Immigration has become a very big issued in the United States. Many Americans believe that the illegal aliens are taking all of the jobs and are the reason why they are unemployed. This can be true for some people but if illegal immigrants are taking your jobs then you should be ashamed of yourself. Illegal immigrants have the least resources and have no rights in our county. People don’t realize that illegal immigrants also help the country prosper. What about the jobs that many Americans do not want to take such as farming, cleaning, construction, and etc? Most people that come to America come to make something out of their lives. So they will be willing to do the jobs that many Americans don’t want to do. These are the kind of jobs that will always be in demand no matter how bad the economy is tanking, but most Americans see these jobs as too much work because they could get the same amount of money claiming unemployment. Friday in discussion we were talking about this subject. A few of the students in my class believed that people that illegally hop the border and try to make life in America are very wrong. They talked about the illegal immigrants need to stay out of America because they have no rights in America. Some people get mad at how they are in America not paying taxes and we all do. I do not look down on them because I know that people have to survive by any means necessary. Parents have to take care of their families by any means necessary. The majorities of the people that come here illegally are leaving their homes and families and come to America to work. That might only make very little to survive on their own and at the same time most of the money they do make is getting sent back to their families. I do not find anything wrong with the immigration process the United States government has right now but I do believe that process could be made easier. I have never gone through the whole process of becoming legal immigrant but from all what I have heard about it, it seems like a real hard process. This is really contradictory topic for Americans because in reality we all are immigrants. Before Columbus came to this land it was the Native Americans land. So for the people that is totally against immigration they should think about that. We all immigrated here to find a better life. Then why can’t anyone else today. I say the only possible solution would be to just make the process a little easier. There will be less arrest, less people crossing the border illegally, more taxes well be paid, etc

I believe contact has shifted my understanding very much. At this point in the year I believe that you will never fully understand a race until actually meet them in person. Without spending time or talking to different races you only know what you heard or stereotypes about that race. I always wanted to meet or talk to the Asian people. For some reason I always had something against Asians, coming to Penn State has changed my understanding on Asians completely. I have met some of the coolest Asians here. I have a white friend here at Penn State that has never ever had any contact with black people in his entire life. The community he lived had no black people and his school has no black people. By the way I am a black male that is used to being in contact with white people from living in a very diverse area. Freshman year I lived in stone hall in the east hall area. I didn’t know many people at Penn State so I decided to meet everyone on the floor. The first room I went to was my next door neighbor, when I went to greet him I could tell that he was really hesitant and almost seemed scared. I told myself that I was going to get to know him before the end of the year. One day in that semester I knocked on his door and asked him to come to my room and take a couple shots with me. That day I really got to know him. He expressed to me how he never has even spoken to a black person in his life. I was really surprised. I couldn’t imagine not speaking to a white person through 18 years of my life but long story short Jake and I became great friends. He told me about all the races things his grandparents told him about black people and he was very happy to know that they were not true. I felt really good that I changed someone’s views on a race.

I am a person that believes first impressions mean a lot. Every time I know I am meeting someone for the first time or going to an interview, I almost always make sure I look good and carry myself well. Humans are very judgemental and do it the most the first few minutes we meet someone. From my first impression of you I would think negative for a few reasons. I am a black male and I have learned to be successful in the world you need to carry yourself well because you will be judge on everything you do and how you look. From the first time I seen you I first look at the way you walk, and how you dress. If I was a manger and I had to choose between you and Sam just based off first impression, I would pick Sam. When I look at a tall black man with dreads , you almost can get intimidated. Sam just looks a lot easier to approach and looks better with the clean cut. In 2012 you have to look well groomed, especially if you are going to an interview. if he is black, white, or green I don’t think it matters. If Sam Richards had dreads, I would probably hire you over Sam. Also the large head phones are a problem. Its hard to people to talk to when you are listening to music. When you head phones in people think you don’t want to socialize. Wearing fitted clothing is also a factor. I would hire some one with fitted jeans over baggy jeans. When you are young it is ok to wear baggy clothing but at this age you should have no reason to wear baggy clothing. Not trying to get on to much but people are more attracted to the European look.

I do believe I have benefited from affirmative action but I don’t always know when. I am a black male and I work very hard for everything I get. One of my white friends that I got excepted to Penn State because of affirmative action but I don’t believe so because I throughout high school I worked really hard to set myself up to get into accepted to the best engineering school I possibly can. I graduated high school with honors gpa of 4.5. I never ever accepted anything less than an A and my SAT scores were great. So if you would ask me if I believe affirmative action affected my acceptance to Penn State I would say no. If you would ask me if affirmative action affected the scholarships I have applied for and earned, I would say no. One scholarship did have a requirement of being black, I guess I benefitted from affirmative action in that case but I wouldn’t say that I didn’t work hard for that scholarship. I also don’t think affirmative action affected my life negatively because I am lucky parents decided to name me James Jones which is a very common name. When I apply for jobs I normally always get called back for an interview. I do know a few of my friends that suffer from the “black name curse”. One of my best friends and I both applied for the same jobs the only thing different between him and I was our names. My name is James and his name is Shaquille. At the time we had no idea why I was getting more calls for interviews then him. He even worked harder than me most of the time. After he applied he would call the job back to make sure they received his application and check up on the status every 2 weeks. Now I believe it had to do with the fact that he had a black name.

As I read what other people has to say about affirmative action. I noticed many people that identified themselves as white americans believe that affirmative action is the reason for inequality in the united states and the united states wont be “fixed” until we take away affirmative action. I think that is the most bull shit statement i have ever heard. You have to be totally ignorant of whats going on in this country to believe that. Its know way you believe that taking away affirmative action is going to decrease the ridiculous wealth gap of blacks and whites, or take away all the discriminatory situations that black people encounter everyday, or put books, resources, and qualified teachers into the inner city schools where black people are the majority. I am 100 percent with affirmative action. Affirmative action isn’t just giving free opportunities to black people that dont work for it. The black people that benefit from affirmative action are the ones that work hard, are in college, or graduated from college and looking for jobs. Affirmative action is the only thing the government has ever did to help the race. After sams lecture i dont even understand how you couldnt see that. After the civil war all the slaves had nothing and no where to go. Everyone had to start from ground zero. At the same time the government was creating laws to keep black people down. But soon as the government does one thing for black people you want to take it away and complain about inequality. When black people have been going through inequality for years upon years. I noticed a few people saying that its unfair that there are scholarships just for black and hispanic people. But if you knew that most of the scholarships have requirement of high finical need and good grades maybe you would understand. Those scholarships were made for the black people that has achieved in the classroom but does not have the family support to put them through college. Even though we have affirmative action there is still a very small number of black people in most companies. Affirmative action just gives a much needed help to the black people that already works hard. There is still a whole lot of black people that dont benefit from it at all.

Thursday’s class was great. I really love soc 119. Every class we learn and discuss things that I have wanted to talk to forever. Every single class I lean something new. Well the question was what do you think the message was that Sam was trying to present to the class. I believe Sam was trying to show us that in the United States the rich people controls the world and the even put up road blocks that secure they will continue get richer and the poor will continue to be poor. One of clicker questions asked a question like in America to get rich is it more about being a hard worker or having connection/resources. I believe that it is both because even if you have the resources you have to work hard to keep them and use them and if you are hard worker resources and connections will come. I also believe that even if you are born into a poor life you can make it out if you work hard. Yes I believe it would be a lot harder to a person starting from the bottom to reach the top but I believe it can be done. I really put a lot of time into thinking about the chart of average household income that sam showed us. I found it ridiculous how low black people’s average income is. I asked myself why, I know it not just the stereo type that all black people are lazy. It has to be another reason why. I think the government/rich whoever is calling the shots has a lot to do with it. I lived in both life styles growing up, a poor one and a middle class one. When I was living in the inner city Philadelphia Pa life was really ruff. Schools are terrible some schools don’t get the proper funding to even have books for class, teachers our underpaid so a lot of time u substitutes. When leaving in those situations even if you work hard and get As in all your classes you wont be prepared for standardized test and even if a college accepts you. You will not be prepared for the college level classes. After the struggle of living in philadelpia I moved out of Philadelphia to another city with more white people and my life became a whole lot easier with just that move. I was able to have books and better classes to prepare me for college.

Thursdays class was very interesting. Why in America does everyone have to go with the grain? Why is being different a bad thing. Honestly I can say I go with the grain too and I am afraid to be different. When you are different here you get made fun of and talked about. I think its a very disappointing topic of our society. There is always a trend that everyone seems to follow. When I seen that girl from Ohio state with the facial hair my first reaction was negative until I heard her story. After class I asked myself why did I think negative about that girl and I realized its not my fault it's our societies fault. We get use to everyone going with the norm and when we see some different we react to it. I give the girl a lot of respect for not changing the way she is for America. Many other people that come to this country hops right into the school of fishes and swim down the stream. For example I was reading the article on how some Asians go as far as getting surgery on there eyes just to get the top fold. Thursdays lecture was really eye opening I dont think I am every going to judge anyone again for being different. A big part of why girls are afraid to be different is because of man. Not just the media. When girls continue to see guys going after the same kind of girls that puts pressure on girls to follow that trend. During my discussion group I got the opportunity to hear it from a girl stand point. Girls try to get that Victoria secret body, no hair on there skin etc etc just to get a man to choose them. If man was attracted to hairy legs and a beard I'm pretty sure girls would be hairy as shit just to get choose. I didn't like that someone went out there way to take a picture of that girl from Ohio state just to make fun of here. I'm glad the girl responded the way she did because she probably changed a lot of people's views. She really never shaved in her life. I know girls that shave everyday I don't think people in America r faithful enough to there religion to do what they do. I don't think I have ever met anyone that fully follows there religion.

Question: How do you think Hip-hop/art can be used to bridge the gap between the east and the west? First I would like to say that Omar’s performance was great. It was worth a lot to meet someone like him that is a part of both cultures east and west. It was nice to hear his stand point and what he sees on the news and how he feels. When he said that its sad how America shows that people with beards are scary and dangerous but there people with bears are the people everyone looks up too. Music provides a portal for the east and west to really communicate without the brainwash from the media. Music provides a common ground for us to put our feelings out there so those on the other side can either empathize or realize we feel the same way. If you really listen to his lyrics he makes everything make since and can really educate people. I believe that hip hop/art can be used to bridge the gap between the east and west. Music helps to bridge the gaps between cultures by simply informing one culture about another. The experiences of an individual are different in every culture. Therefore, an artist’s work represents their culture. By sharing their works around the world, different cultures become aware of things relevant to cultures different from their own. In this sense, music is bridging gaps between cultures. An artist my write a song about things that they have experienced and things that pertain to their everyday lives. The music offers a difference in perspective to an audience of a culture other than their own. Music is an opportunity for every person who hears it to learn about and be exposed to different cultures. I feel like music can not only bring peace between east and west but also in every person on an individual level. Music does so much for me on every single day. Music wakes me up in the morning, helps me study, calms me down, hypes me up, and etc etc. I believe music is such a big part of this world. When we can spend hundreds of dollars on a single pear of head phones like the Dre beats that only shows how much we care for music. When I am stressed out I can simple go to my Pandora or iTunes and play stress relieving music. When I am angry and want to fight or do something stupid I simply walk away and listen to music. When I want to get amped up for music I play hype. Music creates peace for me and I believe that music can create peace for the entire world.

Wow i really had to think about this blog today. I really appreciate the ideas Sam Richards throws out. Every day in soc 119 my mind opens up to so many new thoughts and perspectives. Sam's idea of, "Focusing on differences to ultimately not focus on them", this idea to me is brilliant. It's much better to learn about some different then you rather then try to ignore because if you try to ignore it, the differences will pop up in your life more then it would if you focus on it. I was born and raised in the inner city of Philadelphia and was not use to talking or seeing white people much. So when I would see different people at the zoo or at the mall, I would think about them so much. I would wonder what are they thinking about me, what's do they like or dislike, etc etc. By the time I got to middle school me and my mother moved out of Philly to a much more diverse place in Williamsport PA. After Living in Williamsport for a few years I developed a large and diverse group of friends, white, black, Asian you name it. I noticed when I first got there I would think about race so much but after talking to one of my best friends who was white and being around his family made me not see differences. Even now in penn state I don't see differences because I have already "focused on it to ultimately not focus on it". I can really understand people that do think about race and don't. It all depends on if you have been exposed to it. I can admit that when I am around some handicap people or special people I am sometimes uncomfor table. I dont know what to say or do and I am always thinking about differences. I feel like if I try harder made I can eventually not focus on differences. The hardest difference I Think I will have to not focus on would probably be special or mental disabled people. I don't really know how I could approach them or get comfortable enough to not think about the differences. I think that would just have to come with time. I heard one girl talking about it in lecture how her mom or someone works with mentally disabled people and after a while she just got use to it. She said they all seem like regular people to her. I really suck at not thinking about homosexual men. I have no homosexual friends and I even get uncomfortable in some situations when I encounter homosexuals. I know I have to get better with that and I am willing to work on it

I believe it is amazing that changing the way you say something can set off a great debate. From the start of the class when white girl said "colored people" rather then people of color a debate started and became the topic of the class. I dont believe the white girl had any intentions on offending anyone but at the end of the day i feel like she is wrong at the end of the day. If everyone knew the fact that colored people was given only to black people I don’t believe she would have said it. I agree with one of the girls talked about how it hit a nerve when she hers colored people. She asked who is colored people? I think that was a good response. I can see where she was coming from but honestly it doesn’t offend me anymore I feel the term colored people is not offensive. Colored people has historically been used in a derogatory sense by those who were not "colored." Linguistically it puts the focus on the color rather than the person People of color emphasizes that they are "people" first, with color a descriptive attribute. It's more politically correct to say a person with dwarfism rather than a dwarf.
That's the reasoning behind the politically correct terminology, anyway. I've known some people of color who would consider the term "colored people highly racist, while some others were proud to call themselves colored people. It all depends on the person. I really thought it was something to think about when sam talked about black people wouldn’t be christains if it wasn’t for slavery. I use to be a Christian and now I have no religion and that is one of the reasons. Sam is right and the bible actually supports slavery. In the old testament there is no specific condemnation of slavery to be found anywhere in the Bible. At no point does God express even mild disapproval of enslaving human beings, robbing them of what freedom and independence they might have had. On the contrary, God is depicted of both approving of and regulating slavery, ensuring that the traffic and ownership of fellow human beings proceeds in an acceptable manner. In many cases, the regulations display a horrible disregard for the lives and dignity of enslaved individuals, hardly the sort of thing one would expect from a loving God. I believe if many Christians black Christian s knew this, there would be a lot less black christains in this world. I believe the topic of religion will always and forever be a debating topic until the time comes when man find the answer of where humanity came from. Until then the debate will continue