I thought it was really interesting when we talked to the Iranian guy in class. When something happens like the Boston Marathon bombings we seem to focus what is happening in our own country and do not think about how it affects other people. I understand that extremist groups are only a small portion of Muslims and that not everyone who is Muslim is a terrorist. It seems to be that it is always a few individuals that give a larger group a bad name. I think that it can be easy to stereotype and assume someone is one way because of what he or she looks like or where he or she is from especially when things like the Boston Marathon bombings happen. To hear the Iranian guy say that he was sorry about what had happened and his heart was with us was very grounding. When would most Americans say they feel bad about something that happened in Iran or somewhere else in the Middle East? It does not seem to be important to us unless it is our own people or something that happens in America. I think it was important for the class to hear what the Iranian guy had to say and I wish that more people could hear that. I think it was enlightening and reminds us that stereotypes do not hold true. It also points out that things happen all over the world that we might not know about it because it is not talked about as often. I think the thing that stuck with me the most was when he said that kind of stuff happens every day in Iran. Since these things are not happening on our own soil, it seems almost surreal. The bombings in Boston were talked about all over twitter and social media. Even CNN was constantly playing updates on the situation that was unfolding. I did not even realize similar things were happening in Iran on a daily basis. Because it is not so openly talked about, it seems like it does not happen. I think it is sad how we portray things to be all about us and our people rather than empathizing with those innocent civilians that have to suffer from similar things that may be our doing. When one of the kids in class offered the Iranian guy his sympathy for the Iranian earthquake, I was kind of surprised. Not because I did not feel sorry about it but rather the fact that I did not even know there was an earthquake in Iran that killed several people and greatly affected many others. It is too bad that the earthquake was not as publicized as the Boston bombings even though so many people were affected by both.

I thought this was an interesting question to address. Not only the United States’ government but also various organizations give aid to foreign countries in hopes of ending poverty. What about the poor people in the United States such as the Native Americans? Why do we help other countries and leave our own people in such bad conditions? I think there are various reasons this occurs. One is that people do not know that other people in our country are at the level of poverty they are in. For example, in our discussion group everyone was so shocked that Native Americans live with that level of poverty. Since I am from Minnesota, and actually a town named after a Native American, I have grown up with Native Americans throughout my whole entire life. However, I did not know how impoverished some tribes are and what kind of problems they face. I had never seen Native Americans in that level of poverty, even though I live about thirty minutes to the closest reservation. I do not think this particular tribe is at the same level of poverty and many of them do have jobs and their children go to the public schools around the area. I guess it was shocking that there are tribes across the United States that I am unfamiliar with that suffer greatly. It is widely known that people are impoverished around the world. In the news and other forms of media you hear about the immense poverty in Africa, but when do you ever hear about the poverty in our own country especially on reservation? And many people on the east coast of the United States, the area where laws are made, have no knowledge of the Native Americans because there are few reservations in that area. Most reservations are in the Midwest and west because that is where we pushed them and forced them to live earlier in our history. It seems that because they are out of sight, they are out of mind. Although the same can he said about those in foreign countries, but due to the emphasis the media puts on those people, it makes people want to support those causes. Another reason may be that the impoverished people around the world, like those in Haiti, are worse off than the Native Americans. Compared to those in the United States, the Native Americans may be poor, but the people in Haiti who survive on about a dollar a day or whatever it was is still less. By helping those at the bottom and trying to better their economies the lawmakers may think it will in turn help ours. If we can get these countries out of poverty, they can trade with us or something. I think most countries, especially the United States does what it can to get itself ahead even if that means superficially helping others.

I had never associated affirmative action with receiving a job or advancement because of someone you know until class this week. This got me thinking to my own life and experiences. I feel kind of embarrassed to say it, but I got my first at a real estate firm because of my uncle and my second or current job at a nursing home because of my aunt. I think that I was qualified in each case despite lacking experience in both fields. I do not know if there were others that I competed for the job against, but I did get the jobs and I think some of it had to do with whom I know. To be honest, this happens to be a constant theme in life. Both sides of my family own businesses and tend to hire those within the family or friends. For example, in my mother’s family’s business, both my brother and cousin work for them. I am not certain, but I am pretty sure they even made positions for both of them because they did not have the necessary training. Because they are family, they were given a job. As a member of the family this does not bother me because I know that if I ever am out of a job I know that I am basically guaranteed one through my family’s business. I feel like the other people that work there probably do not like this idea at all. They definitely know that if there is an advancement opportunity within the company, it is likely it will be either my cousin or my brother even if others are more qualified.
In another example, one of my friend’s moms used to work as a secretary for the Tropicana. She worked her way up to the position of president. From my understanding it was because of her hard work. Then again, she is white and that may have helped her advance through the ranks.
I am not going to lie and say that the lecture changed me and now I am not going to accept handouts from those I know. If I can get a better job or better paying position, even if it is through someone I know, I am going to take it. Although I believe in equality, personally I would absolutely take the handout because it would advance me in my career path. I think that even if this happens one has to prove themselves to the employers within the position. Someone can get you a job, give you a second change if you mess up, but they cannot do your job for you. I would like to think that I have the ability to work hard in a given situation and even excel in it after getting the experience. So maybe initially I may not be more qualified, but after learning, I could be just as qualified.

I think this also goes along with the question, why do people go tanning? I am talking about people going out in the sun to deliberately get tanner as well as paying money to use an artificial tanning bed to achieve that tan. White people, in particular, pay these fees to look tanner in the winter or other times during the year. I will admit and say that I go tanning regularly and it is not cheap. For a month membership you can pay anywhere from twenty-five dollars up to sixty, plus the cost of lotions, at least in State College. The reason I go tanning is because I feel that I look better when I am tan and thus do not mind paying that fee to achieve that heightened sense of beauty. I think that people who use whitening cream do it for the same reason, they want to look better. I think the difference between people who use whitening cream and go tanning stems from differences in culture. One girl in class said that being lighter skinned is a sign of wealth so thus those with lighter skin appear to be better off. In our culture being tan is not necessarily associated with being wealthy. I think that is more based on what we define as that ideal image. We want to be tan in America because it is seen as beauty just as it is for those Asian countries that use whitening cream. To them it is beautiful to be lightly skinned.
When relating this to race relations, I am not sure that these people want to be white I think they just want to look white because it is seen as better within their culture. This also relates back to the article we read for the first exam. It talked about how some races would have specific procedures done to their bodies so they could fit into the ideal image of beauty within their culture. Ever since we are young, we are drilled with what is supposed to be beautiful and what is not from all the sources of media and celebrities. I think that different cultures have different images of what this is. For example, in the article Latino women wanted their butts to be bigger. Where in contrast Americans tend to value the slim figure. Some women in the United States even complain that their butts are too big. It is not because they want to be more like another culture they just want to fit better into their own. This is the same for those people who use whitening cream, or even go tanning for that matter, these people want to fit that image of beauty in their culture and thus use these products to do so.

I think this question really depends. One of my best friends is a mix of Japanese and Puerto Rican. When someone asks what her race is I refer to her as both. In most situations I usually refer to someone’s race based on what they are the most of. In the case of race, I am white, but when people ask about my ancestry I will usually just say Polish. I am mostly Polish even though I am a mix of seven different things.
In high school I went to this talk and at this talk they discussed what it was like being multiracial. At one point the speaker was talking about how on applications or paperwork there was a section to check a box based on what one was. It only allowed you to pick one option and there was no “other” box. I know that this has since changed, but the speaker stressed that each race she was special to her. She did not want to be defined by one race and have to check one box. I think that was interesting because I had never though about it that way since when it comes to race, I am just white (to the best of my knowledge).
This topic has also got me start thinking about the concept of identifying as a specific race or even heritage. As we discussed in class all of humanity has a common ancestry from Africa. So technically we are all African even though different groups have adapted to the specific climates that are present in different regions. And even more recently there has been a lot of mixing of cultures and so-called races especially since travel has been so convenient and common. For example when the Roman Empire was at its prime people were mixing and settling in new regions as the empire was expanding. Even if you are from an area that associates with one race or culture, there is a good chance that you have some sort of mixed blood and you are not fully one thing. Therefore I think that to some extend everyone is multiracial. Even if that means you are 98 percent one thing and 2 percent of another. I think when it comes to being multiracial it is how each individual chooses to associate. I mean there are instances where one wants to hide some of their identity such as the Iranian girl in class, but in general it is one’s ability to decide how they identify. Your biology and background is not going to change because you choose not to associate, it is still there, but for me instead of listing my nationalities, I will usually say the predominant one or tell people I am a mutt.

Ever since I can remember I have always been against violence. I think there are far better ways to manage and settle a conflict than through fighting especially through the use of guns and war. Because of these values I have held since a young age, I would not openly consider joining the military. I fully understand that there are positions in the military where you do not participate in battle and are instead behind the scenes. I do not think I would even want to be placed in those situations because it would mean I am supporting the war or whatever orders are barked at me. I plan to go to medical school and become a doctor. I want nothing more than to help others and to ensure they have the ability to live the best lives possible free of the hardships of disease. To support the violence of war would go against my values. My goal is to help others no matter their background. Even though our military keeps us safe, they may be hurting others around the world and I am not okay with that. There is the other side of the medical perspective and the military of healing wounded soldiers and veterans. When someone is hurt or ill, I want to help him or her even if it is from a battle or some violent act they participated in. Everyone deserves medical treatment. I just wish that there were no war, thus preventing deaths and injuries from our troops and the innocent civilians that sometimes must suffer.
I know that the military is a means to keep our nation safe and I respect those that serve, it is just not something I want for myself. In my ideal world no one would need a military because we would be at peace, however, with such differences in religion, race, and ideals, unfortunately I do not think there will be a time when the people of the world truly are at peace. It seems that everything that people do, countries included, are for their best interests or the best interest of the group they are included in. Even in the articles we read for class appeared to have some humanitarian aspect, but individuals in the United States were still benefitting more from the situation than those in need. The article even went on to say that even though we give aid to other countries, many things must go through the United States such as the shipping. The amount of money spent shipping items from the United States to other countries costs a lot, but as a country we would never shy away from supporting our own businesses. This really shows that no matter what, even if we are appearing to help, there will usually be a conflict of interests. Because of these differences, there is a need for a military to keep the safety of the United States civilians in check.

After thinking about this question, it is difficult to answer. However, I think it comes down to gender stereotypes. Ever since a young age I remember going shopping with my group of girlfriends and I would ask them what they thought about the outfit or shoes I was wearing. I think it is a feminine thing to seek approval whether it was from the same or opposite sex. So when someone compliments me I feel flattered. Its not they are complimenting my body or what I look like, but rather the carefully planned arrangement of clothes that I put together. If I was in a swimsuit or something where I was more exposed and a girl said I looked hot, I would probably feel more uncomfortable. In this situation it is not about the carefully constructed ensemble I am wearing, but rather my body they would be complimenting. This is more suggestive that they think of me in a sexual way. This would probably make me uncomfortable if a guy said that to me especially if I was not interested.
In the opposite case where a guy compliments a guy, I think they feel the same way of uncomfortable as if a girl was complimenting me in my bathing suit. I think most boys do not have the same views about clothes and presentation as girls do so when they are complimented by another guy boys think of it as more sexualizing. And since shopping has been stereotyped as a feminine thing, a guy taking specific interest in another guy’s looks does not seem to point to his ensemble, but rather what is underneath. As I mentioned earlier, I believe seeking the approval of others when it comes to looks is more of a feminine thing. It is like one of my friends said to me, “I do not like to dress hot for the boys, I like to dress hot so all the other girls know they have some competition.” So when one woman compliments another she is almost giving her a one up and feeding into that ego. I think this also goes back to how long it takes each sex to get ready. Most of my friends spend over an hour doing their hair, make-up, and picking out an outfit, where my guy friends can be ready in fifteen minutes. A compliment from another woman is just appreciation. However, when a guy compliments another guy it can almost make them appear less masculine since it is so out of norm for a guy to be that into his own image. And because it differs from the norms, guys tend to feel more uncomfortable when they are complimented by the same sex than when the same thing happens to a woman. I think the awkwardness is from the fact that men perceive compliments differently than women and because it is foreign they assume the compliment is suggestive.

One of the personal things that I have struggled with throughout my life is the death of those that I care about. In the last few years my grandma, grandpa, and dog have all passed away. It has been a personal struggle learning to cope with these emotions. I know that death is something inevitable and common amongst all people in society. Everyone will die at some point in his or her lifetime regardless of where someone is from or what race he or she is. Even though death is so widespread, I believe most people feel like it is something they need to cope with by themselves or with their closest family members. How death is perceived and how people deal with the death of a loved one is different across different cultures. The way that I perceive death could be very different than the views of others in the class largely due to how we were raised and what we learned while growing up. Throughout my life, it has been seen as a very sad phenomenon. I have been taught to wear black and quietly mourn over the deceased. When my family members have died in the past, I tend to keep my emotions to myself and tend to shun others out rather than allowing them to help me through my rough time. And even though death affects so many people, I tend to act like this is my problem and no one else could possibly understand what I am going through even though most people in this class are likely to have had an experience with death. In other cultures whaling at a funeral is viewed as respectful. In Mexico, the deaths of the people’s loved ones is more of a celebration of their life than a mourning of one’s own loss. Mexicans even celebrate Dia de Los Muertos where they create alters filled with items and foods their ancestors enjoyed during life to commemorate their deaths. Instead of keeping to themselves like I do, they share in the celebrations amongst other family members. Across different sociological groups, death can be perceived differently. I guarantee that if I was raised somewhere else, my ideas on death would be completely different. Maybe it would be less of a loss and more of a celebration or something totally different.
Even with suicide, death is perceived differently in various cultures. In class we saw the statistics of racial groups most likely and least likely to commit suicide. This just shows that someone’s culture can affect an individual’s views of deaths. This means that as mentioned in class, personal issues, even those as personal as death and suicide are a reflection of our views that come from a larger group associated with our culture.

I think racism is more than just based on the color of someone’s skin or where they are from. It also has a cultural and environmental aspect to it. I think that I have different views on people of various races because of where I am from. For example, I am from Northern Minnesota and have grown up with Native Americans since a young age. My hometown was even named after a Native American. I remember learning about some of the cultural aspects to some of the different tribes in the area. Because I grew up understanding their culture I never really developed a stereotype about them that people who were not exposed to their culture may have. In contrast, I was unfamiliar with other groups of people such as Jewish people or “guidos.” The only information things I knew about these groups of people were what I had heard from others and the media, which were stereotypical. This really shows how ignorance plays a large role in racism. I think people are the way they are because of their environment as well. If someone’s parents are racist and have particular views about people of the world, they are likely to pass those beliefs down to their children. A few of my friends’ parents would never allow their daughters to date a black guy. I think my friends’ parents’ beliefs did have an impact on the beliefs of my friends. This goes to show that environmental factors really play into racism.
I also think that people can be discriminative against their own race. I do not think I would go as far as to say that someone can be racist against their own race, but there are instances where it seems like it. For example, one of my best friends was adopted from Korea when she was younger. She grew up with white parents and her adopted brother, also from Korea. Even though genetically she is Asian, she does not associate herself as Korean. There are times when she will make fun of the other Asians that have grown up in Asia. She also swears she would never date another Asian. When she looks in the mirror she knows that she came from Korea, but culturally she is not. I honestly cannot decide if that makes her racist or not. It goes against the conventional definitions of racism in that one race is superior to others, but to me it does not seem quite right that she can make fun of her own race. Racism is based on cultural stereotypes. I think it is more than just the color of someone’s skin or where someone is from. How someone associates himself or herself culturally also plays into racism.

I want to know why it is so important for someone to check a box identifying their race for college, graduate school, and job applications. In all of these applications they state that they cannot discriminate against an individual based on their sex, religion, race, etc. If this is indeed the case, why is it that they must ask in the first place? Every time I have come across that section in an application, I get a little worked up. It seems that even by asking an applicant to check a box and establish his or her race, it is almost allowing for discrimination to occur. What is the point of even asking someone his or her race if it is not supposed to matter?
The board that reviews these applications should be looking at the credentials that these individuals have and not their race.
It also seems that nowadays, more and more schools are looking for a more “diverse” range of students. Every website I have ever seen lists the percentages of each race attending the school. There are schools dedicated to the education of black students. If there were ever a school like that for white students it would be considered racist, but why not the other way around? Students of diversity can apply for scholarships that other races are unable to. When I was a senior in high school, I remember seeing scholarships that required an individual to be so much of a percentage of a race other than white. I am currently applying to graduate level schools and I constantly come across the question, in what ways can you contribute to the diversity at our school? I understand that diversity is much more than just race, but that is all that I think about. I am white, which makes it difficult on me. These types of questions make me feel bad about being white and that I do not have the type of diversity these schools want me to have. It makes me feel like I am at some sort of disadvantage even though all these schools claim they do not discriminate against students based on their race. In particular, one of the schools that I applied to is historically a black college. After reading about how important that tradition was to the school, it made me feel that I would not be accepted. Just as some schools give admission advantages to students from the same state, they do the same with students of a particular race. So as I mentioned earlier, I am wondering what is the point of asking a prospective student what their race is if it is not supposed to matter. Because I think it really does matter.