Mute in an English Only World

Mute in an English Only World was one of the best articles that we have read so far this year.  I felt that this author used rhetoric extremely well to get her point across.  The thing about this article that grabbed at me was the fact that she argued an American point of view of this situation even though she is of Korean descent.  This is a huge topic in our country given our immense immigration change and the increase in Hispanic citizens today.  I feel like in areas of high foreign speaking population a handful of major signs should be put in place that are bilingual.  However, I feel that this is a very slippery slope and that if we give an inch people will take a mile.  If we put a sign up here and there people will argue enough that we can give another and another until in a few years everything will be in different languages.  I feel that this is another third line topic that shouldn’t be touched ever.  Because like social security a small change will rapidly become a hell hole of political disaster and confusion.  The fact of the matter is that our official language is English and that will never change.  If the Hispanic population says that we should give them major signs and better language help to better understand things and live easier I would say no.  I do not expect to move to France and them to change their signs to English.  Even Québec has only French signs in Montréal and their entire country is English speaking besides that province. Like the great John F. Kennedy put it, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. 

American Dream Boat 4/23/08

 

I think this was one of the better articles that we have read so far in this class.  This article was written as a life story of assimilation so it was easy to follow and stay interested.  Her story was compelling in a way that, even being a native born American I still thrive to be my own person and away from cultural barriers.  I feel like it would have been very tough for her to have to go through the things she did with assimilating into a new culture.  Also it didn’t help that she lived in a very large Vietnamese neighborhood where within the community there is not much to assimilate with different than home-life.  I also can understand her struggles with wanting to become more American in a physical aspect because that is the first thing people typically judge by. 

            It would have been a very tough time for her husband, becoming familiar with her culture and customs.  It’s hard to get used to my girlfriend’s family customs and she’s just Italian.  It would for sure be a true test of love because I am not sure if I would be able to do some of the wild things that he had to do such as the pig.  This article very much reminds me of the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” where the fiancé is tested by the woman’s family in various ways to see if he can assimilate himself with their culture and customs.

            I think the best thing for her was her trip back to Vietnam where she was able to see that this was truly who she was and where she came from.  I think that this trip and experience really moved her to accept her family’s traditions as her own and more than likely pass them on to her own children.  I can’t put myself in her shoes because I have not had to deal with these things but I can imagine it to be incredible rough and arduous physically and emotionally. 

Aids in Africa 4/15/2008

I think this article was very insightful with a lot of good facts and numbers to support the arguments it makes.  The only problem is that this article doesn’t make any points.  It has various sections of smoke-screen facts and statements about the aids epidemic but doesn’t make a general statement or support an argument for any point.  This article was very boring and difficult to read because the author seemed to try and make every sentence and statement as complex as possible when half of the sentence would say the same thing.  I agree that the numbers about AIDS in Africa are astounding and that it is a huge crisis but this lady doesn’t seem to have anything to say about it besides stating the obvious.  The one quote I found argumentative and relevant was on page 435 when she states, “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything”.  At this point she finally makes a point that the surroundings of Aids infected areas in Africa are just as responsible for the spread as any other factor.  This section where she discusses the surroundings and high vulnerability for areas in Africa is the most interesting topic to me.  This seems to cover a topic that typically goes overlooked in the discussion of the AIDS epidemic.  There seems to be a large stereotype that Africans are uneducated and irresponsible and that is why the spread is so common there.  Conversely, if the same conditions that they dealt with were here, I feel like the spread would be just as common.  Another key factor in this equation is the fact that it is not just the AIDS virus that kills people in Africa, it is the common colds and the flu’s that their weakened bodies can’t fight off.  And given their poor living conditions in some areas, the spread of these common viruses is typically the cause of death.  So I very much agree with her title that AIDS is a disease of poverty.

The Global assembly line 4/14/08

This life on the global assembly line is becoming an epidemic for the job world in third world countries.  This article did a very good job of speaking for the third world factory worker and expressing a side of the situation we don’t hear very often.  The authors did a very good job of expressing strong points such as the wages in comparison to American factory workers and percent of the work that is done by women.  This cycle of labor and outsourcing is a very vicious cycle that doesn’t seem to have an end.  As much as people complain about these working conditions and how terrible it is for these women and children, they would complain one hundred times more if the cost of their shoes went up twenty percent.  What this means is that we as a society have become so used to just putting this issue on the back burner and living the lives that we do so that if a wage increase did occur for workers in Indonesia, we as a society would freak out because of the higher cost of our product.  I am not trying to say that these working conditions are good in any way whatsoever, what I am saying is that this has become a way of life.  Yes I hate the fact that these conditions are happening to these people, but I would also hate if the cost of my shirt went from ten to fifteen dollars.  This cycle and way of life is terrible without a doubt but it’s not going to change any time soon.  People always complain about how Wal-Mart doesn’t give their customers healthcare or good benefits but what they don’t complain about is how the cost of their socks and toothpaste is the best in town.   People are too concerned about their lives and their materials in our society to care enough for this to change.

Jordan Speaker Questions

1. Do you notice a large amount of western influence in your country such as coca cola or things like that?
2. Do you feel inferior to men being a woman in that culture?
3. Are there a lot of different languages spoken in your country?
4. Doesn’t it get really hot wearing the head garment?

African Speakers

The speakers from Africa that came to our class seemed to have a lot of insight into life in America compared to their lives back in their native country.  They seemed to have a lot of knowledge in topics such as globalization and westernization.  There was also a stark contrast between the two speakers. Even though they are from the same continent, their cultures were very different.  For example, the speaker from Botswana seemed to be more western and more accustomed to western ideas, and the speaker from Nigeria seemed to have a more traditional African culture. These two contrasts were very interesting and speak volumes about culture in Africa.                One interesting comparison between the two is that English is a primary language in both countries.  However it seemed to be more common in Botswana because the speaker from that country noted that there were only two official languages and almost everyone learns English.  The speaker from Nigeria said that there were 3 common languages and that the traditional African languages are more prevalent.  This combination of languages leads to a large amount of cultural diversity in the country.  The speaker from Botswana and the speaker from Nigeria both attended english speaking private schools in their country from a young age however the speaker from Botswana seemed to speak better English.  There were also a handful of similarities between the two speakers.                The two speakers both appeared to have a lot of knowledge about their home country which is somewhat surprising because most American college students are the opposite.  They both could speak a lot about their country in good detail as well as have helpful insight into their everyday lives.  They both also seemed to do similar things for fun such as going to the mall and hanging out with their friends whish is very shocking because that is the same things as Americans do.  It was startling to find out that they do the same things as us because typically we invision the wild and uncontrolled people living in the jungle when we think of Africa, and it is exactly the opposite.  It was a very eye opeing experience and was very pleasant.

Obama 08′

 

This year will be my first opportunity to make a difference in the way that our country is ran, and I plan on taking full advantage of that opportunity. For my vote to really count I must pay close attention to the presidential race and the potential candidates so that my vote is going toward the change I wish to see. So in order to do this research I must pay close attention to the news and debates to see where the candidates stand on major issues such as the war i n Iraq, health care, social security, and the economy. Given different candidates views’ on these issues, I am currently leading toward Barack Obama.

The reason that I am leaning toward him is that his views and opinions seem to be very moderate and balanced. Also he has an incredible way of motivating people toward a cause or a belief. He uses very strong rhetoric to support his points which makes it very easy to follow what he is saying. His speeches and debates always make it seem that he believes strongly in what he is saying and that he is telling the truth. Also he does an amazing job of making his opponents views’ seem wrong or unjustified with poor support. This tactic in turn build a support platform for his ideas, and gives his views a strong sense of reliability. His way of speaking reminds me very much of Martin Luther King J.R in the way that his voice intonation perfectly flows with his points. I believe that a major reason that I agree with him is his speaking abilities and his ability to motivate people, as well as his views on the issues.

Barack Obama has mostly democratic views on the major topics, which i find myself siding with more often. His views on war are bent toward withdrawal with making sure that the country of Iraq is stable and can run itself. He knows that our war is draining our economy and causing a slue of problems in our country. He is a firm believer in strong foreign trade which leads to an improvement in production and creates American jobs which I strongly agree with. His views on American manufacturing are key as well. He argues that there is a need to invest in American manufacturing that will lead to an increase in jobs and domestic spending. I also feel that his withdrawal plan from Iraq makes a lot of sense. He plans on removing one or two combat battalions a month for 16 months until we are gone. He will keep a handful of soldiers to protect the embassies and if Al Quaeda locates there he plans on making sure that they will be gotten rid of. His plan is to make sure that the U.S does not make any permanent bases there that would keep us there for a long time. I definitely agree mostly with him and intend on voting for him.

Iraq Questions

Iraq

1.  What is the biggest difference that you have noticed coming from the middle east to a western country?

2.Is arabic the most dominant language in Iraq or do sectiobns such as Kurdistan have dominant language as well?

3.What is the most eye opening thing that you have noticed while in America?

4.  What do you like or dislike the most about America?

We have the right to tune things out 2/27/08

I think that this essay was very well written with many good points and numbers for support.  Also I feel that this author knows what he is talking about in this topic.  The only major problem I have with this article is that this author does not argue a side of this topic well.  He gives a handful of points to support the fact that Americans have been less involved with the world but he does not make an argument well whether or not this is a good/ or bad thing.  I can agree with his points that Americans have become less globally involved, but I argue that this is not a product of choice rather an influence by our news and media coverage.  If all we hear about is problems in other countries then what would make us want to go there?  Sure people from other countries hear bad things about the U.S but I feel that they hear more good than bad.  I want to go to Amsterdam because I hear wonderful things about it but I do not want to go to Iraq where I am yet to hear something good.  I agree with this author on the facts but my opinion is that unless I am given a want to go to another country then I will not go there.

Starts at the Bottom

The video that we just watched covered an array of ethical topics in the modern business world.  It mostly focused on outsourcing and the maintenance of companies and factories overseas.  She argued strongly that the Nike model as it is called is not improving globalization in undeveloped countries, rather setting the country back further.  The Nike model is a pseudo business model in which companies send their factories to places across the world in an effort to find the cheapest labor possible.  This includes over 5 levels of contractors and sub-contractors in other parts of the world that find the labor at the cheapest price and broker it out.  I honestly feel like this is just business.  This is the way business is done in the modern world.  In an on demand world, where supply is becoming increasingly less of a factor given the remarkable channels of communication today, demand is now the tool in which companies shape their price.  For instance, there is a very high supply of workers overseas who are willing to do these jobs, so whoever can give the lowest wage will win the contract.  It is a bad thing, that these workers have poor conditions and wages that are sub-human, however these people work in these places by choice and until that ends, this vicious cycle will always continue.