Race is defined as categories assigned on observable and physical characteristics for example skin color. All in all, race is defined by the color of your skin. The Untied States which is made up of humans have invented this term. An individuals identity is the only means to which he/she belongs to or is part of a particular group. In the 1960's race was broken up into three terms black, white, and Asian. Currently, in a 2000 census race has now grown to over 30 categories.
There are several controversies pertaining to the term race and what is manifested by it. Two of the main controversies consistently are due to social identity and identity politics. There are three basic terms that define social identity: identification, which associates an individual with a group or pertaining to an individuals self-esteem. Comparison, which compares a certain individual groups with other groups resulting in group biases. Psychological distinctiveness, an individual desires for his/hers identity to be unique as well as their groups. While identity politics is defined as political actions to advance the interest of members from a group who's members perceive themselves as oppressed.
My identity personifies my race. My race is defined as Latino. Compared to any other race I am considered a minority and am a member of a group that perceive themselves as oppressed. Being part of a Latino race brings several different disadvantages. Some disadvantages that are targeted as a result of being part of the Latino race are: education, job placement, and funding for housing.
If I were to wake up part of a different race which does not make me part of the white race. I will still have as many disadvantages possibly more then obvious. It has been determined that being part of a race that does not consist of being white only results in racism, discrimination, and oppression. Waking up with the identity of another race i personally believe will not give me an advantage, but create more of a disadvantage because of the way humanity has portrayed race to be.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Home Is Where Your Heart Is
I was raised and live in East New York which is a low-income residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. East New York has a population around 90,000. Over half the population lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF], Home Relief, Supplemental Security Income, and Medicaid). East New York is predominantly African American with a significant Puerto Rican population. The vast majority of households are renter occupied. As a result of my neighborhood being a lower class society. The community is alienated by jobs, housing, education.
I am currently located at 2776 Pitkin Avenue Brooklyn NY 11208. My neighborhood has changed greatly from being stricken by drug and violence from the early 80's to late 90's. My neighborhood today has cleaned up and has been in a process of rebuilding and creating an urban renewal within the entire community. In terms of the majority of individuals which make up my community it has drifted from being predominantly African-American and Puerto Rican to now becoming a community that is being marginalized by Middle-Eastern and Islamic ethnicity. Due to this new ethnic melting pot community there is a thin line between class structure with in the community I live in.
The majority of the individuals are referred to as lower middle class and lower class due to their migration to the untied States and the lack of a college degree or nor educational experience period. Income inequality is one of the most important issues in this community. Although ethnicity should not be a factor in education it does play a factor in income. Data shows that higher classes have better education because of a higher income. These conditions do not rule out ethnicity. This inequality persists on controlling occupation. The conditions of work vary greatly on class. What is indifferent about class structure with in the Untied States is that it leaves huge error for ethnicity and it alienates society.
In this social sphere, class and ethnicity has direct consequences on lifestyle. The lifestyle in my community includes taste, preferences, and a general style of living. As a result of Brooklyn, East New York being a community being a general community with three major ethnicity's non being white. The lifestyle of the community is engulfed in poor education, poor housing, and poor means to a way of to life. Consequently neighbors are not segregated by class, but by ethnicity. Everyone shops in the same stores. Go to the same schools, and the only separation between this typical class structure is again, their ethnicity. Which segregates their place of worship.
I have no regrets to where I call my community. It has influenced my in several ways, some good and some bad. Overall, I am proud of what has become of my community. it has cleaned up immensely. The community is safer, cleaner, and is being developed into a working class environment. I am grateful for the different ethnicity's that have moved into the community to make it what it is today. I look forward to continuing to see the growth that comes from the challenges of living in a lower class community. I have seen improvement in jobs, education and living. Which speaks volumes when understanding the way the united States has invented, categorised, and assigned the way individuals live in a class system. I am with out a doubt believing that there will come a time where we as individuals will push pass the categories, assigned classes, and and give meaning to the reason of why and whom we have been created in the image of.
I am currently located at 2776 Pitkin Avenue Brooklyn NY 11208. My neighborhood has changed greatly from being stricken by drug and violence from the early 80's to late 90's. My neighborhood today has cleaned up and has been in a process of rebuilding and creating an urban renewal within the entire community. In terms of the majority of individuals which make up my community it has drifted from being predominantly African-American and Puerto Rican to now becoming a community that is being marginalized by Middle-Eastern and Islamic ethnicity. Due to this new ethnic melting pot community there is a thin line between class structure with in the community I live in.
The majority of the individuals are referred to as lower middle class and lower class due to their migration to the untied States and the lack of a college degree or nor educational experience period. Income inequality is one of the most important issues in this community. Although ethnicity should not be a factor in education it does play a factor in income. Data shows that higher classes have better education because of a higher income. These conditions do not rule out ethnicity. This inequality persists on controlling occupation. The conditions of work vary greatly on class. What is indifferent about class structure with in the Untied States is that it leaves huge error for ethnicity and it alienates society.
In this social sphere, class and ethnicity has direct consequences on lifestyle. The lifestyle in my community includes taste, preferences, and a general style of living. As a result of Brooklyn, East New York being a community being a general community with three major ethnicity's non being white. The lifestyle of the community is engulfed in poor education, poor housing, and poor means to a way of to life. Consequently neighbors are not segregated by class, but by ethnicity. Everyone shops in the same stores. Go to the same schools, and the only separation between this typical class structure is again, their ethnicity. Which segregates their place of worship.
I have no regrets to where I call my community. It has influenced my in several ways, some good and some bad. Overall, I am proud of what has become of my community. it has cleaned up immensely. The community is safer, cleaner, and is being developed into a working class environment. I am grateful for the different ethnicity's that have moved into the community to make it what it is today. I look forward to continuing to see the growth that comes from the challenges of living in a lower class community. I have seen improvement in jobs, education and living. Which speaks volumes when understanding the way the united States has invented, categorised, and assigned the way individuals live in a class system. I am with out a doubt believing that there will come a time where we as individuals will push pass the categories, assigned classes, and and give meaning to the reason of why and whom we have been created in the image of.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Eyes focused Close to the Cage
I am learning much needed information on how humanity has become. Humanity has created a class system that targets certain groups by labeling and oppressing them without any regard to whom the individuals or groups are. What I found interesting were the different levels of oppression that operates within humanity. It reminded me of the illustration of the bird in the cage. Holding the bird cage close to your eyes gives an allusion that the bird is not captured with in the cage, but has an ability to fly freely. As you pull the bird cage away you begin to view the birds ability and mobility in a new perspective because your looking from a distance, That what i am going through with these terms of race, class, and targets.
I feel uneasy on the actual fact that discrimination, oppression, and social group system makes up our humanity. Not that I am naive to the fact that it does exist, but that humanity has truly decided to keep their eyes view close to the cage rather then distancing themselves from this malice and view others in a proper manner. I personally think that this pulls away from the core values of why we are living. I intend to continue to learn and focus on the different aspects of humanity and am willing to make a change.
I feel uneasy on the actual fact that discrimination, oppression, and social group system makes up our humanity. Not that I am naive to the fact that it does exist, but that humanity has truly decided to keep their eyes view close to the cage rather then distancing themselves from this malice and view others in a proper manner. I personally think that this pulls away from the core values of why we are living. I intend to continue to learn and focus on the different aspects of humanity and am willing to make a change.
I am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
It is truly profound when the Psalmist illustrates the very core and foundation of why, who, and what makes us an individual. Although the scripture in Psalms 139:14-15 is written "I praise you for i am fearfully and wonderfully made." My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made. A lack of understanding of what God has created us as and who he has created us into equaling to why God did not look at culture, race, nor privileged or non-privileged as a mean of creation, but as a mean of purpose and meaning. Humanity has been tainted by the term race. Humanity has turned what God has created and interpreted it into a specific race, class, and group. That is why we have racism, oppression, and non-privileged.
The impact of racism is not from what we have been exposed to as individuals. It does not come from not interacting with individuals from a different race. Racism has an impact and is fueled by the lives, minds, and hearts of individuals who lack information. God illustrates what occurs to people who lack information in Hosea 4:6, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." As individuals which make up humanity, we have given our trust over to the media, books, and distortion of the history of people. As a result of this knowledge about other races in humanity. It has created stereotypes, omissions, and distortions which formed a wide range of problems. Two of the most wide ranges of racism is based on advantage and and classification.
As defined, racial discrimination is to treat differently a person or group of people based on their racial origins. Power is a necessary precondition, for it depends on the ability to give or withhold social benefits, facilities, services, opportunities etc., from someone who should be entitled to them, and are denied on the basis of race, colour or national origin. This definition is in many ways sinful, malicious, and down right wrong. Yet, humanity runs its economic system, education, and much more on the basis of these standards. Because of these standards humanity has based its entire existence on who has the advantage over the less.
This throws humanity into a calamity of classification. Humanity has gone away from the purpose of its creation. When God created us he also framed. In other words God crafted us into the race we would be. Into the physical being we would be. Into the body that we are in. To have unity among us. To share with one another a different aspect of Gods being. Instead we have changed Gods frame work of humanity ans translated it into black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc. We have become a humanity of labels. We need to come to the understanding that we need knowledge about other cultures, races, and individuals. We need to ask for wisdom. We need to research. We need to learn about other individuals history. In doing so, humanity will shut the door on racism, oppression, disadvantage, and classification. Humanity will then walk into the purpose and frame work in which God formed and created humanity to be (one body).
The impact of racism is not from what we have been exposed to as individuals. It does not come from not interacting with individuals from a different race. Racism has an impact and is fueled by the lives, minds, and hearts of individuals who lack information. God illustrates what occurs to people who lack information in Hosea 4:6, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." As individuals which make up humanity, we have given our trust over to the media, books, and distortion of the history of people. As a result of this knowledge about other races in humanity. It has created stereotypes, omissions, and distortions which formed a wide range of problems. Two of the most wide ranges of racism is based on advantage and and classification.
As defined, racial discrimination is to treat differently a person or group of people based on their racial origins. Power is a necessary precondition, for it depends on the ability to give or withhold social benefits, facilities, services, opportunities etc., from someone who should be entitled to them, and are denied on the basis of race, colour or national origin. This definition is in many ways sinful, malicious, and down right wrong. Yet, humanity runs its economic system, education, and much more on the basis of these standards. Because of these standards humanity has based its entire existence on who has the advantage over the less.
This throws humanity into a calamity of classification. Humanity has gone away from the purpose of its creation. When God created us he also framed. In other words God crafted us into the race we would be. Into the physical being we would be. Into the body that we are in. To have unity among us. To share with one another a different aspect of Gods being. Instead we have changed Gods frame work of humanity ans translated it into black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc. We have become a humanity of labels. We need to come to the understanding that we need knowledge about other cultures, races, and individuals. We need to ask for wisdom. We need to research. We need to learn about other individuals history. In doing so, humanity will shut the door on racism, oppression, disadvantage, and classification. Humanity will then walk into the purpose and frame work in which God formed and created humanity to be (one body).
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Iceberg View
Some of the common feelings and emotions that I feel as an individual when I meet someone different from is, social anxiety and shyness. I often feel fear, nervousness, and apprehension when I have a first encounter with someone different then I am and someone I do not know. I often am affected by this feeling which makes me think that i might do something or say something embarrassing or humiliating. I strongly feel this is a huge problem of mine. These emotions and thoughts undermine my ability to interact with others. When I meet someone different for the first time my feelings and thoughts are mainly pertaining to me and not the other individual. i assume that the other individual will see my weaknesses, or awkwardness which leads me to feel dismissed, ignored, criticized, or rejected.
As a result of my social anxiety and shyness my attention is dominated by these feelings. Therefore, there is less attention given to focus on anything, or anyone else. My thoughts, become bias and i interpret things in terms of how much they mean to me. Rather than thoughts being reflected towards the other thoughts of the individual towards me. My beliefs and assumptions are affected due to shyness. i approach individuals and groups of people of whom are different than I am with assumptions that will make me try to make things always seem positive and never negative. For example, if I am in a group conversation and it goes in the wrong direction. My main reaction is to try to make it go right. In retrospect, I avoid any conversation possible because of the fear if it going wrong. I see others as I assume they would see me. So my self-image confirms my belief and assumptions. Even though it is only my assumptions are not a reality.
In the latter when I push pass these personal emotions and thoughts, helps me as an individual when meeting someone different and of another race. I value different cultures and individuals. Whether Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Asian, African-American, Caucasian, etc. I am bale to involve myself in their social customs and norms that affect my behavior and thinking towards them. When i meet someone from a different culture or race I am stretched from own box of culture, thinking, and feelings I am encouraged to interact with these individuals. I see my new peers through the eyes of an iceberg...
Top of the Iceberg
Explicit- Customs, traditions, foods, language, history, and way of doing things.
Bottom of the Iceberg
Tactic- Values, beliefs, attitudes, worldview, presumptions, and way of thinking.
As I continue to learn and discuss new cultures, ethnic groups, and populations. I am looking forward to pushing pass my anxieties and assuming thoughts, will enable me to become more diverse in understanding different people and their struggles.
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