...Writing and Literary Critique of Asian/Pacific American Literature Throughout the history of the United States media, there are common stereotypes of females in films that are presented in the short story by Fong, Charlie Chan’ No More. I believe that the roles of Asian Americans are limited in films, such as gender and sexuality, by stereotyping females. Asian Americans are being portrayed as negative images through various media, from books, films, plays, and even television. “The audience would realize that media views Asians and Asian Americans as others that include exoticized women, asexual men, a yellow peril threat to the United States” (Ono & Pham, 2009). Throughout this essay, I am referencing the article by Fong, Charlie Chan’ No More, and Moon, a poem by Marilyn Chin, where they both talk about sexuality and gender. “Asian women, have often been depicted as almost completely sexual” (Fong, 177). In the short story as well as the poem, they can manipulate the messages of gender and sexuality of Asian American females that are being represented in both stories. Throughout Fong’s short story, there is a lot of controversy whether or not Asian American females are being portrayed with negative images, for example as sex objects. I also researched instances on the counter actions taken by Asian American females that protest the negative images, such as the dragon lady. I believe that Asian American females are being portrayed with such negative images, such as sex...
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...ethnicity is a big problem. However there is another side that argues that America is no longer racist and that race and ethnicity is no longer an issue in American politics. Neither of the sides will ever agree on one side. My first point that racism continues to be an issue in US politics is education. African Americans cannot get the same grades as white Americans without having to work twice as hard due to the racism that is attached to them. An example of this is that total for students in 2006 department of education, 37% of African Americans were suspended and 58% expulsion, with such high levels of African Americans subject to punish it is clear to see that racism does still continue in the US. However many would argue that American education is not racist through many African Americans getting certificates and highly paid jobs as seen with Obama being president. An example of this in action can be viewed in 2000 86.8% of African Americans achieved a high school certificate compared to 1960 where only 39% achieved one, this shows that racism is no longer a problem in US politics and is a thing of the past. My second point is the issue of racism post 9/11. Stigma is attached to minority groups because of what of what may have happened in past events, meaning that they are punished for the actions of others. An example of this is one year after 9/11 bombings there was a 1600% increase in Muslim hate crime, also an Arab Muslim man arrested and detained for months because...
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...Phoenix Instructor: Jim Dowding October 03, 2010 Racial and Ethnic Groups African American is the ethnic group to which I belong, it was difficult to determine if African Americans were colonized or immigrated to the United States. Although, this ethnic group were not given a choice to the situation my answer would lean toward immigrated by force. The country where my ancestors originated from was Africa. They were brought to the United States by Europeans to be slaves. This ethnic group faced prejudice, segregation, and racism. African Americans face prejudice because the color of their skin. African Americans also faced segregation into which they were not allowed to vote, sit anywhere on the bus, they had to sit at the back of the bus, they were not allowed to eat inside of restaurants with White people, they were not allowed to use the same restrooms as a White person, or drink from the same water fountain as a White person, nor were African Americans able to attend school with White people. As for racism in the United States African Americans face racism as a form of racial profiling. According to Fredrickson and Siljander (2002) “define racial profiling as an act of enforcement by police officers that are more motivated by racial bias of any reasonable suspicion or probable cause that may exist under the circumstances. It is also referred to as the practice of targeting African Americans for traffic stops because the officer(s) seem to believe that blacks are more likely...
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...Life of a Immigrant Immigrants affecting the American economy and job chances. Many immigrants will do whatever it takes to get a job. Immigrants cross borders to get jobs to support their families. Many Americans are upset about how immigrants come over and receives a job before that do. For example, a reason why immigrants receives jobs before americans is because immigrants will accept less than minimum wage which deprives americans of even a chance at many jobs. In the film, the immigrants were working in the fields picking peppers and other vegetables for less pay. Another example, is that illegal’s will work for three to four dollars when americans will work for $7.25 or more. Not just the pay but immigrants will also work long hours in any conditions to help their families. So therefore americans los opportunities on jobs because they want more pay. Problems border patrol go through. Border patrol is a hard job to do. They make sacrifices every night trying to stop illegal aliens for getting free. For example, they face illegal immigrants running, jumping fences and sometimes fighting with them. However, they do not have to worry about just immigrants getting through. Border patrol has to also worry about their bosses yelling at them angrily , and possibly getting fired for not doing their jobs well enough. Patrol has complaints sometimes for being to aggressive with the immigrants. In the film, border patrol has to camp out all night in their chairs and in their trucks...
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...Both of the stories were set in the time of segregation in the Southern United States. It also shows the similarity of African-Americans as caretakers or housekeepers – Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird and Aibileen is only one of the examples in The Help. The settings were also similar, a part of a town was where whites lived and part of a town was where African-Americans lived, but there was a twenty-year difference of when the books took place. Prejudice was mainly shown throughout the storied by the way whites treated the African-Americans. In The Help, there were multiple examples of prejudice: African-Americans were not allowed to us the same bathroom as whites and how African-Americans could not use the same plates as whites. The acts of prejudice often stemmed from the fact that whites believed that African-Americans contained diseases, a statement that was supported by no facts. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the main example of prejudice was when Tom Robinson was convicted of raping a white girl when...
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...------------------------------------------------- How Propaganda Swayed the Public Opinion During World War I Rachel Corona Abstract World War 1 proved America to be the nation producing the highest amount of propaganda. Through his use of propaganda President Wilson was able to draw American Support for the war. Despite his being elected as the “peace” president. Many Americans believed he’d keep them out of the war, especially after he stated that, “so far as I can remember, this is a government of the people, and this people is not going to choose war.” Before his election, Wilson promoted American neutrality. He pushed for what he believed his Americans wanted. However, through his employment of propaganda, Woodrow Wilson was able to convince the American people to join the ranks, he persuaded Americans into accepting rations for food, he involved women in the war effort, he was even able to sway them into buying government bonds (liberty bonds) to fund the war. In the end, through his use of propaganda, President Woodrow Wilson was ironically able to change the popular American opinion and convince Americans to support World War 1. Propaganda, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is the “spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.” It is always biased towards a view or idea. Governments employ propaganda to sway public opinions towards supporting a cause. The use of propaganda...
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...|Assimilation |Adapting or conforming to the group of people. | Part II Answer the following questions in 150 to 350 words each: • Throughout most of U.S. history in most locations, what race has been the majority? What is the common ancestral background of most members of this group? Throughout the most of the U.S. history in most locations American White race has been the majority with more than 300 million people living in the United States which includes non-Hispanic/Latino and Hispanic/Latino. American White race are also the majority in forty nine out of the fifty states with the exception being Hawaii. The most common ancestries are traced from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The United State is a very diverse country with both racially and ethnically groups. According to the United States Census Bureau White Americans with White American including non-Hispanic/Latino and Hispanic/Latino hold 72% of the population in the United States as of 2010. The White American is the majority in each region. This has been a very...
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...Definition Essay What do you think American means? Do you think that it’s just a person that lives in America? American isn’t just someone who stands up for the Pledge of Allegiance, an American is someone who does what they are suppose to do for this country. For example, the people in the military. These people are giving up their lives to serve their country, these people are the ones that let you live in America free and out of slavery. The real Americans are the ones out on the battlefield risking their lives and not knowing if they are going to come back to their family, friends, and loved ones. I don’t think that you are an American until you have been out on the battlefield. I think that if you are not going to be out on the battlefield,...
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...What is an American? By Bryan Butler To be an American is to question authority and fight for what you believe in. To be an American is to strive for that impossible dream no matter what it takes. Being an American means that you stand by your neighbor when our homes are threatened. Being an American gives you the right to fight for the freedoms our ancestors had given up so much for. An American is a person that is willing to fight for what he or she believes in. In 1861, eleven states declared their secession from the United States of America. Over four years where some of the most gruesome battles were fought over economic, social and political views. While the example given is not a pretty picture, it is a prime example of what it means to be a true American. Those states fought for what they believed in and what they wanted. And thus, their actions helped shape the United States of America we know today. An American is a person that never stops dreaming. Our country was founded on the hopes and dreams of people seeking salvation from tyranny. Settlers wanted something very different than to just follow orders blindly in a strict classed society. In the early 1600's, settlers starting arriving on North America's shores. They had no idea what to expect, but it did not matter to them. Those settlers dreamt of a life without the chains of English society, and they would march through whatever fire they had to go through to live that dream. For some it meant...
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...incorporated numerous symbols, metaphors and allusions into his work to help the reader understand the story of Siddhartha better. Similarly, Archetypes are also present in this book. The main Archetypal character in the book is Siddhartha. He is a seeker who wants to experience a better, more authentic and more fulfilling life by achieving enlightenment. He fears being trapped and is true to his soul. For example, he leaves the Brahmins, the Samanas and Gotama Buddha in pursuit of more knowledge to fulfill his desire of gaining enlightenment. Similarly, Vasudeva is also another Archetypal character in the story. He serves as a counselor towards Siddhartha and is a role model to him. For example, in the chapter “the ferryman” Siddhartha surrenders to Vasudeva his entire self, even his clothes, in order to follow his example in leading a life of calm fulfillment and wisdom. Along with archetypal characters, archetypal symbols are also present in the book. The River is definitely the most influential archetypal symbol in the book. It represents the flowing of time and transitional phases of the life cycle. For example, whenever a great transition occurred in the book like when Siddhartha left Gotama Buddha and also when he abandoned his wealth he came to the river. When Siddhartha observed the river he learned that the river exists only in the present, it is everywhere at once, upstream, downstream, at the sea, and at the source. Life is the same way. Siddhartha realizes that his...
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...Today, many people immigrate to the United States of America in search of the American Dream; freedom, equality, and the opportunity to achieve their personal goals in life that they could not otherwise achieve in their homeland. The American Dream is the pursuit of prosperity and opportunity that drives people to push their own limits and persevere in order to lead successful lives and achieve whatever goals they set. The American Dream is a reality; every citizen of the United States of America has the opportunity of its achievement no matter what prejudices they may face, depending on their perseverance and luck. The term “ The American Dream” has a few interpretations, but one of the most popular is “ Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Declaration of Independence1) which is the dream that most Americans strive for. In simpler terms, The American Dream is the opportunity of the pursuit of freedom, opportunity and satisfaction of needs and wants. As Thomas Wolfe said, “ ...to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ...the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him” (Wolfe2). This quote explains how everyone in the United States gets the right to fulfill this American Dream: to function as a member of modern day society and to pursue their hopes and dreams. If you come to America underprivileged or destitute, then you...
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...suppression of racially unique groups in American history is common. The Native Americans lost land and liberty, Jim Crow Laws enforced “separate but equal” mandates for African American, the Chinese Exclusion Act barred Asians from immigrating to America. The greatest example of racial suppression was the unjustified internment of Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II. The forced evacuation and internment of U.S citizen was not justified and changed the lives of people of Japanese descent. Japanese American and Japanese were moved to internment camps racism and social reasons. Throughout the history of the United States of America, there has been evidence of racism. This can be seen through slavery, treatment of Native Americans, and imprisonment of Japanese Americans in internment camps. Racism was a key factor for the Japanese...
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...the question of racial self-representation, including examples of African-American and Asian-American examples. For instance, the problematic of “keeping it real” approach to rap and hip-hop black culture narrative clearly lacks objectivity. One of the first problems outlined by the critic is “the ever-narrowing slice of black ghetto street life.”1 More specifically, the author claims that “The black male street hustler/gang-banger and his friends, across various regions […] isn't the only reality to be told about black ghetto life.”2 These texts not only reflect one small part of the ghetto lifestyle but also makes it attractive by choosing specific events and behaviours to articulate. For example, looking at the previous citation, it is clear that the emphasis is put specifically on the criminal acts or sexual abuse of females. These two behaviours demonstrate physical power and domination. More serious issues,...
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...literary impact of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. From its publication in 1845 to its present status in the American literary canon, the Narrative has become one of the most highly acclaimed American autobiographies ever written. Published seven years after Douglass' escape from his life as a slave in Maryland, the Narrative put into print circulation a critique of slavery that Douglass had been lecturing on around the country for many years. Yet while the Narrative describes in vivid detail his experiences of being a slave, it also reveals his psychological insights into the slave/master relationship. What Douglass realizes that day is that literacy is equated with not only individual consciousness but also freedom. From that day, Douglass makes it his goal to learn as much as he can, eventually learning how to write, a skill that would provide him with his passport to freedom. What gives the book its complexity is Douglass' ability to incorporate a number of sophisticated literary devices...
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...Throughout the entire course we learned a lot of different aspects of American government, in particular the American core values. Liberty, individualism, equality and self-government are all American cultural ideals that are set serve the people. In this paper I hope to define each American core value and determine whether there’s evidence correlating them to American government. Liberty is defined as a person who is free to act and think as they choose as long as they don’t intervene with the freedom and well being of others. Liberty includes but is not limited to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. The declaration of independence states a popular phrase; people are entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Chapter two in the textbook turns its attention to a limited government, which implies strict legal limits on the use of power so that it doesn’t threaten an individual’s liberty. For example “the rights of the Englishmen” which are...
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