Posted: 7/3/10
Due: 7/7/10

I think it is interesting to look at the fact that affirmative action and nepotism are pretty much the same thing, but that they are looked at in such a different light. I am also going to guess that all of us have noticed or benefited from nepotism in some way even though we were not the most qualified person. I really do think it happens in the work force all of the time. A teammate of mine sent her résumé to my dads company and he made sure he put the résumé on top and that his boss looked closely at the résumé. It is all about who you know. Just the other day, someone I know told me to put his name down as a reference because he knew the boss and if the boss saw his name I would have a greater chance of getting hired. It is all about who you know and the connections you make.

And most of us do not see a problem with this only when it is benefitting us. I know we do see the problem when we can blatantly see that someone else is benefitting because of who they know. My brother plays lacrosse and was trying out for a travel team and so was his friend. My brother, who is a better player and a year older than his friend, did not make the team and his friend did. The friends dad is the coach. So obviously, we are going to assume that the friend made the team because of his dad, he benefitted from who he knew.

The ten commandment responses I found were pretty comical. It is so interesting to see that people think they are so much better than everyone else. I actually think this is pretty ridiculous but it says a lot about people and how they think they are better than everyone else. The honoring your mother and father question, like why wouldn’t you assume that the majority honor their mother and father. Look around you, the relationship with your parents is something that should be cherished and most people do. We think that we are okay, and that other people are wrong but this really is not the case.

I think it is interesting how Penn State uses admissions counselors to recruit students to come to Penn State who normally might not have thought to come to the school. I do not see anything wrong with this. In my mostly white, suburban school, we had plenty of admissions counselors come to the school to try to recruit students to come to their schools. Like Dr. Richards said, if the sports team can recruit players and the administrators can recruit faculty, why can’t we recruit students who are smart and would succeed at Penn State? It might just open up these students eyes to a world of possibilities that they did not see before.

I couldn’t agree more with what President Obama has said about his girls because they have so many opportunities because of who he is. They shouldn’t benefit from affirmative action. Affirmative action programs should integrate class, race and ancestry. I think this would only help solve some of the problems and more people who need to benefit from these programs will be able to benefit from the programs. We must look at the whole picture.

Posted: 7/3/10
Due: 7/7/10

I couldn’t agree more that you want to be the victim of nepotism and you want to be able to use your connections to get ahead. The part about nepotism that bothers me is that when people do not work hard and yet they benefit and get opportunities they shouldn’t. Like I have a friend who is walking into dad’s business and has known from the time he was 2 that the business was going to be his, he has always fudged his way through school and got alright grades but he could have done better but he didn’t because he knows it wouldn’t matter because he had a job within a business that would eventually one day be his. That is what bothers me about nepotism. If he worked hard and deserved the job that would be a different story and I’m sure we all know people who have this type of situation.

Posted: 7/1/10
Due: 7/4/10

I think the beginning of the first lecture was so important how Dr. Richards pointed out the original immigrants did not assimilate to the way of life in America at the time. The Native Americans that were already on the land had to experience these newcomers who expected the native people to change their ways to be like the intruders. Now how is that fair? Wouldn’t it be interesting if the people in America now had to change their ways when new immigrants came in instead of wanting the immigrants to be like us? It is the different backgrounds and the melting pot of cultures that gives America its culture and livelihood, why would we want to change that and make everyone the same?

I know that there is a quota and only a certain amount of visas handed out every year, but we all know that we need these immigrants in order for the country as we know it to survive. So why can’t we “give” those who are working here illegally those visas. I really think people just have a problem with the term “illegal” in the phrase illegal immigrant. No one wants to do anything illegal and get caught, so why can’t we just make these immigrants legal? I think the problem is that people don’t like the term illegal. And some people probably just don’t like immigrants, but when you put the two together it just makes it worse. So make the illegal immigrants legal, we need them anyway. Many of you are probably going to say that can never work because then the US would just be handing out visas to everyone and it would be a mad rush to the US, so it may not be plausible, but I do think something should be done. These people are mostly coming here because they want to better their lives and are willing to work to do so, and after they work hard, they should be granted citizenship.

I think the story about the dog is absolutely ridiculous and clearly racism plays a part in this story. That dog attacked someone, it doesn’t matter who the dog attacked, it matters that the dog attacked someone. The dog is obviously dangerous and should be put to sleep. And then the rant on illegal immigration just bothered me because he just does not know his facts. Don’t speak if you don’t know the truth. What was more disturbing were the clueless people commenting on the video.

It is interesting to look at immigration leading to transformation because these people are coming here because they are hard workers and want to better their lives. It is the amazing stories like Jorge Munez who worked his way from the bottom, and is not close to the top, but has realized that people along the way helped him, and now he is helping the people who need it the most because they are hard working people. It is interesting to see how history is cyclical because back in the day when our ancestors came to the United States, they all moved to the same areas because being surrounded by people of the same culture was helpful and they helped each other out. This is still going on today. We cannot just throw away our backgrounds and culture, it is what makes each individual unique and what makes the United State unique. Yes, people will always have a problem with illegal immigrants because they think it is not right, and yeah it is illegal, but like so many other things discussed in this class, the solution is unknown but we know there must be a change.

Posted: 7/1/10
Due: 7/4/10

I think it is so true that when immigrants come to the United States we have very high expectations for them to blend in. I am not so sure that Americans think immigration is a bad thing, as long as it is legal. I think it’s when it is illegal that Americans have an even bigger problem with the immigration. Isn’t it interesting how we are all immigrants in this country except for those that are of Native Americans, and yet we complain when more immigrants come to the country? Our ancestors came to this country for the same reason people are coming here today, so what is the big deal? Why should we limit the opportunities for these people when they are willing to work so hard? We shouldn’t. I couldn’t agree with you more when you say that our country is the way it is today because of the different cultures and backgrounds of all the people, all of the immigrants, that make up this country.

Posted: 6/28/10
Due: 6/30/10

I am so happy, and I want to say proud even though I don’t know you but I am proud, that you were able to state that you do not have a problem with gays, but you also don’t think it is normal, but everyone has to accept it. Dr. Richard’s did prove with his reference to other species that it is “natural” and that other species in nature do have homosexual tendencies but that’s not the point. I couldn’t agree more that the government has bigger issues to deal with than who is sleeping with who and that is why I think they should just let it be and give these couples, who love each other, the rights they deserve.

Posted: 6/28/10
Due: 6/30/10

One of the first things we talked about during multiculturalism was that in the near future, white people will one day be the minority in America and that the number of people of color is greatly rising in this country. Dr. Richards asked the white people if they felt some sort of way about this and that if they did, this is most likely just projecting their ethnocentrism and their racism and I agree. We can also tie this into the second lecture about LGBT and being comfortable in our own skin. Many men who classified themselves as homophobes actually leaned away from being straight as the research proved. So what does this say? This says that when we often feel so strongly about something, it brings out something else from within us and that something we may often try to hide.

Hiding brings up another good point. Because people of color cannot hide their skin color, so people that are gay shouldn’t have to hide that either. But they so often do and they shouldn’t have to. And we now know that the world is changing and at least the corporate world is becoming increasingly more accepting of LGBT relationships. So when someone who considers themselves LGBT goes for a hob interview in the corporate world, they shouldn’t have to fear that they will not get the job because of their orientation but being LGBT will be embraced. No one should ever need to feel that they have to hide who they are and that who they are will make them inferior.

Another thing is that we so often only see what we want to see. Most of us would think nothing of it when we see a heterosexual couple holding hands and most of us probably didn’t even notice if they were when they walked by. But most of us definitely would notice a gay couple holding hands and I truly think it is because we only see what we want to see and what is “different” from the norm. If I were gay, I probably wouldn’t think twice about seeing another gay couple holding hands because that is the norm for me.

I think Dr. Richards proved quite well that being gay is not a choice, especially when we see children who are gay. This is going to sound so stereotypical, but I am a dancer and grew up going to dance competitions and always saw the young boys dancing and wearing rhinestones. Of course they had a choice to be a dancer and what costumes they were wearing but many of the boys carried themselves differently and had different mannerisms and even when looking at these 8 year old boys, you can tell which are most likely gay. So yes, I do think it happens at a very young age. And another great point, why would anyone want to be part of a hated group, it just wouldn’t make sense. So no, it isn’t a choice, and when I asked a couple of my gay friends if there was a defining moment when they knew they were gay, they all said they knew at a very young age and just tried to hide it until they couldn’t or did not want to hide it anymore.

Lesson 10
Posted: 6/21/10
Due: 6/23/10

Like you, I had so many more questions, and no answers as to why munorities get through the pre-awakening stage so fast. It would be interesting to see if when a black person grew up in a predominately white community if they would consider themselves less black, just like when some Asians consider themselves white and not Asian. Or what about a black kid that was adopted into a white family and was treated as white, would he or she see him or herself as less black? I also thought it was interesting to see that people’s minds and our society has not changed from the time of Brown vs. Board of Education to now in relation to the doll test. It is very sad to say the least. We are supposed to be living in a country of equality and this is clearly not the case.

Lesson 10
Posted: 6/21/10
Due: 6/23/10

I think it is so interesting to look at the connection between race, grades, and popularity. As white people get better grades, they are perceived as cool or more popular, but it is the reverse for those who are black or Hispanic. Why is that? We all know that you need to study and work hard in order to get good grades and be successful. Isn’t being successful cool? Wouldn’t being successful make you a little bit more popular. I know I wouldn’t want to hang out with the kid that doesn’t do anything with their life; I want to hang out with the person who is successful. That would make that person popular. But why is it that when you are a black or Hispanic youth, the higher the grades you receive, that makes you closer to being a white person and therefore less popular? At this young age, the white smart kids are popular, so wouldn’t you want to be like them? Doesn’t everyone want to be popular? So if you act like the popular kids, that will make you unpopular within your own kind? I guess that is like a nerd trying to be a jock, the nerds will get mad the kid is leaving them for the jocks, so the nerd will be unpopular within the group of nerds.

Another thing that amazed me was in the “A Girl Like Me” video when the young girl started to wear her hair naturally and the mother told her to stop wearing her hair like that because she “looked African.” But this girl is African so why should she have to change the way she looks and why was the mother so disapproving of their ancestry? She wasn’t able to embrace who she truly is and I find that very sad. Also, I cannot say that the results of the doll test were shocking that most children picked the white doll because I think it is safe to say that there are more white dolls on the market than minority dolls so consumers are primarily buying white dolls. But what does this mean that the children are choosing to play with the white doll when they have a choice and that they see the white doll as nice and the black doll as bad? What does this say about how they feel about themselves? Do the black children think of themselves as bad because of their skin color? Yeah, maybe. And the fact that they are awakened to the differences between white and black at such a young age. I don’t think I was awakened to these differences at that age.

The views on the mugging videos touched on a topic we talked about early. Dr. Richards told us that if we see discrimination, we have to call it out every time. We must call out discrimination and racism. That was exactly what the white guys response was saying, that if we are going to scream racism, then we have to scream racism every time or we shouldn’t scream it at all. I don’t necessarily agree with the not screaming racism at all, but we should call out racism and discrimination. What is wrong is wrong and racism is definitely wrong.

Posted: 6/16/10
Due: 6/20/10

I, like you, found the conversation about wash cloths comical. My house, and especially in my grandparents house, every bathroom has hand towels that we aren’t supposed to use and next to those hand towels, that are “special” are paper towels to dry our hands. I sometimes just think my family is lazy and do not feel like regularly washing the hand towels and that is why the paper towels are in the bathroom. I too hope that one day the young girl singers grow up and think for themselves. I do think their parents influenced their thoughts and because they are so young, they just do not know any better. It’s actually a shame. It is interesting how you thought that if white supremacy members do not force their beliefs on their children the idea would come extinct. I guess like anything, if you don’t continue doing it, it will eventually go away and be forgotten. I wonder if there is a day where this will actually happen.

Posted: 6/16/10
Due: 6/20/10

As a white person, I definitely think I was learned to not talk about race but I have no clue at what age I was taught this. I probably learned from my family at a very young age and just picked up on it and it is something that I have lived my life doing, not talking about race, obviously until now. I definitely agree when Dr. Richards talked about if a white person talks about race that means that we see color, and that if we see color that means we might be racists. I can see that train of thought and how this adds to the whole political correctness conversation. So we are taught to treat everyone equally and this means not to see color. It is a very interesting concept because I felt that as Dr. Richards was saying this, I was shaking my head up and down and realizing that this is pretty much how I was taught and something that I followed.

What I found absolutely shocking was the video of the two young white nationalist girl singers. Do these girls actually have an experience that has shaped their thoughts and beliefs as to why they think they are better than other people? How can these two young girls have so much hatred? I don’t think these girls have had an experience that has shaped them to being such white supremacists, but I could be wrong. I truly think, like the reported, that the parents shaped their beliefs and the children are just supporting and advocating the beliefs of their parents. I wonder what these two girls would be singing about if their parents believed something else.

In the awakening stage, the third option is to seek a deeper understanding about race and race issues to lay the foundation to move forward to the next step. Instead of being afraid of race issues, you dig into the conversation and you may make mistakes and offend someone, but that’s all right with you because you find talking about race and race issues interesting. And sometimes, we use race when there is no need to even talk about race in the first place and where it is unneeded. The video for the furniture store that brought race into the picture I thought was absolutely ridiculous. The commercial almost seemed like a joke or a spoof because of how silly the lines were. Race was not needed at all, they could have easily said something like we have furniture for everyone! We would all get the point, but in the commercial they so blatantly included race that some people probably found it offensive. It is interesting to compare how using curse words in a story make something funny, but when we include race in a story, does it truly enhance the story in any way? Maybe sometimes, but maybe not. But this is the awakening stage, we have to engage in the conversation and make mistakes in order to learn and move forward.