My opinion did not change much after today’s lecture on illegal immigration because I wasn’t against illegal immigration before this lecture so there was nothing to really change my mind about. I did however, learn some new facts about illegal immigration and have a little more of an opinion on this topic now. I have always supported immigration, and somewhat illegal immigration because I feel these people are coming to America in search of a better life than they had in their country, not just to “steal our jobs” and “take things away from us.” I believe, and most Americans as well, that America is a great country and a place for opportunities, so why shouldn’t we allow people of other countries to come and experience this great country for themselves? They are very hardworking and as Sam said, none of the lazy people form other countries come here because they don’t want to work, the people that come here want to work hard and end up doing jobs that many Americans have a chance to do, but choose not to. In addition, I do know that many of them do end up paying taxes through their job and where they live. So why shouldn’t they be allowed here, they are probably buying products from America and supporting our economy so this is a good thing.
The concept that I found very interesting during class and that I was not aware of is that businesses usually support and need immigration and illegal immigration for the free market so work so well. I never really thought of this but it does somewhat make sense. I watched a video in geography about farms and produce factories in Florida and all of the workers were immigrants, and the owner of the farm said that he could not get any Americans to work for him, or work half as hard as the immigrants do. Another example was the pear farm in California. It turns out illegal immigration helps businesses, which I never realized. I also thought the TA Eric’s story was very interesting because I never pictured the process to be so scary and risky. I figured it was a risk but nothing like gunshots and climbing trees. This just showed me what they would do to get here and what it takes. They are not all criminals, and why some are, the majority probably isn’t. We can deal with the criminals just like we would with an American criminal.
While I understand why people come over illegally, I think they should pursue to become a citizen eventually if they want to continue to live in America. I think the government should make the process a little better in order for them to be able to do this. In the end illegal immigration is almost an impossible topic to tackle and solve so I really don’t know what we should do. But my opinion has pretty much remained the same before and after today’s class, except I did learn a few new interesting things.

Today in class we talked about nepotism and affirmative action. Sam described nepotism as giving family or friends something they wouldn’t normally receive. This is interesting because I don’t know that many people that benefit from nepotism wouldn’t normally receive the things they do. I just think that it definitely gives them a step up in the running for something like a job. I do think there are some cases were nepotism becomes negative and people get opportunities they don’t deserve and wouldn’t get otherwise.
Whether or not I would actively try to benefit from nepotism is a tough question. For example I am an education major and sometimes it may be helpful to know some teachers in the school district you want to teach in. I think in this way it would be helpful if I want to teach there. So, if I am qualified and have some experience, and know some people in the district who may be advantageous for me in getting this job I think I would have to take it. However, if I am not as qualified as another person for a job and only get it based on my connections I would not be able to accept that job. I think that is where nepotism goes wrong. If you are qualified and a good worker and happen to be working for your Uncle then yes I think that is good and I wouldn’t actively try not to benefit from the nepotism here. However, in cases where someone is not as good of a worker or thinks they don’t have to work as hard as other workers just because they are related to or friends with the boss then this is where nepotism goes wrong and I disagree with it. I don’t think I could actively turn down an opportunity just because of nepotism in many situations. I am a hard worker and would never take advantage if I were given that opportunity. If I felt I was only getting the job because of nepotism and not because I deserved it and was qualified then I would have to think about it and I might not take that job. I want a job that I worked hard for and deserved, and if I do that and have connections then I don’t see why I shouldn’t take it.
Sam noted that nepotism calls into question the skills of a particular group and I think this does happen in some cases but not all. For example look at some father-son businesses or partner businesses. Obviously the father hired his son and he must do a good job if the business is still going well. They also probably hire others that I assume are just as qualified. A bad example may be if your friend really needs a job and you are the manager of a business and you hire him to help him out and end up turning down other qualified employees. The friend turns out to take advantage and is not a good worker and this is where it puts into question the skills of certain people. If my dad or a relative wanted me to work for them and I was not good at the task I would certainly turn it down. Unless I worked really hard and got better at what I had to do I would want my father to hire someone qualified who will do the job well. In conclusion I think nepotism is not a clear-cut topic. There are advantages to it and good outcomes sometimes, and other times it is unfair and immoral and turns out badly. So I think it would depend on the situation in which I would benefit on the nepotism to see whether or not I would actively turn it down.

I agree with Ernso’s statement that commercials and ads for foreign aid should not include taking pictures of little children and using them for donations. First off, I do not think these little children should be exploited in the media; it is not good for them. I feel like showing these pictures is the wrong way to go about getting help for your country. While it is certainly heartbreaking to see this and does make me want to help, it also makes me feel like they are using these children to show the lowest of the low and make us feel pity for them. I don’t think is necessarily the best way to get people to donate. As Ernso said, Haiti needs people to mentor them and show them how to get back on their feet again. I really do feel terrible for the sick children and the videos and want to help them in any way that I can, but the videos also don’t give me enough information to know how to help. There are many starving and sick children in the world as sad as that is, so we need to change other things and approach it differently to help them. I’ve always loved the saying, if you give a man a fish he’ll eat for a day, if you teach a man to fish he’ll eat for a lifetime. I feel that this is very true and hopefully this will help with Haiti. It’s so great to see all of these wonderful ideas and projects that the Haitians have. After hearing about how these Haitians have all of these great ideas but no resources or much knowledge on how to get them to be successful and work really makes me want to help them. I think seeing and hearing about Haiti in this way shows that it is not a completely broken country and that they have all the hopes and dreams that us Americans do, and we can help them achieve them. I don’t think anyone likes being portrayed as completely helpless and as beggars so I don’t Haitians would feel too great if people only saw poor and sick children and thought that’s all Haiti was about. There is so much more to Haiti that people should know about so they can give them the help that would really benefit them. If we just see the children we will maybe donate ten dollars to help feed that one child. However, if you can work with an entrepreneur and help them get their business off its feet, they will be able to hire some more workers, and in result support and help many more people, and for a longer period of time. I think class today was very inspiring and it was wonderful to see the great ideas, optimism, and pride that the Haitians have and I hope our projects will be of help to them!

I think multiculturalism is positive in many ways for the United States. One major reason is because the world is becoming increasingly globalized. I have learned in my geography class how much business and many aspects of our lives involve different countries. For example, much of our food and clothes are made over seas. Also, many businesses have clients in different parts of the world, and work with them throughout the year. My Dad has traveled to a few countries for work and sometimes you need to be able to speak their language to be able to communicate with them. The reason multiculturalism in the US is beneficial in this instance is because you may already know this language just from living among these people in America. If you have a more diverse country, then you know more about different cultures and can work with and understand different countries and cultures around the world, which can be great for the economy.
Another positive aspect of multiculturalism is how it can enrich our culture even more and help Americans be more well-rounded. Think of how great it is to be able to go to places like New York and visit “Little Italy” and “Chinatown” all in one city? The reason this is able to happen is because people of these cultures live here and bring their cultures to share with us. It is so fascinating that you are able to learn about so many different cultures without even leaving your country. Many countries do not have this, and are in for a shock when they visit another country. Luckily, we can learn about other cultures whenever we would like. Also, if Americans accept all cultures and learn new languages, I feel it just shows how great our country is. The fact that we can embrace it and learn more is wonderful.
Multiculturalism is also beneficial because, if embraced, I feel it can create a better sense of community and sharing. If you get all of these different groups together you can have so much to share and so many great conversations to engage in. This also means the sharing of so many different ideas that can improve our economy, personal lives, and friendships. You may think of an idea for a great business. Or be offered a job by your friend from Spain who sells beautiful clothes and they need someone to market it, which you are great at. This can bring opportunities for more jobs as well as more products and ideas. In addition, you may be introduced to a new hobby or spiritual practice when talking with your multicultural friends. I think this was how so many Americans got involved with things like Yoga or different religions. If approached the right way and embraced, I think multiculturalism is a great thing for America and can only bring more to our country.

I think that interracial relationships are just like any other relationships and should be accepted. I know a few interracial couples and have seen many others like in Hollywood or just walking around. My parents’ good friends from college are married with two kids and are in an interracial marriage. The woman is white and the man is Asian and they are a wonderful couple and lead a great life as a family. I was exposed to it from a young age so maybe that is why I feel the way I do about it. I feel that loves feels no race and as long as you love each other and treat each other well then you are a great couple. My parents have always said it does not matter who I date or what they look that, all that matters is that they treat me right. However, I have never dated someone outside my race so I cannot say exactly how they would react but I’m pretty sure they would be okay with it. I have found guys of all different races attractive so what really matters is their personality and if have some common interests. I do think there are people that aren’t comfortable with this today but that may change since it is becoming increasingly known and popular. If you look at some of Hollywood’s big couples like Heidi Klum and Seal who get so much attention and are a beautiful couple, this may help people become more comfortable with the idea. I think that if an interracial couple were to start dating and go meet each other’s families, if they saw that they were really in love they would accept in and be happy for their child. So many people just want to find someone they love and want to be with and if this person is of a different race, why should it matter? I think the problem that most people worry about is having mixed children and worry that they will get stares and not be accepted in society. I just hope soon this will not be as big of a deal and mixed children will be accepted, which I think is definitely starting to happen. I personally think that a person’s religion is a bigger issue than what race you are when it comes to marriage. If you are of a different race but have the same religion it may be easier than the same race and different religions because that is a cultural difference and there are a lot of things to talk about. However I still stand by the fact that as long as you love each other and treat each other with respect and kindness then there is no reason you shouldn’t be together or looked down upon. So even though I have not been in an interracial relationship I accept them and think that it’s great that they are one of the fastest growing couples.

When I first came to Penn State I didn’t really think of how diverse it would be. I pretty much had the idea that all colleges were diverse in all aspects because people come from all over the state, country, and sometimes world, so of course you are going to get a very diverse group of people. It was not until I spent some time here and learned in Soc 119 that it is a very white campus and about 78 percent are white. This is interesting because it wasn’t what I expected at all and I thought it would be much more diverse. At the same time, it is diverse in some aspects, considering we have people come here from all over the world, although that is a very small percentage out of the 40,000 people that go here. As said in class this is somewhat a lot to do with the fact that most students come from Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania is a predominately white state so of course most of our campus would be white. However there are a lot of other states that go here and countries and even parts of Pennsylvania that aren’t as white come here as well, so it could go either when. I do wish it was more diverse because I think college is where you learn a lot and meet all different types of people and if it was more diverse that would give everyone a better chance of meeting and becoming friends with different people. However even with the diversity we have now it has not really had the chance to happen because of certain things. For example the dorm Penny packer is where many international and diverse students live, so they all live together. While this is definitely a great thing for them it also would be nice to disperse everyone so they could live with all different types of people and meet people of all backgrounds. I think it could benefit all the students if this were to happen. In the end, I don’t think Penn State’s diversity or lack thereof had much to do with why I came here since what I thought it was like, wasn’t very true. For some reason I don’t think put much thought into how diverse the colleges I was applying to would be and I wonder how many students take that into account and if they are just the minorities or also white students applying as well. Although I have had great experiences meeting new people from all places and races so I guess I have gotten to experience Penn State’s diversity and I hope it only grows and gets better.

I am not sure what exact word I could use to describe my feelings on my position today and the freed slaves position. It may be guilt but more like just being upset about the situation. I would say upset more than guilty because I did not specifically partake in the actions that left the freed slaves in their position and I did not witness anyone do it directly to them so I don’t know if I could feel guilty about it. However I definitely think it is unfair and very unfortunate for all the freed slaves and future generations of those individuals because they did not deserve it and it is unfair that things happened as they did. It’s sad because there are so many opportunities for people in America and the fact that because of the past and some bad actions some people are not able to take advantage of these opportunities. I do think that some of these slaves have been able to succeed and I hope more have and continue to. I definitely think some Americans feel guilty and upset but I don’t really know what we can do. I think we first should start giving them equal opportunities in jobs and not let the discrimination continue like we learned about in class. At the same time there’s also people who do not feel guilty at all and think they deserved all they have. I do agree with this that many people have worked hard and deserve everything they have, for example my parents and grandparents. They have been lucky to have some of these advantages but never have they taken it for granted or not worked hard for what they have. I think this is what many people feel when they are approached about feeling guilty because it is hard for someone to put a damper on your successes and make you feel guilty.
However there are freed slaves who are willing to work hard and get to this same status in life. This is a hard subject to take either side on because obviously this shouldn’t have happened in the first place but at the same time it’s hard to feel guilty about something that you didn’t partake in. Just like the video of the cocoa slavery in the Ivory Coast. I think it is appalling and an awful thing to be happening and I wish it would stop but unfortunately there is not much I can do. I will certainly start trying to buy fair-trade products but I don’t know how to approach it on a global scale. It would take a lot to make it stop or fix these things so I think what needs to happen is to get all of the people together to stop it. So in conclusion I feel angry with some of the horrid acts that went on and still do, but I think rather than sitting there feeling guilty we should try to do a small act to fix some of these issues.

I think it is very interesting that we think people in other countries are so different from us when really, in many aspects, they aren’t. I think many of us think this because we see a different place or country as a totally different way of life. While some are more apparent than others, such as many of us view places like the UK and Canada as more like us than third world countries and Asia and the Middle East, many would agree that we are totally different in some aspects. This is true in some areas, but not across the board. For example as the group of Muslim students stated in class on Tuesday, they do many of the same things Americans do. They like to watch television, listen to music, hang out with their friends and family, and participate in a religion, which is the kind of life many of us Americans lead. I think the part we get mixed up with more is culture. Many cultures are different and have different practices and rituals, so of course we all are different in that aspect. However this is where we get confused, while it is true a lot of the time, a culture does not necessarily mean how everyone in that country leads his or her lives. People of the same cultures in America, Italy, and Iran may all practice the same religion and culture and lead mostly the same lives. So I think more of what we see is the different cultures. But at the same time I am much the same as one of my friends who is Muslim and from Sudan. We are from two different places but very similar at the same time. I’m sure her life may have been different in Sudan, but not completely. I traveled to Italy and Greece in high school and certainly noticed some differences but at the same time saw many similarities. They enjoy going out and dancing, eating good food, have jobs, take care of their families, and practice some type of religion or none at all, which much like the life of many Americans. The differences I noticed were mostly within their culture, they tended to be a little more relaxed and laid back in some areas and strict in others that is different from the United States. I think this assumption that people in other countries are different is mostly due to ignorance and misinformation of what they actually do and how they live. It is a common mistake and I admit I have thought this but when you learn something or talk with someone of another country you take a step back you realize you aren’t so different at all. So basically I would just say it is mostly due to the fact that people just don’t have the information or don’t know what life and people in other countries are like. There are always going to be differences but they exist everywhere, even between people in our own country.

The video in class about slavery really had an impact on me and opened my eyes to something I never really thought about before. It focused specifically on cocoa slavery and the young kids that work in the fields and never get a cent while continually getting beat. This was very hard and shocking for me to see because one, I love chocolate and eat so much throughout a year and two, I have been ignorant to the fact that slavery really does exist in many places still today. I obviously knew there was still some slavery like everything going on with NIKE but I never thought it was to this extent and it confuses me. I don’t know how people can still get away with it today and what we can do to help.

While I don’t think I will stop eating chocolate, and like Sam said that wouldn’t help anyone in the long run, I will definitely try to buy fair trade whenever I can and try to become more educated on the subject. It is crazy to think that so many of the products I own have parts made from slavery and I didn’t even know it until now. It just angers me and makes me wonder if there is anything that can be done. Is there a solution or a way to stop these people from using slavery still? Is there a way to make sure poor innocent children are not overworked, underpaid, and beaten? I don’t know what the solution is, I do know that it is impossible to just stop buying everything but I really do hope there is a solution out there and some day this won’t happen. I hope that people can become more informed about this subject through videos such as the one we saw in class and hopefully open their eyes and find a way to stop this. Chocolate is such a good and tasty thing, and for many it feels like a reward and nice part of your day, but knowing where it comes from and what people did for you to eat it makes it sound much less appealing.

I don’t know if I exactly feel guilty about this or just pure angry that it is happening but it seems like such a hard situation. I do certainly feel blessed and lucky that I live here and do not have to go through slavery but I also feel terrible that people in other countries live lives like this. It just shows how truly lucky Americans are in all aspects. Hopefully one day this will not have to be talked about and I will own, eat, and wear products only made fairly and by people who are paid for their work.

I think this week’s classes have been very interesting and have made me think a lot about the subject of free will and determinism and I agree that my life is definitely a mix of both. I have made choices that have gotten me where I am today but my background and family have influenced and helped me as well. For example my family has instilled the value of hard work in me from day one. I worked hard in school, at home, and in extra curricular activities. However, I was lucky that my family could support me and the activities I was involved in. I also grew up in a nice area that gave me the resources to succeed. For example I got a good education throughout elementary, junior high, and high school and I was able to do sports and get tutoring for the SATs and things like that. Two factors contributed to this: one, that my parents could pay for it and help and support and two, that I was driven and determined to work hard and succeed. One instance of this was my junior year of high school; it was the year of SATs so it was a very busy time. I would go to school all day, then go to lacrosse practice until 5:30 or 6:00 and then go to SAT tutoring, grab dinner, and finally home in time to do homework and sleep. Now this was not everyday but it was a few days a week for about two or three months. I ended up doing well on my SATs so my hard work paid off. Now I attribute some of that to my circumstances but I also know that some of my classmates had the same resources and background as me but chose not to work hard and try. They ended up either giving up and partying throughout high school or just not giving their best. So this shows that although circumstances play a big part, the person and their effort plays just as big of a part. I could also name many people from my high school that may have not had the same resources but worked hard and have ended up at great universities. Back to my choices, my choice to work hard brought me to Penn State but the fact that my parents and grandparents are helping me pay for it have made it happen. It is also the reason why I am really working hard while I am here and do not intend to let their money go to waste. They have taught me to work hard for what I want and to appreciate everything I have, which I intend to do. It was also my free will to choose to come here, as well as choose to become an elementary education major and what clubs to join. In conclusion, my free will and the choices I have made, along with my circumstances and family have played both a significant and equal part in who I am today and the fact that I am at Penn State.