Takaki Chapter 10

In chapter ten, Takaki draws a parralel that shows how rising taxes in Japan forced Japanese famers to move to America. Japanese farmers heard stories about great wealth and oppouutunity in America, some even imagined America as heavenly, and strived to move to America. Once here, the Japanese found that American was as heavenly as once thought.

The Japanese governement was sent a request for six-hundered workers and recieved 28,000 applications for the six-hundered job openings (Takaki 247). Before applicants could be sent to on the growing farms, or plantations, they had to meet requirements to radiate positive image for Japan. The Japanese were careful about who they sent because they had heard rumors about Chinese immigrants hiring prostitiutes, gambling, and drinking; and the Japanese wanted to insure that they would not be connected to these rumors. In an attempt to stop these actions, the government stopped allowing men from Japan or China from coming to America, but allowed women to come and wed the men that had already immigrated to America. But was there hidden meaning behind allowing Japanese women the right to move to America? Women made up seventy-two percent of those in field labor and plantation owners believed that Japanese men worked better if they had their families living/working on the plantation. Plantation owners were fearful that workers would strike if they were all of the same ethnicity so in attempt to prevent the possibility of a strike plantationm owners requested different ethnicities be sent to Hawaii to work. Takaki gives the example of how plantation owners would send Korean workers over to compete with the Japanese because they knew the two ethnicities would not work together to strike because of previous conflict. After the Korean government heard about the poor conditions in Hawaii, they stopped allowing immigrants to go to Hawaii. Once the Korean government stopped allowing the immigration of Koreans, plantation owners turned to the Phillipines. Once the Phillipinos arrived in Hawaii they were filled with propaganda to compete with the Japanese and this led to ethnictensions that would sometimes result in physical conflict. After years of work and no advancement, the Filipinos and Japanese both worked together in an attempt to gain better wages. This event was significant because it was the first time two ethnic groups came together to challenge the white plantation owners. Both ehtnicities over came the propaganda to work together and attempt to bring change to their living conditions and earn more pay.

Takaki shows that no matter what culture comes to America, they will be pitted up against other ethnicities to control one another and to keep those with power in power. The Koreans were brought to America to compete against the Japanese. It is very interesting to know that this happened only eighty years ago. To think that this occured within one's lifetime and yet it isn't commonly known. Takaki shows how those in power stay in power.

Takaki Chapter 3 Question

Why do you think English slaves were treated better than African slaves?

Ethnic Notions

In the video Ethnic Notions the producer discusses how media and pop culture were and are still used to oppress the African American community. Through the use of cartoons, movies, music, literature, and theater the African American community was made to look weak and brutish. The producer's thesis is many of today's stereotypes of the African American culture are the result of early entertainment.

Throughout the video, examples were given to demonstrate how the white community would produce different forms of media that represented the African American culture in a poor manor. It wasn't until the late 1800's. A man who went by the stage name of Jim Crow was one of the first entertainers to portray the African American culture negatively for entertainment purposes. Jim Crow was a man who would dress in black face and perform a dance that he observed a mentally challenged African American performing. Regardless of the man's handicap and mental disorders, Jim Crow was a popular act that resulted in many other black face performers. Jim Crow paved the way other acts such as minstrels and performs like Zip Coon. The minstrels and Zip Coon were used as a tool to to justify slavery in a way, they made slaves look inferior and dependent on their masters. It was thought if the slaves were dependent they would not be able to survive on their own. As time progressed the view of African Americans changed. After the slaves were granted their freedom, African Americans were perceived as brutish and animal like. It was not uncommon to see cartoons where African American children would be ate by animals or chased by animals; thus demonstrating the supposed belief that African Americans resemble animals. The unique thing about this was older African Americans and women refered to as mammies were not stereotyped in this manner. The older African American did not to resemble animals and mammies were suppose to be the happy care giver of the master's house. The mammies were overweight and unattractive to make sure they wouldn't be a sexual threat to the home owner's wife/girlfriend, but once the mammy left the master's home see became ruthless with her own family. The mammies ruthlessness was suppose to so how the black man was weak and inferior. Even though these stereotypes occurred in early media, these stereotypes still occur today only they are subliminal. For example, the Aunt Jemima character has evolved to remble a different stereotype of the decades. It is a continuing trend that will hopefully end within our lifetime.

It is clear to see where societies stereotypes originated. They were the result of the media and those in power trying to oppress other ethnicity's. After watching this video I am able to pick out some stereotypes in media and advertising such as the Uncle Ben's box. It is disheartening to see these advertisements hundreds of years after abolishing slavery.

In conclusion the movie Ethnic Notions is successful in demonstrating to viewers how the African American culture received its stereotypes.

Takaki Chapter 3

In chapter three Takaki explores how slavery in colonial America. Takaki views how both English and African had common bonds, how English and African slaves were treated differently, and how government handled the slave trade. Takaki's thesis of chapter three is that originally the English were used for labor, "In the early days of the Virginia colony, most workers were white indentured servants. In fact, 75 percent of the colonist came as servants during the seventeenth century"(Takaki 54).

In chapter three Takaki shows that both the English and African slaves came to the colonies against their will. "Like the Africans, many white indentured came unvouluntarily" (Takaki 54). While they may have appeared to be different because of skin tone they both were stuck in the same social class. Both the Africans and the English were forced to work until exhausted and were sometimes tortured and beaten. As a result of this abuse both the both races tended to run away together. It occurred so often that the Virginia legislature examined these occurrences (Takaki 55). In the mid-1600's white slaves were beginning to recieve special treatment that black slaves were not recieving. Takaki gives two examples of this both occuring in 1640. The Virigina legislature suggested that all slaves "excepting negros" should recieve guns, and also in the same year two white men and a black man attempted to escape their plantantion. Once the men were caught the white men recived a far less severe punishment than the black man. The only constant in their punishment was they each man recieved thirty lashes, but the white men had to work an additional year for their servant and an additional three years to their colony. The black man on the other hand was forced to work for the rest of his life (Takaki 56). It was about this time too when African slaves were beginning to be percieved as property rather than people.

I found this chapter extremely interesting. When I think about slavery I never thought about endentured servants, I only thought of African slaves. Also I didn't think that white slaves would recieve special treatment over black slaves.

In conclusion Takaki shows how both the English and African slaves worked together, attempted to escape together, and ultimately the English slaves recieved special treatment.

Johnson Chapter 2

In Chapter two of Privilege, Power, and Difference, Johnson shows the reader how privlege is caused in our society. Johnson's main thesis describes how special treatment given to one person or group of people causes oppresion. Johnson also points out that it is difficult to adress privilege becasue it makes those with power and privilege uncomfortable.
In this chapter Johnson tells how the privileged have gained their power through conferred dominance. Johnson defines privilege as one group that has something another group cannot because of the groups they belong to, and having no chance to gain this "something." Conferred dominance is also a source of privilege because it gives one group power over another. The monarchies and the royal family is a decent example of conferred dominance. Just by being born into a monarchy you are given the wealth and power of an entire nation. With such great wealth and power, monarchs oppress many of their own citizens through taxes and labor.
I feel Johnson does a fine job of explaining how difference and power are the cause oppression. It is difficult to pathom the thought that it is hard for people to advance just because they were born into a class no matter how hard one tries to adavance. Secondly Johnson caught my attention when stated that privilege is something that would be difficult to end. I always thought that it was possible to end privilege by sharing weatlh but the too is not the case. In this chapter, Johnson has opened my eyes to how detrimental privelege is to society.
In conclusion Johnson does a great job of showning how privilege and power are the source of oppression and how privilege and power is granted through difference.