If I had immigrated to the United States from a different country I like to think that I would not shut the door behind me. With life in general I try to be as apathetic to people in general especially if I had been in the same situation. I think it is very important to recognize your roots and to help others. I feel that if I was an immigrant I would have a better understanding of what other immigrants are going through and I would be more than willing to help them. I definitely have a lot of pride in where I come from so I am sure that I would be more than willing to help someone who has the some home country as myself. I really commend the guy in the video because he clearly does not have much and yet he is so willing to help others. I think most people who are immigrants do not help other immigrants because they do not have the resources or money. However, this guy was so compassionate that he did not even think about himself and only thought about others. I do not understand why people would want to shut the door on their own people. Immigrants understand what other immigrants are going through so I feel like out of the goodness of their heart they would want to help them. If all immigrants help other immigrants I think all immigrants could do better in society. It is very hard for immigrants to get on their feet at first but with a little help the process could be sped up and made easier. I understand that some people are not comfortable with all of the foreigners immigrating but I think if society helped immigrants it would make the whole situation a lot better. Since I am not an immigrant I struggle with if I would help the immigrants or not. I cannot say that I would be more willing to help immigrants than any regular person in need. I think in general that people need to help each other out more and the world will be a much better place. This might sound cliché but the man helping the immigrants has touched so many lives and he is just one person. In order to make our society a better place we need to start with the poorest citizens and work our way up. Whether this is helping immigrants or any person in need I think it is something that as a society we need to do. All in all I think the man in this video is very commendable for helping immigrants when he has very little and I like to think that if I were in a similar situation as him that I would do the same thing.

When I heard that schools today are more segregated than in the 1970’s I was very shocked. I knew that schools today are generally of people of are all of the same race but I did not realize it was that bad. I come from a city so I think my perception of schools may be a bit off but the more I think about it I realize that it was not diverse it just felt diverse to me because most of the students were black. The reason that schools today are so segregated is not because people are blatantly racist it is because races are generally separated by social class. Since white people are often richer and black and Latino people are often poorer this causes them to live in the different neighborhoods. Since where you live often determines where you attend school this causes most schools to be segregated. The only place I have really seen schools that are pretty diverse are in cities and this is why I love the city so much. Going to school with people of a different race from yourself teaches you something that you cannot learn from a teacher. As a society we need to be able be comfortable with people of other races and one of the ways we can do this is by making sure that young students attend school with people of a different race than themselves. Yes, city schools may not give you as good of an education academically but it teaches lessons that are more important. Getting along with people is much more important that being able to do math or science. To make schools less segregated I think we should do things such as bus students to different school districts. Although this is obviously not ideal I do think it is a possible solution to the problem of schools still being segregated. I know this is going to cause some richer parents to be mad but I think in the long run they will see that it is what needs to be done. Since affirmative action did not work the first time I do not think that we should try that again. I think that affirmative action had the right intentions but it was not executed correctly and that is why it clearly did not work for very long. I am very interested to see if in the future desegregation in schools will no longer be a problem. I know this will take a long time but I hope that someday it does change. In order to make the United States a better place we need to start by changing the schools because they are such a big part of every ones life for at least twelve years and that is why desegregating schools is so important.

After class I definitely have a completely different view on terrorism. However, this is not to say that I think terrorism is O.K. but I do have a better understanding of where some terrorists are coming from. When Sam used the example of another country invading the United States and asked the class what we would do it made me look at those particular types of terrorists completely differently. If the United States were to be invaded I would probably help the army that would be trying to fight off the invaders. I would not be happy if some random country thought they had the right to come here and use our resources and kill our people. I think it is understandable for people to want to defend their land and so I can see where some of the terrorists over in the Middle East are coming from. However, I do not agree with the terrorists that planned September eleven. They did not like that we invaded them so I do not see what makes them think that they have the right to come over to the United States and kill innocent people. Even though I was not directly affected by this particular event I do not understand where those terrorists were coming from. This lecture also made me look at terrorists not as people that just want to kill innocent people but rather they are just fighting for what is rightfully theirs. Some terrorists are people just like us who want to have their land and freedom back and who can really blame them. I think this lecture was very helpful and it would definitely help many people look at terrorists different. This lecture brought to light that many so-called terrorists are just fighting for what is theirs. Also, I think it made people realize that if they were in the same position that they would do the same thing. I am in no way saying what happened on nine eleven is O.K. and that the killing of innocent people is acceptable. What I am saying that is I have a better understanding of where they are coming from. I think if we were just to talk to terrorists and non-terrorists a lot of this could have been avoided and thousands of lives would have been saved. One thing I am curious about is how terrorist would have reacted to Sam’s lecture. I wonder if it would have made them look at themselves differently and maybe they would more just defend their land instead of killing innocent people. All in all this was definitely my favorite lecture and it is one of his lectures that will stick with me for many years to come.

I definitely do think that Barak Obama’s presidency has furthered the race movement. Barak Obama has not necessarily done anything during his presidency thus far to further the race movement but the fact that he is the first black president is a symbol that has helped further the race movement immensely. Although all races have supposedly been equal since the Civil Rights Movement, if you would ask minorities if they think this is the case they would probably say no. Yes, the Civil Rights Act was passed some time ago but if you were to ask minorities if they thought they could become president a good number would say no. However, since Barak Obama’s presidency I think this has changed for many people who once thought this. Having a president that is not a white male I think gives hope to many that they are really capable of becoming whatever they want to be. For years this has not been the case for minorities and females but with Obama being president it opens the door to endless possibilities for tons a people. Obviously not everyone is going to become president but just knowing that you could if desired gives people hope that they have never had before. A particular thing I think Obama’s presidency has done for the race movement is it has made people more comfortable with race. Although there are obviously going to be people who do not agree with Obama’s views I think it has made people realize that all races are equal. The way Obama has carried himself has hopefully shown people that may have been against a black president that all races are capable of running a country and be successful at it. I hope that Obama being president has opened the door for other minorities and women to have the chance to attain a high stake position such as president or an executive of a business. I think a lot still needs to be done before we can say that all races are equal and have an equal chance at getting all jobs but I think Barak Obama being president has definitely furthered the race movement a good amount. It has shown that people were able to look past race and judge someone based on their views and morals rather than on something such as race that is out of their control. Throughout the rest of Obama’s presidency I hope he is able to somehow further the race movement even more by encouraging and helping minorities and women to have larger roles in government and the world in general. President Obama is a symbol of how far the United States has come in the race movement and although there is still more to be done it is definitely a step in the right direction.

When it comes to interracial relationships I think they are very commendable. A large number of people in society look down upon people who are in interracial relationships and that is why I think they are so commendable. The fact that people are able to go against a large percentage of society and date outside of their race is refreshing. I do not understand when people say that people from different races are just different than them. Yes, they may be a bit different but that is not to say that people of the same race are the same as you. I am white and I dated a black guy in high school and I do not think our relationship was any different because I am white and he was black. If anything us being different races made it more interesting because his family was not like mine and I enjoyed getting to know them and we still had plenty in common. We never had any problems with people scrutinizing us because we were of different races. Our friends and immediate families were very accepting of our relationship and if anything they found it encouraging. The only person who at first was uncomfortable with it was my grandpa but after meeting him he seemed more comfortable with it. If my grandpa still did not like our relationship he did not say anything to the rest of my family because I think he realized how wrong he was. However, sometimes when we would walk around together some people would look at us funny or take a double take. When you are in an interracial relationship you are instantly showing people how you feel about race and I really liked that about being in an interracial relationship. When dating someone of a different race you are saying that you view everyone as equal and race does not play a role in whom you chose to date. Although many people are still not comfortable with interracial relationships I think this will change over time. Yes, there will always be those people who will only date in their race but I think this population will become less and less. When dating someone who is of a different race than yourself you can learn a lot about a different culture and you realize how similar you actually are.
Another not to relevant reason that I love interracial relationships is because I think interracial children are the cutest. I love kids in general but something about a mixed babies skin tone and hair I just find especially cute. I sincerely hope that one day people will not look at each other on the basis of race alone but date someone because they “vibe” with each other. Until all people are not longer against interracial relationships I will still look at interracial relationships as commendable.

The idea of having a scholarship for white men only is a very controversial topic and I can see where both sides of the argument are coming from. Yes, for years white men were given the advantage over other races and women, which did help them immensely, but how long can you punish them for this? College is very expensive these days and a number of people from all races are unable to afford college. Because it is so expensive there are many scholarships for certain groups of people and I think that all people should have opportunities to get scholarships. I think it is a very broad statement to say that all white men have come from an easy life and do not deserve scholarships as much as other people. I am white and I have two brothers and I do think there should be scholarships out there especially for them. I come from a single parent home and we do not have much money so I think my brothers deserve some type of scholarship particularly for them as much as many other people. There are tons of white men who do not have money and the only way they are able to attend college is if they get some type of scholarship. I also really liked how the man in the video said they would not take money from any group that is for white supremacy. This shows that they are not trying to discriminate against anyone but that they truly just want to help a group of people that do not have scholarships especially for them.
I can see why other groups who have been discriminated against for years would find this scholarship unsettling. However, if they were to put themselves in the shoes of a poor white male I think they would be more understanding of this scholarship. Most people are unable to look at situations from any viewpoint besides there own and I think this is the main reason as to why so many people are against this scholarship. I agree that white men are overpopulated in certain areas of society but I think there are better ways to prevent this than trying to make it harder for them to go to college. In general I think there should just be more scholarships for students attending college. The vast majorities of people are unable to afford college and are in debt for years and it should not be like this. College should be made more affordable so that people from all different backgrounds are able to attend college if they desire. All in all I do not think this scholarship is a bad idea because I think all groups of people should have scholarships that pertain to them specifically.

I think there are many reasons at to why people from the United States think people from a different country are so different than we are. Obviously people from all over the world are going to be at least somewhat different but this does not mean that they are of a different species. Someone growing up in Ghana is going to have had different experiences from someone growing up in New York City but this is not to say that they could not relate on a basic level. I believe one of the main reasons that people are so weary of different countries is from the fear of the unknown. Many people are not able to leave the United States so they do not have a well-rounded idea of what the world is really like. Just like how people are scared of the ocean, people are scared of different countries because they believe they might find something different than what they are used to. Most people do not like change so when they hear that something might even be the tiniest bit different than what they are used to they tend to retreat. When the reality is if they just were willing to learn more about the “different” idea or culture there is a huge chance that they would be interested in it or maybe even start to do it.
I think another reason that people from the United States think other countries are so different than us is because the United States is considered a “melting pot”. Since the United States is considered a “melting pot”, a country that may have one main religion or race seems very different or foreign. I think it scares many Americans to go somewhere and be the minority. Although we have minorities in the United States we still have many more races, cultures, religions than many other countries. Therefore, when someone travels to a county where this is not the case they may find it weird or different that the country is so homogenous.
The last reason I think many Americans view other countries as so different from us is because we think we (Americans) are superior to other countries therefore we automatically group them as different. People from the United States tend to have a lot of pride in our country so they do not even try to understand how or why things are in a different or not so different in another country. I think Americans like to believe that we have more things in common with fellow Americans that people from other countries and so they just categorize them as different. All in all I think it will take a deep understanding of the world and all of the people in it before many Americans stop categorizing foreigners as different.

I definitely think white privilege plays a bigger role in society than most people want to admit. There has to be a reason as to why more white people have jobs, own homes, and have a higher socioeconomic status. Sam even said in class that studies have been done where white and black people apply to the same job with the exact same applications and the white applicants are more likely to get the job time and time again. I do not think that people are trying to be blatantly racist but subconsciously people are racist and this poses a huge problem. For some reason jobs tend to hire white people more and as a society we need to make sure that this does not continue to happen. I also think white privilege often occurs as soon as you are born. White people are more likely to be born into affluent families so right off the bat they have the advantage of probably going to a better school, more stable environment and this often flows over into adulthood. However, this is not to say that white privilege occurs in every aspect of society.
For example, many colleges are more likely to give minorities scholarships because they want to attract a more diverse population. I do think this is a necessary action that colleges need to take in order to make sure that they attract students from all types of backgrounds. However, this is an example of how being white may not necessarily be to your advantage since this often makes white students less likely to get a scholarship. This may seem unfair but I think it is a good incentive for more minorities to attend college.
Once while applying for a job I actually did not get the job because I was white. I was applying to be a camp counselor for a camp that catered to a poor neighborhood and all of the campers were black. I got the feeling that the staff did not hire me because I was white and they felt that I would not be able to relate to the kids as well as say a black counselor. Although this is an example of where being white may not have been an advantage I do not think this is usually the case. I think being white does help more than not but I do think there are many good people in the world who make sure that they do not discriminate and treat everyone equally. All in all I do think whites may have advantages in some ways but I do not think this is to say that all white people can just glide through life because they have ”white privilege.”

When it comes to the topic of free will and determinism I definitely think both play a role in where someone gets in life. There are the cases of people who have nothing and have all the odds against them but they are still able to overcome and make the best for themselves. However, there are the individuals who may seem like they have everything but somewhere they go down the wrong path and lose everything. When it comes to my life free will and determinism both have affected me and made me into the person I am today. If I had to choose I would say free will has probably had a bigger impact in my life. I grew up in a neighborhood where most people do not go to college and many people get involved with drugs and gangs. However, I chose that I wanted more for my life and I made a point to never get involved in those things and keep my focus on the bigger picture. I cannot say that I did not go down this path all because of free will. I have a wonderful mother who has also been there for me and she has supported me through everything ensuring that I be the best I can be. Although, the environment around me was not positive I have a great mother, whom many people don’t have, making sure that I did not go down the wrong path. My environment was not able to determine who I have become because I chose to make decisions that were best for me. Now that I am in college I would say free will plays an even bigger role in my life. I am able to chose my major, how much I study and who I am friends with. However, determinism does still play a role, for example, I am paying for college myself so I will be in debt for awhile and may not be able to “get ahead” as quickly as others.
Although, I have been lucky enough to not get caught up in many of the things that a lot of people from home get caught up in this is not to say that free will can help everyone make a better life for himself or herself. Way too many times I have seen determinism play a huge role in someone’s life and it’s often understandable. When someone has no positive influences in their life and everyone is telling them they will never amount to anything it is understandable that they will. Determinism plays a huge role in impoverished communities and many people do not realize this and I think it is absolutely ridiculous to say that free will can change anyone’s life. Free will and determinism will always play a huge role in an individual’s life and we can only hope that people will pursue what is best for themselves.

There are many reasons as to why people conform and everyone probably has a few reasons of their own. The video of the people in the elevator who are facing the wrong way just reiterates the fact that the majority of people seem to conform to what everyone else is doing even if it is not what you would normally do. The two men in the video who fell for the experiment were probably questioning why everyone was facing the wrong way in the elevator but they decided to face the same way anyways. I think one of the main reasons as to why people conform is because everyone wants to just slide under the radar. It is much easier to just do what everyone else is doing rather than being looked at weird or questioned for doing something that is seen as “different.” It can be hard to go against what everyone else is doing especially if everyone else is doing the same thing. This is why so many people dress the same, talk the same and do many of the same activities. Another reason as to why so many people conform to the majority is because they figure if everyone is doing it than it has to be right. Even when a professor ask students to raise their hands on which answer they may think is correct if a student does not have a clue their best bet is to raise their hand when the majority of people raise their hand. When a bunch of people are doing a certain action many people will go along with it even if it they are not sure if it is right. Since this is the case so many horrible things have happened just because people are scared to go against what everyone else is doing and make a decision that is best for them. Even something as simple as drinking has caused people to do things that they would not normally do just because everyone else is doing it. For example, a large number of people who drink have drank more than they should have just because they want to “keep up” with everyone else. Although this is a smaller example of how people have hurt themselves by conforming it is still very relevant. However, this is not to say that I am not guilty of conforming. That fact that I go to college, wears Uggs, or even the way I cut my hair are all forms of ways that I have conformed to the world around me. Everyone is guilty of conforming, it is nearly impossible to live in the society we live in and not conform even the tiniest bit. I just hope that more people will stand up for what they believe in and conform less to what people in society do or believe.