I was on the CATA bus in the very beginning of the school year, I believe this was right after Soc 119. I was sitting in front of this white boy and white girl and though I was in my own world, I overheard them discussing the white boy's new roommate. The white boy stated that his roommate wanted to throw a party and he was hesitant. The white girl then asked him "Is he… well you know" and I automatically suspected something wrong. He kept asking "What?", like he didn't understand what she was trying to say. She then said, "I can't say it out loud right now" and he was like "Why?" She then whispered, "Is he ghetto?" I got so annoyed… mainly because I didn't understand why she automatically assumed he was ghetto. I didn't say a word, so I guess it wasn't a "confrontation" per se, but it was one, if not the only, bout of racial confrontation that I experienced. She assumed that he was hesitant about the party because he was "ghetto" or black, because why? Blacks are wild and dangerous? I don't know what she meant, but she definitely implied something when she said ghetto. Maybe I was being overly sensitive about noticing something that may have been insignificant, but I was just curious as to why she tried to be so discreet about it if it was something so "insignificant" as the word ghetto. Then I wondered, well, is this how all white people talk to each other? I don't like to generalize, but I know some black people do talk about white people discreetly and indiscreetly. I don't know if white people do the same (though I'm sure they do, it's become a part of human nature), but it's just something I've always wondered. I guess you could say it is hypocritical of me to feel annoyed or bothered when people talk about my people if I do the same about their people, but one thing I don't say as freely as most is that people are RACIST. To be racist means to hate a particular race, and I doubt that the people on the bus actually hate black people. Even with the recent Chi Omega scandal, those girls were dead wrong with their actions and deserve to be punished, but I don't believe they are racist. Prejudice, maybe? Misguided, yes. Wrong, absolutely. The racist term is too strong of a word to distribute to any and everyone that says something about another race.
Granted, there are some people from every race that has a strong hatred for other races, but I think the race card is pulled way too frequently by black/brown AND white people. We all need to chill out and embrace each other for our differences.

Interracial dating has been around for decades now and it's slowly but surely becoming accepted in today's society. It's a changing world and many things that were once considered taboo are now becoming the norm. It's good that we're becoming more open minded, but we do have to understand the uncertainties that come with these issues, especially interracial dating.

They say if everyone just mixes races there will be no more racism, but you can just get rid of every race. There's a sense of identity within every race that must be maintained. Many people don't date interracially because they don't want to be judged. They don't want to be considered an outcast, traitor, or a sellout.
When Black women date white men, they get praised for upgrading and getting a successful man. When Black men date White women, they're traitors and victims of self-hatred. I don't understand the double standard, but I do get why Black women get frustrated. It's difficult being a successful Black woman with few Black successful men on the same level. White men won't date us and now Black men won't? Many Black women will feel betrayed and it can cause a damper on our self-esteem because it creates a sense of inferiority among Black women. There is the stereotype that White women are “easy, submissive, and obedient”, unlike the Black woman, and that makes them more sought after. I don't know why it seems like dating a White person is such a great achievement, as if dating a Black person is a downgrade. It brings up that whole superiority/inferiority issue again.

I, as a Black woman, have always been open to dating men of all races and have always wanted to try dating a White guy. However, I don't think a White guy would want to date me because of the stereotype that all Black women are intimidating and “ghetto” (I hate that term). Many Black women are very opinionated and vocal about their feelings, but not every Black woman is like that. I don't know if that's what makes them stay away. It's stereotypes like that that create these unnecessary divisions. We need to actually get to know people before we place these judgments on people.

My parents aren't as open to interracial dating as I am, but it's really not about race. They are against dating/marrying outside of our culture because they fear that our traditions will eventually be lost. They believe that marrying within our culture is easy because you're already accustomed to the lifestyle. I understand their viewpoints, but it's a totally new world. We need to be more open-minded. We can preserve the important parts of our cultures while embracing other cultures. That's the only way our society can move forward.

I think I'm in stage 4 or 5, but I have the tendency of slipping into stage 3 sometimes. I have white friends, black friends, Asian friends, Hispanic friends, friends from all backgrounds. I am accepting of all races and it doesn't really play a role in my daily activities. Penn State isn't as racially diverse as they make it out to be (71% white and 4% black isn't racially diverse, people) but I'm okay with being the only black girl in my classes. It was a culture shock when I first came up here, but I’m used to it now. Situations like the Trayvon Martin case that make me feel some type of way. He was murdered because of racial profiling and it puts black people back in that place where we feel like we haven't moved forward at all. Another recent instance where race was exploited was during the election. We feel like we're moving forward and that Obama is mixed race so it shouldn't be an issue, but then on twitter we have many individuals saying "Obama is a n----r", calling him a "monkey" and other derogatory names, and people saying that people only voted for him because he's black. We have Mitt Romney with the 47% comment, basically accusing minorities feeling entitled to handouts and welfare. Then we have Bill O’Reilly worrying about the fate of “White America” because of the huge turnout in minority voters. We're in 2012! Race shouldn't be this big of a deal. I'm aware of the racial differences, but it should not be as divisive as it is in this day and age.

Growing up, I had black and white friends. I lived in a mostly black neighborhood when I was in London, but my very first boyfriend when I was 5 years old was white. Maybe I didn't notice the difference in races, but I don't think he did either. It didn't matter to us. I wasn't raised to hate or feel animosity to any other race. I was never bullied by anybody outside of my race. The only division I felt was between Africans and non-African blacks in Britain (where I'm from). When I came to America, I noticed the same division between Africans and African Americans. I live in a mixed, middle-class neighborhood. African Americans would always say, "Africans are dirty/Africans stink." and I would be so confused because I thought we were all the same black people. I then realized the difference in culture and nowadays there is still so much hostility between Africans and African Americans.

The issue isn't race. It's the difference in culture that causes people to act certain ways. We mock what we don't understand. Once we can get past this, our society will be okay.

I will be totally honest: I don't have a reasonable solution. I am particularly biased because I am an immigrant myself with MANY immigrant family members: both legal and illegal. People don't understand how difficult it is to become a U.S. citizen. It takes like 10 years to process. Not only is it a difficult and extensive process to go through, but it's an emotional strain to leave your whole life behind in your native country. These people come here and have to work from the bottom up. I don't see any harm in illegal immigrants working because at the end of the day, they are doing jobs that we don't want! Cleaning bathrooms in movie theaters and fast food restaurants. Is that worth fighting over? Somebody has to do it. It's not like they come here illegally and become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. People need to relax. This isn't your country either. We are all immigrants. The only natives here are Native Americans and this country has diminished any sense of power from the Native Americans so to complain about illegal immigrants taking our jobs is foolish and hypocritical.

When you think of immigration you automatically think of Hispanics, and to be more specific, Mexicans. First off, there are many Asian and African immigrants as well, but we don't get as much disrespect. These immigrants are much more hardworking than us because they understand what it is to struggle! Our phones stop working for 2 minutes and we start crying about how much our lives suck. These are our first world problems. These people have families that eat once a day and still lament about how great life is. They know where they came from. The burdens to provide assistance to their family back home guide them in their journey to the United States. We are living in the land of opportunity and there should be a place for them too.

Ultimately, these immigrants could strengthen our country. We just have to give them a chance. We just need to relax our outrageous citizenship process and speed it up a bit. I understand there are risks involved with letting a non-US citizen into the country, but most aren't terrorists or spies. If more people are allowed in legally, there would be way less illegal immigration. It’s not necessarily because we’re the best country in the world that people choose to come here. People would much rather live in their home countries with their family, friends, and everything that they know. Circumstances don’t always allow people to do so. Wars and lack of opportunity may force people to come to the United States, where freedom and opportunity are in abundance. What’s wrong with that?

Contact is extremely important in understanding and accepting different cultures. Many people hold beliefs that are learned, but aren't necessarily true. Some of these beliefs may create an unnecessary hostility among different groups so it's crucial that we come together to understand each other in society.

I grew up believing that homosexuality was a choice and that it was "just a phase". Homosexuality is really discussed in an African household. I never discussed homosexuality with my parents so I didn't really sure how they felt about it. Until about six months ago, I didn't know that any African homosexual existed. One day, I was home with my parents and my dad's two best friends came over. The two men were always together, but I just figured that they were close because they grew up together with my dad and whatnot. Turns out, they're in a relationship and they have been together in love since I was a child. My dad told me and I was shocked. This was something that was unheard of, to me anyway, and I didn't know that my dad was so accepting of it because we never discussed it. My dad told me that ever since they were kids, he knew that they were gay and it never once affected their friendship. He said that people should be able to love one another, no matter the gender. Knowing all of this, it would have been so foolish of me to stop associating myself with my dad's best friends simply because of their preferences. Whether it's someone I know or not, it's still their lives and it taught me to be tolerant of all people. This definitely shaped my view on homosexuality and I am definitely open to all forms of love.

Contact, not only has affected me, but has affected other people's perceptions of things based on their experiences with me. For example, I have met many Black (Non-African) Americans that grew up believing that all of Africa is totally impoverished and that all Africans were dirty and uneducated. My best friend used to believe that until she met me. So many times I have heard, "You don't look or act like an African." I do. I just don't act on the stereotypes associated with Africa. We are not all poor, nor are we dirty, nor are we uneducated. Many of my relatives have professional degrees and though they are immigrants, they have very well paying jobs. My best friend now understands that the stereotypes aren't always true and she's now interested in learning more about the African culture.

It's so easy to be ignorant and rude to things you don't know. It takes courage to be able to see past the nonsense and learn about different things, people, and cultures. There is so much to know and understand. Exposure clarifies so much of the ignorance in today's society, which is why a class like Soc 119 is essential.

Here comes that dear old saying, "Never judge a book by its cover". We've all heard it, yet we still do it. People say they dress certain ways to express themselves, but our judgments can be really flawed. We can't even scratch the surface if we decide to look at the outside of an individual to find out the truth about someone. Being black myself, I believe that the two black guys with dreads are just normal guys. In today's society, younger folk are used to seeing guys (white and black) with dreads. They tend to be a bit more free spirited and chill. I feel like older non-black people may not want to surround themselves around the guys with dreads because it intimidates and scares them. I don't know why, but I know that animosity is there. I think every black kid knows that white parents warn their kids about certain black people based on stereotypes associated with appearance and behaviors. Dreads are one of them and it’s sad because not every black guy with dreads is a “thug” or “trouble”. Granted, there are some, but it’s foolish to brand all because of the actions of a few. The white girl is dressed pretty preppy, so she seems like a studious, good girl from the outward appearance. People may gravitate towards her because she looks like a friendly young girl, though internally she may or may not be. The white guy with the curly hair looks like he probably skates. He doesn’t look intimidating at all. I really don't know what to say about the guy with the red hat, and the boy with the afro looks like he doesn't care about his appearance. He doesn’t look approachable and people wouldn’t feel comfortable in his presence. The woman looks pleasant. None of the males gave off a pleasant feeling, and they looked rather suspicious. From first glance, one can definitely presume that the black guys are stronger and more intimidating than the white guy. The thing is, I don't know for sure about any of these people! The fact that I can create all these assumptions about people I don't even know speaks volumes. Moral of the story is, it's easy to judge someone off of his or her presence, but that doesn't mean that that judgment is accurate. The guys with the dreads could easily be the smartest ones in the room, but people wouldn't see that. The curly haired white guy probably hasn't skated a day in his life. We wouldn't be able to know based off appearance and this is important because we have to be aware that outward appearance doesn't define a person, but our judgments on others define us.

That video had its funny moments, but it was frustrating to watch at the same time. It was really important that people see situations from an outside perspective. The sad thing about this video is that it wasn’t surprising at all. It is funny how one can say they aren't racist, but their actions prove otherwise. Why was it okay for the white guy to steal the bike and let everyone know his intent, but when the black guy does, they spark an immediate reaction? Crime happens from every race. There are good and bad people everywhere. Granted, like the boy mentioned in class, when few people tend to crowd around, more are likely to join, but it's the mere fact that they didn't do that when it was the white guy that bothers me. Why did they give him the benefit of the doubt, but not the black guy? They looked at race! White people scream from the mountains that racism is over and we should all be equal, but we don't get treated as equals. Somehow, some way, we blacks must have these horrible intentions right? Now I won't say that all white people are like this, but it's this subconscious discriminatory behavior that proves otherwise. When you hear about any crime, people are quick to say, "Was he black?" Why can't he be white? It's just so frustrating to see how black people are thrown under the bus every time. I don't necessarily believe that those people are racist. Racist is a strong, purebred hateful word. I do, however, believe there is prejudice involved.
The video was definitely very interesting, but something I have seen before. For example, I work at Tommy Hilfiger, a brand name store where every item is like $50. My manager is a white woman and I am a black woman. She LOVES me to pieces and we try to provide our customers with the best service possible. The races of our customers vary; we tend to get foreigners often. However, every time a young, black male walks in the store, she gets very antsy and starts to say through the headset, "Okay everyone, watch that boy." or after the sale, “Did he pay for that?” Every time I hear that, I get so irritated. Why must that young, black guy automatically be associated with theft? Why must you criminalize him before he even does the crime? Why do you think that he can't afford Tommy's clothes, but any other white boy or girl can? I don't think my manager is racist either per se, but it is definitely some underlying form of prejudice. I think that people young and old need to watch that video and wake up! We aren’t as equal as we think/want to be.

The biggest decision I made from free will was my decision to not join the military. I come from a military household and the Army life is all I know. I am very obedient, I tend to listen to what people tell me to do, as opposed to following my own heart. I taught myself to love the military. I was in Army JROTC, a program for students who are interested learning about military customs, in high school and I had my mind set on joining the military. All my friends enlisted after high school, while I decided to go to Penn State and joined the Army ROTC program. I was in love with the structure and discipline of the military. I loved to march and say cadences. I toughened myself up to be able to deal with the rigor of early morning physical training. Another major reason why I joined was because the military would be able to pay for my school. I had my plan and I was set. If I were to just get that scholarship, school would be paid for, I’d have a guaranteed job, and my parents would be proud of me. I thought it was what I wanted for my future. However, in my sophomore year, I felt out of place. I was confused as to what I wanted. I went through a stage where I didn't know who I was. Being the only black girl in my battalion at my branch campus was… awkward. All of the cadets hung out with each other outside of class, but I wasn’t really ever included. Though that had nothing really to do with the actual military lifestyle, it played a part in my decision to leave. I realized that maybe the military life wasn't for me. I didn't fit in with my ROTC friends, and though my Army friends at home were having the time of their lives, I began to hate it. So, I talked with my parents and they were disappointed because they wanted me to follow their footsteps so bad. I just couldn’t do it. I dropped out of ROTC. There are many times that I miss marching and wearing the uniform proudly, but I figure it's best if I support from the sidelines. I see my Army friends talking about their experiences and it sucks that I can't share that bond with them anymore, but I had to do what felt right. The military has countless opportunities and benefits, but I chose my happiness and there’s nothing wrong with that. I exercised my free will, but determinism played a huge role as well. It’s really not easy to separate the two because they are so complexly intertwined.

The term middle class has become so cliché that all persons ranging from the $20K+ to $100K+ all represent this middle class. It has even gone to the extent of separated by sub categories (lower middle class, upper middle class, etc.) Middle class income has become such a vague term that any and everybody considers themselves to be apart of it and it is still very unclear where the lines between poor and middle class and rich and middle class lie.

It doesn’t surprise me that nobody raised his or her hands when asked who was rich. Society has made it so that if a person identifies as wealthy, they are automatically “bragging” or “rubbing it in the faces of those who aren’t”. Because of the magnitude of people that are struggling in this country with unemployment and student loans, we are taught to be ashamed of being in that privileged 1%. Society believes that people in that 1% do not understand the daily struggle of many people around the world and this creates a subconscious hatred for the privileged. Nobody wants to be isolated into the 1% category of wealth, so they claim middle class. There are also some rich people that do not share their economical status because they deem it unnecessary. Actions speak louder than words and it’s typically people that don’t have much that tend to expose the “finer things” they possess, in attempts to show off.

The definition of success varies by different individuals, but I do sense a kind of hostility from people with lower incomes towards those with higher incomes. There are people who think that being rich means that that person thinks they are superior. Society tends to judge rich people unfairly because we have been groomed to think that money can buy happiness and that rich people don’t help the poor enough. Every individual had their own agenda with their monies, but it is not for us to put down someone who worked hard to achieve their desired level of success. People fail to realize that you could be making $30,000 a year and still be rich in other aspects, such as love, friendships, and family. It shouldn't matter what your economical status is!

I am not rich at all. My mother and I are struggling to pay off tuition and other monthly bills. However, I personally believe that is okay to be wealthy or “rich” and to aspire to get there as well. Everyone should aspire to attain their own level of success. If being a 1% is one’s aim, then they shouldn’t be ashamed of it. It’s like rich people aren’t supposed to be proud of what they worked hard for. Granted, there are some rich people that inherit their wealth, but for those who do work hard, it shouldn’t be taboo to consider yourself rich. It shouldn’t make people of lower income feel intimidated or distant from you because of your economical status, but it also shouldn’t make the people of a higher income feel superior or more powerful than those without.

Men have so many standards for women to uphold appearance-wise and it really makes women feel insecure. We are so focused on being "attractive" and "sexy", that we rarely focus on what is really important: inner beauty. It’s like we trained to hate the way we look if we don’t have the qualities of what society thinks is “beautiful”. The American culture has become so obsessed with plastic surgery and other drastic alteration procedures. Body hair is now looked at as a flaw, rather than something beautiful, because society has groomed us to believe that we have to look a certain way. So many beauty products like Nair have been designed to get rid of body hair. In the 6th grade at age 11, I was forced to start shaving my legs because people in my gym class would say, "Eww your legs are hairy." At that age, when pre-teens are looking to fit in and make friends, it’s definitely hard to not conform to the societal standards.
A boy would much rather talk to a girl that has no body hair, slim waist, big butt, long hair and dare i say it, light or white skin. This is primarily because the only women seen on TV and magazine are these "perfect" dream girls. Little do they know that all flaws like stretch marks & cellulite are hidden behind Photoshop. Now we as girls are forced to live up to those standards in order for a guy to look our way and it's unfair.
When they showed the girl that had the beard, I was a little taken back because I had never seen something like that before. However, just because it wasn't "normal" doesn't mean it was "wrong". She had every right to stand up for her beliefs and no one should look down on her for it.
I also truly commend that girl for standing up and saying that she doesn't shave because you know what, she doesn't have to! People shouldn't judge her for it because it's her body and it's natural. She was confident enough to share that and that's admirable. In saying that, I must also say that it's not necessarily wrong for girls to shave. I continue to shave but now it's my personal choice. I don't do it for boys because I don't even have sex. I'm a virgin. I shave because I want to and that's perfectly okay. I just don't feel like a girl should have to change her ways for anybody else, and if a guy doesn't like you because you have hair under your arms, on your legs, or anywhere that God decided for you to have it, then he's just not worth your time.