I decided to complete Kim's webquest based on the novel "The Tortilla Curtain".
What exactly is the “American Dream”? The term is used loosely to mean just about anything from the acquisition of wealth, to home ownership, to moral license-all without appreciation for the original significance of the Dream. It once used to be universally known as going to America to work hard and strike success and live a better life. Wikipedia defines it as “a phrase referring to the supposed freedom that allows all citizens and all residents of the United States to pursue their goals in life through hard work and free choice”. The key word in this definition is the pursuit of their goal. Each person’s aspirations and goals are different so who has the right to judge if someone has achieved their dream or not.
There may still be people who immigrate for the dream because living poorly in the states is still better than living poorly in other countries. Some people come and are happy making minimum wage and getting by with shelter and food, but the dream that with hard work you can climb up the social change is nearly dead. Even in the beginning of the United States the dream was fickle and very hard to achieve but now the dream is nothing but an illusion…a myth.
The US’s current economic status definitely effects people’s idea of the “American Dream”. With experienced long time employees losing jobs and scavenging for jobs they are well overqualified for, simply to put food on the table for their family, what chance is there for immigrants to come and live the dream with no open job markets? In previous decades, the illusion of the dream was still thriving and instigating people to come to America to work hard and make money but now, America’s economic security and image is spiraling down. It is the survival of the fittest and those who take hold of every opportunity and work had still may fall short.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Lesson Plan-Snow Falling On Cedars
-Before reading any of these articles write a response to this prompt.
“In this time and age prejudice and racism is still present. However it is mainly associated with blacks, homosexuals, and other races. Do you believe prejudice against asian Americans is still present? If so, how?”
-Summary of novel:
San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, is a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. But in 1954 a local fisherman is found suspiciously drowned, and a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. In the course of the ensuing trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than a man's guilt. For on San Pedro, memory grows as thickly as cedar trees and the fields of ripe strawberries--memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and the Japanese girl who grew up to become Kabuo's wife; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbors watched. Gripping, tragic, and densely atmospheric, Snow Falling on Cedars is a masterpiece of suspense-- one that leaves us shaken and changed. Throughout the book, the story flashes back and forth from the past in order to highlight the tension and discrimination by the whites towards the japanese.
-Now here are various sources to broaden your knowledge of discrimination against Asian Americans. First read Jake's most recent post about the effects of prejudice and racism against asian-americans. It also touches on how it effects those world wide. Here is another blog that touches on an overview of prejudice aimed towards Asian-Americans. You can also go onto delicious.com/mhongcedars for more links including other blogs, articles, pictures, and videos to help show you the prevalence or if you chose to believe so, the obsolete"ness" of prejudice.
(more sites at delicious.com tag: mhongcedars)
-There are various sources that we can use such as itunes and databases to further our knowledge on this subject. In the itunes store, search "the fallout central podcast" and listen to the podcast posted on January 14th. This podcast compliments one of the articles from my delicious page on the discrimination Asians feel at the polls. Yet another valuable source is questia.com . Search "racism against asian americans" and click and read the frist news paper article called "resurgent racism".
-Here are some quotes from the novel that help show the attitude the whites had towards the Asian American (japanese) residents of the island:
1."The Japs did it. They shot my arm off. Japs."
2."We're sly and treacherous. Can't trust a Jap, can you?"
3."Will you contribute to the indifferent forces that ceaselessly conspire toward injustice?"
4. "An enemy on an island is an enemy forever."
-Now that you have read so much about the current status quo of racism against Asian Americans think back to your answer to the prompt above. Does this change anything? If so, what? (write a 2 paragraph post)
-Finally write a third paragraph talking about your opinion on if events such as the Virginia Tech shooting affect peoples views on a race as a whole and lead to more racism and discrimination? or if these isolated events effect only the people who were part of the tragedy. (use at least 2 sources within these 3 paragraphs. You may use the ones provided or find new sources to make your argument stronger)
“In this time and age prejudice and racism is still present. However it is mainly associated with blacks, homosexuals, and other races. Do you believe prejudice against asian Americans is still present? If so, how?”
-Summary of novel:
San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, is a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. But in 1954 a local fisherman is found suspiciously drowned, and a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. In the course of the ensuing trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than a man's guilt. For on San Pedro, memory grows as thickly as cedar trees and the fields of ripe strawberries--memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and the Japanese girl who grew up to become Kabuo's wife; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbors watched. Gripping, tragic, and densely atmospheric, Snow Falling on Cedars is a masterpiece of suspense-- one that leaves us shaken and changed. Throughout the book, the story flashes back and forth from the past in order to highlight the tension and discrimination by the whites towards the japanese.
-Now here are various sources to broaden your knowledge of discrimination against Asian Americans. First read Jake's most recent post about the effects of prejudice and racism against asian-americans. It also touches on how it effects those world wide. Here is another blog that touches on an overview of prejudice aimed towards Asian-Americans. You can also go onto delicious.com/mhongcedars for more links including other blogs, articles, pictures, and videos to help show you the prevalence or if you chose to believe so, the obsolete"ness" of prejudice.
(more sites at delicious.com tag: mhongcedars)
-There are various sources that we can use such as itunes and databases to further our knowledge on this subject. In the itunes store, search "the fallout central podcast" and listen to the podcast posted on January 14th. This podcast compliments one of the articles from my delicious page on the discrimination Asians feel at the polls. Yet another valuable source is questia.com . Search "racism against asian americans" and click and read the frist news paper article called "resurgent racism".
-Here are some quotes from the novel that help show the attitude the whites had towards the Asian American (japanese) residents of the island:
1."The Japs did it. They shot my arm off. Japs."
2."We're sly and treacherous. Can't trust a Jap, can you?"
3."Will you contribute to the indifferent forces that ceaselessly conspire toward injustice?"
4. "An enemy on an island is an enemy forever."
-Now that you have read so much about the current status quo of racism against Asian Americans think back to your answer to the prompt above. Does this change anything? If so, what? (write a 2 paragraph post)
-Finally write a third paragraph talking about your opinion on if events such as the Virginia Tech shooting affect peoples views on a race as a whole and lead to more racism and discrimination? or if these isolated events effect only the people who were part of the tragedy. (use at least 2 sources within these 3 paragraphs. You may use the ones provided or find new sources to make your argument stronger)
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