I do not really think that I was surprised to hear that business is the influential factor that shapes illegal immigration and immigration policies. Although one would think that politicians and voters actually get a say in how the policies are managed, there are many things in the world in general that are controlled by business. Business essentially equals money, and the saying “Money makes the world go round” is not far fetched at all. I do wish, however, that there were more things that we could do in order to have a say in the situation. This is not to allude that harsher or less strict of a policy would be ideal, rather, it is a bit disappointing to hear that a majority of what dictates the world is based off of businesses and what can bring in the most profit.
For me personally, I think that the topic of illegal immigration is very tricky. I have personal accounts as to how it affects me. My second cousin came over from the Philippines with his family when I was about three years old. They lived with us for quite some time and I did not think anything of it. Years and years later, my brothers and I did not realize that they were illegal immigrants until my mother mentioned it at the dinner table. While it was shocking, in retrospect, it seemed extremely obvious. My cousin is now married to a citizen.
When put into the perspective of the Native Americans, immigration seems extremely ironic. Given all of the examples of cartoons and videos and comic strips, people are able to lightheartedly poke fun at a topic that is actually very serious. When the settlers first came over to the Americas and battled with the native indigenous peoples, it was one of the largest genocides in the history of the world. To think that we can then control who comes into our bordered, boundary lines that we made up, it seems really ridiculous. However, with the same token, it is true that we need to be able to account for people in terms of practicality and safety.
It is very heartbreaking to hear about all of the families or individuals that come to the United States to try and get a better life, but end up homeless and without work. People like the man in the video, who can just help out the immigrants on the streets out of the kindness of their hearts should be applauded and should be followed as an example to try and help out other people. While it is true that they may not be here legally, I think it is always important to try to help out another human being.

While it may sound superficial to say this, I would most likely not avoid the opportunity of nepotism. Although some people may think of it as unfair, “ who you know” is clearly an important aspect to success. I still think that people should be qualified for the job that they are supposed to be taking. However at the same time, if you have a large abundance of people who are on the same playing field, and I happen to know the person who is recruiting people for the job, then I will most certainly try my best to utilize that connection in order to put in a good name for myself. First of all, I do not even like doing things like selling myself and I think it is extremely annoying and a hassle. This leads me to reason why people who use connections are simply using another skill form that actually may require energy.
For me personally, I have actually gotten a job because of who I knew. But this is the way that it went down: my mother knew someone at a psychological clinic since she works at the psychiatric hospital near the clinic. Because of this connection, I found out about the position and became interested in it. After expressing my interest, the lady put in a word for me and I got an interview. Within the interview, I completed everything on my own, obviously. Therefore, I was accepted because of my own skills and what I have to offer. If I had not had prior connection to the agency, then I would not have even heard about the opportunity. And if I refused to take the interview because I felt badly about my mother knowing a worker there, then that would just be a waste. The fact that I was able to get accepted on my own accord in person should reflect myself, despite how I got the interview. Because clearly, if someone was incompetent, especially in the field of mental health, then that would just be detrimental to everyone there, clients and counselors alike.
I think perhaps the only situation in which I would try to avoid nepotism is if I knew for a fact that I was not qualified to do the job. In that case, it would just be unfair, and reckless. While gaining experience is important, so is having the basic knowledge of what it is that you are to do. Quality of work would not be at its best, and I would only end up putting myself in a situation that could have been avoided entirely. Sometimes, you really need to just take a step back and recognize whether or not you are at the correct place.

I think that from the needy penis lecture that Sam’s wife gave, although it happened to have been several class lectures ago, there are several things that I learned that I notice more throughout the regular day to day life. From what I gathered, it seemed that I learned more about my own gender, which is female, than the opposite.
For me, I feel like I already knew that boys/men are more “ready to go” and more often than girls/women are. From my own experiences, it certainly seems that way. I think the reason that I learned more about myself is because I always found myself to be somewhat guarded when it comes to things like matters of the heart and sexual relationships. I always thought that that made me somewhat of a prude or something because I am not as willing as the girls that they show in movies. The needy penis lecture kind of helped me realize that that is commonplace for most girls/women, to be more reserved and not as ready to jump right into sex so easily or as often. I thought that it was interesting that so much of the reason that men and women act the way that they do is simply because we live in a man-centered world. From things like makeup, to shoes and to clothes, there are so many items that women wear just to seem more appealing or attractive to the male perspective. From my evolutionary class, I learned a lot about why women dress a certain way. However, I think that an interesting topic would be to analyze why men dress a certain way, if they are the type that even cares.
To recount a particular personal experience, I met a guy last weekend. After our encounter with one another, he was really trying hard to get me to go home with him. I do not just do that type of thing, so I told him no. He was not mean about it or anything, but the entire time we were talking, I could not help but to think “Needy penis! Needy penis!” and how it was neither his fault or my own; it is just simply the natural way that both of our bodies work. The unfortunate part is that people are not educated enough on this type of topic, and that many men rely on porn, which is a man-centered industry. And honestly, it is rarely ever a normal situation. Likewise, a lot of women rely on things like Cosmopolitan Magazine or other sources for information. Because it is such a taboo topic, people remain ignorant and in the dark. Hopefully, people will not be afraid to be honest and ask question in the future.

Being a Psychology major, and having taken classes like Evolutionary Psych where we learn a lot about where modern customs originate from, I was not too shocked about the things that were stated during the “Needy Penis” lecture today. I definitely see this type of behavior of a girl dressing up a lot, while the guy dresses down. For example, at the Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj concert that took place yesterday, this occurred a lot. And of course, it was snowing, so it made the discrepancy between the genders even more prominent.
One of the things that boggles my own mind, however, is that I know that this type of behavior will not stop. Including myself, though I do not frequent heels as often as other girls or go without a jacket when it is cold out, I know that I will continue to wear heels. I just hosted a show tonight where I decided to dress up and wear these killer heels that I really like, but kind of hurt my feet. Despite me having some sore feet at the current moment, I also know that I will be using those very same shoes tomorrow during a formal banquet that I have to attend. Though I prefer to rock a pair of sweats and sneakers, I am also interested in looking fashionable. Part of that culture is wearing things that are not always necessarily comfortable. And while I am definitely for wearing what is comfortable, at the same time, you also have to “dress to impress.” As unfortunate as it is, we live in a world that heavily regards the sense of sight with high importance, perhaps because it is the first thing noticed usually. I do wish that less people gave into a lot of ridiculous fashion looks.
As for girls thinking more about why it is that we wear the things that we do, I think that the lecture has definitely brought about some awareness. However, I feel that these types of things are so ingrained into our minds that some of us have grown to enjoy doing these things. For example, you have some females who really love to get dressed up and some others who also really like to play with makeup and hair and other types of things that are involved with the visual aesthetics. It would be a matter of breaking things down into why girls might wear makeup. Some things that I learned from my Evolutionary class is that eyeliner and mascara are supposed to make the eyes look more rounded. Lipstick is to enhance the butterfly shape of the mouth. Blush is supposed to look make you look like you can carry more fat on your cheeks. All of these things together result in looking younger and almost baby-like. From the evolutionary perspective, men are typically attracted to younger women who appear to be capable of child-bearing. So again, this brings it back to living in a man’s world, and that chain of events is somewhat alarming to me.

I definitely feel that I have called out people of my own race more so than people not of my race when it comes to making racial slurs or comments. I think that I have done this in the past because I usually know these people, and I expect more of them since they might be my friends. Also, for some selfish reasons, I have also addressed these issues because I feel that they are a representation of my race since they are of the same cultural background as myself.
Likewise, I know that some people of my ethnicity can be somewhat prejudice because they grew up in a culture that is not often exposed to other races. While I take these factors into consideration, I also do not think that that is a good excuse to hold on to over time when there are so many opportunities to exposure and awareness.
In general, if any of my friends make racial slurs, then I tend to eventually address it because if they are my friends, then I should feel comfortable enough to express my own thoughts and feelings on an issue. It should not really matter whether or not the commentator is of the same race as myself. Either way, I hope to become the type of person to speak freely when an uncalled for comment is thrown around casually with harm intended.
My roommate and my close friends here at school are of many different racial ethnic backgrounds. I think that having been in such close proximity to varying cultural upbringings, I have come to realize that there are so many similarities between races. If I were to hear any of my friends say something negative, whether it’s about race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other difference that people may have amongst one another, then I would hope that I could address it.
An example is when my one friend says something along the lines of, “That is so gay.” That particular statement or, “That is so retarded,” make me so angry. I do not understand why they must use those terms in order to describe something that they think is dumb or stupid. Those terms are not synonymous or interchangeable, and is extremely offensive. I think that people need to take more time and actually realize what it is that they are saying because it should come as common sense. Especially if we are college students, we should have access to more vocabulary and not be limited to words that do not accurately describe what it is that they are trying to convey. I truly do believe that knowledge is power, and we should use this to our full potential.

I think that the racial diversity at Penn State is extremely low. Yes, there are are countless upon countless cultural groups on campus, but they are still underrepresented. I think that people have some idea that there are different ethnic racial groups that exist, but we remain ignorant to the actual identity of them. Cultural awareness, itself, is an issue that needs to be broadened here at Penn State. It is so extremely difficult to truly be able to embrace one’s culture when there is another group that for some reason thinks that they can criticize or judge them because there are differences that they may not feel comfortable with. For example, for the Penn State Filipino Association, we are hosting out 16th annual Barrio Fiesta in which it is a cultural showcase that has traditional and modern dances, musical performances, and skits to explain these dances. Like wise, these skits also demonstrate the Filipino culture and its heritage and traditions.
While advertising for this has been a lot of fun and extremely rewarding (since I got to feel lots of pride in my culture), it is also amazing as to how many people give you strange or disinterested looks. Once you mention to people that it is a cultural event, they automatically turn on a switch that tries to ignore whatever it is that you have to say to them. Because they are not your own ethnicity, many people tend to not care about what it is that you have say.
However, the diversity that is at Penn State is relatively prideful because they have different events that can help promote the different races. Different events that the Paul Robeson Cultural Center have to offer are also wonderful sources that people can use in order to broaden their horizons on varying and numerous topics. Although the foundation is based off of African American backgrounds, they also greatly support other ethnic groups.
One thing that I wish was that while we recognize the different cultures, is that there was not as much “us” and “them.” I hope that one day in the future, they everyone could talk in “we” terms and become more unified as humans. If we are so extremely biologically similar, then it would be great for people to recognize that we should embrace our differences but remember that we are all one people. Cultural diversity here at Penn State is one small area in which these improvements could take place. If we would be able to lead by example and have more cultural diversity, awareness, and embracing of it, then that would be one step in the right direction to where the world needs to go and progress.

Despite that this young man could identify as being African American as much as another young man with a darker complexion, he will likely have more opportunities available to him that the latter. No matter what part of the world you go to, the dominant powerful culture is still going to be of the western, European-descent. As we saw in class previously, to be lighter skinned is to be "more beautiful." With products like bleaching soap or lightening deoderant even, it would also seem that societies all around are encouraging this movement towards this direction. Another thing that upsets me is that a number of the makers of the products are located in the United States. So because of this it would seem that the US and other western cultures approve of these harmful products.
While our society may not knowingly support this lifestyle, it may be so ingrained in our system that it is on a subconscious level. I remember one time, one of my black friends told me that this other girl had told her that the only reason she was pretty was because she was light-skinned. I was so shocked to hear that, but at the same time, not completely surprised.
In class on Thursday, Sam talked about "latent prejudice." I think this is definitely a similar concept because it also is connected with having some level of comfort during an interaction. I think that having awareness of this type of prejudice is the first step. The direction that it needs to go in in order to get rid of these latent issue of favoring a lighter skin tone is exposure. People need to interact with more than just their own brothers and sisters with their own cultural background, so that this discomfort of the unknown will turn into a comforting familiarity.
To go back to other influences as to why people have the conception that to be white is to have power, I think that the media's effect on society plays such a huge role on what we and people of other nations think. Appearances and similar other superficial qualities, such as owning materialistic things seem to dictate how powerful people are since beauty tends to equal fame and belongings tend to equal money.
Because the United States is such an impacting country to the rest of the world, I think that we, as citizens, should encourage the media to put a greater emphasis on non-superficial things and show that being intelligent, kind, and just are also extremely important to succeeding. Not only would this help diminish the discrepancies with skin color, but it may also alleviate some of the stressors that cause things like eating disorders. Hiring of a position should only be based on skill and potential, instead of appearances.

In the video that we watched in class about modern day slavery, I felt extremely bothered when the slave said that when we eat chocolate, we are eating his flesh. This hit a nerve with me because I do agree with what he said. Not only does slavery captivate his time and money, but this young man had to fight through pain, blood, sweat, and tears just so that the more fortunate can eat food. While the video portrayed many of the harsh realities, I could not help but think of how many more countless lives that slavery has destroyed. In the book, Disposable People, they talk about several different countries and types of slavery that currently exists today. It made me very upset to actually see these slaves on video and hear their voices.
Another reason that his quote is troublesome to me is because many of those living in the United States develop obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and etc. Many of these problems come about due to unhealthy eating. So to think that so many are enslaved in order to produce a good that millions of people over indulge on and in turn suffer from health complications, the whole thing seems extremely pointless. This is not to say that slavery is appropriate if people are benefitting from it; far from it. However, it just seems ironic that there is such high demand for things that are not necessary to survive.
To go along with this notion, Sam also showed us a poster that said how materialism was about spending money we do not have on things that we do not need. I sometimes wonder if consumers were less materialistic, if the need for slavery would disappear. However, in class yesterday, Sam mentioned how not buying chocolate would actually make things worse. It seems like a very vicious cycle. But to get back to the video blog post, I think that it is extremely valid for him to have said that we are eating his flesh. The man’s life is dictated by others’ actions, wants, and opinions. Unfortunately, we are consumers of another’s well-being. Through this experience and knowledge, though we can never entirely fix the world, I hope to somehow educate others of the realities that still exist.
The topic of modern day slavery is extremely relevant to us in the industrialized cultures because we are the ones inadvertently continuing the struggle for many. While not all slavery is involved with production, as sex slavery is also prevalent, we play a hand in this unfortunate state of being. As Sam stated, we need to challenge ourselves to actually think about these topics and therefore, put our own lives in a bit more perspective.

I think that these lyrics show a very powerful statement. If we are not there to speak up for ourselves or for others, who will be the one to do it? Ironically, I am currently taking a Human Development Family Studies class that focuses on relationships and how they help us, as a person, to develop and grow. One of the main topics that we talk about is the power of voice.

Voice is an extremely important part of who we are, and if that voice is not heard in an interaction, then it can be detrimental to the development of both parties involved in the relationship. I think that this holds true for multiple scenarios, and not just stating your wants, but also stating your needs.

The Lupe Fiasco line is saying that remaining silent about an issue is worse than the violence that occurs/occurred. I feel like he is emphasizing the importance of actually being heard, educating others, and paving a foundation from the past to the future. Of course violence, along with both the physical, psychological pain, can take a huge toll on someone as well as the people who later become affected by this. However, communication and having the ability to speak out is just as important because it may prevent things from recurring in the future. This blog reminded me of a statement that Pastor Martin Niemoller wrote called, “First They Came:”

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

While there are particular groups that are actually stated within the text, the concept can certainly be applicable to numerous and various other types of groups that face some sort of discrimination. But to go along with this, we have this tendency to group and categorize things. I feel like while it is important to recognize our differences that make people unique, we should focus more on the qualities that make us similar as individuals. In order to truly survive and grow in this world, it is important for us to have some sort of connection to others. Instead of instigating issues or problems, we should utilize our time in a productive way that brings about peace and unity. Not saying anything at all can be just as bad as saying something bad; even though you are not adding fuel to the fire, you are also not preventing the fire from spreading. The same goes for “I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence.”

During my discussion group, I felt that this was an extremely hot topic because it is something that is often expected in public, but taboo at the same time. As stated in class, being politically correct is often confusing for people because there are different standards of what is acceptable or preferred. One form of action could be interpreted as putting forth an effort whereas another individual could perceive the action as ignorant.
While I do believe political correctness tries to maintain some aspect of respect and caution, the overall ending product of it is just that it serves as a barrier to genuine communication. Instead of bringing people together to have authentic interactions, I feel that people use it as a shield and tip toe around what they are really trying to convey. Language is such a crucial part of communication because one misspoken word or phrase could be misconstrued into an entirely different message. I think that there are appropriate places for politically correct language to take place, but if people refer to politically correct terms all the time, then it inhibits the flow of the person’s intention.
Likewise, if people are almost too cautious to be politically correct, then I take that as the person is not comfortable enough to be real with me. For example, I have a close friend that I know means well and is not racist or prejudice. However, when she talks about issues of cultural diversity, she uses politically correct terms and it seems very unnatural and uncomfortable for her to talk about the topic. I do not think that people need to be PC, as long as they are respectful and come across as having good intentions.
Another example that I would like to use is referring back to comedians and their use of language to convey a humorous point. Chelsea Handler is a white, female comedian that does not seem to hold back on any of the things she says. However, she comes across as “believable,” if you will, because she does not worry about offending people. To further elaborate, I think that is why comedians can get away with saying some derogatory comments because often you can tell that they do not mean any real harm. Of course, that is not to say that people are or are not offended by it.
I think the main priority that people should have while in dialogue with one another is not to use the proper terms, but to communicate with respect, authenticity, and equality. I feel like these terms are just another means for people to categorize one another and create a boundary of difference or to make assumptions about an entire group of people.