1. "Without question, it would have pleased me to hear my teachers address me in Spanish when I entered the classroom. I would have felt much less afraid." pg. 1
This quote reminds me of our discussion in class about scanning a room before sitting down. Also how we said that in the cafeteria, the same types of people sit together like the black people or the Hispanic people. Rodriguez would have felt much more comfortable speaking his own language. This is just like people being more comfortable being with their same kind of people. I feel like Rodriguez would scan a room before sitting down also. Since our society doesn't really meet the needs of others, we just use English as our language and wait for others to understand us.
2. "Only then did I determine to learn classroom English." pg. 2
Rodriguez was very much against trying to learn English because this is what he knew at home. The day that he saw his parents speaking Spanish then switch to English once he came in the room made him realize that there is no getting around this. Even his brother and sister were talking in English in another part of the house. After he learned how to speak English he became a better student. He even felt like he actually belonged in the society that he lived in for once. This makes me a little upset. For someone to feel like the belong to the society that they live in, they have to change who they are and how they were raised to fit in? People need to be accepted for who they are and not be expected to change if they don't want to.
3. "But the special feeling of closeness at home was diminished by then." pg. 2
After learning the English language better, Rodriguez lost all Spanish connections he had before with his family. Speaking Spanish at home was very sacred and special to him. It was something different that he had that not many other kids in his class did. It is always nice to be able to share something with your family that you cannot share with anyone else. Once everyone started to speak English more often, he did not feel as close with his family anymore. This can be very upsetting because he is losing his family connection. Without them, he is just fitting into society like he has never wanted to do.
Reading "Aria" made me realize that it must be very difficult for people who do not speak English as their first language to live in society. I never learned a second language and only English was ever spoken at home. I now look back and wish that my family had brought some heritage into my life as a child. It would have made me closer with them and have something special to share with them. Non English speaking citizens need to keep their heritage and not change just to please people. They can fit in and still stay true to who they are.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
talking point #1
Peggy McIntosh - White Privilege
1. "I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. " pg. 2
I feel like this quote is completely true for a white person. Sometimes when black people go into a store they are followed and are asked to check their bags. It is very rare that the same situation happens to a white person. The owners of store can be very raciest against black people and have a stereotype that black people steal. I think it is wrong for this to still happen in our society today. Sadly it happens to people that would never think of stealing in their lives. The raciest store owners are so worried about the black people stealing when they could have a white person stealing right in front of them. They wouldn't think twice about watching them while they were in the store because they were white.
2."many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own." pg. 4
Many times white people will get a job offer before a black person will. The white person could quite possibly be less qualified than the black person is. This is how our society runs today unfortunately. The color of your skin decides things for you. Not even in the work field but all over does this happen. White people are usually offered things before anyone else. It's not even black people that are put down, it's everyone who is not white.
3. "they do not see "whiteness" as a racial identity." pg. 5
Usually when people think about race and racial identities they think about every other race other than white. The white people think that they are the normal ones and everyone else is part of a racial identity. Since there is a white majority, people don't think anything of it. This is sad because white is a race also. White people should be included and not be put into their own category like they are more important than everyone else. Everyone is more or less equal no matter what their skin color is.
I really enjoyed reading White Privilege. It was an easy read compared to the other readings we have done so far. I am still not too sure if she supports equality or thinks that it will never happen. Some of her points shows me that she doesn't agree with white people being looked at as superior to the other races. Other times it seems like she just wants to give up and says that this is how it is and that we cannot change it.
1. "I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. " pg. 2
I feel like this quote is completely true for a white person. Sometimes when black people go into a store they are followed and are asked to check their bags. It is very rare that the same situation happens to a white person. The owners of store can be very raciest against black people and have a stereotype that black people steal. I think it is wrong for this to still happen in our society today. Sadly it happens to people that would never think of stealing in their lives. The raciest store owners are so worried about the black people stealing when they could have a white person stealing right in front of them. They wouldn't think twice about watching them while they were in the store because they were white.
2."many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own." pg. 4
Many times white people will get a job offer before a black person will. The white person could quite possibly be less qualified than the black person is. This is how our society runs today unfortunately. The color of your skin decides things for you. Not even in the work field but all over does this happen. White people are usually offered things before anyone else. It's not even black people that are put down, it's everyone who is not white.
3. "they do not see "whiteness" as a racial identity." pg. 5
Usually when people think about race and racial identities they think about every other race other than white. The white people think that they are the normal ones and everyone else is part of a racial identity. Since there is a white majority, people don't think anything of it. This is sad because white is a race also. White people should be included and not be put into their own category like they are more important than everyone else. Everyone is more or less equal no matter what their skin color is.
I really enjoyed reading White Privilege. It was an easy read compared to the other readings we have done so far. I am still not too sure if she supports equality or thinks that it will never happen. Some of her points shows me that she doesn't agree with white people being looked at as superior to the other races. Other times it seems like she just wants to give up and says that this is how it is and that we cannot change it.
Monday, September 7, 2009
about me
Hi everyone. My name is Felicia McGuire and I am a sophomore at RIC. I live on campus in Weber Hall. I love living on campus because there is always something to do. My semester is going to be pretty busy this fall but well worth it. I'm an elementary education major but I'm not to sure what I want to concentrate in yet. When I'm not in class I like to hang out with my friends. I'm a member on a sorority on campus Zeta Xi Delta. I'm on the executive board so it gives me a lot to do. =]
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