In Dwight McBride’s article, “Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch” the idea behind racial advertising is discussed. McBride claims that Abercrombie clothes are not geared towards black people, although they claim their clothes are for Americans. McBride says that he noticed specifically among the gay white community. He claims every gay hot spot he went, Abercrombie would follow. At the time of McBride’s article, Abercrombie was facing discrimination charges on the way they hire. This is because they claim the Abercrombie look was a white person with few piercings and certain hairstyles. McBride also discusses how Abercrombie used to be a sporting goods store which shows that people who enjoy sports will enjoy these clothes, although they are not athletic apparel.
Why would someone complain about advertising to certain groups? There is always going to be advertisements based to certain people. It is obvious for advertising personnel to direct the advertisements to certain stereotypes because in a lot of circumstances, they are close. It is this kind of naivety that makes people so skeptical about racism and sexism and whatnot.
Overall, I found this article to be very disturbing because I think that Abercrombie clothes are stylish. I do not wear them because of store location but I do like what they sell. I do not change my opinion of Abercrombie because of how they present themselves because I do not buy the name, I buy the clothes. Most people claim that individuals buy Abercrombie for the name, but it is not true for everyone. Different people buy clothes for different reasons, whether it is the style, durability, or whatever the reason. When looking back at this article I can see that some circumstances need to be addressed and some do not. I realize that some things happen that need to be called out for racism or sexism but there are some that are not directed to be racist and are not racist. They are just misinterpreted.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Cybertypes
In Lisa Nakaruma’s article, “Cybertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet,” racism is shown to exist everywhere, even when you don’t know. She makes this claim by saying that whenever anyone is online in a conversation, they assume they are talking to someone who is white. There are also many images on the internet that portray stereotypes. One example given by Lisa is a picture of an Arab with a camel. Not all Arabs have camels so the picture is falsely stereotyping a group. The article also claims how African tribe members are shown as little people in the social pyramid. The internet can do a lot of crazy things and has allowed for crazy things to be done through it. These crazy things include racism, sexism, or any other –ism’s. Through the internet anything can be accomplished and if there was no internet, there would still be the –ism’s, the internet is just a mass production of media and allows for easy transfers of information.
Why do people blame problems on the media. The problem doesn’t have to do with media, it has to do with the things portrayed through media. So why blame the internet when it should be blaming people who post inappropriate things on the internet. Or why blame television when you should be blaming the millions of people who pay for television in order to see what they want. The media only gives people what they want so the blame might go to someone a little closer than you may think.
I think that this article was a little high tech for me. I was unable to comprehend some of the technical terms and think that if they were explained, I would have gotten more from the reading. The reading was beneficial though in some instances, such as the part describing how when race is erased, they privileged lose power. I was able to relate to this because I was thinking about the subject and I figured that people who once had power, would not have this power. They would not get jobs merely on color but on qualifications and even though I would lose privilege, I would think that this would be a better society to live in with my family in order to raise them how I feel, stereotype free. This will be a great opportunity for me to socialize America starting small and working big.
Why do people blame problems on the media. The problem doesn’t have to do with media, it has to do with the things portrayed through media. So why blame the internet when it should be blaming people who post inappropriate things on the internet. Or why blame television when you should be blaming the millions of people who pay for television in order to see what they want. The media only gives people what they want so the blame might go to someone a little closer than you may think.
I think that this article was a little high tech for me. I was unable to comprehend some of the technical terms and think that if they were explained, I would have gotten more from the reading. The reading was beneficial though in some instances, such as the part describing how when race is erased, they privileged lose power. I was able to relate to this because I was thinking about the subject and I figured that people who once had power, would not have this power. They would not get jobs merely on color but on qualifications and even though I would lose privilege, I would think that this would be a better society to live in with my family in order to raise them how I feel, stereotype free. This will be a great opportunity for me to socialize America starting small and working big.
How Jews Became White Folks
How Jews Became White
In Karen Brodkin’s chapter 4 entitled “How Jews Became White Folks” the process of Jews earning power in America. Brodkin claims that Jews became white because of the GI bill. Brodkin mentions that most people think that Jews became white because of ability. People think that Jews are smart and save money and that that is the only reason they were to overcome their oppression. Brodkin says that some Jews are smart, however, “the removal of powerful social barriers “ is the reason why. Jews became white in America after WWII because of economy. This is one claim made by people. Back to the GI Bill. The GI bill was made to help soldiers get back on their feet after the war. It provided money for housing and school. The reason this helped Jews and not blacks is because most blacks were given dishonorable discharge from the army so did not receive the money.
So why do white people take power of other white people based on religion and ethnicity. I do not know the answer to this question. That is why I took ethnic studies. I wanted to learn why people can think they are better than a group of people based on race. I think that if someone is better than you, he or she is better than you. Simple.
I felt that this chapter was very boring. I do not know any Jewish people so I can not relate to the topic. When I do not know the topic, it will be hard for me to understand. I think that there were too many statistics in the chapter for it to be an easy read. I do not like to read through statistics looking for interesting material. I would rather have the statistics explained with words. If there was a topic about how people who wrestle are oppressed, I would be very familiar with the subject, although there isn’t that much oppression but there is a little.
In Karen Brodkin’s chapter 4 entitled “How Jews Became White Folks” the process of Jews earning power in America. Brodkin claims that Jews became white because of the GI bill. Brodkin mentions that most people think that Jews became white because of ability. People think that Jews are smart and save money and that that is the only reason they were to overcome their oppression. Brodkin says that some Jews are smart, however, “the removal of powerful social barriers “ is the reason why. Jews became white in America after WWII because of economy. This is one claim made by people. Back to the GI Bill. The GI bill was made to help soldiers get back on their feet after the war. It provided money for housing and school. The reason this helped Jews and not blacks is because most blacks were given dishonorable discharge from the army so did not receive the money.
So why do white people take power of other white people based on religion and ethnicity. I do not know the answer to this question. That is why I took ethnic studies. I wanted to learn why people can think they are better than a group of people based on race. I think that if someone is better than you, he or she is better than you. Simple.
I felt that this chapter was very boring. I do not know any Jewish people so I can not relate to the topic. When I do not know the topic, it will be hard for me to understand. I think that there were too many statistics in the chapter for it to be an easy read. I do not like to read through statistics looking for interesting material. I would rather have the statistics explained with words. If there was a topic about how people who wrestle are oppressed, I would be very familiar with the subject, although there isn’t that much oppression but there is a little.
takaki chapter 6
Takaki 6
In Takaki’s 6th chapter, entitled “Emigrants from Erin,” the lives of Irish Americans is discussed. At first, Irish people were treated like trash. They were forced to do heavy labor and were considered not white, similar to the blacks. They were considered bad because they were un-American. The Irish people had to cram together on immigration boats and were forced to live in harsh conditions. Takaki even mentions that 20% die during or slightly after the trip. That number is high for people looking for a better life. That means that so many Irish people were let down. Not only did 20% die but they did not receive good lives in America. The women were maids and servants while the men did hard labor in fields or whatnot. Later on however, Irish people began to pick on the non-white people to try to get higher status and more power. They would claim that since their skin is white, they should be treated white. And that came to be when most of the Irish began to adapt the American religions.
So how can one race go from being not white to white in a short time, when skin color does not change. This is because whiteness is not a physical characteristic. It is purely an image set by the media that you can be non-white while being white skinned. This can be seen today with Rednecks the rednecks are separated by class and can be considered white. As someone once said, there’s white, and then there’s white trash.
I felt that this chapter was very beneficial to me because I could finally relate myself to the subject. I was finally reading about how someone can be oppressed for being Irish. I have some Irish in my bloodline and I would like to know that at one time, my ancestors were able to overcome diversity and I was able to develop enough to be attending a University and live in a middle upper class home. I thank the Lord for all of that but it was a nice read to be able to see that my family was not in the same situation that I am right now and also that they were able to become sweet overtime
In Takaki’s 6th chapter, entitled “Emigrants from Erin,” the lives of Irish Americans is discussed. At first, Irish people were treated like trash. They were forced to do heavy labor and were considered not white, similar to the blacks. They were considered bad because they were un-American. The Irish people had to cram together on immigration boats and were forced to live in harsh conditions. Takaki even mentions that 20% die during or slightly after the trip. That number is high for people looking for a better life. That means that so many Irish people were let down. Not only did 20% die but they did not receive good lives in America. The women were maids and servants while the men did hard labor in fields or whatnot. Later on however, Irish people began to pick on the non-white people to try to get higher status and more power. They would claim that since their skin is white, they should be treated white. And that came to be when most of the Irish began to adapt the American religions.
So how can one race go from being not white to white in a short time, when skin color does not change. This is because whiteness is not a physical characteristic. It is purely an image set by the media that you can be non-white while being white skinned. This can be seen today with Rednecks the rednecks are separated by class and can be considered white. As someone once said, there’s white, and then there’s white trash.
I felt that this chapter was very beneficial to me because I could finally relate myself to the subject. I was finally reading about how someone can be oppressed for being Irish. I have some Irish in my bloodline and I would like to know that at one time, my ancestors were able to overcome diversity and I was able to develop enough to be attending a University and live in a middle upper class home. I thank the Lord for all of that but it was a nice read to be able to see that my family was not in the same situation that I am right now and also that they were able to become sweet overtime
Takaki chapter 12
Takaki 12
In Takaki’s chapter, entitled “El Norte,” the life of Chicano Americans is defined. The chapter discusses how Mexicans moved from one area to another looking for work and then they came across the Norte. The Mexicans moved from place to place because of starvation on job opportunities. The problem was, however, that they were not treated with respect because the Americans did not feel that they deserved any respect. This was because the Americans didn’t feel that the Mexicans should earn respect because of their heritage. They were forced to work for low wages and live in small rundown houses or on the street. The jobs that the Mexicans did were very rigorous field labor and it was very discriminatory. They were forced to work long hours doing very tedious work, such as picking fruit, laying railroads, working in mines or whatever. They are still looked at in this manner today.
So what does this all mean? What effect does this have on me, a white male? What effect is there on me that Mexicans had hard lives when they first immigrated. When I look back at everything can I understand that the reason that white males have more power over people of color all deal with the lives of the ancestors. This does not sound right. The reason that colored people have less opportunities in life is because of how people feel now. It has no relevance to history, only present, to develop future. When someone gets a low level job instead of one higher that they may be qualified for, it is not because of what happened one hundred years ago, but what happened that day or in either of the people’s lives.
I felt that this article was very intriguing. It allowed me to rethink how society was set up with immigration of Mexicans to America. I appreciated that I was able to see history from a different perspective for once. I was able to see how life was really like for those people and realize the reason that they are underrepresented in American government and high-end jobs. I once thought it was because they are foreign, but its not. It is because they are not white. Whiteness is key in a pathway headed for success. If people eliminated this thought process, the world would be an equal place. Dogs don’t discriminate other dogs because of color, or gender or breed, why should humans. Dogs get along just fine and when they interbreed, the puppies are considered mutts and do not sell for as much money. This is terrible that people had to bring racism into the animal kingdom.
In Takaki’s chapter, entitled “El Norte,” the life of Chicano Americans is defined. The chapter discusses how Mexicans moved from one area to another looking for work and then they came across the Norte. The Mexicans moved from place to place because of starvation on job opportunities. The problem was, however, that they were not treated with respect because the Americans did not feel that they deserved any respect. This was because the Americans didn’t feel that the Mexicans should earn respect because of their heritage. They were forced to work for low wages and live in small rundown houses or on the street. The jobs that the Mexicans did were very rigorous field labor and it was very discriminatory. They were forced to work long hours doing very tedious work, such as picking fruit, laying railroads, working in mines or whatever. They are still looked at in this manner today.
So what does this all mean? What effect does this have on me, a white male? What effect is there on me that Mexicans had hard lives when they first immigrated. When I look back at everything can I understand that the reason that white males have more power over people of color all deal with the lives of the ancestors. This does not sound right. The reason that colored people have less opportunities in life is because of how people feel now. It has no relevance to history, only present, to develop future. When someone gets a low level job instead of one higher that they may be qualified for, it is not because of what happened one hundred years ago, but what happened that day or in either of the people’s lives.
I felt that this article was very intriguing. It allowed me to rethink how society was set up with immigration of Mexicans to America. I appreciated that I was able to see history from a different perspective for once. I was able to see how life was really like for those people and realize the reason that they are underrepresented in American government and high-end jobs. I once thought it was because they are foreign, but its not. It is because they are not white. Whiteness is key in a pathway headed for success. If people eliminated this thought process, the world would be an equal place. Dogs don’t discriminate other dogs because of color, or gender or breed, why should humans. Dogs get along just fine and when they interbreed, the puppies are considered mutts and do not sell for as much money. This is terrible that people had to bring racism into the animal kingdom.
takaki ch 7
Takaki ch 7
In Takaki’s seventh chapter, “Foreigners in Their Native Land,” the beginning of Mexican-American racism is shown. Takaki claims that the main reason that Mexican racism began was that Mexico owned land that America wanted. This land was Texas as well as California. The Mexican-American War was fought to obtain these lands and through the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United States was able to buy California, New Mexico, Nevada, and parts of Colorado, Arizona and Utah. The Mexicans who previously lived in those states were allowed to stay in them and become American citizens. Although they became American citizens, they were not treated the same as white Americans. They were paid less than white workers and also given suffrage that didn’t matter. Many Mexican landowners were stripped of their land by the courts. Only about 2,000,000 acres of land remained with the Mexican landowners while over 33,000,000 was taken away. These properties were taken away either by forcing them landowner into debt or simply denying them the property that was once theirs. Some Mexicans were forced to sell land because they could not get necessary bank loans to pay for irrigation systems like the whites were able to. After the land was stripped away from the farming Mexicans, they were forced to work in mines and on railroads. The railroad work was migratory while the mine work was very physical.
A question that I would like to propose would be, “Why did white America think that everything on the North American continent belonged to them at this time period?” I think that white America’s dream for manifest destiny was too strong of an influence on the way that they thought about other people. They fought too hard for a landmass that reached from ocean to ocean, and they did not care what they did to other people in order to get there.
Although background information is helpful in most circumstances, I felt that this chapter went into too much depth about the Mexican American War because I do not feel that that is the main cause behind the racism towards Mexican workers at that time period. I feel that racism towards the Mexicans at this time period was based more on white supremacy than on American supremacy. The Mexican American War was based on expanding America while the racism shown towards Mexicans and Mexican-Americans was based on creating privilege for the white male in society. I think that when the Mexicans joined with the Japanese they made a wise decision because they were able to show that they were not racist towards other people, like the white men were.
In Takaki’s seventh chapter, “Foreigners in Their Native Land,” the beginning of Mexican-American racism is shown. Takaki claims that the main reason that Mexican racism began was that Mexico owned land that America wanted. This land was Texas as well as California. The Mexican-American War was fought to obtain these lands and through the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United States was able to buy California, New Mexico, Nevada, and parts of Colorado, Arizona and Utah. The Mexicans who previously lived in those states were allowed to stay in them and become American citizens. Although they became American citizens, they were not treated the same as white Americans. They were paid less than white workers and also given suffrage that didn’t matter. Many Mexican landowners were stripped of their land by the courts. Only about 2,000,000 acres of land remained with the Mexican landowners while over 33,000,000 was taken away. These properties were taken away either by forcing them landowner into debt or simply denying them the property that was once theirs. Some Mexicans were forced to sell land because they could not get necessary bank loans to pay for irrigation systems like the whites were able to. After the land was stripped away from the farming Mexicans, they were forced to work in mines and on railroads. The railroad work was migratory while the mine work was very physical.
A question that I would like to propose would be, “Why did white America think that everything on the North American continent belonged to them at this time period?” I think that white America’s dream for manifest destiny was too strong of an influence on the way that they thought about other people. They fought too hard for a landmass that reached from ocean to ocean, and they did not care what they did to other people in order to get there.
Although background information is helpful in most circumstances, I felt that this chapter went into too much depth about the Mexican American War because I do not feel that that is the main cause behind the racism towards Mexican workers at that time period. I feel that racism towards the Mexicans at this time period was based more on white supremacy than on American supremacy. The Mexican American War was based on expanding America while the racism shown towards Mexicans and Mexican-Americans was based on creating privilege for the white male in society. I think that when the Mexicans joined with the Japanese they made a wise decision because they were able to show that they were not racist towards other people, like the white men were.
Monday, April 9, 2007
facebook post
In the facebook activity I completed where I was supposed to look at a facebook page for ethnic studies material. I chose to use the group page, Man Law Nation. In this group a list of laws are put up that are sometimes degrading to women and also say that you should be manly. An example from this page is Man Law Is NEVER Wrong...If An Argument Is Present We Agree To Disagee. This shows that men should be stubborn and don’t admit fault. You can find the rest of the examples on http://bgsu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2205103589. There are also comments to the laws, most of which are complementing the list or saying random things or promotional things.
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