Takaki Chapter 10

In chapter 10 Takaki talks about immigration, work gangs, and the ways different ethnicitys were treated through those two things. Takaki's thesis in this chapter is the different reasons for immigration and the different ethnicities that had to live together because of Immigration.

In the 1890's America was a true melting pot. People from all different races and backgrounds wanted to come to America because of the high pay for labor. Whether it was children, men, or women, everyone wanted to be in the place where the workers were treated like gold. For instance Japan told their citizens that they were going to send 600 emmigrants to Hawaii to work on different plantations. Well, to get one of those six hundred slots you had to be chosen from the 28,000 people who applied for those slots. The amount of people who wanted to come to America was amazing. Once all the Japanese, Chinese, and other races were sent to Hawaii, they all had to live and work together. Takaki states that it was extremly hard it was for those different races to do so. What was even harder for the different races to do together was work. It was little known around the world that even though America might have paid workers more, the amount of work they had to accomplish in one day was astonishingly high. Farmers and owners of these plantations put workers into groups based on race. Farmers feared a revolt from the workers so they put them into teams or gangs which consisted of people of different ethnicties. Not only were they forced to work together, but also they were forced to live together. A Japense labor stated, "Fifty men and women, married and single, were forced to live together in one small shed." The labors were treated as slaves. Every multiracial "work gang" had a work watcher who was most likely white. The white work watchers used whips and other things to keep the workers on task. Although it was hard for immigrants to live in villages, they did make their own schools, foods, and other traditional rituals which were practiced in their home counrty.

Two Discussion Questions:
1.) What was the ethnicity with highest amount of immigrants that came to America and why do you suppose that, that country was the highest?
2.) Did people ever get back the information that the working and living conditions in America were horrible and did that stop people from wanting to come over to America?

This chapter was a little harder for me to comprhend what exactly Takaki was trying to get across to the reader. The information and concepts was a little more dry than other readings assigned in this class. With that being said it must have been extremly hard for people to deal with the living and working conditions they were faced with. People were totally mistaken where in their minds they were excited about the oppurtunity to make more money, when really it might have been more money but was it worth it.

McBride: Why I Hate Ambercombie

In this chapter McBride is describing why he hates Ambercrombie, which is because of the racial categorizing through marketing the company practices. Ambercrombie & Fitch is a clothing company which has become a lifestyle more than just wearing clothes. As McBride states, "Ambercrombie & Fitch has devised a very clear marketing and advertising stategy that celebrates whiteness- a particurly privleged and leisure-class whiteness - and makes use it as a "lifestyle" that it commodifies to sell otherwise extremly dull, uninspiring, and ordinary clothing". That states that the companies strategy is to be prodominently worn by white people.

He uses the Ambercrombie, "Look Book" as an example showing racism against blacks. The look book is a small book composed of 30 pages that contain images of models, which people should want to look like. The book only has one black model, who has a specific look to him/her. She examines the book and clearly states that Ambercrombie should be bought by whites. Ambercrombie has had lawsuits in the past from employee discrimination. When you walk into an Ambercrombie store their are certain people you expect to be working there. They include good looking, in shape, whites, aged from 16-20. McBride makes a good point which I have never realized while in an Ambercrombie store. He points out how there are no blacks ever working there. I have shopped at Ambercrombie multiple times and can not remeber a time when I saw a black person working anywhere on the floor. Supposively they only hire blacks who are willing to work in the back, stocking products. If so I will never buy another Ambercrombie piece of clothing again. That is racism to the fullest and I know plenty of black people who would do a great job working at Ambercrombie.

Two Discussion Questions:
1.) Just wondering, if I went into a prodomiently black clothing store and tried to get a job, as a white male, would I get the same treatment that Ambercrombie gives to black people applying for a job?

2.) How many other stores such a Ambercrombie treat black employees different than white employees.

I thought this was a good chapter which made me realize how much racism there is, that goes unnoticed. I would have never even thought of getting all of these points out of a small magazine called the "Look Book". I liked this chapter as well because it used something that relates to me, menaing I shop at Ambercrombie and have never realized until reading this that I have never seen a black employee. This class is really helping my to think outside the box when look at racism. Now when ever I go anywhere I am starting to notice little things where racism surfaces.

Quiz on Kindred

Throughout reading "Kindred" I could never imagine being a black personl living in the south at this time. It must have been so hard for people to stand up for themselves and do the right things. Blakcs got beaten, whipped, and even raped throughout the south. Even if you were a "free black" you were never totally sure it was safe. I read the book over spring break and while watching and discussing the issues we did on Wendsday in class I definatley made some connections from the two. We talked in class what the meaning of the noose was. I see a noose as a sad, hareful, and tragic event for any person who has to endure it. Is was a sick way for people to get ammusement and at the same time get some kind of sick pleasure out of the event. Throughtout the south it was very common of people to sell tickets to make money to watch blacks get hung to their own death. The book had some very bad situations such as beating, whippings, and rapes that occured throughout the story. A good example about how blacks were treated was in the chapter named The Fire. Specifically in the third part of that chapter when Dana was told to go to a ansecestors house for safety and a place to stay. Well while she was going there she heard a pack of dogs and humans coing her way. Finally when the dogs stopped, she saw a black man getting beaten standing naked. Whites would use all sorts of things as weapons to hurts blacks. Slave owners during this time period as well were horribly bad and th meanest people. Slave owner Tom Wylin beats, sells, and kills slaves throuhgout the story and it just percived as those are the ways of life. I also thought it was very interesting about the first chsapter of the book. The part where Dana first goes back in time. She goes back to a small boy, Rufus, drownding in this great big river. Not thinking about what had just happened to her, she runs in the water after the boy. She gets Rufus to land but it might be too late. She then revives him all of this happening right in front of Rufus's mother who was yelling at Dana because she thought that Dana killed her son. At the end of this scene Rufus's father, a slave owner, runs down and holds a gun to Dana's face. I though it was very interesting how right after saving this mans son's life he runs up andf threatens her life by shoving a gun down her throat. If this would had happened presentr 21 century the women, in my opinion would have been looked upon as a hero not matter if she was black. It is hard for me to grasp the concept that no matter waht blacks did to please whites, whites still treated them worse than dirt.

I thought that this book was good, but I like non fiction more than fiction so it was hard for me to stay with it at times. I wish the author would have came up witha better way for her to send Dana back in time. Parts were a little far fetched which help the book in my rating level either. But other than that I think that reading is the best way to picture yourself some place your not. What I mean by that is, reading Kindred made me feel that I was apart of this horrible situation back in the south called slavery. It was a very well written book which helped me to think of how hard it must have been for slaves back in this era. I would never have wanted to have treated like this and I am sure glad that our society has moved on from slavery.

Eyes on the Prize

The main concept from this movie was to teach our generation, who wasnt alive for these horrible times, how life came to be for blacks in America. While I have learned alot about these different things in school that was back in fifth grade and to tell you the truth I almost forgot about the different things that have happened. This movie reminded me what people actually went through to gain as much equality as they have ever had. It was very interesting to me to see people getting arrested for sitting and basically asking to get arrested.

I think the ways blacks went about gaining equality needed to be done for their races future. The sit ins, Rosa Parks, and other non violent ways they did it was truley amazing. If I were black I would really look up to that generagtion of people because they were the ones that really took all of the burrden on themselves. Out of all of the non violent protests, the most intersesting one to me was the bus boycott. How they got the whole black community to boycott buses and walk everywhere for a year is beyond me. Martin Luther King was truley a great remodel for all young people. I pictured myself in their shoes watching King Jr. speak and there was no way after hearing him speak you could not obey his words. He was a great speaker and a great leader in Americas history. As you asked us to, put ourselves in their shoes would we be able to do those non violent protests? I do think that I would have been able to do those protests because like I said previously I would have been unable to say no to King Jr. Life as a black person back then would not have been fun to the least bit but if they did not do the things they did, it would be the same lifestyle as back then.

2 discussion questions:

1.) Was the whole black community, meaning in the norh and south, all protesting against white supremecy?
2.) Would the ways whites and blacks live together today be any different if these people would not have protested the ways they did?

I liked this movie and thought that I learned alot from it. The way the two white men killed Emmett Till and got off from the trial free was amazing. I wiould garentee if that happened today they would get life in jail. That is just the way life has changed from back then to now. I also think if the Emmett Till trial would not have turned out the way it did none of these protest would have followed. I liked this movie alot and would like to watch the rest of it if possible.

The Ethic of living Jim Crow

The authors thesis of this chapter is to show how the Jim Crows laws affected blacks. Throughout the chapter the authors uses exaples of a black at the time of the Jim Crow period. The person used examples he had encountered throughout his life working. The author wanted to show how blacks were treated and looked down upon during this period of time. Jim Crow laws made it hard for blacks to find work and when they did find work they had abide by everything that their white owners told them. No matter how painful it was for them to do certain things, they had to do them if they wanted to stay alive.

The first example te author uses is by starting the chapter in showing the ways blacks and white were handled. The black and white kids were throwing things such as a having a war between the two and it ends up one black kid gets cut by a glass bottle. Well instead of having his mom there to comfort him and take him by her side she beats him and tells him never to go into the white neighborhood again. The quote used, "She finished by saying, you ought to be thanking God that those white boys didnt kill you." Another great example of the black boy learning his boundries in the work field was through the second example stated. When he started his first job he worked under two white boys and they got along great for tht efirst month.They taguht him everything he needed to know and showed him some tricks of the trade. Well after the first couple of weeks the white boys started to ignore him and treat him differently. When the black boy asked them to teach him something the beat him and told him to leave and never come back. Those two examples show how blacks were treated throughout the time of the Jim Crow laws. Even though they could get jobs thwey were treated poorly and given no oppurtunities to better themselves.

Two Discussion Questions:
1.) When did the black status in the work field change, and how did this effect differnt ways of life between whites and blacks?
2.) Were black females and males treated any differently in the workplace?

I thought reading was very clear and gave great exaples which helped mr to understand what exactly the author was trying to get at. This chapter for me was easier to understand and was less confusing because of the examples and less comperhensive information in previous readings.

Zinn-Chapter 9

There is no doubt that slavery among blacks was a hard thing to abolish. Throughout Zinn Chapter 9 he talks about the ways slaves were treated and also all of the attempts at abolishing slavery that failed. Until Aberham Lincon's drive to abolish slavery which was successful. Everytime I read about slavery I see how hard slave owners were on their slaves. With cold blodded hearts, they broke up wifes, husbands, and children. Throughout the history of slavery, their was many schemes that were believed to be successful in the abolishing of it.

The difference between living in the north and south at this time was amazing. In the north blacks were free and there was no slavery. Well, in the south it was the exact opposite with slavery every where and farming plantaions every where. The first rebellion from the slaves which put fear into owners was David Walker's pamphlet "Walker's Appeal". Walker's pamphlet led owners to give rewards on the capture of Walker either dead or alive. Ten years after, Nat Turner's rebellion took place. Turner's rebellion was a rebellion against ship workers. Hundreds of slaves were being shiped by Creole, slaves overpowered the crew, killed one of them and sailed to the West Indies. The next rebellion in the south, towards the abolishment of slavery was John Brown's. Brown, Harriet Tubman, and Fredrick Douglass all took part in planning missions that would make slaves throuhgout the south to revolt. The plan did not work and slavery in the south seemed to be unbeatable. That is until Abraham Lincon started to contribute to the effort. Lincon with such highly though of standards finally got the job done with slavery. It was a very hard accomplishment but it got done and now Lincon is looked at as arguably the best leader in this great counrty's history. Up until Lincons accomplishment, slaves were trying to run away to the underground rail road which lead into Canada. Slaves that ran away and got caught, got beat sometimes to death. It truely was unbelieveable the ways slaves were treated by their slave owners.

Two discussion question:
1.) Why was Turner's rebellion scheme so unsuccessful.
2.) Do you think slavery will ever come back into America and be such a driving force as once before.

I liked this reading although it was dry and hard to understand at sometimes but it was interesting to learn about the different schemes to eliminate slavery in the south. Most were unsuccessful but more importantly one was finally successful. I did not know of the slaves that bebelled against the ship crew. That was a big deal that we did not learn in school which I would have liked to know while learing about slavery.

How Jews became Whites?

Growing up I lived in a township that was prodominatley Jewish. Although I am not Jewish I had many friends that were growing up. The authors main point in this writing is to acknowledge how Jews over came racism and became know and respected as part of the dominent whites. The author states the thesis by stating how, "The picture radically changed aqfter World War II. Suddenly, the same folks had promted nativism and xenophobia were eager to believe the Euro-origin people whom they had deported, reviled as memebers of inferior races, and prvented from immigrating only a few years earlier, wer now model middle-class white suburban citizens." This quotes basically states that World War II was the changing point in the ways Jews were looked and and classed into society.

Brodkin talks about how life for her, as a jew was growing up and the different lifestyle changes that occured throuhgout her life. She talked about how different races that immigrated into America were treated as well. She says how the wide spread of racism led to the stopping of letting immigrants come to America. Then she states how Jews were supposed to be uneducated, but once most Jews such as her parents started to get an education things started to change for them. She says, " My parents believe that Jewish success like thire own, was due to hard work an high value placed on education." Later adding "In 1920, Jew made up 80% of the students at New York City College, 90% of Hunter College, and before World War I, 40% of private Columbia University. An intersteing point she brought up was the fields that Jews has success working in. For instance the movie industry. Most movie producers, actors, and production companies for films are owned and ran by Jews. The Jewish race has put a stamp on the film industry like no other ethinicity. By having a high ecominic situation, Jews floated on this rising economic tide, and most of them were able to enter the middle class. Without a proper education the Jewish community would not have ever been able to enter the white middle class. Although the myth that Jews did it by pulling themselves up by the old boot straps is not a credible reason. Jews worked hard and were able to get enough work to enable themselves into the middle class.

Two discussion questions that i thought about while reading this was:
1.) Were there alot of Jewish soilders who fought for the counrty in World War II?
2.) Where did Jews mostly live in suburbs or rural places, because if they lived in nice city buildings then that must have effected their perception throughout America?

I liked this reading more than any other reading we have dicussed. I liked this reading because it was easier to understand and more straight forward. Growing up in a Jewish communiy it was interesting to me to learn how Jews obtained theri social status in todays bruta society. Jews un like any other European culture was able to be accepted as middle or high class.