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.