StudyingAmerica

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.

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.

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!