Talking Points # 2

Aria
by Richard Rodriquez

Rodriquez argues that someones race can be altered by society when learning to become part of society into days world by the language they are speaking.

1. "In an instant, they agreed to give up the language (the sounds) that had revealed and accentuated our family's closeness."
People have to change the way they speak just to be accepted in society and to have to power in today's world. Changing your everyday language to something that your not used to is very difficult I can imagine and i am very grateful that I do not have to change my language to be accepted with power in society.

2. "At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth: I was an American citizen."
This quote meant a lot when I read it because I know some friends of mine that were born in this country but did not realize that they were a citizen when they were born and were living in the old life of their country and their language and not reaching out to see what else is out their and the opportunities.

3. "Whenever I'd speak to my parents, I would try to get their attention with eye contact alone."
I thought this was very interesting because in their household Rodriquez does not acknowledge the parents as mom or dad but by looking at them straight into the eye. I know in my house i acknowledge my parents as mom and dad and when i am having a conversation in public i say my parents or mom and dad. People from different cultures are used to different things but giving someone eye contact is very weird to me to get their intention instead of saying mom or dad.

I enjoyed reading this article and noticing how a family could be close in the beginning and then end up separate just because the use of language has diminished. People who learn a different language and start to use it from their traditional language separate the culture from their parents because they are learning new things and people realize who are born in America are citizens and should learn to speak American and just not their native language.

other post

i found this article on USA Today. i thought it was interesting about the superintendents in urban schools.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-09-28-superintendent_N.htm

Talking Points

Article 1
Salim Muwakkil
Data show racial bias persists in America

Muwakkil believes that racism is still alive and is still happening in America today.

1. "White -sounding names were 50 percent more likely to get called for an initial interview than applicants with black-sounding names."
I feel that people should have equal opportunities for their careers, it shouldn't matter what their first name is and if it sounds white or black.
2. "When white and black job seekers has the appropriate qualifications and experiences for the postion, whites were more likely to be called back than blacks."
It shouldn't matter if the person is black and white. Black educated people are just as qualified as white people are. Blacks are just as hardworking and dedicated their jobs as whites are and should be called back for the job.
3. "White and black men with and without prison records to job interviews."
Even white people that had prison records still got jobs and black people did not get jobs just because they are black. It shouldn't matter what color your skin is.
This article I liked a lot because I never realized this in depth how racism is affective in corporate America. People don't realize how mayn factors could lead up to racism in today's world. People everyday are being out of jobs because the job interviews they are going to are being racist for many different reasons.

Article 2
Peggy McIntosh
White Privilege

1."I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege."
This quote means that white people go on everyday and see new things everyday as other males go on each day and realize that their are much more out in the world and some of the opportunities out there are privileges.
2. There was one main piece of cultural turf; it was my own turn, and I was among those who could control the turf."
A person has to figure out what his motive was and what he wanted to do . I believe that is what McIntosh says by "turf." A person has to find their inner side and see what he can do and what privileges come out from it.
3. "If these things are true, this is not such a free country; ones' life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own."
People who are born white have more opportunity will more likely to succeed in life rather than those who come from a black family have to work extremely hard to succeed in their future.
I have learned from this article that people just can't always get what they want that people have to work hard for it, especially if you come from a black family and don't have as many privileges as someone from a white family. People from a white family are usually born into a world that you can do whatever you want and succeed at it with support from family and friends. On the other hand people from a black family have to show their friends and family that they can do what they can do with out being made fun of from someone else or getting racists comments thrown at them.

Me

My Name is Jordan Epstein. I am currently a sophomore at Rhode Island College. I am majoring in health and physical education. I am the youngest in my family, I have an older brother who is married, he is 29. We are 10 years apart.
Last year I was on the RIC Basketball team but was not able to play due to a injury my senior year in high school in the spring. I decided this year not to play but to concentrate on my studies because I knew it was going to be more intense this year.
I am from New Jersey, I know people always ask me why and I end up saying because I was recruited to come here to play basketball. And I am going to clear it up now that NJ is not 4 hours away its 3 hours and 15 minutes around that time.

That is it for now