StudyingAmerica

Women Power

Recently I started working at Victoria’s Secret and as I have imagined only women work there besides a few men in the backroom. We all wear black and look our best. In today's society being a woman is in fact a very powerful thing. Woman today use their bodies to advantages for example wearing tight reviling clothes get them recognition. One great example is that if you are good looking people just seem to listen to you and take your advice and therefore you sell more. I love how powerful woman have become, but at the same time I believe that some woman over do it. A great example of this is being too reviling and over exposing yourself and that just makes women look trashy. I believe that there is a fine line between sexy and trashy. Also women today seem to forget that being smart is so much more appealing and sexier than just exposing your body. This makes me think of the 18th century where woman were fully covered and they weren’t appealing to men in that way, but in more way of being a good person and a great housewives. I think that gender has come a long way and we should take that seriously and show of what we re really made of and that power we have is not only thanks to our bodies.

Skating in America



Visiting a skate park that has been a part of your whole life since you were born never hits you so hard until you see that vast differences among the children that are present there. I was at Renette Skate Park observing for an ethnographic project, and I noticed the total change in style, gender, and racism as well as discrimination at the skate park. Since being in a culture shock since the last time I was there was only 5 years ago, I noticed a lot of change in the children's attitudes. For one, they constantly swore and they only seemed to be 13 or 14 years old. Another difference was how they treated each other. When I used to skate at Renette, if we would fall or not be able to land a trick, others will tell you to get up and keep trying cause they never looked down on you, they looked at you as a total equal. I noticed one particular kid who seemed to have something that gleamed in his eye when he skated and powerslided around. He seemed different then all the others because he wasn’t like them cause he didn’t take part in their discrimination. He wasn’t the best, but he wasn’t the worst either. He was about 14, and was probably the youngest out of his group, which contained about 6. I noticed that he fell a lot more then the rest of his friends did, and he scraped himself a lot cause he was wearing shorts instead of jeans. But every time he fell it was a totally different experience for him then everyone else. I was super interested in him cause every time he totally ate concrete, he would take a couple seconds and check for cuts and bruises, wipe off the dirt and gravel, and the sawed concrete, and then grab his skateboard and just look at it. Every time he did this his friends would make fun of him and say, “Looking at the board isn’t going to make you any better!” But I knew exactly what he was thinking and trying to accomplish in his mind. He was looking at the skateboard from a different angle then everyone else was looking at it.

Mall

After a recent visit to the mall, I was reminded how material possession is a symbol of status in America. I had just picked up a necklace as a gift for my girlfriend, and was now window-shopping the rest of the Mall with my friends. I walked into Nordstrom, and for the first time in my life the retail employees bombarded me. At first I didn’t think much of it, but as I walked through store I was helped in every section, men and women’s, I soon began to realize that it was the iconic Tiffany and Co. bag that was drawing these people to me. Nordstrom is a high end retail store so when the store sales reps saw me sauntering through the store with something from Tiffany’s, the store reps who treated me as a ghost in the past, were now looking at me like sharks do a bucket of chum, they saw me as a person whose pockets were not shy. Little did they know I had just spent a large portion of my total net worth on this necklace and was not in a position to loose the rest. Amazing what a bag will do for you social status. Through out this class we have seen how material possessions become synonymous with wealth: whether it be the plantation owner and his slaves, or Thomas Jefferson and his vast library at Monticello, the ability to obtain assets in vast quantities is something that the we as Americans in the Western world value.

How Far We've Come...

On a recent trip to Poway High School I was shocked to see that 4 decades after the civil rights movement schools are still segregated. I walked onto campus during the lunch hour; right away you could see the separation in eating groups. The Poway high quad is a large area probably covering 25 Yards from end to end. On the south end of the quad, in both corners were the White upper classmen; Seniors in the Left corner, and Juniors in the right. From what I gathered any sophomore or freshman who tried to enter the hallowed quad would be put on trial. On the North end of the quad in either corner there was a group of Latinos and a group of Blacks. It didn’t seem to matter how the age in these two groups, as there were freshman and seniors socializing in the two minority groups. It seemed as if the Latinos and Blacks had come together in their larger groups because of their small numbers in respect to the population of the school. I could also see separation in the clothing. The White teens wore preppy clothing while both the Latino and Blacks wore looser less flashy clothing that seemed to symbolize the economic differences of the two groups. Modern separation of racial groups is chosen and forced, but for some reason year in and year out at Poway high these groups seem static. America is considered to be the ultimate melting pot of world cultures, yet we see that when large groups migrate to the states they try to remain with people of their own kind. For example in San Francisco where a large number of Asian immigrants entered the country, there is a Chinatown, which is a little piece of China in America.

The Hollywood Epidemic

On a recent trip to my local gym I was reminded of the physical stereotypes that this generation is constantly trying to mold themselves to, and with Hollywood always glamorizing the next gorgeous superstar, who can blame them. I watched an incredibly muscular man bench press 225lb in sets of 10. He was wearing a tight black wife-beater and his arms embodied every Disney character, and actor that I have ever seen with a shirt off: Muscular, well dressed and probably couldn’t add 2+2. Around him were smaller counterparts moving less weight, but at the gym the goals and motives are them same for most young males, move heavy objects around to achieve greater strength and physique. Not be out done the treadmills in the center of they gym were packed with women looking to shed some pounds. They too were wearing tight form fitting clothes emphasizing the curves of their bodies. They gym can be an intimidating place if you cant move more weight than you carry on your body or if you were born with voluptuous curves. In the 18th century men weren’t expected to be as fit as they are today. They wore slender suites and top hats, which could compensate for a slightly un-kept physique. The women’s clothing in the 18 Century was more modest than the sports bra’s and spandex of today. Women were expected to wear long sleeved dresses, which draped to their ankles. In modern America more attention is paid to the quest for perfection of the human body, and both men and women are pressured to meet that standard.

Sports... The Daily Uniting Force in America.

For my first blog post I attended a competitive youth basketball game at Alliant International University (AIU), and realized that Sports has the ability to bring people together in a way that even Martin Luther King would be envious of. AIU has a unique area to play basketball; it is in a old airplane hangar that has been transformed into a baller’s dream, 6 full size courts where games are being played continuously from 8:00am till 7:00pm on Saturday’s and Sunday’s. The competition that AIU bolsters draws teams from every area of San Diego, as well as a very diverse socio economic group. Most of the teams are “All-Star” teams and as result the teams tend to draw from more than one town. As a result you have kids who are from the wealthy parts of La Jolla playing with kids from the not so fortunate area of Encanto. As I watched the parents interact you I witnessed two very different groups of parents conversing and enjoying each other’s company. These parents would never have crossed paths if not for basketball. The parents in AIU tell me that sports are an ever-uniting force that can bring people together. I don’t believe that we have studied any one event that can bring people together. The one event that I feel surpasses what sports does on a daily basis is the attack on 9/11. The attack on our country that fateful day, brought Americans together unlike anything else of my generation.

Blog #1

How Badly Do You Want to Lose 10 Pounds



On Monday, I took a trip to L.A. Fitness and was surprised in what I learned about everyday people and what lengths they will go to be physically fit. During that Monday in November, I learned about Americans preoccupation with health and fitness which can be observed in the length of time they spend working out and the difficulty of their work outs at the gym. I was struck by the dedication of one female gym member who walked up the Stairmaster while carrting a 25 pound weighted backpack on her back. I was amazed that she persisted with the burden of the heavy backpack, walking almost an entire hour carrying the weight on her back. I felt a little embarrassed that in comprison, all I was doing was running on a treadmill. I hadn't programmed my treadmill with difficult terrain like running up a hill, so my work out was relatively easy. This experience at the gym made me reflect to what extent that many peoply well go to get in shape and lose weight. I then thought of the old adage, "to each his own". I go to the gym to help relieve stress, and find running to be an enjoyable and freeing experience. I find it difficult to understand a woman who would deliberately put a 25 pound weight on her back to trudge up a Stairmaster. Yet, when I thought about it for awhile, I realized that she was getting the better work out and each person's work out is an individualistic experience. Exercising at the gym is a very American endeavor which speaks of individualism and American's preoccupation with obtaining sleek, muscular, and physically fit bodies. I discovered at L.A. Fitness to what extent gym goers will go to meet their goals of physical fitness on that Monday, when I saw a young girl walking up a simulated starcase with a 25 pound weight upon her back.



Blog #2

Transfixed and Transformed by Art



Recently I visited the San Diego Museum of Art on a weekend where I had a wonderful day of viewing the many paintings and exhibitions on display where I came upon a pastel color drawing by one of my favorite artists, Pablo Picasso. I feel that art can be transformative, changing the viewer's ideas of what art can be, and a trip to the museum says a lot about the American experience as many Americans spend their free time visiting art museums enjoying great works of art. Picasso painted one of my favorite paintings, Guernica, telling, in art, the horrific tragedy of the Spanish Civil War; and the bloodshed which occurred when Italian and German war planes bombed the city. Another captivating work of art was the pastel drawing by Picasso titled: "Painter and Model III", which he sketched in 1970. My gaze was transfixed on the drawing, and I was amazed that hanging on the wall before my eyes was a pastel chalk drawing of my favorite artist. In the drawing, one sees the image of Picasso sitting at his easel painting a nude female model with upswept hair and wreath on her head. In the work, it appears that Picasso is trying to invoke the image of a classical Greek statue in his depiction of the model. I was intrigued by the drawing because I was unaware that Picasso had done pastel chalk drawings. The drawing makes use of complimentary colors of greens and blues, yet it is interesting to note that on the palette the artist uses only contains the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue. Perhaps Picasso was trying to say that he was a true artist because he mixed his own secondary and tertiary colors from the primary colors, himself. Picasso's self portrait is interesting in that he has a long black and brown culy beard and he appears to have a fez on his head displaying to the world that he is an international man and artist. Picasso is an imaginative and versatile painter and artist known for his Cubist style. There were Cubist qualities in "Painter and Model III" as the nude model has out of propotion bosoms with each bosom sitting on top of the other. My recent trip to the San Diego Museum of Art transformed my perception of Picasso's art and I found Pablo Picasso to be the master of many media, including pastel color drawings. My trip to the museum exemplifies the American experience of walking through museums and enjoying great works of art of many genres, including Cubism.



Blog #3

Fairytale Significant to Library Experience



I spent a day in the Carlsbad City Library recently and was pleasantly surprised at tha quality and quantity of services offered to children and people in the community. The Carlsbad City Library located on Dove Lane in Carlbad offers some great programs, like the children's library reading sessions and power point taught to older children from the 3rd to 5th grade. The amount of services offered to the community represents American society's emphasis on education ahd how Americans seek to enrich the lives of their young, and attempt to instill in them a love of education which will impact their future. In listening to the story of "The Princess and the Frog", written by the Grimm brothers, I saw the children paying close attention and hadn't noted any restlessness or inattention in them. I think the children had fun with the story of a spoiled princess who befriends a frog that magically turns into a prince. I have learned that Disney Studios is planning to make a feature length cartoon of the fairy tale starring the first African American princess. I recently thought about the reading of "The Princess and the Frog" that was given at the library that Thursday. "The Princess and the Frog is a traditional fairy tale written centuries ago, but is still relevant today as Disney Studios attempts to remake the tale. I reflected on how fairy tales and traditional stories handed down from the past should be made relevant to all children, whether they are African American, Asian, Hispanic, or Caucasian. Reading to children is a way to enrich their lives, and it is important that people of all races be reflected in literature, art, and the media. It is exciting that Disney will be featuring an African American princess for the first time. The new release of "The Princess and the Frog" by Disney Studios is significant to American culture, because young African American girls seeing a depiction of girls like themselves reflected in traditional fairy tales may have a positive effect from seeing the film in increasing their self esteem, and, therefore, their desire to read and learn may increase.



Blog #4

Too Busy for Christmas



Last Thursday about noon, I was treated to singing and renditions of Christmas carols by the Mira Costa Chamber Singers on the Oceanside campus. The choir treated the audience to favorite holiday tunes that were cheerful and uplifting, putting many listeners into the holiday spirit, however, I was having trouble enjoying the concert which took place in the cafeteria, because the crowd was restless and they seemed more intent on eating lunch before their next class than they were in listening to a holiday concert. The Chamber singer presentation make me reflect on how typically American this all was, as people scurry about during the holidays, buying this present and that one, hanging up decoration on the tree, or listening to a school choir, but never really enjoying the experience because they are preoccupied with planning the next thing on the to-do list. Americans are just too busy for Christmas! Listening to the Chamber singers made me think of my own experience in school when I was a child having to perform Christmas carols for my parents in the audience who for their own reasons were too busy to enjoy listening to their children sing. Many Americans seem to have this problem of being too busy for Christmas. Maybe we should all take a little time to relax, take a deep breath, and take in all of the good things that the holidays have to offer. Americans need to learn to live in the present, perhaps a more Eastern philosophy, learning to take it all in and relish the time spent with friends and family.

Marine Corps Ball

The Marine Corps Ball in Coronado island tells us about class in the way that the Marines Uniform, and the set up of the ceremony was of high class structure, and exposed the beautiful traditions of the Marine Corps. Marines wore their hair very tight, neat, and classy. Their uniforms were very clean and the Marines stood proud in them because they have class, and their posture was of accomplishment that made it seem like no one else could reach it. Even the women that were dressed in the same uniform with female features displayed themselves very classy. Their hair was uptight and there were no loose hairs. The Marines took pride in their uniforms and the way they presented themselves. They marched with class and pride because they stood up for their and other people’s freedom and are proud of it. This resembles the owners of the plantations in their nice dress clothes and how they kept themselves neatly groomed.

K1

On a day out with my nephew it became very evident to me just how young of an age males begin to establish themselves in their masculine roles. I took my nine year old nephew to the K1 speedway in Carlsbad for a little “therapy” for us both. There were participants of all ages and sizes there that day, but the majority were parents with children around my nephews age. After the first race I could tell that he was thrilled with the adrenaline rush he was experiencing, possibly for the first time. When we finished the second race he did not seem as excited and he told me that he had gotten passed by a girl. The fact that he was beaten in a race by a girl his own age was devastating to his ego and a clear representation of how early masculinity is formed in our youth. I think this is a clear example of how equality has progressed in the last century or so. There was a time where a young girl would not even be allowed to compete against a boy in any kind of recreation.

MCRD Grad day

Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is where boys become men. This is not a place for the faint of heart, and will punish the weak who think they will survive. I, myself have graduated from this place of hell, but today was my cousin’s time to shine. Seeing him march on that same parade deck for the last time overwhelmed me with a sense of pride and satisfaction, and at the same time worried me that he would be thrown into the field of battle before he is ready. When the ceremonies concluded the new Marines were finally dismissed and could now search for their families among the thousands that were in attendance. After giving my congrats and expressing my pride to the emotionally drained young man that was standing in front of me, I asked him to introduce me to his platoon. He introduced me to a black family from Colorado, a white family from Arizona and a Native American family from Palm Springs. These men all volunteered and are willing to give their lives to protect the country they live in. This shows me how far our country has come since the civil war, where blacks were forced to fight and Indians were kicked off the land that we were fighting for. God Bless America!

Football Game

This game they call football here in the States shows us exactly what role masculinity plays in our society. Football is a sport where a team of all men, very large men at that, beat the crap out of each other for 60 minutes trying to score points on each others goals at opposite ends of a 100 yard field. Events like these trace back thousands of years, but this one belongs to us. Not many other places in the world do they have events that gather seventy thousand plus people to watch such a barbaric showing of testicular fortitude. Sure, there were the Gladiator matches in ancient Rome and similar events around the world, but those would not go over to well in today’s society. Football is becoming one of America’s greatest past times. It’s a time for family to congregate on the couch, and a time for friends to have a little fun on Sundays. I think this event shows us just how competitive and aggressive we are here in America, but also shows us how important our families and social occurrences can be. I love this place.

Unity in Schools

I waited for my sister to get out of school one day.  While waiting, the school bell rang allowing the kids to exit the rooms that kept them from other plans.  All different kinds of kids ran out towards the sidewalks surrounding the campus.  I was amazed at all the different groups there were that were integrated with all sorts of different races.  This accepting of races in our society starts in the home.  Parents are doing great jobs in teaching their children what is socially acceptable in terms of acceptance of all.  At this school, I did not see a racial divide between the whites and minorities.  There was not one color assuming the dominate position.  In the 1800’s, this was totally the opposite.  White colored people were in charge and controlled the United States. People had set places in society.  There was segregation set by the dominate race and imposed on all those seen inferior.  Over time, there have been movements led by people like Martin Luther King Jr. to combat segregation and for everyone to be treated like equals. I do see society trying to adjust and adapt to this way of life.  Unity is the goal we all desire to obtain.  

culture and entertainment

After my performance at the Jumping Turtle in San Marcos, I was surprised at all the different kinds of cultures present for the entertainment. We play thrash metal and from what I have summed up, this specific type of music brings together all the cultures I have seen in all of my years of living. There were Mexicans, Americans, Persians, Germans, the list can go on until the tongue hurts, and it is a fascinating thing to see. All of these people have the same taste, therefore are like family to each other, all having a good time and enjoying the music performed. In LA the thrash scene is huge and that is where the Mexican culture is alive in the specific type of music. We were privileged to play with a Los Angeles band called Fueled by Fire which were popular all around the world so that was probably a reason why all the different kinds of people were present. It was a fascinating thing to play in front of such a huge and wild crowd, definitely something to be remembered and brag about to my friends and others. And it was also an experience to meet all the cultures I have just observed all throughout my days of living, I actually had the opportunity to have one on one conversations and gotten different comments of appraisal. This can relate to the Pocahontas time and when John Smith became an interesting creature to the Indians, he became family, and that is how I have seen my visit to The Jumping turtle, as a time where we all became family.

clothing optional

My recent visit to a party with some friends updated me on how woman dressed, and it was a mystery as to why, for pleasure, for lust or for just comfort? All around me I was surrounded by short skirts, short dresses, and revealing apparel, all of which where worn tightly to their bodies to reveal their feminine figure. I’m not saying this isn’t something to be complaining about, its just a mystery as to why woman would have that desire to show themselves off in that manner. I have close friends who do the same exact thing and I happened to ask them, nicely of course, and they answered me with, “it is just so comfortable, and I like it.” That pretty much sums it up for me I guess, but the mystery still stands, why should these girls be so revealing? I thought their body was a personal thing, having the thought of being slight pudgy or chubby, which I hear all the time from girls. So it is confusing to me how they would fancy showing as much skin as possible to the world. This could also be obvious to the of course fit and healthy woman who would love to show their rocken bodies off. But even then I have seen ‘big girls’ rock the same outfits skim ones where. Again it is nothing to be recognized, it is just a curious thing. This can relate to how woman of the 1800s and their clothing worn, not anything at all revealing, as much clothing as possible in fact, and in this case it is quite the antithesis, woman would feel better with themselves showing as much as they can of themselves.

class in carlsbad

Sitting at a bench at a local surf spot in Carlsbad evidently proved how there are different levels of class, from lower to upper class. Families of all cultures would come with their either luxurious cars or not so fancy cars, but all with the same goal, to get to the beach and have a good time. There were also Mexican families who would walk to the beach with their kids in strollers or wagons, obviously of lower class, and even then without having the luxury of a fancy vehicle they were still satisfied and content. It isn’t difficult to make an assumption of what class a group of people or simply an individual is, by merely the clothing worn or the vehicles driven will say it all. The fancy luxury vehicle owners also bring large groups of people along with chairs, beverages and snacks with them as they continue down to the sand, another indication of the level of wealth to purchase these specific goodies. Where as the Mexican families obtain small buckets for sand castles and no snacks or beverages or chairs, but again they are content with this. This could also show how those specific items are not necessary for them to have a good time, they are satisfied with the company and privilege to be at the beach, the question will remain a mystery. This relates to the plantation images we have studied in class, slaves were content with the simple instruments they had and made a dance a time of their lives.  In conclusion, it has come to my understanding that anywhere you go, you are bound to see the levels of class, whether it is lower to middle to upper, it is all around us.

In San diego there's so much life and interewsting things around. So many different cultural scenes and people. You'll see many different people from bums to the wealthy. Compared to where i live in Oceanside there are many differences. you see way more homeless people in San diego, and actual prostitutes on the streets as well. Its wrong to judge, but there are some pretty scary and crazy charcters out there. By the courthouse in particular there were so many police and lawyers, and yet it seemed perfectly okay for "escorts" to solicite themselves right infront of the building. There were homeless men begging for cash, someone even walked right by a cop smoking marijuana. I lost my baring and had to ask a uniform for help and before i even asked he could tell i wasnt from around there. He even told me to be careful as if i was in harms way. what makes a city not to far from mine so different? what makes the law be modified? The society I believe down there is different from other places around. san diego is one whole city but every part shows different class and ethnicities, which i think leads to the double standaedw if you will in the law.

At the mall there are always tons of many different people. The carlsbad mall in particular has all different classes, race, and genders. On the other hand, the Laguna Hills mall in orange county doesn't so much. In the Laguna hills mall you'll mostly see rich "Anglo" Americans. There are more high-end stores: Banana Republic, Coach, etc., because around that region thats what most of the society can afford. In carlsbad there are stores of all different status and types of clothing, most likely due to the society around. it makes me wonder if it was planned that way. Stores are brought in and pulled out almost every month in the Carlsbad mall because a store might not sell as much as it should, but because the society and money perhaps always stays around the same level in Laguna Hills their stores remain intact.

Sometimes i work in Fallbrook as a caretaker to an elderly couple. Across the street of their home there's empty land. Every morning there are illegal hispanic men that stand for hours outside hoping for work. Usually they always find it. A white male comes in a big truck and observes them and talks to them to see which men out of the bunch yearn for work the most. My friends father is one of the men that stand out there everyday to pick up landscaping jobs, food picking, construction....anything and to get paid almost nothing. This bothers me and should bother others of our society as well. They're in the states illegally this is true, but does that give American citizens the right to take advantage of good working people and give them jobs nobody else would want to do and under pay them? Waiged slavery is what this could compare with. Bad work environments, small or no breaks at all, below minimal american pay,etc. all the same traits as in the european time of factory workers. this could all be fixed! Its illegal to hire aliens....but it should be more illegal to over-work and under pay hardworking people that are illegal but willing to work to survive in our country.

At the marine corp ball, there are unwritten/unspoken status rules. The higher ranks(master sgt.,masters gunnery, sgt. majors) sit together. Low ranks (private,lans corporal,corporal) sit together; sergeants can somewhat float about. In contrast, the wives tend to mingle amongst themselves; status is their but not shown. The single women, which are almost always higher ranks daughters being ages 17 and up normally stick with their parents They're sometimes introduced to the single young marines who are "worthy candidates" in their fathers eyes. This reminds me of the details of what women portray and partake in the american frugal housewife. The single daughters, since now seen as young women are to dress their best, and to speak and act a certain way 9due to representation of their family). the major difference however, is that now daughters are well-educated or at least have the opportunity to be, and they're not meeting men to marry. nonetheless, the old fashion ways are still intact to a certain extent when attending formal family functions.

Males Displaying Dominance and Masculinity

Vinaka Cafe is full of males attempting to glorify their dominance and emphasize their masculinity by publicly displaying their intellectualism. I came to this conclusion quickly after watching what some of the guys were doing and then spending just a couple minutes with a group of them. They were constantly trying to one-up each other by knowing more about a given subject. One male would often interject with words which were not included in my own vocabulary. His elitist circumlocution included words such as nefarious and others that I cannot remember as a result of my lack of understanding. Another male spoke of creating a list of his top ten albums of the year. Among them were various obscure artists including Handsome Furs and Mount Eerie. A third male was just reading Allen Ginseberg's Howl, underlining and marking phrases. I asked him if it was for an assignment and he replied "Well, not particularly. I assigned it to myself." Having personally read Howl for pleasure I can say that this was an obvious attempt to display intellectualism as there is nothing to annotate without specificity of assignment. Watching all of this, I was reminded of John Smith and how his knowledge of the world and its technology had impressed Pocahontas. John Smith had shown his dominance and masculinity by displaying his intelligence which resulted in Pocahontas' intrigue.

Forum in Encinitas

Blog #3
What does the Forum in Encinitas tell us about class in America?
When you walk around the Encinitas forum you soon realize that people there are higher class. The way you can tell is by their cars, mostly what you see there are BMW’s or Mercedes, some even drive around in limos. Also why it’s easy to tell that they are higher class is because when people shop there they don’t worry about how much money they are spending. Also people there wear expensive brand name clothes and the woman wear the brand name purses and sunglasses. Most of the people shopping there are white you don’t get to see much diversity. Unlike at the Carlsbad mall you see all different kinds of people and a selection of cars. Also people at Carlsbad mostly just walk around unlike at the Encinitas where people don’t walk out of stores without bags in their hands. I believe that the higher class expects to be treated better than the lower class and it is harder to please them, but unlike before where being a higher class depended on who you will marry or going to a good school today even though being a higher class does bring more advantages and material stuff it doesn’t get you respect and you aren’t treated that much different and I think in that way the meaning of class in America has changed allot.

Spanish Colonian Architecture

Carleton M. Winslows 1915 Spanish colonial architecture tells us about race in America in the way he depicts the welcoming of the white race in California through a woman over a young native boy and a young white boy. The woman represents protection of California. It was the natives land. But even though it was the natives land, they still welcomed the white. Carleton Winslow believed that women were “…intimidating upholders of civilized morality” (Amero 2). Being they had a civilized morality, well organized, followed rules and acted upon good conduct, the white were welcome but not to come and conquer their land from them. Many architects shows their beliefs and many cultural aspects through their building designs, such as today where many people write poetry to express their cultural aspects and the differences among their race and the rest. Another way beliefs and cultures can be seen is in the homes of low, middle, and high class Americans. The home is where the outside can see how successful you are.

Afrcan American girl in a CDC

This African America toddler in a child development center tells us about race in America by the way her hair displayed her cultural traditions, heritage, and struggles. This little girl, about three, had colorful beads in her hair at the bottom of several tight braids. Often, it can be seen as a cute decoration for those oblivious to the African American hair, but it is actually an easy and painless way to style hair. Most African Americans have frizzy, coarse, thick, non cooperative hair; it is often difficult and painful to brush or style. Instead of brushing girls’ hair every day, and hoping it would stay in place with the amount of energy kids have, the parents braid and bead their hair. Also, this design can be left in for long periods of time without washing or brushing every day. This hairdo also tells us about race in America because most Caucasians do not have this problem, and their hair can be left out without taking over the horizon. African Americans on the plantations wore head wraps to keep their hair from coming in contact with the things outside and help prevent the spread of lice.

Oceanside Beach

10-27-09

Blog Post #2

What does Oceanside beach tell us about race in America?
The Oceanside beach tells us that today it doesn’t matter what race you are and that everyone has equal rights. I know this because at the beach people aren’t discriminated and you see allot of biracial couples and everyone can do the same things, no different race is restricted to anything and everyone has equal rights. No matter what your skin color is you can sit wherever you like. Also everyone interact with each other no matter what their skin color is and they don’t discriminate against each other. Allot of people at the beach are just sitting and relaxing under an umbrella conversing with one another. Other people are just laying out or surfing and on the other side of the beach families and friends get together for barbecues. It is allot different from back in the day when other races weren’t even able to drink from the same water fountains. Allot has improved over the years and it’s so great to see that everyone can be civil and respect each other. I love seeing everyone together because it really shows that today people are open to other races and we accept diversity more today unlike before.

The Indian Princess

Blog Post #1

What this passage from The Indian Princess tells us about race in America is that the whites believed to be superior to the Native Americans and they also wanted to educate the Native Americans and make them more civilized by teaching them their ways. A great example of this is this specific text from the passage when the princess says "Thou'st ta'en me from the path of savage error, Bloodstained and rude" it suggests that the Princess is thankful that the Europeans have taken her from her ways and shown her the right way to be. Also that the way she used to be was uncivilized, unsociable with dirty blood. The Europeans also looked at the Natives as savages which means they were wild like the animals suggesting that the Europeans have civilized her. Also when she says "And taught me heavenly truthsl" tells us that the Europeans have enlightened the Princess to the correct religion which is Christianity. This can very well relate to slavery,because the black people were treated like animals.The whites didn't even want to drink from the same water fountains as them or even sit next to them.It show how the whites from the beginning of time thought of themselves as superior to any other race.Slavery is a perfect example and it can very much be related to the way the Natives were treated by the whites.

Asian Town San Diego

A street called Convoy St in San Diego displays segregation, conformity, and Asian traditions in their “own” piece of America but i still felt like i was at home. My original journey started out to find some milk tea which I fell in love with in Okinawa japan. Also along the street were many food markets authentic to the Japanese culture and restaurants that showed appetizing Japanese styled foods. I decided to go into a food market since after all, I just wanted some milk tea. I kept getting looked at as if I was intruding in their land. Little did they know, I was not just someone intruding, I loved their culture and how they displace so much pride for their bulture. I could tell that me, a white person, was not welcome in my own America. This is where the segregation and conformity comes out even more. In the store, all the items were imported from Japan. Most people in the store spoke Japanese and even at the register. They uphold their traditions, proudly display their culture, and segregate themselves. It reminded me of my time in Japan and made me realize that they may have their own beliefs, but they are still human beings. It made me want to go back to Japan and then I could really be the minority. As with the slave plantations, the slaves were segregated into their own houses and living area. Even though they were on a whites plantation, they would sing their cultural religious songs, and dance together and come together as a family.

Spending a misty morning on a hilltop in Golden Gate Park you would be in awe of how peaceful and quiet it can become while still remaining a walking distance away from one of American’s greatest and most diverse cities. Golden Gate Park itself is extremely diverse with wooded hills , buffalo(yes, buffalo), hippies, business executives and everything in between. It is a place where people from all, and I mean all walks of life can come and enjoy the serenity of nature in a place filled with hustle and bustle. So what does any of this tell you about land/environment in America? It shows us how Americans use places like this as a communal “healing” session if you will. The beauty of America is part of the prestige we hold in being Americans, and we like to spend time in our nations parks, monuments etc because it makes us feel good as humans, despite the struggles many of us face on a regular basis. It is something aesthetic in which stirs feeling and thought deep inside us, it is nature.

Driving through the streets of South Central LA its hard to imagine what daily life would be like and the struggles of some of these individuals encounter on a daily basis. Yes, the days of slavery are in fact over, but another type of slavery exists here. Slavery to the dollar, the next paycheck, the past months rent. Living in a well groomed suburban neighborhood it’s a real eye opener for me being out here, you can see the struggle in peoples eyes walking the street. It’s real. So this area, what does it have to do with class in America? Everything. They say America is the land of opportunity, yet why are there still so many with almost nothing? Of course you have to work hard, be persistent etc but there comes a point when I believe even if you do all the things that leads to a successful life, you will still be stuck there, in the same class that you started. America prides itself on being open and diverse, take a drive down Hollywood Blvd, then try Watts St. The difference is night and day, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Ruben H Fleet Science Center

The Ruben H Fleet science center contains just about every aspect of science/technology that is incorporated into our daily lives. From storm drains to geological graphs, to space travel, it is all displayed under one roof which in itself is innovative as this building was the pioneer for such a design. The science center shows us how vital technology and science truly is in American culture and unlike generations of the past, the present and future generations will live and die through the application and processes of science and technology. Whether it be global warming or nuclear fallout, all of today’s major issues have solutions lying within the vast real of technological and scientific advances. American people are directly affected through these things and our society as a whole wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for advances in technology. The Ruben H Fleet science center also shows us how innovation is part of American culture, since the early beginnings of science and technology American innovators have constantly been pushing the envelope, exceeding what was expected possible and shooting for the stars, figuratively and literally. This all ties into the American construct that we’ve all been spoon fed since an early age of achieving the highest level of success possible. It is what drives our nation today.

Balboa Park

Walking into Balboa park the first thing you will notice is the utter beauty of the place with lush gardens, majestic fountains, and flawless Spanish architecture. The second thing you will notice is the large amount of so called “vendors” dotted along various pathways and grassy lawns who are performing , selling and displaying a large array of different things. From tarot card readings to jugglers to comedians to smooth jazz, it seems as though Balboa Park contains entertainment from all walks of life. Now what does this all tell us about the land and environment in America? It tells us and shows us how American Culture as a whole celebrates beauty and diversity, not only in its people but in the surrounding land and environments as well. It tells us how we celebrate and take pride in “our” America, and how we romanticize the beauty of our national places. Through this a strong sense of nationalism is created as we feel more compelled to appreciate and support our nation and its beauty.

"Come one, come all"

America is known to have different social classes and it is really diverse. When I went to walmart I have observed that everyone goes here to shop since it is cheap. You can see a lot of expensive cars parked which tells us even people with high status or class go here to shop. As you enter walmart you can see solicitors, asking for petitions to legalize marijuana and asking for donations for the unfortunate. There will be someone who’ll be greeting you hello and merry Christmas. You can find almost everything you need here especially the necessities, and the prices are affordable. Almost everything says “unbeatable”. You can see a lot of signs to guide you where to go or where you can find what you’re looking for. Everything is also categorized and in order. The people are really helpful and nice, too. You can see different kinds of races here and social classes and comparing it in the early centuries I think it has changes now because everyone seems to get a long and whether you are rich or not you are treated the same.

Boundary Lines

Ruby’s, at the end of the Oceanside Pier, illustrates a boundary line which separates the middle-class from the lower-class citizens. During my time spent at the pier I took note of a variety of locals, among them were people of lower-class and middle-class status. There were men of various age groups as well as families outside, fishing for their dinners, who were obviously of a lower-class. Less than an assumption, this was an obvious indication made by the clothing they wore, which was unwashed and weathered. One man, wearing an old hooded sweatshirt and dirty jeans, spoke to us about the lobster dinner he and his buddy were going to catch. He, longingly, spoke of full bellies and wine as he puffed on his cigarette. He was cold and his moral was down as a result of his lack of success and the empty belly he possessed. A family of five sat outside of Ruby’s because they had a coupon, but no money to buy anything to redeem it. However, the people exiting Ruby’s were middle-class citizens. Their clothing was not dirty, yet was still casual and affordable looking. They too wore hooded sweatshirts, yet theirs were clean and displayed the name of a sports team of university. Some wore shorts, with Ugg boots, while others wore clean denim. They left talking and laughing with their families, with the full bellies that the fisherman had spoken of and pined for. The lower-class fishing families did not enter Ruby’s, though the higher-class citizens would dine there and then walk around the pier. Plantation owners and slaves lived with similar boundary lines. While the lower-class slaves were confined to slave quarters and work areas, the higher-class slave owners had their mansions and as well as run of the plantation.

Garage Sale

During a garage sale at my house, I was reminded of how second hand goods can be such a meaningful substance in a person's life. Carload after carload of families, elderly couples and people of all ages and walks of life who had seen our signs posted and followed them to our house. It was also very interesting to note the diversity of our gathering. There must have been at least one visitor from every ethnic community in the tri-city area. I was pleased with the continuous flow of customers, and was excited to get rid so much stuff that was junk to me, but was a treasure for someone else. The history of the American garage sale can actually be traced back hundreds of years. The Indians and also the Inuits used similar practices as a basis for survival. They would trade goods that were in abundance in their communities, such as rice or flour, for items that were harder to come by, such as fabric. This confirms the fact that garage sales are a modern day survival tactic. One thing that really surprised me was how much theft there was. My roommate actually caught one little kid sticking a baseball card in his pocket, but didn't think it was worth bringing attention to. This shows us that that little boy wanted something he couldn't afford, and would do what it took to get it. By doing this the boy was emphasizing the fact that he was of a lower class, but did not wish to remain there.

Unseen Structured Environment

On my fourth trip to MLK, I witnessed a structure of class set up by the economy and used, but not recognized by society which the kids interact in. In general, no kid is considered higher than anybody else, but students come from different types of families and inherit different types of statuses on their own. Richer kids seemed to look more decent than other students and had better cars than other poorer income students, who wore shirts with drawings and sayings like “Dawg” on it and used less fancy affordable economic vehicles. Kids also interact in this class system a lot and do not realize or know about it, but kids often times regard someone as higher by their status achieved or the statistics that prove they are higher or better than someone else; for example, a smart kid in math or a rich boy during lunch, they are considered higher than someone else because they specialize in that area, which sets up the structure of class that the kids use a lot of the time as being better than someone else. Often times I would see this structure form and pop up during the day when active students participated in after school activities or smart kids answering all the questions in the classroom. When we think about history, we soon find out that in the past, it was no different than what the kids semi experience daily, there were many people from different social structures like: merchants, foreigners, natives, leaders, and the environment was structured this way, one better than another theory, or a class setting theory. Today, our freedoms, like the constitution, grant us more power to be equal and accepting a single class system as our basis of living. In contrast, it makes us all have an equal opportunity and eliminates our belief of one class being better than another like the Europeans did to Native Americans in the 1800s.

Marine Corps Ball

The Marine Corporation Ball at Pechanga, Temecula depicts the formality and discipline in America with the way everyone dressed and the way everyone observed the rules. Firstly, the place, Pechanga is really nice and very high class. It is really clean too and rules are observed everywhere. It is also high in technology. When we went inside for the ball you can see a lot of marines, of course and they are all in uniform, with all the medals and signs to tell what rank they are. You wouldn’t see even single dirt on their uniforms also. I also observed that they don’t call each other with their first name but with their last name. It’s funny because at times when I was being introduced and when I ask for their first names, they don’t know. This celebration is very formal and everyone was really civil. All the marines had good posture and they really respect America. This celebration depicts the race of America where in the marines are ready and willing to fight for the country. It shows the loyalty these marines have for the country and that they respect everything about their country. Also, as they have said over and over, it’s about brother ship. Connecting this to the Disney Pocahontas Movie it is somewhat the same because the Indians are willing to die for their fellowmen too.

SDIA

The San Diego International Airport depicts the different social classes in America with the way people dressed and with what they have. (E.g. car, bags etc). Even though the Airport is still in progress you can still say that it is sophisticated and that the airport really wants to give the best service, with the view and the art you can see everywhere, restaurants that you want and couches inside the art gallery. There isn’t just one art gallery too; even just walking on the hall you can see many paintings and historical artifacts. You can see a lot of people and you can tell what their social status are because there are a lot of people wearing business attires that came out of a limousine or a luxury car. There are also women/men who are wearing business attires that cane out of taxis. In this airport you can tell that the people are very nice but still very busy people because even if they are in a rush they still smile at you, whatever the person’s social status is. The airport posses the high class because you will learn something, be entertained and also be relaxed all at the same time. Everyone is treated equally and almost everyone is smiling but some are just really in a rush. When you compare the Oceanside Pier to this Airport though they are really different because in the Pier you can see its simplicity and it’s just all natural beauty. On the other hand, the Airport is now more on technology.

 

Oceanside Pier

The Oceanside pier has a lot of sites, activities, and places to go to, for example Ruby’s the restaurant. You can see everyone enjoying and having fun. Everyone is pretty much bonded. I chose class because by the way the people dress, speak, and the prices at the restaurants are affordable and even the shops. Everyone is approachable and friendly. People always smile when you pass by them or look at them. You can also say that people follow the rules because the beach is clean though there were some dogs playing at the beach which isn’t allowed. Everyone can go to this place and do the different kinds of activities like surfing or fishing. The Oceanside pier tells us about the class in America because as a result of my observations people are easy to talk to/approachable. It is a very peaceful place and clean situates which means the people who go there follow the rules and basically they’re taking care of what they have, since it is also a place to go to for the tourists. Also, just by looking how the people dress up you can see what their status are by the brands that they wear.

Family Values

I went to a friend’s child birthday party at Chucky Cheese restaurant in Oceanside, which made me think about family values in modern society. It was my first time visiting Chucky Cheese, and I was surprised to see how children are generally spoiled.  The 9-year-old birthday boy was receiving almost thirty presents from friends and family. The boy seemed very accustomed to this event reminds me of a movie character: Dudley from Harry Potter, who receives many birthday gifts, is unhappy about what he has. Moreover, some children’s behavior was really bad because some parents are letting their children do whatever they want. It seems that the children are controlling the adults. Children’s good moral values are taught in home. In THE AMERICAN FRUGAL HOUSEWIFE written by Mrs. Child in 1832, she recommends, “----it has a still worse effect on the morals and habits of the children. _Begin early_ is the great maxim for everything in education.”  It means, early training and discipline is very crucial for developing children’s behavioral and moral characters. Mostly, mothers in the 19^th century stayed at home and spent more time with their children; however, many women are employed in this century and rarely have enough time to be with their children. Therefore, I believe it is one of the reasons why children these days do not have good moral and discipline.

Diverse Cultures

Visiting Oceanside Pier, I saw multi racial ethnicities of peoples: Asians, Blacks, Hispanic, Whites that they are all coexistence freely and sharing this place. Some couples are interracial, so their children’s skin colors are different also. In Japan, I don’t see many foreigners or multi-culture people as I see in America. America has a unique history. America’s cultural assimilation began in the 17^th century when Europeans took land over from Native Americans. Native Americans have civilized after influence of Europeans colonizers, and marriage of the Indian Princess Pocahontas to John Rolf impacted interracial marriage. From the Indian Princess passage (p.120), Walter says, “Whenever they were so ill-bred as to appear with their turbans on….,” it referrers to Native Americans in racist way.  In the 17^th century, any race other than white was treated inferior like Walter describes as “ill-bread.”  America has changed since then because the people of democracy in this country system made freedom and equality. However, America still has some racial issues because our hierarchy systems in society will not simply solve these problems. For example, there is a group called KKK still exists in this 21^st century of America, which it suggests assumption of racial superiority claimed by people like Walter in Pocahontas will never ends.  Nevertheless, I think cultural diversity is a beautiful part of American culture.  As a result, still many people around the world come to America for opportunities and dreams.

Reinforcement of Gender Differences

Though people believe equality has been achieved in American society, gender influences the way a person is educated in America leading to differences in equality later on in life.  After noticing that the males and females in the classroom were being handled differently for the same misbehavior I asked the instructor what her thoughts were on the issue. She told me that it is hard to treat them equally because the boys and girls in the classroom act so differently.  She said that one of her biggest challenges is finding ways to deal with the children all the same way. An example of this would be the talking in the classroom; the girls seemed to get away with it more because they are expected to misbehave like this. The girls were warned verbally rather than having to move down on their behavior chart whereas the boys were moved down right away.  Though this may seem insignificant, treating males and females differently when they are as young as five and six reinforces that are different expectations for separate genders, leading to gender inequality down the road in their adult lives.  In America’s beginning, girls were not expected to get an education, instead they were taught to stay at home and take care of the family. The American Frugal Housewife teaches women how to successfully play out their role in the house while the men are at work, displaying a clear separation of genders back in the 1800’s.  America still has not overcome its need to separate the expectations of people in society based on gender alone and the behavior will continue as long as these separations are reinforced while children are young and impressionable. 

Soma San Diego

The concert arena, Soma in San Diego, serves as a place of acceptance for a diverse group of people of all ages thereby endorsing coexistence and peace creating a peaceful atmosphere that is perfectly warm and welcoming-just wanting you to have a great time. Upon entering, you get patted down and made sure you are not carrying anything on yourself. In the lobby, I saw younger kids just mingling waiting for the lead/last band of the night, Mae. The bands that performed that night were Deus Veil, Locksley, and Mae. While walking into the arena, I noticed this place looked like a perfect place to take someone on a date. Inside the arena, there was a more mixed audience similar to that of a community college, older and younger. After surveying the whole place, the prevailing class spotted was middle class, or people that dressed more middle class. The only people that stood out were a group of four or five Asian middle-aged men dressed in suits, standing in the back of the arena when every band was performing. This place is similar to that of a high school, where everything is clicky and everyone is in a group. There is no real interaction between the people watching the concert, just the fact they all appreciate the music. Music Appreciation dates back to the first performances and shows that were put on in the Americas. Minstrel Shows and Operas are the first performances that brought out audiences to watch these shows. Music is something that is apart of our culture and it will take a lot to get rid of it.

Coexistence

The Carlsbad Westfield Mall serves as a gathering haven for a quite diverse group of races The first thing that I noticed while walking back and forth through the mall was that it is totally catered towards marines and children. There is a merry-go-round, children’s play place, and for the little bit older kids there is an arcade. The next thing noticed was the shops located in the mall. Some examples of shops there were Pac Sun, FYE, Sears, Gap, American Eagle, Boot World, and Unlimited. These stores create the potential for people to have many different styles. The only downfall to this is that everyone’s style that shops in this mall is going to be almost exactly the same. The diversity is a bare minimum. This mall is also considered a “Middle Class Mall or even Lower Class Mall.” This mall does not compare value wise to places that are considered to be more higher class malls, like Fashion Valley in San Diego or South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Some observations that I found were that people seemed happy and content, a lot of idleness takes place in these malls, hipsters were walking about, there is something for everyone, and teens and even pre-teens hang here. This brings up the concept of coexistence. Coexistence happens but not ideally. One example of coexistence is the European settlers and the Native Americans. The Native Americans were driven out of their land by the white man. Peaceful coexistence is what America strives for today.

Freewill Childhood



On my third trip to MLK Middle School, my observation tells us that the kids express their freedom greatly and make great use of their freewill power. On a big image of the entire students who attend the afterschool program, they do not seem to have this determinist belief that they are like slaves who are forced to go to school and have no word on it; instead, they are free willed in doing their activities at the same time socializing with friends; the topic of being free is exercised by willingly doing their work, following instructions, entertaining themselves throughout the day, and knowing the restrictions they have with or against them. The students adapt to an independent style and assimilate and integrate into working with themselves in knowing their inter-personality as well. As a result of the great amount of freedom the kids exercise, more kids adopt a liberal and autonomous behavior and attitude which makes being around the kids better. In the 18th century, a lot of people were not free, and did not have enough governing power to resist being enslaved or killed which has been changed through our history like our civil rights that all people have. Now, our culture has become stronger by granting more freedom through laws and punishing those who break them; in contrast, kids have this reward more open to them and manage to execute freedom to their benefit. In the near future, kids will exercise being free more and make historical movements like our civil rights or constitution more significant than it is acknowledged.

Borderlines of Childhood



On my second trip of service learning at MLK, children’s expressed gender tells us that kids are more oriented within their sex. Boys communicate very little with girls and there is little or no dating or couples, back even to a few years or in history, there seem to be a lot more relationships especially at early ages. Boys interact with boys more than they do with girls and girls interact with girls more than boys, and it is something that has changed because through the years in history, we have established freedom in America and the right for our autonomy to be the way we want it to. There is still some communication between sexes and expressed gender like gestures is really alive, but it is primarily composed of two separate groups of guys and girls and, do typical activities between their sex like dancing or playing tag. Guys prefer to compete with one another while girls like to gossip. Back in the 1800s, women and men had different roles they had to take like working or cleaning, and contributed to gender gaps they experienced which meant that women and men had to marry early or manage a family. Kids today have adopted an inter-related gender within their sex which for early teens can be considered dependent within their sex on the way they behave. In a way, their behavior is limited by not using all the freedom they have and developing a cross-sex gender environment because their language adapts to their gender and use words like “Dude, buddy” or “Girl, girlfriend” where initially it is better to expand into a more diverse communicative pattern to establish our real identity.

Amenesty International Meeting @ Oside Pier

On October 18, 2009 I attended the San Diego chapter of the Amnesty International Meeting at the Oceanside Pier. It was shown there that kids do not care about causes as much as they do care about their own personal gain. The main purpose of attending this event was the gain of two points towards community participation. The stands were filled with kids from RBV, Carlsbad , El Camino, and a law school called Thomas Jefferson Law School also attended. Before the speeches started, a African dance assembly came and entertained the people that paid attention. The main part of the crowd was socializing amongst itself and did not pay much attention at all until one speaker from El Salvador came to the microphone. He discussed his younger days in his homeland. He spoke about how his country was entangled in a brutal civil war and how it was illegal to strive and crave an education. His desire for a better life and education made him a target for brutal physical harm by any means necessary. His speech left many in tears, but I noticed many were more attentive to I-pods, Cell Phones, and friends around them then his startling words. After the speeches finished, everyone received a poster with a picture and a biography about a person that is in danger on another country. A candle lighting ceremony was held as a sign of peace and hope, to be sent out from the pier and onto the world. This shows us that the people of today are more like the European settlers then the Native Americans. At first the Native Americans were very open and accepting and the settlers just trotted all over the Indians by taking their land, wealth, and women.

Building Heritage Culture



On my first trip of service learning at Martin Luther King Middle School, volunteering for The Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside, I was amazed at what I was observing about preteen to teenage students about the ethnic culture interactions going on that make up heritage for them. An interracial system of communication I saw developing among races where it is normal to communicate within different races, and has replaced the old way of hanging out within your own race. This style is not uncommon and more different ethnic races are accepting racial differences and coming together, but in the 1990s, there were a lot of prejudice affiliations in the economy and back in the 1800s, kids were punished for playing with kids out of their race. I also observed less barriers of race power one ethnic group might have over another and omitted their ethnic culture to get along quite fine; white boys don’t consider themselves dominate over blacks or Latinos because of their skin tone color or race like, “Give me those cookies because I am white.” Back in the 1800s, it was probably hard to accept this new way of an interracial society because segregation between races was primarily accepted and it was going against your own ethnic culture to live with a different race like the Native Americans and European whites. Throughout history, like the civil war, there have been many movements that have stopped segregation and we have come to accept an interracial environment way of living like a rule- treat everybody equal. Society is coming to accept this form of cross culture structure more and more, and making America greater by accepting each other’s differences and uniting.

Differences and Similarities in 6 Years Time



Recently on November 11th, I visited my Middle School, Hillsdale Middle, in almost the first time in 6 years. It was a riveting experience because I had to help my sister and her classmates as I volunteered, as well as visited old teachers. What I noticed that was very interesting was that, their are many similarities for my time in middle school and the times that I see these kids today. What I noticed was that their was some slight difference in attitude. It seemed that all the kids that I had come across with seemed to act older then they were. That seemed to be the new theme of their generation, try to act older. But there was so much segregation between boys and girls, and I remember that being a big specific thing when I was in middle school as well. They still were little kids at heart because many of the boys and girls seemed to be segregated, and gender was definitely a large factor. I noticed that girls and boys seemed to stay away from each other, even when trying to work with each other in class. They tried to keep their distance which was very interesting. But there were always that select group that was comfortable and that this whole factor really didn't apply to them. But overall it was an interesting experience and I was glad to visit and see how things have changed in 6 years.

Aspects of Femininity

    Women use their clothing as an extension of their personalities in order to portray specific aspects of femininity. During my visit to Regal Cinema, I observed a couple of twenty-somethings having lunch. The girl was dressed in a modest, cream colored blouse, a structured jacket in navy, and a pair of dark jeans. Her boyfriend was wearing a plaid button down and jeans. She spoke quietly, yet lively. This could be seen by the laughter which her speech would evoke. Also, she publicly displayed her affection very minimally. I took notice of a group of six jewelry store employees, one was female, and the rest were male.  The male employees would address each other as a group and laugh and joke all together, but the female employee would address each male individually. She would seductively, touch their hands, while looking into their eyes and smiling. She wore a very fitted white blouse, a black bra, a skin tight, charcoal miniskirt, black pumps, and a belt under her chest to accentuate her breasts. Both of these women were emulating feminine gender roles. The flirtatious girl wore the hat of the "bad girl" or a "harlot", while the other would have been considered a "good girl". Still, women have portrayed their stereotypical roles for centuries. 19th century Harlots would use their dress to draw attention to themselves. They would wear bells on their ankles, and brightly colored, loud clothing, while the clothing worn by other women of that time period was used to portray the image of a domestic goddess. They used corsets to cinch their waists, hoop skirts to create an hourglass figure which referenced their fertility, and aprons to show the domesticity.

Family Dynamics

  Family dynamics in a America in 2009 are different between different races. Latino men seem more engaged with their children than Anglo men. During my time at Holiday Park, I observed different interactions between parents of different races and their children. I noticed that the white parents would hardly take notice of their children. In fact, it seemed most of them were more concerned with their cell phones, than their kids. A White mother sat and watched her six year old play on the jungle-gym, looking bored and uninterested. The only White father at the park that day opted to spend his daughter's play time eyeballing a female jogger and chatting on the phone instead of taking advantage of the time he could have been spending with his little girl. The complete opposite was true for a young Hispanic father who spent the day running around playing football and soccer with his two young boys. This could be a result of the strong culture that continues to bind Hispanics together while White families are becoming less and less interactive on that intimate family level.  It seems White people have acted similarly for centuries. This can be seen by comparing the family dynamics of the English Europeans who came to settle in America and the Native Americans who were already living here. The Europeans wanted to have their own private estates where one man would have many acres of his own land.The Natives, however, could have had all the land they wanted yet they still chose to live close together in communal living spaces.

Trip to the Charger Game

On Monday Night I went to the Charger game, against the Broncos, and the first thing I noticed about our culture is how we disrespect. Yes, rooting for your favorite team has been America’s Pastime, but the way some individuals go about it the wrong way. This greatly shows how some of us look at gender and race in America. Most of the fans said many racist things to each other, swearing, and saying an insurmountable collections of things that could hurt someone with verbal abuse. Obviously I wasn't affected by it, but it made me connect to how slaves, and African-Americans must have felt when they were ridiculed, how hurt they must have been to get smashed with words, and even physical abuse that really effected them in the long run. I should have said something, but I didn't want to take part in what they were doing and bother them. I just observed and notice that even their body language exalted racism and the way they spoke to some woman that walked by, whistling and making them all uncomfortable. I just observed is all, and I noticed that our society has been part of an ecosystem of race and gender discriminations, and thats how its going to be for a long time ahead into our future as well.

Visit to Sonoma



The one thing that I greatly noticed when I visited Sonoma, was the differences in people, language, music, and the atmosphere in general. What this tells me about America, and how this connects to history is that our society generally tends to evolve as the people around them evolve. What this shows is that America’s culture tends to feed of the people and how we act. When only visiting a place about 800 miles away, I noticed the major differences in culture in Northern California compared to San Diego. This shows that there are vast differences all around America and shows that cultures are often varied throughout or society. I noticed that many of the language use that took part up there, confused me and relatively made me uncomfortable in a place that I wasn't used to. In general this shows me that America has greatly evolved over time, and shows that our language, or atmosphere connects to how our culture in different places tend to vary. This connects to all the themes, race, gender, language, etc. Just noticing the differences when traveling to Sonoma made me realize that people create different worlds around them based on where they live. This makes them different people then in a place that you are often used to, which created an amazing experience.