Category Archives: RCL

“This is not my first language. I don’t understand English very goodly.”-Gloria

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Alright guys, it had to happen. I’ve gone through most of the main stereotypes present in American culture, but as I’m sure you’ve noticed I’ve avoided the one that hits closest to home: the Hispanic sterotypes.

Luckily, you get the inside scoop froma real- live Hispanic(wait.. they have those in StateCollege?!). But most Hispanic stereotypes can be exemplified by one character: Gloria from modern family.

Sofia Vergara represents all that is Latin: she has the accent, the curves, and more sex appeal than should be humanly possible. In the hit new shwo Modern Family, she plays a young columbian woman married to a rich, much older man.

Stereotype One : Hispanics can’t speak English

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Just FYI, that is NOT true. What is true is that most Hispanics in America are bilingual by the age of seven. There are some people who just migrated to the US who haven’t learned English yet, but tust me they’re trying. I’d just like to share that once a woman came up to me and was like: ” So you were like… born speaking Spanish right?” When I retorted ‘No, were you born speaking German?” She looked at me like I had three heads.

Stereotype Two: Hispanics are violent criminals

Reality: Illegal Immigrants are just as likely to be criminals are nonimmigrants: aka just because some countries are going through turmoil doesn’t mean we’re going to climb into your bed and slit your throat.

Stereotype: Hispanics are loud

Ok, this one is true.

Stereotype: Hispanics are Sexcrazed

 

Now-a-days, Hispanics are portrayed as sex idols, this can be dated back to Rudolph Valentino: the first Latin “sex object”. Sure, a lot of Hispanics have great bodies, it’s in the genes, but that does not mean that they want to use them! Many Hispanics are actually extremely catholic and wait until marriage. Regardless, there will always be women like Sofia Vegara who gained popularity based off of her sex appeal, but Hispanics as a whole should not be put into a category of “I want to have sex with you”.

Stereotype: Hispanics are suuuuper fertile

As far as I know, this one is also true. Inspired by the growing number of Hispanic pregnancies across America, Hispanics are viewed as extreme baby makers. In my family alone, three babies were concieved with the use of two forms of birth control. I only have one Aunt.

Stereotype: Hispanics are emotioal

This stereotype stems from the popular Spanish novellas, and like American Soap Operas, they are NOT an accurate representation of Hispanic culture! Yes, Hispanic women are emotional, but it doesn’t mean we’re running around crying all the time because our ex husband’s evil twin slept wih both of my sisters.

Stereotype: We are all Mexican

No. Just no. Also: we are not all illegal, WOWZA!

Americans tend to see a lot of Mexicans, because it is the country closest to the US border, however Mexicans don’t even make up half of the Hispanic presence in the United States. Also, only about 1 million Hispanics come over illegally each year. This may sound alot, but this is only a fraction of the total Hispanic population in the United States.

 

In total, Hispanics aren’t exactly what you think we are. Although some major stereotypes are based off of truth, Hispanics are breaking stereotypes such as these everyday.As long as illegal immigration remains a serrious issue of national security, Hispanics will be put in the spotlight, hence creating copious amonts of untrue stereotypes. If i can leave you with two things, just remember this:

1. Not all Hispanics are Mexican!

and

2. No, I don’t want to sleep with you just because I’m Hispanic kthnxbai

 

 

“There are many humorous things in the world, among them the white man’s notion that he is less savage than the other savages”-Mark Twain

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“Your white privilege is showing!” my sassy black coworker announced last week to a group of white girls shopping at our store. They had come in, blatantly ignored him and started trashing the store figuring out what to get with the money daddy put in their bank accounts. They either didn’t hear him, or simply chose not to.

I hope to discuss a stereotype not commonly recognized, the classic “white person” well described by Lawrence Auster:

“For example the area of Pennsylvania where I am now residing. It’s just twenty miles from the black-dominated jungle of Philadelphia, yet it is all white, and its all-whiteness is reflected in the extraordinary pleasantness, peacefulness, freedom from disorder and crime. The people here are clearly drawn to such a white environment, but they never state openly that that’s why they’re here. In fact they are ultra liberals in their politics.So they are divided beings: they passionately prefer to live in an all-white community, and they pay exhorbitantly to live here, but they would never say that.”

Whites are racist  arrogant, and ignorant. Whites are all republican. Whites are spoiled and rich. According to urban dictionary white people are:

Single handedly, the most violent race of human beings throughout the history of mankind. No other race of human beings has killed more people, raped more women, destroyed more cultures, or has stolen as much land as white people. White people are the most hated race of human beings.
Read any university level history book to learn the truth about “White people”.

Have whites earned this stereotype? Anyone of a different color would answer: yes. However, my dad would rant for hours that he isn’t paid any more than anyone else, he certainly isn’t rich, and that he does NOT hate other cultures.

The truth is that Whites are judged almost entirely off the actions of their ancestors and the way they are treated. White privilege is a statistical fact, but not one that applies to all. Not all whites are racist. Not all white girls are spoiled. Not all white people are murderers and rapists. I was shocked and appalled to learn that something this serious was joked about. Yes, we’ve all seen the spoiled white girls and the successful business men who literally do nothing but inherit daddy’s wealth, but NOT ALL STEREOTYPES ARE TRUE. The atrocious acts done by white ancestors, which span an extremely broad span of European countries, must be forgiven. If we can get past the Japanese for Pearl Harbor, the Germans for the Halocaust, and the Huns for conquering the Germanic tribes leading to the demis of the Roman Empire and the dawn of the Dark Ages, we can get over the acts done by people long buried. In the civil war, hundreds of thousands of white men died for the freedom of slaves, proving not all of them are bad.

In order for whites to be accepted, society would have to change its ways. White privilege IS a thing, a thing that isn’t commonly recognized by the white race.

 

We associate with people we are most like, and often without realizing it exclude others. Although whites are not the overall global majority, they hold the most power and influence in the world. Stereotypes are always an exaggeration of a small truth, and it’s easy to see where the hatred of whites comes from. When you’re constantly being asked if you’re the help, falsely accused of crime, or judged based on your skin color, you tend to hate its source. White people stereotypes stem from more then just hate, they extend from envy.

 

 

This is an issue that will never go away, with two of the seven deadly sins fueling it. We are still far from equality, and only with tolerance and peace will other cultures stop hating whites. Rascism is a viscous cycle, it is a crime committed by people of all colors. Just remember, don’t live up to your stereotypes.

On another note, the definition of white people on urban dictionary: people who are white and the only people who change color

PersonA: You look a little red there child.

PersonB: Damn white people always changing colors when they’re sick or hot.

“It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice”- Deng Xiaoping

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The  “Ain’t nobody got time for that” meme has become a world-wide phenomena, from studying for tests to bronchitis, this meme has become an excuse for everything.

Apparently now, it’s become an excuse for racism. But as shockingly offensive as this is, it’s nothing new. For centuries, Blacks have been stereotyped in some of the worst ways possible. For example, in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, he described African natives as creatures, not even daring to consider them human.

“While I stood horror-struck, one of these creatures rose to his hands and knees, and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink. He lapped out of his hand, then sat up in the sunlight, crossing his shins in front of him, and after a time let his woolly head fall on his breastbone.” (1.39-41)

However, as a reader we can hardly blame Conrad. His views were based entirely on cultural ignorance. However, cultural ignorance also was one of the main reasons Africans were enslaved in the first place. Hence, that doesn’t seem like a very valid excuse in our times, where things like Things Fall Apart and you know, that whole civil rights movement thing exist.

On the other hand, even though slavery has been abolished, Black stereotypes have not. People even use modern science to dehumanize African Americans, saying that genetically they are more closely related to apes( ,By the way, this is an incorrect assumption. Just because all humans originated in Africa and then adapted to their environment does not mean they are more or less “ape-like”).

File:Minstrel PosterBillyVanWare edit.jpg

But don’t take my word for it. Pick up To Kill a Mocking Bird, read The Help, type Successful Black Man meme into google, look at the white actors who used to paint themselves black, or watch this clip.

Successful Black Man

The worst part is, that now the African American stereotypes have shifted from making fun a of a “primitive” culture and skin color, to associating a skin color and facial features to a socioeconomic class. Even more disturbing is the fact that many African Americans are most frustrated by the fact that the stereotype is pushed on them by their own people more than by other races and cultures.

“And I ask why am I black, they say I was born in sin, and shamed inquity. One of the main songs we used to sing in church makes me sick, “love wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”

– Peter Tosh

Perhaps it’s a way to deal with the identities forced upon them. It’s hard to accept that you are you’re stereotype. Some embrace it, choosing to act “ghetto” because it’s who they are because their skin is a few shades darker than mine. Others engage in a discrete sense of self-loathing. Many Black men prefer women with lighter skin, long straight hair, and “non-ethnic” features. Some black women share the same views about themselves, going as far as to buy weaves to get the “beautiful” hair they want. And yet, they will still hear the phrase ” You’re pretty, I mean… for a black girl” more times than they would ever care to count.

 

When it comes to Stereotypes concerning African Americans, I wish I could say ignorance was the sole reason for stereotypes. Sadly, I believe the leading cause is hatred combined with just a touch of fear. People see African Americans in impoverished areas, they generalize everything they see, and label what they simply don’t understand.

Yes, a lot of it is based on stupidity, but there is a lot of awareness and programs to help people who are trapped by the stereotypes that define them. The increasing number of African American graduating from high school, college, and grad school shows that we as a nation are moving toward changing how we define a skin color. From our half Black president, to our beloved Beyonce, the public’s views on African Americans is changing, which is somewhat of a miracle. No stereotype will go away, especially if people continue to embrace it, but as long as we strive as a nation to inform others and reduce ignorance as well as hatred and fear, we can continue to grow and move on.

 

 

As a side note, I ran into this post while doing research for this post. Although yes, some fair skinned or mixed children with African ascent are born lighter until more melanin is produced in the body, most Black babies are NOT born white…

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“The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam” -Barack Obama

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I’m going to post two pictures that completely sum up why people hate Americans

Caption: I decided to make myself look like Al-quieda 😀 #me #personal #terrorist #scarf #hair #curly #selfshot #gAy

Caption: #terrorist #al-queda #idk how to spell #lol # christmas

Don’t ask me where the christmas hashtag comes from, but the rest can speak for themselves. Since when did a a life long tradition of covering your head ( a practice many people in the desert areas have adopted)  make you a terrorist? Since when was it ok to even reference such a serious term “terrorist” in the form of a joke? Since when did the mass murder of millions become funny?

Apperently in America, it’s all just a joke.

I’m sorry America, last time I checked we are the country with the highest muslim populatiuon on the continent, and it’s time to finally let things go and allow them to join the melting pot.

America claims to be “the melting pot of cultures”, but since it’s birth there has always been persecution. Whether you be a Quaker  black, native american,Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Hispanic, German, or Middle Eastern, I assure you your ancestors were grossly mistreated in our country.

But why? Think back to any example of a sterotype you know. If you look closely enough, each and every one of those is based off some sort of truth. The problem is when a true assumption about a small group of people (for example, Al-Queda) is pushed upon a much broader group, rendering the previous assumption false.

So what has caused this Islamophobia? The most common answer would be 9/11 and the events that followed, however life is never that simple. Muslims have been persecuted since ancient times, based solely on the fact that they are different. Europeans say them as an unstoppable mass that would take over their land and destroy their faith.

Although yes, Muslims conquered a massive amount of land in a very short amount of time, the countries they ruled over had religious freedom. They didn’t want anyone in their faith who didn’t actually want to be there. I can’t exactly say the same for the Christians… we started a war that was supposed to help religious pilgrims and then just used it to gain land and money during the crusades (Why does that sound awfully familiar… ).

And still we have created this negative image of all things Islamic. On American media, Jack Shaheen states ” Arab Muslims are fanatics who believe in a different god, who don’t value human life as much as we do, they are intent on destroying us (the west) with their oil or with their terrorism; the men seek to abduct and brutally seduce our women; they are without family and reside in a primitive place (the desert) and behave like primitive beings. The women are subservient — resembling black crows ”

Let’s go step by step on how each thing he said was completely and utterly wrong.

  1. Arab Muslims are fanatics who believe in a different god: In reality, Muslims believe in the same God as Jews and Christians. In fact, Muslims believe they are descended from Abraham, the father of Judaism.
  2. don’t value human life as much as we do: Muslims live life just like anyone else, and nowhere in their religion or laws do they accept taking the life of another human being. In fact, Muslims are innately peaceful.
  3. intent on destroying us (the west) with their oil or with their terrorism: For one, Muslims never used oil as a weapon. Second, we destroy ourselves going after the oil that comes from their land. Lastly, yes a small radical group who say they’re Muslim have done atrocious things. But if you look at some American cults that think raping children is wonderful and that the end of the world is near(yes, these exist) they also claim to be Christian, and in no way represent Christians as a whole.
  4. the men seek to abduct and brutally seduce our women: Ok Muslims don’t even believe in drinking, and they certainly don’t allow sex before marriage. If an American woman wants to marry a Muslim, it’s of her own free will and frankly nobody’s business.
  5.  they are without family: This is the one that pains me the most to hear. My best friend is Muslim, and every weekend she was spending time with her extended family. Family is one of the most important parts of Islam.
  6. reside in a primitive place (the desert) and behave like primitive beings: As seen in the map above, Muslims inhabit a large majority of the world. And as for those who do live in the desert, they have built massive cities and irrigation systems, and have made major advances in medicine, math, and architecture. Come talk to me about primitive when you can build that with primitive tools.
  7. The women are subservient — resembling black crows: Muslim women are extremely independent. the way that  women are treated in A Thousand Splendid Suns may be accurate for some countries in the Middle East, but has basically no sway in America. Muslim women even post selfies with their faces covered. It begs the question, what is real beauty, and what is an image that is thrust upon us by our society?

 

So how do we get past these stereotypes? There will always be conflict in the Middle East. Whether it be involving American, Jews, or communists, it seems to be a place that houses political and social unrest. As long as these things keep happening, people are going to continue to blame the Muslim faith, because so many extremists kill in the name of Allah. As long as people like Hamas exist, cartoons like this will go on:

Is it fair to the rest of the Muslims who only want peace? But underneath the different clothing and skin colors, we’re really all the same. In the end, WE ARE AMERICANS. I think that if people met more Muslims, ate their delicious food, and learned more of the FACTS rather than believing the things they see in the movies and calling them fact, we can move on from this prejudice, as we have moved on from so many prejudices.

As the Kuran states, “Live in peace, not in pieces.”

 

We turn skeletons into goddesses and look to them as if they might teach us how not to need.

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I scrolling down my face book newsfeed, and came across a particular post that actually caught me attention. It read as follows:

“All this bullshit on the news talking about how they need restrictions on calorie intake for the school lunches and how celebrities are gaining too much weight is really getting on my nerves. This is why girls and guys have body image problems and have eating disorders. Everyone is beautiful no matter how they look. :l”

Now look down at yourself. Squeeze any fat you can find there. How much is too much? A pinch? A handful? There is no direct definition of “fat” and “skinny” but as a society, we force our own definitions onto others. There are many different body types, and sometimes the media forgets this. Take for instance, the difference between the Victoria Secret “Love My Body” campaign and Dove’s “True Beauty” campaign.

Both campaigns are missing major body types, and it is impossible to say which body type is more “beautiful”. When it comes to a point where girls look at the Victoria Secret models and start to throw up their meals or simply refuse to eat, you know there is something seriously wrong with the society’s standards. However, we also find girls who are just as skinny, but long to look like the Dove models, but can’t no mater how much they eat. Weight is largely determined by genetics, and there are certain diseases such as cancer or thyroid hormone imbalances that can cause a person to have a predetermined weight.
It is important to be healthy, but weight and body image is not equivalent to health. So stop judging yourself, don’t feel the need to confirm to the image that society demands you be. Be yourself, be healthy, and once in a while enjoy that creamery ice cream without feeling quite so bad about yourself. I guarantee you, you’re beautiful inside and out!

all images found on tumblr

What has the World Come to?

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I’m sure we’ve all heard about the events in Libya. But just in case you haven’t, here’s the run down.

Some guys in America posted a youtube video that hard core made fun of Muslims. You know how Muslims don’t even like to have pictures or Muhammad? Yeah well these guys made a movie about him having sex with a bunch of chicks and killing people just because he felt like it. Not cool.

Well of course, the video went viral. Muslims across the globe were outraged, and riots erupted. In Libya, the riots ended hundreds of burned American flags and a dead U.S. ambassador. No one is sure if the riots were randomly spurred on by the video, or if it was a planned attack. Why would it be planned? It occurred on the eleventh anniversary of September 11. The riots got so bad, that several countries banned the video.

I can’t help but think that fifteen years ago this would have never have happened. There was no you tube, and countries weren’t as connected as they are now. There are many benefits to technology, but today, it has caused a death. It has caused people to burn the American flag. The image of our proud flag burning over an innocent man’s dead body is forever ingrained in my mind.

Words were used as weapons by the creators of this video. They used an alias and posed as Israeli citizens, to further spur hatred between Muslims and Jews. However, they were discovered to be a group of American citizens from the Midwest. They freely admit that it was meant to be a political statement, however all I can see is hatred.

Hatred created that video, hatred created the riots, and this hatred ended up killing a man who was only trying to help the people of a country distraught by war. Rhetoric was not used, words were overshadowed by actions. Serious consequences rise from silence.

Little saddens me more than cultural ignorance. The ignorance of these men who created the video cause others to be ignorant of true American beliefs. I for one, love Muslims and hold very high respect for their religion and culture. But if someone from Cairo heard I was American, they would immediately assume that I did not understand Muslim beliefs and that I was rude enough to make fun of Muhammad.

So, I sympathize with the people of Libya. However I do not agree with the way they handled their anger. Killing a man who has done nothing but help you is not the answer. Instead of murdering him, they should have talked to him, and expressed their distaste in a civilized manner.

Please, let us take a moment to honor Chris Stevens, a US ambassador who died trying to make a better world.

http://cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2012/09/13/sylvester-libya-stevens-remembered.cnn

Images from: CNN.com and nydailynews.com

 

Update: I just read an article about how a woman in Afghanistan suicide bombed a town and killed several South Africans working for America in protest of this video.She was 18.

Would you do the right thing?

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Do The Right Thing was an inspiring movie about racial segregation. It explores topics of love, loss, and the barriers people make for themselves. Although at first glance the characters seem unintelligent and “ghetto”, there is more to them then what meets the eyes.

Take for instance, Sal. Making pizzas is all he knows, and often chooses to use violence instead of words. However, when his son Pino complains to him about having a Pizzeria in a black neighborhood, Sal uses rhetoric like a master. He contorts that the people in this area have never given him any trouble and explained how proud he was that many of them grew up on his food. Suddenly, his son replies that they should just open a pizzeria in their own neighborhood because his friends make fun of him. Sal states that those people were not really his friends and that there were too many pizzerias in the Italian neighborhood.

Even though Sal makes excellent points, Pino is blinded by his utter hatred of those with a different skin color. Mookie tries to convince Pino that he idolizes black people like Prince. Flustered, Pino replies that those people are not really black, well they’re less black. His judgment is completely clouded by what society tells him to think. Society says that it is alright to like black people like Prince, but the everyday black man is no good.

Pino may have been blinded by society’s views, however it is important to note that the Italians were not the only characters expressing racism in Do the Right Thing. Across the street from Sal’s Famous pizza, there is a Korean food Market. When Radio Raheem goes into this store, he curses out the Koreans and tells them to learn English and treats them as though they are inferior to him. Men on the corner comment that these people are “fresh off the boat” and yet they have a business while the black people don’t. Nevertheless, when the people riot in anger against the white man for Killing Radio Raheem, the Korean store owner screams that they are the same. They are both different, and this unifies them. Amazingly, the mob turns away from the little grocery store and leave the Korean family alone.