en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1124458 Comments by sillyjuice https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85811717 I definitely do agree on you that it really is not boring to see these statistics, but it is very interesting to see how crime and race relate to one another. I believe that the media plays a big role in making people believe that minorities have the most crime because that is all you see in the news. But then you get other statistics and show that white people have the higher percentage in the Federal prison. I do believe that there is racism in the Criminal Justice system and that there a certain factor of race that plays a role into the system. I also do believe that a lot of the times, people who have done crime have also had bad influences in their early life that led them to commit crime. Fri, 9 Jul 2010 16:05:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85811717 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85808827 Another issue that catches my eye is whether there is racism in the Criminal Justice system. The statistics were very surprising to me. I feel that in the media, there is a big focus of crime on minorities and not really white people. I find it interesting that the actual statistic of the Federal prison population is 57.1% white and 39.1% black. But then there are other statistics such as state prisoners who are 44.5% black and 34.5% white. I find that no matter what race you are, I find that where and how you grew up really affects who you are and what you do in the future. If you grew up in a bad neighborhood around drugs, you were more likely to end up into that situation and are more likely to commit a crime. If you grew up in the suburbs, you probably won’t be forced to deal with a situation around that type of crime. It really just all depends on your major influences and the values that they taught you. Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:44:57 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85808827 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85808813 I think one of the issues that I find interesting is the King of the Mountain idea that people who happen to be on top are usually there by luck and by inheritance. A lot of what happens in the world today is that who you know can really reflect your future or career. If you grew up with your parents rich or if you grew up with your father as Donald Trump, you are obviously going to have so many more resources than someone who grew up in the projects in Harlem. Even though I find it unfair, it is crazy to think that these people who are lucky enough to be born into money do not have to work hard for anything. They had parents, grandparents, or relatives who had already worked hard for them to live a very good and rich life. In article 17, you really get a sense of how much inheritance really affects today’s business world and how inheritance goes a long way. A lot of the major companies we know today are continually owned now by family generations. Nepotism really does affect Americans of every class, but really nepotism is very effective towards people with money. People with money usually have more resources. Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:44:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85808813 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85808733 This lecture started off pretty hilarious but it does bring out the issue of how much race and ethnic inequality in the world. You definitely jump to conclusions and start judging a person based on their appearance and what they look like or are wearing. I also find it true that no matter what you do or how you act, you will always have an outside factor that will affect what you do or say and your actions. People again will have something to say about an issue. If you do something out of the ordinary or something inappropriate, someone will act out on it and tell you that you are doing something wrong. Some things are just socially inappropriate to do in public like scratching certain areas of your body. Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:44:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment85808733 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85060546 I do agree with you that education is the key to improving society because without it, it is very hard for someone to get around in life. Putting importance to not only education but also hard work and dedication will allow people to get far in their careers and in life. My family has always talked about how hard it is to come to this country and establish themselves also and I am very thankful to them because they have instilled the values of hard work in my head. I think that that alone with education can shape someone to be successful as a student or have a successful career. I also think that nepotism can help people out, but education and hard work has more to do with the success a person has. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 02:00:18 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85060546 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85060007 7-7-2010 This lecture really made me seem how much inequality there is in the world today. The video with Oprah was very sad because a lot of students today don’t get the same equal opportunities as a lot of other students because of where they grew up. Even though the schools in the video were almost an hour apart, you can see huge differences on the quality of education. A lot of students are really cheated because they are not getting the equal opportunities and not learning in the same environment as other students in the same state, which can really affect the future of a student academically. Seeing this really makes me wonder how much I take my resources for granted, especially going to a school like Penn State. I feel that I am very spoiled because not only is it a very good school academically, it is also in a very nice and well-kept environment. A lot of the schools I visited where in very run down cities and I feel very fortunate to go to a school that honestly has a lot of money to make it how it looks today. I also found this lecture to be an interesting one because it made me realize how people are affected by affirmative action and nepotism and how similar they are. I feel that 10% of all jobs, admissions to specific programs or schools is connected to some affirmative action program is a lot because it benefits people who may or may not deserve to get the job or into that program or school. In a way I find that it is good that females are getting benefits of affirmative action but I do not think it is fair that most of them are white women. It is crazy to think that affirmative action can really just be another program to help out white men, or white people in general when most people think that affirmative action is suppose to help people of color. Nepotism is a word not often said but is widely used everywhere, especially at Penn State. Like Sam pointed out, one of the first things you hear coming into Penn State is that you should take advantage of the networking system we have here and that it is a lot about who you know. There are many networking opportunities even being in the Smeal College of business or any school of that matter because of the many socials and opportunities to meet so many alumni. Coming home for the summer from Penn State, I was able to experience how much being a Penn State student affected me. Just for part-time job interviews, I was able to interview with managers of companies who were Penn State Alumni. That alone gave me greater advantage than a lot of the people who also applied for that very same job just because I am a Penn State student and a lot of them were not. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 01:55:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85060007 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84785372 I definitely have thought a lot about the things you wrote and agree with you on a lot of those issues. I am definitely a firm believer in immigration also because my parents were immigrants and have recently become American citizens. It is a tough situation for anyone to be in, living in a country of poverty and wanting to get out and come to America for a better life. It is especially tough when everyone and everything is telling them that they are not wanted in this country and to speak the language in a day even though that is not their first language. I am very proud of the many immigrants who have come and conquered all those obstacles because it makes America what it is today, a country of hard working, dedicated and determined people. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 21:40:43 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84785372 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84784664 7-4-2010 I thought this lecture was strategically placed especially being that it is the 4th of July weekend. Before this lecture, I had never really thought of immigration of other cultures or from people of other countries besides my own. The political cartoons showed in the lectures about Native Americans and European people were pretty detailed. I really never ever think about the issues of Native Americans and how it was their land before the Europeans took over because I personally have never really been surrounded by Native American people. Because it has been such a long time that the Europeans strayed the Native Americans out of their land, I feel that people tend to over look the situation. It also does make sense that textbooks are not really detailed with some of the gruesome situations Native Americans endured while the Europeans took over their land. I was surprised to hear what Andrew Jackson had done to some of the Native Americans and I find it to be sickening that that is what our country is founded on, especially on this forth of July. It gives me a different perspective as to what we really are celebrating because many of our forefathers have killed so many innocent people to get where we are today. Besides all the negativity, I do find it interesting and am proud to say that our nation has really been about how strong and dedicated immigrants have worked to make a better life for them. I think that for most people, they don’t really think about all the negativity in our past but really think that this nation has been about hard working people. Being that my family is one of them because they have migrated from a different country in search for a better life. Because of they’re hard work and courageous to leave their own country, I personally would not be here today and would not have the education and the opportunities that I have now. Stories like Jorge Munez’ one also makes me proud of people who are humble and have not forgotten where they came from and the struggle they endured to get where they are today. These are definitely the people who are called heroes, especially to people who have nothing. I do find it horrific what the dog did to that poor man. It is pretty appalling to find numerous people trying to excuse what a dog did. I do agree what if he was not an immigrant, people would definitely react to the situation much different. It also is interesting that even if our country was founded by people of different ethnicities in culture, how so many people can discriminate towards those people. At one point in our lives, everyone has been an immigrant or has had family who has. Sun, 4 Jul 2010 21:33:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment84784664 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83636100 I can definitely relate to you on this one. I was also never taught by my parents that being gay was wrong either but I did go to a catholic school for most of my life before going to college. It was never really flat out said that LGBT was wrong, but you just got the vibe or it was sugar coded by many teachers and religious staff. I do also find it true that more colored people have a harder time accepting the LGBT group but I also find that older people find it harder to accept LGBT people too. I feel that it is definitely much harder to change an older person’s beliefs on certain issues, especially on LGBT. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 03:05:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83636100 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83633533 6-30-2010 This lesson had a lot of unbelievable statistics. One of the statistics that stood out to me in the beginning of the lecture was the fact that more college graduates want to live in more diverse communities than high school graduates. I find this to be very true because many students who go away for college may experience a whole different life setting because so many new people, new ethnicities, and races surround them. Going to a school like Penn State and living in the dorms, especially at East, freshmen are put into rooms with many diverse students. This definitely a great way to learn and experience having friends of different backgrounds and ideas. It definitely does make sense that the high school graduate statistic is much lower than the college graduate because the high school student has probably not had much experience with living with other diverse people. Another thing that stood out to me was globalism. People from all over the world come to the United States bringing in different cultures and ideas. Hip-hop music can definitely be a way for all different types of people to come together. The video shown is pretty cool because music is definitely a way to bring people together, whether it is hip-hop or classical. Music notes are read the same everywhere in the world, it is universal. There is only one format, or one language. Someone from Guam can read the same music notes as someone from Alaska. That is one of the things about music; it is everywhere and can bring people from different nationalities or cultures together. What I also thought was interesting was the statistic on someone who has “shared saliva” with someone of a different race. More than half of the students have “shared saliva” or have shared considerably more than saliva. This is interesting to me because it shows that people are attracted to people of a different race than themselves. This shows that students are going out of the norm of their race and are going for people who are a different race. What was also interesting was the statistics on parents being okay with you falling in love with someone with a different race. This can definitely be a huge problem for many people and a big obstacle for assimilation. As for the LGBT issues, I feel that a lot of people are uncomfortable with LGBT people because they don’t really experience it in their lives. I feel that people who are not okay with it are influenced by other major factors like the church beliefs. I feel that if everyone had a LGBT friend in his or her lives, they would feel less uncomfortable with the idea and start to realize that they are just people too. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 02:55:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83633533 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81821186 6-23-2010 I do agree with you that some of the information that Sam has said in the lecture was new to me too. I never realized the impact of white culture within other races and especially black people. It is shocking to see how many different races struggle with ideals of the white race. Although it was not her fault, at a young age, I believe that it is party because of what she has experienced in her early life. Parents, school, different situations and even the media play a big role in the beliefs and values of a young child. Young kids really can learn through observations of influential people in their life. Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:37:48 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81821186 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81820016 6- 23-2010 This lecture was the most interesting to me because it related to me more than the other lectures. In the lecture, one of the issues that stood out to me was how some Asians identify themselves as white because they lived in a world of white suburbs, had white friends, etc. I have definitely experienced this within some of my high school friends because no matter what they think, people will always see them as Asian and judge them on that. The Asian Invasion video was pretty hilarious because some of the things he said I believe were true. A lot of my friends and family had gotten into difficult schools for free and sometimes as an Asian I do feel under represented. I do feel that Asians are the least popular race even though Asians is the highest per capita group. What also stood out to me was the relationship between race and grades. For white students, the higher your grades, the more popular you are. For black and Hispanic students, the higher your grades, the less popular you are. This statistic really caught me off guard. I would think it would be universal, that the higher your grades are, the less popular you are. I had no idea that it was different for each race. I don’t think that higher grades means getting closer to white culture and I think that it is ridiculous that subconsciously most people want to become white. The video was also pretty eye- opening too. I never realized how much white culture affects black people too. It is crazy that black people think they're prettier if they have lighter skin, a perm, or nice straight hair. I did not think that lighter for a black person is a form of beauty because there are many other forms. I have many pretty darker friends who have a very confident attitude and I never realized how white culture could affect them too. The study on the dolls also shocked me because I never realized how young kids experience race and identity. All the young kids were dark skinned and yet 15 out of 21 kids would rather play with the white doll rather than the black doll. I think that it is pretty sad that these young kids associate the black doll as being bad and the white doll as being white just because of the color of the doll. Another big issue that stood out to me is how people who hang out with the people with the same ideas become paranoid. The article that was posted on the New York Times by Kenneth Eng, the Asian Supremacist, and the video on white supremacy, and the extermination of white people is absurd. These people are crazy! I definitely think people are too extreme when it comes to issues like this but then again there are others who are oblivious to the issues as well. Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:29:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81820016 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167659 I do agree with you on some points and find it the video of the twins shocking. How can girls so young really grasp or understand what they are promoting? It makes me sad to know that they learned all their ideas from their parents who also think that it is okay to be promoting those ideas. The two daughters seemed so serious and believed what they were promoting. I also think that it is pretty surprising how people can feel guilty about their race an ancestry. People should be proud of where they came from instead of making excuses for anyone else. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:07:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167659 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167092 ..... In today’s world, I feel that most people are trained to try to be politically correct. If people are not politically correct, it becomes a big issue. The word “nigga” is pretty controversial today. When was it okay for anyone to be saying it? I feel that today everyone uses that derogatory term. When black people say it, it makes it okay for any other race to say it. But when other races say it, black people are offended. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:01:06 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167092 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167073 ...Also in this lecture, Sam said to treat everyone equally means to not see color. In this day and age, I think that this is a very difficult concept. Behavior of a person of any race or color is usually interpreted as the behavior of the group as whole. An example of this would be that if in a situation, one black person was loud, you would think that all black people are loud in any circumstance. I think that in any situation everyone identifies strangers, people that they do not know by their specific race or color. I think that even though it is crazy to think of it, but white people really do have a bigger privilege that people of color because white people are more seen as an individual rather than a group. I also think that anger and guilt can also play a big role in racism. There are a lot of people who are white have a very big advantage but I don’t really see how white people can be guilty. I feel that white people are just more careful to be politically correct. Most people I find are not really guilty because they rarely ever think about white race or culture. Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:00:56 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167073 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167040 6-20-2010 A couple of things from the lecture this week point out to me. One of the issues is the white nationalist movement. The video with the twin girls was pretty shocking to me. When the twins were being interviewed, they did not see Hitler as the one responsible for the killing of the Jews and the Holocaust. They’re response was that the number of Jews killed was an exaggeration and that there were not many Jews alive back then. I find this video to be disturbing because there were millions of Jewish people that were killed yet the two twins did not believe it and promoted white supremacy. I feel that at a young age, the two twin girls did not fully understand what they were promoting. It also caught my attention because when their mother was interviewed, it seemed like she did not really care and that her attitude was whatever she taught her daughters was the norm. I feel as though the daughter’s mother was promoting racism and especially in their music. ..... Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:00:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment81167040 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-7-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment80519195 6-16-2010 I do agree with you on some points but I feel that at the end of the day, people are people. I feel that in this day and age, with political correctness, all people will just be afraid to offend each other. It will always be difficult for some people to get along. It is like wishing for world peace. People will always have disagreements and in a world today, especially with terrorism, it makes it harder for people to trust other people. If we individually try making peace with one another, it is one step closer but as a whole I feel that it is impossible. People will always make judgments about other people and it will be difficult for everyone to compromise. Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:54:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-7-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment80519195 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-7-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment80518593 6-16-2010 This class, like all classes, is very interesting because I have never thought these issues especially about how white people felt. It is very true that race, skin color, and ancestry, the sense of your self, the way you interact with others and the way others interact with you really do affect each individual everyday even if you are not conscious of it. He also makes a good point about height as well. If you are average height, you are unaware of how height can affect other people. If you are in the majority, if is very hard to understand the impact of your height. I know that being short really does affect me and I do that think about it from time to time. It does make sense that people who are average height are not really aware of how it can affect other people. Another point that is interesting is that certain groups of white people that all act in similar ways but most people who are not white do think that white people all look or act the same. The six stages of whiteness is something I have never heard or thought about before. For the first stage, when he gives examples of being in situations with disabled people, if you don’t have the experience, you would not know what to do in that situation. I would feel too awkward or out of place to do some of the things Sam has done just because I have never been in that situation and would not know what to do or what is the right way to handle the situation. The videos were funny but did make me see some things I have not noticed before. I have never really thought about how many stereotypes there are of white people and how it can offend them. I guess the pre-awakening stage can affect white people because of how very little they think of their race. I feel as thought white people can also have the advantage that many other races do not have and that is why they give very little thought to themselves as a race. In the awakening stage, it does make sense that many white people try to avoid taking racial risks especially in conversation. I can see a struggle with political correctness because it helps to avoid any risks to offend people of color. Another issue that was pointed out to me, even if it was talked about briefly, is the comment Sam made on humor after the Dave Chappelle Show. I have never really thought about how much cursing and swearing can make a clip or show funnier. If you take away all the cursing and swearing, the jokes just seem too boring. Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:47:38 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-7-race-and-ethnic-inequality__trashed/#IDComment80518593 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78861011 I do agree with you that you cannot blame your problems on anythitng or anyone but yourself. I guess for me, it really comes from being around so many people who were at the lowest points in their lives but has taken all that frustration and experience and made a better life for themselves. I do think that it is a person’s responsibility to make their lives better. Because my family in the past has come from poverty, I see from experience that you can always stray away from all the negativity and start over. Life is really what you make of it. Mon, 7 Jun 2010 03:46:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78861011 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78859441 6-6-2010 It is very interesting to see how much inequality there is in the world even in today’s society. Rarely do you see issues of the Native Americans in the news or how they have the lowest median family income from whites, blacks, Hispanics or Asians and have the highest percentage of individuals living in poverty. Seldom are these issues ever advertised. I feel that in the media, there is so much news about the inequality of blacks and whites that there isn’t so much coverage on certain groups such as Native Americans. I think that this lecture also reiterates the issue of racism. Looking at groups of people and judging them before you even know who they are. When Sam picked random people in the crowds, it is so easy to judge a person whether they are passive, etc. I do also think it is true that collectively people are always judging or have opinions on a group. Sam does make an interesting observation with sports and a particular race. What I do think is that playing sports can be a cultural or socioeconomic thing. If all the kids in your neighborhood all play a sport at the park at school and all your friends are about the same race, it can become a cultural thing. If you live in a Spanish neighborhood and all the boys play soccer, their Spanish parents would also be involved. They can throw parties and surround all the kids with their culture. Soccer can be something to bring the culture together within the Spanish neighborhood. I think that even though people argue that there are only biological, only socio-psycho cognitive, or only socio-structural differences that cause inequality, I do believe and agree that inequality is a mix of all three. I think that people do have the choice and can make decisions that can alter their lives. People can choose to live a different way. Having a certain DNA does not make a whole group of people do the same things. People decide what they want to do and there are always exceptions to a group. Like Sam has said in the lecture, political and economic circumstances are primarily shaped by decision-making. No matter how many obstacles people have, some people choose to move forward. My family has migrated to the United States because they wanted to escape poverty. I do believe that if people want to change their lifestyle and are really serious about it, they can. Because the country were I am from is filled with individuals who are in poverty, collectively people are always looking to stray away from it and live a better life. People can always find a way to live a better life if they are willing to work hard. Mon, 7 Jun 2010 03:23:22 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78859441