Unlearning the Myths that Blind us

1. " A Black Cinderella? Give me a break.She wrote:Have you ever seen a black person, an Asian, a Hispanic in a cartoon? Did they have a leading role or were they a servant? What do you think this is doing to your child's mind?...Women who aren't white begin to feel left out and ugly because they never get to play the princess." pg 131

Growing up I never noticed that most of the Disney characters were white. There were a few that showed ethnicity like Pocahontas, Aladdin, and Mulan. I have been noticing dolls in the story that are different races. I have even seen male dolls. I like seeing the children playing with the black, Hispanic, and Asian dolls. Also, I never really watched cartoons. When I watch reruns of shows that I did watch as a kid, I notice the racism, sexism, and discrimination that I didn't as a kid. I also feel that no little girl should feel ugly or left out, princesses come in all colors.

2. "We look at the roles of women, men, people of color, and poor people play in the cartoons".

I don't think this is just in cartoons but everywhere. I do remember growing up that the father was the "head" of the house and the bread winner. The mother stayed home to cook, clean, and care for the children. Even though society has changed over time,I dont think we can ever escape the stereotypes. The first show that came to mind when I read this was the Fresh Prince of Bell Air. He was a poor black kid that moved in with his rich black aunt and uncle.

3. "Because we can never look like Cinderella, we begin to hate ourselves. The Barbie syndrome starts as we begin a lifelong search for the perfect body. Crash diets, fat phobias, and an obsession with the materialistic become commonplace."

We see in magazines, billboards, and on TV the image that people think every girl needs to look like. People need to put the Average everyday looking people in the magazines and all over billboards. Not everyone can have the Barbie look. I think it is sad when I put on lifetime and it is a story about a young girl who is anorexic or bulimic. I wish that the pressure in school was not so tough. Girls feel that they need to act and look a certain way to fit in. When I watch shows like Toddlers in Tiaras I first think that they are so cute, then I wonder how many of those baby's are going to grow up thinking they need to be perfect all the time.

I enjoyed the reading by Christensen. It made me open my eyes and realize how discriminating cartoons, TV, magazines, billboards, and peers can be. I feel that I was sheltered growing up. I never caught on to the cartoons and other everyday discrimination. Books, movies, and dolls should come in all different shapes and colors because everyone is different and no one wants to feel left out and ugly. We also need to teach children that not everything you see on TV and in magazines is the way we all need to look like.

Anti gay marrage commercial~ reference to King and King book

Dennis Carlson

1."Gay people have for the most part been made absent, invisible, and silent within this community and at the same time represented as the deviant and pathological Other". pg 233

Gay people have been portrayed as "deviant" when they should be seen as no different then anyone else. I do not understand why people are judged for reasons they cant control. You cant pick who your parents are, and you cant help who you fall in love with.

2." At the level of state educational policy, it is noteworthy that no state currently recognize gays and lesbians as legitimate minority or cultural groups to be considered in textbook adoption or to be included in multicultural education; and a number of states explicitly prohibit teaching about homosexuality.

I think that it is sad that just because you like the same sex you loose out on different things. Same sex can not get married, be put on the same health plan, they loose out on tax benefits. Being homosexual shouldn't automatically legally forbid you to marry the person you love. I look forward to homosexuals to have equal rights in the eye of the law. I personally was never taught about homosexuality in school.

3." We cannot and should not attempt to impose "politically correct" beliefs on students; but we have a responsibility as public educators in a democratic society to engage them in a dialogue in which all voices get heard or represented and in which gay students and teachers feel free to "come out" and find their voices." pg 252

With my a major in education I feel that children should be able to ask questions freely about any matter. I want to be able to give an answer that is not bias. I would not want to discurage anyone from feelings they have. I also think that schools should introduce homosexuality to students around the age of puberty. Students that may have different feelings shouldn't be outcasted. Everyone has a voice and they should be heard. There should be no "politically correct" way of life.

I enjoyed reading this article. It made me think about how I was never taught about homosexuality, race, religion, well diversity at that matter. I also never really knew anyone in same sex relationships. It wasn't until I was in my first year of college and a bartender that I met all sorts of different kind of people. They have the same feelings that anyone else has but they feel that they need to hide their sexuality, because some people just cant see that not everyone likes the opposite sex. I kind of snooped around and found out that my best friends brother was gay. He still hasn't come out and said it. His family knows but does not speak about it. I realized after high school that most people keeps their true feelings secret until after high school.

Talking points 2

1." What they seem not to recognize is that, as a socially disadvantaged child, I considered Spanish to be a private language. What I needed to learn in school was that I had the right and the obligation to speak the public language of los gringos". pg 34


Richard Rodriguez is saying in this quote that the use of Spanish was used only in his home life and English was used in the outside world. He did not see the use of being bilingual. He is also saying that he knows how to speak Spanish; he needed to learn how to succeed in speaking English. This quote reminded me of a recent incident that happened. When I went on my second visit to my service learning, there was a mother who came into the office to register her children. The secretary spoke only English and the mother spoke only Spanish, the daughter was shy and wouldn’t talk. A third grader that was leaving early stepped in and said "I speak Spanish and English, I can help". I thought that was a very nice thing that little girl did.


2. "One Saturday morning I entered the kitchen where my parents were talking in Spanish however until, at the moment they saw me, I heard their voices change to speak English". pg 35

I don't understand why they would totally cut out their "home language". It is a part of what makes their family unique. All families are different. Besides in today's society you can benefit from speaking another language. Speaking a different language should not make you feel any less of an individual in today's society.

3."One day in school I raised my hand to volunteer an answer. I spoke out in a loud voice. And I did not think it remarkable when the entire class understood. That day, I moved very far from the disadvantaged child I had been only days earlier". pg 36

He is saying that one day he finally had the courage to take the English that he knew how to speak and speak for the first time in front of the whole class. That takes a lot of courage. His confidence must of boosted way up when the class understood him. I only speak English and do not like to speak in front of my peers. I always wonder if I am going to mess up or stutter (talking to children is different).

Richard Rodriguez's "Aria" was an easy read and I really enjoyed it because it is a personal experience. I like to read stories about people’s lives. It is written in first person therefore it is easy to put yourself in that "persons shoes" in a way. I think that it is boring to read a bunch of facts. I look forward to more readings of this nature, it spikes my interest. I also think that I will be able to relate more to diversity in the classroom now that I am expanding my horizon and volunteer in a setting that I did not think I would ever be in, and so far enjoying it very much.

Peggy McIntosh

1. " White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, code books, visa's, clothes, tools and blank checks"(1)


The author is simply expressing her feeling that just because of her race (white) she is automatically privileged to certain things that persons of others races are not. She calls being white an unearned asset that she was born with. It’s almost like being white is a license to a better quality of life.

2."When I am told of our national heritage or about "civilization", I am shown that people of my color made it what it is"

White people made America what it is today. From Abe Lincoln to Albert Einstein just about any major leap or bound in American history has been accomplished by a white person. There are not too many people of other races that impacted the country like our founding white fathers. Even presidents up until now have all been white males. It took over 200 years for non-white male to become president of the US.

3. "White students in the United States think that racism does not affect them because they are not people of color; they do not see "whiteness" as a racial identity."(5)

From what I infer she is trying to say that a white kid just views themselves as "normal" not just white, where as they view people from other races as "not normal" because they are not white. White people don't realize all the racism around them because they are not subject to it as often as other races, if at all.


Peggy McIntosh's article has been the easiest and most enjoyable to read so far. I liked the way she presented her information. This article did not make white people seem "bad"; she simply states that white people are born with some advantages that others are not, and change is needed. Being a white female, like most white people according to this article, I never really notice racism around me. After reading this article (and the 26 statements) I am noticing racism all around me. Like when I turn on the television and see mostly white people or when I go shopping and see food sections for other ethnic group particularly and it’s almost like the rest of the store is for American. Johnson and McIntosh use related dialogue. How much has our country changed since this article was published?

Me

My name is Nicole and I am Junior in the Early childhood/ Special Education Program. I transferred to RIC from CCRI. I am a full time student and I work part time at a child care center as an infant/ toddler teacher. I also have two dogs, Cody and Riley