Thursday, April 14, 2016
Quickwrite #4
According to the data presented by the bay area study, many people see the bay area as a great place for education and entrepreneurship. The opinions presented are most likely from the more middle to upper class people, which would explain why many have an optimistic view on life in the bay area. A large amount of people believe that the education and quality of life is the highest in the country here in the bay area. Just from the data my group has collected, I would be inclined to disagree. Not many people have access to a great public school system or jobs. Because the cost of living is so high, a lot of many people struggle financially. In the lower-income places, the public school systems suffer. Where as pretty much next door in a higher income area, the public school systems are the best in the country. This juxtaposition of wealth within the bay area would lead some people to believe it is great, but it all depends on your income and social class.
Quickwrite #3
So, what do you think? Now that your data is organized as a visual text in a chart or graph, how does that inform/influence your thinking and writing? Explain.
More than anything it shows how some places are similar, and how others are not. It also demonstrates how wealthy some places in the bay area are. Most of the cities in San Mateo, with the exception of East Palo Alto and a few others, the rate of poverty is well below 10%. Considering that the national average for poverty is about 15%, the people in San Mateo particularly are sheltered from the rest of the experiences of the country. However, because places like East Palo Alto exist in the bay area, the residents of the more affluent areas have to be aware of the disparity of wealth around them.
More than anything it shows how some places are similar, and how others are not. It also demonstrates how wealthy some places in the bay area are. Most of the cities in San Mateo, with the exception of East Palo Alto and a few others, the rate of poverty is well below 10%. Considering that the national average for poverty is about 15%, the people in San Mateo particularly are sheltered from the rest of the experiences of the country. However, because places like East Palo Alto exist in the bay area, the residents of the more affluent areas have to be aware of the disparity of wealth around them.
Quickwrite #2
So, what do you think? Describe your initial research, especially data that you found from 1970-2010 – What did you find? What does it say? Explain -- Make some inferences or conclusions about that data.
What I found in my initial research is that there is a wide variety from city to city for average income and the types of jobs owned. In Atherton, the rate of poverty is half that as in East Palo Alto. To me, this showed the unequal distribution of wealth just within one county in one area. These places are not entirely far away from each other, and some parts of Redwood city contain high levels of poverty as well, and Redwood City and Atherton border each other. The quality of life based on income and race changes drastically over a few miles.
What I found in my initial research is that there is a wide variety from city to city for average income and the types of jobs owned. In Atherton, the rate of poverty is half that as in East Palo Alto. To me, this showed the unequal distribution of wealth just within one county in one area. These places are not entirely far away from each other, and some parts of Redwood city contain high levels of poverty as well, and Redwood City and Atherton border each other. The quality of life based on income and race changes drastically over a few miles.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Quickwrite #1 (4/6/16)
I read this poem a few years ago in a lit course over the summer and remember truly loving the work of Langston Hughes. This poem, amongst other good works, struck me deeply. It is simple yet profound and although that is a typical description, it is accurate.
Hughes' poem questions the manner in which a dream is deferred and how it affects its holder. I believe that when a dream is deferred, it lingers and hangs silently on the shoulder of the beholder. It remains waiting but disappearing slowly. It changed the way a person sees life because they cannot see the optimistic future that they had hoped for. It takes away drive and motivation as it is deferred. It is easy for people to give up on the dream that they so deeply long for because it appears to difficult, or near impossible to achieve.
Hughes' poem questions the manner in which a dream is deferred and how it affects its holder. I believe that when a dream is deferred, it lingers and hangs silently on the shoulder of the beholder. It remains waiting but disappearing slowly. It changed the way a person sees life because they cannot see the optimistic future that they had hoped for. It takes away drive and motivation as it is deferred. It is easy for people to give up on the dream that they so deeply long for because it appears to difficult, or near impossible to achieve.
quickwrite #6
So, what do you think? Based on the texts by Chopin, Cleaver, King, Newton, and Tan, the documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, and your experience/observation, how do you define the twentieth/twenty-first century definition of the American Dream in light of the minority American experience?
I think that the minority experience and "American Dream" are in many ways similar but adopted differently in a modern atmosphere. Many desire the ability to thrive and gain success in America. However, restrictions and hurdles remain in place. The difference is now, many people ignore these hardships and continue to feed the perception that everything is fine. Police brutality, poverty, and oppression continue to be large issues faced by minority groups. This undoubtably affects the "American Dream". I think that the American Dream is different for different people, particularly for minority groups. For many upper-class and white Americans, they American dream is do own a nice house, have a nice family, a good education, and a high-paying job. However, for many minority groups, the American Dream is more to find security and equality, a better future. Particularly in the late 60's, many of these people wanted a revolutionary shift in American Society. This previously unattainable freedom was still somewhat out of reach because of the power imbalance. Police brutality and the corruption of the government and judicial systems seemed to keep the minority power and freedom at bay despite their desperate desire. There is still a large criminalization of most to all minority groups in the U.S. The black community is deemed as thugs and low-life criminals, Hispanics and the Latino community are seen as thugs as well with a focus on free-loading immigration, and Muslims and middle easterners are seen as terrorists out to destroy America. Each of these groups, and more, experience unique struggles with achieving equality an the "American Dream". For many, I would assume as I cannot speak for any of these groups, that a sense of equality and respect is the most important. Without this, many will remain in the lower class and continue to struggle as a result of this injustice and inequality.
I think that the minority experience and "American Dream" are in many ways similar but adopted differently in a modern atmosphere. Many desire the ability to thrive and gain success in America. However, restrictions and hurdles remain in place. The difference is now, many people ignore these hardships and continue to feed the perception that everything is fine. Police brutality, poverty, and oppression continue to be large issues faced by minority groups. This undoubtably affects the "American Dream". I think that the American Dream is different for different people, particularly for minority groups. For many upper-class and white Americans, they American dream is do own a nice house, have a nice family, a good education, and a high-paying job. However, for many minority groups, the American Dream is more to find security and equality, a better future. Particularly in the late 60's, many of these people wanted a revolutionary shift in American Society. This previously unattainable freedom was still somewhat out of reach because of the power imbalance. Police brutality and the corruption of the government and judicial systems seemed to keep the minority power and freedom at bay despite their desperate desire. There is still a large criminalization of most to all minority groups in the U.S. The black community is deemed as thugs and low-life criminals, Hispanics and the Latino community are seen as thugs as well with a focus on free-loading immigration, and Muslims and middle easterners are seen as terrorists out to destroy America. Each of these groups, and more, experience unique struggles with achieving equality an the "American Dream". For many, I would assume as I cannot speak for any of these groups, that a sense of equality and respect is the most important. Without this, many will remain in the lower class and continue to struggle as a result of this injustice and inequality.
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