During this lecture and the one from earlier in the semester regarding Native Americans, I was really able to learn about the pain and struggle they go through daily. As a nation made up of immigrants we have created a system that prevents the people native to this land from becoming successful and intertwining with the rest of society. It seems unfair to me that while I benefit from the land here, the land my ancestors stole from these natives, the people who know the land best and realistically are the original owners of this land, are struggling so much and facing so many hardships. It pains me to listen to the Dave Matthews Band Song “Don’t Drink the Water,” and really listen to Dave Matthews acknowledge the pain we put these people through and continue to subject them to. He says it in a way that shows how hypocritical we are as a society. We say we are a country of opportunity and equality but does that only apply to those specific people we want it to apply to? Isn’t what we have done to these Native Americans just as bad if not worse than what Hitler did to the Jews? After this lecture I almost see it as worse. While the Holocaust was a horrific event, at least people acknowledged the fact that it was so bad, but we as a society fail to even recognize that we are continually subjecting these people to horrible things. To me it is shameful that we like to think of ourselves as discoverers of this land and that we almost feel like we are entitled to it, when in reality we just stole this land from the native people and treating them so poorly that they are still feeling the effects today. We have found a way to oppress a group of people that ultimately deserve the land we are oppressing them on and the resources we are stealing from them. Part of me feels that people are so afraid of Native Americans “taking back” their land and “taking over” that instead of embracing their culture and seeing it as part of our history while treating them as equals, we oppress them to keep our system working the way we are comfortable with. It is extremely sad to me to see this intense inequality occurring right here in our own country. Why do we feel it is acceptable to treat a group of people so poorly that have in reality never done anything to deserve it? They were the initial people living here so technically this is their land and we are just living on it so then why do we feel we have the right to take away everything from them?

I agree with Ernso that children should not be used on commercials or in pictures for foreign aid. I think that by showing the children in such poverty, it makes a country or people look inferior to the people watching the commercial. Instead of showing the poverty and asking for help, it shows that these people are inferior to the people watching. It makes it seem like there is no hope for the country by showing that at such a young age they are in such poverty. I think it takes away from the hope and spirit that the country has as far as progress and bettering themselves. By showing children in such extreme poverty, you take away from the spirit of those same children to get an education and to better their country. I feel that it takes a country that is so hopeful and so wishful and shows them in such a negative light that almost says they are hopeless. Also, by showing children in poverty, it is taking away from the destruction that has occurred. It makes them seem like less of people and takes away from the help the country needs. The country needs us to lend money to rebuild the businesses, schools, and areas but the children are hopeful. By showing the children, it takes away from the extreme destruction that occurred after the earthquake. I think it also takes away from the idea that the people in Haiti are trying to get back on their feet and that they want to work. By showing their children it gives off the idea that they are not supporting their families and not caring and asking for handouts but even Ernso said that they don’t want that. They want to be helped by learning and growing economically through business. By showing their children it takes away from what they really need. It makes it seem like they just need money, which they do need, but they also need help in making their businesses successful. Like Ernso said you want to teach someone how to fish not give them a fish. By showing their children in poverty, it takes away from their need for help and guidance not just for money. Also by showing this it makes it seem like they are a sad country. It takes away from how inspirational and motivated the people of Haiti are. The stories that Ernso shared about individuals who lived in such horrible living conditions but still came to work eager and happy to be working should be the stories that are shared, not the sadness of their children. The hope that is missing from these commercials, takes away from the spirit and motivation that occurs in Haiti.

I think that the best part of the lecture was that it forced us to look at what makes us uncomfortable, such things as sensitive as sex, and really face it head on. Although I cant really say what exactly made me uncomfortable, I do not think I am alone in saying that this topic is usually not spoken about to me with such freedom and coming from a womans view point. Maybe that is the part of it that made me uncomfortable, the fact that a woman was actually saying that as women we are still not equal, even in such personal ways and with people with whom we are most comfortable. For a woman to stand up and say that what she was going through was not unusual and wasnt wrong was something that opened my eyes but also made me uncomfortable in a good way. It made me question how I have disrespected myself by not being proud of the way I think regarding sex and relationships. There have been many times when I have felt guilty for not trusting someone easily and I know other girls have felt the same but this lecture made me realize that it shouldnt be easy for us to just say okay to certain things. This is the part that is uncomfortable, the part where we are forced to look at past behaviors and realize that we were wrong in assuming we were wrong for feeling a certain way. It was both freeing and uncomfortable to realize that while we say we are equal, we arent. However it was even more freeing to think that this is something we can begin to change if we simply stick to our feelings. I think the true uncomfortable feelings come from the fact that we are looking at everything we do and questioning why we do it. I also think that it made me slightly uncomfortable to realize that I have no idea why I do many things. Why do I dress the way I do? Who told me I have to do certain things to look pretty? And even more so who makes me wear heels to feel more beautiful? I even for a second thought about all those toys when we are growing up that consist of fake make-up, shimmery dresses, and little plastic heels. Is that when this socialization begins? Or is it way before that? Those questions raise some unsettling feelings because it makes us face what we dont know and what we believe we cannot control. It makes us really think about the fact that everything we do is controlled in some way and not truly free. So yes, this lecture did make me uncomfortable in the best way possible.

I would definitely date someone of a different race. To me it is not about the race of the person but how they act and their values and morals. I think this comes from the fact that I have parents who are of two different backgrounds. My mom grew up in an extremely religiously Jewish household and my Dad grew up in an extremely religiously Catholic household. I think that seeing their marriage work and their respect for one another overcome the adversity that came with their contrasting religions and reluctant families, really showed me that race and religion are just minute parts of who we love and why. I have in the past dated guys of different races and looking back the reason why we didn’t work had absolutely nothing to do with race. While I can understand why people would say they would not want to date someone of another race because of the difficulties they may face as a couple, looking at my parents I believe that if you cannot face difficulties as a couple then you shouldn’t be dating one another regardless of race. I truly believe there will always be difficulties and things you need to get past as a couple, and one may believe that race is a huge one, but why let it matter more than the other things you will have to get past? To me, dating a white, or Hispanic, or black guy doesn’t matter if you really have things in common with that person. I think that the way in which I think really comes from the ideas of my parents. They have always been open to anyone that my sister or I have dated or have wanted to be friends with. Seeing their openness to race and religion really makes me see that I can date whomever I want without the worry of my parents’ judgment. I also feel that a majority of my friends are extremely open to mixed race relationships making it easier for me to say that I would date outside of my race. A couple of my friends have dated and are dating outside of their race which definitely influences me to see it as a “normal” thing and less of a difficulty. I think the idea that my friends are comfortable with having relationships with people of other races, I am therefore more open to race and relationships with people of other races. It shows me that even if my parents were against it at least I would have other people around me supporting me in my choices. I also feel that not only when pertaining to relationships but all of the choices in my life, my parents have been supportive of what I decide and trust my judgment thus making me feel comfortable enough to have a mixed race relationship without worrying.

White privilege. It is a sort of uncomfortable subject to touch upon as a white individual. It makes us uncomfortable because it seems to take away from the idea that we also have to work for what we want. It allows for people to take away any credit we give ourselves for things we have accomplished. Now it is not to say that it does not exist because in our daily lives it is extremely prevalent but it does make us question our accomplishments. And this is what makes us uncomfortable. We can say that we are better off than other racial groups and that we benefit from the color of our skin but it is much harder for us to actually speak about the extreme effects that white privilege has on our lives. Living in a country that is supposed to be equal and allow for social mobility it is somewhat difficult for us to look at our lives and say that we are only where we are because of our skin color. I do not want to take away from the fact that whites work hard in their lives to get where they are but is it really fair to allow for two people one of whom is a hard working, extremely intelligent individual, who happens to be a non-white, and the other who is lazy, and content with just getting by in life but who happens to be white to be on equal playing fields? This is what white privilege does. It allows for white individuals to be at an advantage simply because of their race. To be honest though, this is the first I am really thinking about what it means to be white and to be someone benefitting from white privilege. It was never really brought to my attention before and it is something that creates a struggle of ideas in my head. I struggle between two main ideas. One is thinking about how hard I actually do work, and what I have earned and giving myself credit for doing well and accomplishing things in my life. The other idea is things that maybe I wouldnt have accomplished or that were more quickly handed to me because I am white and because I grew up in a primarily white neighborhood. These two contrasting views really cause me to think about how it would feel to not be white and be denied things and to struggle with whether it was because I didnt deserve it or because of my skin color. It really opens my eyes to the idea that as a white individual it is much easier to look past the idea of white privilege simply because of the positive outcomes but as a non-white individual it must be much harder to not question inequality and white privilege.

After thinking about the ongoing slavery around the world and the inconsistencies between opportunity and race, I don’t think I feel guilt but more like sadness. Sadness for those who do not have white skin and who have so many other things working against them simply because they have black or brown skin. Sadness for those who had no choice but to become slaves. Sadness for those who cannot escape the injustice of slavery and racism and discrimination. And even more sadness for those who are so unaware of how privileged they are because of their skin, family history or location of living. Maybe in a way some can see that as pity or guilt but I feel that it is less of pity or guilt and more of empathy and sympathy for those who seem stuck in their economic position. It pains me to think that while I sit typing on my lap top in my comfy dorm room, people are being worked to the bone without seeing any pay or financial gain. I had this handed to me; the education, the lap top, the opportunity. While I cannot say it is specifically due to my skin color I also cannot say that it wasn’t. So I look at those who are at an extreme disadvantage due to slavery and feel sad. It is saddening to me that it exists and even more sad that we are unaware of it. Honestly, before that class I had not thought about slavery much and that is one thing that saddens me the most. As part of those in our country who are supposed to be the most educated, I didn’t know about it (and I believe most people did not either) and that shouldn’t be. We should be aware that it is out there and that it exists. So maybe this is where the guilt that I feel comes from. Not the fact that I am not specifically doing anything to prevent it but that I was so unaware of it. As a society, as a human race, isn’t it our responsibility to at least be aware of the injustice and discrimination that is out there? I believe that if we make choices that either support or inhibit slavery while being educated about the subject, at least we are making decisions instead of living in ignorance. The guilt that surfaces in me has to do with my responsibility, as a student especially, to know what is going on, to know that it exists. If we are unaware of major things like this going on in the world then how can we be sure the decisions we are making are accurate ones. And once we find out about these injustices, how can we not feel guilty that we were living much better off than these people without even knowing it?

Coming from an area that is mostly white I feel as though I have been taught that race is one of the most sacred things that we can talk about. It is one of those topics that since we are little we are taught to surpass in normal conversations, it is almost taboo to speak about. And because of these teachings, we are in a way scared of what the reactions of others would be if we did speak about race and discrimination. I am not so sure that it is people actually being racist or discriminatory and not speaking about it but I think it is more of a subject that we were taught to avoid. By making it such a taboo subject to speak on it seems as though we are all hiding our true feelings about those of other races. It is not that we (and I use we as a broad term) feel as though we need to hide our racist thoughts as much as it is that we feel we need to avoid the subject all together. By avoiding the subject, we can never be called racist or discriminatory. I think it partially also has to do with the fact that there are few forums where we feel “safe” to talk about race. It is such a sensitive subject that has been avoided in a positive way and stressed in a negative way for so many years that speaking about it almost seems impossible to do in a non-discriminatory way. Not to say that many whites aren’t racist or discriminatory but many of us who aren’t or try not to be to the best of our abilities don’t feel as though we are allowed to speak about it or need to flaunt that we aren’t racist. It seems as though people are so afraid to be that token racist that they would much rather avoid the subject then step into the limelight where they are not safe from judgment. I think also those who are racist or who do discriminate know that most of society looks down upon racism so when it comes time to discuss it, they instead pretend they aren’t. Similarly, I believe many people do not even realize they are being racist. They see things as though they are looking at facts. For example, if a struggling and poor school district happens to be primarily made up of black families, people may make judgments and conclusions about blacks and poverty without even realizing that it is racist. People make such judgments because that is what they are taught and they do not necessarily feel the need to discuss it because they think others automatically feel the same. Finally, I feel that racism is such a sensitive subject that no one really wants to discuss it to its full extent and if people did, they would find more discrimination and racism in themselves than they ever realized.

As I sat and watched that video, I felt tears build up tin my eyes thinking about how unfair it is that these people are worked so hard and never see any monetary gain from it while I sit in a classroom on my brand new phone eating a piece of chocolate that was simply handed to me. When the man in the video said that line, I felt my heart sink. I have never thought about modern day slavery before and that more than anything saddens me. It is sad to think that years and years later after slavery in this country was abolished there is the same thing happening across the world. How can I sit comfortably and eat that chocolate while these people are being beaten and worked so hard that they can barely move across the world. It opened my eyes to this whole other reality of life and modern day slavery. It also opened my eyes to how truly lucky I am to be where I am today. It brought me back to the idea of free will versus determinism. Did these people really have the free will to get out of that environment, out of that reality? One could say, yes, they could have tried to escape…yes they made the choice to not run away. But did they really? Is running away and risking getting beaten to death a choice, an option of free will? These people had no choice, they had no free will. So when the young man said that people who eat that chocolate are eating his flesh, it hit me hard. He was absolutely correct. We who sit an eat that chocolate have the free will to look on a label and only eat chocolate that is not made by slaves, he on the other hand cannot even take that stance. He cannot choose to not make it. He cannot choose to not get beaten. He has no choice. To me that moment made me realize how in a world where there is modern slavery, we who have free will are obligated to make choices to at the least educate ourselves about what goes into making the things we take for granted. These young men work so extremely hard and see no reward for their labor, while I, a simple student, do not even know what that kind of labor looks like. It made me think about the power I have and how I have it simply because of where I live and who my parents are. It is amazing to me that I have never known of this modern day slavery until now and it makes me want to learn more and to take a stance. It makes me stop before I complain about work or school because those people would give anything to have the freedom I have had handed to me.

Today’s class made me hauntingly aware of how unsure I am about what rules my life, free will or determinism. While I know that my background has affected my getting into college, this question makes me realize that it is not only where I come from but the choices I make that affect my future. Coming from a upper-middle class family from a wealthy area on Long Island, I realize that the conditions of my school, the expectations of my teachers, peers and parents, and the resources available to me are all things that make me feel as if my current “status” is caused by things out of my control. But then I look at the choices I’ve made and those that my peers have made as well. Other kids from my town coming from similar backgrounds and socioeconomic status ended up in colleges more or less prestigious as mine. Some dropped out of college, others are at Ivy League schools with jobs waiting for them once they graduate. Many of these kids are extremely wealthy and have more opportunities provided for them than I do. But what makes the paths we are on right now so utterly different? While I see it as one’s choice to take advantage of those resources, I think the main reason is their family background. For many of those wealthy white kids around me, their families will bail them out of anything, will make sure they are successful so many of them do not ever feel the pressure to do well in school while others are influenced to take advantage of the resources in front of them. And while they choose what path to take and what choices to make, they are so brain washed to think that either failure is an option or it is not. I do think that in my situation, failure was not even a word in our vocabulary. We, my sister and I, have always been pushed to do our best, to succeed at what we are doing and to better ourselves, both economically and socially. This was never a choice; it was never my free will to succeed. And while I would like to credit myself and say that I made all the choices to get myself to the place I am today, that would only be shortchanging things that are out of my control. I do believe that I did make that choice to do well in school, my parent’s would have settled for a B while I would have had nothing less than an A, but I also do believe that it was not only my parents’ ideals but the ideals of my school district that left me no choice but to go to college and to succeed. I look at people from the town next to me, with a high school much smaller but much more crowded, much dirtier and less affluent, and see how their free will, and right to choose, is so completely hindered because of their environments. If I lived just one block over, I would have attended that school district and I would love to think that I would have succeeded there as well but really would I have? They have books from the 70’s while we have ones only a year old, they have one gym while we have 8, we have a swimming pool, a dance studio, a wrestling room, a weight room, while they have none of that and yet I am to truly believe that we have equal opportunities for success? I see the choices I make and the choices many of those students make as a definite influence on where we end up, but do we really have the same options to choose from?

I commented on a similar blog last week both concerning the idea of how you classify yourself. I have noticed that it is not only whether I am in the United States or out of the United States that effects how I classify or describe myself but also who I am with or where I am in the country. I traveled to Australia a few years ago and thinking about it now, if someone where to ask me to describe myself there I would have said I am American. But if someone from my hometown were to ask me to describe myself I would say half-Jewish and half-Catholic (Italian). Even further if someone from the town over from me asked me where I was from, I would say my specific town. If someone in college were asking me to describe myself, I would probably begin with the description that I am from Long Island and then continue on to saying my religion and ethnicity. Additionally, if I was out at a party at Penn State, I may describe myself as a member of my specific sorority. It all really depends on my surroundings. Furthermore, how I answer this question is not only dependent on where I am but how the question is asked. Describing yourself can mean state your interests, talents, family while where are you from can mean where specifically are you living now, where is your family from, what religion/ethnicity do you align yourself with. I also define myself so differently when I am with people I have just met compared to those I have known for awhile. When a friend of mine asks where I am from I would definitely go into more detail about either my hometown or my ancestry but if someone I have just met asked me the same question I would not go into such in depth answers. The blog caught my attention because not only is it extremely true for me, but also I have never even thought about why or when I use different things to describe myself. I do it almost instinctually without any real reason and even more importantly without understanding why. I think sometimes I also respond a certain way because I want people to see me a certain way. If I want someone to see me as a strong, proud New Yorker I will say Long Island, it is the same as if I am in a different country and I answer American. I do not necessarily feel it important for someone from another country to know where my ancestry lies but where I am from now and what ideals I represent now. This question can be kind of dangerous in that way. It enables me to separate myself from the person answering the question. If that person is from the United States, why then do I not also answer American? Why not answer something that makes us similar rather than answer in a way that can create a distinct difference.