Blog #6

A minstrel show is a show were white peopel paint there faces black and amuse other people by making fun of the black folks.I really dont think that Jim is a minstel. I mean there are times were his comments and beliefs are a little out there and i guess that is the only humourous part but other than that i dont condiser him to be portrayed as a minstrel. Maybe later on in the book there will be more incidents were Jim is shown as a minstrel. Right now Jim is portrayed as a characeter who is smart but in a way still very childish. Even though he is older than Huckleberry Finn, he is still being told what to do in a way.

Blog #5

Racism is always going to exist in one way or another. People are always going to view this topic very differently. I personally think that their is always going to be racism in this world. You see it in everyday life. If a group of hispanic guys walk into a store where a white person is working all the attention is going to go to the group of hispanics, just because they are taht race. On the other hand if a group of white guys walk in they are going to be greeted and asked if they need help with anything. I have seen this happen many times. Over spring break since i worked a lot i observed my boss. I know she is not racist because she has me working there and another hispanic girl. But at times when we have a group of hispanic kids she tends to stick around and see what frames they look at and i dont think she does it on purpose its just something that she does. Close minded people are always the ones that never try and see things in a different perspective.

Language Barriers Essay #3

Being able to speak English is such a necessity here in the United States, you are always going to need it to get around anywhere. As I was growing up I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to be able to speak both Spanish and English. Growing up and being bilingual has come to my advantage in so many different ways. I have seen people get discriminated against because their English isn’t the perfect English. The way you are perceived has a lot to do with the way you carry yourself and the way you speak and handle situations.

I feel that being bilingual has helped me in so many ways. One being my job, I have been working as a receptionist at an eye doctor in Calistoga for 3 years already. The majority of the people in Calistoga are Spanish speakers, and the Dr. does not speak Spanish. So this is where language becomes very valuable. I feel really good being able to help someone when I translate. Knowing that I just made their day that much easier by being able to help them. And I know from experience how hard it can be not being able to express yourself because you can’t speak the language.

When I say I know from experience I am referring to my dad. My dad
understands English and he speaks it to but he doesn’t speak the perfect English. And at
times I know that it is very hard for him to communicate in English and get his point
across when he really doesn’t know how to explain himself correctly. So he feels that he
is not being taken seriously. That’s one example, I also have aunts and uncles who don’t
understand a single word in English. I know they feel unworthy because they can’t speak
it. And people do take advantage of people who don’t understand. So when I am at work
I think about my family and try to help the patients out as much as I can, because I know
that I would want someone to do the same for my family.

Blog #4

As a child, kids are influenced by everything around them. And this type of ad that we are looking at right now sends a very bad messege to young children. They give the misconseption that everyone needs to look and be a certain way. There is already a pressure to be a certain way in the media and now to get a barbie and have her be overweight, now that is obviously targeting children, and they are going to feel a pressure to be thin. The quote that is discussed is such an eye opener, because kids said that being overweight is worse than haveing some kind of dissability. On the other hand being overweight can lead to obesity. So the messeges that need to be sent out asr the messeges to just to be healthy.