I am not from a different country. I am not an immigrant, and I don’t know many people who have gone through the immigration process. However, America was only discovered about five centuries ago and I trace back to my ancestors. I have deep connections to immigration. This fact should affect our subconscious, because Americans as a whole are the products of past immigration. My great-grandmother is Yiddish; my great grandfather is from Poland. My roommate is Portuguese and my best friend is from China. The melting pot of American culture and the great pride we as a country take in being “the land of the free” can only be supported if we continue to welcome new people. I am fully in favor of immigration. For example, China has the largest population in the world, and they still continue to populate. When I see pictures of immigrants in horrible conditions it touches my heart because I have compassion for human beings. It’s a subhuman trait to see suffering and prevent them from reaching their salvation. We should embrace immigrants and especially treat them with respect because as a country, we are making a statement for flourishing life. From a foreigner point of view, moving your family and leaving your home is a huge step. I was born in this country, and I am lucky for that. I will not condemn somebody for his or her inability to be birthed into a positive situation.
That being said, I have to put limitations on my efforts to help immigrants because in terms of illegal immigration, getting involved may put me in a vulnerable situation with the authorities. I do not want to break the law, and if my help came in the form of sneaking a family into the country. I’m not sure I would sacrifice my future in the name of people I do not know. If it were life or death, I would obviously do my best to assist somebody. Though, I must help myself first and going to jail would not do anything good for me. Needless to say, I am definitely in favor of immigration and putting heavy restrictions on people looking to improve their life is not the humane choice.
My high school was largely Hispanic, and some people were openly not legal citizens of the country. I remember talking to a girl and she explained to me about her life in Mexico. She said she lived in a shack of a house with her two siblings and parents. Her dad was barely scraping enough money to live on and she usually only ate about one meal a day. Her present situation is a dream in comparison. She isn’t rich, and her parents aren’t completely satisfied with their careers. But she has clothing, friends, and the promise of her health.

It’s interesting to think that our schools are more segregated now than they were in the 1970s. Perhaps it’s a reflection of the stagnant times and the fact that America is unable to move forward due to racial reservations. My high school as an example is not racially separated, but it is a sign of the times that African American students seem to identify better with students of their own race. Simultaneously, Hispanic students talk more with students of their own race as well. It’s not surprising that people identify with their own culture, and I do not identify this as “segregation”, but possibly assimilation. If I were a new student in my high school, I would certainly approach the white kids before other races simply out of my generalization that they would be more accepting. I don’t think this makes me racist, but I do think that this makes me normal. It is a natural reaction to difference that I would approach people who are most like me. Secondly, I will befriend a student of a foreign race, but initially I would greet people who are the most friendly. I find that people of the same race seem to be the more friendly. Interestingly enough, people may disagree, but if someone were to argue- I would say that if a person feels more camaraderie for somebody of their same nationality. It’s a personal identification. Just like if I met somebody who spoke the same language, as a foreigner I would greet them will an extra portion of recognition.
I recall my first moments at summer camp. I went to a theatre camp in Hancock, New York. It was a small area in the middle of the state, and I do remember it being super isolated. In my camp cabin, it was primarily students of black and Hispanic race. From the get-go my entire cabin was not that friendly towards me. Everybody else in the cabin was new, but it seems that everybody talked to other people before me. Maybe it was because their personalities seemed to shine through as more agreeable, maybe it was because it was that their cubby was cleaner or that they smiled more- but I have a hunch it was because they were not of Caucasian decent. My cabin mates and I definitely did become friends. Almost immediately after they greeted the other new people, they greeted me with a warm welcome. My stance is specifically in terms of first impressions. I recognize that people are more compelled to greet people of their same race first. This could be clue to why high schools are segregated.

When I first saw the pictures of the impoverished children on the screen, it stirred a bit of affection in me. I equate my childhood with a thousand happy memories of ice cream, beach trips, Barbie dolls, and play dates with my friends. To be exposed to photographic evidence that the children of Haiti are in a far opposite situation makes me feel guilty, and compelled to take a stand. Instead of the children photographs, I was more upset by the pictures of the people killed by the disaster. It was pretty disturbing to visualize a woman, struck dead by the weight of a huge concrete wall. But then again, I should feel discomfort if its good for me to see. Discomfort is often the source of action. For example, most people wouldn’t even consider being vegetarians without haven’t seen PETA sponsored videos of cows being slaughtered in houses. The brutal evidence that everywhere in the world isn’t as perfect as the town of State College makes me realize how selfish I’ve been. I want to act, and maybe masterminding a plan for Haitians to rebuild themselves will play a little part in a dedicative act.
If I wanted a reaction from college students, I would’ve used the same tools. Pictures of young children evoke different emotions than a picture of an adult would. While I was a child, I would shed a tear for not being allowed to play with my pet dog for more than an hour. The children shown in the pictures had legitimate reasons to be upset: their house being destroyed, their parents being killed, the knowledge that their future would be radically different then what it was supposed to be. Growing up surrounded by natural disaster is scarring. The children will grow up to be pessimistic and to know that kids are not confident in the fact that they’ll live a happy, fulfilled life is just not okay. The pictures were taken with good-natured intentions. They were supposed to be produced with the idea that people from different countries would see them and react. The purpose of photographic documentation is to prove something is occurring, and at what price is it to the children of Haiti to have a snapshot if it means that they’ll have a better future. I disagree with the fact that it may upset people that the children’s pictures were taken. The possible outcome is way more important then the emotions of naysayers. If somebody is “offended” then they need to step back and look at the big picture: People need to see pain, to feel pain, to fix pain.

Whenever the word “penis” arises in common conversation, people immediately retract. It’s a “bedroom” term, much like vagina or any other sexually arousing term. It is a part of the male anatomy, and should now be avoided in conversation, but a polite person does not mention it. I am not the mature, sexually experienced being that those in their middle ages are and perhaps because of my youth, I develop a nervous giggle when talking about the word penis. It is hard to disguise the comical aspect of a college professor saying the word penis over a loudspeaker, and although I missed the first five minutes of class on Thursday…I’m sure that the first time the topic was brought up about a “needy penis”, people laughed out of embarrassment.
The lecture behind the topic name of “needy penis” was not nerve-wracking, however, because I agree with the discrepancy of female to male verbal-equality. It is completely unnecessary that a female be dubbed “needy”, and a guy can avoid the term altogether because of his gender. Whenever I pursue a guy I like, I have a wall up until a certain point because I never want to appear clingy. I’ve been taught that that is not something a guy likes. It confuses me though, because I would think that a girl’s blatant interest in a guy would be deemed attractive. There shouldn’t be any “games” in a relationship, and being interested to the point where you want a lot of attention is not something that should be discouraged. I think that’s the problem with relationships today. I don’t think guys know the role they should play with all the “pimp” propaganda that is spewed across the media that makes them think they shouldn’t be tied down and shouldn’t be vulnerable to their feelings. Apparently even having feelings is a feminine trait. Being “needy” is something that only girls can be, and that is ridiculous. The penis needs multiple options of girls to feel important while a girl just needs one man to feel good about themselves. The insecurity seems to lie with guys more than girls in that sense.
But I do understand that is it fact that women are more emotional beings. They have a higher estrogen level and upon that they tend to grow feelings for others more readily. Perhaps it is because women “need” a guy to feel good about themselves where a guy doesn’t need, but just wants. I don’t find myself needy. But I do know that I must make a conscious effort to not appear needy. Maybe that means something.

A lot of my friends are openly gay. But coincidently my high school was not the most embracing of the homosexual lifestyle. A lot of guys would say rude comments to my friends, call out things like “faggot”, or just be blatantly not nice to them. If my friends were ever called something bad while I was present, however, I would immediately react. Though most of the anti-gay confrontations obviously occurred when other people were absent from the situation. I find that homophobes tend to say something when the gay person is alone, so that they feel more empowered. I hate witness discrimination, so obviously if I can help or add some verbal support I will. But often, my support is not the most classy or feminine. It can be in the form of a middle finger sticking up at the offender or a face-to-face yelling match, which I usually win due to my stubborn disposition.
The specific case I recall was one of the more eye-opening experiences. I was at the mall with my girlfriend and guy friend who happens to be gay. Five minutes before the incident I spotted two of my high school guy friends who I had not seen in a while. I approached them with a genial greeting and caught up with them for a couple minutes while my two friends who didn’t know them just kept to their business beside me. After that meeting, my two friends and I decided to walk into the store right in front of where the two boys were standing. As we walked in, I heard my two friends talking behind me. “They pointed at you and called you gay” –now this is an appropriate term, because my friend is in fact gay, but there was a negative connotation to the way my friend mimicked the persons. “Who?” I said. To my shock, they said it was the two boys from my high school who we had talked to not five minutes beforehand. I kept my composure while we all browsed through the store. But when we all departed the racks, I approached my two “friends” and gave them a piece of my mind. I aggressively reprimanded them for calling out my friend, told them that they were pieces of homophobic shit, and told them to go to hell. After which, I told them to apology to my friend. They obliged my request begrudgingly. I don’t thinks it’s okay to act belligerently in situations like mine, but I think being assertive is better than not saying anything at all. I am very protective over my friends and I think I’m entitled to express my anger for prejudice against the LGBT community, because it is obviously very unfair that they get discriminated against for being themselves.

I come from a very diverse high school. Every day walking down the hallway it feels like im in a NYC subway- I see black, Latin, white, and brown people from all different places and I really felt like I left high school with a great grasp on cultural tolerance. Many people are racist who come from small towns, and even though I did not live in a bustling city I made contact with people from many different places. It has broadened my horizons on my own cultural offerings, that my background is different to somebody else’s so who am I to make instant judgments about a culture that I am inexperienced with. I feel that people who are alienated from people of different races often are the ones who experience latent racism. Those who have come in contact with only a few bad representations of people from different races are the ones who are outlandishly prejudice.
At Penn State, I was surprised that I didn’t see the same amount of racial diversity that I was forever surrounded by in my high school years. At a school of 40,000 one would expect a different color person around every corner, but unfortunately the majority of people I meet happen to be white. The most black people I meet are member of sports teams on campus like the football or basketball team, but if you observe the member of Greek Life- sorority and fraternity members of asian, black, and middle eastern descent are far and few between. So no, I am not impressed by the diversity at Penn State and I would think that the students of Penn State are missing out on a great “social” education. Truth be told, people mostly befriend people of their same ancestry, so the few people who are stepping outside of the box and exploring the small cultural diversity available at Penn State are the only people being enriched. I appreciate Soc119: Racial and Ethnic Relations for the reason that it allows Penn Staters to face their close-mindedness and perhaps the next time they leave their home they will be taking one step closer to being socially tolerant, and socially adventurous. Stepping outside of ones comfort zone is the most difficult thing to do for the average joe from a small Pennsylvania town, so its good to know that this class is teaching them to be unhindered in meeting new people.
I don’t know how Penn State can improve its diversity, other than sending out more letters to court the members of minority races. I think that because Penn State is in such a random area of Pennsylvania, we lose out on racial diversity because one finds most people from different background located in more urban areas. My biggest complaint about Penn State is the location, which mirrors the lack of cultural diversity, which makes me feel like I’m in the middle of nowhere.

Most of the people in America, specifically college students, have lived a “charmed life” when compared with the treacherous toil of the freed slaves. As a student in the higher education system, I am one to be envied because of my consistent meal plan, sheltered dormitory, and exposure the world of quality education. We have been given the basic tools to survive and presented with a starting point from which I can do what I please, and strive for success with as much perseverance as I enable. I have not set out with any immediate disadvantages to hinder my pursuit of happiness. The freed slaves from the get-go are discouraged to succeed because they have been dealt a poor hand in their past life. Yes they have been oppressed, but in the aftermath of their freedom they have never provided with the support to fully recover from their decades of financial oblivion. Instead of gradually climbing up the ladder of success from a rookie position like the average person, freed slaves were thrown down to the first rung and they have been struggling to rise ever since.
I do not know if it is guilt I feel for being given a fair chance at a great life. Being a white woman, I receive no prejudice from other races and I have not had to deal with a lot of hardship in my life, which should not make me feel badly. I do feel sympathy for freed slaves, however, because like I am a white woman, I am also a Jewish woman. No, the Jews have not been perpetually vulnerable to a life of poverty like some other races. And “slave” is not an operative term associated with the Holocaust like that of the word” genocide”. But the Jews were subject to a lot of cruelty and like the slaves, we were treated inhumanely. It is fact that the Jewish culture has recaptured their wealth in America, and perhaps more cultures can recover from their murky history. I feel compassion for the misfortune of the freed slaves. I do not feel guilt because I am blessed with a good home, but I feel guilt for failing to lend enough of my efforts towards helping them become prosperous.
It can be argued that guilt is the primary motivation in being a generous person. If people recognize their guilt or sympathy more readily, then the freed slaves could perhaps be en route to a more promising life. The phrase “freed slave” is an oxymoron because although these people are not the property of another human, they are still enslaved by their destitution. They cannot explore the rewards of freedom until they escape their enduring financial bind. It’s a depressing reality that people should accept more responsibility in repairing.

As an 18-year-old girl, I should really know far more about politics, current events, and world issues. I feel ashamed when my grandmother quotes from The Economist or The New York Times and I have no idea what she’s talking about. I’m sure as I grow up I’ll become more conscious of my duty to keep up with the news so that I can be educated on things that may affect my life or emotionally affect me.
About 40 years ago I feel that teenagers were more in tune with the happenings of the world because they didn’t have such highly developed distractions that influence the triviality of present teenagers’ lives. While media and music comprise the majority of my time, I should be “paying it forward” and making my life count in relation to helping others. Sadly, when I have committed myself to community service, although I felt that it was definitely a rewarding experience, the main motivation was so that I could add it to my college resume-“They love that stuff!” Perhaps it falls back on the American stereotype of ignorant, selfish, fat, and lazy. Are people from other nations more aware and willing to help? Or has the human race just become more self-consumed. Many people do pool their efforts to help those in need, especially in other countries. However it definitely isn’t as much of a focus as it should be. There is something to say though, for personal time. If somebody takes on everybody else’s problems, they aren’t giving enough time to work on their self. This is a perfect example of martyrdom. Obviously, this isn’t the main issue.
Ignorance is the hugest character flaw for the majority of people. I know that people are hurting; the details of it would probably make me act upon my sympathy for them by lending a hand. Visuals help, and there should probably be a class in high school dedicated to strictly current events and talking about things that have occurred recently in depth. They could show a lot of documentaries. Everybody I know who has become anti-fur, for example, has seen video clips of the horrible way factories treat animals. People don’t eat veal because they may have seen a video of a starving baby cow and it prompted them to make a life decision. If more people took the time to look into things that are happening in the world, the bad mostly, then maybe more would step up and try to change things. Nobody is ignorant to that fact that they are, in fact, ignorant. The problem is self-obsession and laziness mostly.

The human race, specifically Americans, are all for instant gratification. Everything must be fast paced: “Special K diet! Lose an inch from your waist in two weeks!” “Food Network: make a meal in 30 minutes!” “The Bachelor”: find a wife in 3 months on national television! Being so impulsive has its setbacks, but a lot of times it is worth it to gamble for the ultimate result.
Analyzing the pros and cons of a major decision is, in all ways, the intelligent thing to do. When something affects a person’s life, they should ponder over the decision and come to the conclusion that will be the most beneficial to their future. Whether it is about deciding to eat the extra jelly donut in the box, or deciding whether to move away from home to another country, it should made with the long-term effects in consideration. “This donut will give me a stomach-ache”, “I would miss my family a lot if I moved away from home.” But there is something to be said for the satisfaction of spontaneity. What “makes sense” is logical, but boring. Life is short and there is no downside to being rash in the name of a greater outcome. People who take a chance will their futures often get farther in lives then those who stick with the plan because they don’t “play it safe”.
I believe in the “why not” mentality. I am willing to try or do anything just for the pure experience of it. I go with the flow and it’s a great character trait to be so easy-going. I make decisions on the spur-of-the-moment, which gives me confidence and strength to deal with thing that go awry. Because I have interest in being a voice major, I did not hesitate when my mother asked me if I wanted to look at other school with the idea of transferring. My friends actually think I am making the decision to transfer schools with no forethought, but I think that by putting myself in a vulnerable situation, I could potentially be the happiest I’ve ever been. I always hear about success stories in which a person falls in love with a career, like cooking, and impulsively drops out of college and changes their life plan in order to pursue it. While making a big decision is not wise, I think it’s courageous. A person who lives with such certainty that “everything will turn out okay” will most definitely lead a more fulfilled life than somebody who worries about everything. They will not have regrets. I see no wrong in making big decisions quickly because it’s the most opportune way to achieve a great future.

Racial distinction is always going to be present in a world where beauty and appearance are such a “social signal”. People judge others based off of their appearance and the color of one’s skin may not prevent a person from talking to them, but it is the biggest signal that the people are different from each other. The world is populated by tons of different cultures, and just like the melting pot of New York City people choose to maintain their culture by sticking with friends who have the same background. I attended an intercity high school filled with Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic ethnicities and sat witness to the clear separations between races. Although everybody befriended each other and were cordial, in most cases people surrounded themselves by members of their own race.
I think in the future, racial tension will lessen immensely. However, because people like to identify with their origins, it creates a fissure in mankind’s ideal of a unified people. It is only natural to stay connected to one’s culture, but it creates a definite separation among races. This is not necessarily wrong, but in separation come problems. War is the most common problem. War is the result of different countries with different cultures fending for their own prosperity. The anger that builds up from grueling war makes the battling countries resent each other’s citizens. This is the root of the stereotypes and hatred that cloud certain races. Until world peace is achieved, the negative feelings races have towards each other cannot be dispelled. Race will always be an issue because war and hate are perpetual issues in the world.
But human beings have made progress with racial tolerance. I find that every new generation of people becomes less and less prejudice, more and more welcoming of new friends who may not be a product of their same race. In my area, extremely racist parents can have children who aren’t racist at all. My best friend has a bigot father, but she is on the dance team and because she is surrounded by a variety of races, she has a multitude of friends from different places. I also think that specific areas of the world are less ignorant to racism than others. There is much more prejudice in areas which aren’t exposed to a variety of cultures. For example, New York City is more diverse than Kansas. Hence why it is the hub of social tolerance and destination for immigration.
The bottom line is that we now have a black president, Barack Obama. This incredible feat could not have occurred fifty years ago, so America is well on the way towards eliminating racism. But worldwide the idea that race will no longer be an issue is very unlikely because world peace does not exist.