Before this class, I essentially held the same views as I did afterwards. I always knew that illegal immigrants came to this country for better opportunity. No where in the world are people living as well as we live in the United States, at least in comparison to places that have it a lot worse. I know that many people thought it was startling that immigration laws are formed by the business world, but think about it, it makes perfect sense. Business owners know that these “illegal” immigrants will work just as hard, if not harder, for less money. So why would they ever object to that? Sure, it makes it much more competitive for the legal Americans to acquire these same jobs. Interestingly enough, I feel like we seem to forget that if it wasn’t for “illegal” immigration, America would never become the “melting pot” it is today. It would still be predominately Native Americans living their day to day lives without the intrusion of people coming in from all over the world. I never thought of everyone as an illegal immigrant until Sam said that today. We are immigrants, so what makes one “legal” and one “illegal?” Its an interesting concept because to become a legal immigrant, you have to pass an exam, pay a fee, stay in the country without leaving for an allotted period of time, and you’re instantly a “legal.” None of those prerequisites really have anything to do with why you are immigrating; they are just standard procedural duties so you are documented.
It would be a lie to say there isn’t a negative stigma to the word “immigrant.” But unless you are a Native American, you are an illegal immigrant. I think the negative connotation needs to be dropped because anyone who is leaving their homes to start a new and better life for their families and themselves deserves praise, not judgment. I really appreciated how Sam said that immigrants are not lazy, because if they were lazy, they would still be in their native countries. We are given to many opportunities and so many doors are open to us because our families immigrated to the United States and planted seeds in different industries, and gained beneficial networks. American would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for these illegal immigrants stepping in and taking charge of their own individual futures.
In class today, I was very moved by the story Eric shared about his family crossing the Mexican border and coming to the United States. It was very inspirational how these people literally risked their lives to just have a shot at starting over in America. I have personal experience working along side “illegal” immigrants, and they are some of the hardest working and dedicated people I have ever met.

I was really shocked after hearing that song because it was very, very deep. I think it’s a really big shame how much we don’t even think about Native Americans and what we did to their well-being. I honestly can say that I was never taught about what we did to the Native American’s until this class. I never knew how we essentially exterminated them and kicked them out of their homes in order to establish our lives and industries. The lyrics acknowledged how little we cared about what we did to these people because we were only thinking about the growth of our neighborhoods and establishments.
I still have some misunderstandings about what really happened with the Native Americans. Like, for example, how come they still isolate themselves in reservations? How come they refuse to assimilate into our culture? After all, America is a melting pot complete with many different ethnicities, so why do they segregate themselves in such a way? I also don’t really understand how we were able to knock out an entire race of people, like why weren’t we reprimanded or punished for our actions? How can our civilization be based on murder when the basis of our government is about respecting one another?
Throughout the song, I was very moved by particular lines in the lyrics. The song was basically saying we don’t care about what we did; we just care about our business and communities flourishing. Also, the images in the video clip were very moving because while the melodramatic music was playing, images of white picket fenced homes and shopping malls were popping up. The song would sing “cause you’re all dead now, I live with all my greedy need” and images of a high tech mall would be presented. This was essentially saying we only care about our greedy needs, and we don’t care if we have to kill your family to get what we want. This is really moving and devastating, and it makes us look so inhumane.
The line that reads “Don’t drink the water, There’s blood in the water” was perhaps the most moving line in the song because it acknowledges how we killed off an entire race. The blood in the water is representative of the individual Native Americans who lost their lives on our quest to achieving all the superficial things we wanted. The line “Yes I will call this home, I have no time to justify to you” is exactly what we did. We took their land, called it our home, and we didn’t care who was standing in our way. We just got rid of them. In my eyes, we were really barbaric and inconsiderate and just straight up heartless. We participated in a mass homicide.

Putting myself in the shoes of middle easterners really did change my views on the war in Iraq. However, I never withheld the same judgment and accusations that the vast majority of the American population does. This is partially because my family is middle eastern, so I have been informed about the middle eastern perspective my entire life. I know what they feel, and why they do the things they do. Although I am an American, I traveled to many parts of the Middle East, and I got to talk to Middle Eastern people, and I learned about how they felt about Americans and the constant invasion and intrusion they face. However, I never really understood terrorism until this class today. I think the media portrays the Middle East as being extremely violent and angry and irrational. But in reality, the American soldiers really are “Christian invaders” and they are dangerous, cruel, and genuinely mean to the inhabitants of the areas they invade. This does not go to say that all American soldiers are like this, but we’re certainly not the angels that the media, and patriotism as a whole, portrays us to be. Though I am more of a spiritual person, not a religious person, I was very astounded by how “cult-like” Christianity seemed after watching the clips Sam showed in class. It seems as though America feels obligated to things that do not belong to them, simply because we’re American and “we’re the best.” We ignore the astronomical effect it has on the civilians who are having their resources depleted before their eyes. I never really realized how selfish we are as a country until this class. Now, I do seem to understand “terrorism” a little bit more. I understand why another country would feel hostility towards Americans, because if the tables were turned, we would do and feel the same. The Middle Eastern people need to protect themselves the same way we protect ourselves. Terrorism, though it is completely morally unjustifiable, is the same thing as when we bring all our troops into civilian territory and open fire. If they are considered terrorists, then technically, we are too. I truly understand now why terrorist attacks happen because they are essentially saying “if you are going to come in an kill our people and invade our land and take our resources, we have to reciprocate.” Though all war is morally corrupt and it results in a lot of lives lost, it is sometimes completely necessary. In order to obtain compliance, there has to be a level of enforcement that only comes with war. The real eye opener was that while I was sitting in class, I saw no difference between our military invasion and terrorist invasion. We pride ourselves on being hero’s when we are no different than the enemy. We single handedly bring discomfort, pain, and death to innocent people simply because we want to forcefully steal what they have.

part 4
My dad speaks fluent Turkish, and although I speak some Turkish, I’m not fluent. So whenever him and my mom want to say something to each other and they don’t want me to know what they are saying, they say it in Turkish. It is very frustrating!

part 3
It is also just common courtesy to speak the language that everyone in unison can understand. I’m not saying everyone needs to assimilate and speak English, but there it is polite to embrace the native language of where you are in the moment. For example, if I traveled to Mexico, and I was in a native area (not in a resort) I would try my best to interact with the native people in their language to the best of my ability simply as a way of showing respect. Americans always complain about other cultures speaking in their native tongues, and it’s more of a respect issue than anything else. It’s not because American’s are racist or prejudice against other language and cultures. Although it is nice to know a language that other people don’t understand because it becomes almost like a code that no one understands besides you and a few other people (because Farsi is not a very common language to speak). But, it is uncomforting when you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum.

part 2
I know personally, growing up, my family spoke Farsi to each other more than they spoke English, and when my friends from school would come over, I’d feel rude when I’d hear my parents speaking Farsi and not English. I thought my English speaking friends would perceive them as being boisterous and inconsiderate because they are speaking a dialect that not everyone understands. I can also confirm that if you think someone is talking behind your back (or to your face, I should say) in another language, it’s probably because they are. I know when I’m with my Persian friends and we want to say something about someone, we usually just say it in Farsi right in front of them. I know, it’s so rude, but it’s the truth and everyone does it.

Part 1
Innately, I do feel a little uncomfortable when people are speaking another language around me because I always wonder what they are talking about, and if they are talking about me per say. I am all for people speaking their native languages, and I do think it’s very important to stay in touch with your cultural background and roots, but I think there is a time and place for everything. In certain social settings, when you are around people you know that don’t speak the language you are speaking, it is inconsiderate because you are sort of shutting them out of your conversation. But, another example would be if you are in a public place and you are only with people who speak the same language as you, it’s perfectly acceptable to speak your native language.

I’m going to start out by saying that no, I have never dated a black man in my past, but I am open to the idea of it. I am an Iranian American female, so my features are dark, and I do find dark skin to be very attractive. I am naturally olive skin, but I like to be extra bronze by using tanning beds and a lot of bronzer, so I do find dark skin attractive. Though I am tan, I am considered white. My family, however, is less open to the idea of dating outside one’s racial category. My mom and dad don’t admit to being prejudice, because honestly, I don’t think they are. But, I know my somewhat ignorant (god bless them) grandparents are prejudice. They are not upfront and openly rude to people of other racial groups, but they would be upset if their granddaughter dated a black man.
There are a lot of biracial couples today and I think it is a beautiful thing. People are starting to look beyond racial barriers, and are beginning to see people as humans and not categorize them by what they look like on the surface. When looking for a partner, you have to have physical attraction, respect, and compatibility. Race has nothing to do with any of those three things. I could see why very religious people do not want to date outside of their religion, because they may not be compatible with a partner that doesn’t share their strong core values and beliefs. But, skin color has nothing to do with anything. Many white woman simply aren’t attracted to black men because perhaps they just don’t find black features attractive, and to each to their own. That is the same way certain men like blondes and certain men strictly prefer brunettes. What you find attractive in a partner doesn’t make you prejudice. It is simply a preference.
I think you are prejudice if you wouldn’t date a black man that you are compatible with and are indeed attracted to, simply because they are black. That is an example of withholding latent prejudice. Women, and people in general, need to get passed the physical barriers and accept that people are people. Another big problem are racist families. I know personally that if I dated a black male, my family would be very uncomfortable and there definitely be some judgment going on. I think it is a shame, but I know when I have my own family, I would be happy if my daughter dated a good person that treated her right and had good values, regardless of their skin color or any other superficial trait. Race is nothing more than pigmentation, it says nothing about you. People need to start realizing this.

Zach Wahls is an extremely powerful speaker, and it really seems as though he is a well-rounded individual with good morals and character. I think when society thinks of people that have two parents of the same sex, they innately believe that the child will be strange, or that the same sex couple will be unfit to be raise a child properly, but this is where our discrimination and latent prejudice comes into play. We subconsciously believe this because we don’t know any better. We don’t know enough people who have same sex parents to make positive judgments, so we make negative ones. Sure, it isn’t the norm, and we aren’t used to the idea of it. But, same sex couples are no different than heterosexual couples besides for the fact that they are gay. So what? Why does it even need to matter? Same sex couples are exactly the same as straight couples in the sense that they want the best for their children and they strive to instill good morals and character in their children. Zach is a living, breathing example of this. He said it himself, that with his accomplishments, he would make any parents proud whether they are gay or straight, and this is true. We are now living in a society where gay people will someday receive full rights and they will be considered “normal.” So, it’s up to us to accept it, embrace it, and move forward, and concentrate our energy on more riveting issues.
A gay couple is just as fit to raise children as a straight couple because they are not “weird” or “strange.” They are normal, with just a different preference in their sexuality but that has virtually zero affect on how a child is raised. The only issue that I see with same sex parents raising children is the issue of bullying. I do believe that a lot of people are still not completely accepting of the idea of homosexuality, and the children of these gay parents could face bullying and tormenting, especially when they are in the adolescent stage of life. But, again, there isn’t a single individual that I know that can say they have never been bullied in their lifetime. That is a problem that we all will face in our lives, so bullying alone should not stop a gay couple that wants children from doing so. Zach Wahls carries himself with a very respectable and strong demeaner and this represents how well he was raised. He was raised by two genuinely good parents that lead him down a path full of success, and if it wasn’t for them, he probably wouldn’t be where he is today.

Innately, I do feel that affirmative action is becoming a sort of mechanism for people who are slightly less qualified than their competitors to get their foot in the door. My feelings about affirmative action is torn, because I do think it is absolutely incredible that our nation is now equal opportunity, and people who were once deprived of opportunity are now able to make up for those times. However, I know that personally, when I was applying to college, I definitely thought about the effect of affirmative action would have on the status of my application. Being Iranian American, I know I am considered Caucasian, but when the application allowed me to do so, instead of marking just Caucasian, I would specify that I was Iranian American, and not just white. I did this because I figured that most universities want a diverse population, and my ethnicity would provide that diversity (even though it’s not a racial-marker). Whether it actually benefitted me, I don’t know for sure, but I figured it would either benefit me or not affect me at all.
From the reading, I learned that quotas in institutions are not legal, and so perhaps this will keep affirmative action from taking things too far. However, I think if a company notices that, from an outsiders perspective, looks to be a mostly “white” company, they will strive to bring in people from different ethnicities so that their company looks more “racially friendly.” Whether this actually occurs or not, I’m not sure, because these kinds of scenarios are usually discussed behind closed doors of institutions. But, in a society where its very important to not be racist, this could be a very possible a very plausible situation. I think institutions want to represent themselves as being an equal opportunity employer both for their goodwill and so they look good in the public eye. Whether employers and various institutions take this too far is debatable. Personally, I think affirmative action is a very good practice because of what other ethnicities have faced in the history of our country. If in some case, diverse groups of people are getting a carrot because of affirmative action, this is a good thing. This will contribute to the redistribution of wealth in our country, and it will allow other racial groups to raise their economic status.
I think the reason white people sometimes think that affirmative action takes it too far is because they aren’t used to other racial groups being on top. They aren’t used to it, and they don’t necessary like the fact that other people are coming in and taking the jobs that used to belong solely to them. Other than that, affirmative action is a very good practice that continues to bring equality to our society.