Web-site post-Quiz 6

The Web page for www.dixienet.org, was the homepage of the League of the South. The LS group is a group of people who are Contemporary Southern Nationalists. A quote on the main page by Thomas Nelson Page says this “"I give my loyal and enthusiastic adherence to the present; with all its fresh and glorious possibilities; but I shall never forget that it is to the Old South that the New South owes all that is best and noblest in its being." This group has defined themselves, as a group whose ultimate goal is “a free and independent Southern republic. To reach this goal, we intend to create the climate for a free South among our people by 1) de-legitimating the American Empire at every opportunity; 2) by proving our willingness to be servant-leaders to the Southern people; and 3) by making The League of the South a strong, viable organization that will lead us to Southern independence.” The claim that the groups of people are all Anglo Saxon because they were the true creators of the American land, and they don’t want to ruin the image of the United States by introducing “aliens” to the country. They want to preserve the land as it once was.
However, the view of Blacks in the south is not as excluding as people would think. When people think of the south they think of Jena 6, and other events that have created tension between the whites and the blacks in the south. The President of this organization was asked the question “What are your views of blacks in the south?” and this is how he responded; “The LS disavows a spirit of malice and extends an offer of good will and cooperation to Southern blacks in areas where we can work together as Christians to make life better for all people in the South. We affirm that, while historically the interests of Southern blacks and whites have been in part antagonistic, true Constitutional government would provide protection to all law-abiding citizens — not just to government-sponsored victim groups.”
I found this website to be interesting. I don’t quite know what I was expecting before I went to it, but this wasn’t exactly it. I think I had the image of white supremacists that wanted an all white south and to bring back the old south and bring back the mistreatment of colored people. However, that was not the case. They simply want to pursue an Independent and Self-government. No where on the web page did I find hate against other people, or anything of that nature, I simply found a group of people who set a goal to change their government, and who are actively setting out to meet that goal. On the page I found nothing offensive, cruel, or racists against other people, which I have to admit I was shocked about.

Why I hate A&F--McBride

In the article “Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch” by Dwight McBride, he argues that the A&F brand is targeting a specific age, race, and social economic class. This brand is corrupting the way kids and young adults look at the brand and the look is that is known as preppy. He claims the brand is targeting young middle and upper class people. McBride argues that A&F is selling a lifestyle, not clothing. He argues that this is worse because people will compare themselves to that particular brand, and will ultimately be unaccepted in society, or be labeled as a “prep”, or rich, etc. He states on page 71 “A&F codes for race and class without actually having to name it.” On the Abercrombie website, you see pictures of young adults of many different ethnic backgrounds. As I recall there is an Asian female, a Hispanic male, African American Male, and a few white males and females. Based on just the ads, anyone could say they are marketing towards everyone. However, when you walk into a store nearly 100% of the employees are white, and the ones that aren’t are working in the stock room or working overnight stocking, rarely are they out on the floor. The ads in the catalog or on the website, do not represent the employees in the store. I think McBride talks about the song Tomorrow Belongs to Me because it resembles a time when minorities weren’t accepted in the world and when discrimination was at an all time high. One could argue that A&F discriminates against other ethnicities.
Don’t other stores have specific targets as well? Why would Abercrombie and Fitch be any different? One could argue that A&F have a broad range in people who are INTERESTED in the line of clothing, but either can’t afford it or aren’t accepted by the company. Other stores such as Hot Topic who tends to focus more on the Gothic look don’t have a wide range of people who are interested. That is the difference. Many young men and women of different racial backgrounds have a huge interest in the store, and want to be accepted but aren’t because they don’t fit the middle to upper class white image. If A&F opened up to diversity in and out of the stores, they would have more success, and less law suits.
I would have to agree with McBride. Every time I have been in a Abercrombie and Fitch store (which has been awhile) I have rarely seen a male or female of color in there, and if there is one they are always in the back of the store fixing clothing, stocking clothing, or running the fitting rooms. I personally haven’t shopped there recently because I can’t bring myself to spend the money on those clothes. Growing up we (my family) weren’t really able to afford shopping there, even if I could, I can’t say I’d waste the money. Part of me doesn’t shop there because of the discrimination they haven’t against other people, and a part of me doesn’t shop there because I don’t want to have that image or stereotypes that go along with that brand. I personally can find the same look, and quality of clothes somewhere else, somewhere much more affordable, and somewhere that doesn’t label, and somewhere that doesn’t discriminate against other people.

Wu- (incomplete)

In this quote I think Wu is talking about how he is looked at like a stereotypical Asian American. In the next sentece he talks about how people perceive him as someone different than he perceives himself. He talks about how people of color live differently than white people live, which might be true.
Growing up in a prodominatly white town, i have not really had to experience being a minority. However, coming to college, and taking classes such as ethnic studies and social problems, i have come to think of myself as a well rounded person culturally and ethnically.

Comic Post

When looking at this comic cover, i noticed that it was clearly an angry Japanese villain who appears to be a scientist, overpowering Americans. Some of the obvious things that i noticed right off the bat were the physical characteristics of the main image. Some of these characteristics are the shape of the eyes, they are slim and slanted, also the color of the skin, and the large smile on the mans face. Japanese are people who are stereotypically known to be always smiling and have large teeth, which this man has in the picture. Japanese are also known to be extremely intelligent people. The microscope of the man gives the impression of intelligence. There are also American people in this image, however they are small and seem to be afraid of the Japanese. This could possibly symbolize the Americans fear of what the Japanese were capable of doing back during this time period. This intelligence was enough to scare the Americans, and this image is portraying this accurately.
I believe this image is controversial. I can't say is "racist" but maybe "iffy". I think if anything the physical stereotypes and the aggressive behavior could be argued as racist. I however feel that this image could possibly represent the hostility the Japanese could of had against the Americans during the WWII time period. Overall i think that this image could represent the feelings the Japanese had back then, however because i as not around, and physically witnessed the activity that took place back then, i can not accurately claim this image as "racist" only controversial.

Takaki chapter 10

Historically, Japanese immigrants were mostly men, but by the year 1920 there was a significant increase in women making the journey to America. However, the women were more or less forced to go over there. They were practicing arranged marriages, which was common in the Japanese culture. The women would go over to American because that is where their future husband would be. In this chapter of the book A different Mirror:A History or Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki, he talks about the Immigration of different Asian ethnicity's to the United States. He talks about how the Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Puerto Rican, and other Asian/Hispanic descents, were treated unfairly while working on plantations. These plantations drastically different from the plantations the black slaves worked on just a few year prior. These plantations paid the workers (although it was very little) they advised having families work all together, and they were not punished as severely, however the one major difference between them were the workers. The workers on the plantations in Hawaii fought for their rights as human beings. As Takaki states, "Portuguese laborers were paid $22.50 per month, while the Japanese laborers received only $18.00 for the same work." (258) The unfairness lead to many different strikes on many different occasions. Approximately seven thousand Japanese laborers put a sudden stop on their work on the island of Oahu. While they were not working (thus not getting paid) many of their compatriots on different islands were lending a hand by sending money and food over to the island. The Japanese organizations like Honolulu Retail Merchants Association contributed to the strike fun, and the Japanese Physicians Association gave free medical assistance to the strikers and the families of the strikers. (258) Takaki states that "the goal of the strike was to create a thriving and contented middle class-- the realization of the high ideal of Americanism." (258)Shortly after being forced to return work, the planters eliminated the wage system and paid the Japanese workers the same they paid the other workers. As the time went on, the Japanese were being educated, and trying to close the gap between the Eastern and Western societies. But even the one who were born in the United States, and technically a citizen, had to endure in the discrimination of being a Japanese. Japanese children were often taunted, and beat up by the white kids, they would do things like throw stones at them. There was also discrimination among the adults. By law they were allowed to own a home and land because they were born in the country. However, he was told, "You cannot live here. Your money is not good enough. The deed has a racially restrictive covenant, and only members of the Caucasian race may reside here." (274)
Was it the right thing for the workers to strike against the plantations? It is evident that it was.Although the camps were unsanitary, they increased the pay by about 50%.
I think this is a well written chapter in this book. I was always aware of the slavery era, but was never taught about the Asian plantation era. I find it hard to believe that the "Americans" still had their egotistical views and they felt they were better than everyone else. Like the girl who talked about going to college and not being able to get a job afterward because of her ethnicity was outrageous.(275) The only job that was available was a bookkeeper in a Japanese convenient store or working for a Japanese lawyer. No white person in their right mind would higher her, and that seems unacceptable to me. I found myself reading on in this chapter more so than others, i think this was solely based on the fact that i had not yet learned about this particular time period and was curious about it. I also wanted to compare it to the time of the black slavery and how it was different and how it was the same from it.

The book Kindred written by Octavia Butler, is an inspiring
novel about the slave period in 1819. The main character in the
book is Dana, a 26 year old black women living in 1976.
Suddenly something about her feels strange, she gets extremely
dizzy and suddenly disappears from her home in California, and
is somehow transported back to the Antebellum South to a
plantation owned by a man she later finds out is an ancestor of
hers. It seems that she is drawn back to that time period to
help save a young boy Rufus (the plantation owners son), and is
not transported back to her time until her life is in danger.
Her trips seems to come and go, and as they come they get
longer, and more dangerous. She soon takes on the life of a
slave, and looses any freedom she once had taken advantage of.
She also however befriends Rufus, they both acknowledge the
fact that they need each other in order to survive. Dana experiences the life of a slave, the beatings and the betrayal. Rufus drives her to attempt at running away north to gain her freedom. Without succeeding, she pays the price, by being whipped with a leather whip across the back. Even though he days, months and even years pass by on the plantation, only minutes and hours pass by in 1976. Kevin, Dana's husband is able to experience a trip with her when he is holding on to her while she leaves to go to the other world, taking him with her. Kevin, being a white male has more freedom, creating more freedom for Dana. Attempting to save her as much as he can, he keeps her from getting hurt more than she should, and keeps her comfortable while staying on the plantation. Its when Dana leaves without Kevin, that problems start happening. When only 8 days had passed for Dana, five years passed for Kevin. He travelled up to the north when he realized she wasn't coming back anytime soon. He wrote letters to the Weylin Plantation, giving his location for when Dana came back. After finally finding Kevin, and having him adjust to life back in 20th century, things are back to normal for 15 days, until Dana is called back to Rufus' side, little did she know this would be her last, and most painful trip to the plantation. After one of her friends (and Rufus' lover) on the plantation committed suicide Rufus becomes an abusive and demanding owner. He had become aggressive after his father died, and now that his mother was ill. He has quickly adjusted to role of being the owner. After his mistress died, he demanded the same attention from Dana, and she simply was not going to have it. She pulled the knife on him and stabbed him a number of times. Until she felt a jolt of pain, suddenly she was transported back to 1976, without a left arm. That was Dana's last real trip to the plantation, the only other trip she made was to Baltimore to visit the historical museums
But why is Dana chosen to travel back in time? Maybe to learn and experience first hand her history and to learn more about her Ancestors. After taking advantage of her freedom for 26 years, maybe she needed to experience her past, and even change her past. She needed to save the boy who would soon become the father to her great great great grandfather, if he died, there would be no family for her.
I thought that Octavia Butler wrote an excellent novel. It made me understand more about the slavery part of the 19th century and not just the "white dominant" part of that era. In school we were never taught the graphic part of the past, and just the basics. I found it to be an easy read and a book that held my attention. Overall i thought it was a fantastic book, maybe not one that i would pick myself, but one that i certainly enjoyed.

Chapter 8

In this chapter i think that Johnson's thesis is that people of "dominant" groups will go out of their way to not be connected with someone Else's problems, and make sure they save themselves from potential embarrassment. This concept he calls "getting off the hook". One of the concepts related to getting off the hook is denial. In order to walk away from a problem with out feeling remorse is to pretend like there is no problem to begin with. Some of the examples Johnson gives is the American dream is available to everyone now, and that "racism and sexism used to be a problem, but they aren't anymore." People deny that these things like sexism and racism exist, because they don't want to deal with the consequences. Another one of the examples of this Johnson talked about was how a white female felt "jealous" or felt that a female of color was "better off" than she was. It is known that privilege and envy often go hand and hand with eachother. Johnson says "as she defends herself against seeing what she'd rather not see." (110) Racial stereotypes is also another thing Johnson talks about, he relates this with blaming the victim. One example he uses is that "if blacks were smarter or worked harder or got an education, they'd be okay." You can call it what you want, stick a different name on it, deny it, or blame someone other than yourself, but instead of getting yourself off the hook, why don't people get ON the hook, and help solve the problem and make it better instead of just pretending it's not there.

So how do people, especially women, live in such close quarters without confronting the reality of a male dominated society? Men can find ways to lighten up a situation, and make it seem like what it's not. They make jokes, and excuses for why they intrupt a female during a conversation, they make excuses for why a female did not get the job and a male did. Johnson says, "Instead, it is because gender inequality runs so deep in our lives and has such serious consequences that we must go to great lengths to make it appear normal and so avoid seeing it for what it is." (112)

This article was okay to read. Johnson gave more real-life situations, instead of comparing it to a board game or to something unrelated like in the last chapter. A lot of the things he mentioned about the male dominated society I knew before, but i didn't recognize how I do it myself. Being in a relationship for 4 years, and watching my parents talk, you recognize the little things like when a guy intrupts a female in a conversation. It really makes you think about how much things have NOT changes in society, and that people literally just ignore them or just put them aside so they don't have to deal with it. I find that a bit interesting. Overall this article made me open up my eyes, and recognize the things that i do in my everyday life that Johnson tries to say in his articles. It almost scary, how "natural" it is, or how much it is engrained in us to just make excuses. Overall it amazed me.