It was real.

It is easy for us to view Haiti and what happened after the Earthquake from our safe place, hundreds of miles away from the USA. We read the stories of the struggle in the beautiful words of Beverly Bell, or in the newspapers that discuss how Haiti is still trying to rebuild. But that never truly tells the entire tale, there is something missing, something visual that brings everything together for the impact intended. As I read through Fault Lines, it was important for me to see first hand the destruction of the Earthquake even if I could not physically be there. These videos are haunting and at times I feel as if I put myself in the shoes of those who were victims of the earthquake, experience their fear, their desire to escape and to save their own lives.

Have you seen videos from the earthquake? Watched news coverage? What do you see and what do you feel? Empathy? Sadness? Do you ever put yourself in the shoes of those who actually experience these sorts of tragedies?

I WOULD LIKE TO BEGAN WITH SOME HONESTY.  Before registering for WS 470:  Gender, Race and Class, I was not "woke" about a lot of the issues in United States, and most importantly the world. But within discussion about world views, I am able to relate and hold educated conversations about it. Using my field of experience, the knowledge I have attained over the years, and information that I have ran across, I feel that I can relate because my morales comes into play in the midst of it all. A lot of issues that are in the news, I feel can be resolved if people were humane. But they aren't, clearly by reading the quotes from above. I say this to say that people are very insensitive when it comes to the topic of immigration and/or people who are simply different from US, (the United States). I chose to read up a little further about 'immigration issues', I have taken into account what everyone who is for it and against, and I still can't seem to find the big issue. THE HUGE ISSUE. The issue that causes individuals and families to be shunned for the seeking of citizenship. The issue that causes public humiliation. The issue that causes neglect. The issue that causes Americans to have no remorse to separate a mother from child.

In Trumps, Immigration Reform, he implies: 

"We are the only country in the world whose immigration system puts the needs of other nations ahead of our own. That must change."

Well sir, back during slavery I don't think anybody gave a f*ck about bringing slaves from their NATIVE countries, to the US, and have them build the country on blood and sweat. But we are okay, with denying those that plead to be here, simply for the opportunities it offers. 

This excerpt from Alabama’s Shame HB 56 and the War on Immigrants, hits home for me because i'm an Alabamian. But I'm definitely not surprised being that we are the epicenter of slavery and segregation, but as the title reads, I am ashamed.

"Whether through ignorance or design, HB 56 sends a destructive message of intolerance to Alabama’s Latino residents and sullies the state’s reputation in the eyes of the world. It gives a nod and a wink to the worst prejudices harbored by some residents."

The United States has a history of making people feel unwanted regardless if they are from here, or not. But before any resolution for immigration is suggested, I first feel like the shunning and bad-mouthing should be stopped because they are people, these are families. They deserve chances and opportunities just like the next man.

This is my stance.

Lemonade

I know we posted earlier in the semester on our blog about Serena Williams. I would just like to post this video from Lemonade that premiered last night. SLAY BEYONCE AND SERENA! YASSSS  I am so in love. Highly recommend you all watch Lemonade if you haven't already!

https://www.facebook.com/1577397579256877/videos/1577612699235365/ 

P.S. If the link doesn't work just Google Beyonce Lemonade Sorry and the video should pop up!!

Helping or Hurting?

During our small group discussion we came across the question are we helping or hurting when it comes to the situation in Haiti. It’s no secret that many times the Haitians have declined our help but have we ever stepped back to understand why? Often times when people build houses for the Hatians who inexperienced, they later have to come back and redo the entire house all over. Of course, giving medical treatment and necessities is a big help for them but what about the emotional support behind all of it. Don’t get me wrong I think experienced doctors dedicating their time to help the cause is a great thing but, what happens after the surgical procedures leaving some residents to figure out what to do next. I recalled looking on instagram during Spring break and saw a group of college kids going on a mission trip. However, the only pictures they posted were selfies of them on the beach and hanging out in bars. I think we all need to focus on the big picture, which is the well being of Haiti instead of “doing it for the likes” as many people call it.

Saving the Third Worlds

In college I have heard the term third world, a lot. Usually the conversation goes something like this:

Person 1: What are you going to do over break?

Person 2: I'm going to go home! What about you?

Person 1: I'm going to go to *insert country here* and do some *insert word: mission trip; volunteerism trip* 

Person 2: That is so awesome of you. I'm so jealous. I had a friend that who went to a third world country, *insert country here* and it changed their life. They just loved being with the kids and they were so *insert word: grateful/appreciative/loving/happy/joyful*

Person 1: I'm so ready to just see what life is about and learn from the people.

And so on.

Reading A Small Place and Fault Lines: Views across Haiti's Divide, has reminded me of these conversations. It reminds me of people having impoverished and helpless views on other countries and then usually adding a layer by calling the country "third world". In class we discussed what we knew about Haiti. Everything that has been showed on the news and in other forms of media has shaped many people's ideas of Haiti and the DR. The only thing I used to know about Haiti was that the US went there to help the people after the earthquake and how impoverished it was.  I didn't understand the larger context that the earthquake embodied what western colonization did to Haiti. The book "Fault Lines" discusses how the man-made disaster of Haiti as well as the natural disasters have be harmonious. Western aid often is based on stereotypes, the "white savior complex". The foreign aid in countries is packaged as a ignorant gift. The gift can not be exchanged, disregards needs and leaves out the opinions  and efforts of what the natives of a country say they want or need. In my opinion it also puts a giant invasive bandaid on a problem, rather than actually addressing what is going on. Beverly Bell wrote in Fault Lines, about how you can be involved with Haiti. She talks about how it is important for "foreigners breezing in to do whatever they want", to not do that(Bell, 109).  Do you think many large non-profits or government entities plaster their wants and desires and beliefs about countries over that country's narrative?

I found this article on Thought Catalog and thought it made some similar points to Beverly Bell. What do you all think?

The Health of Haiti

This past week in class we talked about Haiti. Listening to my peers discussing their knowledge about the island of Haiti and Haitian people made me realize that I knew very little on the subject. Yes of course I knew of the earthquake, the poor conditions, and the famous singer Wyclef Jean running for president to in hopes to help better the city. However, there was still a lot that I didn’t know. Curious as I was I decided to do some research about the topic. After researching the topic I found out that even before the earthquake Haiti’s 10 million people ranked the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

The health of Haiti as a whole is a major concern for many people. Which is why there have been numerous people volunteering, going on mission trips, etc. Most importantly the health of Haiti is more than just the physical aspect or what meets the eye; it is about the Haitian people. In the book Fault Lines that explains thoroughly what the health of a community is all about:

Health is not just medical care. It depends on many factors. Its about People becoming responsible actors, questioning what’s happening in the neighborhood, improving the community. But health is something larger still. Health is the right for people to eat, to have a place to live, to love, - yes, love, because love is a part of people’s physical and emotional equilibrium- and to have a clean, healthy environment to live in.

If you’d like to know all about helping the cause and making Haiti great again here’s a link with everything you need to know: http://www.promiseforhaiti.org/

The Anti-Princess

Young girls, especially young minority girls like the girls from Fresh Start often find themselves having to live up to impossible expectations about how they are "supposed to" act, dress, and live. Someone I am friends with on Facebook shared this article about anti-princesses, and I found myself relating it back to Shapeshifters. We, as a society, are constantly trying to confine and define how people should be living their lives, but my question is why? What are the positives that come from this type of confinement?

Two Argentine women who are publishers decided to break the mold of the princess theme that most girls are fed and instead came up with something called the anti-princess. These are stories inspired by real women who were total badasses and made their own way #don'tneednoman style. The dangers of girls not being exposed to stories like those of the anti-princesses is evident in the perpetuation of gender stereotyping and rape culture (just to name a couple).

What happens when princess stories become the expected or upheld ideal is similar to what happens to the girls in Shapeshifters. The girls' identities are lost completely, and instead what becomes expected of them is mapped onto their lives and bodies by racialized, gendered, and regionalist stereotypes. Suddenly Janice isn't "allowed" to be Janice. She has to navigate her life in a certain way because her identity has essentially been stripped from her because of the color of her skin, the particular sexual organs she has, and where she lives. How fair is that?

Here is the link to the article about the anti-princess.
http://remezcla.com/culture/these-anti-princess-books-give-young-girls-badass-latina-heroines-to-look-up-to/

This is an illustration of Frida Kahlo, the subject of the first anti-princess book.

And here is a picture of two young girls reading the book! :) 

Also, here is another article about a hashtag that was started #BlackWomensHistoryMonth http://www.teenvogue.com/story/this-new-hashtag-honors-the-black-women-written-out-of-history. Aimee Meredith Cox, the author of Shapeshifters, is quoted saying, "Black women have traditionally been written out of history unless it is in the context of victimization... when they have been recognized." So they hashtag provides a way to expose important black women throughout history. These "anti-princesses" are important figures for young girls to be exposed to; to let them know that they are much more than the pathologies mapped onto their bodies and lives.

#NeverTrump, Imaginary Borderlines, and Privilege

As those close to me know, I am an avid politico who spends a great deal of time following the presidential debates. I find myself really interested in how candidates discuss social issues in this country and honestly I am not impressed. I have seen candidates say some hurtful, ignorant things about the state of our societal climate, essentially turning their backs on the struggles of everyday people; the struggles of minorities and the poor. In continuing what we have discussed in class and particularly the Latino Threat, I thought the political discussions of immigration and specifically illegal immigration, are not only hateful, but continue the cycle of oppression. The rhetoric surrounding illegal immigration has been disgusting as well. Words such as "illegal alien" do nothing but other a group of people into nonhuman categories.

 

I have never understood borders. These imaginary lines that where a country or state begins and ends. That within these borders there are rules and regulations that everyone must follow....borders that say who can and cannot be a citizen. The power to decide who can and cannot come in has been a foundation of power for centuries. The ability to deny someone access to opportunity, keeps the power in the hands of a few and makes life harder for those who are continuously forced to look from the outside in; institutional oppression at its most public point. We do not need a wall to protect a border that means nothing. We need action. #NeverTrump

Recently I watched a video with students at a Texas college campus who were asked general questions about US History. What was mind-boggling was that many of these students had no idea how to answer questions such as who won the Civil War or who was the current Vice-President of the United States, etc. I scrolled down to the comments and a man who just received citizenship expressed his disappointment in the lack of understanding or care these American's had for their own history. He discussed how foreigners hoping to become citizens had to know all of this information plus more while Americans born here were not required to. For someone to become a citizen of this country, they must pass an exam that tests knowledge of varying events in US history. They not only have to pass this intense exam (for some they must pass with English as their second language), but also jump through multiple hurdles, and wait years to even be considered for citizenship. I was embarrassed to watch this video after reading his comments, I saw it as a unfair that we are afforded the privilege of being an American because we are born on this soil - unearned and sometimes even unseen...basically the definition of privilege. It is a disgrace to our country that our own citizens could not even pass a citizenship test. Is that the threat we need to be aware of? Be afraid of the threat those who work harder and are more motivated to be here because they had to put in the effort to be here than our mediocre selves? What does it mean when we try to exclude those who will be an asset to our country?

This is why I am taken aback seeing future leaders of this country denounce those who are trying to become citizens. Not everyone here wants to be illegal, but there is no path to citizenship that allows for them to actually have the opportunity to become a citizen and those who constantly try to enact legislation in Congress are continuously shut down. We hear those disgusted with illegal immigration through fits for years, but never actually do anything to fix it. What are they so scared of?

As President Obama's term ends, I hope the next candidate will carry the torch for social progress in America. Within my lifetime I hope to see immigration reform and more respect for those who actively seek to go through the process to become legal citizens.

Could you pass the Citizenship Test? Try here: http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=could-you-pass-the-united-states-citizenship-test&q=1

Hillary Clinton

Recently Hillary Clinton was speaking at a private fundraiser and it was interrupted by 23 year old, Ashley Williams.

Ashley is a Black Lives Matter activist who was confronting Hillary Clinton about her involvement with mass incarceration and demanded an apology from her. She is holding a sign which quotes Hillary:

"We have to bring them to heel." 

This quote isn't talking about animals in case you got confused. It's actually referring to black youths. This was in reference to the amount of violent crimes that were happening in the early 1990's. The crime bill that was passed during this time was what sparked mass incarceration. 

“Fully 60 percent of all young black men who drop out of high school will go to jail. This should disgrace the country. But it does not,” 
― Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me

The way in which the crime bill was written targeted black communities. Clinton has spoken to law enforcement using this rhetoric. The affect of using language has been a large contributor to the amount of police brutality directed toward black Americans. 

“The question is not whether Lincoln truly meant “government of the people” but what our country has, throughout its history, taken the political term “people” to actually mean.” 
― Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me

“Here is what I would like for you to know: In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body—it is heritage.” 
― Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me

Part of the reason I write about this is to point out that until this past month I was a huge fan of Hillary Clinton. I had read all of her books and I have looked up to her. I found myself reflecting on how I could have missed something so huge that she had taken part of. I didn't understand until I finally realized I didn't know about this because I didn't have to. I didn't know about her role in mass incarceration because I didn't directed suffer from the consequences of her words or decisions. 

A couple days after Ashley demanded answers from Hillary Clinton Clinton spoke with The Washington Post.

"In that speech, I was talking about the impact violent crime and vicious drug cartels were having on communities across the country and the particular danger they posed to children and families.  Looking back, I shouldn’t have used those words, and I wouldn’t use them today.

My life’s work has been about lifting up children and young people who’ve been let down by the system or by society.  Kids who never got the chance they deserved.  And unfortunately today, there are way too many of those kids, especially in African-American communities.  We haven’t done right by them.  We need to.  We need to end the school to prison pipeline and replace it with a cradle-to-college pipeline.

As an advocate, as First Lady, as Senator, I was a champion for children.  And my campaign for president is about breaking down the barriers that stand in the way of all kids, so every one of them can live up to their God-given potential."

Do you think Hillary is owning her mistakes enough or is she just benefiting from her position of privilege?

Walking on a Dream

This week was really intense as far as readings as well as films. We had a lot of interesting conversations about race. Let's start with the Beyonce super bowl performance and Kendrick's performance at the Grammy's. Both were very controversial, but what I want to know is why Beyonce is getting completely ripped apart for it and Kendrick's criticism only lasted a day. Is it because she is a woman and he's a man so society has given him that privilege to criticize?

I am not completely sure how I felt about his performance. I understood it, but I feel like he almost exploited African tribes to get his point across. He had tribal dancers on stage with him and at the end put "Compton" over the continent of Africa. I felt like this was exploiting because there are many different languages, tribes, clothing, etc depending on the location. Did he trace his roots back to a specific area or did he just have these women dancing in "tribal" pieces for aesthetic? This also could have been a criticism as in they have all been lumped together and it does not matter where they are from, and that's why he had "Compton" over the continent.

We talked about Coates and the quote that really resonated with me was being woken up from a dream. It was also interesting to me to read about the talks that he has to have with his son about how to act around authority. Other classmates agreed and said that they have had these talks as well, as have I. That really resonated with me because I did not feel alone. However, it also saddened me because we have to experience these conversations in the first place.

I do not have it as bad as others. I am completely aware of that fact. However, each person's trials and tribulations is important and should not be necessarily compared. When we watched the Ferguson film, there were so many things that happened that made me extremely angry and upset. It also opened my eyes to the systemic racism and oppression that is still very prevalent today. When I hear about people being in jail and not able to get out, etc, I have always just assumed that it was for something extremely legitimate. Now I see that these people are getting $200 jaywalking tickets?! That is absolutely insane. It completely seems like they are the targets of the authorities and they're trying to make money off of them. I now see how it is nearly impossible for them to live happily and how it is almost impossible to escape from that reality. I was definitely woken up from this "dream" and my eyes were opened up to current systemic racism and oppression.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-owens/4-problematic-statements-white-people-make-about-race_b_9212864.html

This is a link to an article of appropriation done by Kylie Jenner at New York Fashion Week that I thought was extremely relevant to this week. She is completely allowed to do this, but when actual black girls do it, they are criticized and deemed "ghetto."
http://www.teenvogue.com/story/kylie-jenner-yaki-ponytail-cultural-appropriation

UA: Home of the crimson and WHITE

This week we went on a race cognizant tour of campus. This was my third time to be on this tour. The sites and stops are the same. Although I have seen them before and heard the history, the feelings I get when I hear and see what these places represent never change or go away. When I told my friend that I was going on the race cognizant tour, she was curious and started asking me questions. "Where do y'all stop?" I told her we went to the slave quarters on the President's lawn, Nott Hall (I also explained why this was a stop), and the slave graves by the biology building. Sadly, I was not shocked when she had no idea that any of these places existed on campus. Regrettably, this is the case for most UA students. They unknowingly walk by these places everyday with gleeful ignorance of their history.

The campus we walk on everyday, stained with history, is whitewashed. When the students cheer for the Crimson Tide, they scream for the crimson and white not knowing, not understanding, not realizing the incongruity of their actions. These white students will readily cheer for Black football players, as long as they are winning. As long as they are producing the results these white students want to see. As long as they are putting their bodies on the line for the entertainment of these white students. When we look around our university, how much can we say things have changed? Has the system of slavery actually been demolished or merely transformed on our campus? Does the university not still "own" the black bodies of the football players? These players still have to answer to the university, albeit in a different way than the slaves who were rented out by UA.

In our readings this week we focused on whiteness. The power of whiteness is ever present on this campus. In some ways, UA is a microcosm of the U.S. Yes, we, like the U.S., have an African American president, but what does that actually say about how far we have come in our racial politics on campus? I'm sure you can talk to any minority student on campus, and they would say we haven't progressed as much as we would like to think.

This post is simply a chain of consciousness. As I was writing these thoughts just popped into my head, and I wanted to put them out there for you guys to respond to. What are your thoughts? Am I totally off target by saying these things?

Regrets in Retrospect

This week we discussed the power of whiteness in the US south. We also went on a campus tour where we visited buildings that had a significant impact on diversifying the UA campus. My eyes were definitely opened by the reading as well as the tour. Racism is not something I have been unfamiliar with. I am a mixed race woman from California, so I feel my privilege has protected me from far wors e than what could have been experienced. California experiences a lot of racism with different ethnic groups besides what is experienced here in the US south. For me, I have experienced discrimination due to being of Mexican descent. Looking at me, you would never think that I was anything other than white. When I moved to Alabama, I was warned to keep it that way.

I was nervous to come to Alabama. I did not think my life was in jeopardy nor do I believe that it is jeopardy because of my race today. However, I had been warned by several friends that were southern and aware of my racial background to "stay as white as possible." In history courses, we learned about racial tensions in the south from pre Civil War to Jim Crow. When you're not involved in it or around it, it seems like an issue of the past. It seemed like a completely antiquated way of thinking. When I was told to stay as "white" as possible, I took that with a grain of salt. Surely, there aren't still racial tensions between black and white like the past. There's absolutely NO way that it still exists. I'll be fine. The first night I arrived in Alabama, my randomly assigned roommate announces that her "grandaddy is the head wizard of the KKK in Shelby County." and they "have his cloak and hood in a framed shadow box in their living room." WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?! I scream this thought internally as I awkwardly try to change the subject. It wasn't until this statement and many more that I would unfortunately discover that there is definitely a lot of racial tension here in Alabama.

The power of whiteness in the US south is not an antiquated way of thinking, but still incredibly alive and well. Throughout my years here in Alabama, I would hear a lot of racial comments and stabs at minorities while I was in the room. These comments were made completely unaware that I am definitely a minority. "Well you don't ACT like a Mexican." "You're one of the GOOD ones." "Well I'm sure your family is extremely hard working and family oriented. Bless them for that." I would hear these phrases more in my three years here at the university.


The walk through of campus really opened my eyes to the backpedalling done here at the university. What really resonated with me was the fact that we still have Nott Hall when the history behind that is barbaric. However, they have done a very good job brushing that under the rug. I've been here for three years and never knew the history behind that building. I am sure there are many others that have absolutely no idea. When we looked at the slave quarters behind the President's Mansion, my stomach turned. I felt extremely uncomfortable looking at it. If I'm feeling uncomfortable looking at it when this is probably the up kept, remodeled version I could not imagine what it would have been like beforehand. I understand it's historical, but why is it being glamorized? That was my biggest question that probably will never be answered. It's 2016. Why is UA STILL glamorizing racism as history and sweeping their regrettable decisions under the rug?

This week in class we watched a film titled Ethnic Notions, which was about the representation of black people in popular culture. The documentary talked about the Mammie, Sambo and how white men would dress in black face to characterize themselves as black Americans. The film also highlighted the repercussions this had and more often than not the black people were represented in a negative manner, which created animosity between white and black people. However this was a very popular practice from the ante-bellum era through out the mid twentieth century.

Nevertheless this kind of portrayal of black culture still exists today and some may even argue that people today are obsessed with black culture. For example celebrities like Miley Cyrus have been seen appropriating black American culture by doing things like “twerking” and rapping. Or more recently Kylie Jenner has come under fire for doing things like cornrowing her hair, a hairstyle that is more typically worn by Black Americans.

Kylie Jenner wore her hair in this braided style and posted a picture of herself on instagram, with a caption promoting her new wig line. Amandla Stenberg a 16 year old Black American actress best known for her role as Rue in the hunger games commented on the post saying,

 “When u appropriate black features and culture but fail to use ur position of power to help black Americans by directing attention towards ur wigs instead of police brutality or racism #whitegirlsdoitbetter,”

The Huffington Post wrote an article about the exchange and I think Amandla makes a good point. Kylie may just think she is wearing her hair a certain way but her actions have consequences. She is appropriating a culture. A Black Person today cannot just pick and choose which parts of being black they want to embody so why should Kylie Jenner have that option?

Article

So in class we discussed Sarah Bartman and how society used race and culture to try and help understand or categorize African American's and their difference in comparison to white people. If we look at Ms. Bartman experience, we see they saw her as a creature of some sort.

The world has this crazy thing, which still goes on today that there must be an explanation or a category for any and everyone:

Let's take a look at Serena Williams who won 2015 Sportsperson of the year, (who's closest opponent was a horse), and  whom also has been the best tennis player since I've pretty much been alive. She is an African American woman, who has a killer athletic body. But apparently her body make-up was TOO newsworthy for New York Times journalist, Ben Rothenberg. "Her rivals could try to emulate her physique, but most of them choose not to," Rothenberg said. 

Can Serena Williams just be appreciated for what she does and how often she does is it. We know Serena Williams is great at what she does, but apparently, according to media, no one wants to "look" like her, so no one will be as good as her. The phrase "woman" is thrown around a lot talking about Serena and her physique, and it's not to determine her gender. It's because her opponents find it conflicting to be and appear physically fit and to be "woman". Instead of praising her, media would rather question and compare her ability and looks to every other [white] woman in the sport of tennis. 

Can she just live and just be a damn good tennis player?

How do you all feel about this topic? Was the article necessary? Racist? Article