While the discussion was extremely interesting, I haven’t really changed my opinion on illegal immigration in this country. While it is true that the United States of America provides the best opportunity for success in the western hemisphere, that opportunity comes at a price. With the population rising every single year in this country, there comes a point where our infrastructure will not be able to accommodate the growing demands. While there is the argument that illegal immigrants take jobs away from American citizens, I think the problem is much deeper than that. Finding a way to allow a select number of people each year to gain citizenship, along with proper patrolling along our borders should help the problem. I think the argument should be about how to find a logical solution to the ongoing immigration, not the typical racist and nationalist comments.
It’s sad to hear stories about families going through various hardships to try and enter the country. I can understand the desire to leave a horrible situation in hopes that the United States can provide a better future. From an inside perspective, its easy to disregard this fact and say that people shouldn’t be allowed to illegally immigrate into our country. While I don’t know much about our customs system, I’m sure it isn’t that easy to gain citizenship in this country. If I were living in Mexico, with a family to feed and a wife to care for, I would be the first person running through the desert trying to get to America. Unfortunately, there is no concrete solution that solves our immigration dilemma.
At the end of the day, illegal immigration helps our economy, but it hurts our country. In the same way that companies outsource jobs for cheaper labor, it is a no-brainer for businesses to hire illegal immigrants at a much cheaper price. This also puts American’s out of work, although the argument that immigrants do the jobs other will no is sometimes true. The other problem is that illegal immigrants do not pay taxes. This inequality in pay doesn’t allow our government to provide the services that are necessary for the amount of people that are coming into this country. While I support the desire for people to search for better lives, the current legislation doesn’t allow for the demand. I feel like a tax of some sort would help aid this problem, also putting less of a burden on American workers who are often searching for work. As long as businesses are looking to increase profit annually, illegal immigrants will always be able to find work, and will continue to come to America in search of a better future. Until both the government and our corporations create a plan, nothing will change.

Personally, I hate being around people that are speaking a language I don’t understand. While some situations are different than others, it always seems to be awkward when you’re in a conversation and you have no idea what’s going on. It’s a horrible feeling to see a group of people looking at you, laughing and speaking another language. You have absolutely no idea what the situation is, and you’re left with your imagination to cope with the event. Unfortunately, I’m sure if I was able to speak another language fluently, I would constantly revert to my native language in certain situations. It’s a complete advantage in today’s world, being able to speak freely to another person without offending the other people in the conversation. But sometimes, simply using another language is disrespectful to some people.
My best friends are both Uruguayan, and while I understand a good amount of Spanish, I can see how they revert to their language when they don’t want people to know what they’re talking about. Whenever something odd or weird happens, they’re quick to make a joke, unbeknownst to everyone around. While speaking another language is a great tool in life, I find it somewhat disrespectful to speak another language in a large conversation. The whole veil of secrecy creates awkward tension, and it creates an advantage for those who can speak the language, creating a whole other layer of conversation.
Another example I find funny is the typical “nail salon” story. When I was younger, I always had to go with my mom whenever she ran errands. When she went to the nail salon, we would sit there for almost an hour, with the woman working on her nails never speaking a word of English. They would constantly laugh and tell jokes, sometimes looking at us for any sense of recognition. I always wondered how the conversation would turn out if I entered the store with one of my friends that spoke their language. I have a feeling their dialogue would be a lot shorter than if it were only English-speaking customers in their business.
While I find it extremely awkward to be around people speaking another language, I wish I had the same skills. It must be amazing to speak freely in a conversation without anyone knowing what you’re talking about. You can tell jokes, make fun of other people, or simply disrespect someone, all without them having any idea about what is going on. If I could go back in time, I would definitely have continued learning another language. Its just another advantage that you can use everyday of your life, all while appearing to be courteous and respectful, even in the worst kinds of situations.

Unfortunately, I have experienced guilt because of my race. I’m of mixed race, both black and white, and every day it feels like a struggle. My mother and my stepfather are both black, and to some degree they resent me for the color of my skin. They never completely say it to my face, but they unfortunately give me various signals that let me know that I’m not completely accepted. While I am black by definition, my light skin tone allows me to bypass the typical racism felt by blacks. I’m constantly teased by my family for being “high yellow”, or for my ability to “pass” as white. Sometimes I can even feel the tension of being in a room with some of my family members, most of whom grew up in the civil rights era. They tell me stories of the difficulties they experienced growing up in this country, and to some degree they’re angered that I do not experience the same opposition. They are connected by the experiences they have, and you can see how this has made my family closer. Unfortunately, I am unable to share this connection. My real father’s side is even worse. They completely ignore me because of my mother, unable to see past my racial makeup. I’ve never spoken to any of my family from that side. When I was born, they immediately vanished, leaving my mother and I alone with no support. It’s the worst feeling in the world knowing you’re the reason for your family’s problems with each other. For years I questioned why I was born in a world where I was unaccepted. It took almost my entire childhood to become confident in my own skin, and to embrace the life I was given.
It’s extremely difficult to be of mixed race sometimes. It’s hard to fit in to different groups, always trying to find what seat in the cafeteria I should sit at. When I was younger, I always felt isolated, never able to fit in any racial category. In elementary school, kids quickly find out what groups they are apart of. Even today, it is typically uncommon to see a group of kids walking around who are all of different races. While this might be an ignorant observation, I find that most races tend to hangout with each other, rarely crossing racial boundaries. For years, I found myself stuck in the middle, unable to find my comfort level. While I received some guilt from my family about my race, our society placed an even heavier burden. I look forward to a day when we can look past our skin color, and treat each other simply by our thoughts and personalities.

The argument over determinism really got me thinking about how this country works. While I believe determinism plays a huge role in the success of an individual, I do believe that a person’s choice plays a crucial role in moving on in this society. Most people don’t know how difficult it is to live and go to an inner city school. The resources and the environment are a huge burden on students, even those who are extremely bright. But at the same time, I know people from rich families who have completely thrown their lives away, even though they had every possible chance to succeed in life. While there are examples that support both sides, people need to realize that a majority of the population does not have an equal opportunity to succeed.
Personally, I know that I had an even chance to fail or succeed in life. While my mom is a college graduate, I went to a high school that didn’t have the greatest graduation rate. While some teachers were extremely passionate about their profession, most of mine could care less about the success of their students. When you’re growing up in that environment, it’s hard to find the drive to succeed. As high school went on, a lot of my friends simply dropped out, hoping to get a job and provide for their family. Every day I wake up, I reflect on where I’ve come from and what I had to do to get to Penn State. I was surrounded by opportunities to ruin my life, but I somehow made it. But my story pales in comparison to those in inner city and rural areas. And that’s my point. If I found it that difficult to succeed, I cannot even imagine what it would be like to go to a public school in cities like New Orleans, New York or Chicago. The clip we watched of the Oprah show really drove home the issue to me. Its ridiculous that schools so close to each other can have such huge differences. Unfortunately, the school with leaking ceilings and metal detectors had a majority of black students. When only .3% of a school is proficient in high school level math, it shows that we don’t all have an equal chance at making something for ourselves. I hope that one day, our government can focus more on improving the country we live in, not fighting wars with soldiers who risk their lives for the United States of America.

The question really brings up a good point. Most comedians of color always have some sort of race related jokes in their material. White comedians, on the other hand, have to shy away from the topic all together. I think it all has to do with political correctness. Historically, whites have been the majority race in both Europe and the United States. A joke coming from a white comedian would appear mean-spirited. As I continue to think about this, I can find a concrete reason why. Maybe it is a cultural idea that is just unspoken. The idea should sound preposterous. In a world where equality is slowly gaining momentum, the idea of a white person telling racist jokes seems not only unfunny, but also hurtful.
Another possibility is that racial jokes are just a coping mechanism for those who undergo racist actions. In the 1970’s, Richard Pryor made a living finding humor in race relations. At a time when the civil rights era was not that far in the rearview mirror, people found his work hilarious. Pryor went on to become one of the most popular comedians ever. The time period of his popularity shows that laughing at those racial jokes comforted people. A night of comedy would help heal the wounds of facing a segregated world. As time went gone on, that same style of humor became popular with future generations.
Today, I would find it hard to watch Dane Cook make fun of any race. Because of history, it would appear to me as poor taste. Of all my white friends, most of them find racial jokes hilarious. But they are the only people I know that tend to bring those jokes up. While this may be a generalization, I have noticed throughout my life that the majority of those who brought these kinds of jokes up in the real world were white. They were not always meant to be hurtful, but I know for a fact there are rarely any instances of other kinds of racism. This does not mean that I believe white people are the only racists in the world, an idea that is completely ignorant. But from a humor standpoint, I rarely see it in the real world, which is completely different from stand-up comedy. Of course there are cases like the genocide in Darfur, or the unrest in Europe, but none of this have any instance of humor in them.
For this kind of social anomaly, I believe every side needs to change their ways. Comedians, while funny, only stir the pot when they make those kinds of remarks. While it hasn’t happened yet, I actually hope one day a white person can make that kind of joke and we can all laugh. Because at the end, that’s equality.

When the Confederate States of America seceded from the Union, they created their own identity based on the economics of slavery. The Confederate flag became of symbol of this nation, becoming the face of the south in this time period. Today, the confederate flag still plays a role in our society. Numerous states have some form of the confederate symbol in their flag. And across the country, people still fly the red and blue flag, hoping the south will rise again.
The confederate flag represents racism in my opinion. While some may claim that it is a symbol of southern culture, that culture was formed around the enslavement of Africans for financial gain. It represents a time when ignorance and segregation was prevalent throughout the United States, demeaning a large amount of the population. There are people in the country who still want a return to those southern values. As a resident of Virginia, there is not a day I have driven to Richmond where a confederate flag has not been present. It’s sad that a symbol of ignorance can still be so popular in today’s society.
I went to Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia. For years, our mascot was the Rebel, our uniforms black and red. It wasn’t until ten or fifteen years ago that a petition was signed to change our logo and colors. And yet my graduation year, people still wore novelty t-shirts of the old logo, joking around with people about its meaning. Teacher’s would try and make the students remove their shirts, but the opposition only made it more popular. That’s the only answer I can truly reach to this idea. People tend to support unpopular ideas, simply to anger those around them. It’s hurtful to see people joke around with something that was so serious just under a century ago. Hopefully people realize the true meaning of their statements and try to make the world a better place.
One thing I find interesting about the confederate flag is the number of southern states that embrace the flag. Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Alabama and Florida all have some form of confederate influence. The state the stands out the most is Georgia. After their governor changed their flag to a more modern look, he was quickly ousted in the elections. Not only that, but residents voted to change the flag back to a confederate style symbol. Its mind-boggling how some people can simply embrace this heritage, looking down on Blacks, Latinos and Asians.
As long as the confederate flag is being flown in this country, racism is still around. This symbol of racism shows how our country still has a long way to go. Hopefully change will soon come.

In my opinion, stereotypes stem simply from ignorance. Race is a constant force in our lives, for better or for worse. When a person is younger, their parents tend to shape their thoughts and perceptions. If a child is born into a family with racist beliefs, it is almost inevitable that that child will grow to believe in those ideas. What's worse is that those individuals rarely question these ideas. If a specific stereotype is either proven wrong or obviously incorrect, that individual will fail to realize the truth, or simply ignore the findings. The American family can be extremely influential on a child. When I was younger, my mother could have told me night was day, and I would defend that thought forever. In some parts of the country, beliefs held from the civil rights era are still prevalent. It’s difficult to comprehend that slavery was used only 200 years ago. This country was founded on land stolen from Native Americans, harvested by slaves and governed by the oppressors. How could this country not contain these racists’ beliefs?

Despite this fact, this country has made giant steps toward equality. But with such a large population, it is almost impossible to gauge this evolution. Those with racist beliefs are also more vocal than those who are more educated. If a small minority presents their ideals to the population through the press, it will appear as if the popular opinion is being published. One example, although not based on race, could be the controversy over the new iPhone. Some believed that the phone was flawed and soon, the entire country began to believe it as fact. But as the storm cooled down, people found out that those who were happy with the phone simply did not speak out, and the phone's problems became nonexistent. The same can be said for stereotypes. The American media always publishes the stories that will create the most headlines. You’ll see fifteen stories about racism before you see one about a person doing good for their community.

Racial stereotypes, and racism in general, all start and end in the home. As long as parents continue to press their beliefs onto their children, racism and these stereotypes will never disappear. It’s unfortunate that in the day and age, people still believe in these uneducated facts. While Barack Obama has broken numerous barriers, becoming the first black president of the United States of America, there is still work to be done. We must continue to educate those who fail to realize the evolution of our country. Without work, people will continue to grow up preaching these hateful ideas. It's up to our age group to teach equality and tolerance to future generations.

In my opinion, stereotypes stem simply from ignorance. Race is a constant force in our lives, for better or for worse. When a person is younger, their parents tend to shape their thoughts and perceptions. If i child is born into a family with racist beliefs, it is almost inevitable that that child will grow to believe in those ideas. What's worse is that those individuals rarely question this ideas. If a specific stereotype is either proven wrong or obviously incorrect, that individual will fail to realize the truth, or simply ignore the findings. This country was founded on land stolen from Native Americans, harvested by slaves and governed by the oppressors. How could this country not contain these racists beliefs?

Despite this fact, this country has made giant steps toward equality. But with such a large population, it is almost impossible to gauge this evolution. Those with racist beliefs are also more vocal than those who are more educated. If a small minority presents their ideals to the population through the press, it will appear as if the popular opinion is being published. One example, although not based on race, could be the controversy over the new iPhone. Some believed that the phone was flawed and soon, the entire country began to believe it as fact. But as the storm cooled down, people found out that those who were happy with the phone simply did not speak out, and the phone's problems became nonexistent. The same can be said for stereotypes.

Racial stereotypes, and racism in general, all starts and ends in the home. As long as parents continue to press their beliefs onto their children, racism and these stereotypes will never disappear. It's up to our age group to teach equality and tolerance to future generations.

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