Race and Ethnicity

From DeAne or Mary off of moodle: "So there were Negros and there were immigrants. What do the lenses of race and ethnicity help us to see in the book? What does the book help us to see about race and ethnicity, then and now?"

The most strong idea about race and ethnicity that I get from Ragtime, is that the two are still blended together and discriminated against.  And part of the reason they are discriminated against is because of American history; there is a history of discrimination.  There is a movement these days about embracing diversity, having humans live together in peace.  Just because our history is founded in shunning diversity does not mean that it should continue (though it does, and will always continue probably...). "But the general perception of human diversity - often with value judgement attached regarding mental, physical, and moral attributes - is as old as settled human existence."  (Constructing Social Identity: Race).   Yes, America's perception of diversity has always been around.  Yes, as humans we are naturally drawn to those who are similar to us because it's 'safe'.  But that doesn't constitute a need to shun those who are different, to discriminate against them, and to not embrace diversity.

"In order to understand ethnicity, we must divest it of all conscious or unconscious racial connotations.  Ethnicity may be defined as a collective, inherited, cultural identity, buttressed by social structures and social networks, and often formulated in opposition to competing social groups."  Ethnicity is not about race.  Ethnicity is about where an individual is from; their environment.  "Ethnicity is a collective phenomenon, a 'we feeling' that unites a number of people"(Constructing Social Identity: Ethnicity).   That being said, couldn't our AmCon class be an ethnicity?   We are a "we feeling"...we are united by the 2 years we spend together, the things we discuss, the material we read.  Ethnicity is about cultural and social identity.  It is important to redefine ethnicity vs. race, and to make sure that American (specifically student) understand the difference between the two.  It would be another step towards living peaceably among one another. 

Obama's 9/11 Speech

I just wanted to share this for those who might have not listened to or read Obama's speech from 9/11.  In my opinion, this is very moving....

“Today, it is worth remembering what has not changed,” Obama said. “Our character as a nation has not changed. Our faith -– in God and in each other –- that has not changed. Our belief in America, born of a timeless ideal that men and women should govern themselves; that all people are created equal, and deserve the same freedom to determine their own destiny –- that belief, through tests and trials, has only been strengthened.”

Dissatisfied America?

Here is a quote that hit me 'square in the face' that I had forgotten about for a couple of days from Ragtime, by E.L. Doctorow:

"It was evident to him that the world composed and recomposed itself constantly in an endless process of dissatisfaction" (118).

Dissatisfaction.  A little scary, isn't it, to think about our world never being satisfied?   And we are our world, meaning that this translates into us never being satisfied.  Is this possible?  Is there nothing that can satisfy our wants? Our needs?

I know that one of the basic principles in economics (class thoughts overlapping here) is that human wants are unlimited.  But can we get something and be satisfied, not want any more of that one thing, but still want something else?  Does the wanting ever stop?

There are so many trails that I could go on with this quote, that I will have to contain myself a bit here.  In relation to the book...the ragtime feeling of the text was that of dissatisfaction.  Nothing was ever quite right.   Someone was always unhappy.  America was in a bit of an uproar.  But isn't it still?  All over the news, even today, are articles about how people are unhappy, articles about all the wrong that is happening in the world.  Corrupt politics.  Corrupt businesses.  Corrupt people.  

I try to imagine what would really happen if there was never satisfaction.  Would this mean destruction?  That if we humans were so unhappy with the way things were (or are) that we would try to destroy ourselves?  Is that what (maybe) some of our authors and historians and even current reporters could be getting at?   A dissatisfied America is one that falls apart.  And to some, it could seem like America is falling apart these days.  

Perhaps something that, as a society, we need to work on, is being more satisfied with what we already have.  Noticing what we as Americans do have, and allowing that to be enough.  We have all grown up (I'm pretty sure, regardless of generation) thinking that we should always want and expect more.  I am reminded of an Anne Frank quote that I love... 

      "Think of all the beauty still left around you, and be happy."

I suppose I am making this statement, in conclusion:   Americans need to realize how good we have it. Be thankful for it, and allow ourselves to be satisfied.  Because it is with satisfaction that we learn to work together in a democracy.  And if we are satisfied with ourselves as individuals, we can be satisfied with one another as a whole country. Not to say that everyone will be happy and in agreement with what is going on, but maybe, at least we would have peace within the country and be able to bridge the gap between different political parties, social classes, etc. 

Ragtime and Social Class

Is social identity based on social class?  

I'd have to say yes.  But maybe social identity is not always what people want it to be. Take Evelyn Nesbit, for example.  She seems quite fed up with being in the upper-class and having people identify who she is based on that...so much so that she falls in love with the poor.  She loves helping them.  She loves being with them.  She loves escaping her life to be with them.  Is Doctorow suggesting that one's social class can be a burden, regardless if one is in the upper class or the lower class?  Is either place a place to be unhappy?  Can happiness within a certain social class be achieved?  The following is a passage from Ragtime that helps put this into perspective.

“This was the day Evelyn Nesbit considered kidnapping the little girl and leaving Tateh to his fate.  THe old artist had never inquired of her name and knew nothing about her.  It could be done.  Instead she threw herself into the family’s life with redoubled effort, coming with food, linens and whatever else she could move past the old man’s tormented pride.  She was insane with the desire to become one of them and drew Tateh out in conversation and learned from the girl ow to sew knee pants.  For hours each day, each evening, she lived as a woman in the Jewish slums, and was driven home by the Thaw chauffeur from a prearranged place many blocks away, always in despair.  She was so desperately in love that she could no longer see properly, something had happened to her eyes, and she blinked constantly as if to clear them of the blur.  She saw everything through a film of salt tears, and her voice became husky because her throat was bathed in the irrepressible and continuous crying which her happiness caused her” (Doctorow 49-50).

Evelyn seems to enjoy 'escaping' to be with the poor.  She enjoys not having to bear her own social class 'burden'.  I think Doctorow is depicting Evelyn as a "generic" young woman wanting to break free from the constraints of her social identity and social class; she does this by helping out Tateh and his daughter. 

On "Ground Zero is Sacred Space, But Not Just Because of 9/11"

Today, today, today.  10 years. It doesn't seem like 10 years ago.  I feel as though because it is always in the back of our minds, it is always being remembered by our nation.  It's something I never forget.  It's always there.  It still makes me upset. As I'm sure it does for most people.  Here is an excerpt from an article DeAne emailed out to us:


"The most ringing defense of the proposed Islamic center came from Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York and a Jew. “We would betray our values—and play into our enemies’ hands—if we were to treat Muslims differently than [sic] anyone else,” the mayor declared. “In fact, to cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists—and we should not stand for that.”"


People are biased against Muslims.  They have a fear of them.  They stereotype them. And it's neither right nor fair.  I often wonder, where have our American values gone?  Why would we let our enemies win?  Why would we allow them to make us treat each other wrongly based on our feelings towards them?
I think that the anniversary of 9/11 should be about remembering those who gave their lives and the tragedies of that day.  But also remember the values of honesty and trusting and hope of America; and to remember to place these values in our daily life towards our own self and towards one another.  Lastly, it should be about remembering and recognizing everything we do have and being thankful for that; we should want to help others not just in times of crisis, but always, each and every day, regardless of the degree of the situation. 

Why is this place so wonderful?

            I’m currently sitting outside with some of my best friends here at Olaf.  We’re doing homework, reading, etc.  I’m laying in the grass, looking it up at the sky.  The leaves on the trees block the sun enough, but yet it’s rays still try to come through.  I see green, blue, yellow, orange.  I hear laughter.  I feel like I am in bliss.  

           It makes me wonder if everyone here, or even at other colleges, feel this way about their college.  I love being here.  Even more than I loved it last year. When I stop and look around, when I become aware of the moment I am in, I am in awe of how good I have it. I am in awe of how wonderful the world is and how much potential all of us have here.

           I have a little quote that I try to live by -- it’s by Abe Lincoln, but I’ll put it in simpler terms here:  “You’re only as happy as you make up your mind to be.”   And I know that’s a hard thing to do.  Not to say that it's a bad thing to have emotions and be sad.  But there's a difference between being sad every once in awhile, and being just a glum, unhappy person 24/7.  There are so many people in this world who have chosen to not be happy.  But what I know is that it’s so much more preferable to choose to be happy.  I know I can spread my happiness with others, that I can make others’ lives better because of my attitude about life, and I know, without a doubt, that we are beyond lucky to have a place like St. Olaf to be at.  As I've said....I'm in bliss!

Statue Of Liberty Poem

The following is my poem from in class today:

The stone and structure unrelenting

A body standing strong

Harkening to the people from the pedestal

That there will be victory for those beaten on

And with a torch lifted high

As a symbol of hope for the lost

The statue stands tall

Symbolizing freedom for all

Poetry is something I am never quite sure about.  When I was younger, I wrote a lot of poems as a way to express myself.  But eventually I stopped.  I was actually quite good.  When Mary first asked us to write a poem out of the words we chose, I froze up and got scared.  I doubted myself that I could come up with something, or that anyone in the room could come up with anything really good.  But I was wrong!   I found meaning in my own poem and in all the poems everyone created.

My poem was more of a hopeful one.  It expresses what the majority of people believe it symbolizes: hope, freedom, victory.  Having something concrete to believe in is very important...I think that how the Statue of Liberty seems to possess this kind of hopefulness for the lost.  It will take in the poor and the weary.  Does that still hold true for America today?  Do we help out the poor and the weary?  I think it could be argued both ways, but I also know that I believe it is our civic duty to help the needy.  To give to others who have nothing.  To put the symbol of hope into action and give others a hope for a better life here in America.