Saturday, February 27, 2010

Dennis Carlson - Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Reading this article was difficult at times because it brought up some hard topics. There were some points that I felt were a little dated especially since this is from 1997 but a lot of the issues still have some point to them in our culture today. Ultimately this article made me think about how much more we need to accomplish to make life for everyone easier, and that sexual orientation is not a reason to discriminate against. Here are some quotes that I felt helped in the objective of Carlson's points in this article.

"...analysis needs to proceed through an account of the specific techniques and apparatuses of power have been employed in the school to keep gayness 'in its place' as an invisible presence. Three techniques of normalization and (hence) marginalization have been primary importance in this regard: (1) the erasure of gayness in the curriculum, (2) the 'closeting' and 'witch hunting' of gay teachers, and (3) verbal and physical intimidation of gay teachers and students." - Page 236, Paragraph 1
After reading this part of the article it really opened my eyes as to all the obstacles that LGBTQ have gone through just to be themselves. I know that this article is a little dated but it definitely reminds me of issues that happened at my own high school. I had one teacher who was semi-out, in the sense that we all knew but it was never really discussed. Also, for those students that were LGBTQ in the senior class they were not allowed to bring boyfriends/girlfriends to the prom. It just makes you think that these issues still are so relevant in our culture and there are so many people out there who have to go through these obstacles every day.
"The official policy in most school districts is in fact identical to that of the U.S. military, namely: 'Don't ask, don't tell.' Interestingly, while this policy is being challenged by gays in the military, it has not been forcefully challenged by gay teachers in public schools yet, perhaps because they feel (probably rightly so) they could not win if they pushed their case." - Page 238, Paragraph 1
This was hard for me to even imagine, or put myself in the theoretical position to think about this, about not being able to be myself in my place of work. Not only that, but to also know that if I were to be myself and share my thoughts and opinions on certain things with others that it might jeopardize my standing. It is pretty horrendous that this policy is still do this day in effect. I know that currently the military policy is being questioned, but even if it is overturned that doesn't mean that all the previous misconceptions and negative feelings will change.
"A final important technique of power used to keep gayness 'in its place' in the school community has been sanctioning of the verbal and physical intimidation of gay teachers and students... These abuses get tolerated because gay teachers and students operate in an environment where they feel afraid to stand up for themselves, and because any discussion of gay people continues to be absent in the curriculum so that homophobia is not interrogated." - Page 239, Paragraph 1
This was sad to read especially since in most cases it is still true, that many gay teachers and students feel that they cannot stand up for themselves because it might cause more ridicule. To this day there is still violence against the LGBTQ population and even though there has been some progress made in preventative measures it still is not enough.

Click here for information about how to become involved in some PRIDE events in and around Rhode Island.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Richard Rodriguez - Aria

I felt that Rodriguez's article Aria was an easy read and very thought provoking. I come from a family where my generation was the first to have English as a first language and I never really pictured my mother going through what Richard Rodriguez did. It really makes you think about how ostracized children can feel if learning English is not done a certain way. I felt that Rodriguez really gave us a different viewpoint on how to look at ESL learners. Some quotes I felt that helped Rodriguez's article are as follows:
  1. "Without question, it would have pleased me to hear my teachers address me in Spanish when I entered the classroom. I would have felt much less afraid. I would have trusted them and responded with ease. But I would have delayed -- for how long postponed? -- having to learn the language of public society. I would have evaded -- and for how long could i have afforded to delay? -- learning the great lesson of school, that I had a public identity." - Page 34, Paragraph 2.
    I felt that this quote really put into perspective Rodriguez's point to the article. He wanted to write about his struggle loosing his language and culture as a child. It also showed that he could acknowledge now that he had grown up he realized that maybe his teachers did this for his benefit because if he had been coddled he would have prolonged learning English and finding his public identity.
  2. "Again and again in the days following, increasingly angry, I was obliged to hear my mother and father: 'Speak to us en ingles.' (Speak). Only then did I determine to learn classroom English. Weeks after, it happened: One day in school I raised my hand to volunteer an answer. I spoke out in a loud voice. And I did not think it remarkable when the entire class understood. That day, I moved very far from the disadvantage child I had been only days earlier. The belief, the calming assurance that I belonged in public, had at last taken hold." - Page 36, Paragraph 1.
    I felt this quote helped with the article because it showed that Rodriguez at first strived to learn English because of his anger at his parents. He was angry at them for taking away his Spanish language from him, taking away the safety net of not speaking English in his own home. Then, once he learned the language and excelled at it the language itself was no longer something amazing. The idea of belonging to the country, or the public, was calming to him and in a way reassuring.
  3. "We remained a loving family, but on greatly changed. No longer so close; no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness. Neither my older brother nor sister rushed home after school anymore. Nor did I. When I arrived home there would often be neighborhood kids in the house. Or the house would be empty of sounds." - Page 36, Paragraph 4.
    I thought this was a very strong quote. It really brought forth the idea that gaining English made Rodriguez loose his culture. It pushed something between his family members, they no longer would sit around the dinner table talking and having fun. Getting home right away after school was no longer a priority. It really opened my eyes as to what loosing a first language can do to a family.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Jonathan Kozol - Amazing Grace

I found Kozol's article on the residents of Mott Haven, Bronx to be very intriguing and at times very difficult to read in the sense of the strong images it brought to the mind. I felt it was eye opening because it is very easy for a person to think they know what it is like to live life on the other side of the spectrum. But, Amazing Grace actually gives you mental pictures and the realities to life in a real poverty stricken neighborhood. From the way I understood the article Kozol was trying to show his readers through the stories of residents of Mott Haven what life is really like. Since he portrayed the opposite of white privilege, or rather people of color being disenfranchised, and he did it in a subtle way this article differed from those we have read all ready in class. I felt like Kozol was trying to let the reader slowly come to his ideas and opinions rather than outright say "this is what I feel" or "this is how it really is". I found his ending to this article to be unsatisfying because it is like you are just left there wondering what will happen with Alice Washington and her son David. Ultimately you ask yourself, what will happen with all of these families living under these same conditions. You question will anyone ever help them?

Quotes that I found to be beneficial to the text:
  1. "... she tells me that more than 3,000 homeless families have been relocated by the city in this neighborhood during the past few years, and she asks a question I will hear from many other people during the months ahead. 'Why do you want to put so many people with small children in a place with so much sickness? This is the last place in New York that they should put poor children. Clumping so many people, all with the same symptoms and same problems, in one crowded place with nothin' they can grow on? Our children start to mourn themselves before their time.'" - Page 11, Paragraph 3
    I felt that this quote gave a strong image to the life that these families live every day. It helped to portray the neighborhood and the people that lived in it. It also gives an idea of how poorly the city/government treat these families. I just found this question to be so heartfelt just because of it's simplicity, it is a question that any mother in her right mind would immediately ask.
  2. "'My doctor said that I should be on SSI. He said, if I have to start all over, that's the program that I should apply for. I told him I applied for it before, when I had cancer, but they said I wasn't sick enough...I don't know how sick you have to be to qualify for SSI. My girlfriend died from AIDS in March. She never did get SSI. After she died, the checks began to come. Now they keep on coming. Her boyfriend cashes them each month. She's dead! They have to know she died. They paid to bury her. They had to see the death certificate. My doctor says, when it comes to the poor, they can't get nothin' right.'" - Page 20, Paragraph 2 & 3
    I found this quote to be helpful into understanding this article. I feel like Kozol is not trying to outright say - this is white privilege, this is blacks being disenfranchised. I felt like he was trying to show us through stories about people's lives and how people of color are disenfranchised and this story about this sick women is a great example of this.
  3. "'Most of the addicts and prostitutes are black. Some are Hispanic. But they're all people of color. It made me feel frightened for my race. The men are killing themselves with needles and the women are laying their bodies down with anyone they meet, not knowing who they are.'" - Page 23, Paragraph 5
    I felt that this quote gave an inside look to a young adult who lives in this neighborhood. He realizes everything that is going on, he knows that in this neighborhood it seems like only people of color are the ones that have drug problems or are prostitutes. I thought it was important because he can acknowledge all of this and when he says it made him feel frightened for his race it was proof that he knew it was something he wanted to change. It kind of gave me hope for him, that maybe he wouldn't end up that way because he was able to see all of it for what it was.