The American Dream

I chose to do Kim's webquest, and this is my response.

United States of America and her American Dream. How romantic? Or is it? Ever since the pilgrimage, there has always been a level of an "American Dream": a new life, full of opportunities, and in the end, success. However, I have noticed, first hand, how the American Dream is now full of empty promises and fake images. I am Korean. An immigrant. My parents came to the States thinking we'd be living in a pretty white house, with a lush green lawn, and a successful job that would pay for my education (which was another main reason for immigrating). My house is not pretty nor white. It's old and in a dire need for a new paint job. My yard is also in need of a lot of work, and both my parents must work full time, seven days a week, in order to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and a college education for me. Little did my parents realize that when we first moved here, that our lives would end up like this.

My family in Korea was the average middle class family. My mom was able to afford to open her own clothing line - a dream that is very unrealistic now. My dad could comfortably design houses and buildings without having to worry about a language barrier, getting in trouble by the law, and even discrimination. And as they both held jobs that they were very happy with, I always got birthday presents and dinners, new back-to-school clothes, and even family trips every two months or so. And I wish I can have all those luxuries here in America, but they've disappeared. This year for my 18th birthday, I didn't get a present from my parents. And it has been years since we've been on a family vacation to anywhere. My parents don't like to admit it, but they believe that our life would've been much more comfortable in Korea. But, I thought all this plus more was a given in an American Dream. We've been fooled. 

And I'm sure there are many other immigrants out there who think the same way. The "ooh" factor of the American Dream has disappeared. It is simply an empty shell that is fake and gives barely anything. The economy these days definitely contributes to this empty shell, but why it is really hollow is a complete mystery to me. I believe that my parents have now given up on the American Dream. For now, their concentration has refocused to earning enough money through any possible means to pay for my college. As you can see, for my family, the American Dream no longer exists, and the United States of America is no longer appealing. So, where did the American dream go? If anyone can find it, please let me know. 

Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Part I(Day 1): Telling a Story...

"Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty...Here is the house it is green and white it has a red door it is very pretty...hereisthehouseitisigreenandwhiteithasareddooritisverypretty..." (Morrison 4-5).

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison is not a regular book that is structured a certain way with one story line. In fact, the book is a compilation of different stories about the girl Pecola. Morrison begins the book with a prologue that introduces her idea of stories. To view the text online, go to my Delicious site and click on the link titled 'The Bluest Eye Prologue'. After reading the prologue, reflect on these questions (writing them down might be a good idea to refer back to when writing about this topic later on): 

1. What kind of an effect does the same story have when told in different ways?
   
2. Why does it have that effect? 
   
3. The rest of the book follows her style presented in the prologue. The story of a girl, Pecola, is told from different point of views. How can the reader benefit from this style?
   
4. Are there moments when this style of writing takes away from a reader's experience? Why?
   

With those ideas in mind, write a short creative story told in the same way Morrison tells her Dick and Jane story in the prologue. The story can be simple and told in one paragraph or however long you may want it to be. Remember to post your story on your blog. 

Part II(Day 2): Standards of Beauty

"It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights - if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different" (Morrison 46).

Another apparent theme in the novel is the standards of beauty of society. In the book, Shirley Temple, a white skinned with blue eyes doll is the epitome of beauty at that time. But what is the standard beauty of today? Is society today still stuck on the "beautiful" woman being white with blue eyes or has it changed? Using Google Blog search (or other blog search engines), read and see the opinions of other bloggers out in the world on this topic. Then write your own blog post on your opinion on the standard of beauty of today.

Requirements:

• 2 paragraphs
• First paragraph: the different opinions of bloggers
• Second paragraph: your own opinion on the topic/how the other bloggers have influenced you
• Link back to any specific blogs you mention
• Find one picture that shows the standards of beauty today.

Part III(Day 3): Racism

"'I am cute! And you ugly! Black and ugly black e mos. I am cute'" (Morrison 73)!

Racial issues has been apparent in the US ever since the land was founded. For those hundreds of years, racism still remains an issue today. In the novel The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, racism against blacks fuels all the anger and negative emotions shown in the book. 

But, for some people, racism is a big mystery. The roots of the close-mindedness or the effect of racism has on people are just a few key points about racism that is not necessarily looked at in depth as they should be. 

Listen to this podcast about a scientific experiment done in order to explore the psychological process behind racial slurs. 

Read this blog about how white people can choose to ignore or act upon racial acts. 

Also, on my Delicious page, there are numerous links to articles and sites that talk about racism; its background, the history, future, and the present. The tag is called KoeunBluestEye

For even more information, check out journal article on Questia. 

After browsing through, create a poster that would raise awareness about racism.

Post your picture on your blog with a short description of your poster. 

Part IV(Day 4): Tie it all together!

"The big, the special, the loving gift was always a big, blue-eyed Baby Doll...[A]ll the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured" (Morrison 19-20).

Previously, we looked into racist issues. And, obviously, the standard of beauty in The Bluest Eye is racist since only white skinned people could be considered beautiful. Compiling all that you've researched about the standard of beauty and racism, show how the two were or are connected (depending on your opinion) in a research blog post. For further reference on this idea, you can watch this video on YouTube called "Black Beautiful Invisible - Model for Colour Campaign". Make sure it is MLA format and cite your sources. 

The Race Issue

In Mr.Saxon's class, our discussions have moved from gender issues to the privileges of a heterosexual, and now to racism. I have started reading the book The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and found an interesting article that showed me where the sentiments of the novel could've possibly derived from.

Racism is a sensitive topic that many majority groups would avoid or ignore. A discussion group on the topic of racism; showed both white and black views on racism. In order to show that, the article, White on Black, Black on White, was broken in to two parts: the opinion of a white person, then the opinion of a black person. Carol Estes is the associate editor of YES! (the magazine the article was published in), and she shared her thoughts as a white woman. To her racism was not apparent in the world we live in today. There were no specific rules that segregated blacks from whites. Black business men, athletes, celebrities, and heroes are not uncommon in the world. "[She] thought we were talking fine points now. [She] thought that the subtler racism that remains today was less lethal to the human spirit" (Estes par. 12). But one man, a black pastor named Robert Jeffrey (who wrote the Black on White article) had pointed out that her opinion is exactly what angers him very much. In his article, he states that the racist whites of today are not the ones who anger him. Klan members who still actively promote white supremacy does not bother him as much as opinions like the ones of Carol Estes bothered him. He saw people who thought the same as Estes as people who did not understand. He believed that their indifference to the racism that was apparent in the US is what hurts society the most. He explains that "It is their indifferent to [his] things, the horrors of [his] life, that angers me" (Jeffrey par. 9). But, in the end, Carol Estes' eyes were opened to new, but not necessarily good parts of life. And Robert Jeffrey's anger subsided as he understood that their indifference was not ignorance, but pure lack of understanding.

As I read the article I realized that I think very much alike Carol Estes. I believe that society, and most average americans are accepting of different cultures. But now I realize that I am just being indifferent. And, yes, the generations of today should lend a helping hand and clean up the mess that the forefathers of this country has created. According to Robert Jeffrey, "Because of your indifference, because of your unwillingness to accept responsibility for the sins of your fathers" (Estes par. 15) the world's racism is simply hidden and rarely spoken about. As demeaning and hurtful his ideas may be, it can not be any more truer. The fact of the matter is that we are born into this world under the conditions created by the generations from the past. And - yes it is not our fault that racism exists - but it is the world we live in. Therefore, we should take on the responsibility of cleaning it up. Just like we take care of our own homes, we all should take care of the world we live in.

Using this ideology, a reasoning for the characters of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison to feel ugly is given. The majority group, in both time eras, either outwardly hated different races, or ignored the racist issue at hand. Whatever the opinion is, it belittles the characters of the book (especially the children) which leads them to think of themselves as ugly and unworthy. The characters believe they are ugly because the "pretty" dolls of the time were those of a white girl with blue eyes - Shirley Temple. Unless a little girl had those features, she was ugly. Claudia, one of the characters from the book, secretly doubts that beauty as she rips apart a doll to find the "inner beauty". When she only finds a metal core, she is baffled and upset that society's perfect little girl is that of a metal core. The society's ignorance to deem all skin colors to have their own individual beauty is what diminishes the courage, self-esteem, and confidence of a minority.
Observing the world today to the world of 1941, I can't help but shake my head in disappointment. Have the strong voices of history not been enough to wake people up? Do we still have the issues of racism in the world after all those years of fighting? If the similarities and the roots of problems of race still exist, no matter how many dirty leaves we clean up, other dirty leaves will grow. And it's hard to believe that all those voices and efforts to end the growth of diseased trees will all go to waste. Unless, someone or something comes along to take out the roots of the rotten tree. Anyone?

That 70s Show - Eric's Buddy

Heterosexual privilege are the rights a heterosexual man can have that homosexual can not have. For example, the announcing of ones sexual orientation with no worries of being judged or resulting in negative remarks verbal or physical. The acceptance of gays and lesbians in society is not quite all open arms just yet, but there are some tools that society uses to get the message that we should have open arms across. One of those tools being the television. That 70s Show (my personal favorite TV program) is an example of this tool. An episode called Eric's Buddy shows that people could have negative reactions to it, but in the end, we are all people, and we should all be understanding of eachother. So this blog is my analysis on this episode and the ways homosexuality is portrayed.

1970s was a decade of many happenings and memories. With hippies, feminists, bitter businessmen, the teenage life of the 70s wasn’t all jokes and laughs as That 70’s Show portrays it. In fact, That 70’s Show portrays the problems of the decade along with universal struggles of a teenager. A problem that the characters faced that paralleled the decade as well as maintaining the universal feeling for the audience of the late 90’s and the new millennium.
Eric Forman, a typical teenage boy trying to get by life in the boring town of Point Place, in one episode, encounters a very uncomfortable topic for many people: homosexuality. It all starts as Eric’s new lab partner, Buddy Morgan, drives a Trans Am - which becomes a basis for the two socially different people to become friends. One night, as Eric and Buddy are hanging out, making the best out of the quiet town, Buddy kisses Eric, which scares Eric. “You’re gay!” these were the first words out of Eric’s mouth after the kiss. Then Buddy replies, “Me? No I’m not gay.”. This dialogue represents the mood and opinion of homosexuality in the 70s. Although some positive light was being shed on the stereotyped characteristic, to most people, everything’s all fun and games until a guy kisses another guy. And Buddy’s denial of his sexual orientation (although said funnily for the purpose of entertaining an audience), shows that most gays were not comfortable publicly announcing who they truly are.
The reaction Eric Forman has in the beginning is very stereotypical, but, sadly, not uncommon. Once Eric is home, he has the need to remind himself that he himself is not gay. He takes Donna (Eric’s girlfriend) with no warning and plants a steamy kiss. Eric’s need to prove to himself that he is a “real” man is seen not just in the 70’s but today as well. Most heterosexuals would be greatly confused or disgusted if come across a situation such as Eric’s. Although the reaction is not a pleasant one for the homosexual, there are those who approach the issue in a much more understanding manner. Eric may have been very confused and scared at first, but later on, Eric’s reaction seems very toned down considering the time era. At this point, homosexuality was not common; most homosexuals rarely - if never - openly spoke of their sexual orientation. It just so happens that the foreigner, Fez, the one who did not grow up in the same society as the rest of the gang was able to pin point Buddy’s homosexuality (also stated the fact in a very nonchalant way). And considering the rareness of homosexuality in the 70s, the way the episode ends is much calmer and unexpected. In the end, Eric and Buddy remain friends and lab partners, still sharing notes, and even joking about the situation.
When watching the episode, in the beginning, I was unhappy with the way Eric reacts. And I was even more upset that Buddy claims that he’d be understand if Eric did not want to be friends anymore. It was infuriating that Buddy wouldn’t stand up for himself and tell the world about his homosexuality. But, of course, my wish is too liberal to be true, even in the decade of the hippies. Gays and lesbians have more freedom today than they did in the past. Although not complete freedom from discrimination, that can not be helped. There will always be people who will judge, and people who will not allow another kind of sexual orientation other than heterosexuality. But I guess this all falls under the ying-yang philosophy, the balance of good and evil. And the episode “Eric’s Buddy” has this balance. Fitting the stereotype in the beginning, but ending with an honorable notion from Eric. I can honestly say, That 70s Show totally rocks.

Gender Research

I had come across a blog post explaining a gender study titled, "When Texting, Eligible Woman Express Themselves Better". The blog post was very interesting to me at first, until I had come across another blog post from 2006 titled "Women Talk Three Times As Much As Men, Says Study" that made me question certain aspects of studies - then science in general as well. And this is my opinion on the study in detail.

False Reactions

The popularity of texting on cell phones has drastically exceeded the popularity of phone conversations; there are many more texters than callers. Even at my high school, Pascack Hills, the constant text messaging forced authorities to become overly strict with the rule of ‘no cell phones in school’. 

However, it hadn’t occurred to me - until the article “When Texting, Eligible Women Express Themselves Better” - how the increase of texting has an affect on the differences of gender. According to the article, historically, women were known to be more proper and polite than men in speech (“WTEWETB” par. 3). But when texting, it becomes the opposite. The researchers expected men to send more texts that were generally longer, using the standard “texting language” (“WTEWETB” par. 6). However, men texted less in quantity and shorter messages that used proper language, falling short of the hip-hop texting quality. Women, on the other hand, texted in message slang, using abbreviations such as ‘lol’ or ‘omg’, also adding symbols, smilies, and other tools that emphasizes their emotions in their electronic messages (“WTEWETB” par.7). The article also states that women texted longer messages, maxing out the 160-character limit much more than men. 

  This new research shows that historical observations are changing as women gain more independence and respect from society. Published to show how the results exemplify the shift, the results are “shocking” to the researchers. However, the researchers seem to have neglected other studies that state that women have more to say than men. A study on this observation stated that in fact “women talk almost three times as much as men, with the average woman chalking up 20,000 words in a day – 13,000 more than the average man” (Macrae par. 2). This study – published in the year 2006 – does not seem to influence the research about the differences in texting according to gender. If taken into account the study of women being more talkative (by nature), the result of the study in the article “When Texting Eligible Women Express Themselves Better” is very predictable. Although the researchers’ hypotheses that women should have texted more formally may be true, the result of woman maxing the character limit more than men is not a shocking result to the study (“WTEWETB” par. 7). It seems as if the research seems very futile and adding little to the study of gender differences in various aspects of life. It’s like telling a blue pen that when written with it, it will be blue. Yes – it will be. Bottom line is: the results are agreeable, but the reaction to the results is not. Why professional scientists have neglected previous studies, which reason their results, is beyond me. If they did take into account studies such as the one published by Macrae, the research definitely would’ve received a different reaction from the public and the researchers themselves. 

If this study is not the only study to observe data and social behaviors that neglect other studies, which would cancel out their studies, science is not advancing in its knowledge of gender differences. The information fed to the public is false to a certain extent. People would be rowdy over evident results that, in reality, do not further studies at all. This blog post about eligible women expressing themselves better when texting is a prime example of a futile research; what’s the point then? Why study these if the researchers won’t carefully fulfill their studies covering every inch of research (even if it requires much more in-depth studies)? Instead of shedding light on science, “When Texting, Eligible Women Express Themselves Better” displays the setbacks of science today.

Holy

In my english class we were discussing the different groups that each person belongs to. So, I wrote a poem on one of the groups that I belong to: Roman Catholic. This shows the rules and guidelines of being a Catholic. Although, there are many rules to a religion, other groups such as a musical style, fashion sense, or even the political party a person belongs to has many rules (as observed in my english class). This poetic style is inspired by a poem written by Jamaica Kincaid called "Girl". It's a brand new style of poetry for me and I had a great time experimenting with it. It's not my favorite, but definitely unique. 

Holy

KChoi

You shall not kill; you shall not make yourself an idol; you shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God; you must remember the Sabbath; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; you shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor; you shall have no other gods before me; are you really there?; I am the Lord your God; pray before every meal; you must confess your sins; not to that priest, he knows my name; join the youth group; do this service; be responsible; you mustn’t wear inappropriate clothes; short-sleeves are not inappropriate; a man can not marry a man; a woman can not marry a woman; every life, no matter how small, is a life; you are created in His image, do not destroy it; everything has a purpose; God has a grand plan for all; judgment day will come again; believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic Church; look for the resurrection of the dead; acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins; this is how you pray the rosary; you must respect Mother Mary; not worship her; always have faith in Him; even if He’s not always there for you?; have hope in him; pay your respect to religious figures; but how religious are they really?; He will deliver us from evil; attend the Religious Education program; lead the service; when you lead, say this and this; don’t curse; don’t run around in the house of God; give thanks; lift His name; shout to the lord so that all can hear; draw Him close to you; receive his grace; magnify the Lord; accept God’s plan for you; accept the appearance He has given you; accept the person He has made you; who am I?; praise and adore Him; do your best; you can not be a woman to be a clergy; heaven is your ultimate destination; save your souls from hell; if there really is a hell; deny books such as Da Vinci Code or other anti-religious books; believe in transubstantiation; pray with Saints; pray that Mother Mary and Saints can intercede on your behalf; accept the sacraments; receive confirmation; try not to lose salvation; repent for your sins; God is merciful; attend special trips of the youth group; respect your counselors; you must sleep here; you must shower at this hour; isolate yourself from the materialistic world; love your family; I do love my family, I may not like them at times; marriage is a lifelong union; you can not divorce your spouse; kindness can only come through the fruits of the Holy Spirit; so a kind person who is not confirmed is not kind?; the Apocalypse will not literally happen; the Apocalypse has already occurred; the Apocalypse is coming; which is it?; neglect the State, Church is above all; Catholics are universal; we are united around the world under the same scripture; you must always follows Christ’s teachings; Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Messiah; you are a Christian; a Roman Catholic; these are the Church’s beliefs, so these are your beliefs; Amen?

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