learntoquestion ltq discussions

2. (a)The person I would like to choose for this question is Jennifer. Jennifer is a Vietnamese American who lived in Chicago, Illinois. What she talked about in her interview was about her living in a predominantly Vietnamese community and living in a poor economic status, and how it shaped the way she viewed race in America. Jennifer made me understand a bit more about racism found in Asian communities towards brown people, and it seems to be tied to it being because of having no exposure to dark-skinned individuals/groups. (b) I think this is significant because I feel as though if people were just more well informed and acquainted with one another, misconceptions would fall away.

4. I really like the book so far. I really like seeing the perspectives of others, especially when they talk about their background and how it influenced their ways of thinking.

I agree with Winona and Priya’s assumptions about race. Many of their beliefs surrounding this topic are all things that I’ve thought about before. They raise a very valid point about how our current society is built on the views white people wanted, and how even things that seem minuscule, like media is biased. The many scenarios they bring up about how society as a whole without us knowing about is biased is something that I’ve thought about in a greater context

Jennifer’s story talks about the Asian-American experience within a majority-white institution. She is Vietnamese and grew up with mostly just her mother present, but if her father was around, he would typically make racially-biased comments due to his conservative beliefs. Because she is Asian-American, Jennifer realizes that her experiences are not exactly like her White peers, but also that her life is less frightening compared to what some of her other POC peers have to face. I especially find it significant that Jennifer talks about her realization that she has a different place in society. Even though she is someone of color, her experiences are different because she is Asian. She is able to pass on light-skinned privilege, some that many of her other POC classmates don’t have the luxury to. I think this point is very important, because I’ve always thought about Asian-American treatment in American society as something that’s with so much grey area. I think the general perception is the model minority, however, in the past few years we’ve seen such an uprise in Asian-American hate crimes. Her story affirms some of the thoughts I’ve had about living in this society as an Asian-American.

On the margin, one of the widgets mentions how the model minority is used to suppress the oppressed groups in American society. I think more people should know about the model minority and the model minority myth because yes, I agree with this widget that it definitely suppresses the struggles of the oppressed in this society. It’s important to know what the model minority is because it has shaped many stereotypes society has on people of color. Another widget that caught my eye was how in 2015, Texas adopted a new history curriculum that had minimal talk with themes of racism. This included slavery, the KKK, and the Jim Crow laws. As we see in 2022, legislatures and school boards in primarily conservative states continually are adopting more conservative school curricula that don’t teach students about the LGBTQ+ community or the Critical Race Theory. This widget is ever so prominent in 2022 still, and is something we keep seeing happening across the country.

Currently, I am enjoying this story a lot. Hearing an up-close account of experiences I may never go through, both fortunately and unfortunately, is super insightful. I think the format of this novel is also very engaging for me, since it’s not a lot of formal language, as I’m used to in textbooks and English reading books.

Race

I agree with most of Winona and Priya’s claims, especially the one about how racism effects everything. In a sense it does because think about the first physical things you notice about a person, their height, how long their hair is, what clothes they are wearing, but the first thing you notice is the color of their skin. That is a fact. It is not wrong to do that, but as a human it is your moral decision to treat them equally or be mean to them and discriminate against them over something they cannot control and something which quite literally has no meaning except the one that people around the world made a while ago so they could have people work for them. Race will always be a part of everything even if it is bad or good. The only way it ever won’t be is if everyone was blind.

I’d like to talk about Jennifer's story. It really brings up the point on how set in stone racism is for some people and how hard it is to break free of it and not conform to your family. Also brings up a very important fact that racism is taught from the people who raise you. If your parents, grandparts, and siblings are all saying the N-word and calling black people dirty your whole life of course you are going to think that too especially if you are very young. It is hard as a person to overcome that because usually your parents are right and you listen to them right? But it is your responsibility to overcome that just as Jennifer has and tell them its wrong and most importantly don’t be racist yourself so that you can teach your kids and your generation that it is wrong so eventually it will disappear. Also it relates to my life in a way, I was lucky to have great parents that raised me to not be racist and treat everyone equally, but growing up my grandmother would visit from Russia and every time there was a black person she would cross the street and say that he was scary. That's just how she was raised and never got told that doing that was wrong because her whole life she lived in a majority white Russia and grew up that way. My family all told her it was wrong but its hard to get people out of their old ways. But I didn’t turn out racist because I used it as a lesson of what not to do and not as a model of what to do just like Jennifer.

I wanna talk about the quote “Notice how Justin didn’t just say “Africa,” as if it’s a country (it’s a continent). There is more genetic and physical variation within all populations of sub-Saharan Africa than there are among any other populations on the globe”(26 Guo and Vulchi). The quote here is very powerful and resonates to me because I take Afro this year and Mr. Smith is really opening my eyes to just how amazing and beautiful Africa is rather than just the stereotypical savanna and grassland where lions and giraffes walk. People are so quick to put all black people in the African American category when most people who are balck aren’t African and if they are they are from a specific place in Africa. Africa is the 2nd biggest continent in the world and we think of it as such a small place.

The first chapter of the book was very enticing and I would definitely want to read more. I like how it gives real life examples and tells you real life stories on a first hand account to show you that the problem of race is so real. Also it gets real and digs deep into how it really is such a negative factor in most cultures. I’d like to bring it back to the point that race will always be an issue until the day everyone turns blind.

1. I agree with Winona and Priya's assumptions that “race and racism inescapably impact everything around us" because race and racism can be seen in every aspect of American culture; systematically in how it oppresses people of color, especially Black and Indigenous people, while lifting white people up, socially in how there's different expectations and stereotypes for different races and how learning that you don't need to (or accepting that you don't) conform to these boundaries is something people of color have to especially deal with, and culturally in how only certain aspects of people's cultures are accepted (or even twisted into a fetish) and in someone's culture can be praised but the person is looked down upon because they're a part of that culture.

Justin E.

2.a. Justin wrote about how he has always defined himself as being Black and as being a descendant of enslaved people ever since he realized who he was, when he was first called the n-word in middle school by a white person driving by in a car. However, when he went to Senegal in West Africa to study, he learned about the perspectives of Africans on slavery and how they acknowledge it's something that happened in their history, but not something that defines who they are now. He concluded by saying that White people need to do their part too by teaching other white people because the white people who aren't gonna listen to people of color are ones who need to be changed.

2.b. What Justin said and discovered is so important because the United States defines Black people by their status as people of color; by their blackness, and the history of enslaved people that is intrinsically tied to it. Realizing that being a descendant of enslaved people doesn’t have to define him but rather just be another, albeit important, part of who he is is probably so freeing because he knows he can choose not be limited by and reduced to one part of himself. The message that white people as the oppressors have to work towards educating the racist and ignorant white people too is also really essential because it’s an idea that we have to continue to spread so we can continue to make progress.

3.a. Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome is a theory that explains the adaptive survival behaviors in African American communities throughout the U.S. and the Diaspora, a condition that exists as a consequence of the multigenerational oppression of Africans and their descendants.

3.b. More people should know about this because I have never heard of this idea before, but I definitely think there’s potential in this theory and that it should be looked at (researched) more to see if it can be proven or disproven and how it affects the everyday lives of African Americans.

3.c. Chinese people were prohibited from testifying in court, owning property, voting, being joined by their families, marrying non-Chinese people, and working in institutional agencies. They banded together in "Chinatowns," communities in order to survive which also have other Asian ethnic groups.

3.d. More people should know this because I feel like the history around the oppression of Asian Americans isn't as well known or taught enough, being overlooked a lot of the time. Understanding and educating more people on the history of Chinatowns might also help stop or prevent the gentrification of them.

• I agree with some parts of Winona and Priya’s assumptions about race. I agree that “race and racism inescapably impact everything around us. Even the very existence of the United States demanded their presence”.Everywhere you go in the U.S. you’re asked about your race, at doctors office, etc. the entire country is very centered around race and peoples race had a huge impact on their daily experiences. The United States that we have today is also built on racism, racism against Native American, enslaved Africans, and other people of color. I do not believe that race is a cancer, although it makes very little sense, it's socially constructed, and doesn’t really exist. Race itself is not a cancer, Racism is cancer. Calling race a cancer gives it a negative connotation, but it also has positive aspects to it. For example how everyone of a certain race has similar cultures especially black people around the diaspora, taking little aspects of each other's cultures and making something new.
• Queen Esther a Black, female country music artist, talks about her experience being a country music artist and how people feel like because she’s black she should be doing R&B or something more stereotypical to Black people. Even though African instruments are used in country music. She also talks about the many inventions that we use in our daily lives that African American people have created but get no credit for, instead white people get all the credit. Things like, the lightbulb, Jack Daniels Wiskey, gynecology, the lightbulb, potatochips, etc. she also states that “slavery established Americas first world status, The country wouldn’t be where it is without [her] ancestors, This country wouldn’t exist without [Black people], you owe Black people for everything”. I think this is important because African American people have really helped with the advancement of the United States, and they barely get any credit for it, even till today a lot of Black peoples work is stolen by White people, and Black creators still don’t get credit for the things they invent.
• Two factoids that I found interesting were about Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome, and how Black women have no rights to their bodies. “[Slavery] forced its victims to perpetuate the very instution that subjugated them by bearing children who were born the property of their masters” I think this is important it has shaped the current negative and untrustworthy relationship that a lot of Black women have with the healthcare system and Doctors, and having children in general.
• Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome developed by Joy DeGruy, is “a condition that exists when a population has experienced multigenerational trauma resulting from centuries of slavery and continues to experience oppression and institutionalized racism today” I learned about this condition last year and I think its very imporatant because it impacts how a lot of black/African American families are shaped today. Things like absent father figures, physical abuse excused as discipline, gang culture, etc. It also impacts the systemic problems that a lot of Black people face today.
• I like this book and I can relate to a lot of the personal perspectives given about race, especially Alexa because we have similar identities, being immigrants, having to code switch and experiencing colorism.

1. I agree with Winona and Priya's assumptions on race. I believe that because the United States was built on the backs of slavery, favoritism of white elites, and general mistreatment of those of color, we as a country will never actually escape it. In today's society, every person of color has a story where their race led them to a conflict whether it was a stereotype that was given to them or a racist comment toward them. Racism is described as cancer which I also agree with. Similar to cancer, racism spreads quickly and is very difficult to remove once it's made its way to the person. Whether they are racist or someone is being racist towards this person, it's not something that can be easily shaken off. If a person is a racist, that could take years to really change their beliefs and it was probably started based on their surroundings, their parents, or who their role models are. If someone is being racist towards a person, that person is always going to remember that moment and it's never going to not hurt.

2. (a) I chose to talk about Nick who is Native American and Jewish. He shares how his parents had organized a protest which soon became violent. Police had arrived with tear gas and in their riot uniform, scaring Nick, who was in the backseat of the car. Since then, he explains how he had a general fear of police officers. Nick says that according to his grandfather, being Jewish meant that they should have solidarity with those being persecuted in the modern days and that helping out makes you Jewish. Nick took this and states that this was all part of his identity. In the last few paragraphs, he describes how the American Dream was never real, sharing how all those who have come for it collectively had the same struggles. In his final and powerful thoughts, he exclaims that the Indegiounous people will not be going anywhere.
   
   (b) I think this story was very important for a few reasons. It shows how the fear begins for the police department from a young age and with good reason. Seeing your people or people, in general, being treated horribly for fighting for what they believe in is a perfect example of how people become fearful. Events like such are in their own rights and to be shot with gas or other harmful things is no way to help. He explains that from this event he saw the police department in a different way, saying how as someone who is Jewish he has to help others. I think more people should be thinking like this, Jewish or not. There's no way that you can see a group of people being persecuted or being hurt time after time and brush it off. There's a point where ignorance would step in, you have to choose to ignore it. I also think that the phrasing about the Indegionous people and people of color with the American Dream was excellent. In the Great Gatsby, the American Dream is one of the major topics but if you really think about it, the system is set up to fail. Systematic racism. It's harder for any person of color to gain respect, let alone social mobility. The Indegionous people were here first, they should be thriving, but instead, they're suffering.

3. (1a) On page 30, there is a definition of racial equity. I remember this from 7th grade when they showed a photo of a very short child with one box, the medium height child with one, and the tallest child with one as well. This is equality, everyone gets the same thing. Equity is different because the shortest child will have the most boxes since they have the most trouble seeing over the fence, the medium child with two, and the tallest with none because they can see perfectly fine. Equity is the idea that if a community needs more help than another, the community should get its resources first.
   (1b) I think people should know more about this, from students to lawmakers so that they understand how they can help. It forces you to help the ones in the worst conditions before worrying about smaller issues. Low-income people of color have a higher rate of not graduating high school due to a lack of resources compared to their white counterparts. Instead of keeping the prices for resources high, keeping them away from the low-income people of color, lower them or give them a grant so they at least stand a chance after high school life.
   
   (2a) On page 32, there is a footnote about how people of the same racial group tend to come together in cities such as the Cape Verdean community in Brockton or the Vietnamese community in Dorchester. It explains how they came together to support each other as they came to the United States so that they could feel more comfortable because they were surrounded by their own people who could relate to them about their struggles or just understand. This is the same for people who were of the same religious group such as the Jewish communities throughout New York or the Islamic communities in New Jersey.
   (2b) It's important to know that this wasn't always the plan nor is it really positive to think about. These people came together when they first immigrated because no one else wanted them. Immigrants were looked down upon as they got off the boat, especially if you had no money, no family, and no connections. They wouldn't be sent away but they wouldn't be given the same warm welcome as the German immigrants who came with money before the war. Though it's nice to have a community where you live and to be surrounded by people you can relate to, the backstory behind it is not pretty.

4. Usually, I don't like the books that we have to read for classes, but this book was very interesting. I liked that it was people with different backgrounds sharing their stories and it reminded me of the 9/11 book that we read in class. I think that if people want students to be engaged with the material, a book like this where the student feels represented should be read. Not another book by some dead white guy who had thoughts on society.

I do agree with Winona and Priya’s assumptions because at least here in America, race is one of the first things people judge you by and vice versa, even if you don’t realize it. In the beginning of America as we know it now, the colonizers created an “us vs. them” narrative in the way they treated Native Americans, viewing them as savages and idiots. Since then, society has continued separating people of different races to the point where our racism is systematic. And I agree with ReginaldWindowWasherKitchenSink, the parallels between the development of racism and the rise of capitalism are incredibly interesting specifically because capitalism is praised so much in America and many white supremacists are vehemently against communism. The fact that capitalism and racism are tied together is something I don’t think many people think about, despite its importance in being able to create a society without systematic racism.

Alexa’s story about her moving to the U.S. from Mexico was really interesting. She is light-skinned and a lot of her peers, who were Hispanics with darker skin, would call her white despite the fact that she was the one who was actually raised in Mexico. She talks about being “too colored for the kids in our school” because of her skin color and “too white for them” (her family) because she’s educated and to them being educated is for white people. I also think the fact that many of her peers called her rich because she was light-skinned is very telling about how intertwined race and economic status are. These positive traits (being educated and rich) are attributed to white people, even by minorities, which I think says a lot about our society. I also think it’s really important that she acknowledges the privilege she gets for being white-passing. As she grew older she was able to understand, without excusing them, that those kids made fun of her because of their anger.

One of the little footnotes in Jennifer’s story is about the “model minority” myth and how it affects not only Asian-Americans but also different races. This myth pushes the idea that anyone can achieve the American Dream, as long as they try, which just isn’t true. I think it’s super important to take note of this because I think almost every race pushes this idea that Asians are smart, not just white people.

I also think the little footnote on white privilege is very important, especially as it becomes increasingly relevant. Many people struggle to understand the notion that white privilege isn’t always that white people are treated better because of their race, but that they aren’t treated worse because of it. Instead of trying to deny their privilege, I think white people should use it to try and help others, the way Melina does.

I really enjoyed this book. I always love hearing about different perspectives on different issues and I think it is especially important to listen to other people on the topic of race so that we can better understand each other.

1) Unfortunately, I do agree with Winona and Priya. Race really does impact almost every single part of our lives because of how deeply ingrained the effects of colonialism and social constructs are today. The first thing people see when they meet someone is their race, and from these observations comes implicit bias. There are still people who believe in racial stereotypes and/or discriminate against or treat people of other races differently. Doctors don't take people of color seriously, police brutality occurs more frequently to people of color, and there are so many more instances of things that race shouldn't play a part in and yet they do. One of the first questions in almost every survey is "what is your race," because apparently it matters that much.

2a) I chose Alexa's story. Alexa is from Mexico, but for most of her life she didn't feel Mexican enough because she was light skinned and kids from her school would call her white and rich, even though she was far from either of those things. (The rich assumption came from the white accusations. The kids automatically associated race with socioeconomic status.) She ended up moving because of the bullying to a predominantly white school, and she felt even more out of place. Another obstacle she faced was being undocumented, and when it came to applying for a private school, she lied on her application and said she was a citizen because she knew that saying otherwise would make it much harder for her to get in. She does get in and even gets a scholarship, but in the end the school decided she couldn't go. She learns that she is both victimized/oppressed because she is an undocumented Mexican immigrant, but also privileged because she is light skinned. Because of her skin color, she has opportunities that other kids wouldn't get even despite her lack of citizenship. She ends by saying that it is important to listen to and validate everyone's experiences, despite assumptions and biases, and those who have more privilege should act as a megaphone for those who are silenced.

2b) It think this particular story is so significant because it really draws attention to the colorism that POC face in America, and how much the color of a person's skin matters to the world around them and affects their life and their opportunities. Alexa notices how even though she is still treated worse than white people, she is treated much better than her peers with darker skin.

3a) Factoid one: The "model minority" myth is used as a way for white Americans to minimize the struggles of other oppressed groups and perpetuate the false narrative that anyone can "make it" if they work hard enough.

Factoid two: America's very first immigration laws banned females from China because they wanted male Chinese men to work for them, not Chinese couples living in America and having children who would be considered citizens.

3b) For the first factoid, I think it is very important for people to understand that even seemingly "good" stereotypes are still forms of oppression and aren't actually good at all. Stereotyping people will always do more harm than good. For the second factoid, I guess it just further cements how awfully America treated anyone who wasn't a white American. The fact that they had to create an entire immigration law just so they could prevent having Chinese citizens is abhorrent. They only welcomed these people when they had something to offer them (aka labor in which they didn't pay the workers nearly as much as they should have).

4) I really like this book so far! It's very cool to see all the different experiences and takes on race in America, and yes I also think the factoids are very cool and very interesting and it's both saddening and intriguing to see how all of these historical events still apply and have connections today.

1. I agree with Winona and Priya in their assumptions that race plays a role in every part of your life because sadly it does. The concept of race is a social construct that has sustained itself for thousands of years, well because people love to judge each other. Race plays a part in not only your personal identity but also your privileges, we live in America and horribly, discrimination is not far-fetched. Although I do agree with their assumption that race plays a part in all of your life I disagree with the fact that race is cancer, cancer is a completely evil disease with no positives, whereas race is just a part of who you are, and is not negative in any sort of way, discrimination against race is.

2. I read about Liz, a black woman living in NYC. Liz loved to travel and was constantly on the road. She visited the Czech Republic, Australia, and East and South Africa, her experiences amazed me with their differences. When Liz traveled to the Czech Republic she described herself as being seen as ¨the first black person they have ever seen¨. This very much disheartened Liz, as it was not only glares but people asking to take pictures of her. Yes not of them, or even with her, but of her, making her feel like an abnormal person. In Australia, Liz was treated poorly until she identified herself as an American. She explained the emotions this forced upon her, not being accepted until she showed her American side. During her trips in Africa, Liz was treated kindly and was welcomed, she described the feeling of almost a sense of home and belonging while walking down the street. Liz´s experiences truly show the significance of race and its effects around the world.

3. It is crazy that in the past Chinese people were, ¨Prohibited by law to testify in court, to own property, to vote, to have families join them, to marry non-Chinese, and to work in institutional agencies. This discrimination blows my mind, I cannot believe it took us so long as a nation to begin to stop discrimination. Another horrific fact I read was that ¨about one million of the four million formerly enslaved people died or suffered severely from illnesses(60,000 died from a smallpox epidemic)between 1862 and 1870.¨

4. I very much enjoyed this book because I love reading and learning about others' experiences, it gave me a larger understanding of discrimination around the world.