Monday, October 29, 2007
Frank Wu Quotation
A time when I have felt pointed out as Frank Wu explains is when I went to a African American friend's home when I was in high school. It was her birthday party for her family and she invited me to come. However, I was the only white girl there, and I felt very uncomfortable. I don't know if they actually had something wrong with white people or not, but it was as if I was being stared at the whole time. I'd like to think it was just because I am of a different race and not that I did something wrong or they had something against me. When I asked my friend about it, she explained to me that they just aren't used to having close white friends as I was to her, and were almost intrigued by it. This related to what Wu is saying in that he was being either stared at or looked through, not just a normal part of society.
Comic Book Covers
The reason that these comic book covers are so important is because of the fact that they are created under prejudiced circumstances, making the Japanese look like horrible, savage people out to kill all Americans, both women and children.
The comic book cover I chose to analyze and relate to the class is one of The Fighting Yank series of comic books. This cover involves a few Japanese men attacking Americans and particularly holding the children hostage. The children are all tied up and look scared to death as the Japanese surround them with guns and knives and threaten to kill them. One Japanese soldier is even about to put snakes into the pit that holds the children. However, the “Fighting Yank” comes to the rescue and strangles one of the Japanese soldiers and then saves the children. This is depicting that America defeated the Japanese and that they were stronger than the Japanese army. The fighting yank represents America as a whole, not just a single fighter. The author uses him to represent the fact that America is much stronger and can force the Japanese out of the country and stop them from their horrible acts of killing women and children. The author also depicts the Japanese to be a savage and extremely ugly kind of people with evil looks on their faces to show that they are out to kill.
This image can be related to class material in many ways. First, it is depicting the Japanese as many often depicted the Irish, Native Americans, and African Americans. They are shown to be savage and barbaric as the Indians were in “The Tempest.” Also in relation to the “The Tempest,” the Japanese are shown to kill women and children and so awful as to torture them in unthinkable ways, just as the Native Americans supposedly did in the past. This comic book cover can also be related to another article we read for class, “Capitalism, Class, and the Matrix of Domination” in a different way, that shows how whites made this social category to separate them from other races, such as the Japanese. They developed the idea of whiteness and a sense of being higher in status than those of other races (like the Japanese) to justify the oppression of these groups. Like explained in Takaki’s “Pacific Crossings,” the Japanese were a strong group of people that fought for their rights and good pay, and were therefore put under more control by the whites, which lead to even more racism and oppression brought on by fear of them becoming too powerful.
I do not agree with how the Japanese were depicted in this comic book cover. While American was and still is a strong nation, I don’t think it was their idea to just kill off all of the Japanese because of the thought that they were barbaric and an evil kind. The Japanese are depicted to look ugly and cruel, which is the opposite of their beauty and good intentions. While there are some aspects of the Japanese that one may not fully agree with, it is not right to depict them in such a horrible way as to show that they kill children and women for no reason. This is just another example of the racist thought of many whites at a time of oppression of other racial groups and their belief that they were on top.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
"Pacific Crossings"
Takaki’s "Pacific Crossings" explains the movement of the Japanese to America and how it was different from that of the Chinese and other immigrants.
The writing explains how the Japanese movement into America especially between the years of 1885 and 1924 was increasingly common and a major dream of many still in Japan. They could make much more money in the U.S., even up to as much as their own governors made. As most immigrants were initially men, more women began to emigrate to America, as Japan wanted to uphold their national honor and avoid any occurrences of prostitution, gambling, or drunkenness in America (like that of the Chinese) to their best effort. In addition, the receiving countries also played a role in the number of women that were allowed to come into America, especially for means of working alongside their husbands to improve production as well as to be helpful in the labor field. The employers in America who did take these immigrants of both sexes were “systematically developing an ethnically diverse labor force in order to create divisions among their workers and reinforce management control” and avoid any action of strikes or upheaval. Over a period of time there were a large variety of different nationalities involved in the labor force in order to “straighten out the Japs” and ensure that they would be on good behavior, as well as not complain about wages or treatment. Despite the belief that the Japanese were compliant and just kept quiet, they had their share of revolt and protest to the harsh conditions that their employers bestowed on them.
One part of this reading that I do not understand is why the employers of these various nationalities found it necessary to cause problems between the foreigners in the first place. If they were doing their work and producing enough to meet their needs plus some, then why was there a need for tantalizing the Japanese workers and turning other nationalities against them. If anything, one would think that this would spite the workers to work at a less productive pace and maybe even move back to Japan. I believe that there could be other means of pursuing cooperation than violence and attempts to avoid any nationalities forming a bond. This was clearly to show their sense of power, which is admitted in “Pacific Crossings,” that, “To strengthen their authority over their ethnically diverse work force, planters stratified occupations according to race.”
I like this article in that normally one doesn’t really hear a lot about Japanese expansion into the U.S. and how this became such a powerful movement. I was not aware of the oppression the Japanese received soon after they were considered a threat to the employers and whites. I find it hard to believe that they were not allowed to form bonds with other nationalities or have any sense of control over their work or production. I also find it interesting how women of Japanese origin were encouraged to come to America, as one would think that, if anything, they would be discouraged.
The writing explains how the Japanese movement into America especially between the years of 1885 and 1924 was increasingly common and a major dream of many still in Japan. They could make much more money in the U.S., even up to as much as their own governors made. As most immigrants were initially men, more women began to emigrate to America, as Japan wanted to uphold their national honor and avoid any occurrences of prostitution, gambling, or drunkenness in America (like that of the Chinese) to their best effort. In addition, the receiving countries also played a role in the number of women that were allowed to come into America, especially for means of working alongside their husbands to improve production as well as to be helpful in the labor field. The employers in America who did take these immigrants of both sexes were “systematically developing an ethnically diverse labor force in order to create divisions among their workers and reinforce management control” and avoid any action of strikes or upheaval. Over a period of time there were a large variety of different nationalities involved in the labor force in order to “straighten out the Japs” and ensure that they would be on good behavior, as well as not complain about wages or treatment. Despite the belief that the Japanese were compliant and just kept quiet, they had their share of revolt and protest to the harsh conditions that their employers bestowed on them.
One part of this reading that I do not understand is why the employers of these various nationalities found it necessary to cause problems between the foreigners in the first place. If they were doing their work and producing enough to meet their needs plus some, then why was there a need for tantalizing the Japanese workers and turning other nationalities against them. If anything, one would think that this would spite the workers to work at a less productive pace and maybe even move back to Japan. I believe that there could be other means of pursuing cooperation than violence and attempts to avoid any nationalities forming a bond. This was clearly to show their sense of power, which is admitted in “Pacific Crossings,” that, “To strengthen their authority over their ethnically diverse work force, planters stratified occupations according to race.”
I like this article in that normally one doesn’t really hear a lot about Japanese expansion into the U.S. and how this became such a powerful movement. I was not aware of the oppression the Japanese received soon after they were considered a threat to the employers and whites. I find it hard to believe that they were not allowed to form bonds with other nationalities or have any sense of control over their work or production. I also find it interesting how women of Japanese origin were encouraged to come to America, as one would think that, if anything, they would be discouraged.
Monday, October 22, 2007
"How Jews Became White Folks"
The thesis of “How Jews Became White Folks,” is the question of whether Jews became white because they became middle-class (by money), or did being incorporated into an expanded version of whiteness make them more able to be of middle-class status?
The author of this article, Karen Brodkin, explains how she grew up as a Jewish girl and went through many changes of status, like her parents have to even a greater extent. Jews were looked at as part of the Euro-ethnic group and were looked down upon until they slowly established themselves as a middle class. It is common for Jews to find a sense of pride in this feat as they became more successful and a smart group of people. She explains that, “Instead of dirty and dangerous races that would destroy American democracy, immigrants became ethnic groups whose children had successfully assimilated into the mainstream and risen to the middle class.” It wasn’t until after World War II that anti-Semitism began to be pushed aside and the “old white and the newly white masses became middle class.” It was also urban renewal that was the other side of the process by which Jewish and other working-class Euro-immigrants became middle class, as they were more able to live in these areas than those of African-American descent who were still being oppressed.
I agree with Brodkin when she argues that not only did the Jewish people “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” but they also became of a higher standard because of the federal governments never-ending attempt to oppress African Americans. Since the Jews were white, they slowly became accepted, or at least of a higher class than those who were black. Unlike blacks, Jews could attend college at an easier expense, get the training they needed to hold good jobs, and move into houses in suburban areas that were forbidden to African Americans. Therefore, not only did the determination of the Jews to become middle class get them to that point, but also the help of the government in their attempt to oppress blacks.
I thought this was a commendable article in that it offered a different standpoint on racism and oppression. The author explained how growing up as a Jewish girl affected the person she is and the changes that it made to her everyday life. Instead of explaining the oppressed ways that Jewish people lived throughout the whole piece, she explained how the Jews grew from what they once were perceived as and used their knowledge and well-being to rise to middle class standards, as well as the help of the government. It was a story of success instead of defeat and how, despite the improvements, “Racial inequality seems to maintain itself ‘naturally,’ even after legal segregation ended.”
The author of this article, Karen Brodkin, explains how she grew up as a Jewish girl and went through many changes of status, like her parents have to even a greater extent. Jews were looked at as part of the Euro-ethnic group and were looked down upon until they slowly established themselves as a middle class. It is common for Jews to find a sense of pride in this feat as they became more successful and a smart group of people. She explains that, “Instead of dirty and dangerous races that would destroy American democracy, immigrants became ethnic groups whose children had successfully assimilated into the mainstream and risen to the middle class.” It wasn’t until after World War II that anti-Semitism began to be pushed aside and the “old white and the newly white masses became middle class.” It was also urban renewal that was the other side of the process by which Jewish and other working-class Euro-immigrants became middle class, as they were more able to live in these areas than those of African-American descent who were still being oppressed.
I agree with Brodkin when she argues that not only did the Jewish people “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” but they also became of a higher standard because of the federal governments never-ending attempt to oppress African Americans. Since the Jews were white, they slowly became accepted, or at least of a higher class than those who were black. Unlike blacks, Jews could attend college at an easier expense, get the training they needed to hold good jobs, and move into houses in suburban areas that were forbidden to African Americans. Therefore, not only did the determination of the Jews to become middle class get them to that point, but also the help of the government in their attempt to oppress blacks.
I thought this was a commendable article in that it offered a different standpoint on racism and oppression. The author explained how growing up as a Jewish girl affected the person she is and the changes that it made to her everyday life. Instead of explaining the oppressed ways that Jewish people lived throughout the whole piece, she explained how the Jews grew from what they once were perceived as and used their knowledge and well-being to rise to middle class standards, as well as the help of the government. It was a story of success instead of defeat and how, despite the improvements, “Racial inequality seems to maintain itself ‘naturally,’ even after legal segregation ended.”
Monday, October 15, 2007
Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom
In “Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom,” Zinn’s thesis is that the only way that slavery would be abolished in the Americas is if it was done under conditions controlled by whites, if it could even be done at all.
This article is about how despite the many attempts to break from slavery, it still remained persistent for many years in America. Zinn explains how most slaves that wanted to escape would do so by running away, while others did so by revolting. He talks of a few famous revolts by slaves, including those involving Nat Turner, John Brown, and the Underground Railroad of Harriet Tubman. Although there were not many instances, at one point poor whites were trying to help free slaves by running away, which was then stopped when they were paid to watch over slaves (a tactic to for these whites to produce buffers for black hatred). In addition religion was used for control of these slaves by plantation owners. Zinn explains these instances of slavery and attempts to abandon it to show how none of them really worked, not even very well by those up North including many abolitionists. The main reason for the failure of so many revolts and plans to end slavery is because the national government would not allow there to be an end to such a practice. The national government encouraged slavery and reinforced it, and would only really end it under conditions controlled by the whites, until the actions of Abraham Lincoln. Zinn explains how “Lincoln could skillfully blend the interests of the very rich and the interests of the black at a moment in history when these interests met” and how he could “Argue with lucidity and passion against slavery on moral grounds, while acting cautiously in practical politics.” However, at first Lincoln merely opposed slavery, but did not see blacks as equals. Zinn explains how it was not until,” The war grew more bitter, the casualties mounted, desperation to win heightened, and the criticism of the abolitionists threatened to unravel the tattered coalition behind Lincoln that he began to act against slavery.”
Zinn has a good point when he explains that the government would not abolish slavery or to anything to end it for that matter unless it was under the terms and conditions that they created. Clearly this was a dispute over power that the white government did not want to give up or lessen their hold on whatsoever. It took the intellectual thinking of Lincoln to start the long process, by starting out slow and gradually strengthening his argument opposing the practice of slavery and treatment of blacks period. For prior to Lincoln, even those abolitionists in the free North were often punished for standing up for their beliefs of ending slavery and attempting to help those slaves who were still being oppressed. Instead of whites looking upon what was just and humane, they chose to practice slavery to merely keep the power that they were “destined” to have.
I like this article because it gives detail of the many attempts of slaves as well as abolitionists to end slavery and how they ended up failing due to the rule of the white government. Zinn explains why whites were reluctant to compromise anything on the basis of slavery and why they refused to just end the practice. It explains how greed and wealth overpowered the rights of a human being, from the torture of blacks to the many laws passed to further oppress them. While racism may never end, hopefully it continues to gradually disappear one step at a time, as it has from the past beginning at the very roots of slavery.
This article is about how despite the many attempts to break from slavery, it still remained persistent for many years in America. Zinn explains how most slaves that wanted to escape would do so by running away, while others did so by revolting. He talks of a few famous revolts by slaves, including those involving Nat Turner, John Brown, and the Underground Railroad of Harriet Tubman. Although there were not many instances, at one point poor whites were trying to help free slaves by running away, which was then stopped when they were paid to watch over slaves (a tactic to for these whites to produce buffers for black hatred). In addition religion was used for control of these slaves by plantation owners. Zinn explains these instances of slavery and attempts to abandon it to show how none of them really worked, not even very well by those up North including many abolitionists. The main reason for the failure of so many revolts and plans to end slavery is because the national government would not allow there to be an end to such a practice. The national government encouraged slavery and reinforced it, and would only really end it under conditions controlled by the whites, until the actions of Abraham Lincoln. Zinn explains how “Lincoln could skillfully blend the interests of the very rich and the interests of the black at a moment in history when these interests met” and how he could “Argue with lucidity and passion against slavery on moral grounds, while acting cautiously in practical politics.” However, at first Lincoln merely opposed slavery, but did not see blacks as equals. Zinn explains how it was not until,” The war grew more bitter, the casualties mounted, desperation to win heightened, and the criticism of the abolitionists threatened to unravel the tattered coalition behind Lincoln that he began to act against slavery.”
Zinn has a good point when he explains that the government would not abolish slavery or to anything to end it for that matter unless it was under the terms and conditions that they created. Clearly this was a dispute over power that the white government did not want to give up or lessen their hold on whatsoever. It took the intellectual thinking of Lincoln to start the long process, by starting out slow and gradually strengthening his argument opposing the practice of slavery and treatment of blacks period. For prior to Lincoln, even those abolitionists in the free North were often punished for standing up for their beliefs of ending slavery and attempting to help those slaves who were still being oppressed. Instead of whites looking upon what was just and humane, they chose to practice slavery to merely keep the power that they were “destined” to have.
I like this article because it gives detail of the many attempts of slaves as well as abolitionists to end slavery and how they ended up failing due to the rule of the white government. Zinn explains why whites were reluctant to compromise anything on the basis of slavery and why they refused to just end the practice. It explains how greed and wealth overpowered the rights of a human being, from the torture of blacks to the many laws passed to further oppress them. While racism may never end, hopefully it continues to gradually disappear one step at a time, as it has from the past beginning at the very roots of slavery.
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