en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2410489 Comments by syj5085 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145225329 The video that we saw with Jorge helping out all of those immigrants was heartwarming. I come from a family who were once undocumented workers (my dad, who is now a US citizen). My dad would always tell me stories about how he worked every day of the year, he never had a birthday, and he never had Christmases or any holidays. He worked from sun rise to sun set, go home and eat dinner, go to bed and repeat the next day. I guess you could say my dad was one of the lucky illegal immigrants. His father made sure he had a place to stay once he arrived in Kennett Square PA, at the age of 18. My dad never lived on the streets, but he didn’t have anything in his name except for the money he was earning as a mushroom picker and the few clothes he had. All of the money he earned went back to his family in Mexico. He was the oldest male out of 10 children so he had plenty of people to support. My dad to this day is very grateful for the men he worked with, the man who gave him a job 25 years ago that he still has today and is now managing and goes on business trips to California. He can still point out the house he lived in, which looks like a little shack. He said he still remembers and is so grateful for everyone that has helped him get to where he is now, because coming to a country as an illegal, not knowing the language and trying to find a job is the scariest thing. The fact that Jorge, from the video, has dedicated his life to others because he knows what it’s like to be in that position is incredible. I honestly don’t think I would be able to handle so much. He thought of a great idea, and I can tell those that he feeds are so grateful. In the video, we even saw him tell another illegal to come back the next night, and every night for dinner. These are people that he doesn’t even know, and he wants to make sure they are fed. It’s also pretty awesome that his mom and family have pitched in to help. I have never seen illegal aliens on the street like in New York, but there are a lot where I live. They don’t live on the street, but there are about 15 men in one house, and they also eat about one meal a day. I don’t think that some people understand the whole situation with undocumented workers. Yes, they’re here to better their lives, but also the lives of their wives, and children. Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:57:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/would-you-help-out-or-turn-away-immigrants-in-the-poor-situations-we-saw-them-in-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145225329 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142918469 This isn’t the first time that I’ve heard about the poverty that the Native Americans are living in, yet beforehand I have only heard a bit. In my SPAN220 class, we are currently learning about the indigenous descendents of the state of Chiapas, Mexico. They formed the group los Zapatistas, to regain their human rights. In class, we saw a video where they talked about a Native American leader who was imprisoned for killing an FBI agent. He never committed the crime but is still in prison. Evidence and paper work on the case is shady, and a group formed to help get him out of jail. This happened many, many years ago and he is still in jail. He was a Native American leader and the government saw him as a threat because he wanted rights for his people. After leaving Sam’s class, I did learn a bit more as to what is going on in the mid-west. I find it very sad that the people that were here before any of us are living in such poverty and with such high death rates. A few weeks ago, I had no clue that any of this is going on, and it doesn’t make any sense. The Native Americans have never fought back with violence and now we’re treating them as though they aren’t American’s themselves. I fear that in a few decades, there won’t be any more Native Americans, because they’ll be extinct. The video that we saw showed not only poverty, but it also showed alcoholism taking over their lives because they don’t want to live anymore because they know they won’t be able to get out of their situation. I also think that to the majority of Americans, if you mention Native Americans they automatically think about the pilgrims and Indians centuries ago. If you ask about them now, they may say that they’re in some reservation camp, and that’s as far they know. When I think of poverty, I don’t think of the Middle West, I think of urban-city areas. I think it shows that poverty can happen anywhere. Maybe if people knew more about this issue, it would catch the attention of more activists, but I can see how the Native Americans feel as though nothing else can happen for them that are good. I think that the Native Americans who are suffering the most are the teenagers, since they have the highest suicide rate. They’re so young and probably feel so helpless and don’t know another world besides the misery that they were forced to grow up in. If teenagers are having the highest suicide rate, then whose going to have the next generation of kids? This is a problem that needs to be fixed immediately. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:15:23 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142918469 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140643245 My teacher came back in, and grabbed her cell phone and it was as though every teacher was in panic mode and calling people. I assume now that they were calling their loved ones. One teacher actually turned the TV on for their students and kids saw the after math of the crash into the twin towers. I didn’t even know what the twin towers were until that day. I came home on the bus and my mom was instantly crying and she sat me down and we watched the news together. Ever since then I thought it was ok for our troops to be over there, but I’m beginning to learn differently as I grow up. (3/3) Thu, 7 Apr 2011 04:23:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140643245 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140643178 Before this lecture, I was more on the side of it being right that we were over there, but after the lecture, now I’m in the middle. I understand that we are over their killing their civilians, and to me that is wrong. Innocent women, men and their children are dying. In no way shape or form do I think that is right. On the other hand, I feel that for our safety here in the United States, we have to catch the bad guys. I’m just so confused because how many people have to die in order to catch the bad guys. When 9/11 happened, I was just in 5th grade but I can remember the day perfectly. My teacher was doing her thing, and then an announcement came over the intercom for all the teachers to meet. (2/3) Thu, 7 Apr 2011 04:23:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140643178 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140643125 I didn’t expect to come into class and have Sam ask us to be in the shoes of those in the Middle East. In a way it did get me thinking, and I learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t know before about the war. I had no idea that more civilians get killed over there than actual civilians. It’s very scary because I think what if the war was happening here in our country. Would our civilians be getting shot at, blown at, and killed? His lecture on Tuesday definitely got me thinking. But I’m not going to lie; I think I’m still confused about the issue and war. I don’t know if we should or shouldn’t be over there. I don’t have anyone close to me that’s in the war, and I don’t really know anyone personally that is going to be going into the war, but I still hold a lot of respect for our armed forces, everywhere in the world. They risk their lives for us. And I don’t think its right to say that they are risking their lives for their oil. I didn’t know that oil was even an issue, and even though it may be an issue, I don’t think that it’s the whole issue. I am so torn of how I feel, I think more now than I was before. (1/3) Thu, 7 Apr 2011 04:22:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment140643125 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment139204963 The fact that there are people out there who want English to be the first language of America, in law, wouldn’t do anything but hurt the US. It is true about what Sam said, English is 1 and Spanish is 1A. The US has been the melting pot for centuries. People of all different races come to the US because we are the land of the free and there is more opportunity here than in people’s home countries. People, who want English to be the ONLY and official language of the US, should be proud that others hold the US on such a high pedestal. I really hope that things like what happened with Geno’s don’t occur again, because they’re losing business and just giving themselves a bad name. People need to understand that our country is growing, with many cultures and languages. Instead of complaining, we can learn and broaden our horizons with diversified knowledge. (3/3) Fri, 1 Apr 2011 21:45:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment139204963 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment139204911 Many minorities felt offended, especially the Hispanic and Latino community. It was like Geno’s was saying, if you’re not American, don’t order here. I remember my parents being livid. They stopped going to Geno’s. My mom knows English (and is an American citizen) but she even thought, I have a heavy accent and I can speak to people in English, just not in complete sentences. She knew if she ever tried ordering from Geno’s, she would be asked to leave. Ever since then, we take our business to Pats. It’s a lot better anyways. My family and I felt discriminated against at Geno’s, therefore we haven’t been back. It’s even odd that Geno’s would want only English people to eat their steaks considering they were once immigrants too. Just because you’re family has lived here for a few more generations, that doesn’t make you more American than anyone else. (2/3) Fri, 1 Apr 2011 21:45:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment139204911 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment139204855 I’m the one in the video, and I decided to ask this question because during class when Sam was talking about people wanting there to be a law passed saying English was the original language of the US, I automatically thought of the situation a few years ago in Philly. Philadelphia has 2 great cheese steak shops, Pats and Geno’s. Both are actually across the street from each other. There has been year’s of rivalry with who is the better cheese steak shop. When I was little, my dad use to take me to Geno’s so I could get a cheese steak, no onions. Both Pats and Geno’s are Italian, family owned businesses, but a few years ago Geno’s decided to advertise something that got them a bad rep, at least to me and a lot of people that I know. Geno’s started saying “You must speak English to order here.” They even made t-shirts and posted it all over their shop. (1/3) Fri, 1 Apr 2011 21:45:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment139204855 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607558 If I look back in the past few years and think if I had witnessed any discriminating or racist act, I have, and at the time I didn’t say anything. I don’t think I said anything because I was so mad. My mom and I love to go shopping at the mall. She loves to take me, as a mother and daughter bonding thing. When you compare my mom and I, we do look alike, but the way we present ourselves is a little different. I am taller, and I love to wear heels or cute shoes with perhaps leggings and my north face. My mom likes to dress comfortable also, but she’ll wear stuff that people probably won’t think are ‘in’. Plus, she is clearly Mexican from looking at her. So, we decided to go to the mall a few summers back and we walked into the shoe store Aldo. It’s known for its cute shoes, accessories, and it’s a bit pricey. I have bought shoes from there before and I was looking for a cute pair of flats. (1/3) Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:09:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607558 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607440 If I look back in the past few years and think if I had witnessed any discriminating or racist act, I have, and at the time I didn’t say anything. I don’t think I said anything because I was so mad. My mom and I love to go shopping at the mall. She loves to take me, as a mother and daughter bonding thing. When you compare my mom and I, we do look alike, but the way we present ourselves is a little different. I am taller, and I love to wear heels or cute shoes with perhaps leggings and my north face. My mom likes to dress comfortable also, but she’ll wear stuff that people probably won’t think are ‘in’. Plus, she is clearly Mexican from looking at her. So, we decided to go to the mall a few summers back and we walked into the shoe store Aldo. It’s known for its cute shoes, accessories, and it’s a bit pricey. I have bought shoes from there before and I was looking for a cute pair of flats. (1/3) Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:08:45 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607440 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607192 No greeting whatsoever. My mom is the sweetest person ever, and of course she didn’t notice nor realize what had happened. Go figure a few seconds later, the lady was back to greeting people at the door again. People who she saw ‘fit’ to shop at Aldo. I got so mad and instead of saying something, which I now wish I did, I said let’s go to my mom, and together we left. I have yet to return to that Aldo, nor any other. I have heard from friends that their employers are snobbish. Not just at that particular Aldo, other Aldo stores as well. I refuse to buy anything from there, because if that’s the sort of message that they want to send out there, that my mother is not good enough to step into their store to have a mother-daughter day, then I don’t want their shoes, greetings, and service. I now take my shoe-buying business elsewhere. Places that don’t discriminate. (3/3) Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:07:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607192 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607145 I tend to walk faster than my mom sometimes, so I was in the store before my mom was. Inside the store in the doorway was a woman (not of white nor Hispanic race). She was a worker, greeting everyone coming in. She was dressed well, pretty, with her back straight. I noticed that she greeted people that had walked in before me as well. She greeted me, and I walked into Aldo. I was immediately attracted to a pair of shoes so I went over, and as I said “Hey mom…”, I turned around to see where she was. She walked into Aldo, and even before my mom set foot in the store, the woman greeting all prospective shoppers, looked my mother up and down with this look of disgust and that my mother was less than her. She then turned her back to my mom, and walked away. (2/3) Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:06:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137607145 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135870992 This past semester I also joined MASA, the Mexican American Student Association. I gained friends through that club as well as the Spanish club. Besides the clubs, I see so many people that I wouldn’t see in my high school hallways. I think it’s great, but it was not a factor in me coming to Penn State. Like I said before, I was very excited to make new friends, but when making my college decision, that had no influence in it. I knew in some point of my life I would be exposed to people of different races. I am happy that I came to Penn State, and I am happy to know that it is diversified. (3/3) Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:34:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135870992 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135870920 I was excited to come to Penn State and become friends with fellow Hispanics but at times I felt it to be a little hard since I had no Hispanic friends at home, or atleast barely any. Even in my Spanish classes, I felt it a little difficult to just strike up a conversation with other Hispanics, but as time went on, I did make some friends in my Spanish class. I realized Penn State really was diversified when I joined to be a contestant on Mr. and Ms. Penn State Latino. I met a lot of Hispanics and Latinos from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, South America, etc. It was great to learn about other cultures that were somewhat like mine. (2/3) Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:33:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135870920 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135870846 I think whether Penn State is diversified or not depends on the person and their environment that they came from. To me, Penn State is diversified. Wherever I look there are Hispanics, Asians and African Americans as well as other races. I went to an all white high school where I was the only Hispanic that graduated from my class. My high school was 40 minutes away from where I lived, and all of my friends from school lived about half an hour away, so I was never in my area. My area consists of a larger population of Hispanics, and I did know some of them but I never hung out with any Hispanics. When I started my freshman year at Penn State, I noticed that there was a floor in the building Curtin that was for a program called CAMP. It was a program to help minorities get asituated with Penn State, along with other perks. A lot of them went to high schools in my area, but like I said before I didn’t really know a lot of them. So, I started my freshman year off with again, a white group of friends. It’s not that I was trying to get a group of only white friends, but I made friends with people who knew kids from my high school, so we just clicked. (1/3) Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:33:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135870846 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment133944179 And I totally agree with Sam in the fact that if you couldn’t answer totally agrees to the question then how do you say you’re not racist. If you’re not racist, color would not matter to you. For the people who feel guilt when it comes to African Americans, I think in a way that is there way of saying sorry for what their ancestors did, but I don’t think that some African Americans want someone to feel guilty. I have met some African Americans who don’t care whether or not white people feel remorse for what happened to their ancestors, as long as they know what happened is wrong. Guilt for what happened may last for awhile in this country, along with racism. (3/3) Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:57:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment133944179 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment133944082 In a way, I feel as though a part of me feels a little guilty because I am American, I was born and raised here in the US, and years ago the US did enslave and mistreat people. I am part of a country that use to do something so awful, but in the end the US did have a civil war in which ended slavery, but it did take years for injustice to be gone. I don’t think it’s even totally gone now. There is still racism in our country and I think it’s kind of sad that some white people say this is the land of the free, yet they have a problem with their son or daughter marrying someone from a different race. The questions Sam asked in class really made me think about that, like the question where if you couldn’t have children with your partner, would you mind having a sperm donor who is not of your race or a race of your partner. (2/3) Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:56:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment133944082 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment133943993 I am Hispanic and in a sense I think that we feel guilt sometimes. But not so much the way whites do because in America it was the whites who enslaved the blacks. I am Mexican and if anything it was our ancestors who were mistreated by the Spaniards. Although I may have some Spanish blood in me from way back but I have no idea. I think what most Hispanics, who are in my generation feel guilt about, doesn’t have to do with race. It has to do with our parents sacrificing all that they had to come to this country so that we could have a better life and better opportunities like a better education. I think that’s where our guilt comes from, when we sometimes take advantage of what we have and not knowing our roots. In the case of white people having guilt because of their ancestors enslaving African Americans, I think I would have some guilt too. (1/3) Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:56:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment133943993 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment130669897 In a way I do think that it’s selfish for people of lower income to have a lot of children because that child is more likely to grow up in a life or poverty and will probably have a lesser chance of getting a good education and so on. Like we saw in the video in class on yesterday with Tammy, she was one of 22. She explained living in a life of poverty while her dad worked hard to try and provide for them. It’s hard to provide for 22 children on a minimum wage job. And I do commend her father for working very hard to try and give them an opportunity, but it obviously didn’t happen. Trying to give all your children a better opportunity can’t happen when there are so many kids. Caring for children as they grow up takes a lot of time, money and space. On the other hand, having children is just human, everyone has children. Being of lower income, I doubt people can afford a contraceptive (birth control, condoms etc.) so that is most likely why a lot of lower income families have a lot of children. Although that is probably a reason, I don’t think it’s right for lower income families to have a lot of children. If the couple wants to have a lot of children, they should defiantly wait until they have a stable income and are able to support a child. Money isn’t the only issue, because the health of the children is another. You can’t raise a child in a rundown house with no heat and electricity. Children need to see doctors at a young age, for checkups and such. The chances of that child becoming sick and unhealthy are likely and I don’t think any parent would want that for their child. In the video, Tammy had 4 boys to raise. She works a lot and walks 10.5 miles every day to and from work while her children are at home. She has to go to work every day to be able to survive, while her sons are basically growing up in the same poverty as she did. I feel as though it’s a cycle. Tammy’s grandparents probably also grew up in poverty, so her dad did too, so is Tammy, and her children may also. Her children have aspirations and do want to get out of this cycle and be able to go to college and get a career, but because of how their life is, it’s twice as hard for them as is for anyone else to go to college. To have children is a blessing, but people have to think about the future of their children. Raising them in a low income family is not the way to go when raising 22 kids. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:01:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment130669897 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/do-arrests-of-different-races-occur-more-due-to-racism-or-more-police-in-urban-areas-119-blog/#IDComment128604911 But when the white people left, they took everything with them and left nothing for the black people. I kind of wonder if that is what’s going to happen once the kings of the mountain decide to move to another area and take their wealth with them. When we watch shows such as Cops, I think we see a lot of minorities because they’re shot in urban areas where crime rate is higher, and where there are less white people. But I think racism could have a factor. After a while of arresting minorities, cops might start getting a mindset that those are the only people out their committing crimes, seeing as how they’re the only ones they seem to be arresting. (4/4) Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:47:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/do-arrests-of-different-races-occur-more-due-to-racism-or-more-police-in-urban-areas-119-blog/#IDComment128604911