Tim Wise Reflection

      So this piece was hard for me to get through. The two ring of fire videos reminded me of old school talk radio that I use to have to endure whenever I went anywhere with my grandfather. But unlike the many politicians who would put me to sleep in my younger years, I felt Tim Wise had so very good points regarding his “Racism 2.0.”

       I agree with Tim Wise that there are other people of color out that who are wise and intelligent, and could be as influential as Obama. However I feel why Obama is now this figure head of black victory is because he is the president. Going back to Johnson, if a black person succeeds at some hard task, people say things like “Oh he or she did that and they're black!” Obama is opening up a new level to his race beyond the limits or “basketball and hip hop.” However, I feel as though he would only have been able to get this far in his political career because someone long ago taught him the rules and codes of power. Obama learned what he had to do to conform in this society and become everything it values to help make himself successful. Of course, there was a lot of hard work in becoming and politician and then president, but his physical characteristics make him come of as a respectable looking black man. I feel like people are intimated by African Americans, and that turns into fear. So needless to say if Obama had dread locks and tattoos running down his arms, he wouldn't be as easily approved by certain generations in America.

      I believe racism is brought on out of fear. So having Obama look relate able to other successful looking like whites makes people feel better about having a black president. I think how a person of color chooses to portray themselves is apart of racism 2.0. I heard a lot of people at the time of the presidential election saying things like, “Well he's not that dark so its not so bad.” Its just so sad that our society hasn't been able to see past the color of someone's skin. Conformity is a disease that destroys creativity and weird beauty. America is suppose to be the melding pot of all cultures but if we set this image for the ideal, we are going to lose precious difference. Now I know I went sort of off topic from racism but like I said, I feel appearance conformity is a sort of racism, especially when applied to what is seen as “normal.” But maybe I’m the only one who wants authority figures that pop.

 

Service Learning Reflection

Throughout reading “In the Service of what?” by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer I constantly kept my own given service learning project, trying to figure out what kind of contribution I was making and what kind of project it was. For me, this article gave words to the dread I felt about service learning in the past. In my sophomore year of high school, I had to do a service learning project where my assigned group and I, along with some help from the organization Save the Bay, cleaned up the shoreline underneath the Mt. Hope Bridge. Like in the article, I did have a good feeling afterwards, but overall I felt the project was a bust because it was only a “band aid” because the shore was still going to get dirty once more. We didn’t do anything to educate the community about how harmful littering is to the environment. I found the whole process painful and annoying. This would be an example of a charity like project.
The VIPS service learning I find much more meaningful. Maybe its because I’m older or it directly affects my interests and future. I can relate to the students who traveled to lower class school to perform for them. Before my service learning project I was freaking out. Being placed in a first grade ESL class I was afraid no one was going to speak English. I was trying to put a face to my anxieties and all I could picture was a room full of kids staring up at the board confused and whispering to each other in Spanish. I know that all may sound ignorant, and I agree it is, but my views changed completely after my first day. I feel as though I have a better grasp on children of color and even some of their backgrounds.
Right now, I, and pretty much all of you, are taking this service learning in both a giving and caring ways. Of course we are all physically hands on with the kids, interacting with them, teaching with them, and aiding them with their studies. We even help the teachers. But we all also helping ourselves by experiencing what its like in school where more than fifty percent of the students come from poverty stricken homes and/ or are a minority. I never thought I’d teach in such a school because my school experience wasn’t anything like that. I broadened my vision, and got comfortable with other people who didn’t have the same past as me. They aren’t ESL kids to me, their just my students.
So I guess the question is how is the balance for you? Is this more of a charity project to you or is it intrinsic as well? Do you feel you’ve made a lasting impression or really made a difference or are you simply doing busy work? What are you going to keep from this experience when you leave the classroom for the last time? 

A Subliminal Argument

In “Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us,” Linda Christensen argues that there is a “secret education” being fed to children through easily available resources such as cartoons and children’s books that reinforces and continue the status quo of society; and people need to recognize this. Most cartoons, especially older ones, reinforce racism, sexism, and do not model individualism or rebellion. According to Christensen, there are patterns to these such as a lack of female presence that isn’t alluring, minorities being servants or holding ranks of a lesser power, fat people being stupid, or the bad guy being smart and ugly. 
Such cartoons also teach children values favored by the media such as consuming and violence. These subliminal messages shape what we feel and how we act as adults. Like Barbie dolls, they set an ideal standard  of how a person should look. For example, woman should be slender and curvy. She believes that her students need to be informed about these messages and imbedded ideas in order to see past them and make judgments for yourself.  These cartoons are hazardous and continue to enforce stereotypes and the culture of power. Below is an explain of such racism in Disney. This scene is from Peter Pan, where we see the Native America’s wearing big feathered headdresses, teepees in the background, and a stern, long face drawn in a frown. Images such as this become the foundation of what children think of when they think of different minorities, and such isn’t right. 
Now what I would like to know is how do you erase all the years of influential damage? As I became older and especially now, I’ve become more aware of such message encoded in materials geared towards children. But still, the fist thing most people think of when they think of native Americans, Asians, or even English people are what we were all exposed to as children. Can we even erase all the misinformation or is preventing the spread of this epidemic all we can do?

We're Here, We're Queer, Get Use To It!!!!! :-)

So looking around the GLSEN website I found a ton of facts and statistics about LBGT students in schools, facing bullying and harassment all around the country. Some facts include: 84.6% of LBGT students were verbally harassed, 61.1% of students felt unsafe at school, and that the GPA of students being harassed for their sexuality or gender expression was almost a half a grade below average. So as a new generation of educators, this is kind of scary and completely outrageous. How can a student learn if they are being tormented in schools?


Moving on, I decided to check on the GLSEN blog where I read up a few foundations and alliances that support the LBGT community. I learned that there’s an organization called the” It Gets Better Project” that sets out to make a difference in LBGT student’s lives by providing countless videos of previous LBGT students who have survived the horrors of high school and prove that life really does get better. The organization was started by Dan Savage and his partner in September of 2010 with their own video I have linked below. I watched in and can honestly say its truly inspiring.


I also leafed through the media center and looked through some articles. Deciding to go back in time to a period when I was too concerned with cat dog and rug rats to care about the grown up world around me, I explored some articles from 2001. Conveniently I happened upon concerning the brutal death of Matthew Sheppard who was beaten, lashed to a fence, and left for death in Laramie prairie, Wyoming. I have a small personal connection with this event because a couple of years ago my old high school’s masqueraders club performed The Laramie Project, a play that depicts the events of Matthew Sheppard’s life. The Westboro Baptist church, which is known for its radical views and protests on homosexuality frequently protests this play and one of the reverends was actually going to show up at the high school with signs that said “God hates fags.” But he got the wrong date to the performance. He posted on the church website something along the lines of Bristol and Warren are full of fag lovers and will burn in hell. Here I know from first hand experience, the danger that lies out there and why the statistics are so high. When communities can have such homophobic/ hate filled people in them that helps fuel the injustice it really is hard for LBGT students and the community as a whole. Overall I found the site really eye opening and interesting. I had no idea it existed. 

A Multicultural Compromise

In “Aria,” Richard Rodriguez argues that encouragement of the conformity of a single public language leads to a sacrifice of the personal identity for a public identity.  
Through Rodriguez’s personal experiences of his own childhood adaptation he conveys his main argument that schools that force children to speak English steal the child’s identify. American citizens of a different nationality and race shouldn’t have to lose a part of themselves in order to fit into society. By being forced to speak English at home rather than Spanish, the young Rodriguez lost the closeness with his family as well as lost a part of himself. But can this point really be argued? In theory, his family came to this country, so shouldn’t they be expected to learn the native language? The same thing would happen if I moved to Italy, I would be expected to learn Italian. Sure, people are bi lingual and I wouldn’t be completely lost but isn’t it courteous of people to learn whatever language is accepted in whatever country they are in. 
Now I’m not saying I don’t fully agree with Rodriguez’s piece. There is a sacrifices of individuality, but not all situations are like this. Most of the people in my town speak Portuguese and English, and the Portuguese culture is still celebrated. The town and local Portuguese churches hold festivals multiple times a year and there are ethnic shops and other establishments. Sure, Portuguese children go to school and are taught in English, but that doesn’t mean they lose all of their culture. 
I do agree with Rodriguez that it is easier for the upper middle class to learn other languages like French and Spanish. I believe they should have to, ideally that would somewhat change the public’s view of language and create a new bi-lingual atmosphere over time. Today more so than any other time in American history there seems to be more integrating of languages, whether it be automatic telephone operators telling us to press one for Spanish or the multi-language instruction manuals in a box of hair dye. If we were more open minded to experiencing other languages, people who use English as a second language would probably feel more compelled to be apart of society; and maybe even the culture of power would expand too. 
Others feel as though having a set primary language allows immigrants to share a “common core” and expand American culture. Which leads to me to ask, is Rodriquez being selfish here? On the flip side of losing an individual identify for a public one is he being disrespectful not somewhat embracing being American? I’m all for individualism, but why can’t there be a balance? Why can’t we speak English in school but treat Spanish and French as welcomed languages as well? That way we have both cultures, that way no one is left out and feels as though they still have themselves in a public. We all have to make compromises in society as much as I hate to admit it. Its frown upon to run around naked, so we cover ourselves in clothing. But we don’t all wear the same shirt and pants, we find our own style and make ourselves. 

Amazing Grace Reflections

Throughout reading  Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol I couldn’t help but draw parallels from the people he wrote about and myself. Although I didn’t grow up in a place anywhere near to how bad as Mott Haven, I did experience a childhood dipped in drugs. My parent’s were heroin addicts while I was growing up and I lived with them and my great grandparents. They would sell my video games, movies, cds, anything that could give them a couple of bucks in order to get their fix. However, compared to the text my life was a cake walk. I never had to physically see my parent’s shooting up, although it was obvious enough to me at a young age that they were unlike my friend’s parents, and that something was wrong.

Like the children of Mott Haven, I experienced a dismal depression, and grew up too fast. I was able to hold onto my blissful ignorance longer than children such as Cliffie though because my town was of a middle class stature. I greatly feel that the area of which you grow up in really impacts your life and the person you are. In harder areas, such as the Bronx and Mott Haven, children cannot escape the darkness that surrounds them. Its in their play grounds, on the streets, and at every corner. At least I had the chance to get away and go over a friend’s house or walk around my neighborhood without the constant reminder of how bad my home life was.

This piece just goes to show that people really adapt to their surroundings. The fact that young Cliffie was able to walk around the slums of his city and still seem chipper is inspiring; especiually considering ho w many childern in his area as well as the United states experiences depression. But the fact that his childhood is tainted by the world around him is utterly depressing. I can’t help but wonder where young Cliffie is today and how his life as progressed.

Overall, I can’t help but wonder how the government could let a section of the country get as bad as this. Isn’t there any regulations or laws against prostitution in these areas? Shouldn’t all the drug dealers be arrested? Its not like they’re in hiding, they most likely have drugs on them and could easily be put away for dealing. Who decided it was ok to abandon poverty stricken areas and deem them as wastelands. Is there even a way to help fix up these disease and poverty stricken areas?

Blog Test/ A quick look at me

Hello poppets!

I'm Heather, and welcome to my blog. I'm an English/ secondary ed major who can't spell and loves penguins, reading, and doing random stuff. By day i am your typical college student, but by night i transform into Spongebob! Yes, i am a burger flipper at my local Wendy's, well technically I'm a shift manager now. I was marching band flag instructor at my high school my senior year so I got to teach people how to hit pedestrians with a five foot metal pole. I enjoy long walks on the beach, iced tea, and cheese, lots and lots of cheese. Coffee is my vice, i can honestly say I'm addicted. I am also the proud owner of the world's cutest cat in the world, hands down. His name is Rin (left) and i heart him ever so dearly.I also love creative people, and experiencing they're interesting-ness. I like to make lists of interesting things. For example, i have a list of jobs i'd love to have such as hair color namer and team mascot. Hmmmm what else to write. Oh! I just discovered that my life long dream could possibly become a reality.

You see.

Theres this thing that people do called Flash mobbing, which is when a bunch of people who have rehearsed and whatnot all show up at planned location  full of people secretly, like a bus station or super market, and somehow get music to play over intercom and all just randomly break into perfect song and dance (bellow.) I've always wanted to do that so i figured if the whole college education doesn't work i can go commit my life to sporadic entertainment.

I also am obsessed with penguins and Lady Gaga. In fact, if she wore a penguin costume i'm pretty sure i'd have to start a Gaga cult, no I'm totally kidding. Thats just unhealthy. I did however learn the Bad Romance dance and perform it at my Senior prom.

Well i guess this is a pretty solid intro, hope you guys had as much fun reading it as i did writing it. Ciao!