Extra Credit

Pariah 

            Clap people!!! This movie was way more than I ever expected. I cried because the inner struggle Alike, and  Laura  faced was horrible. The thing that touched me the most was while watching this film and watching these to young ladies try to find their way. I understand this movie was suppose to be based on a lesbian teen go through adolescents but all young people can relate.   The truth is there was only one character I truly disliked and that was Bina she used and took advantage of Alike by using her for her own sexual gratification. Ones Bina got what she wanted she judged Alike and tried to make her feel disgusting for been a lesbian. One  character in this move that showed the mirror opposite of Alike was her younger sister Sharonda. I loved their sisterly relationship.  This movie was great because it shows how the dynamics of  family can be worse than everything else in the world. Alike's mother was her biggest criticizer and their is a moment in the fimm when her mother physical attacks her for being gay and it will make you cry. Watch the movie it is great. It will feed your soul and show you how important it is to treat people correctly.

Lack of Acceptance

Afro Latinos are not being accepted, into the African American or Latino culture. With the current unspoken conflict of African Americans and Latino Americans; Black Latinos are being forced to choose. “Many young Afro Latinos are dealing with a world where they are often supposed to side with one ethnic group based on how they look” (Otiko).This statement shows how the color tension between Blacks and Latinos, is forcing many Afro Latinos to separate themselves from half their identity. Sociologies have pointed out conflict between subcultures, end up isolating people of mixed heritage (Kimmel36).  “There is a Black perception that Latinos have not suffered discrimination to the same degree and in the same manner as they and are thus are not entitled to the benefits of the civil rights” (Vaca 62). This quote shows how important Political Science the study of government is when looking at the identity dilemma of Afro- Latinos because; it shows how the government has created the relationship perception of Blacks and Latinos. Fixing the strained relationships of Blacks and Latinos solves the identity dilemma of Afro-Latinos.

Work Cited 

Kimmel, Michael. Sociology Now. Custom . 1. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Boston, San Francisco, Singapore, Madrid, Cape Town: Pearson, 2009. 248. Print.

Otiko, Manny. "Young Afro Latinos straddle both cultures."OUR Weekly. 22 09 2010: 1. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. <http://ourweekly.com/features/young-afro-latinos-straddle-both-cultures>.

Vaca , Nicolas. The Presumed Alliance . 1. 1. New York, New York: HarperCollins Production, 2004. 36. Print.

Culture creates and shapes person identity, and not their skin tone.

Culture creates and shapes person identity, and not their skin tone. Currently in the United States there is still this idiotic perception, that a person skin tone defines what culture they belong to, and that is wrong. In “Black and Latino” by Roberto Santiago he shares how he is a black Latino but at the same time he shares the Latino culture because that is the type of house hold he was brought up in. “She was white, and she shouted, “Shut up you fucking nigger”(Redd190) !This comment was made by a white police officer when he was a child. This statement shows how government officials look at skin complexions and how this forces all people to judge off a person skin complexion. Political Science has shown, through the U.S. different census that they do break everything up into color, and they identify people that way (Roskin156). Sociologists have also proved that a person associates who they are with what their culture is and not their complexion (Kimmel222). “Many light- brown people will be classified as Latino by Anglos in East Texas. Many Spanish speaking very- dark-skinned people probably won’t” (Gracia 34) .This statement shows how in the United States, Afro- Latinos are being forced to choose and identify with one racial group. Forcing, Afro- Latinos to identify as a certain race isolates them from the African American community. Afro- Latino questioning of their identity allow other people to place negative stereotypes on them. 

Culture is Power

Work Cited

                  Gracia, Jorge. Race or Ethnicity. 1. 1. New York: Cornell University, 2007. 248. Print.

  Kimmel, Michael. Sociology Now. Custom . 1. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Boston, San Francisco, Singapore, Madrid, Cape Town: Pearson, 2009. 248. Print.

      

        Redd, Teresa. Revelations . 5. 1. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney: Pearson, 2010. 383. Print.

Roskin, Michael. Political Science an Introduction. 12. 4. Boston, Columbus, Indianapolis, New York, San Francisco: Pearson, 2012. 350. Print.

Who am I?

Who am I? This is the question many Afro- Latinos ask themselves, because they are not accepted in the African American or Latino culture. Currently today there is an identity dilemma facing Afro Latinos communities because, of their mixed culture and heritage. The way to solve for our Afro- Latino brothers and sisters identity dilemma is to become aware that there is a problem. In this paper we will get down to the deep cause of why Afro Latinos are now facing this identity dilemma. Will find out the identity dilemma by looking at how Afro- Latinos are judged by their skin complexion, way more than lighter skinned Latinos, and how skin in the United States is associated with culture. Unity is the true solution for Afro- Latinos identity dilemma. African Americans and Latino Americans should be aware of the identity crisis in Afro Latino Community because it combats negative stereotypes that has been placed on the Afro Latino community and brings the African American and Afro Latino community together.

Sociology and Political Science can be used to show how Afro- Latinos identity dilemma has made them outsiders in the African American community and Latino community.  Sociology is the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society. Sociology will show how this identity dilemma is caused by society and how it forces people into one culture. Politics Science is the study of government. Political Science will show how the United States government has caused the dilemma by always making people identify their selves with a certain group. These two disciplines together, will show how the government plays a great part in how people see others with two ethnicities, and how it effects society.


Work Cited
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/05/16/using-black-as-a-neutral-color/
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1554711
http://www.latina.com/

Economics is the cause for exclusion of Afro- Native Americans

Tribal affairs of Native Americans are now seen as a business and connections show how far you will make it in the tribal community. Economists trace economic behaviors to human instinct – to greed.    Sociologists trace behavior to institutions, or conventions that constrain what we can do and what we can imagine doing; networks, or social groups and their roles in creating identities as well as behavioral norms and constraints; power, or the use of position and coercion to determine how people can behave and how they see their own interests; and cognition, or how people’s perceptions of the world shape their behavior in it (Dobbin).   Native American tribes in the United States because they are now running as a business and exclusion will happen. 


Work Cited

Dobbin, Frank. "THE FUTURE OF ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY." . N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr 2012. <http://scholar.harvard.edu/dobbin/files/2001_asa_newsletter.pdf>.

 

Culture over Race

           Blood does not over throw culture. Currently in Native American tribes Afro-Native Americans are been excluded from money access but not being kicked off the land. Afro-Native Americans are been excluded from money due to the current majorities greed. Culture is all encompassing. Though very dynamic, some of its elements may be retrogressive in the sense that that they dehumanize certain individuals in society. But overall, culture creates our form of identity, making us see ourselves as belonging to a particular community, nation or other geographical space. Culture therefore defines who we are relative to other people. But culture can also transcend geographical space so that we can talk about trans-cultural relationships (http://kenyamediaroundtables.org). This quote shows how culture is extremely more important than are biological makeup.

Biological makeup is not important because we are all mixed but completions do very. Biologically there are no pure, distinct races. For example, blood type cannot distinguish racial groups with any accuracy. Furthermore, applying pure racial types to humans is problematic because of interbreeding. Contemporary studies of DNA on a global basis have determined that 85 percent of human genetic variation is within “local populations,” such as within the French or within the Afghan people. Another 5–9 percent is between local populations thought to be similar in public opinion, such as the Koreans and Chinese. The remaining 6–9 percent of total human variation is what we think of today as constituting races and accounts for skin color, hair form, nose shape, and so forth (Lewontin 2005). This quote shows how there are no pure race so what is going on with Native Americans has nothing at all to do with race.  “Culture” means lifestyle, traditions, and behaviors that may have nothing to do with genetics, but are often distinct between groups of people. The main point you need to keep in mind is that while biology is important, environment and culture will determine who your child becomes 

Work Cited                                                                                                                                            Lewontin. Exploring Race and Ethnicity.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0205800513.pdf.2005
http://kenyamediaroundtables.org

Are Their any Black Latinos?

The existence of Afro Latinos and dark skin African Americans in United States media is non-existent. It is very abnormal to see dark people of color on television shows and movies screens in the United States playing leading roles in a positive way. Jonathan A. Barrera Mikulich is the owner of Latino Branding Power, a web portal dedicated to exploring the ideas, strategies, and insights that deliver cultural value within Hispanic marketing communications and branding. He states “that it is rare to find Afro-Latinos cast in roles for movies and television, even in those that feature Latino characters.” (Jonathan A. Barrera Mikulich) This quote shows how African – Latinos are not currently apart of the United States media or culture because they are black Latinos, and normally Latinos featured in films in United States look white. The exclusion of a certain complexions of minorities has been done for many years  African Americans with lighter skin was given special preference and today Latinos with lighter skin is given special preference in the media. Sociologists say the preference put on people with lighter complexions in the media creates stereotypes and discrimination of darker people because they are seen as less intelligent or villains because they do not look closer to the white majority. (Kimmel and Aronson23) Sociologists says history plays a big role in colorism because it has caused people to degrade darker complexions within their race; this is due to the way that they were depicted and treated by society throughout history especially during the era of slavery and Jim Crow. By breaking down colorism it helps tell the true history of people with Afro descent.

1.       1. Kimmel, Michael. Sociology Now. Custom . 1. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Boston, San Francisco, Singapore, Madrid, Cape Town: Pearson, 2009. 248. Print.

      2. Mun2tv, , dir. Black and Latina

           So Black Latinos are not able to play Latino roles.

The Perception of African, Native, and Latino American Culture

This week in class we talked about culture in the United States particularly African, Latino, and Native Americans. So, what is culture and who shows the way your culture is portrayed in the world.   In the United States as an African American woman there is certain things in society that our stereotypes of women of my culture. Like there is this thing of over sexuality, welfare, and ghetto but this is also something that Native and Latino Americans face.

Kelis, My Milkshake 

(Video 1) This video shows how black women our seen as over sexual can be something that someone not in my culture can see as a normal thing for African American women.  This of course is not true for many black women. This video does not represent my mom, grandma, or aunts and it does not represent me.

In this blog the two disciplines I am using to analyze this video is history and politics. I used history and politics because history is what started the over sexuality of African American, Latino and Native American women. 

1. Kelis, Milkshake.(C)2003 Arista Records, Ink.

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGL2rytTraA 

No Representation For Latinos in America Media

Join The Movement 

No Representation of Afro Latinos and African Americans in the media divides or community. “Differences in skin tone and phenotype among black people do have meaning in the United States, especially for blacks with the darkest skin tones and the least European phenotypes. Sociology studies indicate that blacks and whites, and perhaps other nonwhites, distinguish among blacks based on skin tone.”(Banks) This quote shows how colorism in the Black and Latino communities do exist and how even people of different ethnicity can see the divide. This divide can especially be seen in the media. Look at the number of dark African Americans and Latino Americans seen in the media playing positive influential roles are just being spot lighted. Wallace Thurman in 1929 in his book, “ the Blacker the Berry” says  In the African American community, skin color, an ascribed status attribute, played an integral role in determining class distinctions”( Thurman) This show how there is a separation based on the complexion of are skin in communities of color. This separation is because the media continues to show people of lighter complexion to satisfy the white majority in the United States.  Allowing dark Latino Americans and African Americans to be seen in the media helps destroy negative stereotypes placed during the Jim Crow era and eliminates colorism. Kai Beasley in her article “Black Students Still Favor Lighter Skin,” shows how even in society today people with lighter complexions are admired over dark skin. Even though many critics say the media business does not discriminate on color but does whatever involves the most money.

Work Cited

       Beasley, Kai. "Black Students Still Favor Lighter Skin, Study Finds." | THE BLACK COLLEGIAN     ARCHIVES. n. page. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. <http://www.black-collegian.com/news/bcwire/bcwire_colorism_0607.htm>.

      Thurman, Wallace. 1929. The blacker the berry: A novel of Negro life. New York: Macmillan.   Turner, R. J., and S. Noh. 1983. Class and psychological vulnerability among women: The significance of social support and personal control. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 24:2-15.

Arizona’s state ban on ethnic studies—in HB 2281

Courtesy of DIVANEE

The thing that truly makes the United States a democracy is the ability for us as citizen to question the government and learn about different cultures and uprising against the government.  Currently in Arizona there has been a ban of books and classes that teach Native American history.  What does that mean for me as an African American?  A lot because when one minority in the U.S. is been threated all are in trouble. Once any state says that an ethnicity is not worth being taught are talked about it deletes what make the U.S. such a diverse and multicultural place to leave. The band of Native Americans classes and books in Arizona sets the lead way for all things pertaining to minorities such as African Americans, and Latino Americans to be banned.

 The two disciplines I will be using are history and political science. I will use history to show how important it is that different cultures are taught in schools. Also I will use history to show how if cultures are ignored they are normally destroyed and we all lose a piece of our selves. Political Science will show the government perspective on learning about different cultures and people. I will also show how different cultures in events have shaped   the modern government we have today.

“Arizona’s state ban on ethnic studies—in HB 2281—took effect January 1, and states that no classes can be taught that “promote the overthrow of the United States government; promote resentment toward a race or class of people; are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group; advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.”( ICTMN Staff) This quote shows how they are taking out classes that represent minorities in the United States. History shows that to truly destroy resentment our hate toward a certain ethnicity is to teach their culture. Currently in Arizona they are creating ethnic solidarity.  They are saying one culture is more important than another. This does not only affect Native Americans but also African Americans because soon they will begin to ban are studies in schools.

This is a local state government passing this ridicules bill, so what is the national government saying? In my opinion this is an issue that needs to be taken to the Supreme Court because it only has rational outcomes that could threaten and jeopardize all people of color. “Multicultural education helps students understand and affirm their community cultures and helps to free them from cultural boundaries, allowing them to create and maintain a civic community that works for the common good. Multicultural education seeks to actualize the idea of e pluribus Unum within our nation and to create a society that recognizes and respects the cultures of its diverse people, people united within a framework of overarching democratic values. A unified and cohesive democratic society can be created only when the rights of its diverse people are reflected in its institutions, within its national culture, and within its schools, colleges, and universities.” (ncss.org) This quote shows that by teaching about people’s culture it helps others to relate to one another.

            The fact is what is currently going on in Arizona is hidden racism. It threatens all people and the country.  When we allow ethnicity to stop being taught in schools we lose what are nation was built on.  The only way to stop what is happening in Arizona is for us to come together and fight.

Courtesy Tucson Citizen. com   

Work Cited

http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/hb2281s.pdf

http://socialistworker.org/2012/01/26/closing-the-classroom-door-in-tucson

Blog # 1 Removing the Psychological Walls

While reading Gloria Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera and WEB DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk the thing that popped up in my head was how for centuries people of color have been stuck between two places their original culture and the United States culture and customs leaving this great double standard or consciousness.  So as a color person in the U.S. why can we not emerge our ancestry and our new life found in the United States together. The double Conscious that African Americans, Afro Latinos, and Afro Native Americans face is a psychological effect based on the government treatment of our ancestors.

The two disciplines that I will be using to prove my thesis is Political Science and Psychology. Political Science is the study of governmental institutions and processes the government. Political Science will show how the government plays a major role in borders when it comes to geographical, culture and racial boundaries and it creates an atmosphere that brings about certain actions of people. Psychology is the study of mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group and it will help show how people of color have adapted to government and double conscience is a psychological effect of the government.

            While the double conscience was written by W.E.B DuBois in 1903 in The Souls of Black Folk it is still relevant and used today.  This modern form of double conscience is presented by Gloria Anzaldúa, in the Borderlands/La Frontera. This newer example is still related to DuBois because it just shows the newer psychological problems that people of Afro descent face in the United State. It also shows again that the government is causing this double conscience seen in people of color.  By creating limitations that are visable but not seen as a threat to our fredom.So what can we as people of Afro descent do to make the United States see us equal and remove the psychological walls that keep us out.

Work Cited 
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_souls.html
http://books.google.com/books/about/Borderlands_La_Frontera.html?id=yV1yAAAAMAAJ