It is pretty funny that Spanish is continually being taught in schools across the country, but schools refuse to teach what will likely be one of the most widely spoken first languages (if mandarin hasn’t already made it to the top). It is true that the wealthiest man in the world will come from China in the not so distant future. It is only a matter of time. Luckily for us English speaking Americans, I believe many of the successful Chinese people also know how to speak English. I think this is why we see a larger interest in our schools for learning Spanish. Many Mexicans and Latinos in our own country don’t know how to speak English.

Spanish speaking people have immigrated to the U.S. in very large quantities. So there are more Spanish-only speaking people here than there are Mandarin-only speaking people. Also, they are HERE, in the U.S., as opposed to across the Pacific Ocean. So there is a perceived greater need for students to learn Spanish. Certainly, this is a very American perspective of how the world revolves around us. In a perfect world, Mandarin and Spanish would be taught along with English. But I guess only one language can be taught and our country has made a decision that it is Spanish.

Chinese Mandarin will be a very useful language to know even into the progression of this young decade. We have to acknowledge the rapidly growing Chinese population and economy. I am sure that there will be certain people who choose to learn the language and will do very well for themselves. They will likely be successful businessmen who decide to learn the language to grow their businesses on the international level.

Obviously, the video from askbenny.cn is a fun way of teaching Mandarin to the world. I think if people were exposed to learning a language in fun ways like that or through the more unique teaching styles like Rosetta Stone, then they would be more encouraged to learn foreign languages. Chinese Mandarin seems like a very difficult language to learn, therefore it should be taught at a young level. It would even be great to see American students speak mandarin to Chinese students and those Chinese students to respond in English over a webcam. I think it would be a very unique way of having a “Pen Pal” and it could help our two countries to develop in the future.

Learning Chinese Mandarin offers a unique opportunity for young Americans to become future leaders. Spanish doesn’t give them this opportunity, but it is unlikely that the trends in teaching Spanish will end anytime soon. It will likely take a massive awakening to Sam’s point that we need to learn Mandarin before it will finally be offered in schools around the country.

Call me crazy or insensitive but I don’t think people should be offended by the term negro, especially since the negro option was listed as Black, African American, or Negro. The emphasis is on the word “or” in that sentence. Yes, I do understand that negro was a more popular term in a time when racism was more common in the U.S., and it even dates back to slavery. However, some people do identify as negro, so why should their preference be left out?

The census isn’t made to anger people. It’s created and sent out to attempt to understand the population as a whole. Sometimes, grouping people into a category is necessary to try to understand the composition of the country. The woman who said she is of Cuban ancestry, but born in Puerto Rico and identifies herself as white, has an even more difficult scenario than most black people have. She can’t identify herself as any one race, so she is forced into trying to select what she feels is most appropriate. In the end, I think there are probably thousands if not millions of Americans who have similar situations which hopefully balance each other out.

To me, it seems very silly that people get so upset over a simple poll that is designed to help the country as a whole. Sure, it has its flaws. But listing the thousands of different racial possibilities that exist in America is completely out of the question. There really is no way to get a perfect understanding of every single person because we are all different. We have no choice but to categorize people in an effort to get a better understanding on a very broad level.

Even at one point in the study, the term white was discussed as a clearcut selection. However, the two white woman interviewed expressed their opposition to the simplistic view of all of those who identify as white. The one woman even mentioned her slight Indian ancestry. There are so many differing ‘levels’ of whiteness that there could even be a census for that.

My point is that America is such a mixed country that I can’t believe people actually become upset by a few terms that simply attempt to help categorize people and help the country as a whole. Everyone is different and we realize that. We even celebrate our differences with holidays and history months. Why can’t we just fill out a survey to the best of our ability knowing that it is impossible to perfectly categorize every individual?

I am very surprised to find out that Native Hawaiians haven’t been given their land back like Native Americans have. Some of the delay may come from the fact that Hawaii was only added as a state 50 years ago. But Sam is definitely right, we as Americans rarely if ever discuss given land back to Native Hawaiians. In fact, I would assume the state’s politicians are reluctant to hand the land over because of the large loss of revenue. Also, the land could become vacations resorts and tourist destinations in some places just like casinos on Native American reservation. Clearly the best interest in the minds of the government is not to turn over any land.

But a moral person would definitely think that the land should be returned, especially since there are so many natives who are homeless. It will take some time for the natives to be reintegrated to a more civilized life and all their problems won’t simply disappear overnight. That is clearly demonstrated today with the many problems that Native Americans continue to face.

I think the decision that should be made is to return some of the land to the Native Hawaiians. In theory, all land should be returned to the natives, but it just seems like such an unrealistic resolution. However, I think the U.S. government should be careful when they make their decision though. Some financial aid should be given to the natives in either an annuity or lump sum to help establish a new functioning nation. The U.S. should also study past experience with Native Americans to help the process. Also, I believe the U.S. has a duty to always protect the Native Hawaiians when the land is returned. In the event of another Pearl Harbor like attack, the natives shouldn’t be left defenseless for the decisions of the U.S.

However, no decision should be made without first consulting the Native Hawaiians themselves. It is originally their land and their opinions should count the most since they will be affected more than anyone else. I think too often the government or society just does what it feels would be best, when in reality, maybe the natives would like a different resolution. Who knows, maybe everyone would be happier with the decision in the end. Just as Sam has been discussing in class lately, it is difficult to put yourself in the shoes of another person or group and truly see what they see on a day to day basis. Listening to the party that will be most affected is probably the best decision. Also, like any other issue that our country faces, the more awareness there is the more likely we will have a more informed and equitable decision made.

At first, I think many of the players, parents of the football players, and anyone else who has a vested interest in the team will have doubts in the back of their minds. It will take some time for the community to fully accept her as a football coach, but it may actually help the team unite to support their coach. It is a bit of culture shock to see a woman on the sidelines, but I think it will be more of an adjustment than a recurring issue. Ultimately, like any other football coach, her status as head coach will come down to her Win-Loss record.

Women are slowly becoming integrated into coaching staffs around the country. Some of the most successful coaches in all of college basketball history are Pat Summit and Vivian Stringer. Even women who take lesser roles on teams are being recognized, such as Steelers’ Assistant Trainer Ariko Iso is widely known around football. There is definitely a more difficult path to the top for women in football because it is such a male dominated sport. It is unrealistic to place a person with no actual football playing experience into a head coaching role. However, the women’s football league that Natalie played is gradually gaining popularity. With more women becoming involved in football, I think it is realistic to see more women involved with coaching staffs in the future.

I don’t think gender plays much role in a person’s success as a head coach. It has more to do with experience, intelligence, and possibly most importantly, ability to be a leader. All of the most successful coaches in sports history were good leaders. Poor leaders have very little long term success and very rarely win championships. I think as long as a coach has the player’s respect, then they can eventually be successful. Besides, a woman can bring a different dynamic to team, just as a quiet coach like Coach K or a boisterous coach like Bobby Knight can.

Natalie’s story is especially inspiring to those who continue to break down barriers. It seems like every few months a new story like this emerges and it really gives a good perspective on the progress our country is making. She will face more obstacles in the immediate future, but it may open the door for more female coaches in the future. The coolest part of the whole story is how relaxed Natalie Randolph is with her situation. She seems completely aware of the history she is making but in no way lets it alter her personality. She simply is comfortable with who she is and what she is doing with her life.

So what would happen if a slave owner were to watch MTV, ESPN, or VH1?

I’m not sure but I think the result would actually be pretty funny. I would expect the slave owner to be quite stunned at what he was seeing on the television (assuming he understands the concept of tv). He would probably be even more surprised to see something like football or baseball where blacks, whites and other races intermingle and all get along as a cohesive team. The slave owner, who would undoubtedly be a male, would be quite surprised to see a woman like Erin Andrews working along the sidelines of a sporting event. Someone like Marion Jones would probably be mind boggling to the slave owner.

Also, it would be pretty interesting to see the reaction of a slave especially given the mindset of the era. I think that even a slave would be quite stunned at what they were seeing since the culture in the days of American slavery was so different.

I also wonder what the slave owner would think of the many white guys who dress like black celebrities like Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, just to name a few. It’s a really crazy concept today that many white college kids dress to be another gender, where as a couple hundred years ago, a slave wasn’t permitted to dress like a white slave owner. Crazy how our culture has evolved, huh?

In today’s culture, it isn’t uncommon for a white guy like myself to “idolize” so many different races. For instance, some of my favorite athletes are Tiger Woods (pre-transgressions), who is Asian and black, James Harrison, black, Hines Ward, Korean and white, and Evgeni Malkin, a white Russian, and Kobe Bryant. I would consider the afformentioned players my favorite athletes across the sports I care most about. Obviously I have a wide variety of taste and skin color makes no difference in how much I follow these athletes.

I only listed athletes because sports are probably the things my friends and I discuss the most and follow the closest. But I also have similar music tastes as my friends which range from Lil Wayne and T.I. to Guns N’ Roses and The Offspring.

My point is that today’s culture is so much more accepting of a wide variety of races that I think anyone who live 200-300 years ago would be quite surprised at how we are living today. Obviously American culture isn’t perfect yet, but it is really interesting to see society evolve. It’ll be even more interesting to see how our society and culture functions when we as college students are in our 70’s and our grandchildren are entering their college years.

Well, Sam said at some point this year he would offend everyone in the room. He’s finally struck a nerve in my body. I’m not offended by the woman, Yvrose, or her story, but rather slightly put off by his comment on the many businessmen in the country that work in high paying positions in corporate America [Sam, if you read this, don’t worry, I’m not that offended ;) ]. I am a student studying finance and I strive to work in one of those same positions that Sam says are filled only because they need to be, not because of the skill of the men and women that fill them.

Sam, I think you’re underestimating the majority of corporate executives and upper management.

However, to Sam’s point, Yvrose is a very talented woman who, given the chance and proper education, would be able to rise quickly in a company in the U.S. It is unfortunate that there is such a disparity between the U.S. and a struggling country in Haiti that is so relatively close to Florida’s most Southern tip. Yvrose does demonstrate advanced principles for a person who only has a 5th grade education. She shows her intelligence through her business practice. While I slightly disagree with the way the NPR report portrays her business as “Wall Street Executive Level,” she was surely never taught anything similar to what she is practicing now.

I believe she has learned to think like a businesswoman with her back against the wall. Often times, when a business is about to go bankrupt and fail, its management can often come up with some of its most ingenious plans. In Yvrose’s case, she has learned to think outside the box and come up with nifty and effective ways to do business in a country that lacks any solid economic structure. This is certainly a skill that any company in the U.S. would covet. I believe that if Yvrose could have been raised in the U.S., been given a thorough education, and landed a job somewhere in corporate America, she would have succeeded as Sam said. She would rise quickly with her ingenuity and smarts.

Now one thing to consider in this process is desire and necessity. Yvrose is likely very influenced by these two forces, one on the inside and one on the outside. Yvrose has a desire to be able to afford for her children to go to school and succeed in her own right. She realizes her desires, and out of necessity, comes up with her unique business model to accomplish her goals. I believe that this is why many Americans fail rather than go on to become extravagantly wealthy. There must be a drive inside of one to make that person rise to the top or in Yvrose’s situation, survive.

Like I said, it is unfortunate that such a disparity exists between these two countries and that women like Yvrose never get the chances that many Americans have. Hopefully in the future, as Haiti recovers from this devastating earthquake, more people like Yvrose can surface and ultimately lead Haiti to become a wealthier and more successful nation.

Roxxxy is by far one of the funniest inventions I have ever seen. I have always assumed that there were lonely and awkward men out there who would try to invent a sex machine. However, this invention is on a whole different level. It’s really quite sad that a guy would ever need to stoop this low just to have sex, but we live in a culture dominated by sex through advertising and personal relationships (or lack thereof in the case of anyone who buys this extremely expensive toy). Maybe we should blame the media or the inventor for attempting to mass market a sex robot for men, but I think the finger pointing should be pointed at those who make this purchase.

In my opinion, if a man needs a robot to complete himself, then the guy needs to think about investing $7,000 in therapy rather than the robot. What I wonder reading the article is, “How do men get to the point where they can’t find a woman and think it’s okay for a person to have sex with a machine?” It really is crazy to think that a guy has such social fears that he can’t find any kind of woman for himself. And it’s even crazier to think that the machine is personally adaptable and can be programmed with extra sayings and personalities. Do the buyers not realize that you don’t have to pay a woman to make her say different things? Apparently not. And how on Earth could someone find any kind of connection with artificial intelligence?

I guess I’m just struggling with the idea of sitting on a couch with a stiff doll that won’t even make eye contact with its “lover.” What if the guy wants to go out to dinner and a movie? I guess that won’t be happening anytime soon. The doll won’t help the man develop any more of a socially acceptable personality either. I can only imagine the men who purchase this doll still live at home with their moms and this is part of the reason that they struggle to meet women.

Speaking of living with mom, where were this man’s parents growing up. There had to have been some other person looking out for this person when he was growing up. Someone should have nudged him in the right direction. I am rarely a fan of the ridiculous amount of medicating that Americans do these days, but something has to exist to help relax men enough that they can communicate with others.

The saying is true; men love their expensive toys. However, this toy is one that is clearly for a different type of man, one that truly has some social needs to take care of first.

I’m replying to this post because I feel that I can provide an interesting view from somewhat of an opposite perspective. I grew up in a very white suburb of Pittsburgh. Our graduating class was about 360 students and we had only a few black students. Now many people would assume that there were a lot of racist students in my grade, but the contrary was actually true. In fact, many of the students in my class really liked the only black teacher in our high school.

Similarly to marg33’s post, my cousins grew up in a school in South Carolina which was approximately 50% black and 50% white. When I would visit and meet many of my cousins’ friends, many of them were very racist and open about this. My cousins themselves were not racist as they grew up in Pittsburgh in their younger years and my aunt and uncle lived in Pittsburgh much of their lives. However, the evidence of the racist nature of the South was very evident. Some trucks even had Confederate flags proudly displayed by their owners.

I think the difference in these two regions country says a lot about the mindset of the North vs. the South and the views of blacks. I’m not saying that there is no racism in the North or that every Southerner is racist. But there is a distinct difference. I believe a lot of this is attributable to the Civil Rights movement that took place mostly in the South and where the highest black populations still exist in this country.

To Laurie’s point, the Civil Rights movement does spark much of the conversation of blacks vs. whites in this country. But I believe that slavery is linked with the Civil Rights movement. Blacks gradually gained rights coming out of slavery, but these rights were not always accepted by whites, especially in the South. I believe this has a lot to do with the Civil Rights movement. Therefore, the two are strongly linked. This results in a long lasting divide between the two races that had much more to do with timing than anything else. When Asians and Native Americans were exploited in this country, there was much less “media coverage” as opposed to that which existed in the 60’s for the Civil Rights movement. The excess exposure rewrote history and directed the attention of millions of Americans to the Civil Rights movement.

So many converstions about race inevitably end up revolving around blacks and whites because of the deep, enduring issues from slavery to the Civil Rights movement and the media coverage they receive. I do think that race relations, especially between blacks and whites, is progressing across the country, but to some extent, marg33 is right; racism is something we will always have to deal with.

So why exactly do people vote against their own interests? The article’s proposed reasoning is that people do so because they feel as if the politicians are talking down to them. I couldn’t disagree more. All I want as a registered voter is to have a politician explain the situation to me in the simplest form possible. However they fail to do this and it is up to the media to explain the situation – and provide its own spin. This is why Obama’s health care plan has backfired. Media outlets, such as Fox, its business channel, NBC, and especially CNBC, have begun bashing Obama and his health care plan. Not to mention his reckless spending of trillions of dollars to bail out corporations.

In relation to the economy, one of the article’s contributors, Mr. Western, made the following statement, "Obama's administration made a tremendous mistake by not immediately branding the economic collapse that we had just had as the Republicans' Depression, caused by the Bush administration's ideology of unregulated greed. The result is that now people blame him." The problem with this statement is that Obama DID try to blame the depression on Bush. However, it was not solely Bush’s fault our economy tanked, but primarily an 18 year run with Alan Greenspan as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. He, not Bush, was the one who lowered interest rates and allowed lax financial regulations to allow excessive borrowing ultimately leading to the mortgage crisis.

The reason Obama has lost the support of his voters is his poor execution since he has taken office. He has made the economic crisis worse and is damaging the health of the future U.S. economy. One of Thomas Frank’s arguments is that the Republicans have learned to fake sincerity to persuade Democrats to their side. Then how come so many Republicans and Democrats have disdain for Bush???

So back to the original question. Why do people vote against their own interests? They do so because they aren’t well informed. They believe that there is a better alternative. They do so because they are persuaded by the media. People trust the media and doubt the officials they elected into office. I think people vote against their own interests because they never get a straight answer from politicians. The only place their questions are answered is through the media. The article is right on one account. Many people could benefit from the health care bill. However, there are too many questions being raised and not enough answers. Politicians need to lay out a simple plan, not a 700 page document that politicians themselves do not understand. I don’t think the American public feels that it is being spoken down to; rather people don’t trust their politicians. Thus they turn to the people who they feel do understand current issues and are trustworthy, the media.

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