America

Our 5th blog post was to become the teacher and create a lesson plan for other students about the books we read. I chose to do Jason's lesson plan, which was to research about the book, "The Tortilla Curtain," and then rewrite a song explaining Mexican Immigration to the US. I rewrote Paul Simon's, "America." 

“Just give me a week or two and we’ll both be out of here.”

“and you’ll have ten dresses, a whole closet full” 

So we left our life in Mexico as we packed our bags.

And we walked off to look for America

“Rosa," I said as I paid the man called Coyote

America seems like a dream to me now

It took two weeks to cross that unfenced Cali line

I’ve come to look for America

Owning our own house

We’ll go from rags to riches

Then she turned to me and said we’ll be living the dream

I said “I can see our future right there past the border.” 

210 mile stretch of Sonoran Desert 

We walked through the night without a rest

The heat and dehydration, we almost turned around

Then we heard the cars on the interstate

“Things were good for a while,” though I knew it wouldn’t last

“There was no more work here. Not now, not ever” 

I thought I knew what I wanted, not anymore

They’ve all come to look for America

All come to look for America

All come to look for America

"Native Son," by Richard Wright

    "Native Son," by Richard Wright reveals a story of the young African American man, Bigger Thomas: what it means to be black in 1940's America. Bigger lives in a ghetto in Chicago and had led a life of trouble until he received a job with the Daltons. The Daltons is a rich, white family, who accepts blacks. Through his time spent with the Daltons, Bigger realizes what it really means to be black. He accidentally kills  the Dalton's daughter (a white woman), runs from the police, rapes and kills his girlfriend, and is tried. At parts, Wright almost writes in a stream of conscious perspective Bigger constantly processes his thoughts and realizations through text. Bigger concludes that because he is black, that he is meant to kill because that is how society views him. 

    Your goal for this assignment is to determine what it means to be black in America. For the most part it is difficult for people from this area to truly understand and relate to Bigger's character, but through reading articles and watching podcasts I have selected for you, I think you will be able to make a deeper connection. 

Directions: - go to my delicious website and read the two blog posts titled, "Redefining What It Means to Be Black in America" and "It's Exhausting Being Black."  

- watch the video, Tale of Two Brothers of how what shade of black you are can effect the way people see you. 

- After reading the two articles and watching the video clip, it is time for you to come up with your own conclusion of what it means to be black in America. Do so by writing your own blog post. You should use various quotes from the articles you are reading and from your own research. 

- Use the quotes (below) from the novel to help give you a better idea of what Bigger think it means to be black in America. Keep these questions in mind when writing your blog:

    - Like white privilege, is there black privilege as well?

    - Has racism against black people improved in the last seventy years?

    - Is it fair for Bigger and society to blame Bigger for Mary's death because he is black, and it is therefore his destiny/will to kill? 

-You will need to find a blog another blog post about what it means to be black in America and leave a comment. 

- Lastly, read Sam Katz's blog post, "Race Research" and leave a comment. You can use his blog post as a reference for your new blog post. 

Extra Resource Materials:

- "The High Cost of Prejudice " - school database 

Quotes: 1. "I didn't want to kill", Bigger shouted. "But what I killed for, I am! It must've been pretty deep in me to make me kill."

2. "Though he had killed by accident, not once did he feel the need to tell himself taht it had been an accident. He was black and he had been alone in a room where a white girl had been killed; therefore he had killed her. That was what everyone would say, anyhow, no matter what he said."

3. "To Bigger and his kind, white people were not really people; they were a sort of great natural force, like a stormy sky looming overhead or like a deep swirling river stretching suddenly at one's feet in the dark."

4. "Although he could not put it into words, he knew not only had they resolved to put him to death, but they were determined to make his death mean more than a mere punishment; that they regarded him as a figment of that black world which they feared and were anxious to keep under control."

The Black Factor vs. White Privilege

According to S. Mary Wills, author of the blog site, The Black Factor, “white
privilege is the polar opposite of The Black Factor. White privilege
is a positive. The Black Factor is a negative” (Wills paragraph
4). White privilege is something that Blacks deal with everyday,
while a white person goes through life without ever questioning their
race. The so-called, white privilege acts as a foil for The Black
Factor- especially in corporate America. White privilege has a
negative connotation as it “allows you to not be truthful to
yourself or others about the reality of preferential treatment”
(Wills paragraph 5). Therefore, being white automatically enables one
of that color to receive preferential treatment over one of another
race and many white people fail to “accept the reality that
there are different sets of rule for different people” (Wills
paragraph 6). Wills argues that failure to acknowledge segregation
rules is the privilege of White privilege. In corporate America, The
Black Factor comes into play; for African Americans, hard work and
intelligence don’t automatically become a catalyst for success.
The Black Factor “prevents many African Americans from becoming
mid-level managers, executive or even entrepreneurs” (Wills
paragraph 10). White privilege is not only seen in corporate
American, but in life in general.

The novel “Native Son,” by Richard Wright, though written in 1940, is very
relative to Will’s blog post. From the very beginning, Wright
clearly portrays Bigger’s hatred for White people because of
White privilege and the fact “they (White folks) never let us
do nothing” (Wright 23). After playing a game of
“white,” in which Bigger and his friend, Gus pretend to
be and talk like white people of high positions (war general, J.P
Morgan, the president) Bigger dwells on the fact that he is Black and
has no privileges- ergo The Black Factor. White folks have the
privilege of never having to think twice about the privilege of
riding an airplane, or starring in a movie, but every time Bigger
thinks about what he can’t have/do due to his race he feels
“like somebody’s poking a red-hot iron down his throat”
(Wright 23). Bigger concludes that it would be almost impossible for
an African American like himself to get an important job and resolves
to robbing a local bakery to make some quick cash. Wills argues that
her point is that the idea of White privilege is an attempt for
racists to get African Americans to give up. Contrary to what Bigger
thinks, Wills, with her optimistic attitude preaches, “Never!
That’s what the racist wants. So, don’t give them that
victory” (Wills paragraph 14). Wills blogs that it’s
important to remember that it’s not always about you and all
the White privileges are often “about other people’s
bullshit and baggage. The Black Factor is their (white people) issue”
(Wills paragraph 15).

The Black Factor is reason alone for Bigger to loathe all White people. He says that
White people live in his stomach and, “every time I think of
‘em, I feel ‘em. It’s like fire”
(Wright 24). Being a white person, I find it extremely difficult to
connect with Bigger. Of course I sympathize with the character, but
to be completely honest, I have never given much thought to the
privileges I receive for my color; that in turn is the
bitter-sweetness of White privilege.

Is there a solution?

I don’t know.
But I do know that The Black Factor can begin to diminish as soon as
White privilege becomes an antiquated term in that both white people
stop being ignorant about racial differences and black people stop
using “White privilege” as an excuse.

United States of Tara

After watching an episode of Six Feet Under in english class, and analyzing the closeted-homosexual character of David, it left us wondering: are there character on every television show who a homosexual can identify with? I chose to analyze the new showtime series, United States of Tara...

Meet Tara: one woman with multiple personalities that she calls ‘alters.’ Toni
Collette stars in the new showtime twisted comedy, “United
States of Tara” as a suburban housewife who suffers from
multiple personalities. Her loving dysfunctional family supports it’s
mother/wife, and endures all the madness Tara entails. The question
that lingers is: can a homosexual identify with this new hilarious TV
show.

Keir Gilchrist, who plays Tara’s son, Marshall, is a 14-year-old
homosexual. To catch you up to speed on Marshall’s character:
Marshall is crushing hard on a boy at school who is a Christian jock.
Though it seems they are exchanging flirtatious gestures while
working on an edgy theater project at a church featuring homosexual
AIDS patients suffering in pain “in hell,” it is
difficult to determine weather Marshall’s innocent flirting
will evolve into something more. While not portrayed through any
clichés whatsoever, but through the sidesplitting realistic
plot and character of the openly gay Marshall, many adolescent gay
boys can comfortably relate to this television show. Marshall’s
character is so intriguing because none of the other characters
mention his sexuality unless it is integral to the plot. Despite the
occasional playful and loving insults Marshall’s family throws
at him, his family passes no judgment on his sexuality. It is
refreshing for homosexuals to see one of their kind portrayed in a
comical tone and in an accepting environment.

In the episode I am analyzing Marshall in, the family finds out about
Marshall’s involvement in the conservative Hell House Halloween
production at the church. Kate, Marshall’s older sister assumes
that Marshall is only participating to impress Jason, the Christian
jock and son of the pastor. Max, the dad, keeps Marshall out of
school that day to help him at work that day to help aerate a lawn.
While helping his father, the allergic Marhsall drives into a bees
nest and is stung multiple times. Worried about the ugly appearance
of his face all covered with bee stings, Marshall asks Tara is he can
skip school, but Tara looks deeper into the situation and
supportively says that if Marshall is interested in Jason he must be
a great kid and the only way to know if Jason cares is to show up and
see his reaction. At school while a girl is pointing out the bee
stings on Marshall’s face, Jason comes to his rescue calling
him, “so cute.” Later on at their homosexuals burning in
hell rehearsal, Jason and Marshall continue flirting.

All of the scenes involving Marshall are only a small portion of the
show, but they are tastefully done in a way that really allows for
homosexuals to feel connected to a character. The fact that Marshall
is a main character and his sexuality is portrayed in every episode
sets this show apart from most other shows. “United States of
Tara” really captures the modern day take on homosexuality: it
is gradually becoming more and more accepted. There is no doubt that
this show will encourage some young gay boys to feel more comfortable
with their sexuality.

Unisex Bathrooms: Flushing Away All Restroom Controversies?

Author, April Rose Scnheider, of the article, "Unisex Bathrooms: The Controversy. One for All? Why Unisex Bathrooms May Help Transgendered People," argues that unisex bathrooms are the solution to the urgent issues of personal safety and transgendered inclusion in regards to segregated bathrooms. I find that unisex bathrooms are a ridiculous solution to a problem that effects less than one percent of the US population. 

A boy walks into the room with the image of a pant-legged stick figure;
a girl walks into the room that shows the stick figure in a cute
little stick dress; this everyday, given no thought, human instinct
action has become as natural as brushing your teeth in every morning.
From the first “sanitary facility” in China dating back
to 206 BC, within the tomb of a king of the Western Han Dynasty,
bathrooms have been a place of privacy and safety. Despite bathrooms
(head, privies, latrines, powder room lavatories, johns, loos, and
outhouses) being a place of refuge, a reading room, etc, they entail
one major issue: segregation. April Rose Schneider, writer of the
article, “Unisex bathrooms: The Controversy” believes
that “the solution may be unisex facilities…"
(Schneider, paragraph 2). Bathroom segregation origins are difficult
to discover, but this segregation ended with the Civil Rights Act of
1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion,
sex, national origin-in voting, employment, and public services. This
act is currently outdated as it fails to define the category of sex.
“Definitions of men and woman that vary from culture to culture
– and the emergence of third and fourth genders in global
society – create the need for a new approach to an old problem
(Schneider, paragraph 4). There are many reasons to justify unisex
facilities: both mothers and fathers could care for there baby in the
bathroom at the same time, opposite-gendered caregivers could stay
with their ward, and there would be a greater prevention for
man-on-women crime. The main reason of this article is to introduce
the fact that bathroom segregation has become a catalyst for
transgendered people to feel uncomfortable and face dangerous
situations. While one tries to “pass” as the sex that
matches the stick figure upon the bathroom door, for a variety of
people, “from butch lesbians to transitions trasngendered
people, the bathroom hold the same potential for violence as it does
for safety” (Schneider, paragraph 7). Unisex facilities have
been gaining popularity in modern day. Are unisex bathrooms truly the
solution?

Being disloyal (just for a moment) to my open-minded and feministic
approach on life, I have to strongly disagree that unisex bathrooms
are the solution to bathroom segregation. It’s understandable
that transgendered people are at a high risk of facing danger in the
place of privacy, but it is not necessary to make the rest of the
population uncomfortable, just so the .25% of transgendered people in
the U.S. can be safe. Many people today- for those pee shy people-
have enough trouble sharing a bathroom facility with others of the
same sex; I don’t see how adding members of the opposite sex
into the room would make their situation any easier. Transgendered
people make the choice (key word choice) to change their body types
and present themselves as how they perceive themselves to be. By
making this choice, and following through on it, they also take on
the hardships that being a transgendered person involves. One of
these hardships includes facing adversity in the bathroom.

Don’t get the wrong idea about my morals and views of the LGBT community;
I’m all for equal rights for same-sex marriages and
transgendered rights, but I just don’t believe unisex bathrooms
are the solutions. Granted, transgendered people will be satisfied,
but on the other contrary, unisex facilities are creating an
uncomfortable environment for the majority of the people. I don’t
think the fact that “bathroom segregation simply divides the
girls from the boys,” (Schneider, paragraph 6) from a
superficial perspective, is the most horrible situation in the world.

Don't Play With Boys

Using the poem, "Girl," by Jamaica Kincaid as inspiration, I looked deep into my past and attempted to pick out a unique characteristic that sets me apart from other people; my poem entails the rules of a little girl, who for 9 years, struggled to earn respect while playing on the boys' sports teams. Not all the boys or their parents were very supportive, so to say. In this poem, there are various rules, (some funny, some serious) that I had to follow. The moral of the story is, don't give a second of thought to what insults ignorant people throw at you; it's not worth it!

But I’m just one of the guys. Walk onto the field with confidence and prove you belong here. Okay Dad. What’s a girl doing here? Don’t listen to their parents. Don’t waste your time. Leave! You’re not good enough. You must still act somewhat feminine. You’ll never be able to keep up. We don’t want her playing with our sons. Qué es una chica haciendo aquí? I love when the Jersey City soccer team makes fun of me in Spanish and thinks I don’t understand. Don't stay in the hotel room with the boys; they might run around naked. You’re a girl; you can’t strike me out- I just struck you out! This is how far you have to hit. This is how fast you have to run to first base. This is how fast you have to pitch. This is how hard you have to kick the soccer ball- if you want to keep up with the boys. This is how much passion you have to play with to earn a smidge of respect. I just knocked a twelve-year-old boy on his ass. Does he respect me now? This is how you maintain your composure on the mound. This is how to shake hands after the game like a competitor with the jerks who scrutinized you. Don’t strike out or they will never respect you. Make the throw home or they will never respect you. Score this goal or they will never respect you. This is how you hit a foul ball at an opposing jackass coach where it hurts. Don’t quit. When do they shut up?  While they are thinking of ways to intimidate you, you work that move you been working on and score. She can’t play boy’s rec basketball. This is how you make a petition and fight what is wrong. And this is how you stay strong from failure due to ignorance. This is how you make baseball pants, button down jerseys, and high socks look good while all the other girls are running around in skirts; either way, black pants are always slimming. Don’t ever cry in front of the boys. Don’t ever let them get to your head. When you cry, don’t hide in your shirt. They win. After all these years of fighting and proving yourself and having fun and winning you are really going to be the kind of girl/athlete who the boys can talk away confidence and pride from? No!