American Son

“American Son” is a novel that depicts the immigrant life of Asian Americans. The main characters in this novel are two mixed teenage brothers and their Filipino mother who does not understand their lifestyle. The topic of the story is the conflict between the two different generations.

The mother wanted the sons to grow up with the ability to create their own “American Dream.” She wanted to give her sons all of the opportunities that she was not able to receive in the Filipinos. One son, Tomas, started to associate himself in the gang lifestyle and started to give his mother and family shame to his Filipino roots. In the mother’s eyes, she did not try her hardest to fit into the American culture, and this in return caused her children to become the way they are. The ignorance that the mother displayed throughout the novel caused the boys to choose their own paths of their American Dream. The boys had a very hostile depiction of the different cultures that surrounded them causing them to behave in the manner they did.

Although the two songs were completely different from one another they still created their own American Dream. When it comes down to it, the novel depicted the California culture. The novel gives us the real time perspective of how the California Dream is not how we depict it to the rest of the world.

Crash

The film “Crash” has a very ironic title. Due to it’s multicultural topic, it shows how different cultures and different societies come together and live in one general society. It can be said that they do not know whether or not the cultures “clash” or “crash” with each other. Each race is being exploited in a way that has a negative connotation. However, in the end they all come together for a common cause or moral lesson.

The film “Crash” demonstrates the barriers that interracial relationships between friends and lovers. Every character has at some point throughout the movie have experienced some type of racial stereotype and they have themselves stereotyped another race. For example, when it came to the two African American males who stole a car, they assumed that everyone who came their way was stereotyping them due to their race; for example, the Caucasian female who held onto her purse tightly as they walked by or the service they didn’t receive at the coffee shop. Or the instance where the Caucasian police officer pulled over the African American couple, driving an Escalade. However, even though they all experienced some type of discrimination, at the end of the movie one realizes that interracial relationships amongst individuals is an essential for society.

“Crash” also depicts all races as somewhat civil as the movie progresses. It shows that all people can be humanitarians and care for others regardless of race. At the end of the day we are all human beings and must care for one another. This is quite ironic because during the film, we see that the characters are all very critical of each other but they all turn out to have good morals and humanitarian beliefs.

Coming to Cali...

“Coming to California: Chasing the Dream “ by Gibbs and Bankhead discusses the problems of multiculturalism. It focuses on discrimination and other prejudices that arise from racism. This is also what the main focus of “What is Multiculturalism?” by Jay. They both similarly speak about what are the effects that immigrants have brought for the United States. Jay talks about how we define ourselves based upon the nation that we live in.

Politics is one major issue that both readings shared in common. Politicians are quick and eager to find new immigrant groups who could be blamed for society’s issues. An example of this would be against homosexuals and the fight for Prop 8 (same sex marriages). They (Politicians) are always seeking to exploit minorities and blue-collar workers.

What is Multiculturalism?

In Jay’s “What is Multiculturalism?” he makes statements in response to the issue of Americas “melting pot” society. America’s conception of itself is that it is a very diverse community. This “movement” preserves ethnic, racial and culture by melting them into one common culture. Individuals are not only exposed to other cultures but it is suggested that political identities that are a part of each cultures society are exposed as well. Due to this, there has been a boom in immigration to the United States.


Question: How can you identify yourself to Jay’s multicultural ideology and to what extent would you say you are a part of this multicultural society?

Roseeee

This poem had a very different feel then “Indian Cartography.” However, it had the same general idea, stating that individuals have lost their land and its history due to society. This poem was much more intense and had a bolder statement. The displacement of Native Americans was a huge downfall for the United States. Wendy Rose attempts to look through the point of view of her Native American ancestors and imagine what they went through during this difficult time. Because I feel it was told on a much more personal level, the intensity of the poem was stronger.

Indian Cartography by Deborah Miranda

“Indian Cartography” by Deborah Miranda gives a vivid image of what society used to be like in California. Cartography is a way of making geographical maps in its literal definition, as also stated by Kalida Jordan. A lot of history in California has been subsided and removed through natural and physical ways. This poem depicts the landscape that California once had, and gives us an idea of how it was shifted to what present day California really is. It represents the ideology that Native Americans were replaced in their own land by what our modern society consists of. Another aspect of this poem hints at discrimination towards Native Americans and their displacement. Unfortunately, this previous Indian land is no longer recognizable due to what our society has done to it (by creating entertainment industries, shopping centers, etc) There is no longer any natural beauty to the land.

Fallacy Readings

Chapter Eleven

Throughout this chapter it gives a strong view of how racial oppression was vividly present in the times of the Gold Rush. Although there were many other races that were apparent in the United States, however Caucasians were definitely the superior race compared to the rest. Immigrants and non-Caucasians were treated very poorly and the concept of hatred through the racial superiority (Caucasians) was also quite apparent. However, as years passed the racial superiority system in the United States became very prejudice and political incorrect. This was a huge turning point for the United States. However, one can still argue that racial stereotypes and prejudices still are apparent in the United States even today.

Chapter Two

This was probably one of the most interesting chapters of all the readings. Talking into account the amount of time human beings have been in California (about 12,000 to 15,000 years) it opens up ones eyes to how much we have accomplished as a society. Part of the reason why California had not expanded as much is because of its terrain and geography. However, before people started to migrate to California the Indians had already established the land, and in a sense made it easier for the Europeans to settle. The type of technology that the Indians had at this point in time, it is astonishing as to how efficient they were as a society.

The Final

Dear Sarah,

Congratulations, you have completed your winter 2010 quarter at Foothill College. You are almost ready to transfer to a university and have achieved a lot. Taking a look back at your English 1B course with Professor Lewis this quarter you learned skills that will ultimately help you in your upper division courses.

The first topic we discussed in this course was defining the California Dream. This was an interesting topic because in the readings you got a real life interpretation in which proved that the California Dream is not all what it seems. Individuals are all capable of creating their own dream, and have the capacity as human beings to succeed. Even professional music artists who live the dream agree with that statement, as well as give another view point saying that the dream is nothing and not all people can succeed. The California dream is not what it is pictured to be unless you either have real talent or real money.

The second topic we looked into was the history of California. A lot of animosity has been generated towards minorities in the United States and California. Within this topic we learned about fallacies which are misconceptions resulting from incorrect reasoning and argumentation. This fit in well with this topic because it showed that everything that is said in history is not always true and individuals should be given the opportunity to defend themselves and tell their side of the “story”.

The last and most interesting topic to me was that of multiculturalism. This was the one that I related to the most because it gave me a sense of relation. Our society is extremely diverse and we are all given equal opportunity. The only question is, what will you do with that opportunity and how will you fulfill your own dreams and aspirations?

When I look back at what I learned through out the quarter I can say that I left with more knowledge then I entered with. The topics that Professor Lewis chose for his course kept me interested. For the first time I actually found some enjoyment from the readings, because it was easier to relate to the readings due to the generalized topic of “multiculturalism” and our society as a whole. The one thing that I learned about “reading” before I actually started the readings was to go into them with an open mind. There were some topics that hit more of a nerve with me then others did. After the readings, I would ponder about the deeper meaning of what the author was saying and try to understand their point of view because many of these situations I had not personally gone through myself, so you had to somehow relate to them to understand the meaning behind them.

My writing process on the other hand was a different story this quarter. I had many instances where I would actually attempt my hardest and make outlines and have other proofread my paper. But there were other instances when school and life hit me hard at the same time and I ended up “winging it.” But overall, I think my writing improved. There are some things that I should work on such as combining sentences when appropriate, creating a stronger thesis and proving it, and creating stronger sentences. Other then that, my analyses of readings and interpretations of readings did improve to some degree.

All in all, I would have to say this was a good quarter. Hopefully I did well. Anyways, have a good well-deserved break, and be ready to rock in all your classes in the spring!

Always,
Sarah

experience of blogging?

Alright, so this is my first time blogging and i'm not really sure how i feel about it. I do like twitter though :)

Immigrants in California

Arguments are often made in order to understand the world around us. Within these arguments we have information that may be wrong or right, conclusive or inconclusive. Fallacies are arguments where the structure or content of the material reveals a flaw or error. X combine It can be mistaken as a misinterpretation or misconception from incorrect reasoning in an argument. In Yeh Ling-Ling’s excerpt “State Needs a ‘Time-Out’ from Mass Immigration” he states how California is being oppressed from all of the immigrants in areas such as education, and economics. The arguments within his writing about immigrants and their role in our society are highly exaggerated thus causing fallacies to arise.

Ling-Ling first elaborates on the subject of education. He states “California’s educational system was one of the finest in this country” (CDR 94). When one analyzes this statement and looks at the educational system in California, one must wonder how Ling-Ling could make such a bold statement. The state of California has significantly declined in education due to budget cuts. Some statistics say that in 2000 over $49 billion was cut from education in the states budget. This argument of California having impeccable education has a major flaw in reasoning because it was found that about 25 percent of the 5.6 million school children in California could not even speak English properly enough to receive the education that the state provides. The standards have thus far significantly lowered. Due to the high immigrant population in California, the standards for education have lowered as well. This can be known as hasty generalization, which basically implies that individuals are being judged based upon their race, religion, etc. Another fallacy can be straw man, which misrepresents and distorts the position of another group, which the author states as the problem of overcrowding in our school system.

Secondly, Ling-Ling speaks of the economy in California. “Hundreds of thousands of working in California, professional and low-skilled, are unemployed and underemployed” (CDR 95). Ling-Ling asks, “Is raising property tax or passing additional billion- dollar bonds the real solution to our problems?” (CDR 95). When one looks at this question, the immediate fallacy of begging the question that assumes the situation must be proven. Although immigrants pay taxes and therefore contribute to the economy, a third of immigrants are not educated enough to have high paying jobs, which ultimately hurts our economy from prosperity. This type of fallacy can be known as a false dilemma in some aspects. This is because although immigrants do not have high paying jobs do not mean that they are not capable of earning money, contributing to the economy, or taking care of their families. A director at UCLA Institute for Labor and Employment stated, “We’re beginning to resemble much more a Third World society where a class of people are stuck at the bottom” (CDR 95). This quote can be two fallacies, such as false or weak analogy or an over exaggeration of the truth. When it comes down to it this is a weak analogy because in no way does California resemble a Third World country. People still earn money and can fend for them in our society. Our economic state is not at its peak but it is nowhere near what other countries are exposed to.

In conclusion, immigrants in California are not harmful but do have their downsides as to why California has become somewhat oppressed. The author makes some outrageous claims that can be interpreted as fallacies within his argument as to why immigrant migration should be controlled into the United States and into California. He states tit it is deteriorating the quality of life for the natives as well as the immigrants. Ling-Ling’s over exaggeration about immigration involves fallacies such as false and weak, straw man, begging the question, and hasty generalization. In a way fallacies are needed in an argument in order to find the truth behind why this argument is true or false and for what reasons.

Poems

Regardless where any individual lives, their nation will have its own history with tragedy and triumph. California has a very rich history that throughout the years has had its ups and downs. When analyzing these poems one comes to the conclusion and the vivid image that California Native Americans were treated unfairly, beaten, killed, and ultimately displaced from their own land by United States migrants from the East coast. In “Indian Cartography” by Deborah Miranda and “Itch Like Crazy: Resistance” by Wendy Rose share a wide variety of similarities, that both elaborate on stories that describe the pain that California Native Americans endured during their displacement period. The concept of freedom, pain, and defeat of the Native Americans is what these poems have in common. However, these poems have different tones and sentence structure, which creates a more dramatic effect.

In “Indian Cartography” the poem is telling a story about a father who is telling a story of his memories and what significant places and events had happened in his past. Looking at maps and pointing out these places brought back some of the happiest memories to him. However, he also knew about his ancestor past, which deeply hurt him in the end.

In Rose’s “Itch Like Crazy: Resistance” the overall tone of her poem gives off a sense of anger towards the foreign invaders. However, she also gave off a sense of respect for the history of her people and the country. Both poems give off a sense of despair of Native Americans when their land was taken away, their identity, and cultural values. This poem shows the honesty and the pain that these people went through.

“Indian Cartography” by Deborah Miranda and “Itch Like Crazy: Resistance” by Wendy Rose share many commonalities one of which is the language and sentence structure. When it comes to the language structure poets use long breaks that cause the reader to think about what the poet is saying and analyze it for themselves. In “Itch Like Crazy: Resistance,” Rose states, “every red thing in the world/ is reflection of blood/ our death and our rising” (line 35-37). With this vivid image of brutality that was apparent during this time makes individuals reading the poem an image that they will be able to analyze and experience in their own minds. Then in “Indian Cartography,” Miranda demonstrates this technique by stating, “Places he was happy/ or where tragedy greeted him/like an old unpleasant relative” (line 6-9). By these pauses, it causes one to analyze how he felt during this time, and relate it to something that someone who had not been through those experiences can relate to. It shows that these experiences that the Native Americans went through were good experiences before their displacement but in the end when they were driven off their land they were treated unfairly. These breaks give it a more dramatic effect.

While both poems share many commonalities besides the concept of the subject, they also have some contrasting features. They both express the pain and suffering that Native Americans were faced with, but Rose takes up the intensity level by her selective wording and symbolism. Rose uses metaphors as well as vivid visual aids to get her message across of the pain and suffering that the Native Americans went through. Rose says “This is one of those days/ when I can see Columbus/ in the eyes of nearly everyone” (line 1-3). This quote shows how they already anticipated defeat of their people. Columbus was a man who caused suffering and ended and separated many of the tribes. Columbus is used as a symbol of fear and hate that overpowered their people.

In conclusion, the Native Americans were peaceful people and had come to California in order to fulfill their own dreams and goals. These poems describe tragic events in different ways that explains the problems that Native Americans faced while they were living the California Dream. Unfortunately through these tragic events lead to the disintegration of the Native American people.

The California Dream in Relation to an excerpt by Nathanial West's "The Day of the Locust"

The California Dream in its utmost simplicity can be thought of as the amplified American dream in which the culture, lifestyle, environment changes at a rapid pace compared to normal American culture. In Nathanial West’s passage “The Day of the Locust” he helps illuminate the realities of the California dream by showing the harsh and not so harsh actualities of California and its lifestyle as well as the California dream in its most stereotypical and materialistic view, as well as the realities of the dream at hand.

In Nathanial West’s passage, “The Day of the Locust” he vividly elaborates on how Tod, the main character, moves to California for almost superficial reasons in order to fulfill his dreams and goals as an artist. Tod was given an opportunity to start a life in California after a talent scout had seen some of his work at an exhibit (West CDR 333). West’s ideology strongly corresponds with that of James J. Rawls. Rawls states, “Opportunity and success- these promises are at the heart of the California Dream” (CDR 23). But how can one define what the California Dream really is? What are the expectations of individuals of what California has to offer? California has been called the quintessential Promised Land, as James J. Rawls states in his except from “California: A Place, A People, A Dream” (Rawls CDR 22). Individuals who have dreams and desires to fulfill their lives in California have images in their mind of Americans, sunshine, beaches, and Hollywood (Spooner CDR 40). This has been the primary motivation for the migration of many immigrants and fellow Americans to California. “California was founded on the expectation and hope, of the California Dream which promises to fulfill our deepest longings for opportunity and success, warmth, sunshine and beauty, health and long life, freedom, and even a foretaste of the future” (Rawls, CDR 23). With all these opportunities and successes were apparent as California began to strive as a community, society, and business. In West’s passage he states that “[Tod] had been in Hollywood less than three months and still found it a very exciting place” (West CDR 332). All of the stereotypical and materialistic ideas that Tod had about California were coming true on many different levels.

However, many individuals can present the California Dream as a paradox. West goes on by describing the mold of California that Tod did not necessarily fit into due to his appearance.It was not quite up to “California standard”, but his talent was undeniable (CDR 333). Many artists of all different types and nature come to California in order to achieve their goals. Although the promises of the dream are still present currently, but have gone a bit haywire. The image of California as the land of opportunity has now become the cause of its multiple adversities (Rawls CDR 26). Individuals have attempted to explain what went wrong with California; some have even blamed California’s climate for attracting “emotionally unwrapped” people. Wide publicity had been given to the states promiscuous behavior, alcoholism, and drug abuse. By the 60’s and 70’s California was no longer seen as a land of health and prosperity but as the land of immorality, failed dreams and broken promises (Rawls CDR 27). People’s expectations for California steadily began to decline since the beginning of the California Dream. For example during the Gold Rush, people migrated to California for a new start, in which they had a perception of wealth and riches. Money was in a way a fixed goal for many Californians. California has done its part in ranking third among the states in personal income, and ranking twelfth in the world as an economic power (Rawls CDR 29). However, at what cost were these achievements made. If one looks at the California budget and the state of the economy currently, most individuals would agree that we have a long way to go. California’s decline is not only due to economical circumstances, but also due to the culture and expectations that individuals have put upon California. West describes that “when the Hollywood job had come along, he had grabbed it despite the arguments of his friends who were certain that he was selling out and would never paint again” (CDR 333). This quote strongly shows the fact of how individuals believe that California is a very stereotypical area. West also states that “while the others moved rapidly, darting into stores and cocktail bars, they loitered on the corners or stood with their backs to the shop windows and started at everyone who passed” (CDR 333). With this quote, one can conclude that the California dream does not fulfill everyone’s desires. Individuals that come to California do not always succeed in the tasks that they originally come here for, regardless of talent. With that one can conclude that California is not all what it seems, and gives off a perception to individuals that is not entirely true.

Nathanial West describes very vividly throughout his excerpt that California is not entirely what it seems to be. "It is hard to laugh at the need for beauty and romance, no matter how tasteless, even horrible, the results of that are…” says West (CDR 334). In order to evaluate how superficial California truly is, one must go through the actions of moving here. Although California does have its upsides with its natural beauty, and ideology of hopes and dreams, one must be careful in their expectations of what California has to offer. If ones hopes are too high, they are easily let down. For Tod, this is exactly what happened.

In conclusion, in Nathanial West’s passage “The Day of the Locust” he helps illuminate the realities of the California dream by showing the harsh and not so harsh actualities of California and its lifestyle. West elaborates both by using an example out of Tod and his experience in California to establish that the successful period only lasts so long. Individuals must have certain characteristics in order to survive in California and ultimately succeed in their endeavors. Although many may argue that the California Dream is valid and does exist, it is only apparent in a small majority of the individuals that attempt the dream.

Analysis of “Californication” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Thinking of the California dream people often get this vivid image of something that in a way is almost magical. It is thought to represent hope, happiness and opportunity for a more prosperous life. When one thinks of California it is thought to be perfect in everyway. All one hears about is endless sun, celebrities, and Hollywood. The immediate thought of California is this breathe-taking enviornment. It is known to be a place of endless dreams and opportunities. In the song, “Californication” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers depicts an image of the California Dream and western society as an unrealistic dream of artificial practices in which people take part of. They take into account the artificial and unrealistic environment and image that California gives off.

The California dream gives off an unrealistic and artificial perception of California. The song “Californication” demonstrates the California Dream and it’s unrealistic perception. The media shows an “average” celebrity and how they succeed and live a glamorous lifestyle. All of their houses and cars give people who are not of this stature some type of hope and dream that is not necessarily accessible to them. In James J. Rawls essay “California: A Place, A People, A Dream,” also vividly visualizes why the California Dream is so unrealitistic. The promises the California Dream states are expectations that are a paradox. These heightened expectation result in unreachable goals.

In addition, the song “Californication” is about the deterioration of society. It reflects how the world is becoming a very superficial and plastic society. Technically what the Red Hot Chili Peppers are doing is making fun of the whole concept of California and it’s image. This concept presents a situation in which the natural beauty of California and it’s surrounding regions depicts an image where people try very hard to fit in. This type of impression gives California its “fake-ness.” To further elaborate on the concept of California’s “fake-ness” is a verse from “Californication” which says “Pay your surgeon very well/ to break the spell of aging/ Celebrity skin is this your chin/ or is that war your waging” (line 13-16). This illustrates that individuals in California must give a perception towards the outside world of their supposed “perfection” and establish their lifestyle to be desired by others. The verse “Dream of Californication” (line 18) gives people a hope that they might be able to actually obtain this dream.

On top of the California Dream being both artificial and unrealistic, the topic of “fornication” is also brought up. Fornication is the voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other (dictionary.com). In the song the Red Hot Chili Peppers state “A teenage bride with a baby inside/ Getting high on information/ and buy me a star on the boulevard/ It’s Californication” (Lines 23-26). This gives the impression that one of the California ideals is to just go out and have fun. It dampens the ideals that California once held. It shows that nothing is necessarily planned and that people now at a young age do not care about their consequences and it illustrates that the ultimate goal of success is reduced due to restrictions that these decisions cause. The song is portrays California in a way, which many people would not necessarily approve of. It pollutes the California Dream and causes society to look down upon individuals who may make these decisions as well as decisions similar to that.

In conclusion the image that Hollywood sells is manufactured. The dream of becoming famous is reduced due to these unreachable goals and expectations. The obsession of staying young and achieving great things is not always at reach, but for some reason individuals still believe in the “California Dream” and its ambitions. Ultimately the song “Californication” depicts the deterioration of the western civilization, superficial ness, and it’s insecurities.