Pre Reading Week 5

Racism definitely still exists today even with the presence of our first African American president. Even though it still is evident in society, I do believe it has changed since say the 1960’s. No there have not been race riots or lynchings and you do not see the Klu Klux Klan ridding around terrorizing people, but I see somewhat more subtle racism. For example, it is clear more than ever that immigrants, not even Latinos just immigrants in general, are not wanted in this country and the obvious “white privilege” which can cause racism. With just these two examples alone and not to mention a handful of others, it is evident that racism still exists despite having a African American president, more so it may have even turned back the clock a little. When Obama was elected, it seemed the people of color and others gained a sense of hope, a feeling of racism vanishing and possible equality for all coming. Quickly though, people were quick to judge about where he came from, his religion, how he was raised etc. Furthermore, when some of his propositions did not go through or pan out the way he wanted, people were quick, again, to name call. With all that said, I think because we have an African American president, people are now less likely to label themselves as racist. Also, people do not want to be known as racist because people of color are now the majority and they know that by banning with them they can keep those “white privileges afloat.

The commentators in the video feel that because Obama won the election that race does not matter anymore and because of the race that he is, people of other nations can stop saying that we are a “racist nation.”  As a counterargument though, another person in the video says, “Any racism is more than overcoming individual bigotry…we must still continue to strive for a more perfect union.” Obama winning the election was by far “a powerful achievement”, but did not kill the racism of this nation.

To me, diversity means people with all different ethnicity and races scattered through places. For example, I feel like San Francisco State has good diversity for the most part. Yes, I believe it is evident that one ethnicity is the majority on campus, but in terms of where people are coming from (background and where they lived) and how they identify themselves, I think SFSU has a lot of variety.  

 

 

Word Count: 416

Post Reading Questions Week 4

The exercise on Wednesday was interesting. I think it really opened up people’s eyes in class when it comes to the idea of diversity and backgrounds. By having our eyes closed, the class did not get to see who felt the same way or endured the same encounters, but what they got to see after was who stood where they did. It just went to show that no matter what your ethnicity/race is, there are always going to be people on the same level, on a higher level, or on a lower level. When it came to things I stepped forward for, or my advantages, having books in my house, having my parents say I was beautiful, and knowing someone who is a doctor, lawyer, therapist etc. were things that I moved up for. Working as an afterschool program leader for underprivileged families, I see how important and how privileged I was growing up to have those things and still to this day do. Not only do some of my students not know how to read, I know they do not have books at home to practice. Then, I am able to witness first hand when the students get picked up, how their parents interact with them. Sometimes it is not always obvious who is getting the proper attention at home, and other times it is like “what can I do, to provide that child with love for the three hours I see them Monday through Friday?” Sometimes the simplest things, that you think, like owning books and having encouraging parents can be the most challenging to provide and that has such a negative impact on a child’s education and self-esteem.

As for McIntosh’s quote, I agree with it because I feel as though it goes back to this idea of there being “silences,” things we do not say out loud because it might strike a chord in people. The quote of “Keeping most people unaware…serves to keep power in the same groups that have most of it already,” really stands out to me because I feel it is the basis for our social structure today. It is almost like the saying of, “the less you know the better,” which is what the hierarchy wants you to think, but in reality it only leaves you out of the loop on things that pertain to your everyday life.

The reverse racism blog was not only humorous, but I feel a good representation of the idea of reverse racism. To me, it is showing a flip side to the way things are but should be. People of color are now the MAJORITY in this country, yet for some reason we are still fascinated with the “white” ideals. Why? It is because of fear or laziness, or maybe a little of both? The point is though, we are now the MAJORITY and I think once people start realizing that we can move forward with banning together and making a change.

 word count:497

 

 

Pre-Reading Week 4

To me, privilege can be defined in two ways. The first way I look at privilege is something that you can work hard for and receive, like health care through your company after working for 6 months. Second I see privilege as something you do not work for, but rather it is handed to you, for example if you come from a family that can pay for you to go to college and you don’t have to work for tuition. Either way, I guess someone had to work hard at one point in order for that privilege to be passed down.

In today’s society, I see people of lighter skin color as being privileged. I also different privileges among people of classes, if you are considered to be that of high class because of the amount of money you make per year, you are offered more privilege in areas of health care, living in certain areas, and affording name brand clothes. In retrospect, if you are considered middles class, you basically, nowadays, looked at as lower class because of the gap between middle and lower class is almost no longer existent. Back then though, maybe about ten years, to be middle class was average and you were pretty at par with everything. Privileges were given to the middles class, but just not as fast as they were given to the higher class.

In my opinion, White privilege stems from the idea that if you are of lighter skin or considered “white” you are more pure and worth more. To me, it’s an idea of white people receiving things because they are of purity and say people of color having to work for it.

Just going off the two words of structure and unequal, structural Inequality sounds more like unfairness based on society issues rather than individual, referring to the idea that more people of color live in poorer neighborhoods than those who are not.

Then, the words advantage and disadvantage bring about two different definitions. Advantage means you have at least one thing above the next person. For example, when applying for a job and all you have is a high school diploma and your opponent has a high school diploma and a Bachelor’s degree, it is like which one will most likely get the job, the one with more. The person who only has a high school diploma then finds themselves at a disadvantage, or something less than their opponent.

When it comes to people of color being racist, I say absolutely, and in my view it is mostly within the race. I can say from experience, especially with my elders that they always have to say about Mexicans, even though we are Mexican. I think it comes from the idea of you can say things about your own race and it is ok, but when you talk about someone elses, it is not okay. It is almost like a hidden rule, but not so hidden.

word count: 497

 

Post Reading Questions Week 3

I think what Hattam is trying to say is that we need to stop looking at the race and ethnicity factors and focus on the bigger problems of society. It’s almost like why does everyone have to look at everything in a racial perspective and not a “just regular human perspective.” In addition though, Hattam says “we must remain alert, and seek to change, the ways in which ethnic privilege has long been secured by defining ethnicity against race.” How I look at that quote is ethnicity is looked at more highly than race, but most times when you look a person you only see their race, or you assume what race they are based on physical characteristics, and because of that, it has caused chaos among the two categories.  Agreeing with the statement Hattam makes, I believe the ignorance people have about the differences between race and ethnicity and how they are defined cause those problems of ethnic privilege staying the way they were back then and now. Looking at cultural practices in terms of defining ethnicity can be more exciting because you are learning how people view the world. Then, when you look at the physical aspects of a person, often assumptions can be made immediately about their background and where they come from, do they look rich or poor based on clothing, accessories, shoes, etc. It is at that point, I think when the term race becomes something of not the much status. For example, if you look at someone and think they are Mexican because they have darker skin, then you look at them again and assume they are an immigrant. Next, you look at someone of light skin tone and you think they are white and they have money because they are wearing a coach bag. In reality though, they are of the same status financially, because of the term race, the physical appearance between these two people has caused you to look at them in different perspectives. Basically, I see race as a more negative term and ethnicity as something to embrace, and I feel that Hattam tries to distinguish some of those issues by the quote he makes, especially in terms of “defining ethnicity against race.”

As for Flores, he offers three approaches for identifying a Latino community.

1.       Demographics- referring to the number count where people come from.

2.       Analytical- the constructed terms that come out, i.e. immigration, labor market

3.       Imaginary- your personal identification, cultural practices, shared memories, etc.

I think it is important to look at these three areas because this is the foundation of identifying the Latino community. You have to look at where people came from, what they are called by people, and what they call themselves. Once people understand that not everyone is Mexican, or likes the term Hispanic, the quicker society can have happier people and a more diverse country.

Word Count: 484

Reflections to history of Ethnic Studies

I think there still lies some similarities with the 1968 strike of San Francisco State and now, when it comes to issues students are being faced with. The feeling of students being ignored, in my opinion, still is an issue. Although I do not think the issue is as large as it was back then, I believe when it comes to issues of raising CSU tuition every semester, students feel the message is not getting perceived as seriously as they would like it to be. I will admit, as a former occupier at CSU East Bay, the awareness that has been brought to students, faculty, and CSU board members about the frequent tuition hikes has grown tremendously, but obviously not enough to stop the board members from raising fees. To a certain extent, the issue has been somewhat successful, again based on the awareness that has been brought out about the tuition hikes, but also I feel the ultimate goal is to stop the hikes in general. So in retrospect, I feel like we still see a similarity of students feeling ignored, when it comes to the idea of the 1968 and present day San Francisco State students.

Now in terms if HB 2281, the law banning any book or teaching of Ethnic Studies course, I just think it is ridiculous because everyone should have the opportunity to learn about themselves and their culture that they may not have learned about in their homes. According to HB 2281, no class can be taught if it

1. Promotes the overthrow of the United States Government                      

2. Promotes resentment toward a race or class of people

3. Are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group

4. Advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals

When I first read these four criteria for the banning of ethnic studies, I thought to myself, wow I can pretty much say those sound like they would fit into most of the history classes I have taken. Agreeing with Monteiro’s statement, this criterion fits for history classes taught now because of the fact they are only telling us one side of the story, and it is the “white side.” From my past history classes in high schools, and the Latinos in California one I took as a freshman in college, I will say the biggest shock for me was learning that Latinos were lynched. Based off all my history classes, European, U.S., social studies, etc. the only group I ever heard of to be lynched was African Americans. It was at that moment that I realized I had been robbed of vital history.

 

Word Count: 441

What I think about Ethnic Studies

To me, Ethnic Studies is a discipline teaching people of different ethnicities the history, traditions, and lessons about their ethnicities. It is different from anthropology and sociology because it is focused on teaching you about yourself and where you’ve come from, the struggles that your people have come from, and how those effect you in today’s society. Sociology focuses on the changing societies, and a bigger picture, and anthropology looks at the evolution of humans, which can tie into ethnic studies but on a different level. I see anthropology dealing more with the human body structure and ethnic studies more on the personal person.

I believe Ethnic Studies has as a discipline because of the awareness and understanding it brings to people about their ethnicities. I can honestly say as a Latino/a studies and Biology major, the view I had of myself and my how I identified myself has changed. Before I started taking La Raza classes, I identified myself as a Hispanic. Then, after reading different articles and books, I learned that the word “Hispanic” was used as a derogatory term against us. The word “Hispanic” back then meant a poor dirty Spanish person, not the general term it is used as today. Since that lesson, I now identify myself as a Mexican- American, which can still have some implications, but it’s just what I feel comfortable with saying. To add, by being in these Raza classes, I have learned about the history of family, by doing oral histories, and about myself as a person. From my perspective, I feel every group benefits and can benefit from taking ethnic studies courses. There is so much information out there about every group, but you have to go looking for it because there is also so much that is covered up or trying to be covered up. By taking these courses, your brain becomes picked at a little bit and makes you think about certain issues, that you then thirst to find more information about and that right there is what has made me find out who I really am and where I have come from.

The state of Arizona has now banned all teachings of ethnic studies because they feel the classes are trying to overthrow the U.S. government. Basically, by teaching students, especially Mexican-American students, about their history they will feel more inclined to go against the government, which can be true, but also unfair in the sense that those students only get to learn about U.S. history and not theirs.

Word Count: 423