1.
David Malter on history: Danny shares with Reuven something Mr. Malter told him: "Your father said I should read Jewish history. He said the first important step in anyone's education is to know your own people."
What do you know about your family's history? (Only share details you are comfortable sharing with the class.)
2.
After reading Graetz's description of the Hasidim (the plural for Hasidic Jews) as "vulgar and disgusting," Danny says: "It's awful to have someone give you an image like that of yourself."
Have you ever read something shocking written about the culture, race, religion, etc. you identify with?
3.
This is an amazing lecture given by a young Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, on Ted Talks. She discusses her experiences growing up in a middle class family in Nigeria, and studying at an American university. She discusses the "danger of a single story."
"The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie )
If you are having trouble answering any of these questions, I think this video may inspire you.
Feel free to also post any additional comments that you didn't get to discuss from today's class.
1. My family history originates in Nigeria. Both my parents were born in Benin City. They came to America for better jobs.
ReplyDelete2. I have heard and read many different opinions about the culture i identify with but i don't really pay attention to them.
1) My family comes from southern China, but they come from two different cities.
ReplyDelete2) I have never read anything shocking about the culture I identify with, because I don't understand the entire language, but I often hear my parents compare their cities to others in China. This was surprising because my parents stereotyped certain Chinese people from which city they originated from.
1. My family is from one of China's southern provinces called GuangDong. Before my parents immigrated to New York, they lived in the same village. They owned two houses and a chicken coop. My parents still own the houses and chicken coop, which is now under the care of our relatives.
ReplyDelete2. Something I found shocking about the Chinese is how they abandon their newborn child if it is a female. I think this is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. How can a parent even think of leaving their own flesh and blood on the streets or even mistreating them? Why would a woman go through nine month or more of pregnancy just to not care about her child at all?
1. My father's parents (my grandparents) came to America from China before my father was born. My mother and her family was born in China. They came to America when my mom was in her 40s.
ReplyDelete2. Something shocking I read about my culture was that in China, eating dogs is normal.
1. My family history comes from China. My father was born in Hong Kong; while mother was born in Burma. They both came to the USA at very young ages. Once they reached the USA with their families, my grandparents worked many tedious jobs to earn money. My grandparents did this to give my parents, uncles, and aunts an opportunity they never had.
ReplyDelete2. I have read many things about my race that was shocking to me. To be more specific, I have watched them. For instance, there was an incident last year about a girl in college, who made fun of Asians on Youtube. Even though I took this incident lightly, it made me think, "Wow! I wonder what other people think of my race?" In addition, when I was in middle school, which was almost all Asians, I would hear comments like, "Ching Chong," as we walked into a neighborhood filled heavily with another race.
1. My both my parents and grandparents were born in Hong Kong. My parents went to Ireland when they were about 18 for college. Both of my parents eventually moved to New York along with some family members.
ReplyDelete2. Something I found pretty shocking about my culture was that people casually ate very odd animals or insects on the streets or restaurants. I would see shows where people would have a scorpion on a stick or a plate of something made of turtle.
1) As you all my know already, but I come from Turkish origin. All of my relatives are from Turkey, mostly from Istanbul. What I find cool about Turkey and more specifically Istanbul, is that it the only country on two continents, Europe and Asia.
ReplyDelete2) As for shocking things about my country, there are a few. For those who didn't know, Turkey is basically the remains of the vast Ottoman Empire, which had A LOT of power. The size decrease was shocking to me. I mean after WWI, one of the greatest empires that stretched as for west to Africa, south to Mecca, and north as Russia, diminished to a tiny country.
1- My family came from Hong Kong. Both of my parents were born from there and immigrated to the United States. My grandparents owned fruit/food stores. My uncles and aunts had many pets while living in Hong Kong because they lived in a vast place where the mountains/hills were close by.
ReplyDelete2- My parents watch the news reports daily from the Hong Kong channels, radios and newspapers, however, I am not very literate in my language, so I do not understand it very well. I have seen protests in Hong Kong where the police were forcefully attacking the citizens. Also, I know healthcare is an issue there.
I have been noticing the stereotypes that not only occurred recently, but for a long time. Many Asians have been stereotyped by there place they are from. In addition, the food diet that may occur frightens me. There are places in China where people eat certain animals.
1. My family history is mainly from China. My father was born in Singapore while my mother was born in China. My paternal grandfather was a trader who occassionally sailed to other countries. My father's family and my mother's family immigrated to America. Soon, family friends came to America seeking assimilation.
ReplyDelete2. There are traditions in China which shock me. One cultural act in China is that when a mother gives birth to a girl, the parents reject the girl. This shocks me completely because it makes a person feel lonely and unwanted. There are also stereotypes that come along with the Chinese race such as being good in math.
1. My family originates from the Jeju Islands in the Republic of Korea. Both my parents were born on the mainland in Busan, South Korea. My grandfather was an admiral in the Vietnam and Korean War and suffered from a hip injury. As a result, my family moved to the States for his medical treatments. My mother, who was not yet married, moved to the States shortly after looking for many upcoming opportunities. I am the 19th generation of the Jeonju Lee clan.
ReplyDelete2. I know a few shocking things about my culture. Like many other oriental nations, in the Republic of Korea, everyone calls each other brother and sister. Even if you do not know that person, we are obligated to call that person older or younger brother/sister. I find this hard to adapt to whenever I visit South Korea but also a good experience.
1. My mom is Pakistani, but she was born in London, England. Her parents were born in Lahore, Pakistan. My dad's parents are Egyptian (born in Cairo), but he was born in Ohio, U.S. My grandparents came to the U.S. in search of job oppurtunities. When they found they found the right jobs, they worked very hard to support to their children. I know that most of my ancestors have been Muslim.
ReplyDelete2. In many textbooks, when the authors refer to terrorists, they do so by identifying them as Islamic terrorists. The Quran goes against all of the terrorist activities. As a result, I have stopped believeing that these terrorists were even true Muslims. After 9/11, the word "terrorist" was in the same sentence as "Islam." I find it shocking how many people have chosen to judge Islam just by the way a small portion of Muslims have reacted. I have even heard people calling other Muslims "terrorists" just because of the way they dress.
1. From my family's history, I know there are alot of cousins, uncles, and aunts who did not attend college. As a result, I know that anyone who does go to college, is really appreciated by our entire family, while, we still don't look down on relatives who did not attend. Our family had a tendency for going into law, architecture, and medicine. This kind of guides all of us into these occupation fields. However, though different, I know that whatever I do to choose to pursue a career in, my parents will still support me, mentally, physically, and financially, if needed.
ReplyDelete2. People assume about many aspects of a person's life without actually knowing thes story. This influences how we approach certain situations, and how we are identified by others, as well. I watched a documentary in which the leader of a Domincan drug industry, was walking around using women's bodies for "enjoyment," as well as the poverty that took place. I never realized the poverty that goes on in my country.
1. For my family history I know my Mom and Dad are both from Bangladesh and I was in Bangladesh as well. My Mom is from naokhali in the city, while my dad is from the village. My mom and dad decided to come here for a better life and also to make sure I get a very good education.
ReplyDelete2. I know a few things in my tradition that shock me. For example we call all other females Aunt and all older males Uncle, even if they are not our true Aunt or Uncle. Also I am sometimes stereotyped because of my race and often called a terrorist even though I originate far from the Middle East.
1. My family is from Puerto Rico. On both sides of my family, my grandparents were born in Puerto Rico; however, my mother was born in New York. My father was born in Puerto Rico, but he came to New York at age three. Immigrating from Puerto Rico to New York is quite different from immigrating from other countries to New York because Puerto Ricans are already U.S. citizens. Yet, despite U.S. citizenship, Puerto Rican culture and typical "American" culture is quite different, with language being the biggest difference.
ReplyDelete2. One of the biggest discoveries that I had as a child when learning about Puerto Rico was learning how poor the people on the island are. At age seven, I visited Puerto Rico for the first time and outside of the beautiful Westin where I stayed - which had air conditioning and a huge pool - I saw the poverty that the majority of the people live in, including my own relatives. It upsets me that the wealth disparity remains high even as Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S.
1. Both my parents immigrated to America from China when they were both around 13 years old. My mother was born in Hong Kong and my father was born inland China (unsure where). Their parents (or my grandparents) brought them here in order to find and live a better future.
ReplyDelete2. Something shocking written about the culture that I am identified with is the fact that people eat strange animals off the streets or restaurants. I also remember reading a text where the protagonist was made fun off for her Chinese name. I could relate to this because when I was in fifth grade, classmates would poke fun at my last name and chant: "Ding Dong Deng!" when I was around.
1. My family is mainly from Europe. My mother was born in Greece and immigrated to the US . My father's family immigrated from Russia but my father was born in the US. My mother's side of the family used to own a boating business in Greece and lived in a small house by the sea.
ReplyDelete2. I remember reading recently about protests and demonstrations occurring in Greece due to the lack of jobs and of government involvement. I was shocked at how people could destroy things and lash out instead of trying to work together cooperatively to resolve the economic situation.
1. My family is from Burma, or modern-day Myanmar. My mother and father lived in Yangoon, the former capital of the country. To give some background on my parents' home, Myanmar is actually one of the most corrupt nations of the world, according to an article from Forbes in 2010. My mother and father came to America in hopes of making a living and having new rights.
ReplyDelete2. Knowing about the extremely corrupt military junta ruling in Myanmar, news about government bribery and exploitation of people does not surprise me. Recently, elections have opened in Myanmar, but there is no guarantee that the situation will last for long. From my perspective, though, the most astonishing "news" is that only a handful of people I have encountered actually know of Myanmar's existence. Sometimes, I feel saddened due to the lack of awareness or acknowledgement of my heritage here in the United States. At the same time, the Burmese community seems more closely knit due to shared troubles, so perhaps the ignorance of Myanmar has some advantages as well.
I think people are more familiar with referring to the country as "Burma" rather than Myanmar
DeleteActually, I dont think it matters... In Burma, we casually say Myanmar or Burma.
Delete1. All of my family originated from China. My father is from the province of Guangzhou and my mother from the province of Guangdong. They both immigrated to the United States with my father starting out in San Francisco and then moving to New York. I have family members all over the world in Australia, China, and various states in the US. Like most people of Chinese origin, my family dates back to the times of the Chinese Dynasties.
ReplyDelete2. Because I haven't had much traditional influence there isn't much I can identify with.
1. My parents are from Bangladesh. They had very difficult lives while growing up since they were middle-class with large families. In hope for a better life for their children they moved to America.
ReplyDelete2. The articles on 9/11 that show hatred towards Muslims shocked me, but it did not make me start judging my religion, i just saw there is another perspective, which is that "Muslims" are terrorists.
1)my Parents are from British Guyana. my mom is from Victoria the first village colonized by the British. my dad is from Buxton in the country. my mom came here very young in order to go to college and my dad came here looking to broaden his horizons.
ReplyDelete2) no i have never read anything hocking about my culture in a bad way, worse thing happened else where an the things people say could happen is any culture. however i have been shocked by how much natural beauty the place has such as waterfalls and gold minds and rainfoests etc.
1) My father was born in England while my mother was born in Bangladesh. My parents married when my father was in America and my mother remaining in Bangladesh (long story). I was born in the Bronx when my mother finally came to America.
ReplyDelete2) I've heard, read, and watched many things regarding the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Although they judged my religion, I didn't convert or judge my religion. Courtesy of the film "My Name is Khan," my name is Jessan and I am not a terrorist.
Frishta A,
ReplyDelete1. There has always been a mix up of where I am from and where I was born and what lauguages I speak, and I guess this blog will clear things out. Both of my parents were born in Afganistan. But they settled in Uzbekistan, which is where I am from. When my parents speak of my ancestors, it is facinating and at the same time frutrating. This is because if you think about it Afghaniatan has been at war for a long time and any records left have not been preserved well. My father's family originates from the Moghols. My mom's family originates from Iran. Growing up I learned to speak Persian because it is a dominant language in Afghanistan alo lnown as Dari. Growing up in Uzbekiatan meant I learned Uzbek. I went to a Russian a school which is where I learned Russian. The other couple languages just assimilated with our culture and I picked it up.
2. Being Afghan it has alot of pressure sometimes, there are times when I was little that I felt discriminated and cold glares burning holes at the back of my head. Now that I think about it if looks could kill I would be six feet under. What shocks me the most is the fact that having a whole population labeles as "terrorist" means no expression of individuality. Compared to people who label and stareotype, I have visited Afghanistans beautiful sites, and some placea that scream a horror nightmare. The sad part is people who are inocent are labeled as terrorists, yet the cruel irony is the fact that they are tje people that live in terror. I have nothing against other races and want to learn more on differenr cultures. My
mom says I the United Nation rapped up in one, I think labeling a person shows a persons weakness. Since they cannot see whats beyond the skin and bones. I am proud of who I am because I have the ability to change a persons mindset on my country little by little.
1. My parents were born and raised in cuautla ,morelos , which is located in southern mexico. At the age of 18, my father left home with my mother to America, to live near his 2 bothers and get a job. Both my parents have Aztec ancestors.
ReplyDelete2. I have heard and read things with shocking depictions of my race, most of which are basically the same, of a short Mexican who is illiterate, can't speak English well, does extensive labor for small wages and who is an illegal immigrant. Now for the non-offensive things. There were a lot of things that my parents would tell me of, but I could not believe it, until I actually saw it. 2 prime examples of this are bug stands and spicy drinks. My parents would tell me that when they were kids, there would be people who would be selling cheap snacks, which comprised of bread and live bugs. When I actually saw it, i had to try, and try it I did. It was shocking how good it tasted, I thought that it would taste revolting. The other example I have is a beverage, another popular snack was hot sauce in a normal beverage. When i tried it, it was strange, at first you could taste the hot sauce, but immediately after the coldness of the other beverage would cool you down, and you would feel it going down your esophagus, which felt weird also.
1) My dad is from Ukraine, and my mom is from Uzbekistan. My brother was also born in Russia. Both of my parents had left their lives in Russia to give my brother and I a better future. The main reason my parents migrated was due to racial and prejudicial views and people. When they game to America around their 30s, my parents who were comfortable in their lived in Russia, came to America with only twenty dollars. They worked from the bottom up to learn English and provide for their family. Along with my parent, my grandparents came.
ReplyDelete2) Both of my grandparents lived through the Holocaust. I have heard stories of people hatting the Jews. There are even many films portraying this hatred. My parents were forced to migrate due to this hatred.
1. My mom is from Peru while my dad is a descendent of Columbian parents. In Peru my mother lived in Quiches, Huaraz which is the country side of Peru. There she maintained a farm with her 7 brothers and 6 sisters and learned to speak spanish and the native Incan tongue, Quechua. My dad lived in Queens.
ReplyDelete2. People often call any hispanic they see a Mexican (not that Mexicans are bad or something).In history, Fransico Pizzaro sailed the Atlantic to conquer Peru. He took advantage of the people and made them seem less than what he was. I also read about and seen the "Incan nose" which is basically just a huge bump on the bridge of your nose that I think is genetical.
1. My mother is from St George's, the capital of Grenada. It is an island located in the Caribbean. She moved to New York when she was in her early twenties. My father was from the southern part of the United States, more specifically South Carolina. He moved to New York in his early childhood.
ReplyDelete2. I've read a couple things that have made me aware of stereotypes toward my race as an African American. African Americans are usually depicted as uneducated, lazy, criminals, etc. but in actuality this is not true of many African Americans. Because of stereotypes like this injustices happen, such as the Trayvon Martin case. He was a young adolescent such as myself so I am able to relate.
1) My family history originates in the country of Bangladesh. Both my parents came from there but are from different parts of it. My parents immigrated to america after i was born, to give my brother and i a better future.
ReplyDelete2)I have sometimes heard stereotype that were associated with my country, but none of them are shocking. I have heard stereotypes that state that people from my country love curry. This does not offend me, but gives me a good laugh.
I come from a family of Eastern European Jews who luckily survived World War II (this includes the Holocaust). My parents left in the early 1990's to seek better prospects for their future after living through their horrid circumstances in the Soviet Union (though they admit to enjoying parts of their lives there).
ReplyDeleteOnce saw an old anti-Semitic magazine from the 19th century on the internet that depicted the stereo-typical Jew clanging onto the whole world like a monkey with a savage grin and a large nose. I found it rather offensive and even though I diverted my attention to other matters that picture still clings to my mind.
1) My family comes from Bangladesh. My mom and dad both came from there but both my mom and my dad came from different parts of it. My parents came here to have a better life and give me a better education.
ReplyDelete2) I have heard of many stereotypes regarding my country. these stereotypes associated with 9/11, terrorists, and curry. These comments do not offend me in any way.
1) My family's origins lead back to China. My father was born around Hong Kong and my mother was born near a small town in Guangzhou. My great grandmother, great grandfather, and their five children moved to the United States starting our new lives in America. One of her five children is currently my grandma. It has been over 60 years later and I have 34 cousins and this is only my fathers side of the family! I am unsure about my mothers side because her half of the family is back in Hong Kong.
ReplyDelete2) Common stereotypes about Asians are that they do well in math, small eyes, and are just generally smart. I have learned to just not care anymore when ever I hear these comments because our society is based off racism and it's something that cannot be stopped.