China's Varying Influence

         Chinese immigrants have faced incredibly anti-immigrant sentiments from the late 1800's until quite recently. Past anti-Chinese immigrant policies resembled closely the anti-immigrant policies we see today regarding Hispanic and Mexican immigrants. The varying policies concerning Chinese immigrants is reflected in their economic influence (positive or negative) and the general status of the U.S. economy.
         Past prejudices concerning Chinese immigrants were due mainly to the fact that the majority of citizens, although descended from immigrants themselves, believed that the onslought of Chinese immigrants were mostly uneducated and had very little money and would therefore take the jobs of true American citizens and they would negatively influence U.S. economy by needing monetary aid. The majority of immigrants sought to escape China and find future job and educational opportunities in the U.S; a brighter future. This is also supported by our modern day example of anti-immigrant policies concerning Hispanics. This is easily portrayed by our blame laid upon Hispanic immigrants suggesting that is is they who negatively impacted our economy by requiring tax-paying citizens to pay for their health services and by taking the jobs of 'true' American citizens. The argument is repetitive, though given to defend anti-immigrant policies regarding diverse ethnic groups.
        Presently, there are no anti-Chinese immigrant policies, however it is still exceedingly difficult to obtain a visa and even more problematic to obtain a green card/citizenship. Also, the face of 'typical' Chinese immigrant has changed and evolved over the course of 150 years. Currently the majority of Chinese immigrants are younger and obtain student visas. There are numerous undergraduate and graduate opportunities for immigrants, many of which (especially on this campus) are Chinese. This could be due to the encouragement they receive in school to study abroad or the fact that they often retain a higher quality education and are easily accepted into programs here. Also, as I have heard from a friend, U.S. graduate and medical programs are more respected worldwide and in China than the programs available in China. Although the face of Chinese immigrants have evolved, along with other ethnic groups I am sure, their general welcome in this country frequently reflects its economic state.


-past xenophobia and anti-immig policies (fluctuated)
-past economic influence
-now welcome if educated
-current economic influence
-now majority are students,  both undergrad and grad

Week 10 Blog Posts

Lauren: Your ‘popular music’ piece contained a very interesting argument and I do agree with you. I had a little trouble putting together the last sentence in your introductory paragraph, but the following paragraph explained it well. Your introductory paragraph was very interesting and drew me in and your body paragraph supported your argument (or dual argument). It is difficult for me to take sides too! Just one thing: occasionally throughout your piece you need commas where there are none. Perhaps looking into adding them where pauses are?

            Your Manic Monday piece (awesome title by the way) was extremely well-written! I am sooooooo sorry your day was that horrible!!! I definitely understand though, when it rains, it POURS. I love that you wrote about your experience because your exasperation and frustration clearly shine through and the reader knows exactly how you feel/felt! And I understand about your work…I work with many autistic children and they can be quite the handful. When you said he pantsed the shy child I definitely pictured one of my students doing that! (because he so would). Basically I just really enjoyed your piece and I wish we had more prompts that would allow this type of writing because I feel that it had more passion and power behind it than many other pieces we have done. I really like your style and look forward to reading more! Have a better week! J

          Jessica – wow! I really like your blog J I think that's the first time I've noticed the blog BEFORE the posts. I REALLY enjoyed your take on feminist sexuality in popular music. It IS the men who create those opinions and I’ve found this occurring in various disciplines and ideas (for example, men are the policy makers regarding many laws that affect primarily women and even reproductive abilities and limitations concerning women!). Your writing style is very concise and your word choice is magnificent! That in itself made the piece more enjoyable. I mostly followed your arguments, but I think I would have liked to see an expansion regarding your second paragraph. You state many ideas and quickly move on to the next (although they are all highly related). One quick thing: I think in your quote in the top second paragraph it should say ‘irredeemably.” Great job!

            Your Corporate America piece was very well written, very easy to follow and your tone of excitement-turned-exasperation pervaded every word! It was very short and concise and usually I would say that I would have liked to see more, but I thoroughly enjoyed the piece as a whole (including its succinctness) and I do not think that any additions or changes are necessary. And if your story is true, that really really stinks! Oh, also, I really enjoyed your title! Great job and I look forward to future posts! J

Materialism: A Meaning Response

        Now anyone who knows anthropology recognizes the ‘meaning response’ mentioned above to describe the phenomenon most recognize as the placebo effect. However, the gist of the idea, that all objects are associated with their own proper meaning and that meaning is exactly what generates the response, is paramount to the idea of materialism. Essentially, as human beings, we respond to the meanings created by society and placed upon various objects and ideas, rather than the objects and ideas themselves. Materialism suggests a need or an ongoing need to obtain objects and the value of such objects, but when we associate meaning with these objects, we find that perhaps materialism is a little more than simply the hording of generous sums of things.

Twitchell, a professor who has written numerous pieces on the subject suggests that materialism, although frequently portrayed negatively, could quite possibly be beneficial to our society. He states that humans derive meaning from their possessions and utilize their possessions to demonstrate to other humans their likes, dislikes and some of the many complex ideas that create their identity. Basically, Twitchell suggests that materialism, in modern American culture is utilized to create and portray individual identity and this is the basis for the value of an individual’s possessions. He goes on to describe that humans can change, trade in and buy new possessions that express their identities when they change (as they invariably do). A simple example of this includes a tattoo on an adolescent to express rebelliousness or a gucci bag on a woman to express wealth. Twitchell also suggests that humans attach meaning to objects not only to define their identity, but also as a natural outlet. For example, he cites a study in which people we asked to describe important objects within the home. Happier people (as decided by the survey) described the objects by meaning, such as explaining the ‘many times the family had spent on a favorite couch’ as opposed to ‘the brown leather couch.’

Where materialism retains its shortcomings lies in the ease with which we accumulate things and go into debt. Many Americans are currently in debt, yet what is interesting is that debt is not a subject routinely researched, as in the collection of national information and presented to the public.* However, everyone knows that Americans have a high prevalence of debt. Buying without the immediate ability to pay is something our capitalistic society is built upon and while advantageous for those whose paychecks are turbulent, it is generally detrimental because of the risk and temptation associated with it. Another drawback of American materialism is a classic argument:

Essentially, materialism is much like numerous other subjects in which it is difficult to create a solid argument for or against it. There are advantages and there are disadvantages. Humans naturally attach meaning to their possessions and obtain meaning from other's possessions; so it is an important facet in the creation of our identity. Yet it creates rampant debt that seems hardly salvable. However, I can solidly argue that materialism is an integral part of our society and I do not see that fact shifting in the near or slightly distant future.


*Try looking it up! It is super difficult to find!

Popular Music

Capitalistic societies are composed of a free market in which corporations exist with minimal regulation. As such, corporations compose the bulk of the stimuli we are exposed to through media and advertisements. Corporations also retain  great influence upon the cultural norms  and structure within our society.  The TV, movies and music we are exposed to and encouraged to like or dislike are all heavily influenced by the rise and fall of corporations. Within the realm of music, what is considered popular is considered as such chiefly because of  its presentation within the media and its representation as 'popular' by the media, which is profoundly influenced by the corporations involved financially. But here's the kicker, record companies are completely financially involved in creating 'popular' music that sells and re-sells and have little interest in creating a diverse culture of music that allows big-name bands and local or small-scale groups to coexist harmoniously. Maximum profit is the goal, and when money is the only aim of a company or an industry, the small businesses are essentially, out of business.
Warner and Capital are two prime examples of mainstream record companies
--talk about the Format and their experience with big-name record companies and their revolt of the popular music industry and creation of Indie label/small-scale label.
sick. brb.

Cars...or Weapons of Not-so-Mass Destruction?

Most people have one, everyone uses one, everyone who doesn’t have one, wants one… even toddlers pretend to have them! Yet something most never realize is the potential danger we expose ourselves to through their continued and sometimes unregulated use. What am I referring to? Cars. Yes, cars are extremely necessary in the present climate, what with everyone needing to be where they need to be quickly. And yes, cars have increased rates of travel and ease of travel exponentially, yet countless individuals underestimate or simply do not acknowledge that what they are doing is potentially harmful. Most consider driving second nature, something simple which requires little thought or focus. And if any focus is attempted, it frequently concerns getting to the destination as quickly as possible, without regard to fellow cars or drivers. As such, car accidents are the 5^th leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2007).

            During my freshman year of high school I very much enjoyed visiting my friends who lived nearby. Who wouldn’t? Yet one night, three days before Christmas to be exact, I was at the mercy of a couple in a standard, white, four door sedan that conveniently had forgotten turn on their lights. As it was dark and I saw no lights veering toward me, I felt it safe to venture out into the road to cross. I did not realize that (perhaps) people forget to turn on their lights and thus I wouldn’t be able to see them, but how would I know? I didn’t yet drive. I was subsequently hit by the car and spent Christmas in the hospital and the following months recovering. Yet I am one of the exceptionally blessed; thousands die daily at the hands (or tires) of vehicles. Speeding, forgetting to turn lights on, driving under the influence, texting while driving or simply not paying due attention are all cause to associate danger (and weaponry) with people driving cars.

Now I’m not saying that you should sell your car and utilize public transportation for the greater good (unless you are perhaps, over 65). But I would like the population at large to consider that through driving, they are taking their own lives, as well as the lives around them into their own hands. Fundamentally, I suppose I am saying, “Drive safely, drive conscientiously and please, drive consciously.”

Blog Reviews week 8 -read update first! :)

April – I really enjoyed reading both of your posts because the two posts contained very different tones. In your first blog  you seem playful and your voice really shines through whereas in your second blog (Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom), you have a very objective tone. I think it’s nice to see the variation in your writing J. Your intro in the first blog was AWESOME! Also, your word choice in the second blog really pulled the piece together and gave it a professional tone. I think I enjoyed your first post more because of the anecdote beginning and the voice you gave to it (you gave it serious personality). I think the argument in the second blog could be supported a bit more, but your idea was definitely understandable. Also, I liked how you included your own opinion, but at the end I think a tying together of all ideas is needed too. Overall they were both interesting, well-written (fun!!) pieces!

Tasha – I really liked the tone of your Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom blog! You made the subject fun and appealing and funny! You are very good at introductions because you constantly write intros that pull the reader in (in creative ways)! Your conclusion was hilarious! The body was supportive of your idea (although I might have liked to see more from the article) and the conclusion drew everything together. I also like how your opinion pervaded the majority of the paper in a very fluid way. Great job! Your women’s sexual desires blog was also very interesting and I commend you for finding extra information! I think you did a great job describing the article – it was very succinct. You are really proficient at taking (what can be) difficult or confusing information and breaking it down in an easy-to-read format. I really enjoyed reading both of your blog posts, keep up the great work!

And thank you guys for being awesome :)

Update

Hi group!

I just wanted to update you both really fast. I don't have a blog for Tuesday so it's just Thursday. I just wanted to apologize for not being on the ball lately. All of my midterms are happening right now (Thurs, Fri, Mon, Tues) and I am super stressed out trying to keep up with them and work. I also lost my book over the weekend and had to buy another. Awesome when you've got to spend double on a textbook that I'm sure hundreds of students have boogered on. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that it's not because I don't care and I appreciate all the hard work you are putting in! I will try to allocate my time better and not freak out as much...and definitely take midterms and finals weeks off work.

Thanks for listening and I really enjoy reading your posts! Blog reviews to come soon!
-Darien

Mother Nature's Open Mind

     Jeffrey Kluger, in his "The Gay Side of Nature" article presents a side of nature rarely discussed by society at large: that homosexual relations occur in animals and therefore in nature. By utilizing various species as examples, namely giraffes, bonobos, dolphins and macaques, Kruger aptly presents the idea that homosexual relations are 'natural.' He attempts to relate this idea to human homosexual relations with the premise that because homosexuality is a natural phenomenon (found within the animal kingdom) there should be no basis for anti-homosexual sentiments among humans.
     Humans are animals, although this fact is often forgotten by most.  It is comforting to find homosexual tendencies within the animal kingdom because (as Kluger states) in the past, many believed that homosexuality was a uniquely human occurrence. The fact that it is not lends support to a convincing argument for the acceptance of human homosexuality. Because homosexuality occurs within the animal kingdom, and not solely short encounters, but long-term partnerships (as in humans), human society should be more accepting of these relationships. Humans accept that death is 'natural,' sexual relations are 'natural,' and even that feelings of jealousy are 'natural,' so why can we not accept that homosexual relations are 'natural' even though we retain the same proof? Twenty percent of animals studied participate in these types of relations, how can we ignore this?
     The answer lies perhaps in one argument highlighted within the article itself: Martin Daly, an evolutionary psychologist suggest that "Sexuality helps animals maneuver around each other before making real contact," meaning that this form of sexuality (homosexual relations) evolved as a form of communication between animals that cannot speak. Other arguments against human homosexuality may lie along the lines of the displacement of humans from animals; that we are higher beings and therefore are not subjected to certain (or any) activities of animals, that we are 'above' them.
     Discovering evidence of homosexual relations among numerous species of animals is paramount in the future acceptance of human homosexuality. The suggestion that such relations are a part of nature may convince many lay persons to accept these relations as normal. The continued research of this subject within the animal kingdom and its careful presentation to the public may be key in future attempts for the general acceptance of human homosexuality.

Blog Reviews (10.5.10)

Tasha – Once again, I really admire that you can easily incorporate direct quotations into your posts…I always forget to do that. Also, your intro to the monogamy blog was interesting because (with the questions) I was actually quite interested (even though we were all doing the same thing XD). I also enjoy how you include your own opinion into the text fluidly and I agree with you about the preservation of monogamous marriages. Bringing in the interplay of overpopulation and how the evolutionary psych view is a bit outdated in that respect (or perhaps their explanation of our evolution) was a great point. Also, what’s pretty interesting is that in one of my classes we discussed fertility rates and their decrease over the past 30 years. At this point, the fertility rate is around 2.0 – 2.2 (the replacement rate – as in one child to replace each parent) and is even below the replacement rate (2.0) in some countries! So we really may be tending toward simply having children in order to have a family (like you said). Oh, and in the intro I did notice a little typo with the period, but I still got the gist of what you were saying. In your “Why isn’t he listening?!” blog (love the title, by the way), I really enjoyed your personal stories and thought that your voice was very strong throughout the piece. Overall they were both enjoyable reads and I agreed with most (if not all) of the points you made!

April – Your word choice in your monogamy blog was awesome! It felt very professional and made the piece more interesting J. I also enjoyed your usage of direct quotation, I seriously need to start doing that! (You also picked a very valid quote that aptly supported your statement). I think that you made very valid points from the article and presented them well, but I think a concluding paragraph is necessary…the blog sort of just ended after the second point was introduced. I would have definitely liked to see more because I really liked the style of writing you displayed! Your Sex, Lies and Conversation piece was well-written and whole (as in introduction, body and conclusion), yet I would have liked more points from the article (and your correlating experiences) presented in the blog as it presented solely one. The blog was very fluid and I enjoyed how you included yourself and your experience with the article (the light bulb) as it made me excited about the article as well.