Webquest Response!

All week the class had been working on webquests. I chose a webquest discussing the plight of Asian Americans. My task was a three paragraph post on my opinion about how Asian Americans are treated. It was eye-opening.


Racism in America is a disturbing phenomenon affecting all minority groups. But when people think of racism only a few groups come to mind: Jews, African-Americans, and Muslims. But what about Asians? Asian Americans have a long laundry list of stereotypes that are constantly used against them. Asians can’t drive. Asians can’t see. Asians try to be smarter and better than everyone else. Yet, who pays attention? From what Mike Hong says, no one cares. “However, calling an Asian a "chink" and calling someone who is African American a "nigger" is of the same nature and yet when an outside party hears both, one is clearly seen as more offensive and more racist than the other. In the same sense, "chink" is deemed the result of adolescent behavior and not punished as racism.” (Hong) Not caring about racism is racist in itself, as if a group of people doesn’t matter enough to take action against being discriminatory towards them.

“No, it would not surprise Sergeant Maples to hear that Kabuo Miyamoto had killed a man with a fishing gaff.” (Guterson) The quote from the book Snow Falling on Cedars is a prime example of the racism and stereotypes against Asian Americans. Not only does it illustrate racism by citizens, it illustrates racism by those meant to protect: the police. This links to my opinion that no, racism against Asian Americans is not being successfully dealt with.

Racism against Asian Americans is just tangled in a mesh of xenophobic tendencies against any foreigners. We fear Mexicans entering the country, we fear Arabs on plans in general, and we try to keep Cubans out. It’s a constant stream of fear. “Anti-black racism, which has been the paradigm for thinking about U.S. racism, can be, and has been, theorized apart from xenophobia.” (Sundstrom 2008) The article housing the previous quote goes on to say most major racism in the country is not associated with xenophobia. It is rather based on superiority. Calling an Asian American “dragon-lady” or commenting on the hypomasculinity of Asian American males could be passed off by the government as xenophobia or, as depicted, ignored by already racist authority figures. So no, I don’t think the racism against Asian Americans is being dealt with.

Being Saxon (Or the Lesson Plan That Isn't)

Mexicans are commonplace in the US. They are lazy, job-stealing, heartless, thieving, evil people bent on sucking the economy dry and feeding off tax-payer money. Right? No. In fact, Mexicans are only singled out because of the amount of unwarranted bigotry prevalent in our “great” nation. The novel the Tortilla Curtain examines how the rich are the real enemies of the Mexicans. The middle-class and below, the people who wake up at 6 AM to catch a bus or make coffee, many of them realize just how hard the Mexicans work.

Now your task, if you choose to accept it (no choice) is to, not only answer are the questions posed to you dealing with the sources, but to also write a 1 to 2 page paper in any style you want (be it essay, reflection, satire, etc.) utilizing the new information you now have and citing at least two quotes from the sources provided. Keep in mind this question in particular:

“Does everyone deserve the American Dream?”

Part I: On a Wagon to Mexico

So let’s start from the beginning. Go onto itunes, type in “Mexican Immigration” and click on the podcast by Dr. Erasmo Gamboa (check out his ears).

After watching this podcast hit this link:
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4040291/10922648

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/whitestripes/ickythump.html and read the lyrics paying specific attention to the bridge beginning with “White American”


1. Analyze the song and explain the underlying message. Tie the song in with the information you learned in the podcast. Explain the hypocrisy exposed in the song and furthered by facts about Mexican settlers in the podcast. How does this impact your view on immigration and the influx of Mexicans? Think about the influx of American settlers in the 1700s. Is it right that we consider Mexicans as immigrants?


Part II: Pulling the Curtains Closed

“ One coyote, who makes his living on the fringes of my community… has learned to simply chew his way through the plastic irrigation pipes whenever he wants a drink.” (Boyle 212)

Delaney Mossbacher wrote the above quote in a column. This column compared Mexicans and coyotes. It went so far as to say coyotes should be trapped and euthanized, a stab at immigrants through the inoffensive disguise of a pesky animal.

1. How does Delaney’s coyote relate to Mexicans and the negative attitudes towards them.
2. Create your own metaphor depicting your positive or negative opinion towards immigration.

“…and it was people like this Mexican or whatever he was who were responsible, thoughtless people, stupid people, people who wanted to turn the whole world into a garbage dump, a little Tijuana…” (Boyle 11)

Some background for this quote, is that Delaney was musing to himself about the problems caused by Mexicans. Delaney starts big, beginning with the chances of a forest fire caused by Candido (the main immigrant character) living in the ravine, moving down to the build-up of garbage on Mountain Trails, which Delaney feels is undoubtedly caused by Mexicans.

http://borderexplorer.blogspot.com/2009/02/illegal-immigration-is-not-problem-in.html

Read the blog post and answer the following questions pertaining to the quote and the blog:

1. Why are Mexicans not only used as scapegoats for financial problems but for every problem America seems to be facing…right down to littering?
2. If Mexicans are, in fact, helping the economy by feeding social security and doing the dirty jobs, why do we attempt to keep them out along with the aforementioned blame laid on the ones already in?

“He said something then in a foreign language, a gargle and rattle in the throat, and Delaney didn’t know what to do.” And “The United States didn’t share a two-thousand mile border with France.” (Boyle 8)

Not only do other random people have opinions about Mexicans but so can people you know. Like Jason. Check out his blog: http://jasonfunhouse.blogspot.com/ The newest post discusses Laws against Mexican immigrants. More like hidden racism in the form of regulations and tests to become a citizen.

Some Americans have dialects in which their English is comparable to gibberish.


1. Are you a Pennington or a Soto? Why? If Mexicans are “law-abiding citizens” then why so much hate? If some Americans are less literate than Mexicans then why not do something about the leeching Americans; aren’t they dead weight too?

Part III: The Voices of the Media (Not All Lies)

Lets get a little delicious. http://delicious.com/Schwarry

In an attempt to shed light on the negative side of immigration, three of the sources are much more conservative (FOX News is one of them)

1. Write a few sentences giving an opinion on each article. What are some of the pros and cons of each plan? You learned about the life of two immigrants, so compare that to some of the “facts” about immigrants given in the articles about plans.


Part IV: Immigrants on Immigrants

Not all immigrants are created equal. Are they? (rhetorical)

“Now he had to worry about this stinking crack-toothed pendejo nosing around down in the canyon, as if he didn’t have enough problems already.” (Boyle 90)

Go to Cory’s blog: http://csquaredc.blogspot.com/ Wonderful, huh? (Don’t answer this question…)

Read his post about Mexican drug cartels.

Candido said the above quote about another Mexican named Jose who would steal and vandalize.

1. What does this mean? Are there different types of immigrants or are they all created equal and as rapists to America as the media would like us to believe? Do the Mexican immigrants in the Cartel Wars, in your opinion, have ANYTHING to do with the majority of the other immigrants in the country? Is it fleeing for safety or fleeing for the “American Dream”?


So if you haven’t started yet, get writing. Enjoy…

The Real American Heroes (Take That G.I. Joe...Ya Bunch of Girls)

America is not like any other nation. England is home to the English. France is home to the French. Russia has Russians. America is the one nation that always seems to be the “land of opportunity,” regardless of economic collapse. Thus, America is home to the Americans…and the Mexicans. Or if political correctness is the thing: Latin Americans. The facts state that “the illegal population was 3.5 million in 1990. For the undocumented population to have reached 8 million by the year 2000, the net increase would have been 400,000 to 500,000 every year during the 1990s.” [Dougherty 1] If this trend continued, the population of illegal immigrants now in the US is at least 12 million. But this is NOT, in fact, a problem. The article, A Day in the Life of an Illegal Immigrant by Matt Dougherty illustrates the benefits of migrant workers as well as explains why the workers are here in the first place. Many people seem to think immigrants are a drain on the economy and steal property. (Especially Delaney Mossbacher, who will be discussed later on.) In reality, the immigrants take the jobs no one else wants to do.

Of the two immigrants discussed, Rodrigo Nunez and Edna Alvarez, work hard and don’t battle with their employers for better wages like most Americans attempting to climb the corporate ladder. This, in turn, allows companies to make more money and keep more profits as they don’t need to pay quite as much to the employee who happens to be an illegal alien. Nunez, a construction worker, “wakes up, eats a banana and has a cup of coffee saturated with sugar and milk, and then throws on his ratty jeans and mud-caked boots, ready for yet another day of hard labor and monotony.” [Dougherty 1] He then hops on the bus, “a ride that he often looks forward to because he is able to sleep on the trip to the construction site.” [Dougherty 1] The work is tough and he is paid just above minimum wage. “America has depended on immigrant labor to fill certain sectors of our industries, and skilled immigrant workers have been very popular to our employers.” Says Nestor Rodriguez, sociology chair for the University of Houston.

But no one knows more about immigrant work ethic than Mrs. Antoinette Jones of Montgomery County. She hired Edna Alvarez to care for her mother. Friends with Mexican housekeepers told Mrs. Jones stories about immigrant workers “working for much less money than it would be to hire someone who had more experience – someone who was legal.” [Dougherty 1] So Edna was hired, and she worked wonderfully. She filled this niche that is normally filled by apathetic American middle-aged nurses for much less money, and with a smile. “I like working here,” Alvarez said. “The family is very nice to me.” I believe that says it all.

So this is what it’s like for immigrants in the US. Edna lives in a trailer; Rodrigo lives in a small apartment. But Candido and America live in a ravine. T. Coreghessan Boyle’s novel The Tortilla Curtain goes to extremes to point out the plight of illegal immigrants. Rather than workers in low-end jobs in meager hovels with people that try to hide their racism, Candido lives in a park, getting by how he can (such as a free turkey) in an area populated by rich, white Americans who fear and even loathe the immigrants and the end of white supremacy. A gate is built around the community of one, Delaney Mossbacher and his wife Kyra and the WASPs residing inside are hypocritical bigots, which is strange because the Mossbachers are liberals. It depicts how it doesn’t matter what your views politically are, everyone has a deep-seated fear of change, which is what the waves of workers bring: change.

The Mossbachers should talk to Antoinette Jones. Delaney should get off his high horse and let go of his anger towards the Rancuns using up all of the resources of the park and realize that they work harder than he probably ever has. They also work cheaper. Delaney should tell Rodrigo Nunez that he is a waste while he hauls cinder blocks around the construction site for about as much an hour as I make working part-time as a cashier at A&P.

Actually, in the jobs I’ve worked at I’ve encountered numerous immigrants. One such man, Raphael, worked as a dish-washer at Panera Bread, a used car salesman’s assistant (washed my car before I bought it and test drove it with me), and from what I can deduce, a CVS employee as I had seen him walking out of a local CVS with a uniform on. He rode a bike to work, thus cutting back on pollution. He worked with a broken arm instead of whining and taking medical leave. He, at 50 or so years old, worked at minimum wage yet he always had a smile and he even taught some of the other Panera employees some Spanish.

America houses the American Dream. Of course, this dream only applies to American-born, middle-to-upper class white men (or women) with some type of business savvy. The Mossbachers achieved their American Dream, but did the immigrants? Actually, some of the Mexicans entering the country find an American Dream. No, they don’t get a white picket fence, no they don’t have a dog and two dough-eyed children (a boy and a girl). They make more money than they did in Mexico? Check. Do they have freedoms they never would have in Mexico? Check. Racism isn’t a problem because they shrug it off. Discrimination in the workplace isn’t a problem either because it’s just as bad in Mexico. So a modified American Dream awaits.

Obviously, I am for immigration. But for me it didn’t get that way overnight. I was a follower of hypocrisy, just as Delaney is. "The coyote is not to blame--he is only trying to survive, to make a living, to take advantage of the opportunities available to him." He concludes the same column by writing, "The coyotes keep coming, breeding up to fill in the gaps, moving in where the living is easy. They are cunning, versatile, hungry and unstoppable." [T.C. Boyle] I was almost exactly like this. The Mexicans are trying to survive but they just need to stop coming. They are a vicious, unstoppable force bent on killing (the economy) like coyotes. Now I realize they are just another race of people, like blacks, attempting to gain rights, fairness, and meager wages. They just need an Abraham Lincoln.

How Gay is 24? (Disclaimer: This Title Was Chosen for the Most Offensive Blog Ever and Does Not Signify Bigotry in the Eyes of the Poster)

The one show defined as straight is 24. Jack Bauer is a badass. It’s that simple. He is a straight, white male with a hot ex-girlfriend, skills with a gun and hand-to-hand combat, and just about everything else, and he is void of emotion so the audience can put themselves in his place instead. Perfect. But like every other show, 24 needs to address the issues, albeit badly. In Day 4: 4:00 AM- 5:00 AM, Richard Heller, the degenerate son of Secretary James Heller is brought in for questioning for possible implication in a terrorist plot. Jack, being the hardcore man he is, interrogates Richard until he confesses. He doesn’t confess to a terrorist plot though. He confesses that he is gay and accidentally revealed information in a one-night stand.

So now what? Does he become a flamboyant side character with humorous quirks? No. 24 is an ultra-conservative show, made obvious in the use of torture and in Jack calling a liberal Senator “weak.” A site created for plot summary and analysis can’t help but comment:

“The revelation that Richard is gay seems tossed into the mix needlessly. Again, what is the implication? That Richard’s sexuality, being non-conservative, is somehow tied to his inability to protect his family and the country?”

It seems plausible that this is exactly what the writers were thinking. In fact, one of the two people Richard met with when he revealed information was a lesbian. But the writers couldn’t let a recurring character be a lesbian. So first she was an enemy. Second, she slept with MEN to get information. Let’s go back. She forced information out by sleeping with men. And she was a terrorist. So was the gay guy sleeping with Richard. So was Richard by association.

After Richard comes out, his father isn’t angry at the homosexuality. Rather, the release of information the cause for inflammation. At least the writers wrote in a family that accepts Richard for everything he is, except a terrorist. Funny, though. After this episode Richard eventually dies. No need to continue talking about a topic once it’s been brought up.

Now in my opinion, (my apologies) 24 doesn’t need to talk about any topics besides terrorism and being awesome. The show is supposed to be an action with a straight guy killing bad guys and living the life of an every man when not killing bad guys. (Eventually Jack stops being an every man but you get the idea.) Any topic brought up in the show is not going to be talked about. As insensitive to the plight of homosexuals as it may sound, I completely forgot about this until Wikipedia refreshed my memory with the article “LGBT episodes of television shows.”

In the future I can guarantee no homosexual characterization will occur. The conservative angle of the show would never allow it. A black President? Fine. A female President? Fine. A gay side character that has a couple appearances? Don’t hold your breath. It’s not what’s expected of the show. Monday night rolls around, I don’t want Jack giving a public service announcement about homosexuality (sorry), but I’d rather him giving a public service announcement in the form of a gunshot….in public. Richard Heller was on the wrong set.

Pink: Aerosmith likes it...and they're all dudes

Pink. Real men wear pink? Not really. Pink has and always will be a feminine color. Blog author Breedermama attempts to dispel this notion and I must say, I agree with her. The blog post is called “Pink, it’s a loaded color…” and it explains all the reasons why it should not be. After having her first son she decided not to impose the so-called societal norms that men must possess: “Men are tough, men do not cry, men are strong, men like sports, men are stupid (when it comes to relating to others), men are smart (when it comes to business), men do not do housework, men are the breadwinners, men never ask for directions.” [Breedermama 1] Society dictates that boys must own anything blue and nothing pink and toys must be action figures and sports heroes. Of course this seemed ridiculous and Breedermama bought an action figure along with a doll, a toy truck and a toy oven. But nothing was blue or pink. Neutral colors only. She “discussed gay marriage, transgendered individuals, and on and on.” [Breedermama 1] But then came a second son and the dilemma became reality. Out shopping for reusable diapers she had two choices: white and pink. White would stain. So pink it was.
Now this is a very feminine article but it had me wondering; why is pink defined as just a feminine color? Breedermama asks the question of what color boys have. There is no one masculine color. The blog delivers the perfect reasoning of why boys shouldn’t be banned from pink. In an attempt to proselytize the gender-dividers to a world of gender equality Breedermama delivers a soliloquy that makes complete sense:
“Was I really going to not buy something we need because of a societal norm? I stood there for a moment, looking at that little diaper. Can I really assign a color to a gender? It’s a hue, no different than orange or green. I wondered why pink was chosen to be the color that represents the feminine. I wondered why little girls could parade in every color of the rainbow, sporting all the cool blues and vibrant reds that boys wear … but pink is their color alone? Females hold the world’s supply of a specific color?
Suddenly I was struck by how ridiculous it was.
Flowers are pink, are men not supposed to enjoy the wonders of nature? My own baby was born pink himself.”

Frankly, I couldn’t agree any more than I do. Of course, since I had been conditioned by society I would never wear pink even if it’s becoming more acceptable. That’s just me. The argument Breedermama presents though brings up another question. When did pink become feminine? Well, originally it wasn’t. "If you like the color note on the little one's garments, use pink for the boy and blue for the girl, if you are a follower of convention." [The Sunday Sentinal, March 29, 1914.] This furthers the argument of color for genders. If color is so interchangeable within gender, why use a shade to define the difference in sex? Why use anything to define difference between men and women?
Blue is for baby boys. Does this then mean girls cannot enjoy the color blue? Can girls not play with action figures? I’ve known tomboys in the past. It doesn’t mean the girls suddenly surge with testosterone and begin pressing 400 pounds. And if a baby boy happens to play with a doll he won’t fill with estrogen and have his “special lady time” once a month going into a feminine rage over every little thing. (sorry…most offensive blog ever remember?) It just seems ridiculous that toys and colors are off limits because every parent wants an archetypical child modeled in the vein of everything “right” with their gender.
I grew up with blue in my room. But many of my friends were girls. Hell, I’m not ashamed to admit I had played dress-up (come on, a guy will do anything for a girl even at a young age). I’m still heterosexual and a guy (not that anything is wrong with homosexuality). Breedermama “did not define toys based on the gender of the child who would play with them. There is a play kitchen and broom, baby dolls and a doll house, dress up clothes of all varieties, books with girls as the main characters which blend seamlessly with the trucks and trains, superheros and team sports accessories. I never defined jobs per gender. We have discussed gay marriage, transgendered individuals, and on and on.” She was attempting to neutralize her child to make him accepting of anything and everything, which in the society we live in now is different. That is why, when reading the article for the first time, that one chunk of text doesn’t seem right. It feels like abuse. It’s as if Breedermama is abusing her child by going against the grain for the sake of giving her child unbiased opinions not implanted by upbringing.
Pink. Real men wear pink? Anyone can wear pink. It’s a color. I wore a somewhat pink shirt to prom. (Albeit I was attempting to match my date’s hot pink dress) Breedermama says it’s a color also. And if it’s just a color to the blogosphere it should be just a color to the rest of the sphere we live on. If the world can realize color is color (color isn’t gender, color isn’t superiority of race), we’re one step closer to equality.

Poem Analysis

It's always easy to analyze something when you wrote it. Of course, it always happens that some random symbol existed in your subconscious while writing. But not in this. This was a cursory write-up of what needs to be done to have no religion...successfully. It's not really a particular group with rules but it satirizes that every possible thing a person can do has some rule or need for social graces. Even being socially awkward has a set of characteristics. (Albeit, those people can't help it...but whatever it's the same type of thing....I like being politically incorrect...right? that's what that is?) Anyway, to be something to you have to act like that thing.

http://transhollis.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/genderqueer-transgendered/

^^^This is some transgendered guy talking about how he (she?) doesn't know what gender to be. She (he?) doesn't know what rules to follow because this dude (chick?) has no idea which set of rules would fit.

well...another blog is this:
http://c12ux.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/the-emo-blog/

it's not so much a gender blog but it's so pathetic ANYONE can feel better about themselves...or at least because of the front page post. Otherwise it's just a normal blog but the front emo post, in a way, illustrates the problem of not abiding by rules of ANY groups. So the writer doesn't fit anywhere...at all

And in the vein of being THE MOST OFFENSIVE BLOG EVER! I give you this:

George Carlin once said, “Thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself.”

Don’t be swayed by the beliefs of others. Don’t worship what you don’t truly feel exists. Regard stories as stories. Understand hypocrisy. Stay away. I stay away. Be prepared for pointed fingers. Atheists aren’t embraced. But I am not an atheist. I just don’t know what to believe. Belief is belief…remember that. If it can’t be proven it isn’t fact. Don’t mock the beliefs of others. They are entitled to the beliefs until they press those beliefs on you. Don’t press your beliefs on others. Don’t think you are better than others. But I understand that it’s all fake. But is it fact? Don’t think that because it isn’t fact doesn’t mean it won’t be fact eventually. This is how you stay home on Sunday. This is how you stay home on Saturday. This is how you don’t fast. This is how you fast just because that big meal at the end is great. Isn’t that a sacrilege? Shut it, you’re a sacrilege. Now you’re arguing in a poem…with yourself. Yeah…and I’m off topic. Anyway… Don’t start wars.