WOW! First off, Thanks Prof G for the snacks, you are great!
I had first heard that Wal-Mart was an awful corporation before but after this movie I was just in shock. I don't know if I will be able to step into another wal-mart store now. As I was talking to one of my classmates, I mean I feel like this store is awful in the way that it treats its workers like crap and is super discriminating with race and gender and probably more, but I don't know if my reactions will last for ever since this corporation is so accessible to broke people like me.
What shocked me the most was the girl that was in China. I cannot believe that they are living in such poor conditions when we are over here just driving 10 minutes to a store to find a toy or piece of clothing, and just to say "this is cheap" or in a way "worthless" when people like the girl in the movie are working in such a horrible place for NOTHING, for us to say this is worthless?!
The one thing that gets me even more is that walmart is so available to people who don't have much money and when it is all they can really afford. Like another one of our classmates put it the other day, she is trying to eat healthier like wholefoods but it's hard, a college student with such a short budget can't afford to eat healthy and there it is: Wal-Mart comes to the rescue or more like destruction. I guess walmart may be benefiting the buyer positively with low prices but I don't know if that is enough to cover their disgusting treatment of its workers.
Bring on the fire...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Racism, discrimination and Culture boxes
Alright everyone... I feel full-blow, like a helium balloon about to explode with so much to do and so little time! So this week in Social Justice...
I wasn't in class Monday but as I heard from the conversations on what "worked" and what "didn't work" activity I got the impression that it got pretty intense. In class I have noticed that topics get pretty hot sometimes but I have learned to try to keep my emotions away and not necessarily take in offense because I personally am very subjective. I try to look at the whole picture and I try to catch myself in the moment of anger or frustration to see someone else's point of view. Racism is definitely something that is very true. It is around just like I had said before, because as children many people of a certain race grow up with mostly their own race leaving room for curiosity and potential prejudice about other races foreign to them. It's a touchy subject because I myself do feel like I am racist even to my own race sometimes. I guess it's good to have awareness that you do go through very natural human issues just like anyone else, except as a social worker I want to be able to be aware but also try to not be so prone to those negative thoughts.
About the culture boxes. I really enjoyed every single box that everyone had to present. I enjoyed seeing the different ways people see each other and how they think other people see them. In a way this was a chance to get to know my classmates a bit more personal. I really appreciated how people went up there to present many things that are important to them and some that was truly significant in their lives. I liked how everyone got to share their ideas and that no one judged anyone when presenting. This is one of the many great things about this class. I feel like the readings can get a bit overwhelming but when we all get to share our ideas and be able to express ourselves makes the class seem just right.
The articles for affirmative action were very interesting and I like how Shirley put some of the ideas about affirmative action into perspective. Like Shirley I also agree that a student should not be chosen to be accepted to a college because of race or gender solely. I think that character and grades and other aspects of the individual should be taken in\to consideration. I think that it is a good think to want to keep a diverse environment in schools, so in a way I don't know that we are able to keep a diverse school environment if race is not taken in consideration when accepting a student. So in a way I am kind of stuck in between. I feel like if a school accepts students on gpa, scholastics, and achievements then we might end up having a homogeneous population.
Any thoughts...
I wasn't in class Monday but as I heard from the conversations on what "worked" and what "didn't work" activity I got the impression that it got pretty intense. In class I have noticed that topics get pretty hot sometimes but I have learned to try to keep my emotions away and not necessarily take in offense because I personally am very subjective. I try to look at the whole picture and I try to catch myself in the moment of anger or frustration to see someone else's point of view. Racism is definitely something that is very true. It is around just like I had said before, because as children many people of a certain race grow up with mostly their own race leaving room for curiosity and potential prejudice about other races foreign to them. It's a touchy subject because I myself do feel like I am racist even to my own race sometimes. I guess it's good to have awareness that you do go through very natural human issues just like anyone else, except as a social worker I want to be able to be aware but also try to not be so prone to those negative thoughts.
About the culture boxes. I really enjoyed every single box that everyone had to present. I enjoyed seeing the different ways people see each other and how they think other people see them. In a way this was a chance to get to know my classmates a bit more personal. I really appreciated how people went up there to present many things that are important to them and some that was truly significant in their lives. I liked how everyone got to share their ideas and that no one judged anyone when presenting. This is one of the many great things about this class. I feel like the readings can get a bit overwhelming but when we all get to share our ideas and be able to express ourselves makes the class seem just right.
The articles for affirmative action were very interesting and I like how Shirley put some of the ideas about affirmative action into perspective. Like Shirley I also agree that a student should not be chosen to be accepted to a college because of race or gender solely. I think that character and grades and other aspects of the individual should be taken in\to consideration. I think that it is a good think to want to keep a diverse environment in schools, so in a way I don't know that we are able to keep a diverse school environment if race is not taken in consideration when accepting a student. So in a way I am kind of stuck in between. I feel like if a school accepts students on gpa, scholastics, and achievements then we might end up having a homogeneous population.
Any thoughts...
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Marable and Fatal Flood
I did not quite understand in the beginning of the course how Prof G. would comment "...before there was Katrina there was Katrina..." After Prof G read to us about the Fatal Flood I was just in deep pain and anger! I don't understand how people in power can go everyday without feeling remorse that people are deeply affected while they only think about their own interest. People drowned and lost their homes that they worked hard to build; all because of money. I can probably preach til my lungs run out of breath but, I DESPISE how much people care about money; I hate that you can't just have one thing you have to have more and more! That is just sick because we could be helping one another but we choose not to. I might be going out tangent but millionaires think they are helping when they donate 3 or 4 million dollars to a charity but what about the rest of the millions of dollars? What do they do with so much money? Look at how many people are starving or dying from disease because of this bipolar society we have built! Why do we let this happen?!
The Marable article was truly interesting. What really got me was the part where Marable talked about how "mass unemployment feeds into mass incarceration..." I agree with this statement because I remember reading for one of my classes this semester how after the slavery ended for African Americans they were basically put in jail for no good reason. It shocked me to know that 5 million people in the US cannot vote because they are in jail or have lost their privileges to vote. How does that happen? I don't understand how the government expects people to contribute to the economy and society when they are making it extremely difficult to get by; taking such an important thing like voting is like taking their voice away!
This article made me feel very angry of what kind of discrimination in the macro level we are facing. In the article it talks about working together for change and I agree with that. In my Communities and Organizations class we have been discussing how important it is to work together because alone one can not do much change. This week we discussed about the importance of advocating to work toward social change. There is so much that goes into changing society's ways because anything we change affects everyone, even if one person gets impacted more than another. There is so much that goes into changing but I would like to achieve social change one day.
I want to be an activist one day and say that I would like people to respect each other and their beliefs; that we could sit in a restaurant and eat without feeling uncomfortable; to choose a job you feel you are more than capable to work hard for; to love one another no matter what we may belief or what color skin we have; that we could help one another instead of hate one another because there are misunderstandings and lack of knowledge; that we could actually have a melting pot in society where everyone has right to everything no matter what.
any thoughts?
The Marable article was truly interesting. What really got me was the part where Marable talked about how "mass unemployment feeds into mass incarceration..." I agree with this statement because I remember reading for one of my classes this semester how after the slavery ended for African Americans they were basically put in jail for no good reason. It shocked me to know that 5 million people in the US cannot vote because they are in jail or have lost their privileges to vote. How does that happen? I don't understand how the government expects people to contribute to the economy and society when they are making it extremely difficult to get by; taking such an important thing like voting is like taking their voice away!
This article made me feel very angry of what kind of discrimination in the macro level we are facing. In the article it talks about working together for change and I agree with that. In my Communities and Organizations class we have been discussing how important it is to work together because alone one can not do much change. This week we discussed about the importance of advocating to work toward social change. There is so much that goes into changing society's ways because anything we change affects everyone, even if one person gets impacted more than another. There is so much that goes into changing but I would like to achieve social change one day.
I want to be an activist one day and say that I would like people to respect each other and their beliefs; that we could sit in a restaurant and eat without feeling uncomfortable; to choose a job you feel you are more than capable to work hard for; to love one another no matter what we may belief or what color skin we have; that we could help one another instead of hate one another because there are misunderstandings and lack of knowledge; that we could actually have a melting pot in society where everyone has right to everything no matter what.
any thoughts?
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Go Obama!
Alright everyone, I support Planned Parenthood and he is an article that totally bashes this non-profit organization that is trying its best to help the lower and middle class be sexually-safe. I feel that people that go against this organization is a) ignorant and b) greedy. Please let me hear your thoughts on this article! I totally support Obama in being firm in his decision to support Planned Parenthood! Go Obama!
http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=16064
http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=16064
Monday, February 13, 2012
Why is different so Wrong?
What do you think...?
Friday, February 10, 2012
Racism readings
"..racism is racial prejudice plus social power..."(pp.86)
Wow, these chapters kept me so engaged let me tell all of you!
It is interesting how the book explains how prejudice starts. So basically if you look at how culture is structured throughout the world, typically we see that people who have the same beliefs, thoughts, and norms stay TOGETHER! I know from my culture, Mexican-Americans are very family-oriented; we tend to live in the same neighborhood and streets that our parents or relatives do and the family just keeps on growing. Thus, we all stay to our selves and many times I have caught even myself thinking, "Wow, It's so weird that this person is acting this way", because I don't know the person's culture or values. It's interesting to have this in perspective and to be a possible explanation to how prejudice and racism may start. Like the book said, we all have some racism inside even if you want to be as transparent as you can. Of course I am not at all advocating for it either it is just something to have awareness over and to know to correct at times. So no true "desegregation" exists!
Another part that I liked is the concept of being AMERICAN, so how do you have to look or sound like to be considered American? I remember the part in the book where an Asian-American individual was on a taxi and the driver asked him how long he had been in the U.S. because his accent was really good! WHAT!? This is very true though, I have had experiences myself when I am also asked how long I have been in this country because I look Arab and that I speak English very well, I mean... It's a bit annoying at first but when I put it in perspective I think everyone has some ambiguity about stuff.
Our society here in the United States has taught us to fear certain races. I liked the chapter with the Oriental fear where we are taught that "others" are different and their beliefs and we should fear them because of that. I remember when growing up my parents did not want me to be friends with African-American kids because they said that they were different and that we did not do things like they did. I feel so ashamed for that but the reason I feel like this now is because I have experienced different friendships now that I have been in school. I can see how someone being raised by a culture that teaches those negative ideas, and lacks experience with education and values that other people hold, would make a mistake like my parents.
Another strong point that the book brought was the invisibility of the American-Indians. It talks about how since there are "no real Indians anymore" then the discrimination against them does not exist either. This just makes me think about the racism debate. People feel that since we don't have slavery or sweat-shops or anything extreme as we did before then it doesn't matter anymore; again it goes invisible because in order for racism to exist there has to be extreme oppression. Abolishing slavery did not end discrimination. The same people that were enslaved were put in jail after the 13th amendment passed when prior to that jail was populated in majority by white individuals.
Man this whole experience with knowing the cruel facts and in ways that I may still contribute to racism or prejudice acts overwhelms me.
Any thoughts?
Wow, these chapters kept me so engaged let me tell all of you!
It is interesting how the book explains how prejudice starts. So basically if you look at how culture is structured throughout the world, typically we see that people who have the same beliefs, thoughts, and norms stay TOGETHER! I know from my culture, Mexican-Americans are very family-oriented; we tend to live in the same neighborhood and streets that our parents or relatives do and the family just keeps on growing. Thus, we all stay to our selves and many times I have caught even myself thinking, "Wow, It's so weird that this person is acting this way", because I don't know the person's culture or values. It's interesting to have this in perspective and to be a possible explanation to how prejudice and racism may start. Like the book said, we all have some racism inside even if you want to be as transparent as you can. Of course I am not at all advocating for it either it is just something to have awareness over and to know to correct at times. So no true "desegregation" exists!
Another part that I liked is the concept of being AMERICAN, so how do you have to look or sound like to be considered American? I remember the part in the book where an Asian-American individual was on a taxi and the driver asked him how long he had been in the U.S. because his accent was really good! WHAT!? This is very true though, I have had experiences myself when I am also asked how long I have been in this country because I look Arab and that I speak English very well, I mean... It's a bit annoying at first but when I put it in perspective I think everyone has some ambiguity about stuff.
Our society here in the United States has taught us to fear certain races. I liked the chapter with the Oriental fear where we are taught that "others" are different and their beliefs and we should fear them because of that. I remember when growing up my parents did not want me to be friends with African-American kids because they said that they were different and that we did not do things like they did. I feel so ashamed for that but the reason I feel like this now is because I have experienced different friendships now that I have been in school. I can see how someone being raised by a culture that teaches those negative ideas, and lacks experience with education and values that other people hold, would make a mistake like my parents.
Another strong point that the book brought was the invisibility of the American-Indians. It talks about how since there are "no real Indians anymore" then the discrimination against them does not exist either. This just makes me think about the racism debate. People feel that since we don't have slavery or sweat-shops or anything extreme as we did before then it doesn't matter anymore; again it goes invisible because in order for racism to exist there has to be extreme oppression. Abolishing slavery did not end discrimination. The same people that were enslaved were put in jail after the 13th amendment passed when prior to that jail was populated in majority by white individuals.
Man this whole experience with knowing the cruel facts and in ways that I may still contribute to racism or prejudice acts overwhelms me.
Any thoughts?
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Cruel but let's look at the whole picture
http://lancasteronline.com/article/ap/583364_Mo--teen-gets-life-with-possible-parole-in-killing.html
What I kept thinking when I read this article was, Why did this kid do this to a 9 year old and then write down her thoughts, and thennnn go to church! Man I was pissed. But like I have been learning in class I ended up looking at the whole picture, this kid was on drugs when she did this, her family has been screwed up since the beginning, she did kill and she is guilty. I don't know, I just feel like all these things happen every time and then people are sent to jail without any sort of help just with the promise of parole but what do you do to help them rehabilitate? I feel like this a band-aid case again where instead of helping the individuals in jail rehabilitate they are put behind bars for immediate fix is all. They end up doing worse when they get out of jail and they end up in jail again or end up killing themselves.
Oh man!
Any thoughts??
What I kept thinking when I read this article was, Why did this kid do this to a 9 year old and then write down her thoughts, and thennnn go to church! Man I was pissed. But like I have been learning in class I ended up looking at the whole picture, this kid was on drugs when she did this, her family has been screwed up since the beginning, she did kill and she is guilty. I don't know, I just feel like all these things happen every time and then people are sent to jail without any sort of help just with the promise of parole but what do you do to help them rehabilitate? I feel like this a band-aid case again where instead of helping the individuals in jail rehabilitate they are put behind bars for immediate fix is all. They end up doing worse when they get out of jail and they end up in jail again or end up killing themselves.
Oh man!
Any thoughts??
Guest Speaker Dianne
Alright! More and more juice to marinate these thoughts like Prof G calls it. First off I want to say that I liked how Dianne began her presentation today with the social problem exercise. Personally I think the way things become social problems is that we are such a socially constructed society that yes, society can be the root of problems like the way we consume unhealthy things leads to cancer and then they grow so big that we see things as not social problems but let's say, medical problems.
What made me decide where to stand in the different parts in the room like some my classmates said, is of course my upbringing that my parents taught me what is right and what is not, reading books, watching the news, personal experience, all socially constructed, I am a socially constructed product. I think of this and it overwhelms me how complex society as a whole is. If we were to change one thing then how would that affect the rest? Wow, I have one more year to go before I get my bachelors and I am getting so scared as time gets closer to go into the real world. In dealing with this whole anxiety I realize there is no way I can change anything this big on my own, I need help from others to make a change. I keep the quote from Zinn in my mind to calm me down, "...every social movement starts with disappointment..." and let me tell you I am very disappointed even with my self that I am not on top of the news or articles or current events happening in the world.
Many thoughts were spoken out loud today and in the end I think,wow, we are so embedded with different issues within issues what if one day we really did change the world, would the world end because we solved the impossible puzzle that life is today?
Any thoughts?
What made me decide where to stand in the different parts in the room like some my classmates said, is of course my upbringing that my parents taught me what is right and what is not, reading books, watching the news, personal experience, all socially constructed, I am a socially constructed product. I think of this and it overwhelms me how complex society as a whole is. If we were to change one thing then how would that affect the rest? Wow, I have one more year to go before I get my bachelors and I am getting so scared as time gets closer to go into the real world. In dealing with this whole anxiety I realize there is no way I can change anything this big on my own, I need help from others to make a change. I keep the quote from Zinn in my mind to calm me down, "...every social movement starts with disappointment..." and let me tell you I am very disappointed even with my self that I am not on top of the news or articles or current events happening in the world.
Many thoughts were spoken out loud today and in the end I think,wow, we are so embedded with different issues within issues what if one day we really did change the world, would the world end because we solved the impossible puzzle that life is today?
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Once again history and questions
So here is something knew that I learned reading this great book by Zinn.
1. The rich industrial elites created the pyramid of wealth by creating oppression in many levels
2. They were also able to pay away their duty to serve the military ( and I thought they only did that to get into rich schools)
3. Bankers and the government including the Supreme Court helped them using the 14th amendment by 288 cases atone point in time when only 19 cases were dealt with African Americans.
Those are only a few of the many realities this book is bringing to me every page I read!
In class Monday we talked about how we should always be questioning everything. I like that idea because there are many times when I feel that something is not right and when no one else says anything we are left with conformity and with possible injustice building up in front of our eyes.
Another thought in my mind is the millions of people dealing with obesity. In our human behavior class we talked about the fact that it is hard to eat healthy if you live in an area where the cheaper food is unhealthy but easy to drive up and buy. As a college student I am always shopping for the cheapest things I can get. I am not afraid to say this but I buy the cheapest laundry detergent in HEB because that is all I can afford. Just imagine me buying in whole foods- ha no way! I questioned myself during the whole video we watched about the kids in programs being taught to eat healthy and to lose weight, Why are there so little programs like that? Why is society so embedded with unhealthy food all around this world (because this problem is world-wide now)? But then I think its like if a kid goes to school and misbehaves, yeah he/she will be put in time-out in class but he/she is not going to learn anything if they ultimately go home to parents that let him/her do what ever they want! I mean this might be a ridiculous comparison but I feel like I am in that situation, I cannot eat better or healthier if I go back home everyday to eat cheap fast food just because that is all I can afford money-wise and time-wise. I totally sound like a cheap person but what can I do?
So here again we are dealing with class structure at its best. I'm sure more rich people can afford to go shop at whole foods and be aware what unhealthy fast food does to you in the long-run. But the rest of us are in this trap. I truly understand people dealing with obesity because first of all it is not easy to lose weight when you have been eating unhealthy for years and second its even worse when the food you see being advertised on TV is either too expensive to even crave or so unhealthy and cheap that you end up eating that instead.
I leave you with this quote, I know I probably threw way too much in this blog, but here is a great person in "Books Of Our Time" that motivates me to keep going:
"Optimistic is a word that I don't really believe, I see the terrible things that make someone feel pessimistic, the starvation the wars going on, I am optimistic in the long-run not in the short run..."
1. The rich industrial elites created the pyramid of wealth by creating oppression in many levels
2. They were also able to pay away their duty to serve the military ( and I thought they only did that to get into rich schools)
3. Bankers and the government including the Supreme Court helped them using the 14th amendment by 288 cases atone point in time when only 19 cases were dealt with African Americans.
Those are only a few of the many realities this book is bringing to me every page I read!
In class Monday we talked about how we should always be questioning everything. I like that idea because there are many times when I feel that something is not right and when no one else says anything we are left with conformity and with possible injustice building up in front of our eyes.
Another thought in my mind is the millions of people dealing with obesity. In our human behavior class we talked about the fact that it is hard to eat healthy if you live in an area where the cheaper food is unhealthy but easy to drive up and buy. As a college student I am always shopping for the cheapest things I can get. I am not afraid to say this but I buy the cheapest laundry detergent in HEB because that is all I can afford. Just imagine me buying in whole foods- ha no way! I questioned myself during the whole video we watched about the kids in programs being taught to eat healthy and to lose weight, Why are there so little programs like that? Why is society so embedded with unhealthy food all around this world (because this problem is world-wide now)? But then I think its like if a kid goes to school and misbehaves, yeah he/she will be put in time-out in class but he/she is not going to learn anything if they ultimately go home to parents that let him/her do what ever they want! I mean this might be a ridiculous comparison but I feel like I am in that situation, I cannot eat better or healthier if I go back home everyday to eat cheap fast food just because that is all I can afford money-wise and time-wise. I totally sound like a cheap person but what can I do?
So here again we are dealing with class structure at its best. I'm sure more rich people can afford to go shop at whole foods and be aware what unhealthy fast food does to you in the long-run. But the rest of us are in this trap. I truly understand people dealing with obesity because first of all it is not easy to lose weight when you have been eating unhealthy for years and second its even worse when the food you see being advertised on TV is either too expensive to even crave or so unhealthy and cheap that you end up eating that instead.
I leave you with this quote, I know I probably threw way too much in this blog, but here is a great person in "Books Of Our Time" that motivates me to keep going:
"Optimistic is a word that I don't really believe, I see the terrible things that make someone feel pessimistic, the starvation the wars going on, I am optimistic in the long-run not in the short run..."
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Zinn and More goodies
When I first started reading this book I found it a bit confusing especially since we started from the afterword and then at chapter one. However, when I began chapter one like mostly everyone in class I was not able to let go of it. In many aspects I feel like this book is going to help me open my eyes to new realities of the world that I did not know before.
Moving in to more fun, in the interview article with Zinn and Bigelow I was just so stunned at how much more cruel realities happen between the big world powers and small countries that sometimes go unknown because they are so small that no one even knows they exist. For example Haiti was brought up in the interview and I believe this was really important because I too remember in the history books only having one small paragraph about their independence. I did not see anything about how much we have neglected to help them and how polarized our incomes are compared to them (Haiti is the one of the poorest countries in the world and the U.S is one of the richest, yet we do nothing to help (Bigelow, 2010)).
Motivating words from Zinn:
"movements begin with discouragement..."
I liked how toward the end of the interview a 6th grade teacher brought up the subject of discouragement about her students maybe seeing so much of it and being affected by it. I love how he put this subject into perspective showing the different times in history where a group of people felt discouraged for multiple times during their struggle for change and sometimes some died in the act of such a struggle, BUT, the movement did not end, that is the reason we have the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, because the people did not give up! This is one of the most encouraging words I have heard truly, I feel like Zinn is opening doors to truth and also opening them wider for me to realize that on my own I might not be able to change what I want to but I can with a larger strong group that won't give up til the end.
Zinn you are my hero!
Moving in to more fun, in the interview article with Zinn and Bigelow I was just so stunned at how much more cruel realities happen between the big world powers and small countries that sometimes go unknown because they are so small that no one even knows they exist. For example Haiti was brought up in the interview and I believe this was really important because I too remember in the history books only having one small paragraph about their independence. I did not see anything about how much we have neglected to help them and how polarized our incomes are compared to them (Haiti is the one of the poorest countries in the world and the U.S is one of the richest, yet we do nothing to help (Bigelow, 2010)).
Motivating words from Zinn:
"movements begin with discouragement..."
I liked how toward the end of the interview a 6th grade teacher brought up the subject of discouragement about her students maybe seeing so much of it and being affected by it. I love how he put this subject into perspective showing the different times in history where a group of people felt discouraged for multiple times during their struggle for change and sometimes some died in the act of such a struggle, BUT, the movement did not end, that is the reason we have the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, because the people did not give up! This is one of the most encouraging words I have heard truly, I feel like Zinn is opening doors to truth and also opening them wider for me to realize that on my own I might not be able to change what I want to but I can with a larger strong group that won't give up til the end.
Zinn you are my hero!
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