"...We crash into eachother, just so we can feel something."

   This week we watched Crash, and it was honestly one of the most amazing movies I've ever seen. The whole point of the movie was to look at race and how we're socially constructed to think about it. It also showed how even though we may  not want to think it, there is a little prejudice in all of us.
   Throughout the entire movie, more and more stereotypes were played on. Ludacris and his friend were portrayed as the "bad black guys" and when they ran over the Asian man, I'm sure we all thought that he was just some innocent man. What was really crazy about the movie was how they proved a lot of the stereotypes wrong. The Asian man that appeared to be solely a victim was actually a human trafficker, defying the stereotype that all Asians are perfect, innocent people.
    There is so much racism and stereotyping in the world today that I think it's hard for people not to be racist or stereotypical. I'm faced with stereotypical comments all the time because I'm Asian. Whether it's because I'm not "smart like Asians" or because I'm not good at math or even because I have freckles, the comments are always surprising at first, even though I've been exposed to them all my life. I think people need to know that everyone is different; everyone has unique qualities. Only when we can accept that fact, we can stop being so racist.

racism

This week we talked about racism, and how even though we may not think so, it is apparent everywhere. Being Japanese, I have been a victim of racism and I'm sure I will experience acts of racism in the future. I remember when I was in elementary school this one boy used to call me "chink" all the time. When I was that young I didn't even know what that meant. What the heck was a "chink"? I later found out that it was a name made up for Chinese people. That was the first time I had experienced something like that. The funny thing is, I'm not even Chinese! It's crazy to think how people are actually taught to hate other people just because they may look different. In history classes we talk about different topics, like slavery or the civil rights movement and I know a lot of us think, "wow, how could people have been so racist like that back then?". But what people don't realize is that our society is still racist. We may not want to think so, but we can see racist acts everywhere. I think that stereotyping also goes into the same category as racism. When you're a certain race or ethnicity, people expect you to act the way they think "your" people would act. Isn't that wrong? In class we talked about how when you meet a person, one of the first things you notice is his or her race. I know that when I meet people and then get to know them, I hear things like, "you're not asian at all!" or, "you're the whitest asian I've ever met!" Like, what does that even mean? I feel like we've grown up to believe that racism hardly exists anymore when it's really everywhere.

doesn't have to be thanksigiving to give thanks...

Thiss week we learned all about social class. We played monopoly and felt what it was like to be in a certain class for our whole lives. We also watched another 30 Days video, and this time the guy and his fiance were living a low-wage life for 30 days. It wasn't until I saw this video that I really took a second to think about everything I have in my life. The kids that go to SHS, myself included, take so many of the resources we have for granted, and I don't just mean the things that are provided for us in school. We're all so lucky to be able to have a solid roof over our heads, hot meals, clothes to wear, and just a lot of different material goods. It's crazy to think about adults that have to support their families while making minimum wage. We kids see something in the store for $5 and we think, "That's so cheap! Let's buy it!". But for people that only make $8.25 per hour, that $5 is a lot. Watching the movie made me truly thankful for everything I have in my life, and I can't really picture it any other way.
   It's sad to think that there are so many families in the world that are just struggling to survive. America is the wealthiest country in the world and we still have so many people that are homeless and living out on the streets. It's hard to think that once you're born into a certain class that you'll stay there for the rest of your life, but it seems to be pretty realistic. I think we should do more for those families in need, and maybe try living like them for a little. I don't mean try it for 30 days or anything, but I think it would be interesting to try and keep yourself on a tight budget and see how you really change. I think that's the only way people who are lucky enough to have what they need can really understand how it feels to not have anything.

'tis the season...

So, yesterday I went to Deer Park to wrap gifts for part of my community service. My shift was from 10-12, and I was actually excited to be able to wrap a ton of presents and help people out, while at the same time helping Habitat out by raising money for them. Guess how many people stopped by our table to get their things wrapped? ONE. In the two hours that my friend and I were sitting at the table, ONE nice lady came up and asked us to wrap some of her items. It was also in the last 5 minutes of our shift. I was honestly shocked. First of all, the table wasn't even stationed in a place where people would be able to see us. Then, when my friend tried to stand at the door and let people know that we were back there, she got yelled at for "solicitingo"! I mean, I kind of get how that would look bad for the store, but it wasn't like we were asking people to donate money to a fund to help us buy a new car or something; it was to help people without a house! I just thought it was really interesting to think about how people can be so selfish sometimes. There were so many people that would walk by our table, glance at our sign, and then just keep on walking to get a cup of coffee. Would it be so hard to just put in a couple bucks to help someone else out for the holidays? It was kind of funny, because this girl walked up to our table maybe 15 minutes before our shift was over and we got so excited! Like we were finally going to get to wrap something. But the girl walked up and said, "Can I borrow a pen and something to write on?" We were actually kind of shocked. I haven't done gift wrapping like that in a long time and I forgot how rewarding it was to actually wrap presents for other people. I also didn't realize how people can be so selfish. Supposedly the holidays is a time for giving and happiness, but I didn't see a lot of that going on yesterday. Maybe it was because they didn't really know what cause we were working for. Maybe if they would have had a better idea of what Habitat for Humanity was, then they would have been more generous. It was just a very eye-opening experience overall.

deviance, drugs, jail and all that stuff...

  So, our lesson on deviance carried on into this week. We learned about the different types of drugs and how they are seen as more deviant in some societies and less deviant in others. It was crazy to think about how there are such different laws for the same drugs, depending on where you live. This just helps to show how deviance is relative to where/how you grow up.
   We also talked a lot about the Cook County Jail and the type of treatment that the "prisoners" received. The deputies were always trying to prove their superiority by swearing and threatening the prisoners, because if they didn't then they would run the risk of the prisoners becoming violent and out of control. I don't understand how even prison guards could treat prisoners like that. I mean, it's true that they may have committed some crimes, but I don't think all the verbal abuse is necessary. Especially because a lot of the crimes the prisoners were being charged of were drug related; they weren't murderers! Even though I wasn't in class one of the days we watched the movie 30 Days, I thought it was pretty cool. I thought it was really interesting to see the the jail where the inmates were able to develop a support system and try and recover. I don't understand why more jails aren't like that! It's obvious that people aren't going to change when all they're given is disrespect. The freedom that the other inmates had was very crucial to their "self-discovery" and overall recovery from whatever problem they may have had. If I were to ever end up in jail (which I hope never happens, of course) I would definitely want to be able to go to a place where I would be able to relate to other people that are in the same place. It would help to be able to converse with other people there and know that I'm not alone.

Deviance

Last week in class we read the article about the Saints and the Roughnecks. The saints were very deviant in the way they acted, but because of how they were able to make excuses and get themselves out of sticky situations, they weren't necessarily seen as deviant. They were also in the middle to upper class, so they had nice clothes and they were smarter than the Roughnecks. The Roughnecks were also deviant, but since they were not very dedicated in their studies like the Saints, their crimes were actually recognized and they were often punished. Throughout the article, the social status of the two groups was often looked at as a huge factor in level of deviance that was perceived. While I do believe that money does play a role in that type of stuff, I also just think some of it is just social skills. For instance, at SHS there are plenty of people that could be placed in the Saints and the Roughnecks categories. The Saints are the ones that are able to weasle their way out of sticky situations, where the Roughnecks aren't so fortunate. I see it happen all the time. Maybe a boy comes in late to class but since he is able to "tell the teacher what he/she wants to hear", the boy is suddenly off the hook. He would be considered the Saint. But then if another boy comes in late to class and he just disregards the teacher, then the boy will get into trouble. I think if people know the right way to talk to people, then they'll be able to get themselves out of sticky situations. A lot of it is how well people are able to charm others. If you're good at that kind of stuff then well, you're in luck.

Independence

This week in sociology we talked about what it means to be an "adult". It's true that we're legally adults when we turn 18, but that doesn't mean we're adults mentally or socially. From the time people are born until they go off to college, I think that they are treated like kids. Most parents do things for their kids that parents in other countries would not even dream of doing. I think that parents in America have huge double-standards. Most kids in America don't experience their first time using a washing machine until they're in college, and most kids don't even know how to cook food for themselves that consists of ingredients other than cereal and milk. Parents willingly do a lot more than they should for their kids but then once they reach "adulthood", parents expect their kids to know how to survive in the real world. I feel like back in the old days kids were able to be a lot more independent than they are now, just because of the different standards they had. I think that I'm a very independent person though. I learned to do my own laundry when I was in 8th grade and I help my mom cook all the time. I'm not necessarily saying that kids should be able to do everything for themselves without the help of parents, but I think that they should at least be prepared for what they're gonna have to deal with when they're out in the real world.

toughGUISE

This week we watched that movie calle Tough Guise. It talked about how violence in boys and men is almost expected. He talked about the school shootings that have occurred and about how most of the boys needed to prove their masculinity. I never thought that the reason the boys were shooting up schools was because of their need to prove their masculinity, but I can definitely understand it now. Our society puts so much on "being a man" and "doing manly things." But I don't understand how in order to be a man, you need to be violent. Sal said that masculinity is a mask that men wear in America. I completely agree. Not every guy is violent, most guys don't even like to fight. But if you went  up to a random boy at SHS and tried to start a fight, I think that he would be willing to. Not because he necessarily likes to fight and get physical, but because if he didn't then that would be telling everyone that he's a "wuss" or a "bitch". When it comes down to it, I think that most guys are actually sensitive. I feel like they do want someone to talk to if they have problems. Probably not to the extent that girls need people to talk to but I think that desire is still there. But since guys aren't supposed to show their feelings, a lot of guys will pretend that they don't have a soft side. It's kind of funny because I have guy friends at school that pretend to be all tough around their guy friends but when they're just with girls they're completely different; they actually show emotion! I think that even proves even more how masculinity is just a mask.

Social Construction of Gender

In class last week we looked at how we're born with a sex, but not necessarily with a gender. I never really thought about that until we started discussing it in class and I can actually understand that now. Yeah, it's true that girls are born with girl parts and boys are born with boy parts but that doesn't automatically make them behave "like girls" or "like boys". Social construction and the way society lables boy and girl characteristics has a huge effect on how we act and what we see as sociall right or wrong. I think it's weird that as girls we're raised to think that pink is a "girl color" and that we're supposed to wear make-up. Then boys are raised to think that it's good to be a tough guy and fight with other boys. It's crazy to think how different our world would be if it was the opposite and girls were raised to believe that it was cool to fight and guys wore make up. We're raised with certain gender norms, I guess you could say, and anything or anyone that doesn't meet those particular standards is seen as weird. When a guy doesn't like to fight or is not exactly the most masculine guy ever, he can often be seen as gay. In school, I often hear people talking about kids they see in the halls, and since they might be a little different than the norm that automatically makes them gay. It's not right, but it happens so much at school.

Secret Agents of Socialization

We have many groups in our lives that shape how we live, whether it's by influencing the way we dress or by influencing our overall character. I think that one of the biggest agents of socialization is family. Family is the most influential part of people's lives because they base most of their decisions and opinions off of what they were taught. I think that the different manners and "rules" people learn when they're younger are with them for the rest of their lives. It's funny how usually the principles we grow up with seem to us to be the only right ones. If someone at school or at work does something differently than what you were taught at home, it's common to perceive his or her actions as wrong. Family also has a huge impact on people's opinions. Usually when your parents associate themselves with a certain political party, you find yourself agreeing with them and associating yourself with that same party. I think things like that are due to what is talked about at home. If your parents are constantly bashing a political leader from a different party, it seems like what they're saying is right because you hear it so often. It's almost as if you're not exposed to any other views so you don't have anything else to compare your parents' views to. That whole opinion thing is kinda like what I've experienced in my house with my family. My mom went to a small liberal arts school and ever since I was younger my mom has drilled in my head that small schools are the best. Since she's my mom and I value her opinion, now I'm applying to all small schools. I think it's just crazy, but cool, how people are affected so greatly by family.

"We must love one another or die...Love always wins."

In class this week we watched Tuesdays With Morrie and I seriously think it was the most touching movie ever! I almost started crying at the beginning of the movie! Even though it was sad, I think there were some really key ideas about America that were explained very well. One of those ideas was how Americans are afraid to love. Mitch did not like talking about his feelings, and he was hesitant to really commit to Janine. I never really thought about it before but Americans are afraid of love. I think a big factor behind being afraid to love is fear of the unknown. It's difficult to put all of your feelings out on the table because then that gives people the ability to hurt you or let you down. I think that a lot of people feel vulnerable when they let their feelings show, and that's not a good feeling. There is also that fear of rejection and not being loved back. It's a scary to thought to put your heart on the line when you don't know if the person you love loves you back. This hesisitancy to love someone is very apparent everywhere, even in SHS. It may not be on the same level as couples that are older and more mature, but kids are definitely more hesitant to show their true feelings. My friend will tell me how much she cares about some guy but she'll refuse to tell him how she feels because of fear. I think that's the biggest factor in the masking of our feelings. I think that we won't be able to really let people into our lives until we learn that it's okay to love. When we learn to love then we learn to live.

SHS

I think that we can definitely look at our high school as a subculture. A subculture is something that is part of a larger culture, and it has it's own unique cultural traits. It's weird to think that our school could be considered a subculture, but then that would help explain why so many people visit it every year. Whenever I see the random people being guided through the school taking tours I always think, "Why would people ever go out of their way to visit this school? What's so great about it?". But now looking at our school as a subculture definitely helpes answer those questions. There are different aspects that make up a subculture, such as material culture, mores, and languages. There are definitely examples of all of those at SHS that help us identify with our school and the people that go there. For example, our material culture is made up of things such as shs sportswear and parking stickers on the backs of cars. When I see people outside of school who have those items, I know that they go to SHS. There are also a lot of mores. At SHS, people know that they have to walk on the right side of the hallway or else other people will not be happy with them. They also know that only seniors can park on campus. All students know these mores and they are a part of what makes our school. The "language" used at SHS is very unique I think. We have different clubs like B.O.S.S, FMP, FEA and we also have names for different parts of the building like The Link and The Point. Only students from our school would know what we're talking about if we said any of these names, so they are definitely part of our school culture. I can see the effect that school "languages" have because I have friends that go to another school, and when they tell me things about they're school they use different names and phrases too so I always have to stop them in a middle of a story and say, "Wait, where did you go?" Using the names from my friend's school didn't seem weird for her because she is so used to it. SHS has many different aspects that define it as a subculture, and I can't really picture it without them.

CuLtUrE sHoCk!

The card activity that we did in class is a great example of how we react to different cultures. Each table represented a different culture because every table had a different deck of cards and a different set of rules. I thought it was cool to see how our lack of talking affected how we reacted to playing with people from different "cultures". It was hard for us to communicate because we were so shocked about how the other cultures were playing. When someone thought their 2 of hearts trumped someone else's 4 of clubs, it created some tension because both people thought they won. This activity we did can be compared to the real, bigger picture in life. When people go to different countries and experience different cultures, often times they experience culture shock. Culture shock is when you are introduced to a culture and become confused with its different customs, traditions, and ways of life. It is common and almost expected to think that what is culturally and socially accepted in your society is the right way of doing things. But the truth is that there is no wrong or right way of doing anything. Different places hold different standards and cultures, but just because they're different it doesn't mean they're wrong. When I was on vacation in Santiago, Chile back in 8th grade, I thought it was so weird how EVERYONE kissed when they greeted eachother. I would see men kiss eachother and think, wow that is so weird, why would they do that? But then I realized that it  maybe be weird for me because I was experiencing culture shock. I wasn't used to being kissed by strangers or even seeing strangers kiss eachother, so that's why it was all so weird to me. But the people that are native to Chile don't think that it's wrong because that's the way they live. That's part of their culture. I think the most important thing we can do is be open-minded about other cultures. We may look at other cultures and think, wow they are crazy, but I'm sure many cultures good look at Americans and say the same thing.

Sonny had five fingers, but he only used 'tree'

The main character in the movie, "C", belongs to many different groups, even if they are not all easy to see. I think that he wants to believe that he belongs to only Sonny's group but some of the groups he can't control. C is in a group with his friends, a group with Sonny, a group with his family, and finally a group with Jane. I think that it's very difficult for C to be a part of all of the groups because they are all so different. C's friends are very racist towards the black kids in the other neighborhood, and they don't approve of C hanging around with Jane. Also, C's father has never approved of C hanging around with Sonny, so that relationship causes some conflict. Just like anybody else in society, C has a hard time being a part of each group. I think that his "membership" in some of the groups is involuntary. He was born into his family, so in that sense he will always be a part of that group and he will always have some loyalty to his mother and father. Likewise, he has been friends with his group of friends since he was a little boy and even though he does not agree with most of the things his buddies do, he knows that he can't just ditch them. I think C's biggest status among all of the different groups is that of a "son". He is a son to his father, and Sonny also considers C to be his son. Both Sonny and C's father are figures that C looks up to. He looks to them for guidance and approval and I think that was apparent throughout the whole movie. I can see how it is difficult for C to be a part of all of the different groups because I experience that same dilemma in my own life. It is especially hard to be a part of different friend groups at school. If I'm friends with someone but my other friend isn't, that definitely causes some tension and it is uncomfortable to me. It's not quite the same problem that C faces with his father and Sonny, but I think they are similar.

What's my status?

Usually people tend to share bonds with other people that are similar to them. Sharing common interests makes it easier to communicate and connect on different levels. But even though people may seem every similar, they can be very different at the same time. During the activity we did in class it was cool to see what groups made up people's lives and what was important to them. Religion was very important to some people while it was not even listed as a group for someone else. People are shaped by their experiences, and they're also shaped by how they've been brought up. It was interesting to see the different roles that the class picked as the most important ones. Often times a status or role is given to you by the people in your life. It's weird to think that we are so influenced by the people that are important to us. For example, in my group of friends I am typically labeled as "the leader". I'm the one that is always making plans and making sure everyone knows what they're doing. I also think that I carry that role or status with me when I'm with other people. I have many groups that make up my life , such as friends and work, and sometimes they conflict eachother. It's difficult to maintain my role as a hostess for work and at the same time have a social life with my friends. Having to play multiple roles is a part of my life but it is not always easy. I think it's important not to judge other people on what we see on the outside or even on what we think we know about them. It's easy to see someone and judge, it's not a very good habit but we all know it's natural. We may think we know the whole story, but the truth is there is so much about people that we really don't know. I think by doing that group activity in class we were able to learn things about eachother that we would be able to take to heart and really appreciate.

Spit Is Gross

   In reality, a majority of our thoughts and opinions toward certain things are that way because of how society constructs them. Does that make sense? With the idea of Social Construction, society has turned saliva into more than something that just sits in your mouth to help you dissolve food. When it's outside of your mouth, it is then considered spit. I think that's so weird! It is interesting to think about how and why society shapes the way we think about things; we're raised with certain ideas and morals that our parents teach us. There are certain things that are acceptable for some people to do, while they can be totally inappropriate for someone else. Once again, it's just the way society has formed opinions. For example, it's acceptable for a pro baseball player to spit all he wants during a major league game, but if I see a boy walking down the street and I see him spit, I always think it's gross! But then why do I think it's gross? In fact, people could look at saliva and think that it's way more gross to actually swallow the stuff. But swallowing saliva is fine because it's socially acceptable. People expect you to swallow your saliva, it's "normal".
     This one time I was at the beach with my family in Massachusetts, and we saw this women that was naked! We were all really grossed out by it and we were wondering why she would come to the beach with no clothes on. But thinking back on that now, maybe she came from a country where nude beaches were the only beaches she knew. If she was raised with the idea that going to a beach without clothes on is perfectly fine then of course she would be so open about it. I"m sure that if I were to go to a nude beach with all my clothes on I would be stared at by people wondering what I was thinking! It all depends on where you live and what you know. What is socially acceptable where you live is what you will ultimately deem acceptable also. Anything else just seems weird.

Outliers

I think it is very common to associate people's actions and behaviors with their individual decisions, but after reading the article about Roseto, it is clear that people are influenced, and even fuel off of their environment. It's weird to think that the people of Roseto were able to eat unhealthily and still live very long lives. But then that makes you think about why so many people in the world are unhealthy. We can't all be happy and carefree like the people of Roseto, so I think that does contribute to the amount of people that suffer from different illnesses. Being healthy isn't just about being physically sound, it's about being happy and at ease with the life you live. When you're happy, you feel better, and I think that physical health does follow after. It's interesting to think about how big of an influence your environment has on you. When my great grandpa was only 50, he died of a heart attack. My great grandma was always extremely physically healthy. But as she got older, the absence of my great grandfather took a greater toll on her. When she reached 98, she was so lonely and sad that she just gave up the will to live. She died in her sleep, but it wasn't of a heart attack or any illness; it was because of her lack of happiness. I'm sure that she could have lived many years after that but she wasn't happy, so her body wasn't as healthy as it could have been. I know it's not the same exact thing that happened with the people of Roseto, but I think it shows how people are affected by how they feel, and the people around them. My great grandma's death didn't have anything to do with the food she ate, or any kind of diet.

Who Am I?

My name is Julia, and I am 17. I've lived in Buffalo Grove all of my life, and I guess it's an okay place. I'm Japanese-American, but sadly, I don't speak Japanese. My dad was born in Japan, but he moved here when he was four, so he doesn't remember much of the language. I have three brothers, two older and one younger. Their names are Kevin, Michael and Eric. Kevin just graduated from DePaul and Michael is going to be a sophomore at University of Maryland. My younger brother Eric is in 8th grade. I have a dog named Cocoa and she's pretty awesome. My family and friends are the biggest influences in my life, I always look to them for advice and support. It's important to me to have a good relationship with my family, especially because I'm going to college next year so I won't see them as much. The colleges I've been looking at are very small, around 1500 people. A lot of people think I'm crazy for wanting to go to such a small school but I think it'll be the right decision for me. It's important to me to be able to relate well with my teachers, because I think that I learn better that way. So far my first choice for college is College of Wooster in Ohio, and I also liked Coe College in Iowa. I'm not sure what I want to study yet, but I know I want to be able to help people. I'm excited for this year because I'm taking AP Psychology and Sociology, and those are two subjects that I hope interest me. Well, that's pretty much me!