After today’s lecture my perspective about illegal immigrants has changed. Growing up the idea of illegal immigrants has always been looked at as a negative thing. People were constantly saying terrible things about Mexicans and how they are making the United States a worse country. My own grandparents would say negative things under their breath. Professor Richards brought up valid point in today’s lecture. My eyes were opened to the positive effects of immigration. In other classes throughout my college career I have been exposed to other side effects of immigration but today highlighted the facts even more.
You cannot choose where you are born. It is sad to think of the horrible struggles that each immigrant had to face to make their way to Ellis Island. The boats are packed and some women stood for weeks on end holding their children in terrible weather conditions. Some of these people wouldn’t even be accepted into the United States and would have to return to their homeland. American was the land of opportunity. Why should they be turned down entrance if they only want to make their life better off? If we were born in a different country, I’m sure many of us would choose to immigrate to America.
I think it was also interesting how our T.A, Eric, shared his immigration story with the class today. It is always interesting to hear a personal story. My own classmate went through a difficult struggle to find his way into the United States and now he is a Penn State student and my T.A. I also like how Professor Richards talked about how hard working most illegal immigrants are. This is usually very true. They have all faced struggles to make it into American so they are going to work their way to the top. I worked with an illegal immigrant from Mexico when I worked at a restuarant throughout high school. He was the hardest workingman I have ever met but was let go because he could not produce a green card. It was interesting to learn that many business owners struggle because they cannot find cheap enough labor. It’s hard not to thing that maybe illegal immigrants are not that bad. They help produce cheap labor that most Americans would not otherwise do. Business owners are then able to produce their goods at a cheaper price and will have higher profits. The video shown in the beginning of the class highlighted how many presidents have tried to find a solution to illegal immigration but no solution has been made. Maybe we should start looking at ways to make it easier for hard working individuals to enter America, instead oft building barriers to force them out.

After today’s lecture, my perspective on Native Americans has changed drastically. Professor Richards did a great job of emphasizing the brutality that the Natives faced. They were completely removed from their land and slaughtered to death. Today, we never truly bring up how terrible the Natives were treated. Americans are the first to talk about the heinous acts of the Hitler and the Nazis during World War II. But if look at what was done to the Native Americans, are we really that much different? Innocent individuals were murdered in both cases. Yes, in Germany millions of individuals were murdered solely based on their religion, but the Natives were removed from their indigenous land. What gives anyone the right to treat human beings this way? We need to examine the way we treat people. There has been plenty of blood, on and off American soil that should have never been shed.
One other astonishing fact is how reserved and calm the Native Americans are today. Thousands of their family members had been massacred and they simply let it go. I understand the idea of wanting to get rid of the past, but it is astonishing how they simply go on with their lives knowing so much evil in their past. I never knew how poor these Native tribes actually were until we watched the video about the tribe in South Dakota. The statistics that Professor Richards posted was also unbelievable. The fact that the average life expectancy is 52 for women and 48 for men is mind-boggling. The increase in suicide rates is also astonishing. It only seems fair that we somehow reach out to these Natives after all the heartache and disturbance that was caused in the past. The United States is the first to help out any underprivileged child in America and set up funds to help overseas, but we never look at the poverty-stricken tribes across our own ground. Why is their so much more violence toward Native Americans? I think it is important to realize this. There are hundreds of tribes across the U.S. and we should embrace their culture, just as we embrace other cultures.
I have always been a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band and have listened to “Don’t Drink the Water” multiple times. But, I never thought twice about the lyrics. The song is truly moving and I love the way the PowerPoint was matched to the lyrics. The pictures added even more emphasis to the already uplifting words. I love when you finally realize where a band is coming from and what their songs mean. Dave Matthews does a great job of highlighting the horrible acts that were created to the Native Americans. Overall, I was very intrigued by Tuesdays lecture.

The “Christian Invaders” lecture was a very powerful class. Professor Richards was extremely passionate about the subject and was inspirational. It is apparent that Richards spoke from his heart and has a lot of knowledge on the subject matter. The lecture was organized and prevailing. The videos shown opened my eyes to the horrid issues going on in the Middle East and how corrupt the government can be. Americans are only exposed to certain aspects of the war through what is shown through the media. Americans choose to hear what they want to hear, whether it is the truth or just some stretch of the imagination. I thought that doing the experiment of putting the entire class in the shoes of Muslims in the Middle East was interesting. By looking at the other side of the spectrum, your perception changes 180 degrees. I would definitely look at the American government differently.
The video that had the biggest impact on me was the one, which showed the American soldiers destroying the cab car of the Afghans who stole the wood. This showed the true colors of many soldiers. It was unnecessary and extremely crude. It was depressing that our Army would act in this manner. The most disturbing aspect of the video was the laughter of the soldiers in the background. It was like they had no regard for human life. These were civilian Afghans simply trying to get wood to keep warm and the soldiers are destroying their livelihood. It was unnecessary. If I were a middle class Middle Easterner I would feel much hatred toward the American soldiers. You can’t help but question the true intentions of the American army when you see acts like this. Although no one was killed, people’s lives were changed drastically. This civilian was a cab driver and now has no means of income.
Many of the other videos shown also had a deep impact on me. All the videos of American politicians like Sarah Palin and John McCain highlight how corrupt our government is and how these “high-up” politicians are making ridiculous assumptions and observations. They are exposing Americans to corrupt believes. It is sad because these are the people who are running our country. It is interesting how everything is referred to Christian ideals and the belief in God. The United States is a melting pot of culture and religion. The United States government and media like to act like everything is okay and that we are doing their best to protect the American people. But when you dig deeper into the issue it seems to be more about money and taking innocent peoples natural resources. Who can we believe, and more importantly who should we believe?

The “Christian Invaders” lecture was a very powerful class. Professor Richards was extremely passionate about the subject and was inspirational. It is apparent that Richards spoke from his heart and has a lot of knowledge on the subject matter. The lecture was organized and prevailing. The videos shown opened my eyes to the horrid issues going on in the Middle East and how corrupt the government can be. Americans are only exposed to certain aspects of the war through what is shown through the media. Americans choose to hear what they want to hear, whether it is the truth or just some stretch of the imagination. I thought that doing the experiment of putting the entire class in the shoes of Muslims in the Middle East was interesting. By looking at the other side of the spectrum, your perception changes 180 degrees. I would definitely look at the American government differently.
The video that had the biggest impact on me was the one, which showed the American soldiers destroying the cab car of the Afghans who stole the wood. This showed the true colors of many soldiers. It was unnecessary and extremely crude. It was depressing that our Army would act in this manner. The most disturbing aspect of the video was the laughter of the soldiers in the background. It was like they had no regard for human life. These were civilian Afghans simply trying to get wood to keep warm and the soldiers are destroying their livelihood. It was unnecessary. If I were a middle class Middle Easterner I would feel much hatred toward the American soldiers. You can’t help but question the true intentions of the American army when you see acts like this. Although no one was killed, people’s lives were changed drastically. This civilian was a cab driver and now has no means of income.
Many of the other videos shown also had a deep impact on me. All the videos of American politicians like Sarah Palin and John McCain highlight how corrupt our government is and how these “high-up” politicians are making ridiculous assumptions and observations. They are exposing Americans to corrupt believes. It is sad because these are the people who are running our country. It is interesting how everything is referred to Christian ideals and the belief in God. The United States is a melting pot of culture and religion. The United States government and media like to act like everything is okay and that we are doing their best to protect the American people. But when you dig deeper into the issue it seems to be more about money and taking innocent peoples natural resources. Who can we believe, and more importantly who should we believe?

The “Christian Invaders” lecture was a very powerful class. Professor Richards was extremely passionate about the subject and was inspirational. It is apparent that Richards spoke from his heart and has a lot of knowledge on the subject matter. The lecture was organized and prevailing. The videos shown opened my eyes to the horrid issues going on in the Middle East and how corrupt the government can be. Americans are only exposed to certain aspects of the war through what is shown through the media. Americans choose to hear what they want to hear, whether it is the truth or just some stretch of the imagination. I thought that doing the experiment of putting the entire class in the shoes of Muslims in the Middle East was interesting. By looking at the other side of the spectrum, your perception changes 180 degrees. I would definitely look at the American government differently.
The video that had the biggest impact on me was the one, which showed the American soldiers destroying the cab car of the Afghans who stole the wood. This showed the true colors of many soldiers. It was unnecessary and extremely crude. It was depressing that our Army would act in this manner. The most disturbing aspect of the video was the laughter of the soldiers in the background. It was like they had no regard for human life. These were civilian Afghans simply trying to get wood to keep warm and the soldiers are destroying their livelihood. It was unnecessary. If I were a middle class Middle Easterner I would feel much hatred toward the American soldiers. You can’t help but question the true intentions of the American army when you see acts like this. Although no one was killed, people’s lives were changed drastically. This civilian was a cab driver and now has no means of income.
Many of the other videos shown also had a deep impact on me. All the videos of American politicians like Sarah Palin and John McCain highlight how corrupt our government is and how these “high-up” politicians are making ridiculous assumptions and observations. They are exposing Americans to corrupt believes. It is sad because these are the people who are running our country. It is interesting how everything is referred to Christian ideals and the belief in God. The United States is a melting pot of culture and religion. The United States government and media like to act like everything is okay and that we are doing their best to protect the American people. But when you dig deeper into the issue it seems to be more about money and taking innocent peoples natural resources. Who can we believe, and more importantly who should we believe?

Knowing different languages can be extremely beneficial in many different situations. You become a more well rounded individual and can experience the culture of other countries. I would absolutely learn a different language for a job opportunity. In today’s time, with the economic set back, I think people have had to adapt and any opportunity you are given, you should appreciate and take advantage of. I am only fluent in English, but have taken Spanish throughout most of my education. I can understand the Spanish language to some degree, but would not consider myself fluent by any stretch of the imagination.
Being fluent in a second language is a great characteristic to have. Many employers look for individuals who can speak a dialect other than English. It is also encouraged to write the different languages you speak at the bottom of your resume and also on some job applications. Being bilingual can help benefit your career greatly. A lot of government careers search for certain individuals who are familiar with other languages. Because you are communicating with people all over the world, you need people who can translate and make sense of other languages.
Two of my roommates, both Cuban, can speak Spanish. I am envious of this trait because they can communicate in two different languages. They both speak to certain family members only in Spanish. When they were applying to jobs, there bilingual background may have advanced them in the work force. They are exposed to a different culture and when they travel to certain areas of the world, they have the potential to communicate with other Spanish-speaking natives. Learning a language at a young age is much easier than learning it as you grow older. When you are constantly exposed to Spanish speaking individuals, it is also much easy to pick up on the language. It may be beneficial for parents to start teaching their children English as well as another language as they grow up. It can only help in the long run.
If I were asked to learn a language for a job or career opportunity, I would absolutely do it. It would most likely be very difficult, but it is worth the hard work. Today as the world becomes even more global, companies are constantly sending individuals overseas to expand their businesses. If being fluent in another language would help benefit not only the company, but also myself, I would definitely pursue that language. It is important for Americans to continue expanding their knowledge and opening up to different opportunities. We should want to know more about what other countries and cultures experience. By learning their language we are opening ourselves up to even more opportunities to become more cultural.

Humor is an easy way to confront a sensitive subject. By lightening the mood and adding laughter into the equation, many people feel that they can open up about a topic. Everyone walks on thin ice when talking about race and comedians use satire to poke fun at the situation. Why are we all so scared to confront race? I think by making fun of how people act, we all realize how ridiculous certain things are.
Chris Rock is known for his racism and prejudice stand up skits. He is simply stating the truth but by doing it on an open stage with an audience he relieves tension and the audience connects with Rock. When it comes to race, we are all terrified to tell exactly how we feel. Political correctness is always in the back of our minds. Rock lets go of all of the socially acceptable ways to respond and tells it exactly how it is. He uses extreme language and examples from everyday life to tell both the black and white sides of race and prejudice. Because as Americans we all inherently agree with what Rock is saying, but we are all too scared to say it. We are too scared to ask questions. We are too scared to confront people of the opposite race. We are too scared to dig even deeper into the problem and figure out the true reason why race is so sensitive.
Humor is used in other outlets to express touchy subjects. Religion and politics have caused a great amount of controversy over the past years. Entertainers like Stephen Colbert and John Stewart use jokes and comedy to bring knowledge about politics and government to the American people. Although they are not as obscene as Chris Rock, they are promoting the same views. They jab at the President, but not in a disrespectful way. Other media outlets like Fox and CNN are so serious and partisan that the media is not exposed to the actual truth. Politics and race sometimes have that same negative connotation. No one wants to talk about it.
Celebrities are constantly getting in trouble for vocalizing their opinions about race. Kanye West caused controversy by announcing “George Bush does not like black people”. Similarly radio personality Don Imus was fired after referring to the Rutgers female basketball team as a bunch of “nappy headed hoes”. As long as we are scared to talk about this topic and approach race, politics, and religion in an open manner, comedy and humor will most likely still be used to address race issues. Stand up comedy can be a good way to open up the eyes of the American public and to vocalize the more serious issues at hand.

Although, I am not guilty for being white, there have been times when I feel guilty for have been given the privileges that people of other races may not have. Growing up I never thought that I am where I am today due to white supremacy or white privilege. I was taught to work hard and make good choices and then I could be successful if I was determined. Until recently, mostly after taking Soc 119, am I more open to the idea of white privilege. Professor Richards highlighted the importance of free will but also the fact that there is a sense of determinism in every situation. It is possible that my white skin has gotten me more job interviews and other privileges that people of color may not have experienced. Overall, I don’t think that anyone should feel guilty because of his or her skin color, but it is hard to forget some of the horrible actions that have been taken by white human beings.
The holocaust was the most aggressive and disturbing manslaughter that ever took place in the history of the world. The fact that white Nazis in Germany committed this massacre makes the white race look extremely corrupt and somewhat disgusting. It is hard to not feel some type of guilt for the millions and millions of innocent individuals murdered during this time period. Similarly, the act of slavery makes the white race look corrupt and superior to any other race in the world. White men enslaved millions of black individuals solely because they had black skin. My ancestors most likely were involved with slavery in some way. In conclusion, I do feel guilt for the way that some Caucasian individuals have acted in the past, but I myself do not feel guilt for being a white human being.
We do not choose the color of skin we will have. This fact alone makes the idea of racism and prejudice absolutely ridiculous. Stereotypes do not define an entire race so it is absurd that so much racism still exists in the world today. Hopefully, in the future we will see racism reduce in the United States. I was raised to be a good human being. My parents are both white and they enforced a strong work ethic in all three of their children. There is no reason to feel guilt for being a white female. In a way I feel like this would be degrading to my ancestors and family. I understand that white people have been negative toward other races throughout America, but as always, not every person has these feelings and actions. I don’t think any individual should feel guilt for the color of their skin. If anything we should embrace who we are and where we came from.

Living in America we sometimes forget about how fortunate we are to come from such an amazing place. There are amble opportunities everywhere you turn and for the most part our government is stabilized. Although racism and prejudice still exists, the United State treats every citizen fairly equal and provides us with our basic rights. So when asked if I feel guilt about knowing the disadvantages of freed slaves, I have to stop and think. America was not what it once was. Not too long ago we enslaved thousands of black people based solely on the color of their skin. Today, most people think slavery is a heinous act and don’t understand how it became such a familiarity. But actually millions of individuals live as slaves today throughout the world. Knowing how privileged I am and my vast land of opportunities, I do feel guilt for freed slaves.
As a white woman, I never felt a real sense of racism or prejudice in life and though I have made good choices and worked to where I have come, I most certainly have never been a victim of slavery. Knowing how difficult it is for a person to establish a secure life after working as a slave makes me feel extremely sad. I would not say that I feel too much guilt, because I have not personally owned any slaves or even condoned the horrible institution. But it is possible that my own ancestors have. It is terrible to even imagine the difficulty-freed slaves must have in stabilizing their life. They have absolutely no self worth and therefore are forced to start from the ground up. They probably lack an education and other basic skills that most people are taught throughout their lifetime. In today’s world, it is terribly difficult to get anywhere is life with no money. You can’t purchase your basic necessity items that most of us take for granted.
Not only are freed slaves worse off from an economic standpoint, but they also are usually looked down upon and face racism and discrimination on a daily basis. We have learned that there is most always going to be latent or institutionalized racism. Meaning even though people don’t think they are, they will have negative feeling toward a group. Freed slaves sometimes fit that category. How can you expect a slave to get hired for a job, when they lack education and have absolutely no self-wealth? It must be a constant uphill struggle. When I think about this I do feel guilt and hope that other citizens do as well. But along with sympathizing for these freed slaves it is important that we do something to help. We have acknowledged that this is a problem and as “good” Americans we should want to help.

The question posed is very valid. This individual is of African American decent, but does have a lighter skin tone. It is hard to say whether or not his lighter skin tone has got him ahead in society. Most of the time, you can’t pin point what exactly makes a person who they are. Whether it is their race, personality, work ethic, so on and so forth. But recently I have had a different opinion on the subject. Growing up in a mostly white neighborhood with white friends and family, I never really thought that the fact that I was white would give me more opportunities in America, than an individual who is not Caucasian. It was never really brought to my attention until I enrolled in Soc 119 this semester. I then really began to think twice about the idea of racial discrimination and affirmative action. The story Professor Richards told about how him and his brother received multiple painting jobs throughout the year and was trusted by all his employers, really opened my eyes. I never thought that someone just as equally qualified for the job wouldn’t be trusted and therefore hired because of the color of their skin. This actually made me think about my own parents as well. To be honest, not that my parents are racists in any way, but I believe that if they had two options to hire a painter and one was black and one was white, they would probably employ the white individual. So when looking back at the question, do I think his lighter skin gets him ahead in society? Yes.

I have had multiple job interviews throughout my life and an even larger number since entering college. When I walk out of my interview I usually analyze how I answered the questions, did I look presentable, and did I portray all my positive qualities. I never thought that I would receive the job because I was white. The idea of the color of my skin seems like a ridiculous qualification for a job. But the fact is, it does matter. When looking at the other spectrum, when an individual of a different race, religion, or cultural goes into interview with a white American male, they must feel extremely different insecurities than I would. The man who posed this question may have been given different opportunities throughout his life, because he was lighter than the black person sitting next to him. A lot of the times, these things are implicit, meaning you don’t realize when you are being treated “better” because of your skin color. It is important that we confront these issues. Americans need to start being more aware that racial discrimination does still exist, very much so. Hopefully in years to come, we may start to see a change.