After class on Tuesday my opinion definitely changed about illegal immigration. I never thought about how my ancestors were immigrants when they came to the U. S. and took the land of the indigenous people. When I think of immigration, I think of people from other countries such as, Mexico, coming to the United States. It has never crossed my mind that my people too are considered immigrants. The comic picture of the Europeans coming in on a boat and crossing over to the Native Americans land gave me a clearer picture of how my people are immigrants. We took over land and a culture that was already established and made the land ours. Immigration is always going to occur no matter what time period it is. It is something that cannot be stopped by a simple wall and some enforcement. People are going to find their way to wherever they want to go. I used to think illegal immigrants were a ‘bad’ thing, but after class my views and opinions changed about illegal immigrants.
A close family member of mine employees' two illegal immigrants who crossed the boarder from Mexico. They are both here trying to make a living for their family who live back in Mexico. The immigrants rarely see their children and spouses. Both of them barely speak any English, but somehow they get by. Working the United States away from their families is a way of life for them. I can honestly say they are the hardest working people I have ever seen. Not only do they work for my family, but they also have another job in the food service industry. It amazes me that they can be away from their families for such long periods of time. After thinking about the situation a lot of illegal immigrants are in I now feel more sympathy towards them. I realize most of them are just trying to get by and support themselves and their families. I think if people are willing to work and are not harmful to our Country, then we should welcome them.
A lot of businesses employee illegal immigrants for two main reasons, they are cheap and they are willing to do work that Americans would not be caught doing. It kind of makes me mad that Americans are not willing to do jobs such as washing dishes at a restaurant or landscaping. A lot of Americans are without jobs, yet they would rather be without a job than work the types of jobs immigrants are willing to work. This creates more businesses hiring illegal immigrants to fill jobs, which causes more and more immigrants to come to the United States. Americans should not be mad that illegal immigrants are here if they won’t even willing to work.

The telephone game that was conducted in class yesterday was a unique way of showing how information travels with in our society. I’ve played whishper down the lane before so I had an idea of what was going to happen. While Dr. Jones was reading the story to the girl I was trying to follow along too. The story was hard to follow because to me it wasn’t that interesting and Dr. Jones was not reading it too enthusiastically. When people are not interested in a story people tend to lose focus on the story. This causes information to not be transferred from person to person. The telephone game showed this exactly. As each person re-told the story to the next person, specific information was lost. Not only was information lost but some people began to add information that was not even in the story. For example, one guy described the African American group as a minority group instead, yet the people before him did not mention the African Americans as a minority group. By the time the story was re-told to the last girl, it was nowhere near the story that Dr. Jones read. As a society we tend to hear what we want to hear. We do not look at minut details that are involved in stories and conversations. People begin to fill in the missing pieces by using their own opinions and examples. This causes the story to be twisted and turned from what the real story was. Gossip is definitely caused this way. We used what we think was said to re-tell a story. Our opinions tend to influence the story both negatively and positively. If we enjoy the story and agree with it, most likely the story will take on a positive meaning when it is retold to the next person. On the other hand if we do not agree with the story, the story is more likely to be re-told negatively. Also, if we do not agree with the story we are more likely to only pay attention to the major details. Stories can also be influenced by various other elements such as economic status, race, gender, and where one grew up. For example, if a guy told his buddies that he hooked up with multiple girls over the weekend, his buddies would praise him and be excited for him. On the other hand if the guy told his girl friend, the girl would most likely be disgusted. Also, they guy problem gave more details about the hook up to his buddies then to his girl friend. Stories can take on multiple meanings depending on various things. I thought Dr. Jones’ telephone game was a great illustration of this.

Tuesday’s lecture, “Christian Invaders,” was a great lecture, but it was not my favorite. Sam delivered the lecture wonderfully, but it just was not for me. The lecture was very powerful and insightful, but I am not a person who enjoys talking about politics and the war. I do not like conflict and I feel like politics and the war are just full of various opinions which create conflict. Most of the conflict seems unnecessary. The war also confuses me because I don’t understand why we are really there. I know we want oil and we want to help the people, but why? The lecture actually scared me a little bit because I never thought of the United States as being the ‘bad’ people; I thought we were there helping the Iraqi people. The pictures and videos portray the American soldiers helping little kids and people on the street. You do see bombings and explosions, but the news portrays it as we had to do it in order to help the people. The video that struck me the most in class was the video of the American soldiers running over and destroying an innocent Iraqi car. I felt so bad for the taxi driver who owned that car because that is how he makes a living. Now he is without a car, thus without a job. If we are trying to help the Iraqi people why are we doing this? The video that had the “Jihad” in it scared me the most. I think it was the music and the way “Jihad” popped up on the screen. I felt very uncomfortable and actually considered leaving. The United State is not helping them if kill innocent people, we are scaring them. I thought it was great that Sam put us in the shoes of Middle Eastern people. It opened my eyes even more. Being in the shoes of a Middle Eastern person really helped me understand a little more of what was going on in the Middle East. If I were in the Middle East I would hate the United States and see no good in what they were doing. I wouldn’t want to walk outside my front door and see bombings and people getting killed. That could be a family or a friend who was just killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fearing everyday of my life and my family and friends life would not be something I could get used to. The Middle East thinks the United State is there to spread Christianity, and by the end of the lecture it did look like that. I would not want another Country invading my country and my people the way the United States is.

This lecture really made me second-guess why I wear short skirts and high heels almost every weekend. Guys are able to wear basically what they where all day, while women have a different wardrobe for the nighttime. It seems that skirts have gotten shorter and shirts have also become shorter. It is somewhat amusing to walk around State College late at night. Girls have their arms linked together hoping to get warm. We are suffering! I have found myself wishing I were a guy on multiple occasions just so I could wear comfortable and warm clothes out at night. Guys seem to have it easier in every sense.
I think women believe short equals sexier which leads to more compliments and attention, especially from the opposite sex. And who doesn’t want more attention, right? We are sexual beings who want to attract the people to us. But why do women, especially college students, go so far to be “sexy?” I also never understood why men categorize women their sex appeal by what they’re wearing, but women categorize men on their personality first.

Overtime society has conditioned women to think that dressing sexier attracts guys more and somewhat easier. Society has also conditioned everyone to live in a man’s world. Women read on a daily basis how they can please their men. Magazines such as, Cosmopolitan, tell woman what to do and what not to do when it comes to attracting guys. For example, the recent Cosmopolitan website has articles titled, “The Cosmo Girls’ Guide to Oral Sex” and “His Favorite Time to Have Sex.” I agreed with Laurie and Sam when they said we are living in a guy-centered world. I never realized this until they mentioned it and started to explain it. I went through all the cosmopolitan Magazines I had and all of them had at least two articles that had to do with pleasing men. Where are the magazines that tell men how to please women? Men are the ones that should be reading up.

I believe a lot of women try so hard to attract men because most of us want a relationship and want to have companionship. Guys are not fixated on getting married and having a relationship, at least not at our age. Yes, they still pull out the nice polo or button down top, but they don’t think so much into it. Women think, “do I look fat in this,” do I look sexy enough,” and so on. Maybe women need to just relax when it comes to dressing up for nights out. Men probably wouldn’t even notice.

After this very eye-opening lecture, I believe both men and women need to take time to learn how to learn about the opposite sex. Most of us are so more interesting in pleasing other people, than just pleasing ourselves. Women should not have to wear shirt skirts and tight pants to attract men. It is ridiculous that women are wearing basically nothing in snow and freezing cold weather.

I am a white female who has grown up in an all white neighborhood and had little interaction with black and brown people until I entered middle school and high school. Race was something I never really thought about until I reached middle school. I never thought deeply about it until a high school history class I took in 10th grade. Dating outside my race is frowned upon within my family and community. There are not a lot of black and brown people holding hands with white people in my town. My family does not seem to understand different races. For example, senior year I went to two different proms, one with a white guy and the other with a black guy. All of my family knew that I was going to prom with a white guy, but my mother and father only knew I was going the other prom with a black guy. My mom told me not to tell my grandmother or aunt and I knew exactly why. I immediately could hear my grandmother and my aunt’s voices in the back of my head. I knew my own family would judge me and not understand he was just my date. Prom is supposed to be an exciting time, and it was, but it hurt me when my mom said that statement. I should have been able to tell my whole family and in turn they should have been excited for me. That is one problem within my community and family, none of us were really and truly exposed to race.

For the white race, it is still relatively new to date another race. Our society is slowly starting to change and become somewhat more acceptable of other races. I believe our grandparent’s generation plays a major role in how we perceive other races. Since they grew up during a time where different races were separated, that is what they are accustomed to. There ways of thinking and values influence the way my generation think and act toward various races. I know I have been influenced a lot by my grandmother’s thinking. It took me a while to realize this because I grew up hearing her opinions of other races. Although I still feel unaware of a lot of racial issues, I believe that the current society has helped me let go of some of my grandmother’s ideas. The white race developed powerful judgments of other races that have lasted for decades. With time, I believe races will be able to come together in solidarity. Most likely we won’t see this happen in the next couple of years, but overtime society’s views will change. We will be able to look past the color of a persons skin and see who they really are from the inside.

Currently I think I am in between stage two, awakening, and stage three, the revisioning stage. Before taking this class, I was aware of some racial issues, but didn’t really have a full understanding of different races. My upbringing has definitely influenced my perception of different races and how oblivious I have been. During my first year of college I went to school in Providence, Rhode Island. The University I attended, Johnson and Wales, was composed of an array of cultures and ethnic groups. Before I went to Johnson and Wales, I was in the pre-awakening stage. Race wasn’t something I really thought about, especially since I was from a predominantly white neighborhood. But after stepping foot in Providence and experiencing different cultures for a year, I entered into the awakening stage. I became nervous talking around different races. I was afraid that if I said something the wrong way or looked at someone funny, they would characterize me as racists and I did not want this label at all. Eventually, I learned what was appropriate and what was inappropriate to say to various races and ethnic groups.
Now I believe I am entering the third path of the awakening stage and simultaneously entering into the revisioning stage. I seek a deeper understanding of races issues and I am interested in learning about different races and cultures. Learning about different races and cultures excites me now whereas before, I did not acknowledge the differences as much. I don’t necessarily think I feel anger toward white people. I just believe a lot of white people, at least where I am from, are stuck in the pre-awakening stage. They don’t really understand the differences of races and all the races and cultures that are out there.
The environment around me has shaped and influenced my beliefs. Also, media influences along with events that ones exposed to during their lifetime help contribute to the stage they are in. Sock 119 has touched on topics that I have felt uncomfortable and would have never talked about before. I feel I am more aware and educated about various ethnic groups therefore; I am able to move through these different stages. I don’t know if I will ever be at the humanitarian stage, but I am excited to find out.
It is easier to say you are at a certain stage, than actually be at that stage. For example, people can say they are at the humanitarian stage, but they really aren’t because their actions do not match the stage. People become oblivious to their actions because their actions become so normal. With more and more international people and immigrants coming to the United States, it is important to understand different races and cultures.

The “R” word is a word that seems to be tossed around more and more these days. Even though people who use the word don’t always mean to be hurtful, often times the word is hurtful. Growing up with an Aunt who has mental retardation, this is a very sensitive topic for me. When people use the r-word I don’t think they understand what retardation really is and how this word affects not only people with disabilities, but also people in general. My father told me stories of how children would make fun of my aunt when she was younger. Although she didn’t really understand what retarded meant at her age, she would come home crying. Eventually, she didn’t want to go back to school at all and was enrolled in a school for children with disabilities. Theses stories have always stayed with me, especially when I hear people use the word retarded. When I was younger children would call other people retarded in place of calling them stupid or dumb. I remember I would always stand up for the child who was being called the r-word. The r-word brings lots of anger and frustration to me. Sticking up for the person who was being called retarded allowed me to get my frustrations out.

This is also a sensitive topic for me because I am currently studying special education and hope to work with students who have disabilities. Children are all unique, but none deserve to be called offensive names such as, retarded. Children with disabilities all have wonderful talents and personalities. None are stupid. In fact, a lot of children with disabilities display talents in other areas.

The r-word should be eliminated, but I think it is definitely easier said than done. I think words fade in and out and the r-word will be one of them. The more and more a word is used, the more and more the word becomes “okay” to use in everyday conversations. For example, the word gay has become a word people don’t just use to refer to a person liking the same sex. People use the word now, much like people use the word retarded. Both gay and retarded are used to mean stupid, annoying, etc. I know a lot of my gay friends use the word gay in various ways too. I remember one time I asked them if it was okay if I said “that’s gay” and they responded by saying, “yea, I don’t care. I say it all the time.” These words have become a part of our society. Politicians and other significant professionals should not use the r-word at all. They show other people and children that these words are okay to use when really they are not. Unfortunately, people use words such as, retarded and gay, interchangeably with other meanings.

I believe we see people from other countries as so different than us because we are not culturally educated. In various classes, we study other culture’s values, beliefs, and even their landscapes, but we don’t take a deeper look into what and who that country really is. Unless we have traveled to a given country, we cannot gain a true understanding of its nature. Textbooks and videos can only tell us so much about another country’s people, customs and values. I also believe many people are naïve when it comes to understanding people from other countries. Ideas, both negative and positive, form in our minds about other cultures and countries. For example, everyone wants to go to Europe and explore all the sites in Italy or Amsterdam, yet you don’t hear a lot of people wanting to explore poor countries or countries that are not talked about as much. The media plays a role in what we think of other countries. I have to admit, when I think of going to a foreign country I think of traveling to Europe or the beautiful islands, not Iraq or Afghanistan. Travel shows, such as “Samantha Brown” on the Travel channel, capture the must see vacation locations but never show impoverished countries. A lot of people are not interested in watching show of impoverished countries because they are depressing in a way. It is emotionally hard to watch children and families who are living without clean water and limited food.

I believe more people need to be educated and explore other countries. Once people do that, they will see we are really are all human beings, from different backgrounds and nationalities but nonetheless we are the same. We all have most of the same wants and desires as one another. A lot of people would be surprised to find out that people from other countries are just like us. When the group of Muslim students answered questions in class Tuesday, they mentioned how they go out and party, use Facebook, and go to school just like every other college students in America. It is so obvious that other people in other countries are so similar, yet it is it weird to think about. To learn the Muslim students have Facebook and watch similar T.V. shows surprised me. Maybe it’s because I have never really experienced and explored other countries first hand. Also, I come from a neighborhood of predominately white people; therefore I haven’t interacted with many different races and cultures. This class has opened my eyes and mind to various things I was unaware of. In the future, I hope to explore different countries and cultures so I don’t have to base my judgments on what I hear and what I am taught.

The video we watched in class really hit me hard, especially when one of the former slaves said, “it was like eating his flesh.” When he said that statement, I realized chocolate isn’t just chocolate. I have to say I am a chocaholic, but that video really made me think deeper about chocolate. Chocolate isn’t just about the great taste and the smooth, creamy texture. There is more that goes into creating that great taste and smooth texture. Behind the wrapped chocolate is a persons hard work, sweat, and tears.

As I was walking back to my apartment after class, I walked slower than usual to really take in the video and lecture. I was somewhat shocked and unsure what to think of the video. At first, I told myself, “okay, you can’t eat anymore chocolate unless it’s fair trade.” But I realized that that is easier said then done., especially for a chocoholic At first, I was also pissed off and upset that there are still slaves. And I knew there were, but I never actually saw and heard from a slave like I did today. The troubles and torturous treatments they are put through so I can enjoy a piece of chocolate is ridiculous! I don’t understand how this is still going on in the world today. I understand businesses and companies use cheap labor to keep their prices down in order for them to make a lot of money, but aren’t their practices unethical. How can anyone view slavery as being a good thing? How do the companies feel about this? Obviously, they don’t care enough or we wouldn’t have this problem. To see a human being beaten is disgusting and wrong. I am so frustrate that this is even happening and I really didn’t take it into account until the video shown in class. In a way I feel like I am a horrible person and somewhat ignorant.

I couldn’t help but notice all the men’s faces on the video. They were lifeless, depressed, and tired. Being enslaved not only hurt these men physically, but emotionally. The man who said “it was like eating my flesh” also said he never ate chocolate before. He never ate what he worked so hard to help produce and for good reason. Chocolate to him isn’t about great taste and smooth texture; it’s about long hours, hard work, and no pay. We think of chocolate as a comfort food, whereas these slaves see chocolate in the exact opposite way. I know I can’t give chocolate up completely, but I also know I will be more aware of what I am eating. Chocolate doesn’t taste as good when you realize you are eating someone’s flesh.

I believe my family has to do a lot with where I am today, especially here at Penn State University. I truly don’t know if I would be in college if it wasn’t for my parents constantly pushing me. While I was growing up, I knew once I graduated high school, I would be going to college; there was no other choice for me. I guess I could have told my parents that I didn’t want to go to college or that I wanted to something else with my life, but that was just too hard for me to do. My parents never went to college and still make a decent living, but I feel that they wish they did go to college. I feel as if I am living their dream, not mine. All of my family says how proud they are of me and how excited they are that I go to Penn State, but every time I tell them that I’m so happy here, I am really lying to them. In reality, I am not happy here and would prefer to be somewhere else, like culinary school. But how do you tell your parent’s, who have worked so hard just so you can go to college and pursue their dreams that you don’t want to? I know I can’t.
Although my parents influenced the path I have taken thus far, I believe where I grew up has also influenced me. About 95% of the people I know from high school have gone to college and will graduate next year. The high school we went to made sure we were prepared to enter college. There were SAT classes, advanced placement classes, and other services that helped us all excel and be ready for rigorous college classes. If you did not go to college in my area, you were looked down at in away; like you were not good enough.
On the other hand the choices that I have made have also influenced where I am at today. I first started out at Johnson and Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, but after about five months of being there, I decided it was not the school for me. I decided I wanted to transfer so I began to apply to Temple, West Chester University, and Penn State University. In the end I obviously picked Penn State University (thanks to my parents), but ultimately it was my decision. If I picked Temple I would be living in the ghetto of Philadelphia probably scared out of my mind, but on the other hand, if I decided to go to West Chester, I would be living five minutes from home. It’s weird to think about going somewhere else because I believe my life would be totally different. Our experiences and choses influence our future and how we deal with various things.