Illegal immigrants always been given a bad reputation and a negative connotation. I know a lot of Americans don’t want illegal immigrants coming to the United States because Americans think these immigrants are stealing jobs that unemployed American citizens want. During class Sam showed us what happened to California when they decided listened to Californians, who wanted all the illegal immigrants out of their state. The fruit farms were deprived of workers and were losing millions of dollars because of the lack of workers. Illegal immigrants were the only ones that were willing to work for undesirable jobs and receive a low wage. Unemployed Americans thought they were too good for these jobs and or too lazy for the hard work involved. You can’t decide where you want to live so it is not fair for people to deny illegal immigrants because if they were born in a different country then they probably would want to come to American to achieve that American dream that everyone always strives for. Everyone wants a better life for themselves and if that is to cross the boarder then that is what they will do. People shouldn’t have to think negatively about illegal immigrants because truth is that most Americans were illegal immigrants at one point and if it wasn’t for a great great grandfather or grandmother than we wouldn’t live in America and we would be doing the same thing as immigrants, which is trying to cross the boarder to be able to live in the country of opportunity. Immigrants are trying to better themselves so we shouldn’t take that away. You can’t judge things until you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. I feel like that is what sociology 119 is teaching us. Not thinking like an American or like yourself the whole time but like the other person. If I was an immigrant I would want to better myself and to do so if that was to go to United States I would go there in a heart beat and take everyone I know with me. Yeah, now we can understand that if we were in an immigrants shoes we would be doing the same thing they are doing, which is bombarding the boarders but there has to be some sort of control. I don’t know how we can control this issue because immigrants are going to keep coming to the United States no matter what. Government is spending a lot of money to control this issue and Sam said the benefits of immigrants is equal to the costs so this issue is that big of deal and shouldn’t be so hyped up all the time. All in all is that we need these immigrants because with immigrants in the land of opportunity we will be suffering and be generate losses in money and supply.

When I heard affirmative action, I thought of blacks and other minorities getting hired and getting in to prestigious schools all because of their race. They didn’t have to be as qualified or make the standards because being a different race automatically puts that person at a disadvantage and affirmative action is to help fill that gap. After class I have a different perspective on affirmative action and Sam pretty much explain everyone in some shape or form has benefited from affirmative action especially white people. I had no idea that white woman benefit from affirmative action nonetheless they are the group that benefits the most out of any other race. I have an advantage because both my mom and dad went to college. I didn’t know that meant anything. I didn’t know nepotism was a form affirmative action which is why almost everyone benefits from affirmative action. Graham Spanier said it is about the people you know not necessarily what you know. Since I am a business major the one most important advice I hear in class is networking is key to success. When I go to meetings and meet CEOs and big companies they say the same thing, which is you need to network to be successful. I can say I got a job because of my dad works for the company so he helped me out. My dad also helped my brothers with top of the line job in New York City. My dad is a good networker and he knows a lot of people which got him far and is getting my siblings far. Nepotism is a good thing I think because everyone is on the same page but the people that network and reach out are the ones that are successful. You don’t need to have the highest grade point average or be involved in the most clubs but if you know people, people can help you out along the way and hopefully get you where you want to be. Nepotism could be a bad thing when you are on the opposite end. If you are the person who studies really hard and is super involved in all different clubs but doesn’t go out of your way to meet people you might be at a disadvantage even though you have an extremely good resume. Networking is a very important asset to life and that is part of nepotism so Penn State is teaching us how to benefit from networking which is helping us in affirmative action. Nepotism is good because it is saying that befriending people can go a long way and friends are important. Friends can help people strive in life and we need friends because they can help in many different ways.

I never really noticed it until I came to college. My high school was mostly white but we had some minorities even though they fit in with the white culture. I feel like since in high school we had to learn a language like the traditional spanish, french, and latin it isn’t that bad walking around campus hearing people speaking spanish to each other because it isn’t as noticeable and sharp like how Asians talk. Last year I even had a foreign exchange student from Colombia to live with me for a whole school year. I think this also softens the uncomfortableness around spanish speaking individuals or groups. The Asians in my high school never really spoke their native tongue in school or I just never heard it. Maybe in Asian clubs like Chinese or Mandarin club they would speak it to each other but that was after school so I never really heard Asians speaking to on another in their native language. On the other hand it is very frequent in college. Even though the statistics say that there aren’t that many Asians that go to Penn State, I see them everywhere. Maybe it is because they travel in groups or packs so it is easier to spot them. There are some in my building and obviously in class but I always see them in the computer lab or the library. I feel like those are typical meeting places. I think it is a little more uncomfortable being around Asians than spanish or french speaking people because the Asian language is so unfamiliar for most of us and it stands out. It seems that no matter how many English speaking people are in the room, people can always hear Asians speaking. The language is sharp and different and unfamiliar but the funny thing is is that if the Asians are speaking Mandarin then they are actually speaking the most spoken language in the world and us English speakers are the minority and different. I do feel a little uncomfortable when around people that speak a different language because I don’t know what they are saying and what if they are talking about me? They are speaking in like a secret code it seems like. I don’t know what to do or say when I am around Asians because I am totally not at their standards and I feel like if I asked them to teach me a couple words it wouldn’t really help. My roommate took Mandarin and thought it was hard pronouncing everything perfect and learning the different characters. I like how there are different cultures here at Penn State and hopefully that will make me grow as a person and diminish these culture, social, racial boundaries.

Life is only so long, so people think of adventurous activities or risky tasks to spice up their life before they past away. Sam’s famous words “we all are going to die anyways.” Using your imagination people can make a list often called a bucket list with interesting missions. If you ever seen the movie The Bucket List you know that there are many exciting things to do around the world. So my friend and I were talking about girls because that is what guys do and we concluded a goal is to get with a black girl, in other words put it on our bucket list. I am not trying to be a dick and trying to have sex with a black girl in order to cross it off my bucket list because to get with can have a wide range of definitions so to clarify it can be anywhere from kissing, making out, dating, or anything beyond that and any of those things will be sufficient in accomplishing a task on my bucket list. I am in college right now and I am only a freshman so I have time to experiment. College is the time to experiment I have heard so hopefully with the remaining college life I hope I get a chance to try some new things and have fun and live life to the fullest pretty much. There is nothing wrong with interracial relationships. It is actually growing very fast in the United States and being more and more accepted. In my discussion group we talked about interracial relationships and everyone seemed pretty open to date a person from the opposite race. We also discussed that white guys think black women are intimidating to talk to but a black guy, in defense, said if you talk to a black woman they are very nice you just have to pass that barrier. Also the black guy said if you go to a black party and if you are a good dancer you can get with any black woman there. So if I am ever invited to a black party I am going to make sure to watch many Chris Brown videos before I go and show those black woman this white guy knows how to dougie! I wish I had some tips for him because he is interested in dating white girls but I guess it isn’t as easy as to be one of the only white guys and be a good dancer because white people assume all black guys are good dancers. I don’t know because I think white girls have things for black dudes the only problem is walking back with them and seeing some black girls make faces. If you really like someone and they happen to be a different race then go for it because love is a very strong emotion that shouldn’t be hindered by judgements.

During our group discussion we talked about white guilt. We concluded that we don't really feel white guilt until we hear statistics or really think about it. For example in class when Sam talked about the fact that a white person with a felony has a better chance in getting a call back for a job than a black person with a clean record makes me feel a little guilty. Even though I have no control over my race, Sam keeps telling us that a reason he got far in life is because he is a white male and this country prefers white males rather than any other race or gender. I also feel bad when Sam was talking about the example where some of his friends or family where painting houses going door to door and getting job offers and tasks. Sam's friends and family had a messy van full of all the tools while a black person that they were working with was the hardest working man in their crew and had an organized tool van and showed up early and left late. Since they had so many job offers Sam decided to give some houses to the black worker and when he showed up for his job, the houses reevaluated and rejected the black worker even though he was the hardest working most loyal worker. Sam got a lot of jobs because he was white and this black man was rejected because he was black. This isn't right which makes me feel some white guilt. The other big statistic that makes have a little white guilt is the average median salary for the different races. After seeing the bar graph that represents the different races average median salary and seeing that white people are dramatically higher than almost every other race than I felt a little guilty. I am fortunate and I think about that almost everyday but I don't realize how fortunate I am until I visually see these heart wrenching statistics. I just assume no matter how fortunate I am that since we are all made it to Penn State and getting Penn State we are all fortunate and relatively equal. When in history class the teacher talks about the topic of the Civil War or slavery than I also feel white guilt but I can't do anything about that. I feel bad for the black population when learning about these sensitive topics but that was the past and I can't do anything to change the past. All I can say is that it seems that blacks are treated more equally and is more accepted into today's society. Views have changed from great grandparents to grandparents to parents to our generations, we are more colorblind and treat different races more equally. Sometimes there is some tensions or awkwardness but things are getting better.

Yes I feel guilty. I always think about me in different situations like having disadvantages or me in a different socioeconomic scenario and wonder if I would get to the same place. I wonder would I still have the drive and determination if I was put in a lower class environment that I have to struggle to survive. When watching slave videos and underprivileged people I am always so grateful for what I have. I am feel guilt watching these videos and say to myself that could have been me. I am lucky where and how I grew up. I am lucky that I am a white man who lives in the United States. Even if I was a black man or even a white woman in the United States things will be different. I wouldn’t be treated the same way. Being a woman I might be treated nicer in a professional way or treated like inferior in a social way. Women are not treated as equal as men. There are all those jokes about woman staying in the kitchen because that is where they belong. My business seminar teacher had a story about a business meeting filled with all guys and a woman and a guy talked about business to another guy but when he went to the businesswoman he started to conversation with how are the kids? The man didn’t what he did wrong until she explained what he just did in fiery. Being a black man or woman there is always the race card in effect. When looking for a job it is sad but it seems that recruiters are a bit racist according to the data Sam showed us where it is more likely a white person with a criminal record will get a call back than a black person with no criminal record. I don’t understand the injustice in the working world. It is awful what slaves have to go through. If they are slaves than they in a horrible condition with long hours of work with little to no pay and brutally watched or tortured. If the slaves are freed or runaway they are already at a disadvantage with all the education and knowledge lost from the constant work for their owners instead of going to school. These freed or runaway slaves are living with their clothes on their back and with no money. With the SAT statistics the higher the income the higher the SAT score. So it seems they are out of luck with getting a high SAT score which will help them get into college. With lack of money it will be hard to start a comfortable lifestyle and future. It is sad to say but a lot of slaves are not going to go very far it is proven in statistics.

White people are afraid to be called racist. Ever since slavery has been abolished more people are more accepting of blacks. Since the United States is a melting pot with numerous religions and races over time people are moving away from discriminating from different people other than African Americans. This being said it is rude and inconsiderate to be racist since we are progressing to stay away from discriminating so it is not acceptable in this society to be racist or discriminatory. Even white people will call a discriminatory white person out and ask what there problem is. Slavery has been abolished for awhile and blacks have the same rights and privileges as any white person so they should be treated equally just like any other person. This concept is the same for other the other races, cultures, and religions. Just because someone practices a different religion, believes in a different God, wears different clothes, has a different color pigment of skin, or has a different accent. Everyone should be treated equally. I think subconsciously everyone is a little racist. It can be the tiniest bit but it is a latent prejudice. You might just think to yourself something bad to say to someone who is another race or religion but you don't express it. The fact you say in under your breath or inside your head makes you feel better than you can go on with your day. No one wants to be that guy who is racist and people know he is racist. When Sam put up the statistics of the experiment with the 500 identical resumés and more white people were chosen for the job or the fact that it is more likely a white person with a criminal record will get a job than a black guy who has a clean record. That is absurd and no one wants to be that recruiter for the jobs. People would flip out on him in this society and in the media if he responded to a question like why did you pick these white people that have a bad history and not these good black people and he just flat out said oh because I am racist. Obviously people don't want to admit to the fact they are. In is inappropriate and unacceptable to the progress and to American society. There are some grandparents who are racist but that is because they grew up in the era of Jim Crow laws and racism was normal. If people are born now when racism is unappreciated and offensive then there is no reason to be racist. With the education of the slave era and other religions and cultures people will be more understanding of the history and why we should treat different people the same with anti-racism. Every one is a human on this earth breathing the same air and there is no reason to discriminate if they are a little different then you because in reality they are ninety-nine percent then same.

After class I think minorities are being represented with a wrong impression. With the statistics it doesn’t make sense with the uneven distribution of arrests in the United States. White people make up the majority of the population and partake in the most illegal actions. So it would make sense that most people that are in prison would be white but that is not the case. Black people who make up twelve percent of the population fill the prison rooms even though a hundred other white people are doing the same thing getting away. I don’t know if the police is racist in the fact that they watch black people more closely because they are easier to target or they think they are more suspicious but looking at straight numbers it is unfair. I do think there is a heavier load of police force in urban areas which will make sense because there are a lot of people in a condensed, busy, dangerous area. This needs all the help it can get to control and make things safe around the urban environment. I feel like the media can also help with addressing with the race issue. It seems like the news and police shows show different races getting arrested especially African Americans. Since the media is a big part of a lot of peoples’ lives this causes people to think that blacks are bad people even though they are not. If any race is the “bad” race it would be whites because they partake in the most illegal activity. More than any other race it just happens that they don’t get caught and they don’t have the stereotype of being bad lingering around their race. I don’t know what the deal is with the police force or the media because it is not right. I don’t know if two kids, one black one white, were involved with illegal activity if the police would arrest the black kid and turn their cheek and let the white kid go. I don’t know if police were trained to be more suspicious of blacks and other races. All I know is that according to numbers there is something wrong with the system because all races are miss represented. There should be a majority of whites in jail and that is only fair. Something needs to be changed in the police force and arresting process. There shouldn’t be a target and everyone should be treated equally like an individual. Race shouldn’t matter.

I would say choices I made and determinism has affected my life greatly. I would considered myself wealthy because my parents told me that I could choose whatever college or university I want and don't worry about the financial situation. Money shouldn't be a factor when looking for my next step in education. I am very fortunate that I was given the opportunity to choose whatever college I like meaning out of state or in state. I know a lot of my friends back home had some financial troubles so when choosing a college they either choose an in state school or a school that gave a lot of financial support. Out of state wasn't even a question for some of my friends. I am a white male and I am kind of smart but I try really hard and I think that is the best choice I make. Some of my friends were smart but they didn't put much effort into school. They partied a lot, had a lot of sleepovers, and went to concerts on weekdays while I was doing work and trying to have fun with them. I did well in high school and with my grades and involvement that I choose to do got me where I am today, which is to my number one choice college, Penn State. I am proud I got this far and I am going to continue to choose to try really hard to make it to my next step in my life. I was born into a nice supporting family who helped me when I needed help and was there for me when I needed them. I am a fortunate kid and I remind myself this so I don't take it for granted. Others have divorce parents so they don't see one or the other. The parents don't care about them and let them do what they want to do. I know people who have problems with drugs and alcohol. I know kids who try really hard it is just the information doesn't sink in and process so it is hard to learn. I remember one of President Obama's speeches I listened to in high school that talked about improving schools or something, Obama had examples of kids who were facing adversity. One kid had a mental problem which damaged his brain so it took him longer to study and learn. President Obama said he studied for a crazy amount of time each day I think like eight hours a day and he now goes to a really good college. I know a kid who went to my high school freshman year suffered from a stroke. It was unexpected and people didn't know if he was going to make it. He survived and had to learn how to walk, speak, and eat again and he graduated the high school with outstanding marks and goes to the University of Rochester, which is a great school. In class that one woman works two jobs and still goes to college. I think that is remarkable and I don't care what her grades are she is a superwoman. I am fortunate but these people push me to try harder and not take life for granted.

,Polish, and Ukrainian but I wouldn't say that to someone in Europe. I would say I am from America or the United States. In America I would say I am Italian, Polish, and Ukrainian so they know my exact background. This also is a way to see if white or black Americans are similar or different by asking their background. You can see if you have overlapping heritages and you can compare and contrast. This can also help better understand skin tone and other physical characteristics when asking other Americans their background.