Pimps and Hoes

I question on why men and women are perceived differently regards to their sexual activities in our society (U.S).

If a woman was to have an intimate boyfriend after another or is sexually active in an open relationship, the society automatically make a bitter face and recognize the individual as dirty and the term, "slut". But, if a man was to do the same, although it is not socially accepted, it does not surprise people as much- rather, in some cases, sometime is respected or admired; "You are a pimp!".

To give a quick example, when Bill Clinton admitted to having sexual relationship with Monica Lewinski back  in 1998, certain public somehow valued his honesty and ultimately "okayed" his sexual desired promiscuousness. Shockingly, a number of political analysts even stated that the event somehow helped his approval rating. This is because some of the public appreciated that Clinton is a "human" just like them, since and apparently, such scandal is common and understandable for married men in the midlife crisis. Now, imagine if Hillary Clinton, as a secretary of state, was involved in a similar scandal today. Public would not let her keep her position, without a doubt. Our country is way behind regards gender equality than we think.

In 2004, out of the whole population of married couples in U.S, 52.2% of men were remarried, while 43.5% of women were remarried. Please note that it is often the mothers who are raising the kids after divorce, but still, the numbers don't lie - it represents gender inequality as a whole.

Many Americans believe that our country relatively have the best equality regards to gender, but there are many loopholes that we don't see that need to be addressed. Such ethnocentrism that "we are the best", will only lag or hault the social progress. Just some woo for thought.



http://www.remarriage.com/Remarriage-Facts/remarriage-after-divorce.html

Balance and Respect

The documentary film, “Our Land, Our Life” on YouTube, reveals more than just exploiting the environment for the economic profitability; it hints our horrendous history of a takeover of this continent against the indigenous. The video once again proves where the natives stand in our government’s agenda, hence the lack of respect natives receive. Being a member for the tribal unity of the Tulalip, the main goal of the tribe is to forgive “the past”, hoping to find peace within. What hurts me is though; I do not think our government has sincerely admitted and recognized how the past has inflicted a great deal of pain in the name of manifest destiny, which I believe is the reason why such tragedy we see on the video against Shoshone still exists ‘til this day.

I am not surprised by any footages or information from the film. What we see in the video is nothing new; it has been going on everyday throughout our history. We as Americans have failed to recognize it. And by “it”, I mean the Native Americans.

Finding the balance between the economy and nature has always been the challenge of the new generations on this planet. Perhaps the tumultuous destruction of the nature with no regards to the balance could also be interpreted as the destruction of the tribes. And it is very true to the point. In the midst of our economic expansion and prosperity, America as a whole has failed to truly appreciate and respect our nature, ultimately, the Native Americans, who are known as the people of nature. "The earth brought forth life, but the warming, enticing rays of the sun coaxed it into being. The earth yielded, the sun engendered" (328, Luther Standing Bear).

Democracy is obviously a group effort, but it requires the commitment of individuals. I am talking about respecting individuals and differences of cultures, more specifically, being able to find the balance between nature and economy, serving respect to the endemic members. The early European settlers and the Native Americans simply have different perspective and understanding of the earth. In classic feudalism in Europe where land was scarce, a lord was in broad terms a noble who held land, a vassal was a person who was granted possession of the land by the lord, and the land was known as a fief. In exchange for the use of the fief and the protection of the lord, the vassal would provide some sort of service to the lord. As Dr. Atkinson stated, the early European settlers viewed land as a form of a property while the native Americans considered it as the stewardship. “Consequently the white man finds Indian philosophy obscure – wrapped, as he says, in a maze of ideas and symbols which he does not understand” (330, Luther Standing Bear).

I believe the American government’s relationship with the natives is the root of our current social problems as a whole. Recognizing the issue here of the past and being able to co-exist with certain respect to the differences would strengthen our nation, that is currently struggling as a world leader, even to another level. Many countries view America as the face of democracy. It is a must that we fully recognize the shameful past, hence the present, and that such tragedy which happened to the Shoshone tribe won’t be seen on the news or YouTube again.




Work Cited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ2N9-n-ka0
Finch, Robert, and John Elder. The Norton book of nature writing. W. W. Norton & Company, 2002. 328. Print.

Introduction of the "Clothing" to the Colonized Africans - Westernization of the World

Majority of African continent was colonized during 16th century by the European powers where they were exploited of their resources. During this era, the whole continent was heavily influenced by Europe setting new cultural norms. I've researched how greatly "clothing" is linked to westernization during African colonization in the 16th century. The Africans were not originally or traditionally fully clothed. The idea of clothing was brought over from Europe during the colonization and the concept of "clothed-ness" is thus related to the western binaries. This resulted in a new culture of the kente, dashikli, or the mud cloth of fashion industry (pictures below). The society links the concept of "clothed-ness" to being modernized/westernized and thus "supposedly" moving higher in a westernized society. Being fully clothed represented/represents being westernized and being modern. Looking at it from a larger picture around globe today, all the clothings of jeans, t-shirts, and suits are never-the-less western style of fashion that we do not know we are influenced by. Something for you to think about.

Tribal Gaming: Who Wins?

Native Americans in 2011 continue to struggle to find their identity in this continent. European expansionists committed nothing short of genocide and literally gave them alcohol, disease, and high infant mortality rates, left them in the reservation to be left ignored. As a result reservations consist of the most impoverished people in the United States dealing with a list of social problems with lack of opportunities. Although there are many efforts to continue tribal traditions, Native Americans have been stripped away of most of their cultures, languages, and land. In attempt to compromise tribal sovereignty, the federal government has granted Native American tribes rights to operate casino business. Contrary to public perception, the compromise creates greater social costs against its economic benefits, resulting as barriers to self-governance and future development of tribal reservations. Despite economic profit that the casino generates for tribes, the involvement in the industry results in a bigger of problems involving unstable social and mental state of tribal members which entails increased substance abuse, domestic abuse, debt accumulation, criminal activity, and suicidal ideation, which exist as overwhelming barriers to self-governance.

Is anyone winning from Indian gaming? Like any industry, tribal gaming has both positive and negative effects. Studies identifying, measuring, and weighing tribal gaming’s economic and social impacts draw varying conclusions about the degree or intensity of its effects on tribes, states, localities, and the United States. What is most clear is that the stakes are particularly high for tribes. Tribal experiences with gaming may be a net positive, but the negative externalities of casino business that the general public is unaware of is what’s holding tribes back from proper self-governance and economic development. It is time that the United States government and its people should focus on the social issues of reservations and find solutions to fix it once and for all. How can America attempt to fix current problems when it has neglected the problems of the past with the tribes, which lays as the root of all the social problems in America? The country will never get be able to face the bright future with the neglected dark past unresolved. The shameful warfare and its results between the early European settlers and the Native Americans can never be justified, and that Americans, as a whole, need to give respect to the original founding fathers of this great land.

Definition of Modernization

I ponder on the definition of the word, "modernization". First let me ask you, what is the definition of the word? Say it out loud, let me hear it! Scholarly speaking, the definition of modernization embodies the idea of westernization, as well as spreading democracy across the globe without a doubt. That is what America is all about right? And we truly love, bleed and die by it. I do at least.

I started on a chain of thoughts when I asked myself: Why do we, Americans, have so many "haters" around the world? I mean every players got haters, but we are the good guys! Why!? By earlier definition we can also state that: spread of modernization equals spread of democracy as well as westernization and American ways. But it really confuses and grind my gears (no, I am not Homer Simpson) is that our beloved government justifies the use of violence when terminating whatever is a threat to democracy and thus spreading the democracy. Hence, in a long run, it could be true that violence is used/has been used against whaever is threat to westernization. I am just spitting out the facts and the truth that we Americans unconsciously pass by. But most importantly, I hate any form of violence in the world.

If democracy was a person, I would tell him, "Life's tough man".

Real Time with Chris W. on "HBO: Real Time with Bill Maher"

A clip from Bill Maher Show on HBO:
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhuvqrh5b5n1Rqlfr3

First when I saw the video, I agreed with Bill Maher even though I did not want to, since his comment sounded rational in a glance. For the next few days, his statement was stuck in my mind, so I had to step back and began to ponder, analyzing it from all sorts of angles possible.

It came down to the question: What gives Americans the right to tell other countries on what is right and wrong? I think that is what Tavis Smiley was feeling but couldn't quite phrase it. So here you go Mr Tavis, you owe me one! This one is free, but I'm going to have to charge you after this one. Looking back at our history, western society past centuries has been part of  a chain of colonization, genocides, gender injustices, slavery, racism, war, in the name of God to justify themselves, and the list continues to an extent of a dictionary. It has only been recent that the western society including America stand and push for justice (now that they have poked every part of the world, exploiting colonized countries resources). I totally agree with Mr. Maher on the fact that women should never be treated differently. But if I was from a non-Western community, for example a Muslim, Mr. Maher's comment would sound ridiculous and funny to an extent, after all the brutality Western society has been part. To give a "raw" example to better make my point, let's say that a man rapes a woman and tells that born child from the rape, not to rape others because it is morally wrong and that the child needs to listen because he is father.

Once again, I agree with Mr. Maher 102%, but I just do not think we have to right or respect to tell Muslim or any other people on what is right and wrong due to our shameful history. Like I said, we can always tell others what is right and wrong, and I truly want us to, but others would only shake their heads with a laughter. It wouldn't be a problem with it ended with a shake in the head- the reality is that our actions increase the resentment or disrespect that they already had against us, that is built up from the past history.


Thank you.

Imagining if I was a Native American...

Can we as Americans justify the harsh events and warfare between our early European settlers and our original Native American settlers? I truly believe the everyday poverty and struggles of the reservations and its diminishing cultures and population could never be justified or completely understood.

Although America currently pushes for human rights and represents the face of democracy across the world, we always have ignored our shameful history of violence which actually is the reason for our current prosperity as a nation. We have started off on a wrong foot. I strongly believe that the nations shameful past with the Natives is the "root" of current social problems - we will never be able to fix a list of current social problems if we ignore the past problem

It is time we face the facts especially in our K-12 history curriculum while giving the real recognition that the ancestors of our land truly deserve.

Do The Right Thing

Last week in UW Meany Hall, the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity invited Spike Lee as a guest speaker. If you do not know who Spike Lee is I strongly suggest his wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_Lee). He is one of the first black African film director to make it to the Hollywood despite the adversity. His first hit, Do The Right Thing, depicted the social scene in the streets of Brooklyn in hot summer during the 80's. He used his mastery to intertwine the reality of racial tensions in NY to his film in an outstanding fashion. Another blockbuster of his was the Malcolm X which stared Danzel Washington. Spike Lee is a prominent figure in not just the film industry, but in our social climate. His documentaries and insight into political and social injustices illuminate audiences.



Contrary to what I thought would be the topic of the speech at the event in UW, the main theme he shared was the importance of the education. Spike Lee who has been a professor in NYU filming school past 15 years, talked to the audience as if he talked to his students. He suggests that his vast success was due to the fact that he pushed himself as a student in Morehouse College and NYU graduate school. He revealed to the audience that his turning point from a C average student to an A+ student was the critical point in his career. As a professor, on the first day of semester, he can tell which students are serious and which students are "bullshitting", and that the students who are serious always continue that success in their career. He strongly urged the students to pick the career/major that they want to pursue, not what our parents want them to pursue. It might be a hard decision to disagree with the parents since many of the students get educational support from them, but there is nothing more tragic than doing the work that you don't want to for the rest of your life. "You don't want to go to your job every morning. Not only that, your co-workers don't want to see your ass either." He lastly emphasized the importance of having the right friends in your environment which is critical to your success. Spike Lee pointed his finger to the audience telling us to cut the link between you and the losers. Contrary to our beliefs, many people that you claim as friends won't have your back when "the shit goes down". Many people want to be around us for their behalf and benefits. On this matter, he suggested us to listen to the song called the Smiling Faces, and he claimed that the lyrics are very true. He agrees that the parties are fun, but the world especially with the recession is no joke. He yelled, "Have you heard of the recession?" Although such things he pointed out about education is something that I have heard all my life from my parents and grandparents, hearing it from Spike Lee hit me in a different way. I am more than satisfied that I attended this event despite the fact that I had to cut down some hours of studying since there was a huge exam the day after. Speech such as this one is carried on back of your mind for a while.

Hello world!

Hello, world!

This will be my very first blog post of my life.
Through my blog, you will be able to get a little taste of what my life is like as well as what's on my mind 24/7. Please add me as I will do the same.


Peace, especially the world peace.