Below are the final exam questions I selected from the families which submitted them. I changed the wording of some of them. REMEMBER, ALL THESE QUESTIONS WILL BE ON THE FINAL EXAM.
240A (1:00)
Black family:
1. Name two of the three educational strategies to overcoming the language barrier for new immigrants, especially Hispanics. (2pts)
Answer: (a)bilingual, (b) ESL, (c) English immersion.
2. Which minority group represents the largest percentage of American converts to Islam? (1pt)
Answer: African Americans
Blue family:
1. Give one of two major reasons why Frank Wu (author of Yellow) usually declines an invitation to debate affirmative action. (1pt)
Answer: (a) because he does not believe we should focus on one of the solutions to the problem of racial discrimination. Rather, we should focus on racial discrimination itself. (b) because he believes debates are a waste of time -- we need more dialogue and doing.
Red family:
1. What stereotype do Americans have about Arab Americans and their religion? What major event does this stem from? (2pts)
Answer: Americans think all Arab Americans are Muslims (and potential terrorists). It stems from the 9/11 attacks.
Green family:
1. What is Puerto Rico's current status with respect to the United States? Name one of two other options about their status that Puerto Ricans have debated over the years. (2pts)
Answer: Current status: Commonwealth. They have debated either (a) becoming a state, or (b) becoming independent.
2. What was the Dawes' Act of 1887 and what resulted from it? (2pts)
Answer: It made tribal members individual landowners. Indians became homesteaders. However, they were not accustomed to cultivating land and the land itself was quite arid and not suitable for farming. The Indians were either swindled or walked away from their land. By 1934, Indians had lost 90 million of the 130 million acres they had before the Dawes Act.
Yellow family: no questions submitted.
______________________________________________________
240B (2:30)
Blue family:
1. Identify the two largest groups of Hispanics in the United States. (2pts)
Answer: (a) Mexican Americans, (b) Puerto Ricans.
2. Historian Robert Remini makes what argument regarding Andrew Jackson and his treatment of the Cherokees? (2pts)
Answer: He tries to salvage Jackson's reputation. He claims that Jackson had a healthy respect for Indians and ordered the Cherokees removal (the "trail of tears") to save them because he believed unless all Indians east of the Mississippi were moved they would be wiped out. So the Cherokees' removal was necessary.
Red family:
1. What was the purpose of the Termination Act? And what was its outcome? (2pts)
Answer: It gave Indians more autonomy and reduced federal expenditures on reservations. This led to greater problems because reservations didn't have the money to make up for the lack of government spending.
2. What is the basic belief or principle on which the Nation Of Islam (NOI) was founded? (1pt)
Answer: Black people are the "chosen ones," and the white man is the devil.
Green family:
1. Name two of the three educational strategies to overcoming the language barrier for new immigrants, especially Hispanics. (2pts)
Answer: (a) bilingual education, (b) ESL, (c) English immersion.
2. Why was the first wave of Cuban immigrants generally more successful and able to assimilate into U.S. society? (1pt)
Answer: Because they were wealthy, well-educated, often knew English, and they were welcomed because they were fleeing communist tyranny.
__________________________________________
Some concluding notes on Yellow (some of which will be repetitious for those in 240A):
Chapter 7 The Changing Face of America: Intermarriage and the Mixed Race Movement
Remember, for Wu, "Intermarriage and the mixed race movement are positive, but they are no panacea." (p. 264)
Wu is suspicious of polls which indicate overwhelimng acceptance of interracial marriage. He talks about the problem of "preference falsification." (p. 268)
He feels strongly that -- "Integration will remain incomplete unless interracial marriage is allowed." And not just tolerated as some idealized form of renegade romance -- "jungle (or yellow) fever."
In the section entitled, "A New Face for Betty Crocker," Wu reminds us that mixed race individuals have existed since before our nation was founded. He suggests that one-fourth to one-third of African Americans are of mixed heritage (which I suggested may be an underestimate).
Wu expresses some support for the NAACP and its concern that the mixed race movement may be diluting the strength of numbers of African Americans and other minorities. He strongly opposes calls to eliminate racial counting, because we must keep track of numbers in order to monitor discrimination (which is a lesson the French recently had to learn). (pp. 288-9)
Finally, he mentions how a white icon, Betty Crocker, has recently been changed to reflect this mixed race reality. Her image is now a computer-generated composite of 75 different ethnic groups.
On Tiger Woods and Keanu Reeves, the key point is that mixed race individuals, even such celebrities, "do not leave race behind." Society invariably puts them in distinct racial categories.
In the last chapter, I planned to quote the first two paragraphs on p. 325, in which Wu stresses how we must get out of our comfort zones in order to really tackle racial issues.
________________________________________
Notes on Final Exam:
Schedule:
240A (1:00) Thursday, 9-12
240B (2:30) Wednesday 2-5
The exam will consist of two parts: Part I will consist of questions from the latter half of the course (since class lecture on Chapter 2 in Black Wealth/White Wealth). And Part II will be selected questions from the midterm exam, with the point values of many of them increased. Remember to review relevant blog material, handouts, as well as class notes.
Review session this Sunday 2-4PM in Main 126.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Last Week Reminders
As you know, next week is the last week of classes. I want to devote this post to reminding you of what I plan to do and you need to do for this final week. First, I should be handing back the Interview assignment which was due this past Tuesday (11/27). If for some reason you have not turned it in, do so ASAP. Second, next Tuesday (12/4) essay III is due. I distributed a hard copy of this in class. If you didn't get one, check with a classmate or family member. Third, don't forget the final family activity in which you will have a chance to make up some more short-answer questions for the final exam. Those questions are to be emailed to me (ginocchioga@wofford.edu) NO LATER THAN NOON ON WEDNESDAY (12/5). You should be reading Yellow. I plan to cover as much of it in class lecture next week as I can. Finally, we'll talk in class about possibly scheduling a review session sometime before the final exam.
Final Exam Schedule:
240A (1:00) -- Thursday December 13 9-12
240B (2:30) -- Wednesday December 12 2-5
Final Exam Schedule:
240A (1:00) -- Thursday December 13 9-12
240B (2:30) -- Wednesday December 12 2-5
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Follow-up Comments on "My America, or honk if you love Buddha"
Below are my follow-up comments on the video some of you saw last Tuesday, Nov. 20th. Remember, it is these comments that you need to pay attention to for the sake of the final exam. Also, don't forget your Interview paper is due when we come back on Tuesday, Nov. 27th. And I'll also be handing out a write-up of your final essay, which you will have a week to work on.
"My America, or honk if you love Buddha"
I would first of all call your attention to the narrator of the film. Her name is Renee Tajima-Pena. She is Japanese American, and at the very end of the film she marries a Mexican American with the last name of Pena (pronounced painya), which is a bit unusual among Asian Americans.
The documentary is basically a search for identity -- are Asians still an "alien nation," don't belong. (Frank Wu talks about the "perpetual foreigner syndrome" in Chapter 3 of Yellow.)
Victor Wong (actor, artist, photographer, beatnik, Jesus-freak,etc.) is someone the narrator comes back to time and time again. His rebellion against his father who was so Chinese (and the mayor of Chinatown in San Francisco) is typical, very American. Lots of Asian American families go through this, which can be the source of much pain for parents.
1.) Victor talked about why he liked the beatniks (of the 50s), because they were open, nonjudgmental; they accepted him as "one of the boys."
We switch then to Chinatown in New York City, and Mr. Choi, who manufactures fortune cookies, among several other jobs. Seems to fit the stereotype of Asians as "work-a-holics". In this context the narrator mentions the immigrant dilemma: to come to the U.S. for freedom, equality, or "take the money and run."
In the context of the Filipino enclave in New Orleans (the oldest Asian group, having come here in 1765), among other things, the narrator comments on the complicated formula for race-mixing. Generally prefer Asian, followed by white, and then other groups, with blacks being the least desirable. I would say this clearly reflects a degree of prejudice against blacks, which I might add often goes both ways -- blacks having prejudice against Asians (as was evident in the Los Angeles riot when blacks attack Korean stores).
Bill and Yuri Kochiyama, the Japanese American couple who the narrator caught up with in Mississippi. Reflects on the Japanese internment experience, Bill fighting in Europe during WWII, and their involvement in the civil rights struggle. One of their sons participated in the Freedom Summer campaign in Mississippi in 1964. Yuri was a friend of Malcolm X's. Shows Asians did participate in the Civil Rights struggle. (In Yellow, Frank Wu urges more Asian Americans today to join that ongoing struggle and not see themselves as above it all.)
1.) In this context, the narrator mentions briefly how Asian Americans benefited from the Civil Rights Movement.
In her own family, the narrator notes how "all-American" her family strived to be, yet still they were not accepted. Mentions the Japanese proverb (which I believe is widespread throughout Asia): "the nail that sticks up, must be pounded down." But she resisted eventually, and ironically began to feel more "comfortable in her own skin" and even more American, as she participated in protests.
The Hmong family in Duluth, Minnesota clearly was struggling. Had been on welfare for a number of years and now working at a low-wage job, and still told to go back where you came from. The father who had just lost his job and was no longer the breadwinner of the family, looked depressed and longed to return to Laos. It has been tough for many refugee families in similar circumstances.
In this context, Victor Wong made a very appropriate comment about how many Americans associate an Asian face with "the enemy," since we fought so many wars in Asia.
Finally, just a word about the "Seoul Brothers," who clearly break the mold of the submissive Asian. They are clearly "in your face," one of them wearing a t-shirt depicting Malcolm X's saying, "by any means necessary."
The above are just some highlights. As we get into Yellow, I may have occasion to elaborate on some of these points.
"My America, or honk if you love Buddha"
I would first of all call your attention to the narrator of the film. Her name is Renee Tajima-Pena. She is Japanese American, and at the very end of the film she marries a Mexican American with the last name of Pena (pronounced painya), which is a bit unusual among Asian Americans.
The documentary is basically a search for identity -- are Asians still an "alien nation," don't belong. (Frank Wu talks about the "perpetual foreigner syndrome" in Chapter 3 of Yellow.)
Victor Wong (actor, artist, photographer, beatnik, Jesus-freak,etc.) is someone the narrator comes back to time and time again. His rebellion against his father who was so Chinese (and the mayor of Chinatown in San Francisco) is typical, very American. Lots of Asian American families go through this, which can be the source of much pain for parents.
1.) Victor talked about why he liked the beatniks (of the 50s), because they were open, nonjudgmental; they accepted him as "one of the boys."
We switch then to Chinatown in New York City, and Mr. Choi, who manufactures fortune cookies, among several other jobs. Seems to fit the stereotype of Asians as "work-a-holics". In this context the narrator mentions the immigrant dilemma: to come to the U.S. for freedom, equality, or "take the money and run."
In the context of the Filipino enclave in New Orleans (the oldest Asian group, having come here in 1765), among other things, the narrator comments on the complicated formula for race-mixing. Generally prefer Asian, followed by white, and then other groups, with blacks being the least desirable. I would say this clearly reflects a degree of prejudice against blacks, which I might add often goes both ways -- blacks having prejudice against Asians (as was evident in the Los Angeles riot when blacks attack Korean stores).
Bill and Yuri Kochiyama, the Japanese American couple who the narrator caught up with in Mississippi. Reflects on the Japanese internment experience, Bill fighting in Europe during WWII, and their involvement in the civil rights struggle. One of their sons participated in the Freedom Summer campaign in Mississippi in 1964. Yuri was a friend of Malcolm X's. Shows Asians did participate in the Civil Rights struggle. (In Yellow, Frank Wu urges more Asian Americans today to join that ongoing struggle and not see themselves as above it all.)
1.) In this context, the narrator mentions briefly how Asian Americans benefited from the Civil Rights Movement.
In her own family, the narrator notes how "all-American" her family strived to be, yet still they were not accepted. Mentions the Japanese proverb (which I believe is widespread throughout Asia): "the nail that sticks up, must be pounded down." But she resisted eventually, and ironically began to feel more "comfortable in her own skin" and even more American, as she participated in protests.
The Hmong family in Duluth, Minnesota clearly was struggling. Had been on welfare for a number of years and now working at a low-wage job, and still told to go back where you came from. The father who had just lost his job and was no longer the breadwinner of the family, looked depressed and longed to return to Laos. It has been tough for many refugee families in similar circumstances.
In this context, Victor Wong made a very appropriate comment about how many Americans associate an Asian face with "the enemy," since we fought so many wars in Asia.
Finally, just a word about the "Seoul Brothers," who clearly break the mold of the submissive Asian. They are clearly "in your face," one of them wearing a t-shirt depicting Malcolm X's saying, "by any means necessary."
The above are just some highlights. As we get into Yellow, I may have occasion to elaborate on some of these points.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
New Family Activity & Reminders
Yesterday I showed "My America, or honk if you love Buddha". I'll be posting some follow-up comments soon, but today I wanted to let you know of something I handed out in class yesterday. It is a write-up of our final family activity which involves each of the families making up 4 short-answer questions on material we've covered since the midterm. So, if you have a spare moment give it some thought. You will have until Tuesday, Dec. 4th to submit your questions to me for consideration.
Of more immediate concern is your Interview assignment, which is due on TUESDAY, NOV. 27TH, WHICH IS THE CLASS RIGHT AFTER THE BREAK. I EXPECT YOU TO BE READY TO TURN IN YOUR PAPER AS WELL AS GIVE A VERY BRIEF (5 minutes or less) OVERVIEW OF YOUR INTERVIEW IN CLASS, HIGHLIGHTING THE MOST INTERESTING AND INSIGHTFUL THINGS YOU LEARNED.
Finally, remember that we have one final essay to write, and it will have to be out-of-class. I'll hand out the topic on Tuesday, when we come back, and it will be directly related to our last book, Yellow, which you should be reading.
Have a good Thanksgiving.
Of more immediate concern is your Interview assignment, which is due on TUESDAY, NOV. 27TH, WHICH IS THE CLASS RIGHT AFTER THE BREAK. I EXPECT YOU TO BE READY TO TURN IN YOUR PAPER AS WELL AS GIVE A VERY BRIEF (5 minutes or less) OVERVIEW OF YOUR INTERVIEW IN CLASS, HIGHLIGHTING THE MOST INTERESTING AND INSIGHTFUL THINGS YOU LEARNED.
Finally, remember that we have one final essay to write, and it will have to be out-of-class. I'll hand out the topic on Tuesday, when we come back, and it will be directly related to our last book, Yellow, which you should be reading.
Have a good Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 16, 2007
The Votes Are In! A Key Passage & Reminder
The votes are in from yesterday's "story-off", and the complete results are:
240A (1:00)
Garcia (Yellow) 4
Frankie& Linda (Red) 6 WINNER!
Hector (Black) 2
Brother citizen/alien (Green) 1
LA & GA Schools (Yellow) 4
Trujillo (Blue) 2
So, the Red family earns 2 bonus points.
________________________________________________________
240B (2:30)
Victor Ley & Sergio (Red) 6 WINNER!
Americanismo (Blue) 3
Brother citizen/alien (Green) 2
Frankie & Linda (Green) 4
So, the Red family earns 2 bonus points.
I am not sure yet whether I'll make up any questions based on the winning stories. If I do, I will post them on the blog.
KEY PASSAGE: as I noted when I handed back your essays yesterday, I believe the following passage from Chapter 8 of Killing the White Man's Indian really gets at the crux of meaning of the title of that chapter, "the hollowness of a person needs to be filled."
"The lost opportunity to integrate culturally intact Indians into American society may have been the greatest failure of public education in American history. It is a failure that strongly suggests that Indians, like most other people, will only grudgingly submit to schooling that they perceive as hostile to their own values. In an era when an ever-more complex world market is creating new kinds of opportunities for the educated, young Indians might theoretically be better off learning German and Japanese than the tongues of their ancestors. However, it cannot be surprising that Indians feel urgently compelled to reclaim what remains of their cultural heritage before they embrace the wider world." (p. 297)
REMINDERS:
Next Tuesday (11/20) we'll be seeing the video program, "My America, or honk if you love Buddha!"
You should also begin reading Yellow.
Finally, your Interview paper assignment is due on Tuesday 11/27, right after we come back from the break. In addition to the paper, please be prepared to give a brief synopsis of what you learned (no more than 5 minutes, max.)
240A (1:00)
Garcia (Yellow) 4
Frankie& Linda (Red) 6 WINNER!
Hector (Black) 2
Brother citizen/alien (Green) 1
LA & GA Schools (Yellow) 4
Trujillo (Blue) 2
So, the Red family earns 2 bonus points.
________________________________________________________
240B (2:30)
Victor Ley & Sergio (Red) 6 WINNER!
Americanismo (Blue) 3
Brother citizen/alien (Green) 2
Frankie & Linda (Green) 4
So, the Red family earns 2 bonus points.
I am not sure yet whether I'll make up any questions based on the winning stories. If I do, I will post them on the blog.
KEY PASSAGE: as I noted when I handed back your essays yesterday, I believe the following passage from Chapter 8 of Killing the White Man's Indian really gets at the crux of meaning of the title of that chapter, "the hollowness of a person needs to be filled."
"The lost opportunity to integrate culturally intact Indians into American society may have been the greatest failure of public education in American history. It is a failure that strongly suggests that Indians, like most other people, will only grudgingly submit to schooling that they perceive as hostile to their own values. In an era when an ever-more complex world market is creating new kinds of opportunities for the educated, young Indians might theoretically be better off learning German and Japanese than the tongues of their ancestors. However, it cannot be surprising that Indians feel urgently compelled to reclaim what remains of their cultural heritage before they embrace the wider world." (p. 297)
REMINDERS:
Next Tuesday (11/20) we'll be seeing the video program, "My America, or honk if you love Buddha!"
You should also begin reading Yellow.
Finally, your Interview paper assignment is due on Tuesday 11/27, right after we come back from the break. In addition to the paper, please be prepared to give a brief synopsis of what you learned (no more than 5 minutes, max.)
Friday, November 9, 2007
Looking Ahead to Next Week
A couple reminders for this next week. On Tuesday (Nov. 13th) I plan to talk some more about Muslim and Arab Americans, and then make a quick transition to our last major group, Asian Americans. I will be referring to the xerox material I handed out yesterday in class. As I also suggested, by the end of the next week you want to begin reading Yellow, our last book. I plan to cover all of it and in more detail than Translation Nation and Black Wealth/White Wealth. Also on Tuesday I will give the families some time to try to determine which two stories you'll be telling on Thursday (Nov. 15th), which will be largely devoted to that family exercise.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Bordewich on "Sovereignty"
As I promised, below is the entire passage from Bordewich's Killing the White Man's Indian which I quoted in class. In terms of context, I would just say that he brings out some examples of sovereign Indian tribal governments treating Indians and some non-Indians on reservations in a racially discrimnatory way and being allowed to get away with that. So, in criticism, Bordewich comments:
"On a deeper plane, the ideology of sovereignty seems to presume that racial separateness is a positive good, as if Indian bloodlines, economies, and histories were not already inextricably enmeshed with those of white, Hispanic, black, and Asian Americans; it seems to presuppose that cultural purity ought to, or even can, be preserved. With little debate outside the parochial circles of Indian affairs, a generation of policymaking has jettisoned the long-standing American ideal of racial unity as a positive good and replaced it with a doctrine that, seen from a more critical angle, seems disturbingly like an idealized form of segregation, a fact apparently invisible in an era that has made a secular religion of passionate ethnicity. As Arthur Schlesinger has written in The Disuniting of America:
Instead of a transformative nation with an identity all its own, America increasingly sees itself in this new light as a preservative of diverse alien identities. Instead of a nation composed of individuals making their own unhampered choices, America increasingly sees itself as composed of groups more or less ineradicable in their ethnic character.
The belief that Indians are somehow fundamentally different from other Americans, however romantically the idea may be expressed in terms of native "tradition" or magical notions of affinity for the earth, implies a failure of basic American values, for it leads inexorably toward moral acceptance of political entities defined on the basis of racial exclusion. Although the concept of tribal sovereignty has parallels in other ideologies of racial and ethnic separatism, it is potentially far more subversive, for Indian tribes, unlike the nation's other minorities, possess both land and governments of their own and have at least the potential to transform not only their hopes and creativity but also their biases into political power in a way that others never can. It should, moreover, be obvious to anyone that legitimizing segregation for Indians will set a precedent for its potential imposition upon black, Asian, and Hispanic Americans."
Finally, let me take this opportunity to remind you that the essay on Chapter 8 of Killing the White Man's Indian is due next Thursday (Nov. 8th). You also want to begin reading our next book, Translation Nation. See you Tuesday.
"On a deeper plane, the ideology of sovereignty seems to presume that racial separateness is a positive good, as if Indian bloodlines, economies, and histories were not already inextricably enmeshed with those of white, Hispanic, black, and Asian Americans; it seems to presuppose that cultural purity ought to, or even can, be preserved. With little debate outside the parochial circles of Indian affairs, a generation of policymaking has jettisoned the long-standing American ideal of racial unity as a positive good and replaced it with a doctrine that, seen from a more critical angle, seems disturbingly like an idealized form of segregation, a fact apparently invisible in an era that has made a secular religion of passionate ethnicity. As Arthur Schlesinger has written in The Disuniting of America:
Instead of a transformative nation with an identity all its own, America increasingly sees itself in this new light as a preservative of diverse alien identities. Instead of a nation composed of individuals making their own unhampered choices, America increasingly sees itself as composed of groups more or less ineradicable in their ethnic character.
The belief that Indians are somehow fundamentally different from other Americans, however romantically the idea may be expressed in terms of native "tradition" or magical notions of affinity for the earth, implies a failure of basic American values, for it leads inexorably toward moral acceptance of political entities defined on the basis of racial exclusion. Although the concept of tribal sovereignty has parallels in other ideologies of racial and ethnic separatism, it is potentially far more subversive, for Indian tribes, unlike the nation's other minorities, possess both land and governments of their own and have at least the potential to transform not only their hopes and creativity but also their biases into political power in a way that others never can. It should, moreover, be obvious to anyone that legitimizing segregation for Indians will set a precedent for its potential imposition upon black, Asian, and Hispanic Americans."
Finally, let me take this opportunity to remind you that the essay on Chapter 8 of Killing the White Man's Indian is due next Thursday (Nov. 8th). You also want to begin reading our next book, Translation Nation. See you Tuesday.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
A Reminder & Remaining Lecture Notes on Black Wealth/White Wealth
As I noted this past Thursday, I will distribute a write-up of our next essay, which will be an out-of-class one, on Tuesday (Oct. 30). It will involve reading a chapter from a book on Native Americans entitled, Killing the White Man's Indian. I have placed five copies of that chapter on reserve in the library. You'll have plenty of time to do this, but it would be best if you got the topic on Tuesday.
I made some more progress commenting on Black Wealth/White Wealth on Thursday. In both sections, we left off at the beginning of the Epilogue, "Changing Context of Black Wealth/White Wealth: 1995-2005," (p. 199). Since I have struggled to present this material in an interesting way in class, I am simply going to post the remaining lecture notes I had planned to present on Tuesday, which will give us more time to begin on Native Americans.
Chapter 8: Wealth Inequality Trends (p. 201)
A. Although the median net worth of families increased by 39% and the median net financial assets grew by 60%, those at the bottom of the wealth spectrum made little progress in the past decade. And regarding the racial dimension of this, as the authors note: "Using the most recent data available, it appears, not surprisingly, that the level of racial wealth inequality has not changed but has shown a stubborn persistence that makes the data presented in 1995 more relevant than ever because the pattern we discerned suggests a firmly embedded racial stratification. The most optimistic analyses suggests that the black-white median net worth ratio is 0.10, that is, blacks have control of ten cents for every dollar of net worth that whites possess. However, the most pessimistic estimate indicates that the ratio is closer to seven cents on the dollar." (pp. 203-204)
1)They, then, go on to discuss some reasons for this, which have to do with broad factors such as growing debt that affects many people across racial lines.
a.) Residential segregation continues to be a problem, leading black families' homes to increase in value at a much lower rate than whites. "The typical home owned by white families increased in value by $28,000 more than homes owned by blacks." (p. 211)
b.) Increased credit card debt is another factor, and not just for frivolous consumer goods, but often for housing payments, health care costs, etc.
c.) Note the tremendous increase in "subprime lending" (an unfolding crisis today), which is an opportunity for people with low incomes, poor credit, to obtain a house. But the danger of default (i.e., not being able to make your mortgage payments) is much greater due to higher interest rates, balloon payments, etc. The number of foreclosures is rising, which is not only a personal disaster but adversely affects communities and revitalization efforts.
d.) Pay-day lenders, check cashing places concentrated in minority areas contribute to their inability to build wealth. In this context the authors nicely summarize the "poor tax" that many African Americans often have to pay. (See last paragraph, p.223 and first paragraph, p.224, where "poor tax" is referred to.)
e.) The rapidly increasing rate of incarceration among African American males, combined with the economic decline of central cities, has been a "catastrophic tragedy." And since most economic indicators used in this book exclude the incarcerated population, there is a strong likelihood that we are underestimating the gap between black wealth and white wealth.
Summarizing: "... the bottom line is that the racial wealth gap worsened during the last decade." (p. 226)
Chapter 9: The Emergence of Asset-Based Policy (p. 229)
A. Ironically, despite the growing evidence of this wealth gap, public policy over the past decade has led to increasing, not decreasing, wealth inequality.
1.) For example, the push to repeal the estate tax by the Bush Adm. is one of those policies. They note how few people this affects, yet how repealing it will mean foregoing some $1 trillion over 10 years! They go on to propose a more reasonable estate tax reform based on the principle that very wealthy individuals should not have the power to simply pass on economic success, material comfort, power to those who have not earned it, even if they happen to be family or relatives.
a.) "Repeal of the estate tax gives imprimatur to the sedimentation of inequality for African Americans and hence framing it as a civil rights issue is legitimate." (p. 236)
2.) They challenge the claim that privatization of Social Security would benefit Blacks because they don't live as long as Whites. But the authors effectively counter that, noting how Blacks greatly benefit from the disability aspects of Social Security.
B. The authors make a very good overall point about how the lack of investment in public goods such as education and health care undercuts efforts at building wealth among African Americans and many others. (A point I made earlier, as well.)
(See middle paragraph, p. 240)
1.) African Americans are also more likely to deplete their wealth due to a severe health condition.
C. They go on to outline some positive developments in assisting the poor in building assets -- eg. "matched savings" in areas such as education, home ownership; providing more access to regular banking services and conventional mortgages; they cite the "Community Reinvestment Act" which forced banks to provide some money to re-build poor areas.
1.) "Inner-city black neighborhoods continue to suffer from segregation, isolation from jobs, and poor city services and schools. Regional policy that directly attacks these issues would increase the value of homes in these communities, making access to better jobs and greater incomes available, and improve the quality of schools." (p. 253) Also, improving transportation to suburbs where jobs are and "inclusionary zoning" (i.e., require developers to build low-to-moderate income housing in suburban communities) would help.
2.) They want to create a "stakeholder society" -- that individuals have a stake or investment in all aspects of society. Would contribute to more stable marriages, children doing better in school, support for community organizations. (And I would also add: important in terms of fighting crime.)
3.) They suggest we embrace the "reparations" movement (rather than just dismiss it) on a community-wide basis. And making the case for this by exposing the legacy of discrimination.
D. They conclude with an insightful comment on residential segregation being the lynchpin of race relations today. (See last paragraph, p. 267, and all of p. 268) Concluding with a call for "a new civil rights movement," which I would add, is not all that different from what Dr. King was trying to do when his life was cut short.
I made some more progress commenting on Black Wealth/White Wealth on Thursday. In both sections, we left off at the beginning of the Epilogue, "Changing Context of Black Wealth/White Wealth: 1995-2005," (p. 199). Since I have struggled to present this material in an interesting way in class, I am simply going to post the remaining lecture notes I had planned to present on Tuesday, which will give us more time to begin on Native Americans.
Chapter 8: Wealth Inequality Trends (p. 201)
A. Although the median net worth of families increased by 39% and the median net financial assets grew by 60%, those at the bottom of the wealth spectrum made little progress in the past decade. And regarding the racial dimension of this, as the authors note: "Using the most recent data available, it appears, not surprisingly, that the level of racial wealth inequality has not changed but has shown a stubborn persistence that makes the data presented in 1995 more relevant than ever because the pattern we discerned suggests a firmly embedded racial stratification. The most optimistic analyses suggests that the black-white median net worth ratio is 0.10, that is, blacks have control of ten cents for every dollar of net worth that whites possess. However, the most pessimistic estimate indicates that the ratio is closer to seven cents on the dollar." (pp. 203-204)
1)They, then, go on to discuss some reasons for this, which have to do with broad factors such as growing debt that affects many people across racial lines.
a.) Residential segregation continues to be a problem, leading black families' homes to increase in value at a much lower rate than whites. "The typical home owned by white families increased in value by $28,000 more than homes owned by blacks." (p. 211)
b.) Increased credit card debt is another factor, and not just for frivolous consumer goods, but often for housing payments, health care costs, etc.
c.) Note the tremendous increase in "subprime lending" (an unfolding crisis today), which is an opportunity for people with low incomes, poor credit, to obtain a house. But the danger of default (i.e., not being able to make your mortgage payments) is much greater due to higher interest rates, balloon payments, etc. The number of foreclosures is rising, which is not only a personal disaster but adversely affects communities and revitalization efforts.
d.) Pay-day lenders, check cashing places concentrated in minority areas contribute to their inability to build wealth. In this context the authors nicely summarize the "poor tax" that many African Americans often have to pay. (See last paragraph, p.223 and first paragraph, p.224, where "poor tax" is referred to.)
e.) The rapidly increasing rate of incarceration among African American males, combined with the economic decline of central cities, has been a "catastrophic tragedy." And since most economic indicators used in this book exclude the incarcerated population, there is a strong likelihood that we are underestimating the gap between black wealth and white wealth.
Summarizing: "... the bottom line is that the racial wealth gap worsened during the last decade." (p. 226)
Chapter 9: The Emergence of Asset-Based Policy (p. 229)
A. Ironically, despite the growing evidence of this wealth gap, public policy over the past decade has led to increasing, not decreasing, wealth inequality.
1.) For example, the push to repeal the estate tax by the Bush Adm. is one of those policies. They note how few people this affects, yet how repealing it will mean foregoing some $1 trillion over 10 years! They go on to propose a more reasonable estate tax reform based on the principle that very wealthy individuals should not have the power to simply pass on economic success, material comfort, power to those who have not earned it, even if they happen to be family or relatives.
a.) "Repeal of the estate tax gives imprimatur to the sedimentation of inequality for African Americans and hence framing it as a civil rights issue is legitimate." (p. 236)
2.) They challenge the claim that privatization of Social Security would benefit Blacks because they don't live as long as Whites. But the authors effectively counter that, noting how Blacks greatly benefit from the disability aspects of Social Security.
B. The authors make a very good overall point about how the lack of investment in public goods such as education and health care undercuts efforts at building wealth among African Americans and many others. (A point I made earlier, as well.)
(See middle paragraph, p. 240)
1.) African Americans are also more likely to deplete their wealth due to a severe health condition.
C. They go on to outline some positive developments in assisting the poor in building assets -- eg. "matched savings" in areas such as education, home ownership; providing more access to regular banking services and conventional mortgages; they cite the "Community Reinvestment Act" which forced banks to provide some money to re-build poor areas.
1.) "Inner-city black neighborhoods continue to suffer from segregation, isolation from jobs, and poor city services and schools. Regional policy that directly attacks these issues would increase the value of homes in these communities, making access to better jobs and greater incomes available, and improve the quality of schools." (p. 253) Also, improving transportation to suburbs where jobs are and "inclusionary zoning" (i.e., require developers to build low-to-moderate income housing in suburban communities) would help.
2.) They want to create a "stakeholder society" -- that individuals have a stake or investment in all aspects of society. Would contribute to more stable marriages, children doing better in school, support for community organizations. (And I would also add: important in terms of fighting crime.)
3.) They suggest we embrace the "reparations" movement (rather than just dismiss it) on a community-wide basis. And making the case for this by exposing the legacy of discrimination.
D. They conclude with an insightful comment on residential segregation being the lynchpin of race relations today. (See last paragraph, p. 267, and all of p. 268) Concluding with a call for "a new civil rights movement," which I would add, is not all that different from what Dr. King was trying to do when his life was cut short.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
"Crossing Arizona" Extra Credit Opportunity
Next Tuesday, Oct. 23rd there will be two events focused on the issue of immigration, which clearly has race and ethnic relations overtones. I will give you 3pts extra credit for attending either the 11-12noon panel discussion in Leonard Auditorium featuring the director of "Crossing Arizona," among others, or attending the evening showing (7PM), also in Leonard, of the documentary "Crossing Arizona." To earn these points you need to attend either event and write-up a paragraph or two on the significance of what you learned for our course. Instead of turning a hard copy in to me, simply post your comments on this blog post.
Sounding Board for Extra Credit
Dear Race and Ethnic Relations students, I am setting up this blog post to gather any comments about relevant articles or experiences which I will consider for possible awarding of extra credit points. Whenever you feel the urge to make some comment about anything we've covered in class or you may encounter in the reading, feel free to use this post for that purpose. Please be sure to indicate in what way your comment(s) may be relevant to the course. I will consider (but not guarantee) extra credit points, and I will let you know what points, if any, I will give for your contributions. Prof. Ginocchio
Monday, October 15, 2007
Review for Midterm Exam 10/18
In preparation for our review for the midterm exam tomorrow, I am posting the exam questions that the families generated and that will be on the exam. We will discuss the answers to these questions tomorrow. And remember there are different questions for each section.
Soc. 240A (1:00)
1. Given that in the past race has had such an influence on national identity, what does it mean to be an American today? (In the context of part 2 of the video series.) (2pts)
2. What was the decision in the Bakke case and which justice disagreed with the majority and why? (3pts)
3. Identify and briefly discuss two of the four ways of overcoming prejudice which were brought out in class lecture. (4pts)
4. Where did the only successful slave rebellion occur and why was it successful? (2pts)
5. What Surpreme Court decision ended Jim Crow segregation? (1)
Soc. 240B (2:30)
1. In the context of Part 2 of the video series, identify two of the three examples of race being used explicitly for the purpose of political gain. (2pts)
2. What was the result of the DNA experiment carried out in Part 1 of the video series? (2pts)
3. Identify and describe one of the four sources from which we learn prejudice that were presented in class lecture. (2pts)
4. What was the "40 acres and a mule" bill? (1pt)
5. Why was Booker T. Washington's message more accepted in the white community? (1pt)
In addition, you need to review the following xerox handouts and blog posts.
Xerox handouts:
1. Basic Definitions
2. "Six Lessons From Jena" Southern Poverty Law Center
3. "Jena, O.J., and the Jailing of Black America" Orlando Patterson
4. "Civil Rights Progress May Be Lost" featuring comments of Beverly Tatum
Blog posts:
1. Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva comment (9/11)
2. Lecture Material Catch-Up (relevance of course & culture) (9/12)
3. Quotations & Lecture Material on Racism (9/28)
4. Reminders, Follow-Up & Lecture Material (ethnocentrism and racism, law as the fourth strategy for overcoming prejudice, discrimination) (10/5)
Finally, let me underscore that the only material on the Jena 6 you need to review are the two handouts mentioned above. You do not have to go over any of the blog material on the Jena 6.
See you tomorrow.
Soc. 240A (1:00)
1. Given that in the past race has had such an influence on national identity, what does it mean to be an American today? (In the context of part 2 of the video series.) (2pts)
2. What was the decision in the Bakke case and which justice disagreed with the majority and why? (3pts)
3. Identify and briefly discuss two of the four ways of overcoming prejudice which were brought out in class lecture. (4pts)
4. Where did the only successful slave rebellion occur and why was it successful? (2pts)
5. What Surpreme Court decision ended Jim Crow segregation? (1)
Soc. 240B (2:30)
1. In the context of Part 2 of the video series, identify two of the three examples of race being used explicitly for the purpose of political gain. (2pts)
2. What was the result of the DNA experiment carried out in Part 1 of the video series? (2pts)
3. Identify and describe one of the four sources from which we learn prejudice that were presented in class lecture. (2pts)
4. What was the "40 acres and a mule" bill? (1pt)
5. Why was Booker T. Washington's message more accepted in the white community? (1pt)
In addition, you need to review the following xerox handouts and blog posts.
Xerox handouts:
1. Basic Definitions
2. "Six Lessons From Jena" Southern Poverty Law Center
3. "Jena, O.J., and the Jailing of Black America" Orlando Patterson
4. "Civil Rights Progress May Be Lost" featuring comments of Beverly Tatum
Blog posts:
1. Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva comment (9/11)
2. Lecture Material Catch-Up (relevance of course & culture) (9/12)
3. Quotations & Lecture Material on Racism (9/28)
4. Reminders, Follow-Up & Lecture Material (ethnocentrism and racism, law as the fourth strategy for overcoming prejudice, discrimination) (10/5)
Finally, let me underscore that the only material on the Jena 6 you need to review are the two handouts mentioned above. You do not have to go over any of the blog material on the Jena 6.
See you tomorrow.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Reminders, Follow-up & Lecture Material
First of all, one last reminder about posting a comment in reaction to my comment, "Reflections on the Jena 6," from last Wed., Sept. 26th. You have until midnight tonight (Fri., Oct. 5th) to post your comment and earn 3 activity points. Also, for those interested in 2 extra credit points, don't forget the Spartanburg International Festival tomorrow at Barnet Park. Again, I am just asking you to check in with one of the booths in the "Ave. of Nations" and ask them if they think there is anything about their group that they wished the people of Spartanburg knew better what would that be. Just write up a brief paragraph on their response which you must turn in next Tuesday. Finally, next week Thursday we will do another family exercise to determine two more midterm exam questions.
Follow-up: I want to follow-up briefly on my comments on ethnocentrism. Remember, ethnocentrism is to racism as ethnic group is to race. Ethnocentrism is an attitude of superiority based on one's culture or way of life, which may not have to do with race. I also suggested that all cultures promote a certain degree of ethnocentrism which isn't necessarily bad (eg. patriotism), but that I have trouble accepting the notion that any degree of racism can be good. So, I would make a distinction between ethnocentrism and racism. The reason these two terms have often been lumped together or seen as virtually the same is because they did go hand in hand during the days of European colonization of the New World, Africa, and Asia. I hope that helps clarify my position on that.
NEW LECTURE MATERIAL: As usual, I find myself behind, so I will use the rest of this post to wrap up my comments on prejudice and then move on to the final basic definition of discrimination.
PREJUDICE: We were considering ways of overcoming prejudice. I want to pick up here with the fourth and final way, LAW.
A. Although law by itself is no solution because you obviously can't legislate attitudes or morality, or pass a law against prejudice, that does not mean law may not have an indirect effect. We can and have legislated against discrimination which may at least help to eliminate barriers to opportunity, contact, and equality, all of which may help to reduce prejudice.
1. Dr. King acknowledged this important indirect role of law in his book, Stride Toward Freedom, He said: "Government action is not the whole answer in the present crisis, but it is an important partial answer. Morals cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. The law cannot make an employer love me, but it can keep him from refusing to hire me because of the color of my skin. We must depend on religion and education to alter the errors of the heart and mind; but meanwhile it is an immoral act to compel a man to accept injustice until another man's heart is set straight. As the experience of several northern states has shown, antidiscrimination laws can provide powerful sanctions against this kind of immorality."
"Moreover, the law itself is a form of education."
2. So, law may force people or institutions to take steps to eliminate prejudice and discrimination which they may not otherwise have taken on their own. Legislation, federal enforcement, assisted lots of silent white supporters of the civil rights movement in the South to "do the right thing."
3. And, finally, it should also be noted that law is only as effective and strong as it is enforced.
DISCRIMINATION:
A. Whereas prejudice involves attitudes, discrimination has to do with actions, actions which may involve individuals, groups, or institutions -- actions which deny certain people access to significant objects and opportunities in society.
1. Discrimination is not just "drawing a distinction" (which is one of the dictionary's definitions), as in the sentence: "She has a discriminating eye for art."
2. Discrimination is serious business, especially when it is written into law or part of the "normal" operation of society (i.e., institutionalized). Racially discriminatory laws have been in place for much of our history, at least up until the 1960s civil rights legislation was passed.
a.) As Harry Kitano comments "... discriminatory laws have been the most powerful weapon to exclude groups from participation as equals in our society. Immigration, citizenship, housing, education, and marriage have been denied through legal means in the past so the (proverbial) level playing field has been tilted against minority groups."
3. The definition of discrimination raises a question about the validity of the term "reverse discrimination," which is often used to attack programs such as affirmative action. Minorities, by definition, do not wield the kind of power over the dominant group implied by that term, unless many in the dominant group are won over to their cause.
a.) Eg. Affirmative action programs were adopted and implemented by a majority of white decision-makers in government and business, and both government and business are still dominated by white males. (82% of members of boards of directors of the top 1000 corporations are non-Hispanic white males, and that percentage is even higher for CEOs, Fortune magazine 2002)
b.) And to suggest (as the term "reverse discrimination" does) that affirmative action is on a par with past discrimination is a gross distortion of history.
c.) I can understand the use of this term on an individual level where someone may feel they were unfairly denied a position because of race, but in a broader sense I do not think the term is legitimate.
4. The causes or explanations of discrimination are generally comparable to the theories of prejudice -- these actions have a lot to do with the perceived threat minority groups represent.
5. Finally, overcoming or correcting for discrimination is not easy because the primary responsibility for change lies with the perpetrators -- they have to be made aware of the injustice. Which is why victims of discrimination have to resort to "extra-legal" means such as protests and boycotts, etc. in order to get the attention of the perpetrators of discrimination.
That's all for now. I'll highlight a few of these points on Tuesday, but then plan to quickly move on to discussing in more detail each of the major racial and ethnic minority groups.
Follow-up: I want to follow-up briefly on my comments on ethnocentrism. Remember, ethnocentrism is to racism as ethnic group is to race. Ethnocentrism is an attitude of superiority based on one's culture or way of life, which may not have to do with race. I also suggested that all cultures promote a certain degree of ethnocentrism which isn't necessarily bad (eg. patriotism), but that I have trouble accepting the notion that any degree of racism can be good. So, I would make a distinction between ethnocentrism and racism. The reason these two terms have often been lumped together or seen as virtually the same is because they did go hand in hand during the days of European colonization of the New World, Africa, and Asia. I hope that helps clarify my position on that.
NEW LECTURE MATERIAL: As usual, I find myself behind, so I will use the rest of this post to wrap up my comments on prejudice and then move on to the final basic definition of discrimination.
PREJUDICE: We were considering ways of overcoming prejudice. I want to pick up here with the fourth and final way, LAW.
A. Although law by itself is no solution because you obviously can't legislate attitudes or morality, or pass a law against prejudice, that does not mean law may not have an indirect effect. We can and have legislated against discrimination which may at least help to eliminate barriers to opportunity, contact, and equality, all of which may help to reduce prejudice.
1. Dr. King acknowledged this important indirect role of law in his book, Stride Toward Freedom, He said: "Government action is not the whole answer in the present crisis, but it is an important partial answer. Morals cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. The law cannot make an employer love me, but it can keep him from refusing to hire me because of the color of my skin. We must depend on religion and education to alter the errors of the heart and mind; but meanwhile it is an immoral act to compel a man to accept injustice until another man's heart is set straight. As the experience of several northern states has shown, antidiscrimination laws can provide powerful sanctions against this kind of immorality."
"Moreover, the law itself is a form of education."
2. So, law may force people or institutions to take steps to eliminate prejudice and discrimination which they may not otherwise have taken on their own. Legislation, federal enforcement, assisted lots of silent white supporters of the civil rights movement in the South to "do the right thing."
3. And, finally, it should also be noted that law is only as effective and strong as it is enforced.
DISCRIMINATION:
A. Whereas prejudice involves attitudes, discrimination has to do with actions, actions which may involve individuals, groups, or institutions -- actions which deny certain people access to significant objects and opportunities in society.
1. Discrimination is not just "drawing a distinction" (which is one of the dictionary's definitions), as in the sentence: "She has a discriminating eye for art."
2. Discrimination is serious business, especially when it is written into law or part of the "normal" operation of society (i.e., institutionalized). Racially discriminatory laws have been in place for much of our history, at least up until the 1960s civil rights legislation was passed.
a.) As Harry Kitano comments "... discriminatory laws have been the most powerful weapon to exclude groups from participation as equals in our society. Immigration, citizenship, housing, education, and marriage have been denied through legal means in the past so the (proverbial) level playing field has been tilted against minority groups."
3. The definition of discrimination raises a question about the validity of the term "reverse discrimination," which is often used to attack programs such as affirmative action. Minorities, by definition, do not wield the kind of power over the dominant group implied by that term, unless many in the dominant group are won over to their cause.
a.) Eg. Affirmative action programs were adopted and implemented by a majority of white decision-makers in government and business, and both government and business are still dominated by white males. (82% of members of boards of directors of the top 1000 corporations are non-Hispanic white males, and that percentage is even higher for CEOs, Fortune magazine 2002)
b.) And to suggest (as the term "reverse discrimination" does) that affirmative action is on a par with past discrimination is a gross distortion of history.
c.) I can understand the use of this term on an individual level where someone may feel they were unfairly denied a position because of race, but in a broader sense I do not think the term is legitimate.
4. The causes or explanations of discrimination are generally comparable to the theories of prejudice -- these actions have a lot to do with the perceived threat minority groups represent.
5. Finally, overcoming or correcting for discrimination is not easy because the primary responsibility for change lies with the perpetrators -- they have to be made aware of the injustice. Which is why victims of discrimination have to resort to "extra-legal" means such as protests and boycotts, etc. in order to get the attention of the perpetrators of discrimination.
That's all for now. I'll highlight a few of these points on Tuesday, but then plan to quickly move on to discussing in more detail each of the major racial and ethnic minority groups.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Reminders & Looking Ahead
Thus far I've read only five comments about my 9/26 post, "Reflections on the Jena 6." Remember that the deadline for this is this coming FRIDAY, OCT. 5th. I will accept comments posted before midnight on that date. Any comment after that will not be accepted, and you will miss out on 3 activity points.
Regarding the Jena 6, I will be handing out two very interesting pieces on the case in class tomorrow. First, the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Teaching Tolerance" project outlined six lessons from this case which I believe have broad application in dealing with incidents of racial bias. Second, African American sociologist, Orlando Patterson had a very interesting op-ed piece in the New York Times yesterday, 9/30 which reminds us both of the overuse of the prison system in dealing with young black males and issues that need to be addressed in the black community itself.
Don't forget your first essay is due tomorrow 10/2. And we will be getting back to the Basic Definitions.
Regarding the Jena 6, I will be handing out two very interesting pieces on the case in class tomorrow. First, the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Teaching Tolerance" project outlined six lessons from this case which I believe have broad application in dealing with incidents of racial bias. Second, African American sociologist, Orlando Patterson had a very interesting op-ed piece in the New York Times yesterday, 9/30 which reminds us both of the overuse of the prison system in dealing with young black males and issues that need to be addressed in the black community itself.
Don't forget your first essay is due tomorrow 10/2. And we will be getting back to the Basic Definitions.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Quotations & Lecture Material on Racism
I quoted a couple passages in 240A yesterday which I promised to put on the blog. For those in 240B (at 2:30) I did not get to these quotes yesterday but I will next Tuesday, Oct. 2nd.
The first passage is from an article by Stephen Jay Gould entitled "The Geometer of Race," which is mainly about one of the first race theories developed by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in 1776. He coined the term "caucasian" to refer to whites and placed them at the top of his hierarchy of races. And his basis for doing this was not what could be considered "hard science" or fact but aesthetic judgment.
"... he identified the people around Mount Causasus as the closest embodiments of the original ideal and proceeded to name the entire European race for its finest representatives."
"But Blumenbach now faced a dilemma. He had already affirmed the mental and moral equality of all peoples. He therefore could not use these conventional criteria of racist ranking to establish degrees of relative departure from the Caucasian ideal. Instead, and however subjective (and even risible) we view the criterion today, Blumenbach chose physical beauty as his guide to ranking. He simply affirmed that Europeans were most beautiful, with Caucasians as the most comely of all. This explains why Blumenbach, ... linked the maximal beauty of the Causasians to the place of human origin. Blumenbach viewed all subsequent variation as departures from the originally created ideal --..."
"Blumenbach's descriptions are pervaded by his subjective sense of relative beauty, presented as though he were discussing an objective and quantifiable property, not subject to doubt or disagreement."
And then from the "Draft Official Statement of 'Race'" from the American Anthropological Association:
"Biophysical diversity has no inherent social meaning except what we humans confer upon it. The concept of "race" is in reality a product of that process. "Race" is a set of culturally created attitudes toward, and beliefs about, human difference developed following the widespread exploration and colonization by Western European powers since the sixteenth century...."Race" was invented as a social mechanism to justify the retention of slavery...."
"As they were constructing this society, white Americans fabricated the cultural/behavioral characteristics associated with each "race," linking superior traits to Europeans and negative and inferior ones to blacks and Indians. Thus arbitrary beliefs about different people were institutionalized and deeply embedded in American thought."
"How people have been accepted and treated within the context of their society and culture has a direct impact on how they perform within that society. The "racial" worldview was invented to assign some groups to perpetual low status while others were permitted access to privilege, power and wealth. The tragedy is that it succeeded all too well in constructing unequal populations. Given what we know about the capacity of normal humans to achieve and function within any culture, we conclude that present-day inequalities between human groups are not consequences of their biological inheritance; rather, these inequalities are products of social, economic, educational and political circumstances."
All of the above passages are very consistent with the video series and points that have been made in class lecture regarding the concept of race.
____________________________
Lecture material: Since I did not get as far as I would have liked yesterday (Thurs., Sept. 27), I am going to post some lecture notes below having to do with the Basic Definition of racism:
A. Racism: although I am sure that most people would reject the idea that they are "racist" according to the Basic Definition, this does not mean that racism is dead. Racism today is more subtle than blatant. And racism has perhaps had the most serious consequences when it is unrecognized, yet imbedded, in institutions.
(1) George Frederickson (who was interviewed in the video series) observes in his recent book, Racism: A Short History, that many people were ready to declare racism a thing of the past, especially after the fall of South African apartheid, the last racist regime. As he goes on to comment: "But racism does not require the full and explicit support of the state and law. Nor does it require an ideology centered on the concept of biological inequality. Discrimination by institutions and individuals against those perceived as racially different can long persist and even flourish under the illusion of nonracism, as recent studies of Brazilian race relations have discovered."
(a) In this context he talks about a "cultural racism," such as whites who believe Blacks or Latinos in ghettos are incurably infected by cultural pathologies.
(2) Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (also in the video series) argues that a new kind of racism has developed which he calls "colorblind racism," which sounds like an oxymoron. It appeals to nonracial factors such as economics to explain and even justify existing inequalities between races.
(3) I believe there does exist such a thing as "institutional" racism (also, institutional discrimination) such as in the realm of housing and criminal justice (the Jena 6). That is, racial biases seem to be built into the operation and policies of various institutions even if they are not legally enforced.
That's all for now. Don't forget to post your comment on my "Reflections on the Jena 6" (Sept. 26th post). And don't forget that your first essay is due next Tuesday, Oct. 2nd.
The first passage is from an article by Stephen Jay Gould entitled "The Geometer of Race," which is mainly about one of the first race theories developed by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in 1776. He coined the term "caucasian" to refer to whites and placed them at the top of his hierarchy of races. And his basis for doing this was not what could be considered "hard science" or fact but aesthetic judgment.
"... he identified the people around Mount Causasus as the closest embodiments of the original ideal and proceeded to name the entire European race for its finest representatives."
"But Blumenbach now faced a dilemma. He had already affirmed the mental and moral equality of all peoples. He therefore could not use these conventional criteria of racist ranking to establish degrees of relative departure from the Caucasian ideal. Instead, and however subjective (and even risible) we view the criterion today, Blumenbach chose physical beauty as his guide to ranking. He simply affirmed that Europeans were most beautiful, with Caucasians as the most comely of all. This explains why Blumenbach, ... linked the maximal beauty of the Causasians to the place of human origin. Blumenbach viewed all subsequent variation as departures from the originally created ideal --..."
"Blumenbach's descriptions are pervaded by his subjective sense of relative beauty, presented as though he were discussing an objective and quantifiable property, not subject to doubt or disagreement."
And then from the "Draft Official Statement of 'Race'" from the American Anthropological Association:
"Biophysical diversity has no inherent social meaning except what we humans confer upon it. The concept of "race" is in reality a product of that process. "Race" is a set of culturally created attitudes toward, and beliefs about, human difference developed following the widespread exploration and colonization by Western European powers since the sixteenth century...."Race" was invented as a social mechanism to justify the retention of slavery...."
"As they were constructing this society, white Americans fabricated the cultural/behavioral characteristics associated with each "race," linking superior traits to Europeans and negative and inferior ones to blacks and Indians. Thus arbitrary beliefs about different people were institutionalized and deeply embedded in American thought."
"How people have been accepted and treated within the context of their society and culture has a direct impact on how they perform within that society. The "racial" worldview was invented to assign some groups to perpetual low status while others were permitted access to privilege, power and wealth. The tragedy is that it succeeded all too well in constructing unequal populations. Given what we know about the capacity of normal humans to achieve and function within any culture, we conclude that present-day inequalities between human groups are not consequences of their biological inheritance; rather, these inequalities are products of social, economic, educational and political circumstances."
All of the above passages are very consistent with the video series and points that have been made in class lecture regarding the concept of race.
____________________________
Lecture material: Since I did not get as far as I would have liked yesterday (Thurs., Sept. 27), I am going to post some lecture notes below having to do with the Basic Definition of racism:
A. Racism: although I am sure that most people would reject the idea that they are "racist" according to the Basic Definition, this does not mean that racism is dead. Racism today is more subtle than blatant. And racism has perhaps had the most serious consequences when it is unrecognized, yet imbedded, in institutions.
(1) George Frederickson (who was interviewed in the video series) observes in his recent book, Racism: A Short History, that many people were ready to declare racism a thing of the past, especially after the fall of South African apartheid, the last racist regime. As he goes on to comment: "But racism does not require the full and explicit support of the state and law. Nor does it require an ideology centered on the concept of biological inequality. Discrimination by institutions and individuals against those perceived as racially different can long persist and even flourish under the illusion of nonracism, as recent studies of Brazilian race relations have discovered."
(a) In this context he talks about a "cultural racism," such as whites who believe Blacks or Latinos in ghettos are incurably infected by cultural pathologies.
(2) Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (also in the video series) argues that a new kind of racism has developed which he calls "colorblind racism," which sounds like an oxymoron. It appeals to nonracial factors such as economics to explain and even justify existing inequalities between races.
(3) I believe there does exist such a thing as "institutional" racism (also, institutional discrimination) such as in the realm of housing and criminal justice (the Jena 6). That is, racial biases seem to be built into the operation and policies of various institutions even if they are not legally enforced.
That's all for now. Don't forget to post your comment on my "Reflections on the Jena 6" (Sept. 26th post). And don't forget that your first essay is due next Tuesday, Oct. 2nd.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Reflections on the Jena 6 & Blog Activity
Since first hearing and reading about the "Jena 6" incident over a month a half ago, it has always struck me as an open-and-shut case of racism, especially in terms of the operation of our criminal justice system. My first major source of information was the Internet and a couple of websites devoted to a defense of the six black teenagers charged in the case. It seemed incredible that they were initially charged with attempted second degree murder for a schoolyard fight. And the white students who had started everything by hanging nooses from the tree after a black student sat there, not to mention a couple other confrontations initiated by whites, got treated relatively leniently. I selected a YouTube video to show the class which gave a four-minute summation of the incident complete with flashbacks to the KKK and lynchings, Rosa Parks, and Dr. King marching to reinforce the seriousness of the civil rights issues involved. But after seeing this video a few more times and some class discussion about it, I began to question some aspects of it and wondered how objective it had been and whether this was indeed such an open-and-shut case of racism in our criminal justice system.
On Thursday evening (9/20/07), CNN aired a one-hour special entitled, "Judgment at Jena," which reviewed the facts of the case as well as interview the black student who first sat under the tree, the parents of some of the defendants, a couple of white residents and students (although the interviewer acknowledged the difficulty of getting whites to talk about the case), and some of the thousands of protestors who had gathered in Jena. Although I will be the first to admit that TV specials on such incidents often leave much to be desired, and this one left me with some questions, I appreciated the balance and learning more about the case which made me feel a bit manipulated by the YouTube video.
A couple points stand out. First, I learned that one of the defendants, Mychal Bell, had two prior convictions for battery. Whether he was provoked or not by the white student Justin Barker, this record seems to suggest that he had a problem controlling his temper, and given that record the district attorney was somewhat justified charging him with a stiffer offense. Second, the injuries to Justin Barker were apparently more serious, and he was kicked even after he was unconscious. The initial charge was still inappropriate, I believe, but I don't know if I would characterize the incident as a mere schoolyard fight.
I had to agree with the black federal prosecutor who refused to press hate crime charges against the three white students who hung the nooses. It did not seem warranted. And I believe he made the single most insightful comment in the whole program. Near the end, he observed that perhaps the biggest failure in all this was the failure of school officials to use the noose hanging as an educational moment -- to involve black and white students and parents in a dialogue about race and prejudice and to underscore how serious this symbol of nooses hanging was. Rather, they chose to let things slide and merely suspended the white students and let then let the animosity fester on both sides of the racial divide until it exploded in acts of violence.
The few whites who were interviewed generally denied that Jena, Louisiana was a racist place. They also seemed to suggest that there was more integration than was apparent given the fact that for the most part blacks lived on the "other side of the tracks" from whites and they did not seem to mix socially. I believe these few whites fit the description Dr. Bonilla-Silva (blog post #2) gave of whites' attitude toward race these days.
Finally, the lesson I would draw from my reflections above is that when it comes to improving race and ethnic relations and eliminating the last vestiges of racism from our society, we need to approach such incidents with candor and objectivity and not fall into the trap of just picking sides and naively believing that truth and justice is all on one side or the other.
For 3 activity points, I want you to compose and post two paragraphs on the "Jena 6" which should include some comment or criticism on my reflections, as well as stating what you believe is an important lesson to be drawn from this case. You are welcome to refer to other classmates' comments, but be sure that you connect with some aspect of what I have posted above. Also, be sensitive to grammar and clarity of expression. Don't just post some incoherent, stream-of-consciousness blurb. The deadline for this is a week from this Friday, which would be Friday, October 5th.
On Thursday evening (9/20/07), CNN aired a one-hour special entitled, "Judgment at Jena," which reviewed the facts of the case as well as interview the black student who first sat under the tree, the parents of some of the defendants, a couple of white residents and students (although the interviewer acknowledged the difficulty of getting whites to talk about the case), and some of the thousands of protestors who had gathered in Jena. Although I will be the first to admit that TV specials on such incidents often leave much to be desired, and this one left me with some questions, I appreciated the balance and learning more about the case which made me feel a bit manipulated by the YouTube video.
A couple points stand out. First, I learned that one of the defendants, Mychal Bell, had two prior convictions for battery. Whether he was provoked or not by the white student Justin Barker, this record seems to suggest that he had a problem controlling his temper, and given that record the district attorney was somewhat justified charging him with a stiffer offense. Second, the injuries to Justin Barker were apparently more serious, and he was kicked even after he was unconscious. The initial charge was still inappropriate, I believe, but I don't know if I would characterize the incident as a mere schoolyard fight.
I had to agree with the black federal prosecutor who refused to press hate crime charges against the three white students who hung the nooses. It did not seem warranted. And I believe he made the single most insightful comment in the whole program. Near the end, he observed that perhaps the biggest failure in all this was the failure of school officials to use the noose hanging as an educational moment -- to involve black and white students and parents in a dialogue about race and prejudice and to underscore how serious this symbol of nooses hanging was. Rather, they chose to let things slide and merely suspended the white students and let then let the animosity fester on both sides of the racial divide until it exploded in acts of violence.
The few whites who were interviewed generally denied that Jena, Louisiana was a racist place. They also seemed to suggest that there was more integration than was apparent given the fact that for the most part blacks lived on the "other side of the tracks" from whites and they did not seem to mix socially. I believe these few whites fit the description Dr. Bonilla-Silva (blog post #2) gave of whites' attitude toward race these days.
Finally, the lesson I would draw from my reflections above is that when it comes to improving race and ethnic relations and eliminating the last vestiges of racism from our society, we need to approach such incidents with candor and objectivity and not fall into the trap of just picking sides and naively believing that truth and justice is all on one side or the other.
For 3 activity points, I want you to compose and post two paragraphs on the "Jena 6" which should include some comment or criticism on my reflections, as well as stating what you believe is an important lesson to be drawn from this case. You are welcome to refer to other classmates' comments, but be sure that you connect with some aspect of what I have posted above. Also, be sensitive to grammar and clarity of expression. Don't just post some incoherent, stream-of-consciousness blurb. The deadline for this is a week from this Friday, which would be Friday, October 5th.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
"Jena 6" & Reflections on Questions
A follow-up to the Jena 6 incident which we discussed during the first week. Mychal Bell's sentencing hearing is coming up tomorrow (Sept. 20th). As you recall, he is facing a maximum of 22 years in prison for a schoolyard fight. Nationwide protests, vigils, etc. are planned. Chelsea Jones in 240A told me yesterday, you can wear black in solidarity with the Jena 6 tomorrow, or check out the latest at changeofcolor.org or just do a search for the Jena 6 to find out the latest. It is hard to imagine any judge handing down such a sentence, but regardless of how stiff or light the sentence is for Mychal Bell and the other defendants in this case, it clearly reveals that racism taints the operation of our criminal justice system in this country.
Regarding our family exercise yesterday, let me say that I was a bit disappointed in general in the questions you came up with. Many of them clearly qualified more as long essay questions rather than short-answer questions. For example, I believe a good short-answer question on part 2 of the video series would be something like: how did Thomas Jefferson justify the existence of African slavery when he stated in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal?"Answer: that based on "a suspicion only" he believed Africans were inferior, not truly men, and so African slavery was ok. You must consider when you make up an open-ended, opinion question, how could I possibly evaluate that? So, when we do something like this again, please be more cognizant of designing a truly short-answer question, for which there is a clear answer that can be given.
Regarding our family exercise yesterday, let me say that I was a bit disappointed in general in the questions you came up with. Many of them clearly qualified more as long essay questions rather than short-answer questions. For example, I believe a good short-answer question on part 2 of the video series would be something like: how did Thomas Jefferson justify the existence of African slavery when he stated in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal?"Answer: that based on "a suspicion only" he believed Africans were inferior, not truly men, and so African slavery was ok. You must consider when you make up an open-ended, opinion question, how could I possibly evaluate that? So, when we do something like this again, please be more cognizant of designing a truly short-answer question, for which there is a clear answer that can be given.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Reaction to Comments & Next Tuesday
I've read 11 comments so far and have found them interesting. Some of you need to be more careful with spelling and grammar. Although I do not plan to correct spelling and grammatical errors on your blog entries, I will be making such corrections on your essays and paper and if there are many such errors which get in the way of understanding what you've written I will take points off for that.
Regarding the family activity I gave you yesterday in class, remember I want each family to identify what you consider three significant points from the video we saw. Also, be sure to make up a short answer question based on something in that video, and we will vote on which one of the short answer questions I will include on the midterm exam. This activity is worth 3 points, with a bonus point going to the family that makes up the best short answer question. Also, don't forget to choose a spokesperson for your family.
Regarding the family activity I gave you yesterday in class, remember I want each family to identify what you consider three significant points from the video we saw. Also, be sure to make up a short answer question based on something in that video, and we will vote on which one of the short answer questions I will include on the midterm exam. This activity is worth 3 points, with a bonus point going to the family that makes up the best short answer question. Also, don't forget to choose a spokesperson for your family.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Lecture Material Catch Up
In order to show the first video presentation yesterday on the issue of racial classification, I had to skip over some lecture material. So, I am going to use my blog post for today to fill in that missing lecture material so I will not have to back-track in class tomorrow. This is material you will be responsible for studying for tests as well as possible in or out-of-class essays. I may do this in the future whenever I get behind in presenting important material in class. You do not have to respond to this, but you are certainly welcome to make comments or ask questions if you want.
A. Concluding remarks on relevance of this course
1. In terms of sensitivity training, I would encourage all of you to try to put yourself in a situation of being a distinct minority. For example, travelling abroad or even closer to home you may experience this by visiting an ethnic enclave such as "Little Havana" in Miami or "Little Saigon" in Orange Co., CA or any predominantly black community; and I believe you will find yourself becoming very conscious of your distinct racial or ethnic identity and very concerned with how you are perceived by those around you just as minorities are when moving in predominantly white environments.
2. Martin Luther King, Jr. was, of course, one of the great proponents of integration, but what he had in mind was more than just kids playing on a playground. He went far beyond that romantic vision conjured in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to suggest that all groups needed to be integrated into the full economic, political, and cultural life of this society.
a. The sad fact is, however, that racial and ethnic minorities have historically been denied full access to the rights and opportunities this society has to offer, the rights and opportunities to develop as complete human beings.
b. In his last book, Dr. King spoke of all groups being "woven in a single garment of destiny" -- that even though we may not associate with each other all the time, we are all important to the current and future well-being of this society; we should all have the opportunity to contribute. That means EVERYONE, from the lowly janitor to the corporate CEO.
B. Basic Definitions: as I noted in class, we are going to spend some time discussing these definitions and some of the issues pertinent to them.
1. Culture: this is an important concept to grasp in the context of understanding what "multicultural" or "cultural diversity" entail. I purposely selected a broad definition which encompassed material objects, which I believe are important elements of culture along side values, beliefs, customs, etc.
a. Various metaphors have been used to describe American culture. Perhaps the most popular has been "melting pot", which implies a blending or assimilation of various cultures. There is certainly evidence of that, but not all groups' contributions have been blended equally. In fact, as we'll see, when this metaphor was first used it referred only to different white, European groups. More recently, metaphors such as: "salad bowl," "stew," "stir-fry," have come into use. These imply a mixing but also that each group maintains a distinct identity. This is the cultural pluralist ideal, and is usually what is meant by multicultural or cultural diversity.
This basically brings us up to the basic definition of race, which we will take up in the context of the three-part video series we began yesterday, "Race: the power of an illusion."
A. Concluding remarks on relevance of this course
1. In terms of sensitivity training, I would encourage all of you to try to put yourself in a situation of being a distinct minority. For example, travelling abroad or even closer to home you may experience this by visiting an ethnic enclave such as "Little Havana" in Miami or "Little Saigon" in Orange Co., CA or any predominantly black community; and I believe you will find yourself becoming very conscious of your distinct racial or ethnic identity and very concerned with how you are perceived by those around you just as minorities are when moving in predominantly white environments.
2. Martin Luther King, Jr. was, of course, one of the great proponents of integration, but what he had in mind was more than just kids playing on a playground. He went far beyond that romantic vision conjured in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to suggest that all groups needed to be integrated into the full economic, political, and cultural life of this society.
a. The sad fact is, however, that racial and ethnic minorities have historically been denied full access to the rights and opportunities this society has to offer, the rights and opportunities to develop as complete human beings.
b. In his last book, Dr. King spoke of all groups being "woven in a single garment of destiny" -- that even though we may not associate with each other all the time, we are all important to the current and future well-being of this society; we should all have the opportunity to contribute. That means EVERYONE, from the lowly janitor to the corporate CEO.
B. Basic Definitions: as I noted in class, we are going to spend some time discussing these definitions and some of the issues pertinent to them.
1. Culture: this is an important concept to grasp in the context of understanding what "multicultural" or "cultural diversity" entail. I purposely selected a broad definition which encompassed material objects, which I believe are important elements of culture along side values, beliefs, customs, etc.
a. Various metaphors have been used to describe American culture. Perhaps the most popular has been "melting pot", which implies a blending or assimilation of various cultures. There is certainly evidence of that, but not all groups' contributions have been blended equally. In fact, as we'll see, when this metaphor was first used it referred only to different white, European groups. More recently, metaphors such as: "salad bowl," "stew," "stir-fry," have come into use. These imply a mixing but also that each group maintains a distinct identity. This is the cultural pluralist ideal, and is usually what is meant by multicultural or cultural diversity.
This basically brings us up to the basic definition of race, which we will take up in the context of the three-part video series we began yesterday, "Race: the power of an illusion."
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva comment
"Nowadays except for members of white supremacist organizations, few whites in the United States claim to be "racist." Most whites assert that they 'don't see any color, just people'; that although the ugly face of discrimination is still with us, it is no longer the central factor determining minorities' life chances; and, finally, that like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., they aspire to live in a society where 'people are judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.' More poignantly, most whites insist that minorities (especially blacks) are the ones responsible for whatever 'race problem' we have in this country. They publicly denounce blacks for 'playing the race card,' for demanding the maintenance of unnecessary and divisive race-based programs, such as affirmative action, and for crying "racism" whenever they are criticized by whites. Most whites believe that if blacks and other minorities would just stop thinking about the past, work hard, and complain less (particularly about racial discrimination), then Americans of all hues could 'all get along.'"
"But regardless of whites' "sincere fictions," racial considerations shade almost everything in America."
What do you think?
"But regardless of whites' "sincere fictions," racial considerations shade almost everything in America."
What do you think?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Welcome to the Soc. 240 blog
Dear Race and Ethnic Relations students, I welcome you to this blog to which you should feel free to post comments or questions relevant to our class.
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