“How Jews Became White Folks”

“How Jews became white folks” is an informative article that talks about what allowed Jews to become a privileged group. Brodkin describes how the G.I bill allowed the Jews to get the education that they desperately needed to assimilate into the society. This bill also allowed them to have a place to stay and a job to work at. Brodkin tells about how because of their newfound assimilation, instead of being discriminated against, even they had begun discriminating towards the oppressed groups.
During this time, as described by Brodkin, three different groups of Europeans had immigrated to America. In this large immigration, there were three different groups of Europeans. The Nordics, the Jews and the Mediterranean’s. Of these three groups, one group assimilated easier than the other two. When the G.I bill was produced in 1944, Brodkin says, Jews took advantage. They were able to go to school and therefore become higher educated than the other groups and better educated than those of color. Though they had higher education, this was not the only reason for their slightly easier assimilation. Because most saw the “American” to be a white person with an English language, the Jews seemed to fit right in. This higher education allowed them to get better jobs and better homes to support families. They were still discriminated against in that they were a lot of times unable to hold higher cooperate jobs. To go along with all of this, the other groups such as African Americans were able to take no gain from this experience. The G.I bill was fit to help them, but somehow they were once again “screwed over” on the whole deal. The “red line’ came into play, which once again discriminated against blacks and even what neighborhood they were allowed to settle in. Those African Americans who were here first and had been trying their best to fit in were still looked down upon even by those who had just got here.
Why is it that though the African Americans were here first, they got looked right past? I believe, and many others would agree, that the only reason they were passed by the Jews was because of the color of their skin. The G.I bill had originally been fit to help even the blacks become educated, housed and employed. Our American government, I believe has always found ways to work around what’s on paper and make things just how they want them, which in this case I believe hurt the whole American society.
When I read this article I didn’t know about this G.I bill or anything that came along with it. I believe that those who work the hardest deserve what they get, and when all these African Americans got looked right passed just due to a tone of skin, I once again felt like I need to apologize. Our society has always been so messed up, I think its time we look past skin, and start seeing people.

Why I hate abercromie and Fitch

“Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch” Is an interesting article with an authors interesting point of view. The article is started out based on a question. “Why do gay men wear Abercrombie and Fitch?” This question is frequently referred to throughout the article, but it also gives you a little history on the company and what it is supposed to stand for. Along with a history, the author brings into perspective the important things that most of us do not ever realize.
The store of “Abercrombie” was originally opened for those who could afford it. McBride (the author) tells how the store was opened as a store to fit both men and women. This look that David Abercrombie was trying to create was that of the American. The American outdoorsman, fisherman or just what “people should think of” when they think of the American. This quote from the reading helps to better express what I have just stated: “Abercrombie has worked hard to produce a brand strongly associated with a young, white, upper-class, and leisure lifestyle.” The idea that gay men wear this type of clothing was not because of the “style” of the clothing itself, but merely the image that it created for them. The author talks about how in almost every gay bar he had been in, there were many men sporting the Abercrombie line of clothing. This look is one that is now seen by many to be for those of a higher status and a “leisure lifestyle” which is what many fantasize about.
Now that you understand what type of look this creates for people, you must see what is left out. If you have ever seen an add from the Abercrombie stores or anything, you may have noticed the fact that most of the models are white. Yeah, maybe there may be a few other races in there every now and again, but mostly white, physically fit, young good looking people. The idea of supporting their own image seems important to them, but because of this they have even faced a lawsuit. They have been accused of not hiring certain people, not because they weren’t qualified, but because they didn’t fit the look. This store has proven itself to McBride to be a really biased store about their idea of what the image of a real American looks like.
How does this affect everyone in our society? Because this store has been brought to the attention of everyone, many now have all new views. Many believe that this is the “real American look” and others believe otherwise. Not only have they created this image, but they have shown a bit of discrimination by not hiring those of other groups who don’t fit the look.
After reading this, I learned something new again. Not only did I never realize what look they were trying to create, but I never knew the discrimination that went on. I personally was thinking about applying for a job there over the summer, but now after reading this, i'm afraid that I also may not fit the look and I don’t even want to try. A real American to me is anyone who believes they are and anyone who stands up for what they believe is right. And by going and applying for a job there, I would not be supporting what I believe is right. This now, “is why I hate Abercrombie”

Erasing Race

The article,” Erasing Race”, is an opinionated article that expresses the idea that technology erases race over the internet. By using the internet, people are able to create a “new self” and new identities that may or may not represent who they really are. In the article it tells about how sometimes the idea of race is not apparent on the internet and that because of this our communication over the internet is changed.
This quote: “[you] must assemble a virtual self. While the elements of identity that are offered to users vary from world to world, the general act of creating a persona within the world does not change.”, is a big idea of what this article is about. The idea of creating a “virtual self” allows others to not be so judgmental and actually listen to what you have to say in many cases. Weather it be through words or just your language, many people are able to make their own assumptions about a person. The author talks about how when you’re new identity is created online, no one person can be able to tell your exact race unless you tell it yourself. Because of this many people are automatically assumed white which tends to privilege most people. “The lack of an @race property means that the MUD is an environment where racial identity is presumed to be either irrelevant or homogeneous.” We today, have been more and more dependant on these online networks to kind of create a whole new society. Because our online communication has increased so much, people are now tending to create online identities that are not “true identities”. These are becoming less about who the person really is and more about what looks more appealing to any certain online network.
Why is it that people can’t even be their “true self” anymore? I believe that so many people have been using the internet to communicate now days because they are afraid of what others will think of them. Many people create false identities and make others believe false things about them just to accept. The idea of race has become such a big deal to our society that some chose to hide it from others and allow it to be “erased” by cyberspace.
In my eyes, our society has allowed itself to become so judgmental that it is now causing people to hide who they are. A person should be proud of who they are and not have to use cyberspace to communicate just so they can hide that. Cyberspace has allowed race to be “erased” and I think that this is something that is a big problem in our society and it looks like its just growing rapidly.
This article has shown me an idea that I had never really thought of. I now am realizing these things online, little things I have never noticed before, and I can say that I am in a way upset about what our society has come to.

Facebook

My facebook analysis is from a guy that I randomly met a few weeks ago. This young man is a white male, who is gay. On his facebook page, it shows that he is “interested in men” so everyone else now is aware of it. Under his interests he also has things and events that aren’t considered very “masculine” by many. Activities such as tennis, singing, and piano playing. This is about the main thing that I was able to find that seemed to relate to our course work. This young mans sexual orientation hasn’t seemed to effect his ability to thrive socially, which in a way contradicts a lot of what we have talked about in class. Though many of his pictures give good reason to prove that he is “homosexual” that’s just a perception that everyone has at one point or another about a certain person. Many things on this page give hints to a “homosexual” lifestyle. I have a lot of respect for this young man because of his pride in who and what he is. I don’t think that it’s fair for people to look at gay people any different than anyone else, or for employers to do so as well. A person is still a person, no matter what their sexual preferences may be.