Required: Interview

Questions

1. What race are you?
2. How do you know? How do you make that decision?
3. How did you learn what race you are? Can you tell me about some of the early messages you received about race in general or your race in particular?
4. How do you decide what race other people are? Examples?
5. How do other people decide what race you are? Examples?

Me:

1. I'm Asian.
2. From generations to generations society have been calling us Asians. I can't call myself any other race because then it would've been wrong in the eyes of others. 
3. I learned about my race when I enter kindergarten. I would hear and see people ask each other what race they would and somehow it came to my knowledge that I was Asian.
4 &5. From when I was younger, I see people tell me I was Asian because of my skin color, hair, and facial features. Not only that, I think televisions were the biggest source of me discovering how to define someone's race. Their skin tone, hair, their native language and etc.  

First Person:

Very good questions. For me, race and ethnicity are 2 very different things. My race is, of course, Asian. I've determined that I am of an Asian race based on my physical and biological characteristics passed down genetically from generation to generation. Normally when we look at people, we'll say they're "Caucasian, African, Indian, Asian, etc." And this is all based on their physical appearance. Really, what we are doing is trying to figure out what race they are. If you really want to know specifically what ethnicity they are, then, of course, you'd have to ask and not assume. That's my unprofessional biased answer to you, Ms. Jenny

Second Person:

1. I am Asian. 
2. I know because the system says so. If you want to be more specific then it’s ethnicity you’re talking about 
3. I know because when I took state tests they always asked what race I am, but people base race on your physical appearance. Doesn’t mean that they’re all the same but race does generalize everything. 
4. And well since it is this physical thing, then just by the color of their skin or if that’s not clear enough, a certain facial feature
5. Well I look super Asian so that’s what people categorize me as

Third Person:

1. Asian
2. I didn't know. I was told I am Asian. So now I affiliate with the term Asian because of my ancestry and their origin from Asia. It was a way to identify what I am.
3. People would ask me what race or ethnicity I was and I wouldn't know how to answer because I wasn't built to know this as I was growing up. I only became aware that I was different when they'd call me Asian and other kids made fun of me with certain stereotypical features Asian people are known to have such as chinky eyes. I was categorized as Asian through the government system as well which helped my interpretation of an identity as an Asian person. 
4. Because race is considered a highly social construct, it is based on the differing physical features of people such as face shape and structure as well as skin tone.
5. People decide my race by my physicality. I have a yellow tone to my skin, eyes that are slightly slanted and round, that aren't hooded and deep socket, etc. It is also slightly decided through your family and history such as the geographical location from where we came from but that still ties back into physical features as the main characteristic of what race is.

Fourth Person: 

1. Asian
2. Because of my characteristic, traits, culture, and beliefs. Generation after generation 
3. Appearance, culture, language. As mentioned before appearances, culture, language, history..etc
4. You can tell by their native language if not then you ask. 
5. My skin tone, and hair. My native language, and features.

All of the participants agreed that their race is based on their features, from hair, eyes, skin tone, etc. Some even brought up ancestors and their regions, but where and who named those regions and gave us our race? As some of the participants may say it is constructed by society. Who said our eyes are slanted, and that our skin tones are yellow? Society. I do agree that many of us have never thought about what race we were until we entered school and realized that someone is labeling us as Asians, African Americans, or Europeans.   

Henslin: The Racist Mind

It was said that racism has no color, the hatred happens within whites, blacks, and many other minorities. Sadly, I do agree with this statement. There are certain situations where I have racist prejudices (attitudes/beliefs mainly negative stereotypes), but it never occurred to me until I read this chapter. Many people have racist thoughts; however, it doesn't mean that it is always in a negative way. Having prejudices is completely different from an act of discrimination (treatment/behavior towards an individual or group) towards another race. Raphael Ezekiel author of The Racist Mind, states that "Racism is a way of perceiving the world and a way of thinking". Do we really understand the world a little more when having racist thoughts? Ezekiel believes that with the influence around us we are bound to have some sort of white racist thoughts, but with these thoughts, we have the ability to learn and to observe that certain group or individual.

Henslin: Showing My Color

People were judged and criticized because of the color of their skin. This brings me to the beauty standards we had throughout the years. People bleached their skin to be 'whiter' and 'brighter' because having skin was part of the beauty standards. Now people started tanning because they think that darker skins are more desirable. Either way, you will get criticized for bleaching your skin because you are not comfortable in your own color, get criticized for tanning because you look too orange, too yellow, or it didn't look natural. I'm a born and raised Asian American or some may call it, a 'yellow' skinned person, and when people tell me to act like my race how should I respond? I agree with Clarence Page feelings towards the metaphor of the melting pot. She prefers the mulligan stew metaphor because whatever that was put into the stew didn't melt but they all added their own flavors into the stew. We should all learn to accept one another instead of trying to set a standard where we can't reach. We should all add in our own flavors into society instead of blending everyone into a melting pot. 

JBC: Music/Racism and Cultural Appropriation

Hip hop is indeed from the African American and Latino culture, which was cultivated when they were going through their toughest time. "...Cultural appropriation refers to the use of cultural elements (such as modes of speech, dress, or forms of music) by an outsider -- someone who is not a member of the cultural group historically associated with this tradition" (347-348). Iggy Azalea is a white Australian who made her way into the rap-music industry. She was criticized by many black celebrities with her use of lyrics. 

Although white folks are criticized for cultural appropriation due to the background history, there was also a case where even an Asian athlete, Jeremy Lin, was criticized with his choice of hairstyle because he was a 'Lin'. Former athlete, Kenyon Martin highly disapprove Lin's dreads and expressed, I’m confused, puzzled, in shock, disappointed in his teammates and the Nets as an organization for allowing this foolishness!!!”. He further stated, "you wanna be black. Like, we get it. But your last name is Lin". After the criticism, Lin replied, "at the end of the day I appreciate that I have dreads and you have Chinese tattoos bc I think it's a sign of respect". https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/10/jeremy-lin-nets-kenyon-martin-dreads-instagram-respond-comment-hair

What I'm curious about is, is Jeremy Lin's case a form of cultural appreciation instead of appropriation?

JBC: Sports/Race

Race is a group of people who share biological characteristics that are deemed socially significant. It was said in this chapter that "...racism includes not only interpersonal racial bias and discrimination, but also the vast racial inequalities embedded in the organization of society, including racial disparities in housing, education, health, and incarceration" (157). Meaning that minorities, those who are not white, have the short end of the stick when it comes to privilege in America. This is why many minorities turned to assimilation. They chose to blend end and some even forget about their culture. However, there are those who still hold on to their culture and traditions. When my parents came to the United States through refugee camps they have their name written differently because it was hard for the Englishmen to pronounce. My Mother's name was Xwb Yaj and my father was Tsheej Vaj, but their name was changed to Sue Yang (mother) and Cheng Vang (father). Although someone's name was changed so Americans are able to pronounce them, within our culture we still call them with the proper pronunciation. I'm happy that there is more pluralism in the United States now, I'm not afraid to tell others that my family is Shamanism because I know that people are more amused about my culture than to discriminate me.   

Required: Youtube "Wealth Inequality in the United States"

We all know that money is distributed differently from poor to rich, but how different is the reality compared our thoughts and ideal? This video tells us that most Americans are already aware that the system is unfair; also, it enlightened us at how unfair it actually is.

 

This picture below shows what reality actually is from over 5,000 participants ideal and thoughts about the money distribution in America.

  

There is little to no money distributed to the bottom 20%. It amazes me how 1% of America has 33% more of America's wealth than the bottom 80% of the U.S population.

There are many cases of theft in Stockton. I believe the majority of them are from the bottom 40% of the U.S population because it usually occurs around the impoverished area. I would always hear sirens chasing after cars or getting to a destination from where I live. I can't fathom how many times I would hear someone (usually well off white folks) say that they don't feel threatened because they live on the 'better' side of Stockton.    

Henslin: The U.S Upper Class

Social Status is separated by the poor, middle, and upper class. Country Clubs were made for the rich so they can socialize only within the riches. Private schools are also created to separate rich students from poor and common students. Private schools attract rich families which in return gains them more money to fund programs and creates a more and better opportunity for rich students. I thought that social is only separated from the poor and rich, but I was wrong. There was a thin line that separated the 'old money' and the 'new money' elites, which was boarding school was created. With the need to socialize with the new riches their 'society' decided to accept them. I had never seen a rich person randomly walk around at a store or the mall. Maybe, it's because there wasn't any invisible or distinct line that separates our social status, but a wall that they built themselves to set them apart from us. 

Henslin: Morris and Grimes, Moving up

Dinner Table

Some people may experience culture shock when they finally move up from their previous social status; like realizing that you're supposed to use different forks when eating a fish and a salad. My culture shock is the dinner tables. I didn't start eating at the dinner table until I graduated high school. I always grew up eating on the floor or on a small bamboo crossed table with tiny straw wooden chairs. To me that was always the norm, I never thought of it as a class thing. As I got older I realized that in televisions and movies families are always eating at the dinner tables together. We did have a dinner table but there wasn't any chair that was meant to be there. The table was used as a space for our rice cooker, our big 5 gallons of water, and it was also used for cooking. Although we would eat on the floor my mother would never let us eat while on our knees. She would always say that eating in that position would make us poor and that we would become slaves. It was only a superstition, but it shows me just how fearful she is about our future, and how she didn't want us to experience the hardship she had experienced. I grew up eating on the floor, but now we're all eating at the dinner table.       

Henslin: The uses of Poverty

There would be a huge decrease in professions and employment if poverty ceased to exist. Welfare, public health, social work, etc. are all created around poverty. So many jobs were created because of poverty, but the poor are working and doing the 'dirty work'. All these dirty work are low paying, dangerous job. I never took notice of the functions of poverty until I read this chapter. What intrigued me the most is that the poor buy left-over products that others don't want. Also, they bring business to those who couldn't keep and attract any prosperous clients. There are many occasions where the poor are taken advantage of; for example, when their welfare purposely gets cut off during summer so that they would work at fields, where they are needed. Despite all the stereotypes and judgments; the poor, none-the-less, had a great influence on the functions of our culture.      

JBC: Coffee Class

I was never really a coffee person, and many people would act surprised when I tell them this fact. Why is it such a shock that I'm not a fan of it? Maybe because they probably think that I have a poor taste in beverages since I prefer drinking my carbonated sodas. From all my experience, I always get looked down upon for always getting the Starbucks Refreshers instead of coffees because I can always get juice from the 'store'. After reading this chapter, I'm starting to believe that maybe people do drink Starbucks coffees as a 'high class' status.

There are many movies where people who didn't know the differences between the many forks and spoons are made a fool by those of elites. There are also many conspicuous consumption instances, where the rich get angry because their expensive plates are being used when they are only for display. It's put out in our society that we are in the middle to low class if we have little to no knowledge about the life of elites.