blog 5

The two books that I've read are "The Bluest Eye" and "American Born Chinese." The two books compare to one another in many ways. They are similar to each other because they not only deal with racism but how different characters respond to it as well. It seemed like both books characters wanted to fit in, so they did things out of the ordinary or different that caused negative and positive consequences. For example in, "American Born Chinese" the monkey king wanted to be acknowledged and lean away from his true monkey self. In The Bluest Eye, Pecola wanted to have blue eyes, pink skin, and blonde hair, so she could just fit in and be pretty instead of ugly and black.

Both  create conversation about cultural identity, race, and privilege. Both books converse about cultural identity by, "The Bluest Eye" saying, blonde hair, blue eyes, and pink skin is successful, beautiful, and privileged and black is ugly.While, "American Born Chinese" says, being a monkey isn't fit for normal, just as being Asian or Chinese isn't good enough or beneath other races. The conversation of race that both books display is that different races don't mesh well, or being different do not go together when trying to have a relationship of some sort. Even if things are going well there's always someone from the outside looking in disapproving. The conversation being held on the topic of privilege is that both books seem to portray being white is the way to go, or is simply the most successful race as well as the most rewarded and powerful.

Both books share the theme that the characters want to be either changed or want to be rid of the race that is basically ruining their lives. For example in the book, "American Born Chinese" Danny wanted to get rid of his cousin Chin-Kee from China or Japan, because he always embarrasses him and rubs his friends the wrong way, which forces Danny to transfer every year after Chin-Kee visits. In " The Bluest eye," Pecola wanted to have blue eyes in order to fit in and be beautiful and not ugly, as other people called her. Both books show that the dominant race in each book held all the power. It was white people in "The Bluest Eye," and being a human and not a monkey, white and not Chinese or Asian in, "American Born Chinese."

The two videos we were assigned to watch were "Mirrors of Privilege" and "A Class Room Divided." In the first video "Mirrors of Privilege" It mostly showed testimonies of different people and  their experiences and issues of race. A lot of stories had to do with what they were raised to believe about white or black and stereotypes that what just embarrass others. My thoughts on these issues was that how could people be that mean and heartless to someone else just because they look different. One story that caught my attention was the guy who told the story about how a police chief actually said they were going to stop every black person in a ragout car, because he knows that there up to no good or their going to cause some trouble. That story caught my eye because that still goes on today. A lot of cops pull people over just because the color of their skin. It happens in my hometown as well as my teammates hometown's, and I don't think that will ever stop. I also not only think that racism exists but some deep parts in the south their is slavery, in some type of form, still going on as well. I think this is true because in today's society people are not only crazy, but cruel as well. They have no regard for others and some think they can do as they please. Another part of the movie that caught my attention was when a lady was talking about her Asian friend I believe. They were doing a play and the director was trying to get her to say french fries, but the way she wanted was like a " flinch flies" type of pronunciation. When the girl just said french fries the director repeatedly told her no, "flinch flies" and the girl ended up storming off. This was a very terrible stereotype to me and it reminded me of the book American Born Chinese in many ways.

   The second video was "A Classroom Divided," which was a third grade experiment on racism. The variables were eye colors in place of the skin color. I thought it was very interesting how the aftermath of grouping brown, blue etc... eyes together the result was mean things said to one another, crying, as well as fights breaking out just because someones eye color was different ten their own. The lesson in effect was whether they could handle being black or a color where they weren't accepted by others. My thoughts on both movies was that if I put myself into a situation where I was raised to hate other races and to discriminate against people, how would I end up as a person? Would I end up not only being a racist but, would I actually try to hurt someone else just because they look different than myself. I know that it is a choice whether you want to be racist or not , but if this way of thinking is stoned into you at since you were a child, how do you get out of that way of thinking? That is something to really think about especially when you are faulting others.