I have taken many things away from this class. It has opened my eyes to new thoughts and new ways of thinking about different issues. I liked many lectures but a few stood out to me. I loved skypeing with the Iranian student Pedram. He really changed my views about Iranians. I knew they werent as extreme as some people thought, but I typically believe the American stereotype. I know that that is extremely false and I should have never believed such things. He was a completely normal kid just like us. He liked to do the same things and even watched some of the same shows. I was very surprised by that.

I personally don’t think there is a problem with interracial relationships. Some people might be scared of getting judged but I think our society is getting more accepting of different issues. As a society we are starting to take people as they are and not say they are wrong for being a certain type of person or acting a certain way. Some people might fear being judged for being in an interracial relationship. Judged by society or even their family and friends. I personally have experience in this subject. I am a white Italian Catholic female and I dated an Asian Jewish (he was adopted) guy for 3 years. The racial difference was not a big deal for us. Within our relationship it was just us, we didn’t care about the differences. Our group of friends was very diverse also so they didn’t care about the racial difference either. That made it really easy for us. If my friends didn’t approve of my relationship, it would have made it a little harder. But I also think if my friends didn’t approve just because they didn’t like him, that would also hinder our relationship, it’s not just about race.
Another problem could be family. If your family doesn’t approve of your boyfriend, that could be a problem. Fortunately for me, my parents have been very accepting and friendly to everyone we bring around. My sister and I have dated different boys from different backgrounds and my parents have accepted them all. My parents just want us o be happy so if we like a boy, so do they. Some people are not so lucky. Some parents were raised in a different time and that has carried over. Some parents will disapprove of a partner if they don’t meet their standards. That includes if they are not the right race. There are cultural issues also. If a family is very religious it might be a problem if a significant other does not practice the same one. The family could be very passionate about their religion and it could be a strong issue between in-law families. If the families don’t get along, the relations will be very hard in the long run.
I believe our society is progressing in how we act towards each other. We are becoming more accepting of people and we are lessening some prejudices. Interracial couples were probably almost unheard of when my grandparents were growing up. Our generation has grown up with other races being our friends and everyone is equal. We are a lot more open to peoples’ differences, but the problem lies with getting the people we care about to accept our significant other for who they are.

I thought this lecture was very interesting. The guest speaker was really into what he was talking about. He was passionate and loved informing people about the different stages. I don’t remember exactly what was in each stage, but I think I was towards stage 4. The first few stages were more racist and the others were more open minded. I think I am accepting of everyone and try not to act differently around different types of people. My hometown has a lot of diversity so I am used to seeing people who look different than me. I don think it is a big deal at all. My friend group from high school had people with all kinds of race and ethnic backgrounds. I can see why some people could be stuck in the earlier stages. If they didn’t grow up around diversity, they are probably less comfortable with it. It will take them some getting used to once they are emerged in it. I think people should try to be more open with whom they hang out with and try to get to know people of other races. I have learned so much about different cultures just by going to my friends’ houses and spending time with their families. I would think my friend is just like me but when I meet their family I realize their life is so different in some ways but so similar in others. I would learn how their family did things and why. That would help me understand more about them as a person. If people don’t personally know others of different races, they will judge them based off stereotypes that are usually offensive and not true.
I am a firm believer in getting to know someone and not just making up your mind about them as soon as you see them. I get a lot of jokes because I dated a boy for three years who was Asian, and Jewish. (I’m white, catholic) looking at him you would never know that he was adopted as a baby from Korea by a white Jewish family. He is completely americanized and no different from all my friends. Someone might just pass him up cause he looks different, when he could actually be a good friend. Dating him actually taught me a lot about race relations. For example when we would go out it was obvious that some people were more uncomfortable with seeing a mixed race couple than others. We would get some confused looks, but after three years we obviously didn’t care about that anymore. We were comfortable with each other and we didn’t let it affect the way we acted with each other.

I had a few different reactions to watching the video about Jorge’s life. The first one was how amazing of a man he is. He works so hard to not only provide for his family but also for the less fortunate immigrants in his area. He spends every second of his day doing something meaningful. He wakes up at 4, cooks, goes to work, comes back and cooks more, and then gives the food out to people on the street for free. He takes pride in what he does and loves every second of it. He never expects anything in return and doesn’t want anything but the satisfaction of helping people. He does it because he wants to and he knows what these people are going through. He talked about being an immigrant himself and not having anything when he came to this country. He knows the struggle and how hard it is for them to make money or find food. He wants to make it a little easier for them because he didn’t have anyone when he came. I respect him so much for what he does. He doesn’t have a lot but he gives so much. He is so devoted to helping these people and he is a very inspiring man. His family is also a very important aspect of the situation. They help him cook when he goes to work and they support what he wants to do. If his family wasn’t supportive and helpful I don’t think it would be possible for his to do what he does.
This video also made me realize and appreciate what I have. Jorge literally has nothing to spare but he finds a way to make it happen. There are so many people who have so much more than his and they don’t even think about helping others. Jorge is very selfless and a great role model. He makes me realize how fortunate I am to have what I have and I should help people when I can. Even if I don’t do as much as he does, anything is better than nothing.
I think he is comparable to Jesus in the sense that his acts are very selfless. He thinks of others before himself. He does good deeds for the less fortunate and doesn’t expect anything for it. He is a very good man with outstanding morals. He deserves to be recognized for the good he is doing in the world. People should learn from him and want to make a difference too. He is very inspiring and I hope he continues his good deeds. I also think the people he is helping now will be better people because of him. If one day they have enough to help others I think will.

Unfortunately I do not think the actions of one person are making that much of an impact. No matter how long you hold out on buying an iPhone, there are millions of people that will buy them no matter what. Most people don’t care where their things come from or the people that are making them. Unfortunately that is just how our world works. People care more about their material possessions than the less fortunate people in the world. I know many large companies outsource to other countries, but unless you really care enough to try to take on a huge production, one person can’t change the way things work. These companies have spent time and money setting up the production, shipping and delivery of all their products. It would take a major movement to change the way things work. Maybe if one person started a movement you could say their actions made an impact. Other than that I don’t think one person not buying an iPhone will make that much of a stand against slavery. People use things every day that are produced by slavery. Most people would not even realize that their beloved iPhone or even most of their clothes they wear are made by slaves or people in sweat shops. In America, almost everything we buy is made by outsourcing, however, people don’t seem to care enough to want to do anything about it. If enough people wanted to make a change, they probably could. If enough people decided to boycott certain companies, they could eventually make their sales decline enough that they have to do something about it. If they want to make a change, someone has to start something bigger than the company they are trying to stop.
Even though it may not sound like it, I do think it is a really good thing that he does not want to buy a smart phone. He is setting a good example for other people as to small steps you can take to stand up against things you think are wrong. Maybe he will inspire a few other people to not buy smart phones just by setting a good example. If he gets at least a few of his friends on his side, they can get their friends and maybe it will grow into something great. If he shows people that you can stand up for things you believe/ or don’t believe in, then maybe people around him will start to have more confidence in themselves to do what they thing is right. Even though he is not changing the world by his decision, I believe he is making a difference even it is very small.

I try not to judge people by the way they look, but no matter what you are going to think what you think and you cant help that. I try to counteract this by not acting any different around people who are different. If I treat everyone the same I think that it makes your first thoughts more acceptable. Based on their appearances these people probably get judged by the way they look on a daily basis. The first guy probably gets judged by almost everyone who looks at him. Just looking at him you already have a judgment on what he is like. It is just part of being human, when you look at someone you think things even if you don’t want to admit it. He probably gets judged as a typical guy with dreads how doesn’t care about school, or much at all. Most people would not guess that he is a ta for a class. I think segregation between races is better in our generation in the since that we are a lot more accepting of races and have groups of friends that consist of members of different races. Past generations probably would have judged him more harshly. They probably would think he’s a troublemaker and up to no good. I believe his peers judge him less negatively because we are more accepting to differences.
The white girl wearing a button up and sweater is defiantly judged as a middle class preppy white girl. She dresses nice and looks put together. People probably think she gets good grades and is a genuinely nice person.
The white male next to her probably gets judged as a typical white boy. His parents pay for college while he gets ok grades. He doesn’t care about money because his dad will take care of it.
The next black kid looks like an athlete. When people see him they probably think he doesn’t go to class, and has tutors cause he’s an athlete. They probably think he is not smart and is just in college to play sports.
I really don’t think you should judge people by the way they looked but that is what you asked us to do. The posts I was looking at didn’t talk about any beliefs about any of the people and just said it’s bad to judge people by appearances. I think if this class has taught us anything it is that in class, or anything to do with the class, you can say almost anything. It is a good conversation started as long as it’s not meant to be mean or it comes from a bad place. Even though I don’t believe in judging people I can still right about my first thoughts about them and know when to stop.

The data from class was very surprising to me. I knew racism existed in the United States but I didn’t realize how much it really affected the professional world. I think people, including me, are unaware of how much discrimination still is present. It was proven to me by the fact that a white man with a criminal record is more desirable than a black man with no record. The fact that that was true was unbelievable to me. However, I don’t think everyone answered truthfully on the question about whom you would personally hire. Most of class answered the politically correct answer. I believe everyone is a little prejudice no matter what, unless maybe you are Sam Richards. I think everyone would be slightly prejudice towards his or her own race, especially if it is just a clicker question and you can say your honest opinion without actually hiring someone. I think people in call were scared to answer what they actually wanted to answer because the people around them can obviously see what button they push. I honestly think more people would hire their own race no matter what race the other candidate is. Therefore racism does exist. It may not be as talked about or blatant as it was in the past, but it definitely is out there.
The videos about the kids stealing the bike and what would you do are perfect examples of how discrimination is still very much around. When the white kid was stealing the bike only a few people questioned him. Nobody called the police on him. Whereas when the black kid was trying to steal the bike, almost everyone who passed by said something or stopped to question him. Numerous people called the police. I think it’s because no matter what people say, they associate black kids more with crime than white kids. The people who said something to the black kid were asked if his skin color mattered. They obviously said no, but they don’t know what they would’ve done unless they were in the same situation with a white kid. Of course they are going to say they would do the right thing no matter what, they are on camera. They probably would have acted different without thinking about it if it was a kid of their same race.
I think part of of the problem is that people are unaware of when they are being prejudice. It is subconscious and it is just how they react to certain situations. If people don’t know they are acting a certain way, how are they supposed to fix it. People of all races in America need to realize what they are doing in order to actually bring about change and so something about it.

I don’t have any strong opinions of affirmative action. It doesn’t really affect me so I have never really thought about it. The class we talked about it was surprisingly interesting to me. Sam made some interesting points that got me thinking. If someone asked me about affirmative action before that class I would have said I don’t know or really care but I guess I’m against it. I don’t believe in handouts and I think people should have to work what they get. Once again Sam has made me think of things differently and question my thoughts. He opened my mind to knew ways of thinking and put some new ideas in my head. I think affirmative action could be a good thing if done correctly. It could give people equal opportunities without bringing some people down and giving handouts to others. There should be an even playing field when it comes to the workplace. I still don’t believe an under qualified person should ever get a position over a qualified candidate. However, maybe if it’s close between two candidates, and you are lacking of minorities in your company, it could be a strong factor. Even as I’m writing this, I am having really mixed feelings about it. I don’t have a clear opinion about it which makes it hard to explain my thoughts. I think people should have a fair chance but I don’t think a white male should have a disadvantage just because he was born a white male. That is just not fair. He deserves the same opportunity as anyone else, no more and no less. Even though I understand what we talked about with the white and Asian being at the top saying work harder, I still don’t think minorities should get opportunities they don’t deserve. Even being a woman, I don’t think I should get hired over someone who is better for the job just because I am a woman. As the women and minorities get more qualified and are the best candidates for jobs, they will get them. It wont necessarily be soon but I think it will happen. There have been great advances in equality in the recent years and I think we are still moving in the same direction. I understand that people of minorities and women have had a starting point that is further back then the white male, however I don’t think that should give them an unfair advantage. They are starting to get equal opportunities because of their qualifications and not just because their of a minority race. Education is getting better for everyone and prejudices are lessening. This whole thing probably doesn’t make sense, and I know that. I am still very split and confused on the topic.

Unlike most of the previous posts about this topic, I can defiantly see why someone would not raise their hand and admit to being rich in front of 700 kids their age. No one would want to admit theyre are rich because of the way people would look at them. People would think oh that girls a rich snob and will admit it. Maybe I have different beliefs than other people but I believe people with money shouldnt be running around flaunting it. Maybe thats because my family does have money but we were raised to be grateful and not flaunt things we have. My grandpa is very rich but he still lives in the small house my mom grew up in. He doesnt spend money on useless things. He does have a thing for cars but its not like hes driving a Ferrari around. He likes to give his money to his kids and grandkids and watch them enjoy it, instead of leaving it all in inheritance. Watching him with his money makes me appreciate all I have and maybe thats why I didnt raise my hand when Sam asked whos rich. I wouldnt want to be looked at and judged for what my parents or grandparents worked for. I dont think I am the typical spoiled rich kid and people would just assume that. I know how hard my dad worked to get to where he is. He climbed his way up the latter of his company and is now at the top. He is a great example for my siblings and I of what hard work can get you. I know that I will inevitably start out better than most people out of college given the fact that I wont have any debt from school. I didnt realize how much of an advantage that is, or how well I have it until I met my current roommate. She is paying for school, rent and everything by herself. She worked two jobs over the summer and works in the dinning commons during the school year. She works so hard for everything she has and really put my life into perspective. She made me realize that I am extremely lucky to have parents who have a lot of money. She made me really appreciate everything I have and take advantage of it. Not taking advantage as in asking my parents for money all the time, but instead spend the time I would be working, studying. She makes me work hard in my classes because now I know college is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. I would hate to be judged as a spoiled brat when I truly appreciate everything I have.

This story is obviously very interesting to a lot of people. You should except to get mixed comments when an article is posted like this. However, some of the comments were very mean and degrading. There were some as simple as “eww…” and there were some that were extremely harsh. People think because they are hiding behind a computer screen they can say whatever they want and it’s okay. It’s not. Hurtful words do just that…hurt. Even if they aren’t said to her face, she will probably see them eventually. She says she’s a strong woman and words don’t hurt her, but there is only so much bullying one person can take. I am impressed by the way she has handled the situation so far.
As I read through the comments, I kept thinking, “What was the point of commenting that?” I read one that said, “Now that's one ugly woman.” I just thought why would you write that? You can just keep your nasty thoughts to yourself and not have to spread hate about someone you don’t even know. Most of the comments just felt unnecessary. Why would you put in the effort just to be rude and hateful?
Another comment I found interesting was the one that stated, “LOL Whatever, if she was not of arab descent everyone would be mocking her, this "girl" is nuts!!” This person is obviously just ignorant. That person obviously doesn’t know much about what they’re talking about. I’m glad there were replies to this saying Sikhism is a religion not a race or ethnicity.
While some comments attacked Balpreet directly, some also attacked her religion. One comment read, “Only a cruel god would make women as disgustingly hairy as men. Evolution is equal to blame for not catching up.” That really disturbed me. First of all, she is calling Balpreet disgusting for having facial hair. Second, she is saying the god Balpreet believes in is cruel. I believe you can practice whatever religion you want without putting other religions down or thinking yours is the only one. Everyone has the right to practice the religion of their choice. This comment is also interesting because they are calling men disgusting for hairy, which is the norm and has nothing to do with the article.
All around, I think the hateful comments are uncalled for. They are unnecessary and I don’t still don’t understand why people feel the need to attack someone just because they are different. Saying mean things isn’t going to change how Balpreet lives her life and what she believes in. She is a very strong woman and I respect her tremendously. I think people bullying from behind a computer are cowards and should be ashamed of themselves.