Identities of America: A Student Blog

Check out Identities of America, a photoblog by one of my students. It's got a fun, sarcastic feel to it, but he's raising some important questions through his conjunctions of text and image.

Us & Them: A Student Music Video Project

Going to be posting more from my students in the next month or so. Here's a music video that was part of a final project by a Ingo Hutzenlaub and Devon Sprague. Enjoy!

Walt Disney World and the American Dream

This semester I'm going to be posting student work from last semester's American Identities course, specifically the identification projects of those students who wanted me to share their work with a wider audience. Here's the first of many, from leemattar.

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Walt Disney World and the American Dream

My story starts out a long ways from here, yet at the very center of what is "American." Walt Disney used stories and his created wonderland in order to emulate the "Perfect All-American Dream." Many people feel that Disney is fake, but what is the original American Dream? Especially now, when the American Dream is becoming less and less attainable, the original ideals of the American Dream are fading. The ability to fulfill your dreams and goals through hard work is not possible for the average American. As children, we have huge dreams for ourselves, but as we grow up we are forced to give up those dreams for reality. Disney World is a place where people can re-submerge themselves into their childhood imaginings. The family can come together and, for a time at least, feel comfortable and separated from their problems. Their movies transport us into the fantasy of our choosing for a few hours. Disney may be a fabricated place, but it's the lack of reality that draws people to it. It's the emulation of the American Dream and the desire to attain it that keeps us going back.

In the spring of 2007 I was able to do an internship for Walt Disney World. I experienced the Disney Difference first hand. The Disney Difference means going above and beyond expectations. We treat our visitors as though they are guests in our home. Our home is clean, friendly, and inviting. As a cast member, my co-workers were like my second family and my work location became my second home. We would fight and make up, we would share our lunches and swap jokes. I was completely caught up in my own personal Disney world. I had all of Orlando to play in and few responsibilities outside of work. Having to enter the real world again, when my internship was over, was a bit of a struggle. I had to remind myself that I was no longer in a fantasy world where everyone was smiling. Here, I had responsibilities, meetings, and the constant flow of work to deal with. The memories I have from those seven months away have carried me through ruff moments. I can think back to the fireworks, to the laughter with friends, and the magic carpet rides. Those memories help me to smile and to keep going.

Today, people are struggling to keep their heads above water; they are dealing with angry bosses and demanding families. Walt Disney found ways to help people escape from their own lives and into his creations. When people enter the Magic Kingdom they have to take a boat or a monorail; driving in off the street is not an option. They are crossing the boundary between reality and fantasy. Once they pass the friendly ticket collectors they are greeted by the sight of a grand castle and are able to get their pictures taken by a smiling Cast Member. From there, the guest can choose what land he/she wants to visit first. They can visit the Land of Tomorrow where one can become a part of innovations and creations of new technologies. They can choose to visit Liberty Square and listen to the past presidents speak once again. In Frontierland, guests can go on adventures such as chasing run-away trains. Fantasyland has always been a favorite, with classics such at the Spinning Teacups and It's a Small World. Guests can choose to fly like Peter Pan or take part in Snow Whites Adventure. Disney offers those who visit many opportunities to escape reality.

Walt Disney wanted those who visited his park to be completely submerged into his created reality. In his world, everything is clean, everyone is happy, and family is highly valued. This is the kind of world we all strive for. The American Dream has typically been to be able to own a clean house with a trimmed yard, a white fence, and a supportive family. In reality, most people never achieve this version of the American Dream. They struggle to keep their heads above water and fewer of us have yards we can trim. Disney represents the America we wish we had. Every little boy is a pirate and every little girl is a princess. There are surprises and adventures to be found around every corner. Every movie has a happy ending. In actuality, our lives are monotonous, and children have been known to lie on the floor screaming. Happy endings are few and far between, life is more difficult, and animals are not as willing to help us when we are running from wicked stepmothers. We know all these things, but we continue to show our children the movies and go to the theme parks. Feeling like we are a part of an achieved American Dream is important to us and that’s why we continue.

Walt Disney was a man who successfully created his own American Dream. He had to work his way up and overcome many obstacles. He had a family to support and he wanted his children to be able to play in a clean and friendly environment. He also wanted it to be affordable and family oriented. Disneyland and Disney World have raised their prices quite a bit since their opening of Disneyland in 1955, and the following opening of Disney World in 1971. Yet they continue to find ways to entice millions of people to visit every year. The public dedications to all the Disney theme parks have started with: "To all who come to this happy place--welcome" (Disneyland Park (Anaheim)). At the Magic Kingdom in Disneyland, Walt continues, "Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America…" (Disneyland Park (Anaheim)). This quote is crucial to understanding how America and Disney Resorts are related. Everyone is welcome, whites, blacks, Americans and Non-Americans. Disney’s Magic Kingdom takes us back to the days for our grandfathers, or what we consider "the good-old-days." Disney hands over his creation to those who will enjoy it. When immigration first started into the United States, it was seen as the land for everyone. Our Statue of Liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free…" (Lazarus). These statements both represent the idea of people coming to a place to get away and to be free. At Disney, one becomes a part of the happy atmosphere there and is free of their normal routines, for a time at least. Many who came to America through Ellis Island often came to escape an old life and to take advantage of new opportunities. The problems with this is that one cannot stay at Disney World forever, and in America, many immigrants had to face discrimination and poverty. But people continue to come to the United Stated for the opportunities it promises to offer, just as people will continue to go to Disney World to have experiences they cannot get anywhere else.

Disney World invited people of all backgrounds to come and enjoy its resorts. This includes the Cast Members as well as the guests. In the United States we value diversity and Disney is sure to have one of the most diverse work environments. Animal Kingdom and the World Showcase in Epcot try to imitate the places they are representing. They did this by bringing people from the represented countries to work in the simulated countries. Many of the international students I worked with were from Indonesia because I was stationed in "Asia." When I asked them about why they were doing the internship and the overwhelming answer was that this was one of the only ways for them to easily get into the United States and to have American work experience on their resumes. One of the girls I knew decided to get married to an American friend so that she could stay in the United States after her internship was over. I was surprised that she was willing to leave her home and marry a man she had only known for a few months in order stay. I know that people have done much more extreme things in order to live in the United States, but I had never experienced it firsthand. Here, she saw a place for endless opportunity and financial success that she probably would not have back in Indonesia. Disney offers its employees many opportunities to move up in the company, as long as you show devotion and a good work ethic. The United States is seen as a place where people can work hard and give up a few things, and in turn, gain a slice of the American Dream. That dream drives people and it's a part of what makes Americans unified.

Often, we think people who live outside the United States to be more interesting and exotic. I think we forget that there are many different cultures right here in our own back yard. Besides working with people from around the world, I met and lived with people from all over the United States. One might say that people who live in our own country couldn’t possibly be that interesting, but I learned so much from those friends. I found out about lifestyles, values, and practices that are completely different from my own. One such friend was from Arkansas. His family lived in a double trailer, his family worked on a carnival over the summers and preparing food at a racetrack over the winters. His stories would amaze me. I couldn’t imagine living how he and his family did. I live in the suburbs of Buffalo, in a two-story house, with a say at home mother, and a business-owning father. I spend my summers visiting family and working summer jobs. Our lives were so different, but we are both Americans. Jan Radway argues that "American national identity is…constructed in and through the relations of difference" (Gruesz, 21). America--in this case we are talking about the United States--was created out of people who were different. Some wanted religious freedoms, some wanted adventure some were looking for economic relief, and others were forced out of their homelands. Today, our nation prides its self on being a melting pot. It's our differences that help us to be a strong nation. It's our common goals that hold us together; those goals being life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Not everyone can attain those goals but it's our desire for them the keeps us unified. We are connected to and learn from the people around us. At Disney World, our goal is to create a cheerful environment that encourages guests to live out their dreams. We are able to do this through our differences. Every cast member has something to bring to the table. Some can speak multiple languages and can communicate easily with guests that do not speak English. Some are great with people and know how to explain situations to the guests. They give just the right amount of information while using the correct voice tones and inflections. Some are creative and are always coming up with new ways that we can be more efficient. We all have different personalities and ways of thinking about things that may clash once in a while, but we all want the same thing; to make a guest smile and to give their children memories that will last them the rest of their lives.

Disney wants their guests to be able to bring stories back that are filled with excitement and adventure. Stories are devices that have been used for centuries in order to pass down information and values from one generation to another. Oral stories were used to explain and teach, or often for entertainment at important events: "narrators told tales to bring members of a group of tribe closer together and to provide them with a sense of mission" (Zipes, 333). It was stories of the "Great West" that sparked young men's interest. It was tales of gold and adventure that drew whole families to California. Stories make us excited, especially stories that are new. Manifest Destiny, our movement to the west coast, was enhanced by the stories told about it. When people from other countries, especially poor ones, think of America, they think of the stories they have heard. Huge homes, lots of money, fun technologies and the freedoms that many of us born American take for granted.

Stories change over time, especially the oral ones. Every time the story is told some small thing gets changed. Life is not static, so it makes sense that our stories will have different variations depending on who is telling it. The American Dream is just like a story. Our idea of it has changed over time, so that we can still believe in it. In a nation wide survey done in 2009 72% of people stated that they believed people could start out poor and work their way up in the United States (Seelye, 1). Americans still believe in an American Dream, but it has changed over the years, morphed into a different dream, but considered no less American. Today, “fewer people are pegging their dream to material success and more are pegging it abstract values” (Seelye, 2). Some of these are being able to live your own life, having a fair chance to succeed, having a healthy family and nice friends, owning a home, and having financial stability (Seelye, 2). None of these mention being rich, but talk about being able to get by and not having too many financial worries. They talk about good friends and a loving family. This is what Americans in the United States want. Disney is able to give people that. Many people believe in the American Dream but, according to polls, only 44% feel that they have reached it (Seelye, 1). For the rest, Disney is a place where one can experience their personal dreams and take the memories back with them. Disney's idea of the American Dream has remained constant over the years, being able to be with your family and surrounded by helpful people who want to be sure your stay is magical.

Walt Disney had been a key player in story telling over the years. He was a creative man with grand ideas that he wanted to share with the world. His innovations led to the first full-length animation films.

Disney was a radical filmmaker who changed our way of viewing fairy tales, and that his revolutionary technical means capitalized on American innocence and utopianism to reinforce the social and political status quo. His radicalism was of the right and the righteous. The great "magic" of the Disney spell is that he animated the fairy tale only to transfix audiences and divert their potential utopian dreams and hopes through the false promises of the images he cast upon the screen; (Zipes, 333)

Americans have always dreamt of a utopian society, where everyone gets their fair opportunity. We like stories where the unfortunate end up on top. This is what Disney provides. We look at moves such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. A young girl escapes death, meets some dwarves who help her out, then she find her true love after being poisoned by her evil stepmother. He uses what Americans know and combines it into what we want in an artistic and creative way. We know that people are labeled and ranked according to the status society gives them. Cinderella, for example, is shown as a young girl who is abused by her stepfamily. She is a poor women, which, at one time would have made her extremely low in the social hierarchy. We like to see the underdog win and those who were the suppressers punished. Cinderella, with the help of her fairy godmother, was able to meet her prince and have her happy ending after much struggling. Her stepfamily is distraught because none of them were able to marry the prince.

Disney Americanized the original tales. Many of the happy endings we find in his versions of the stories don't exist in the originals. Americans don't want the sad endings; they want to feel that anything is possible and that your dreams are always achievable. This is one of the reasons Disney films did and continue to do so well. It's important to remember that every story is the teller's version of it. We often forget because Disney's versions of the stories are on a big screen, they are visual; we can hear them and we are pulled into them. We feel for the characters and we can see the build up of their identities as they change from the beginning till the end. People are more likely to believe something they see on the television or at the moves than something they are told. When the original films were first projected, people in the audience were scared and screamed when they saw trains coming at them. We make movies real and internalize them. The art of story telling is slowly dying. The original stories do not matter anymore because we do not remember them. I wonder if the original idea of the American Dream will matter after a time. As people's circumstances change they are forced to change what they want out of life.

Fairy tales and stories are not just for children. They are for anyone who feels that they need to be connected to something larger than themselves. Alys Eve Weinbaum states that "nations need narratives to exist – that they need to be narrated into being" (Weinbaum, 168). A nation is created by its people and by their commonalities. We learn about other people through stories, and we become connected to people by knowing their stories and passing them on. I think it is important to teach our younger Americans about stories, and to be sure that they recognize that the Disney versions of stories are romanticized versions that reflect what we want America to stand for. Stories are vices that allow us to get our points and feeling across to other people, they do not have to be true to do that. Disney was able to show his ideas of the American Dream through his stories, and had millions of people believing in a happily ever after. There are many who do not ever let that go, and that's one of the reasons, I think, that we are unified as a nation. We have the hope that Disney instilled in us. We want to beat down the suppressers and to finally reach our happy ending. We will continue to try and to move forward. This is what unites us. Our version of the American Dream may have changed but we still have a dream, we still have something to aim for.

It's important to constantly critique society, to re-examine our ideas and to continue to grow in our Identity. While I was working for Disney I had to completely change the way I viewed the world around me and re-think my self-identity as an American. I went to Florida as a naive individual who had few ideas about how the world worked and how our nation was viewed by others. I came home with a completely new attitude. I understood the struggles of the middle class worker, I knew how to talk to people without offending them, but most of all, I learned about how the American Dream has become an illusion. Those who fulfilled their dreams put in a great amount of time and energy in order to do so. It takes commitment and a drive to accomplish the goals that have been set out. Walt had clear goals and a passion for what he was creating. He has shared his hopes and dreams with us in order to help others believe that anything is possible. As Jiminy Cricket says, "If your heart is in your dream,/ No request is too extreme,/ When you wish upon a star,/ As dreamers do…" (Pinocchio). We need to have dreams, they give us something to aim for, something that we will want to continually reach for. Disney has instilled this idea into the hearts and minds of those in the United States and around the world.

Works Cited
"Disneyland Park (Anaheim)." Wikipedia. 8 May 2009. 6 May 2009 .

Gruesz, Kirsten S. "America." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU P, 2007. 16-22.

Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus." American Studies @ The University of Virginia. University of Virginia. 07 May 2009 .

Pinocchio. Prod. Walter Disney. Disney Inc., 1940.

Seelye, Katharine Q. "What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession." The New York Times 8 May 2009.

Weinbaum, Alys E. "Nation." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. Eds. Bruce Burgett and Glenn Hendler. New York: NYU P, 2007. 162-70.

Zipes, Jack. "Breaking the Disney Spell." Classic Fairy Tales: Texts, Criticism. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York: Norton, 1999. 332-52.

Tattoos: Art or Disaster

Research question:
Why do people get tattoos?

This question has been plaguing parents, sociologists, and everyday people for a very long time. Man-kind has been experimenting with body marking and body art for centuries. Egyptians, Romans, Native Americans and other ancient peoples have been using different forms of tattooing to symbolize or to bring awareness to something. It is my belief that people get tattoos for various reasons; but some common theories I have as to why people do this are for rebellious reasons, for self-expression, or to belong to a group. These are not the only reasons why people get tattoos but they are the reason I will be studying in this research question.
Editor Jane Caplan[1] also supports this idea of multiple reasons for tattooing. In her book, Caplan discuses the history of tattooing in many different Empires and cultures throughout history, she also helps support the idea that tattoos were used to symbolize something more than just body marks. Other authors such as Carrie Reed[2] and C.P. Jones[3] have studied the historical use of tattooing in Chinese and Roman culture. They also have come up with similar finds that tattooing was used for more that just body art. It was used to tell who a slave was and to identify people easier.
In approximately the last twenty years, there has been a new trend of people getting tattoos. It is the sixth largest business in the United States, and the majority of people getting tattoos are suburban women. This means that a large number of soccer moms are the ones “rebelling” and getting tattoos.
Women started to become more interested in tattooing in the 1960’s. In the United States during this time women and men were experimenting with drugs, sex, and other forms of self-expression. Tattooing was just another way for women to rebel against society. Traditionally, society had viewed tattoos has symbols of rebellious nature, only bikers[4] and prisoners would have them. In today’s society teachers, lawyers, and accountants have tattoos. They are respected members of the community and yet they still have tattoos. The stereotypical view of people with tattoos is so slowly disappearing. What has changed over time? Why are tattoos more accepted? Also, if they are in fact accepted does this mean that getting a tattoo is no longer a rebellious act?
In many cases we see that adolescents are trying to rebel against their parents and decide to get tattoos and body piercings. To them, this was the only way to gain some control in their lives and help their self-esteem. Lynne Carroll and Roxanne Anderson[5] have done various research on the affect of tattooing and body piercing on young adolescent girls. In this study, they found that adolescent girls were trying to not only rebel against their parents for more control in their lives but also because of this act of rebellion their self-esteem was affected.
Tattooing is also about control for many people, for rebelling is usually based on the lack of control someone has in their life. People tend to rebel because they want control whether it’s over their body, their life, or their society. They need to have power over something and having a say of what goes on your body definitely helps them. Tattooing is one of those things that you have complete control over because it is on your body and you decide what goes on it and what does not. This is why many women started to get tattoos, whether they are unhappy with their lives or not, this gives many of them their first taste of freedom and control outside of the home.
This idea of needing control and rebellious behavior from women is supported by the work that Christine Braunberger[6] has done about tattooing. In her study, she explains the perception women have about tattooing and the freedom that comes along with it. She describes tattooing for women as a rebirth into their natural beauty. Tattooing for women is more of an act of independents that helps them discovers themselves in all their glory. In addition, Braunberger also gives you the battle between the concepts of women with tattoos as beautiful or as a monster.
Then there is a whole other theory about tattooing, and it is a form of self-expression. This reason of self-expression is becoming a popular explanation for the increase in people getting tattoos. More and more people want to find outlets for their passions, religious beliefs, anger, sadness, happiness, etc. To them tattooing is a perfect way to express themselves. It is a great way to express many different emotions. It has become body art. There is a whole culture today that is all about tattooing. Many professional artists have tattoos and many tattooists are artist, their work is on peoples bodies and to them it is a living art. This culture is more than just tattoos and making money, to the tattooist and to the person getting the tattoo it is about so much more. It is about art, color, shape, emotion, remembering, honoring a loved one. They live and breathe tattoos. It is their way of life; however, whether it is an obsession or devotion is another question.
This notion of tattooing as a culture is actually true. Culture does not have to refer to a people of a specific place who speak the same language and have the same belief system. It can also be built on a common goal or desire; this is the case with the tattooing community. Margo Demello[7] actually takes the time to examine the modern day tattoo world and how it came to be. In her book she decides the community from the ground up; the background stories of tattooing, tattoos in today’s media, and the new meaning of tattoos. Her work is a vast study on tattoos in the new age and future of tattooing in America. And tattooing has become its own world; there are magazines, books, movies, national and state competitions and conferences that are all based around tattooing.
Another writer who adds to this theory of self-expression is Terisa Green[8], she takes it one step further and creates an encyclopedia for tattoos. This lends a hand to stating that tattooing is about self-expression and art. In her book she is trying to help others figure out some common meanings of tattoos so they are getting a tattoo that best fits them. Margot Mifflin[9] also looks at the meaning of tattoos in her book. She actually studies the history of tattooed women in circuses. She learns about the meaning of tattoos and freedom that the tattoos gave women in historical time periods where women weren’t allowed to be that expressive.
On the other side of self-expression some authors are studying tattooing in definitions of beauty. Robert Wicks[10] looks into the affect that tattoos have on beauty and whether or not face tattoos are accepted as beautiful. He also tries to put limits and restrictions on tattoos so people can remain acceptable in society. Corinna Wu[11] is another author who disagrees with this idea of self expression; her discussion is about the removal of tattoos due to regret and more. She is looking at tattoos in a different light, she looks at them as symbols of a rebellious youth and not as a well thought out plan. She believes adults will later come to understand the wildness of their younger years and see tattoos as a mistake.
A final explanation that I have come up with for why people get tattoos is to belong. In our simplest form we are human beings and as humans we need to socialize with others. It is a basic function that we have; we do not usually like to be alone. As children we are taught to play nicely with others, to share, and to work together. With these common lessons that are taught to us as children it is no wonder why we want to desperately belong to a group or to fit in. We see it all the time in high school and college, how kids want to be apart of “the in crowd” and popular. Many of them will go to extreme measures to do so, even permanently marking their bodies.
Many sport teams, braches of the military, and gangs have tattoos that are symbols of belonging. Many of these groups do not make it a requirement to be tattooed or to last receive a tattoo in order to get in but that does not stop people from feeling pressure to get a tattoo to show how tough they are or to show their loyalty. Because a tattoo is so permanent, when you get one you show that you are permanently apart of this group and chose not to leave it.
Other people get tattoos for groups because they feel that they need to for protection. In gangs[12] if you flash a gang sign or a gang tattoo then most people will not hurt you because of fear of having whole gangs come after them. On the other side if you do not get a tattoo for a gang, many times this is telling the gang that you are not loyal and they will come after you themselves.
To sum up these theories, people get tattoos for different reasons. It is on case to case bases. But each theory is similar in the end, for it is up to an individual person to get a tattoo. Whether a person gets a tattoo for rebellious reason, to fit in with others, for control, or even for self-expression, it is all the same. I am writing this paper and doing this study in hopes of not only discovering the reasons behind tattooing but I also wanted to show society that not all tattoos are negative. I hope with this research that many negative thoughts and feelings toward tattoos can stop so people can continue living their lives and promote a more accepting society.


Bibliography
- Atkinson, Michael. Tattooed: The Sociogenesis of a body Art (University of Toronto Press)
- Caplan, Jane. Written on the body: The tattoo in European and American History (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey)
- Demello, Margo. Bodies of Inscription: A cultural history of the modern tattoo community (Duke University press, Durham & London 200)
- Green, Terisa. The Tattoo Encyclopedia: A Guide to choosing your tattoo (A Fireside book Published by Simon & Schuster New York, Toronto, Sydney)
- Kuwahara, Makiko. Tattoo: An anthropology (Berg Oxford-New York)
- Miller, Jean-Chris. The Body art book: A complete illustration guide to tattoos, piercing, and other body modification (Berkley Books, New York)
- Mifflin, Margot. Bodies of Subversion: A secret History of Women and tattoo. New York City: Juno Books, 2007.
- Pitts, Victoria. In the Flesh: the Cultural Politics of Body Modification (Palgrave Macmillan)
- Armstrong, Myrna. "Vital Signs: When the Art is on a Body Part." The American Journal Of Nursing 99, no. 6 (1999)
- Braunberger, Christine. "Revolting Bodies: The Monster Beauty of Tattooed Women." NWSA 12, no. 2
- Carroll, Lynne, and Roxanne Anderson. "Body Piercing, Tattooing, Self-esteem, and body investment in adolescent girls." (n.d.)
- Demello, Margo. "Not just for bikers anymore: Popular representations of American tattooing."
- Demello, Margo. "The Convict Body: Tattooing Among Male American Prisoners." Anthropology Today 9, no. 6 (1993)
- Jones, C.P. "Stigma: tattooing and branding in Greco-roman antiquity." the journal of roman studies 77 (1987)

- Kang, Mailiann, and Katherine Jones. "Why do People get tattoos?"
- Reed, Carrie. "Tattoo in Early China." Journal of the American Oriental Society 20 (n.d.)
- Wicks, Robert. "Can Tattooed faces be Beautiful? Limits on the Restriction of forms in Dependent Beauty." The journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 57, no. 3 (1999)
- Wu, Corinna. "Disappearing Ink: Tattoo Technology for Modern Impermanence." Science News 172, no. 15
[1] Caplan, Jane. Written on the body, pgs. 17-45
[2] Reed Carrie. Tattoo in Early China
[3] Jones, C.P. Stigma: tattooing and branding in Greco-roman antiquity
[4] Demello, Margo. "Not just for bikers anymore: Popular representations of American tattooing."
[5] Carroll, Lynne, and Roxanne Anderson. "Body Piercing, Tattooing, Self-esteem, and body investment in adolescent girls.
[6] Braunberger, Christine. "Revolting Bodies: The Monster Beauty of Tattooed Women
[7] Demello, Margo. Bodies of Inscription: A cultural history of the modern tattoo community
[8] Green, Terisa. The Tattoo Encyclopedia: A Guide to choosing your tattoo
[9] Mifflin, Margot. Bodies of Subversion: A secret History of Women and tattoo.
[10] Wicks, Robert. "Can Tattooed faces be Beautiful: Limits on the Restriction of forms in Dependent Beauty"
[11] Wu, Corinna. "Disappearing Ink: Tattoo Technology for Modern Impermanence."
[12] Demello, Margo. "The Convict Body: Tattooing Among Male American Prisoners."

John Updike's "The Spirit of the Game" and American National Mythologies

The United States Golf Association has made John Updike's 1994 essay, "The Spirit of the Game," available on its web site as part of its tribute to the recently-deceased author. If you want a pocket guide to classic themes on American identity and a brilliant example of a great writer yoking a sport to American national mythologies, check it out. It reminds me of the great post-W.W. II American cultural critics who emphasized America's newness, grounding in Puritan, transcendental, and romantic ideals, connection to nature, and valuing of freedom, not to mention earlier studies based on the model of identifying the "national character." How does the essay stand the test of time for you?

the Cherokee Nation

• The term Cherokee comes Creek word meaning “people of a different speech”
• They call themselves the “real people” or the “principal people”
• They are location in Oklahoma and western North Carolina
• Population in 1674 was 50,00 and 308,000 in 1990
• Language is part Iroquoian, because they conquered them

Pre-content

• The confederacy has about 200 towns and shared a common language and cultural
• Originally there was no chief but each group had their own ceremonies and wars
• Each town had a red chief and white chief
• The red chief the leader during the wartime and the the white chief was for the peacetime
• Each governed with the consultation with a town council, which had both male and female villagers.
• They were organized into 7 clans that were basic on their mother’s blood line
• Language is from the southern branch of the Iroquoian and it very different from the northern Iroquoian languages, like Mohawk
• 50,000 people owned 40,000 square miles of land, including parts from Alabama to west Virginia
• It is known as the largest tribe of the 5 civilized tribes

History

• Were believed to have migrated from Mexico, Texas and the great lakes region
• They had conflict and wars with the Iroquois and the Delaware tribes 3-4,000 yrs old
• They relied on 3 ways for food: farming, gathering and hunting
• Some of the crops were corn, beans, squash, sunflower, melons, tobacco, nuts, roots, and fruits
• Food was preserved for winter by drying it out
• Cherokee women did most of the farming, men were the primarily warriors and hunter
• They hunted deers, bears, buffalos, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, opossums, turkeys, and other types of birds
• Traditionally the Cherokee people never wasted a part of a hunted animal
• Deer was the most important game for the Cherokee
• They were use blow guns to hunt them down from about 60 feet away

Religion

• In the 1600’s the tribe was divided into two groups
• Most people belived that the world was created by the “Being from above”
• This group worshiped different heavenly bodies, animals, and fire
• The 2^nd group believed in “three beings who were always together and of the same mind”
• Religion was part of the Cherokee’s daily life
• Each town’s white chief served as a chief preiest
• There is a cycle of 6 annual festivals
• The most important one was the harvest , it was a celebration of harmony and renewal
• Now days most Cherokee are protestant Christians, but they do have services in the Cherokee language.

Random facts

· A Cherokee townhas a council house, a plaza, and 30-60 private homes.

· The whole town is surrounded by a protective fence

· The circular council house is large enough to hold all 400-500 townspeople for meetings and religious ceremonies.

· Wall were formed by weaving saplings support posts then plastered with mud over the framework

· In 1995 164,000 cherokee claimed to be members of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma

· While 10,500 belonged to the eastern band of Cherokee in north Carolina

· In 1990 the u.s census recorded that 308,132 people claim themselves as Cherokee, the lasgest native tribe in the United States

· Cherokee is the most completes and different language to learn

· It was created by Sequoyah his father was white and his given name was George Guess.

· It took him about 12 years, he developed 85 systems, which represented all the sounds of his native tongue

· Literary quickly separated among the Cherokee people, once then trust it

Current Tribal Issues

· A big problem for Cherokee today is their lack of tradional culture

· They lost a lot their history, and culture beucase they tried to assima with the white.

· They thought it would help them keep land and it was new and whites had mew technologies

Politicians

Wilma Pearl Mankiller was the chief of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma from 1985-1991. her name comes from her antserter who was named that to protect the people in a town. She was the first full blood Cherokee female to be chief in about 200 years. Initially the people of the nation didn’t want to be lead by a women, she was threat, her car tires were slashed. But it didn’t take long for Wilma to win over the respect of the people and she has left her mark on the nation. With her mission to restore the Cherokee cultural and to teach the next generation.

Benjamin Nighthorse Campell is an American politician. He is a senator from Colorado from 1993 till 2005 and for a while was the only native American serving in the u.s. congress. It was the 3^rd native American to service in the us.s senate in history, he was also one of the 44 members of the councils of chiefs of the northern Cheyenne Indian tribe.

He was a democratic but later changed to a the republican party in 1995.

Mother was a Portuguese immigrant, and his father Albert Campbell was from the Northern Cheyenne but he was raised in Crow Agenct boarding school.

Wionona LaDuke is a native American activist, environment, economist, and a writer. She ran as the vice president for the green party in the 1996 and 2000 election with Ralph Nader. But in 2004 she supported John Kerry and is currently supporting Barack Obama. She is the current executive director of both the honor the earth and white earth land recovery party. Her father was part Chippewa and from a reservation of Minnesota. Her mother was jewish artist and was a professor at southern Oregon university.

Stepping Stools to Finding a True Self

Here's JAYA4PLRA, making up some work from last semester:

This course has helped me battle some critical issues concerning my own identity, as well as bringing to light the issues of Race and Ethnicity. Experiences shape our lives and create an individual through common existence. Throughout the winding paths of adulthood I have faced many experiences that have shaped my personality, character, and overall identity. This evolving process has leaded me to reflect on not only my individual placement within the world but also my commonality with American and world culture. This second phase of the identification project is designed to elicit a more in-depth look at Race and Ethnicity, while analyzing our growth throughout the semester. My life has been a constant search for truth and I believe that my experience at college, and abroad has lead me to find some answers.

“My father is from Ghana” is the first thing I say to most people I meet. This shines a light on a crucial aspect of my collective identity. When asked in seminars and classes to say something special about yourself that’s what I usually reach for. This truly is the “Me” generation, focusing on individual achievement rather than group success. The honor that I have come from a distinctive background has been lost in a sea of common identity. This was clearly presented by our various outside of class research.

In the summer of 2007, my personal identity was changed drastically, with the visit to my father's native land of Ghana, West Africa. The experience was faulty at first with an uneasy feeling in the air about the trip. Whether it was money, our age, or the fact that the trip was long overdue in general, my older brother Addaie and I were worried. We described this tension feeling as “the stars are not aligned, or something.”

The trip to Ghana opened my eyes to what I have been preparing for my whole life. A world of stories and what I believed to be fairy tales now began to take physical form. The whole flight over I was sick with worry and anticipation, forcing me to spend much of my time in the cramped airplane bathroom. Landing in Ghana I was able to smell the hot moist air and see the moist green grass. To be honest, I was upset by the level of development, in terms of infrastructure. I always believed that the cities would be more developed than the stereotype of “backwards” African nations. It seemed that this country had not made as much progress as I previously believed. Upon the first time of arrival my identity was immediately in question. Being of lighter skin tone than most native Ghanaians, I would have to revert to offering my middle and last name, almost as an offering of acceptance. My experience in Ghana brought me closer to what it was like to live in this culture, while giving me physical evidence into my genetic makeup.

Our long rides to various destinations across the American landscape gave my father and me a chance to reflect upon, and learn about our common ancestry and identity. That is were he would tell me tales of Ashanti Kings draped in gold, powerful Gods, and personal tribulations. I was one of those children who never got sick of hearing the line “You know, when I was a kid....” I could learn about American identity and culture talking about the full gambit of race, religion, and politics. I reflect on the car rides as a modern parental seminar, instilling in the child the necessary skills for survival. The issue of race came up often and sometimes was followed by a demonstration. By demonstration I mean flashing sirens signaling our vehicle to pull over. Every time we got pulled over going fishing, on vacation trips, or just around our rural neighborhood, the issues of race, identity, and class were ingrained into my psyche. Growing older has given me the opportunity to realize that racism is real while granting me the opportunity to accurately confront racial issues.

As youngsters it is not hard to tell what is different about each other. I believe this instinctual observation is a natural evolutionary process. Looking around the room in the small rural classroom my peers were all so similar, but rather also uniquely distinctive. You learn early to relate your creation with the direct source of your creation, your parents. Looking at my father's nose, and my mother's hair I began to piece the body parts I obtained in the birthing swap. It was all too similar to my Mr. Potato Head. During those confusing times, I often went to my parents for spiritual and life guidance. I remember my Grandma telling me that I wasn’t “black.” See, I could always count on my Grandmother to tell me how it was, and she has always been close to me in spirit and physical location. Right up the street was all the cookies, popcorn, and “Sunny D” you could desire. It was always a place of learning, reflection, and the occasional gossip. Jovial Grandma was always the connection to my mother’s side of the family or my “white” side. Her unique perception on race, class, and society was mixed with my mother’s often-optimistic approach to labeling.

During our semester we were able to see the confrontation between politics and race and ethnicity. I was immediately able to compare my life and the upbringing of Senator Obama. The obvious clash between his racial identity began to take arise when everyone began there introduction as “No offense but you look just like Barack Obama.” I didn’t ever take offense to this comparison, but it made me analyze our discussion on race and ethnicity. His racial upbringing and experience is so similar to mine, even having similar genetic makeup. It made me revert back to our school's convocation event where we were able to compare and contrast our genetic makeups. This experience has moved my position to believing that ethnicity is real, and race is a flawed human construction based on genetic make-ups. The politics of race and identity is felt everyday in society. The battle is if we want to buy into this designed scheme to rank individuals, or if our stock is already purchased upon birth. There is a struggle between who I have created in society and what society has created of me.

The duality of my citizenship has lead me to be confused and often conflicted. A friendly conversation about perceptions of race lead my roommate and I to a discussion on how you would characterize my race. “Well, I am not totally white, and not black, so what am I, grey?” I sarcastically commented. Through the analysis we were able to relatively construct my race: African American Ghanaian Caucasian black white…American. I guess this may not be scientifically accurate or politically correct, but it reflects many issues in American identity. My mobility in American society is affected by the perceptions of race. These perceptions in many cases can be damaging and often misleading.

I have always claimed that my father is from Africa, and I am not an American “black” brought here from the evils of slavery. I have tried to resist many aspects of formal census categorization and placed my own stamp on myself. I say that I am not black not only from watching Spike Lee’s Malcolm X film but also from rejection of classic societal identification procedures. I know where my “blackness” comes from, and the history of my direct ancestors. The questions is does this make me any more elevated, or distinctive? It all is based on perceptions because I cannot wear the black star on my chest. My mother’s line also: working with the family members we traced our blood back to American civil war veterans, England, and Wales. This “Caucasian” theme is greatly stressed in our readings and discussions. Being able to experience the journey of slavery while visiting the castles of costal Ghana gave me direct insight into this connection and plight.

I have various stories due too my distinctive upbringing. I spent many nights grieving with my hands cradled over my face. I asked myself, could I have been anyone other than me? Compare my identity to the American “melting pot” theory. I always like to do the mirror test. It brings me back to a sense of reality and awakens me from my disillusionment. The image I have created of myself reflected back into my pupils doesn’t reflect the one that I have created in my mind. The common phrase after taking the mirror test is “Oh that’s what I look like” or the occasional “I look weird.” That doesn’t mean that I am excluding the good days--we all have them.

Creating my identity is an evolutionary process. The most turbulent of times was in grade school; I adapted to my surroundings, trapped on the Galapagos Islands of Weedsport Central School. Like a chameleon, I cloaked my personal image to match and imitate my surroundings. Of course there was always my brother, MTV, and seniors around to influence me, but other underlying factors like American marketing, class, and race, all were present. My experience at Fredonia was able to grant me the opportunity to step out of that shell, while reflecting on my personal experience.

My identity is made up of so much more than my race or my biological background. I have found that the things that might be most crucial to you may not be so important to others. The way that I identify myself may not have the same weight with someone less conscious. I often wonder if this created identity or outfit is even noticed in society, but it is. When you walk into a room or see someone in a grocery store you notice a lot about an individual just by their appearance. Your human instincts categorize the person into a specific and trained phylum. It is only natural to identify individuality, but applying specific trained reactions to them is a result of experience.

We were able to challenge this debate with our various guest speakers. One who captivated and even annoyed me was able to leave a lasting impression. He believed that race is real, among many other controversial stances. His ability to debate gave him a tremendous advantage to prove why “blacks were better at sports” or “that whites and Asians were naturally smarter.” I look back at that early morning in discussion, not at his comments, but rather the fact that I didn’t speak up. Being my mother was the Val Victorian and my father achieving his master's degree while knowing limited English and American culture, I wanted to offer my experience as rejection, not to mention my sporting ability is less than par. This professor's conclusion did not prove to me that race was real, but rather that this individual had personal motives for his philosophical conclusions. He proved this to me when he stated “My mother thinks I’m some racist, or in the KKK, and I guess she might be right.” This type of scholarship is evidence in the existence of racism, and the continuation of this discrimination through academia.

That is why my goal is to change people’s perceptions of race, and identity. Growing up in a very racist community I was able to get an interesting look into the minds of these altered individuals, as well as there effects. Our class discussions on perceptions of race have left me with some interesting questions.

To be honest, I have always felt like a fraud. I feel that I cannot accurately claim an absolute connection to my Ashanti heritage without going to Ghana and living there. This summer gave me a better grasp on what it is like to connect to the Akan culture. It seems that when I boast that my father is from this place, the first question asked is “have you been there.” When other individuals with no lineage connection to Ghana, but have visited or lived there speak on it, they are honored and listened, too. My multiple identities are constantly challenged with events like these. Being at Fredonia, with a strong Ghana study abroad program, and a visiting Ghanaian percussionist, furthered my connection and almost sense of ethnic pride. Differentiating my self from the stereotypes was hard, while giving me more insight into my personal journey.

Since taking my first college class, where we watched Independence Day, the issue of what it means to be an American has been debated in my mind. The true American identity has always been hard to find. The truth is that America is truly a melting pot, of ideas cultures, races, and identities. It is difficult to put a finger on how to define your personal identity.

This idea was further expressed when I took an Intro to African American studies class here at Fredonia. I unfortunately was banned from taking the final examination due to my “failure to comply with the project.” Our goal was to take different perceptions and stereotypes of African Americans in society and compare and contrast them. We were asked to do this by studying the classic stereotypes and find pictures that fit these negative images. I thought it would be interesting to choose my various constructed images of my self identity in relation to the stereotypes. For the “black brute” I showed myself in oversized “hip-hop” clothing posing in an aggressive stance. I showed myself as an “Uncle Tom” by wearing Abercrombie clothing associated with upper-class suburban “white” society. I also challenged my personal identity as an African American by showing the tragic mulatto. This tragic mulatto is trapped between a world of black and a world of white, not knowing wear he/she fits in, if they even do. I thought this analysis was drastically accurate and impressive, on showing the diversity of my own identity as well as American society. This shows a person’s identity can change; it can be molded and shaped due to the circumstance. I find myself doing this all the time, finding the right times to apply these characters and painted faces, while learning the right time to challenge the power that be.

Your identity can only take you so far, and it is up to the individual to create and construct a desired personal identity in contrast to society’s theorization. America is a melting pot, or even a salad bowl of different identities. I believe that as you get older, and eventually in death you will find your true identity, not as black or white, Muslim or Jewish, but as a soul and a spirit. The hints of revelation point us towards the direction of commonality as connected brothers (good or evil). My identity was challenged constantly throughout my college experience on multiple fronts, and I believe that this my multiple classes on race and ethnicity were additional stepping stools to find my true self.

Another Course Blog: sf@SF

My science fiction course begins in less than an hour, so I'm officially launching the course web site and course blog right...about...now! Since it focuses on post-W.W.II U.S. writers, it will actually be very much about American Identities!

On Sports, Small Towns, and Stereotypes

The last of the student identification papers from last semester.

***

Identity is a part of everyone. It is what defines us, and makes us who we are. Our identity changes allowing people to behave differently with others. These behaviors can affect our lives. It is the way we look, live, and how we like ourselves. It determines how we treat people. Race and ethnicity have been a part of human history since the beginning of time. It depends on how each individual interprets race and ethnicity because it affects us overall. My identity developed in high school by having playing sports. Growing up is hard for everyone. A small town population can play a major role on how each person looks upon racial issues. It can determine if you believe there is a difference between the races and if you think there is a major diversity between different cultures. When you are growing up you are trying to find out what kind of person you want to become. At the same time, you have to try and fit in with other people in your school to be accepted and make friends. An individual’s identity is determined by many factors. A major influence that can change an identity is based on the environment a person grows and develops in which includes a large or small school district.

My identity is defined on how I see myself and how people view me. I consider myself to be an average Caucasian male. My ethnicity includes Irish, Dutch, and German. The blend of these nationalities only defines the way I look. I inherited light skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, fair color, and height, but I feel that I really am an American person. An American is what really defines me as well as a lot of other people who live in the United States. My identity, how I live my life, and the outlook of life is related to my family values. I was taught to always be open-minded and respectful of everyone regardless of education, race, or cultural backgrounds. It does not matter where they came from or what they look like, but how I felt about them. I value people who are kind and exhibit traits of goodness. I am drawn to people who share these values and promote these values. My identity comes from what I do and less from my nationality. Knowing more about other ethnicities can make you change how you feel about your own.

I am a very unique person in the fact that I like a lot different things. My choice of music that I listen to defines me. I like Xbox 360 and my choice of playing games with different opponents is a way of expressing who I am and my competitive side. I like to win. Since I was young, my older brother and I enjoyed gaming. Growing up in a small town, I have been extremely close with my family. I have a stronger relationship with my family and have established a strong bond with them which will last for my lifetime.

Family plays a huge role on how you identify yourself. Family members will encourage, support, educate, and give you ideas on how to socialize and behave in society. Parents can play a large role on how they introduce you to people when you are young. A lot of the ideas you have come initially from your parents and how you look at life. As an individual, you learn to select behaviors and replicate them from your parents, while at the same time decipher what you want to believe and what you do not want to. As the youngest child in the family, I have older brother and sister to look at in times of need so they can help me to decide on what actions to take when I am not sure of which decision to make. Older siblings have previous knowledge from experiences therefore are an asset to the younger sibling. There are advantages to having siblings because you have close ties with them but at the same time you can also go on your own road to be the person you want to be. Siblings all have similar foundation however each of us has encountered different experiences that identify who we are. For example, each sibling having the opportunity to attend different colleges and visiting one in other broadens your knowledge base. Each sibling has the opportunity of participating in different events. My sister had the opportunity of participating in the Walt Disney World College Program where she was able to meet people from all around the world. It enabled her as an individual to broaden her knowledge of people ethnicities but also become more open minded. My sister’s opportunity to participate in this program and share her experience with me has enriched me with new ideas about different places.

The media is also a factor on how you look and see your identity. These include the TV, newspaper, and the internet. Each of these plays a major role on how you see life. There are certain television shows that are considered to be reality and staged. However, many individuals become disappointed when they discover what is real and what is not real. It is presenting a false reality. Individuals will find certain shows that they will relate well to. The newspaper provides articles that teach you about situations and problems in the world. Each person has to decipher the viewpoints because they can be sensationalized to sell the papers. Majority of people use the Internet as a resource, which can teach you almost anything you want to know. For example, people can find out where you come from or facts about your ethnic background. This will contribute to ideas and teach you how to feel about yourself. It influences a person by finding out information about your genealogy by showing you new facts about your personal life that you did not know about.

My experiences with race and ethnicity have changed throughout my life. My experiences began when I started school and where I grew up. I live in a small town in the Finger Lakes Region called Penn Yan. The diversity of the town is really small. Most people are Caucasian and middle class. During high school, every school year a new person was introduced to the school from overseas and everyone in school would attempt to meet this new person. Through sports, I was able to socialize with the foreign exchange student and learn more about him. I feel I gained a lot of my social experience through playing basketball for a long time. When playing, I had the opportunity to travel quite a bit. I was able to see a lot of different city/towns, which allowed me to view more than just living in one place. One social experience that I remember is when you would first observed the team. Often other players would stereotype people. For example, if the players were an all African American team, our less experienced team members would get scared and express their feelings that our team would lose because they are all African American. The inexperienced players on the team would articulate there believes that these African Americans players can jump higher and are faster athletes. I never let this non-essential stereotypes effect my mind set as a played during a basketball game.

My living environment in small town consisted of everyone knowing everyone. If something happened to someone everyone would know in less than a few hours. The size of my high school was about 150 students per class. I was identified as the tall basketball player. For everyone that has lived in a small town knows how much different it is compared to living in a large town with a large school. School size has a large impact based on a person becoming friends with many of their peers and how you are identified as being with whom. Small towns may make it more of a challenge to find the friends you want to be with because of the school population. In Penn Yan, if people do not fit in the stereotype of being a “normal” person you could have a hard time finding friends. Change rarely happens in Penn Yan. People become comfortable with their surroundings and tend to oppose change rather than embracing or trying anything new. Change could be a good because it can change the views of other people. With a limited about of change taking place, people may live a couple of generations in the small town and still having the same views from 30 years ago. These people become acquainted with their routines and living there for so long that they may have a hard time accepting anything new. These people may immediately reject new ideas/believes because they do not know anything better. People get set in their ways. Many people believe if it is not broken, then why fix it in regards to change. They feel that if people do not like the way they are than they should not come here and they can move elsewhere.

Basketball from now to when I was in high school has changed a lot. I came from a team of all Caucasian teammates to a team that has a more mix of African Americans. From my team in high school I was considered to be the best person on the team. I consider all my teammates to be my friends because we share social similarities and interests. The only difference between my teammates is our dialect. This is really not a problem with me. I feel as a team that everyone brings something to the table. You get a mixture of people on and off the court, but when you are on the court it does not matter what your race is because we are playing as a team.

There are many unrealistic beliefs or ideas that are not true also known as a stereotype. High schools have a lot of stereotypes. It can be from what color your hair is to the style of clothes you wear. People automatically think that if you are tall you must play basketball, which is not true. That if you short and play basketball you do not have a clear advantage. Another big stereotype is if you are African American, majority of them play basketball and not hockey. Only Caucasian players play hockey and African Americans do not participate. All of these stereotypes are not true and have been around for a long time.

School size in high school can play a role in your life. School size can be considered as a major part of establishing identity. It depends on how easy it is for an individual to find the friends that fit you the best based on living in a large town with larger school districts. Larger towns usually have more diversity among the school. Diversity in schools helps you find out who you are going to become from how you feel about other people and what you learn as well as think about them. There is a big difference of someone telling you about a different race compared to actually knowing them and observing how they really are. These experiences can help get rid of people articulating racist comments and people believing them just because you do not know for yourself. Overall, the role and views of ethnicity can change if you have a wide range of diversity in school which enables students to become knowledgeable rather than being ignorant. Schools play a huge role on how kids look at life and how they feel about other people because it is the foundation of their lives. They can come out of school with a wide range of background knowledge of other people and start their life knowing more about how people act and live their lives.

Now that I am attending college in Fredonia there is a larger population of diverse students. There are people from all over New York State that come here and also some that can be from all over the world. Majority of student attending Fredonia are Caucasian students, but have a wider ethnic background. People come with their diverse backgrounds and intermix with other students. I have observed students being able to find the friends they want to have based on similar interests and backgrounds. There is a wider range of people’s ethnicity in this school. Students have the opportunity to join groups and clubs to be able to meet other people. I have learned from my experiences at two different school settings that being at a larger school, people are very similar, but have different ideas on what they choose to do and what they consider to be enjoyable.

My future goal after attending Fredonia is to become a history teacher. As a history teacher I plan to incorporate a multitude of diversity into the classroom curriculum through texts, guest speakers, and technology. I hope to make a difference in a child's live through knowledge of the content as well as being a successful citizen. I would like to model an open minded goal so that each individual is equal and does not have preconceived notion about people before learning and getting to know them as an individual. An open minded environment will allow each individual to be comfortable and considered equal. Where the student will be able acknowledge his/her ethnicity and have a voice for who they are. Many teachers have preconceived believes that students who have a dialect or from another ethnicity are not intelligent because they do not speak proper English. These teachers are being ignorant because all students have the ability to learn. Each student has strengths and weaknesses. The teacher’s role is to address their weaknesses through differentiating learning while incorporating their strengths for success. With this it will help the students learn and become better people in the long run.

The concept of race and ethnicity is a mind-set. The fact is that when we stereotype people we are attributing certain behaviors and expectations of people in groups based on race and their ethnic background. The government had to change the past and present to accommodate basic needs of people, but also comprised group of people daily in the United States in order to provide social services, immigrations, laws, and order in our country. People throughout history have change their behavior and accepted ethnicity. In the past different cultures, nationalities, and races have been looked down upon, but now are more accepted in segments of the country than in the past. If we stop searching for something wrong and try to find the something that is good within everyone, than this simple value and behavior would help the world. It would then create change that is beneficial because positive views would be the focus, which would make society a lot different.

When people identify themselves as an individual in order to define who they are and what make them unique so they are different from everybody else. This can be considered both positive and negative. It is a way of identifying how a person is distinctive from another person. The race of a person is given, but the ethnicity can be altered based how the individual feels and believes about themselves. People can not choose where they live when they are young. It also does not mean that you will not be a good person if you live in a small or large town. Seeing people for who they are is the most important. It should not be viewed as if they are wrong if they look at life in a different view then you. People also need to learn about different views before they judge them. For example, “an individual puts themselves into somebody else’s shoes,” portrays how the person feels about their ethnicity as well as learning from their particular believes and viewpoints. Learning is the key to advancing who we are as people and determining what actions we take. Change also helps people learn new ways to think about life. Change also allows people to adapt because you are not always able to control your environment. The strength of your character and identity helps influence your decisions in positive ways to guide yourself as well as help others.

I Am American?

Here's the next-to-last of the student papers from last semester!

***

What is my ethnicity? Instinctively, I would answer that as confidently as I would answer to “what is your name?” That answer being, “I am American.” I was born in America, I am an American citizen and by all common stereotypes I am the typical American girl. However, upon further reflection I have found myself at a crossroads. I am stuck in a place that is confusing and yet, incredibly intriguing.


Over the last few weeks we have been discussing our own identities and how we claim ourselves and our ethnicities. This has always been a very simple topic of conversation for me. Well, the simplicity of this conversation came to an abrupt halt during our last class.


During our in-class writing I confidently explained that my ethnicity is indeed American and I further went on to explain why, most of those reasons being stated above. A few minutes later I found myself sitting in my seat completely stunned and quite honestly, disgusted and disappointed in myself. This was the first moment in my life where I realized that I don’t know who I am. I no longer know how to identify myself.


Professor, you stood up in front of the class and explained how some people might consider you Jewish because of your family history. That story is exactly where my confidence in my ethnicity ended, not to at all imply that is a bad thing. I am very happy to be confronted with my mistake, if you will, and I am excited to now delve into my history and find my true identity.


I can no longer say “I am American” with such confidence. My mother was born in Canada and spent a lot of her upbringing there. My father was born in Rochester, New York but he grew up Jewish.


This is where my confusion begins. My father was Jewish all of his childhood. His parents and siblings were very much into their faith. At some point down the road my father stopped being Jewish, if you believe that is something you can stop being. He doesn’t talk about his upbringing at all with me, or my siblings, so that is really all I know about it. His father died right before I was born and his mother, “Bubbi” was alive until I was in middle school and passed away in a home, so I didn’t know her that well.


His parents lived and died Jewish, and his brother and sister stayed with their religion. I remember back in high school when I had a debate with a group of my peers over whether or not I was Jewish. I believe we came to the conclusion that I was not. Was it in my father’s blood? Of course, it is his history, but does that mean it has to be mine? I would not at all be ashamed to be Jewish, however, I almost feel as though I am an imposter. I have no right to claim myself as Jewish. I eat anything I want, I don’t separate certain silverware from other silverware because you use that fork for one particular thing. I don’t celebrate Hanukkah or any other Jewish holiday, I celebrate Christmas. By every definition, I am certainly not Jewish. I feel wrong claiming myself as Jewish and I feel like if I don’t acknowledge that part of me that I am turning my back to it. I have thought about this and then thought about it some more, I cannot come up with an answer. When it comes down to it I guess I still just see myself as American, hopefully throughout this semester I can gain a better grip on my understanding of myself and my history.


I think a lot of the reason why I feel bad claiming myself as Jewish is because of my history with it. I have been to one Jewish wedding, my Aunts, last year. It was interesting and surprisingly not as different as I thought it would be. The only thing that stuck out to me as incredibly different was that the man and the woman stand on opposite sides at a Jewish wedding.


Mostly, I feel a lot of guilt because of the one Jewish funeral I attended. It was the funeral of my father’s mom, Bubbi. I think I was maybe twelve when she died. I have four sisters: one is five years younger than me, one is less than a year older and the other two, at that time, were approximately seventeen and twenty-two.


We walked into the funeral home and had no idea what to expect. No, rather, we walked into a funeral home and expected a funeral. My sisters and I were all sitting together, behind our parents, when the Rabbi walked up front and suddenly started singing in Hebrew. My sisters and I were in shock. No one forewarned us about any of this. Our immediate reaction was to laugh. We had never heard Hebrew before, especially someone singing it. We were young and ignorant and naïve.


I laughed for a short time until I heard people in the back crying. I think that is when I came back to reality and remembered where I was, and for what reason. I have never forgiven myself for that brief moment of incredible ignorance and just a horrible flaw in my character.


As much as I still think about that and feel guilty I attribute that experience to helping me become the person I am today. I believe myself to be an extremely open person. Just last night someone said to me, “Why do you always try to like everyone? Sometimes someone is just not a good person.” That’s just who I am now. Nothing bothers me more than pure ignorance. That experience made me realize, at a very young age, that everyone is different and just because someone is different than you doesn’t mean they are a bad person. I can look at most any person and any experience and try to find the good in them. As much guilt as I have always carried around for that experience I am grateful that it happened.


When this class first began I had no idea what the difference was between race and ethnicity. I don’t think I have a confident answer down yet but I have made progress and I plan to have it down perfectly by the end of the semester.

My understanding of race is that it is something which is socially constructed. I think of race as either you are white, black, hispanic, etc. As much as people say race shouldn’t be about physical characteristics I have to disagree. I don’t understand how you can determine race without attributing characteristics or skin color to it.


Ethnicity to me is how you would describe yourself, e.g., American or Canadian, etc. Also, some would argue that being Jewish is your religion. I disagree. While I do understand that it is a religion I think it is much more than that. With that said, I think you could use any religion in that category. For example, someone could describe themselves as American and Christian. I don’t think there should be too many boundaries when describing your own identity, and that is precisely what I think ethnicity is. Your ethnicity is your identity. No one should be able to tell you the correct way to describe yourself.


Part II

When I originally wrote this paper a few months ago I thought I had a pretty good handle on it. However, no matter how well you think you have your mind wrapped around something there is always something else you can learn.

I have learned a lot in this class throughout this semester. I have learned that I can consider myself both American and Jewish and I can do so without holding back because of any guilt over picking one or the other. I have also learned, mostly through reading The Social Construction of Race and Ethnicity in the United States, that people of every race and ethnicity struggle with their identity. Originally, I thought this struggle was a sign of immaturity and a need to venture out into the world and find themselves at a young age.

Quite honestly I feel as though I learned the most and grew the most from my experiences in this class just recently over the last week or two. It was one article in particular that opened my mind. This article was titled, “Apologizing for being a black male” which is in The Social Construction of Race and Ethnicity in the United States.

This article describes the experience a black man goes through before coming to the realization that he no longer wants to apologize for being black. Before this realization this man would constantly attempt to change his persona while around others whom he believed could be intimidated and/or feel threatened by him, purely because he was a black man. “At times I’ve actually gone so far as to adopt what I consider a less threatening posture whenever I encounter a white woman, especially an older one, in places where we are alone together” (Dawkins 68.) This man was consistently worrying about how others felt and concentrated only on making them comfortable. He completely abandoned his identity to feel more socially accepted.

When I first read this article I was floored. I didn’t know what to think. At first I was angry because I feel as though his example of finding women uncomfortable in his presence while alone in a parking lot was a stretch. Do I think a lot of people, men and women both, could be more intimidated by a black man than a white man? Probably, yes. However, I think this man jumps to blaming this uncomfortable behavior on him being black before considering the alternatives. It is very believable to think any woman would feel uncomfortable with a man approaching a neighboring pay phone to hers while alone in a parking lot at night. That is how we are brought up, to constantly be aware of our surroundings and the potential dangers lurking, especially in parking lots and parking ramps.

With further thought however, this article is what essentially helped me to realize that you cannot feel guilty about who you are. Whether we’re talking about your race, ethnicity, your career or whatever. You are who you are and people should embrace their own identity.

I decided that from that point on I would not edit my actions. I forgot about my neighbor and completed my call in the same way I would have if a white male, black female, or Hispanic male had been using a nearby phone. I determined that life was too short and that my self-respect was too valuable. (Dawkins 69)

Whether or not I agree with this man blaming this experience on the fact that he was a black male, over the fact that he was simply a man, this paragraph hit me stronger than anything I have read in any of my classes: respect who you are and be proud of it.

In the beginning of this semester my goal was to find answers to the above questions. Throughout this paper I have realized that I have not reached my goals. Through that realization has come hope. Ultimately, I have learned a greater lesson, one that outweighs my goals. If I have learned anything this semester it is to not hide who I am or who I want to be. I don’t have all the answers. I am still not sure if I should or want to consider myself Jewish and I don’t know if that is something I will ever have an answer to. My future path and experiences I am sure will help me to determine more answers, and I look forward to them.

Work Cited

Dawkins, Paul Andrew. “Apologizing for Being a Black Male.” The Social Construction of Race and Ethnicity in the United States. Second Edition. Eds. Joan Ferrante and Prince Brown, Jr. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1998.