Humanities
Introduction to Humanities 1100
We have explored many different topics during this class that has given me new insight into the different lifestyles, opportunities, and trials that face the members of the human race as they live progress through their lives here on this earth. One of the interesting sections that we looked at was related to learning about the different problems that have been caused in the world because of racial discrimination. I have attached my responses to the questions concerning race for my portfolio.
I learned that race is a modern idea. I found it interesting that people such as the ancient Greeks divided people into categories based on their religion, status, class, and language instead of looking at their race. It was interesting to note that Larry Adelman stated that the word “race” did not turn up in the English language until the year 1508. I always had thought that people who were taken as slaves from different countries had been taken because of their race or because they were different from the conquerors. It was also interesting to note that our genetic makeup is one of the most similar of all species. I had assumed that racial discrimination was not as prevalent in the United States as it had been before the Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s. However, it was a very sobering experience to listen to the audio of Muslims in America and hear how they have been treated since the bombing of the World Trade Center. I know that racial profiling has been something that the government has been working to eliminate, but it was very hard to think that a young child would have to face the racial and religious discrimination that this section portrayed. It is more disturbing that professionals in a school would not see how dehumanizing this experience would be to actually make a child want to give up her religion and not attend school. This makes me realize that we are still a long way from realizing the dream of Martin Luther King that America will realize that every person is created equal. I was also amazed about how the media works to figure out how to advertize to different groups of people. I suppose that living where I do, I just think that everyone watches the same type of advertizing and has the same opportunities to look at life the way I do. It makes me realize that I probably do not see the differences that are right in my own community. It makes me wonder if it is because of the people I associate with or if it is because we do not have some of the same problems that are more prevalent in larger cities.
It was interesting to me to look at some of the local news this week in our community. There was an article in the Deseret News on Friday, June 18 called the “Americandream”. It caught my attention since we read so much about this topic during this week. A quote from this article said “I hold hope in my hands. It is the hope that one day I will be seen as a human instead of an alien.” The article focused on the children of illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States by their parents when they were very young. A social worker and a photographer have taken pictures and statements from these children for an exhibit that will be at the Main Library in Salt Lake. This really made me look at how our society has predetermined ideas about illegal immigrants. We tend to put them all in a box and say that they are just here using our resources and taking jobs that should belong to United States citizens or we look at them as being lazy and living on welfare. This article really shows how the children that have been brought here have been placed in an impossible situation. They had no choice in coming here and yet they are not really a part of their old country and cannot take advantage of many of the opportunities in this country. When I read this article, I realized that even though I thought I lived in a pretty insulated community, there are problems right here that I have not heard about. I think this section has impacted how I will look at the stereotypes that society makes of people of different races. I am sure that I have probably gone to school with many of the students that are featured in this exhibit. However, they can’t talk about what has happened to them, so I may well have not understood the concerns and problems that they face living in America. While I have not thought of myself as a racist, I realize that it is possible that I may need to be more sensitive and actually take the time to look at those around me and make sure that I am trying to help make everyone equal instead of just closing my eyes to concerns that I think do not exist. I do need to look at everyone as a human being first. It is a very valid request by the person represented in this exhibit.
I think that it is important to know this “stuff” because to turn away from past and present problems will not make them go way. By learning what mistakes were made and how to prevent them in the future, we start to create a world that is more humane to everyone. Knowledge is power, so in making a more educated and informed country or community, we make a better world for all of us. When reading the poems on this topic you can hear the pain in some of the poet’s voices as they describe the prejudices and barriers that once divided our races. As a country proud to claim that everyone is equal, you can see in the poem “Public School No. 18: Paterson, New Jersey” by Maria Mazziotti Gillan, that immigrants faced problems when they would join their new communities here in the United States. It shows that the thought that all are created equal is a great thought, but we as a people don’t break down the racial barriers that separate us and this thought may not come true for many people. The poem “For The White Person Who Wants To Know How To Be My Friend” makes me very aware of the fact that we need to look at the person first. Sometimes, we try to hard to make them fit into our culture or to try to fit into their culture. Just as the advertizing agency was trying to come up with an ad for African American teenagers and they used white people to try to determine what would work, it turned out that it was best to just go to the teenagers themselves to find out what they would like. By reading this “stuff” and exploring the many different ideas that are presented, it opens our eyes to the trials others have faced and helps us to explore our own feelings so that we can begin to try some new ideas that will hopefully make the world a better place for everyone.
This section made me think about my own attitudes toward people who are of a different race than my own. I have lived in Salt Lake City all of my life and while I have had the opportunity to go to school and be friends of people of different races, I don't think that I really had experienced or understood the problems that racial discrimination could cause. This unit certainly will make me look more closely at how I can help to treat all people as individuals and value them for their talents and abilities instead of looking at them through stereotyped profiles.
