In summation to this reflection upon this movie/ documentary and article we should all as teachers try to strive to help our students look at each other equally and treat them with the same respect, and by providing this lesson of no discrimination to our students. This will hopefully inspire a future were anyone regardless of what their skin color or their ethnicity can feel powerful and just as important as the people that surround…
“The task that remains is to cope with our interdependence - to see ourselves reflected in every other human being and to respect and honor our differences.” The very last line of the most glorifying and enriching piece of writing I’ve ever laid eyes on, Warriors Don’t Cry, written by Melba Pattillo Beals on the struggle of integration of Central High School in Arkansas 1957. Reading about how students of color my age had to interact with people that had no sense of morality and ethics everyday, makes me think about the ethics that I pursue daily and how it may affect people who are around me.…
In the presentation/article “Hawaiian Archaeology: Past, Present and Future”, by Patrick Kirch published in Hawaiian Archaeology, outlines what he see’s as the problems in Hawaiian Archaeology. His presentation detailed the past and the roles of the Bishop Museum and UH Manoa. He talks about the present situation (in 1997), with private consultants, the State Historic Preservation Division and the H-3 Highway project and Bishop Museums role. Kirch goes on to discuss the future of Archaeology and the importance of getting the involvement of the indigenous community.…
They are trying to get people to sign up for the indentured servant program. Pennsylvania was one of the best places for indentured servants. The indentured servant program would get you a ride over there and you would have to work four years, then you would be free to go on your way. The investigation says, “An acquaintance in Pennsylvania has just sent you a packet of documents about the colony. It contains an offer for paid passage to Pennsylvania in exchange for a four year term of service.” (Pg. 41) Then they want us to figure out if we would make the trip to Pennsylvania to become a Quaker.…
N. Scott Momaday, in the memoir “The Way to Rainy Mountain”, traced the ancestral roots of his tribe back to the start of the Kiowa tribe. Momaday had always known about his ancestry but the death of his grandmother, Aho, prompted him to seek an in-depth personal exploration of his family history and background. Therefore, Momaday went back to his grandmother's residence and he observed that the spirit of the Kiowa tribe was faint but still very stirring. When he travelled to Aho’s house after her death, he’s looking to build a connection with his ancestors. Momaday felt that he could learn a lot of things and gain some insight from his visit to the motherland. From this article, it is evident that the Kiowa people were very spiritual and had an unbending love for nature because they strived to preserve the environment and performed spiritual dances and rituals in veneration to the sun. This memoir is an embodiment of the Kiowa culture, and N. Scott Momaday gives the reader a succession of oral narratives from the Kiowa community.…
Peggy McIntosh makes an interesting point on her article. It is true that desegregation and discrimination is still remaining as part of America. The silent separation remains within race, social class, sex, ethnicity, and religion. As a part of the minority, I could relate to the content of this article. For example, I find it difficult to buy a get well card without it referencing to God or any other cards that contain an image of people from race other than white. I believe we were taught by our environment and own nature to turn blind-eyed to our imperfection.…
Cited: 1. Talayesva, D. (1942). Sun chief: The autobiography of a hopi. (p. 232-246). London, England: Yale University Press.…
Viewing this documentary was an extremely valuable experience in my understanding of not only some of the material we’ve been discussing in our course, but also in developing a much more developed grasp on the full extent of our nation’s ugly history of racism. While, by and large, I was already keenly aware of many of the events and incidences discussed throughout the three-part documentary including the assimilation and forced removal of Native Americans, slavery, manifest destiny, the idea of the “white man’s burden”, and the study of eugenics, there were so many different aspects to these events that you simply do not learn in grade school.…
As human beings we are all entitles with the basic rights of living which includes food, shelter, clothing, health care, education and freedom of socializing. Racism in the United States has been a major issue since the slave era and most of our country’s founding fathers have tried to work against it. Hawaii is known for its Aloha spirit to which basically means to love one another as if you were family but what nobody realizes is the amount of hate some people have towards other races on the Hawaiian Islands. ‘Stupid Haole’ is a term used by many locals here in Hawaii Nei which means “no breath”. White families are judged as soon as they step off that plane and begin to live here. This leads all the way back to ancient Hawaiian history of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy.…
“Race is a cultural construct, but one with deadly social causes and consequences” (Lipsitz 2). In his book, The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit From Identity Politics, George Lipsitz argues that it is in the best interest of white Americans to “invest in whiteness, to remain true to an identity that provides them with resources, power, and opportunity (Lipsitz vii).” Lipsitz’s book gives a substantial amount of evidence to show America’s investment in whiteness with historical facts, stories, and statistics. Although at times Lipsitz’s arguments are biased and hard to reference, because overall he gives competent, emotional, and logical evidence, it does not deter from his main argument that Americans do indeed have an investment in whiteness and his assertion that it is the duty of every person of color to take action to rid of this investment.…
This article was originally published in June 2014, and it sounds eerily similar to W.E.B. DuBois’ words in his 1903 book, “The Souls of Black Folk.” In that excerpt the class read during the first week of the semester, DuBois wrote, “The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins (of slavery); the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land.” It is disheartening that 111 years later, the same problem of America not completely healing from its sins of slavery/apologizing to African Americans for the atrocity is at hand. Still, it is exciting to know that this class is providing me with knowledge that I can use to combat racism and discrimination of all types on all levels. “The Case for Reparations” was an excellent example of how everything we have been learning about it linked. Writing this, I kept finding ways in which to include certain points in our class discussions and readings. Just reading and analyzing an article about racism and discrimination is much different than experiencing it and trying to put an end to it, though. After reading this article and seeing how complicated all the interconnected layers of racism/discrimination are -- even in just the one industry of the housing market -- I can only imagine how difficult it can be to make substantial change through legislation. To start that process of ridding the country of racism, though, I think what we are doing in this class, and what Coates was trying to accomplish through this article, is the route to take. If one by one, people are educated on race and its history in the United States, the inequalities that are presented to people of color by the effects of the color line can be realized, and minds can be changed to make for a more unified…
The article “Faces of Whiteness: Pitfalls and the Critical Democrat“ by John T. Warren and Kathy Hytten is an article that reviews what it means to be white. The article’s writers questioned how white students experienced diversity education information. After reviewing the article, I was led to decide where I was in the proposed construct suggested by the article as a white student. The following is my reaction to the article and my best judgement on where I stand in regards to the construct presented.…
As I read the article, I didn’t feel myself getting extremely defensive at a majority of the parts as I hoped to read the article with an open mind and accept the constructive criticism. However, there was one part of the article where I didn’t grasp initially, it was when Hall and Fields mentioned, “Black persons feel pressure to explain racism, or to teach white persons about it; but that is not their responsibility” (2012, p. 165). I thought initially, shouldn’t the people who are experiencing racism be the ones to explain it? But I realized after that it’s the responsibility of those in power to seek out the knowledge of those who are willing to provide it and educate themselves. By realizing this and examining my privilege throughout this…
Although taboo in Western culture, co-sleeping is making a comeback. After the retraction of previous statements against co-sleeping, Dr. Richard Ferber, child sleep guru, has now sided with a family’s decision to share a bed with their infants. Although the American Society of Pediatrics warns that sleeping with your infant can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, the exact cause of SIDS is still unknown. The emotional benefits of sharing a bed with your baby can be enormous and some would argue that engaging in co-sleeping strengthens the bond between parent and child.…
“ʻO koʻu ʻaupuni, he ʻaupuni palapala koʻu.” King Kamehameha III declared this statement meaning “My nation will be a nation of literacy.” Many of us associate Hawaiian language as being an oral language. Today, I’m going to inform you about the lesser known aspect, the development of written Hawaiian language and literacy in the 1800s. As all of us currently live in Hawaii, it is relevant to learn one of the historical achievements of Hawaiian language that leaves its traces in place names, conversations, and as one of the two official languages of Hawaii in the present-day.…