly stereotyped with African Americans. If I would have covered up his profile picture, it would have been easy for me to judge that he is of African American decent. His most recent wall posts are all by African Americans, which shows the race of some of his friends, especially because one person actually called him the ‘N’ word. I know that this word is not an okay word to use unless it is said by and African American to an African American.
Most of the pieces of King Arthur Burt’s profile are commonly stereotyped with African Americans. If I would have covered up his profile picture, it would have been easy for me to judge that he is of African American decent. His most recent wall posts are all by African Americans, which shows the race of some of his friends, especially because one person actually called him the ‘N’ word. I know that this word is not an okay word to use unless it is said by and African American to an African American.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Rothenberg: CH. 4 How Jews Became White Folks – Karen Brodkin
In this reading from Rothenberg, Karen Brodkin suggests that Jewish success was not a product of hard work or education. At this time, the segregation of blacks really affected the Jews’ place in society. Being “white” ended up as an advantage point for them. They used it to their advantage to become less oppressed in society. This was a big deal because blacks were still discriminated against while the Jews were using their whiteness to rise above.
“Part of my ethnic heritage was the belief that Jews ere smart and that our success was due to our own efforts and abilities, reinforced by a culture that valued sticking together, hard work, education, and deferred gratification (38). Brodkin continued to say, “I affirm all of those abilities and ideals and their contribution to Jews’ upward mobility, but I also argue that they were still far from sufficient to account for Jewish success (38-39). Blacks, Jews and immigrants were all oppressed groups. In this reading it confirms that Jews were the first of the Euro-immigrants to enter into colleges in significant numbers. Although it was a good thing they were able to even get into colleges, they were still discriminated against. Many Jews believed that their success was due to their hard work and the fact that they highly valued education. Brodkin said that they didn’t see race.
“In time and with hard work, every ethnic group would get a piece of the pie, and the United States would be a nation with equal opportunity for all its people to become part of a prosperous middle-class majority” (43). This was a huge step for race during this time. After the war, affirmative action stepped as a tool to make things equal. Earning a degree was very important; it pretty much meant you were upper-class in society. Soldiers coming home had nothing so a bill was created to help them out. Job training, employment, housing and education were all included in the GI bill. By using their whiteness to their advantage, Jews were included in this, but blacks were not. After the war, blacks were highly discriminated against when it came to the well-paid jobs and housing. Blacks were always the first to be fired, as well as white women. Redlining occurred, but the maps were kept in secret. How does the idea of redlining look in today’s society as opposed to years ago when it first began?
This selection by Brodkin really shows a connection from the past to the present. Although this supposedly isn’t an affirmative action piece, it shows that it’s always been an issue in society.
“Part of my ethnic heritage was the belief that Jews ere smart and that our success was due to our own efforts and abilities, reinforced by a culture that valued sticking together, hard work, education, and deferred gratification (38). Brodkin continued to say, “I affirm all of those abilities and ideals and their contribution to Jews’ upward mobility, but I also argue that they were still far from sufficient to account for Jewish success (38-39). Blacks, Jews and immigrants were all oppressed groups. In this reading it confirms that Jews were the first of the Euro-immigrants to enter into colleges in significant numbers. Although it was a good thing they were able to even get into colleges, they were still discriminated against. Many Jews believed that their success was due to their hard work and the fact that they highly valued education. Brodkin said that they didn’t see race.
“In time and with hard work, every ethnic group would get a piece of the pie, and the United States would be a nation with equal opportunity for all its people to become part of a prosperous middle-class majority” (43). This was a huge step for race during this time. After the war, affirmative action stepped as a tool to make things equal. Earning a degree was very important; it pretty much meant you were upper-class in society. Soldiers coming home had nothing so a bill was created to help them out. Job training, employment, housing and education were all included in the GI bill. By using their whiteness to their advantage, Jews were included in this, but blacks were not. After the war, blacks were highly discriminated against when it came to the well-paid jobs and housing. Blacks were always the first to be fired, as well as white women. Redlining occurred, but the maps were kept in secret. How does the idea of redlining look in today’s society as opposed to years ago when it first began?
This selection by Brodkin really shows a connection from the past to the present. Although this supposedly isn’t an affirmative action piece, it shows that it’s always been an issue in society.
Takaki CH. 6 Emigrants from Erin
In Chapter 6 of Takaki, we read about much more than just differences between races. Differences within race become an issue of discussion. The Irish’s migration was described as a “massive infux” (139). This was ironic because many of these immigrants didn’t want to even leave their homeland; Ireland. The Irish were oppressed.
Takaki states that between 1815 and 1920, five and a half million Irish came to America. The Irish didn’t treat their migration as something they wanted. It was more like a necessity. They felt like they were being driven from their homeland by the British and they weren’t wanting to leave. To make more profit, the British wanted to transform the Irish economy into a “cattle civilization” (141). The British were trying to add Ireland into their market. Takaki describes the Irish living conditions. “The typical single-room cabin of an Irish family consisted of four walls of dried mud with a straw roof and a hold cut in the roof for the chimney” (142). It was described as a “wretched hovel,” which seems unlivable. They opted to migrate to “the Land of Promise” rather than feel like slaves in their on land. Upon arrivial, they began work, with very little earnings. Potatoes were a main source of food for them because they worked where they were grown. These crops soon became infected and lead to the threat of hunger. It was a deadly disease spreading everywhere and lead people to die from both sickness and hunger. Many were unable to pay rent and were then evicted. “For many landlords, the famine offered an opportunity to convert more land into fields for grazing” (143). These landlords definitely saw opportunity. For the Irish, times were hard in America. They weren’t treated well by the colonists because the colonists considered them more of savages, not white. Although this was an issue, the Irish weren’t completely looked down upon because the African Americans were even lower than the Irish.
In what ways were the Irish looked at as “different” than the whites upon first viewing of them? I feel that what was done to the Irish was wrong. I don’t believe that there should have been such harsh feelings and actions put toward them. It was hard to see that they didn’t even want to come to America in the first place because they loved Ireland so much. In other cases, immigrants don’t feel as much love for their homelands as the Irish so it was hard to put this whole thing into perspective.
Takaki states that between 1815 and 1920, five and a half million Irish came to America. The Irish didn’t treat their migration as something they wanted. It was more like a necessity. They felt like they were being driven from their homeland by the British and they weren’t wanting to leave. To make more profit, the British wanted to transform the Irish economy into a “cattle civilization” (141). The British were trying to add Ireland into their market. Takaki describes the Irish living conditions. “The typical single-room cabin of an Irish family consisted of four walls of dried mud with a straw roof and a hold cut in the roof for the chimney” (142). It was described as a “wretched hovel,” which seems unlivable. They opted to migrate to “the Land of Promise” rather than feel like slaves in their on land. Upon arrivial, they began work, with very little earnings. Potatoes were a main source of food for them because they worked where they were grown. These crops soon became infected and lead to the threat of hunger. It was a deadly disease spreading everywhere and lead people to die from both sickness and hunger. Many were unable to pay rent and were then evicted. “For many landlords, the famine offered an opportunity to convert more land into fields for grazing” (143). These landlords definitely saw opportunity. For the Irish, times were hard in America. They weren’t treated well by the colonists because the colonists considered them more of savages, not white. Although this was an issue, the Irish weren’t completely looked down upon because the African Americans were even lower than the Irish.
In what ways were the Irish looked at as “different” than the whites upon first viewing of them? I feel that what was done to the Irish was wrong. I don’t believe that there should have been such harsh feelings and actions put toward them. It was hard to see that they didn’t even want to come to America in the first place because they loved Ireland so much. In other cases, immigrants don’t feel as much love for their homelands as the Irish so it was hard to put this whole thing into perspective.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
“A Challenge to Democracy” clip
In the clip called, “A Challenge to Democracy,” the Japanese-Americans in America were basically told what to do without exception. The idea was to “Americanize” them by shipping the off to centers around the United States to form their own communities. This was during the time of the war. The living conditions of these Japanese-Americans were described as having community bathrooms, kitchens and small bedrooms. These were situations that these people were forced to adjust to. Farming was pretty much their only choice of jobs and it didn’t pay well either. These were the circumstances unless professional skills had previously been developed. In this case, under supervision, they were allowed to hold other jobs. Classes could be taken to enable them to get better jobs within the American economy. This was all done in hopes of benefiting the country.
How did this sudden change in these Japanese-Americans’ lives ultimately alter their perception of the U.S. as well as their own lives? This clip was very hard to watch because I felt as though all of this happened to these people solely because of the way they looked; Japanese. Nevermind the American part, but what was looked at was the Japanese part.
How did this sudden change in these Japanese-Americans’ lives ultimately alter their perception of the U.S. as well as their own lives? This clip was very hard to watch because I felt as though all of this happened to these people solely because of the way they looked; Japanese. Nevermind the American part, but what was looked at was the Japanese part.
Takaki CH. 10: Pacific Crossings
Chapter 10 of Takaki discusses the migration of the Japanese to America. “The distress among the agricultureal class has reached a point never before attained” (the Japan Weekly Mail, Takaki pg. 246). Many couldn’t afford to pay their taxed and ended up having to sell their land. Migrating to the United States seemed like the way to go for many Japanese citizens. The were seeking better jobs with better pay as well as land. At first, the majority of the immigrants were men, but this eventually was altered due to the large number of women that came to the United States. The Japanese believed that “money grew on trees” in America. This was their outlook on the situation.
To the Japanese, marriage was not just an individual concern, it was a family matter. “Picture brides” was a kind of system which consisted of arranged marriages. This was very common. Takaki talks a lot about the differences between Japanese women and Chinese women. The Japanese women were more receptive to traveling overseas. Also, the picture brides were more eager to see the new world over seeing their husbands. The way it worked was, the number of women that migrated partially depended on the countries they were migrating to. If these countries were not in need to these women, then they weren’t able to come. “Planters viewed Japanese women as workers and assigned 72 percent of them to field labor (250). If planters needed workers, their main source was Japan. Korean migrants also came and wanted work, but there needed to be equality between the nationalities. There were many feuds and eventually the Koreans labor supply was cut off. “To strengthen their authority over their ethnically diverse work force, planters stratified occupations according to race: whites occupied the skilled and supervisory positions, while Asian immigrants were the unskilled field laborers” (253). This really separated races in the work force.
Because the Japanese strived so hard to come to the United States and become successful, it highlights the fact that other nationalities did not. Why is there such a dividing line between these nationalities? Why is there such a large difference between countries? This article really put the Japanese into perspective for me. I never really acknowledged them for what they accomplished here in America before. They really took pride in where they came from, but on top of that, they knew that to survive, they needed to migrate and that’s what they did.
To the Japanese, marriage was not just an individual concern, it was a family matter. “Picture brides” was a kind of system which consisted of arranged marriages. This was very common. Takaki talks a lot about the differences between Japanese women and Chinese women. The Japanese women were more receptive to traveling overseas. Also, the picture brides were more eager to see the new world over seeing their husbands. The way it worked was, the number of women that migrated partially depended on the countries they were migrating to. If these countries were not in need to these women, then they weren’t able to come. “Planters viewed Japanese women as workers and assigned 72 percent of them to field labor (250). If planters needed workers, their main source was Japan. Korean migrants also came and wanted work, but there needed to be equality between the nationalities. There were many feuds and eventually the Koreans labor supply was cut off. “To strengthen their authority over their ethnically diverse work force, planters stratified occupations according to race: whites occupied the skilled and supervisory positions, while Asian immigrants were the unskilled field laborers” (253). This really separated races in the work force.
Because the Japanese strived so hard to come to the United States and become successful, it highlights the fact that other nationalities did not. Why is there such a dividing line between these nationalities? Why is there such a large difference between countries? This article really put the Japanese into perspective for me. I never really acknowledged them for what they accomplished here in America before. They really took pride in where they came from, but on top of that, they knew that to survive, they needed to migrate and that’s what they did.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Ethnic Notions
Historic images age just like humans, but they never disappear. We read of slavery and war in textbooks, but none of us truly know the extent of these events. In the movie Ethnic Notions, produced and directed by Marlon Riggs, I witnessed a lot of ignorance as well as racism. It was a movie showing the way blacks were portrayed in history. The movie opened showing cartoon images of blacks eating watermelon while singing and dancing, along with a distorted view of what they look like. Many cartoons and movies showed the idea that blacks were actually happy being slaves; sort of “friends” with their masters, part of the family, playing with the master’s children and having fun. During this time, whites would even imitate blacks for comedy as well as play the part of blacks in movies.
“Mamie” is a term used to describe black women who were slaves; they were portrayed as larger women, wearing bandannas over their hair. They were always seen as happy women, singing and loving slavery. These women were very protective of the household they’re a part of and they’re said to be strong, happy and ugly. This is due to the fact that if she were to be pretty, this would be a threat to the wife of the household. Views of black children were also distorted. They were made out to be animal like and savage like. These images of blacks are still with us today. On bottles of syrup, Aunt Jemima is black and wearing a bandanna, just like “Mamie.” Even though these images are false perceptions, why do they continue to be a part of today’s society?
While watching this movie, I felt very uncomfortable and uneasy. I was looking around and noticed others who seemed to feel the same. We were told we may laugh at some of the things in the video, but I just felt nervous. It worries me that these false, hurtful images of blacks are still around. This is probably the case with many other races, but it something that shouldn’t be an issue after all these years. If this is the case, why do we still see and hear all of this hatred and negativity?
“Mamie” is a term used to describe black women who were slaves; they were portrayed as larger women, wearing bandannas over their hair. They were always seen as happy women, singing and loving slavery. These women were very protective of the household they’re a part of and they’re said to be strong, happy and ugly. This is due to the fact that if she were to be pretty, this would be a threat to the wife of the household. Views of black children were also distorted. They were made out to be animal like and savage like. These images of blacks are still with us today. On bottles of syrup, Aunt Jemima is black and wearing a bandanna, just like “Mamie.” Even though these images are false perceptions, why do they continue to be a part of today’s society?
While watching this movie, I felt very uncomfortable and uneasy. I was looking around and noticed others who seemed to feel the same. We were told we may laugh at some of the things in the video, but I just felt nervous. It worries me that these false, hurtful images of blacks are still around. This is probably the case with many other races, but it something that shouldn’t be an issue after all these years. If this is the case, why do we still see and hear all of this hatred and negativity?
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