To see the breakdown of white ethnicities, and why America is called a melting pot, Brodkin tells us the story of the Jewish population and how they and other non-Anglo Saxon Americans were ushered into privilege. He states “I want to suggest that Jewish success is a product not only of ability but also of the removal of powerful social barriers to its realization.” He then followed that with a few paragraphs that for some reason made me think of a show about WWII called Band of Brothers. The show chronicles a company with a number of different characters with European backgrounds and occasionally their ethnicity becomes positively or negatively focused.
Brodkin the goes on to explain what that racism and difference looked like between the different whites. He talks about various paranoia and a piece called “The Passing of the Great Race” which paints the immigrants as the racist/intolerant people. Through showing the immigrants in such a light that somehow validated the idea that they were inferior to the dominant white class. Showcasing this was a line I highlighted that read “Theodore Roosevelt raised the alarm of “race suicide” and took Anglo-Saxon women to the task for allowing “native” stock to be outbred by inferior immigrants.” I was so taken back by this because 1) Roosevelt was racist (I myself admire him) and 2) that he blamed women for the fact that there were more immigrants than natives and that they needed to get to work getting pregnant. WOW!
One thing he focuses on is how Jews went a different route to their “whitening” than others by going to college and working hard. In doing this Jews faced more discrimination because Brodkin states that Anti-Semitism flourish in higher education. Through the telling of his parents experience though college and how they “overcame” this he explains the feelings of achievement by many Jews. He also seems to explain that Jews didn’t actually “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” but unknowingly took advantage of the fact that they were lifted into the upper-middle class. He does this carefully though, I feel as though he knows his parents will read this and he doesn’t want to take from their success.
In the end I liked this piece because it tells of a piece of history often overlooked in terms of race relations because the people involved are so often seen as white. Also because I have an interest in the WWII era, pre and post as well, which this article focuses around. The only thing that I wish he would address is the stereotypes that arose for the Jewish population after the fact. Such as the idea that Jews run Hollywood, almost all of them are well to do because of a business job, which stems from an interest in money and a “cheap” lifestyle. I know these things are racist but I know that in the past, by past I mean medieval era, they were thought to poison wells, be evil (horns and tail), and have irrational powers. It would be interesting to see how those changes have progressed over the last few decades.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Extra Credit, Ethics of Jim Crowe
The first thing I’d like to say about this piece is that it is more than likely my favorite. While I didn’t find a thesis I think that is fine because it is much more of a story than an article. The storytelling ability of Richard Wright generates interest and pulls you into the story through his powerfully difficult experiences.
Children often get in trouble just playing because their play is actually harmful but what Wright and his friends were doing was primarily dangerous because of the racial repercussions. While he may or may not have liked the other boys the advantage they had and he didn’t was clear. The interesting thing about this story is the feeling of defeat he portrays as his mother goes to the home of the white children to deal with the situation. She then downplays his value based on his race, even though they are of the same race.
When he addresses the jobs he has had it surprises me at the unspoken rules he has to follow or face repercussions, I.E. not looking at the white prostitutes. The rules, for blacks only, are unfair and in some ways ridiculous. The fact that a black man couldn’t even accept help from whites, specifically in the case of the car, and that if any help they “graciously” give is taken advantage of it is grounds for punishment. Like children on a playground the white men who had given him a job to “learn” a trade bullied him under the assumption of disrespect.
I’d again like to restate how much more I liked this article than others read in class. It was a welcomed relief from the often-dry information that is almost legalistic in it’s presentation with a character that readers can attach to. Through this a human element is added that allows readers to sympathize Wright and thus the oppression of blacks not just historically or legally but in their day to day lives and interaction with whites.
Children often get in trouble just playing because their play is actually harmful but what Wright and his friends were doing was primarily dangerous because of the racial repercussions. While he may or may not have liked the other boys the advantage they had and he didn’t was clear. The interesting thing about this story is the feeling of defeat he portrays as his mother goes to the home of the white children to deal with the situation. She then downplays his value based on his race, even though they are of the same race.
When he addresses the jobs he has had it surprises me at the unspoken rules he has to follow or face repercussions, I.E. not looking at the white prostitutes. The rules, for blacks only, are unfair and in some ways ridiculous. The fact that a black man couldn’t even accept help from whites, specifically in the case of the car, and that if any help they “graciously” give is taken advantage of it is grounds for punishment. Like children on a playground the white men who had given him a job to “learn” a trade bullied him under the assumption of disrespect.
I’d again like to restate how much more I liked this article than others read in class. It was a welcomed relief from the often-dry information that is almost legalistic in it’s presentation with a character that readers can attach to. Through this a human element is added that allows readers to sympathize Wright and thus the oppression of blacks not just historically or legally but in their day to day lives and interaction with whites.
McPherson Test
The site I’ve visited from the McPherson article is the hpa.org. I quickly read the intro on the intro on the site and found in the second paragraph “Please take this time to learn more about the atrocities and the cultural bigotry that has befallen the people of the South.” WOW! I almost can’t believe I read that. This first thing proves part of McPherson’s article where she describes how they try to racialize their heritage and make it seem as though they’re being discriminated gainst. (Side note, as a graphic designer I’m saddened that someone from my field would assist them in the creation of their logo and page.)
I then traveled to their “About HPA” section and in the first paragraph see how they subtly twist the presentation of their goals and ideas in the line “The Heritage Preservation Association (HPA) is an international, non-profit, membership organization dedicated to preserving the heritage, history, culture and symbols of the Old South and Colonial United States.” Now this falls in line with how they slide things in to mask their brand of racism. It says preserving the heritage, history, culture, and symbols of the Old South. Oh, and the Colonial United States. Not the North, not Post Civil War (like WWI or II). Upon reading the rest of the page one could see that they simply have historical interests at their concern yet they do not define what their heritage, history, culture, and symbols of the Old South are except for the Confederate flag, which that item in itself is an issue.
The rest of the site provides almost excessive amounts of information meant to break down myths and poor reporting/information that the masses have exposure to. The trick here is that their information is not only very selective but can remind one of those who would claim the holocaust never happened. Their weak justifications and moderately important factoids give me the impression that they’re frantically trying to cover former meanings and goals so that they can cover their own hides. Almost in the fashion of the Nuremburg Trials with the exception of using the excuse “we were only following orders.”
I then traveled to their “About HPA” section and in the first paragraph see how they subtly twist the presentation of their goals and ideas in the line “The Heritage Preservation Association (HPA) is an international, non-profit, membership organization dedicated to preserving the heritage, history, culture and symbols of the Old South and Colonial United States.” Now this falls in line with how they slide things in to mask their brand of racism. It says preserving the heritage, history, culture, and symbols of the Old South. Oh, and the Colonial United States. Not the North, not Post Civil War (like WWI or II). Upon reading the rest of the page one could see that they simply have historical interests at their concern yet they do not define what their heritage, history, culture, and symbols of the Old South are except for the Confederate flag, which that item in itself is an issue.
The rest of the site provides almost excessive amounts of information meant to break down myths and poor reporting/information that the masses have exposure to. The trick here is that their information is not only very selective but can remind one of those who would claim the holocaust never happened. Their weak justifications and moderately important factoids give me the impression that they’re frantically trying to cover former meanings and goals so that they can cover their own hides. Almost in the fashion of the Nuremburg Trials with the exception of using the excuse “we were only following orders.”
McPherson
This piece seemed a little odd in that at times it didn’t feel direct. Terminology was used that didn’t make the piece more difficult but sometimes more vague if one is not set on the idea of white males beings the primary focus for these terms. The vagueness of the article also showed through, for me, because of the difficulty in finding a concrete thesis. The closest I could come to was, “wondering how these neorebel sites might be reconciled with much of the new media theory I was reading.” The reason this felt vague to me was because of where it was positioned after a long explanation about how she googled her name.
At first I felt like she was trying to explain that the cybercommunities provided individuals the ability to express one of their alter online personalities. That some who might visit the site aren’t truly racist but are expressing a small portion of their whole. She begins this on page 4 of the article talking about Turkle’s work where she explains that online use eventually results in multiple selves that can be any gender, age, race, ect… These explanations about the virtual world are important because without them the reader would probably not be able to realize that those who visit these sites are not all overtly racist.
She goes on to explain that those who visit these sites are concerned about “Southern Heritage” and thus their racism becomes covert, mind you it is still racism. To me it seemed this subtle racist information allows viewers to glorify their past and the dream they posses. When McPherson talks about the graphs and stories she’s come across she helps readers realize that this is THEIR fantasy and in few ways can it exist. The issue though is that it exists and is protected/encouraged by online communities.
At first I felt like she was trying to explain that the cybercommunities provided individuals the ability to express one of their alter online personalities. That some who might visit the site aren’t truly racist but are expressing a small portion of their whole. She begins this on page 4 of the article talking about Turkle’s work where she explains that online use eventually results in multiple selves that can be any gender, age, race, ect… These explanations about the virtual world are important because without them the reader would probably not be able to realize that those who visit these sites are not all overtly racist.
She goes on to explain that those who visit these sites are concerned about “Southern Heritage” and thus their racism becomes covert, mind you it is still racism. To me it seemed this subtle racist information allows viewers to glorify their past and the dream they posses. When McPherson talks about the graphs and stories she’s come across she helps readers realize that this is THEIR fantasy and in few ways can it exist. The issue though is that it exists and is protected/encouraged by online communities.
Abercrombie
In today’s society of brand and image McBride ventures into my realm of Design. The question and thesis he poses, “what is it that Abercrombie is selling that gay men seem so desperate to buy in legion?” is a very complex concept and the answer can be almost as difficult to decode.
Since McBride is writing about a very current subject he is paving a path that some may not understand but once we break down that Abercrombie is elevating a laid back white lifestyle things become clear. As a designer I understand the importance of consistency in a brand and I see how they established that through their clothing, advertising, and the Look Book to create their identity. Normally this would be fine, and respected, but the problem is the image in which Abercrombie attempts to present and they lengths they go for it. In the Look Book it restricts haircuts and personal fashion choices typically associated with blacks or even black culture. The idea becomes that even if your white and dress like this your out because “your with them.”
Another detestable business practice of theirs is that most black employees’ work in the back as stockers. This is limited to Abercrombie though as McBride states that a young black man tried to get a job at Abercrombie, was given an excuse, and then went right across the mall and got a job at a similar store. While there are other brands like Abercrombie none of them limit employees’ like A&F, Buckle only asks employees’ not to wear other prominent brands while on the job.
What I find curious though is why McBride begins and ends his piece incorporating sexuality into the predominantly racial issue. Abercrombie is emphasizing a “white leisure lifestyle” and while normally the “dominant class” is straight white Christian males Abercrombie’s advertising is clearly homosexual despite the incorporation of women. So in order to possibly gain more acceptance gay men would be more inclined to wear this brand if they want to be looked at as part of that “dominant class” because of the cloths they wore instead of actually being those things themselves, (odd sentence I know but that was the best way I knew how to phrase it) I have no idea why they would wear it. I feel the focus was on the racial issue and that he allowed personal interest to come into play, which may also be a result of just how new an issue this is.
I’d like to quickly address a wonderful comment made earlier in the piece. He talks about gay bashing and intolerant morality and in parenthesis states “too often masking itself as Christian.” This comment caused shock to me because I was so grateful that someone in his position understands that those things aren’t really Christian and that others can see how wrong those types of people are.
Since McBride is writing about a very current subject he is paving a path that some may not understand but once we break down that Abercrombie is elevating a laid back white lifestyle things become clear. As a designer I understand the importance of consistency in a brand and I see how they established that through their clothing, advertising, and the Look Book to create their identity. Normally this would be fine, and respected, but the problem is the image in which Abercrombie attempts to present and they lengths they go for it. In the Look Book it restricts haircuts and personal fashion choices typically associated with blacks or even black culture. The idea becomes that even if your white and dress like this your out because “your with them.”
Another detestable business practice of theirs is that most black employees’ work in the back as stockers. This is limited to Abercrombie though as McBride states that a young black man tried to get a job at Abercrombie, was given an excuse, and then went right across the mall and got a job at a similar store. While there are other brands like Abercrombie none of them limit employees’ like A&F, Buckle only asks employees’ not to wear other prominent brands while on the job.
What I find curious though is why McBride begins and ends his piece incorporating sexuality into the predominantly racial issue. Abercrombie is emphasizing a “white leisure lifestyle” and while normally the “dominant class” is straight white Christian males Abercrombie’s advertising is clearly homosexual despite the incorporation of women. So in order to possibly gain more acceptance gay men would be more inclined to wear this brand if they want to be looked at as part of that “dominant class” because of the cloths they wore instead of actually being those things themselves, (odd sentence I know but that was the best way I knew how to phrase it) I have no idea why they would wear it. I feel the focus was on the racial issue and that he allowed personal interest to come into play, which may also be a result of just how new an issue this is.
I’d like to quickly address a wonderful comment made earlier in the piece. He talks about gay bashing and intolerant morality and in parenthesis states “too often masking itself as Christian.” This comment caused shock to me because I was so grateful that someone in his position understands that those things aren’t really Christian and that others can see how wrong those types of people are.
El Norte
While I had little trouble with Takaki at first this piece proved to me how dry his writing can be but also about how little I know about the Chicano past. The length of this was almost to much but I made it through and learned that Mexicans saw America in much the same way other immigrants did but saw it only as, “The North” because unlike the European and Asian immigrants this was a part of their land/continent. Also that unlike the European and Asian immigrants today the Mexican population still views America like they did in the past and with the same energy as previous generations. Unlike the other ethnic groups who’s immigration rate declined after a time.
The first thing I highlighted in this response is the story of one person who got twenty-eight families to make the trip across the border. It made me wonder if things were really that bad then for Mexico and other parts of South America. Fortunately Takaki explains their reasons for leaving their beloved homeland. The famines, revolutions, and lack of jobs almost left them with no other choice considering how easy it was for them to get into the US at the time.
Another difference between the Mexican immigrants and those from other countries is the want to return home. They also had the ability to do so easier than the others however because of the systems set into place and racism from business owners the Chicano population had little chance to return home. The quote Takaki uses “I am only waiting until conditions get better, until there is absolute peace before I go back” expresses the Mexican sentiment to return home but this became another reason for them to stay. Put up with the racism in the states (specifically the Texas wife who said “God did not intend him to be; He would have made them white if he had) or go back to war and hunger. The choice was obvious but not easy.
In the end I learned a better understanding of the Latino plight and better understand my Hispanic friends. I have several who have tried to explain the situation to me, especially around when American Latino community began protests recently in America, proving that those conditions have changed little since they began.
The first thing I highlighted in this response is the story of one person who got twenty-eight families to make the trip across the border. It made me wonder if things were really that bad then for Mexico and other parts of South America. Fortunately Takaki explains their reasons for leaving their beloved homeland. The famines, revolutions, and lack of jobs almost left them with no other choice considering how easy it was for them to get into the US at the time.
Another difference between the Mexican immigrants and those from other countries is the want to return home. They also had the ability to do so easier than the others however because of the systems set into place and racism from business owners the Chicano population had little chance to return home. The quote Takaki uses “I am only waiting until conditions get better, until there is absolute peace before I go back” expresses the Mexican sentiment to return home but this became another reason for them to stay. Put up with the racism in the states (specifically the Texas wife who said “God did not intend him to be; He would have made them white if he had) or go back to war and hunger. The choice was obvious but not easy.
In the end I learned a better understanding of the Latino plight and better understand my Hispanic friends. I have several who have tried to explain the situation to me, especially around when American Latino community began protests recently in America, proving that those conditions have changed little since they began.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Wu Response
I believe that what he is talking about in the second quote is that as Americans we would prefer to believe that our race doesn't matter and that the person is important. That we like to think people would judge us for who we are instead of who we are not and that we could somehow get a kind of respect through that. He is also saying that despite our desire to believe this we are actually judge by our race before others do interact with us lumping the individual with the whole.I know that I fall into this and that I allow myself to do the same to others, but I try to allow them to change that perception so that I won't hold them to unfortunate stereotypes.
Chris Fair
Chris Fair
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