BLog #15- "Border Patrol State"

Ironically enough I am studying this topic in my Social Work class right now, but we are discussing how the "dominant group" aka the whites set the norms and the ethnicities that dont fit in suffer from discrimination or prejudice. I completely agree with Ms. Silko and I see these same occurances happening in my home state and the state right next to me which is Arizona. Being from the West Coast there are many Mexican-Americans. As everyone is aware the state of Arizona recently passed a law saying that police officers can pull anyone over that they think looks suspicious as being an immigrant. This basically means that if you don't look white then they will pull you over in suspicion. Part of me agrees with this but I also don't at all because it is discrimination at its finest. Immigration is becoming a big concern not only on the West Coast but also Texas but I don't think that gives anyone the right to pull someone over based on what they look like. Something I experience that is related to what she Ms. Silko was describing in her story is the "check point" at LAX. When you are driving up to LAX to either get dropped off or pick someone up the police officers merge the lanes to one and will either allow you to pass through or will pull you over for suspicion. As much as people say it is random I do believe that the whole process is based on what you look like and your ethnicity. Especially since 9/11 I think these cops are suspicious of Muslims that come through when these people could just be ordinary American citizens trying to see family in another state or some basic thing. Another experience that I have gone through is I know many African American people that have been pulled over because of their skin color. My town back home is a small town where nothing happens and we all say the cops have nothing to do, and I have had a few of my friends tell me that they go another direction that is longer to get home just so they don't have to deal with being pulled over by cops. The term for this is "Driving While Black". I think this is dumb also, and that people shouldn't be pulled over unless the cop has a legit suspicion like a person swerving or they run their license plate and see that they have a warrant. As much as people believe immigration is becoming a problem discriminating against certain ethnicities isn't the way to solve it because America is referenced as the "melting pot". The "melting pot" refers to many different ethnicities and background making up the United States, therefore people shouldn't discriminate against different minorities because many of them could be American citizens just like everyone else.

Blog #14- The Things They Carried

The things they carried were largely determined by necessity.
        First of all I would definitely practice field hygiene like Dave Jensen and carry shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and conditioner. I could never imagine being out at war and being completely filthy. Therefore, I would definitely carry these things to make sure I could be as clean as a soldier can possibly be while marching or "humping" through cities. Other thing that I would make sure to carry would probably be letters from my parents. Being out there without any loved ones I would occasionally need a pick me up or a reminder of all the amazing things I was doing fighting for our country. Also I am very close to my family and since I would be so far away, letters from them would be the closest thing I have to seeing or speaking to them. Since my family and I would be writing letters back and forth I would need to carry a pen and paper to make sure I had something to write with and on. The last thing I would carry by necessity would be ace bandages or bandage wraps. I can only imagine the many cuts and wounds they get in war, so I would want to make sure that if I were to get into that situation I could prevent them from getting infected and also stop the bleeding.

What they carried was partly a function of rank, partly of field specialty.
        If I were to be in the army or at war I would want to be ranked a little higher up than everyone else, so I would want to be a First Lieutenant like Jimmy Cross. Since he guides the men around and determines their routes I would obviously carry a map and compass to make sure that I am leading them in the right direction. I would also carry a gun or two to make sure that if myself or anyone else in my platoon were in danger I could protect them, after all that is one of the jobs of a platoon leader, to watch after the people.

What they carried varied by mission.
        If we had a mission in the mountains I would definitely take bug repellent and mosquito nets because the men already carry enough diseases and so do bugs, so I wouldn't want to risk getting a disease from the bugs since that is one thing that I could probably prevent. Plus of course on every mission I went on I would carry a gun for protection. If the mission were tunnels or night missions I would bring a few flashlights, incase one of them went out.

The things they carried were determined to some extent by superstition.
        I personally am a very superstitious person so if I had something random in my hand or in my bag when something bad happened there is no doubt that I would take it out. One thing that I'm very superstitious about is my rings. One if from my sister that says love on it which she got me for Christmas and the other is a ring made of x's and o's from my mom and dad for my birthday. So, no matter where I was or what I was doing I would always have my rings on or at least turn them into a necklace.

Those are all the physical things I would carry, but emotionally I could only imagine all the thoughts that would be running through my head like all the men in the story. The biggest emotional baggage I would carry would be my fear of not making it home to my family and seeing my little sister and brother grow up.

Blog #12-Hawai'is Story By Hawai'is Queen

It was a beautiful sight; the waters were calm, each boat was ornamented with the Hawaiian flag, the royal standard fluttered from that of the king, and as we coasted along the shores, we could see the people on the land following our course and interested in our progress; there were, I think, twelve boats in all.

I simply picked this line because of the image it created in my head, while reading this was the only line that actually made me stop and painted a visual picture. The way she describes the water makes me envision looking at the beautiful blue water and seeing the boats pass by with their Hawaiian flag flowing and for some reason I can just picture the people standing along the shore almost in awe to see their king float past them. This line reminded me the times I had been to Hawaii and how amazing the ocean is, which just helped me envision this picture even better. The use of imagery in this line is amazing.

Response to Sam Wood--Blog 11

Immigrating to a new country must be very hard no matter what country they are coming from or going to. In this case going from Africa to the United States must be very difficult because he is going from a third world country to a highly sophisticated country. Although he tends to be torn between his two cultures, I do believe that no matter where you're from you should take some of that culture with you. After all, the United States is called the melting pot and it's because we have so many great cultures coming together to form a country yet we all represent the United States in our own unique ways. I feel as if he shouldn't have been torn, instead he should have embraced the American culture and still had his own culture. If he were to completely let go of his own culture he might forget where he came from, and that is a big part of ourselves and our history to be letting go. Everyone in the United States immigrated at one time so he shouldn't have felt like an "Outcast". I could see how it would be hard for an immigrant to assimilate to our new ways, especially because the US is much different than African culture. I also agree that it does show that he is torn between US culture and African culture because he does like the United States so much.

Blog #9- The Contemporary Connection

      While reading one of the connections I made to today's politics and the politics of 1865-1914 was the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment. The Fifteenth Amendment is the third of the Reconstruction Amendments and it prohibits the states and federal government from using a citizens race, color, or previous status as a slave as a voting qualification. In our society today African American's have become a part of our society instead of outcasts. In todays political world the African Americans have come a very long way, the most obvious is our president Barack Obama. President Barack Obama is our country's first African American president and shows the growth of equality for African Americans in politics in the United States. During the time period of 1865-1914 the people of this time would have never believed that an African American male would have ever become the president of the United States, but as a country we have grown since this time period in a very positive direction.
       Another connection that I made would be the social aspects of magazines in today's culture and in the culture of 1865-1914. Magazines grew tremendously during this time period and "readers were attracted by the colorful covers, lavish illustrations, and modest cost." The differences between today's magazines and the older magazines is that magazines today focus on gossip, celebrities, or television shows. Back then magazines published stories that focused great attention on women and their right to vote and their fight for social and political equality. "Magazines also revealed the important tole of women both as consumers and producers of culture in the United States." Today we don't focus on these kinds of topics anymore. Popular magazines in today's society would be Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and People Magazine. In these magazines a reader will never find an article on politics or a certain gender or races inability to vote. Magazines have transformed from political to gossip magazines but the similarity that they still have are the colorful covers, lavish illustrations, and modest costs; that is one thing that has not changed in today's magazines and the magazines from the older time period.

Blog 8- Response to John Brown's Last Speech & The Death of Lincoln

      A similarity that both writings have is I assume that both of these men were from the North and were against slavery. "I deny everything but what I have all along admitted, the design on my part to free the slaves."  This clearly shows that John Brown was an active abolitionist and didn't care who knew it. He led Harper's Ferry and the Pottawatomie Massacre. I believe that in John Brown's Last Speech he demonstrates the American Dream by trying to free the slaves, and by freeing them he is letting them be treated like normal human beings and not like objects. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" is a key phrase used by Americans still today that we live by, how are the slaves supposed to have a life, have liberty, or happiness when they were treated like objects with no knowledge and had everything they loved taken away from them. They didn't even know what life really was. By freeing them he is also allowing them to maybe get the schooling they need to be able to have a normal job and succeed in the United States although they might not have been the dominant white male. Back then the African Americans were treated very poorly and their owners didn't want them to have any knowledge or freedom. Of course how is one to ever achieve the American Dream with no knowledge and when they aren't allowed to do anything outside the plantation that could ever let them achieve the goals that the individual might have or could potentially have.
      In The Death of Lincoln the last two lines really stood out to me and I think that they go along with a lot of John Brown's Last Speech and his mentality throughout his speech. "Among the noble host of those, Who perished in the cause of Right." Looking back in history we all have learned that Lincoln was a part of the abolitionist movement and wanted to free the slaves. Lincoln and John Brown are similar characters because they both believe in freeing the slaves and are abolitionists, yet they go about their beliefs in different ways. John Brown is willing to be violent with his actions and Lincoln does it in a more political manner. Also in The Death of Lincoln it says "Whose proudest monument shall be, The broken fetters of the slaves." This shows another similarity between the two readings because they both praise what they have done to try and free the slaves and give them their right to the "American Dream". The "American Dream" could not be obtained when a person is confined to an area with absurd duties and is given no direction or freedom to achieve something that they can call their own. Although the slaves did work hard back then which is a trait of achieving the American Dream they were not rewarded with anything yet had everything taken away from them and were treated like objects.
      I think that John Brown's Last Speech is more persuasive than the Death of Lincoln because of the fact that John Brown uses a reference to the Bible. Readers of this time would be very persuaded by his reference to the Bible because of the strong Christianity faith that occurred during this time. As we discussed in class although many slave owners were Christian it didn't stop them from doing what was not moral and beating their slaves, but none the less everyone was very Christian at this time.
      Lastly, Northerners would probably be more moved by the two pieces for two reasons. The first reason is because both of these men were abolitionists, Lincoln and John Brown, and majority of the North were against slavery and Lincoln was a very strong, important figure to Northerners. So the Northerners are most likely to side with the views of Lincoln and John Brown's thoughts of freeing the slaves. Second, the reference to the Bible would effect both the Southerners and Northerners. Because both readings are promoting freeing slaves and the American Dream is an underlying message, the use of the Bible as a reference would just have a stronger effect on the Northerners to really want to get the abolitionist movement going. Southerners might be very offended by these two readings because although the Biblical reference may effect them too and make them think a bit they do not believe what they are doing is wrong although they are strong Christians. Like we said in class, it seemed to be the more Christian a southern slave owner was the more brutal they were.

Blog 7

Frances Harper wrote many poems to help the abolitionist movement and end slavery. One of the techniques she uses throughout all of her poems are imagery about the truth of slavery and the cruelty that went along with slavery. Along with the use of incredible imagery in her poems, she also uses emotion to connect with the reader and add to the picture she is painting in your mind. One reason why emotion could be a key element in her poetry at this time is many women/slaves at this time could relate to the thought of their child being taken away from them. By her using emotion she allows the readers at this time to go back and remember what it felt like to lose their child and would feel more sympathetic for her. Also, the imagery she creates could draw in the readers and make them want to help her abolitionist movement. This could particularly work with the Northern women because they were against slavery and by Harper painting pictures and using emotion many women would begin to feel very sympathetic and would want to get the abolitionist movement going and really help the slaves in the South. "The bowed and feeble head, The shuddering of the fragile form, The look of grief and dread?" This line could really effect women or even abolitionist men in the North because the imagery of praying is presented. At this time many people were Christian and were very religious so praying could be relatable no matter where or who you were. "He is not hers, although she bore him" targets the women mother readers of this poem because at this time women stayed at home and took care of the children and by her bringing up the emotion of losing their child could hit a woman in the heart and this could trigger their response to feel sympathy for her and to understand why she wants the abolitionist movement to succeed and to be free. Slaves at this time were not treated like humans and as we discussed in class, children of slaves were immediately taken away from their mothers so that the emotional bond they might have is never there and they had no knowledge. 

Bonus Blog- Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

Throughout the reading Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl, she constantly uses you or reader to try and relate to you personally and let the reader know that she is trying to speak to you directly. This is clearly shown when she says “ And now reader, I come to a period in my unhappy life, which I would gladly forget if I could.” The way she also speaks to the reader she is trying to make you feel sympathy for her. “It pains me to tell you of it…” or when she says “Pity me and pardon me, O virtuous reader.” She tells you what she is thinking and tells worrisome stories about her thoughts and what is going on in her life so you sympathize for her. I believe her audience was white women particularly from the North because women or just people in general in the South would not sympathize as easily with her because they are slave owners and that is how they are raised. The point where I really realized she was trying to reach out to people so that they would feel bad for her was when she bluntly says “you never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom…” She is obviously speaking directly to you at this point almost like you are having a conversation with her in person and she is telling you her story. The way the writing is she could have women feel bad for her because she also talks about having children and how he sends them away so they aren’t near him or his wife. That point of children really targets women because we are most attached to our children so this point also makes the reader feel more bad for her life. There are many different incidents when she says “you” to let you know she is speaking to you directly and telling you her personal story. 

The Quadroons

The beginning appears to be a romantic relationship with Rosalie and Edward and you immediately see that they have an interracial relationship. Edward and Rosalie seemed to be so in love regardless of their race. “The tenderness of Rosalie's conscience required an outward form of marriage; though she well knew that a union with her proscribed race was unrecognized by law, and therefore the ceremony gave her no legal hold of Edward's constancy.”  It continues to say that they spent 10 happy years together making the reader think that he was commited to Rosalie and their daughter Xarifa. At this time African American people both male and female were frowned upon and whether your father was white or not, if you looked African American you were treated like one. Edward is torn between a white woman and an African American woman but after a while his love for Rosalie diminished and he chose the white woman. Throughout the story you see Edward’s love for both women mentally distress him. “Once or twice she heard him murmur, "dear Rosalie," in his sleep” Edward at one point also told Rosalie that their marriage couldn’t be real and I believe that he did marry the white woman because of class. “At that moment he would have given worlds to have disengaged himself from Charlotte; but he had gone so far” The reader can see his distress between the two races when he sees Rosalie with his daughter after his wife made a comment about how beautiful Xarifa was. I feel as if it almost took Rosalie’s death for him to finally realize his love for Xarifa and the family he once had, it’s like she was the only part of Rosalie left that he wanted to hold on to but he never did because of her race. Another person who definitely suffers to find herself between the two races is Xarifa. She has a white father and a slave mother. It didn’t matter to anyone in society that she was half white to everyone she was still looked down upon because she was of African American decent. When she first began growing up in her home she didn’t see the discrimination because she was raised in a loving home by her white father and African American mother. “Xarifa learned no lessons of humility or shame, within her own happy home; for she grew up in the warm atmosphere of father's and mother's love” Unfortunately in the end though she is treated poorly and put up for auction and bought. She never really saw herself like the rest of society did but when her only family was all gone she got treated poorly and the harsh reality of the real world fell upon her. Even Rosalie can be portrayed as being caught between cultures because she loves a white man even though she knows its not acceptable in her society and then he leaves her for a white woman. It almost makes her feel degraded and betrayed. Each character is definitely caught between the culture because of their love for each other regardless of their race. It is sad to see both Rosalie and Xarifa suffer. Especially Xarifa instead of going from a bad life to good she goes from a good life with lots of love to a bad life without her family and sold at a public auction. 

The Tenth of January- Blog 4

In The Tenth of January thanks to the POV the reader is able to get inside of Sene's head and understand her emotions throughout the story. In the beginning the words/emotions used to describe her life show her depression and insecurity with herself and her appearance. “of brutal scowls where smiles should be; of days when she wandered dinnerless and supperless in the streets through loathing of her home; of nights when she sat out in the snow-drifts through terror of her home;” By the harsh words used in this quote it depicts a hard life. She is consistently made fun of through the story also by people who do not know her and judge her just by seeing her. This can relate to things that still go on today because everyone is judged whether they like it or not. Also, as hard as you may try everyone judges other people based on stereotypes that they have created or developed over their lifetime. In the beginning/middle of the story I enjoyed the part where she finds real love with Aseneth. "“What should I have if I did n’t have you?” she said, and caught her breath.The young man paced to the window and back again. The firelight touched her shoulders, and the sad, white scar.

“You shall have me always, Asenath,” he made answer. He took her face within his hands and kissed it; and so they shelled the corn together, and nothing more was said about it." This can relate to the class because we have recently discussed relationships and marriage ethics. It shows that he didn't judge her for what she looked like but tried to find the true beauty that lies within her, which is how a person should truly be judged. It made their relationship seem like it was true love and that they had a partnership instead of him owning her like a possesion. American ethics in marriage is about love, where in other countries it is most likely about hierarchy and the class system. I believe many people should learn that judging people before knowing them does hurt that person and it shows through the thoughts of Sene and how she was effected by all the name calling. She was truly a great girl who was willing to help others. Everyone has been judged in their life, but that doesn't mean they should continue the trend.

"Forget what hurt you in the past, but never forget what it taught you."

Journal/Blog Posting #1

My definition and ideas of the American person have not changed after discussing and reading the poems in class. When I think of America I do not think of just one specific race. Growing up I had always heard of the United States being the melting pot. Even going through history since elementary school I was taught that the first people to settle on North America were not white but Native Americans. According to deGevecoeur’s poem when he says that he can name a family who has different backgrounds, I think that is what makes Americans unique. We are not all the same, we have certain nationalities that set us apart from the next person. Our country was built because of immigrants, even the white English men were immigrants. Immigrants from all over the world would come over to the United States to seek a better life and I do agree with the poem of “New Colossus” about the Statue of Liberty representing a symbol of freedom. For many immigrants seeing Ellis Island gave them hope and those people have now settled their families here, which makes their families immigrants. Although when thinking of the United States I can not think of one specific race that Americans would fall under, I do agree with the poems that Americans are very patriotic. We love our country and come together to fight for it, hence why we have the strongest army in the world. Many men and women have fought to make our country how it is today and I believe many Americans appreciate that and that is why we are all so patriotic and proud to live where we do.