Buddhism
By Alan Hood | August 4, 2007
Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the world’s oldest and continuous religions. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama whose birth is referred to by (Fisher, 2005, 130) “as an immaculate conception in which a white elephant carrying a lotus flower entered his mother’s womb in her dream.” Most Buddhist followers believe that Young Siddhartha was born to a wealthy father, and lived in the lap of luxury until he gave it all up to find and end to suffering for the world. Buddhism is an interesting religion where the followers do not pray to a supreme being, but do recognize the Buddha as a fully enlightened being, who laid down the path, for them to follow. Buddhist followers spend a great deal of time each day in meditation; Buddhists believe that meditation is an important step in becoming enlightened. Buddha laid down the Four Noble Truths and an Eightfold Path for all Buddhists to follow, also incorporated into Buddhism is a concept called Karma. The four noble truths of Buddhism are life means suffering, the origin of suffering is attachment, the cessation of suffering is attainable, and there is a path to the cessation of suffering. The final Noble Truth leads to the eightfold path that is broken down by three distinct divisions. The first division is Wisdom, and encompasses the first two paths Right View and Right Intention. The second division is ethical conduct and contains three paths Right Speech, Right Action, and Right livelihood. The third division is about mental development and is embodied by the final three paths Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. Together with the Four Noble Truths, walking the eightfold path and realizing ones Karma all Buddhist could reach Nirvana. The Name Changed Center in Someplace, AZ was visited for this report; interviews were given by Innocent Name, and Christopher Samuel. Together with their input this paper will demonstrate why Buddhism will continue to grow in prominence and may become the final religion of the world.
Every day more people are drawn to Buddhism, because of its ability to allow people to figure out what it is that is missing in their lives. The concept of “finding yourself” is relatively new by religious standards, but that very concept has been what has moved Buddhism around the world and to America. Buddhism attracts people who are spiritual but are possibly disheartened by the state of western religions. As the spirituality movement grows so will Buddhism. Buddhist teachings make it clear that life is about suffering, and that there is a way for people to end the suffering in the lives of all people. To understand that concept we have to take a very close look at the teachings of the Buddha. One of the greatest concepts in the world is the Four Noble Truths. All the Noble Truths lead to a path called the Eightfold Path which is about how a people should lead their lives. Whether a person is a Buddhist or not if everyone could walk down the Eightfold Path, life on earth would involve much less suffering, and misery, for everyone. The first Noble Truth is an easy concept for people to understand. Life is about suffering, we suffer as humans both physically and mentally. When we are sick or injured our physical bodies suffer. We suffer mentally when we are stressed, teased, sad, or depressed. The second Noble truth may be a harder concept for people to understand because of the physical suffering that we all do. The second Noble Truth states that all suffering evolves from attachment. The mental attachment is easier to understand because people understand that they suffer from their desires that they may never reach or their mental attachment to an object they want. Physical suffering from attachment is harder to understand because people feel so connected with their bodies. If people will look at their bodies as just a vehicle and understand that one day inevitably all the suffering they do physically will end, they are on the right path to understanding the second Noble truth. The third Noble truth lets everyone know that there can be an end to the suffering. An end to the suffering is a key concept in Buddhism, which a Buddhist must believe is possible to even bother learning about the religion. The fourth Noble Truth clearly point to the path that people must take to end their suffering. This brings us to the Eightfold Path.
As outlined above the Eightfold Path teaches a Buddhist how they must live in order to end their suffering and the Eightfold path is a guide to being a good human being. The fist two paths are about teaching wisdom, if a person has the wisdom to understand the first two paths then rest will be easy. The first path Right View teaches that a Buddhist must view the world as it truly is, full of suffering, impermanent, and imperfect. The first path is also the last path because once a people have right view they also understand that the Four Noble Truths are correct. The second path Right Intention shows that a Buddhist must always have good intentions towards other people, and themselves. The Buddhist must have right intentions towards other people, so they do not act cruelly, violently, or aggressively, and that they have compassion for other people. They must also have right intentions towards themselves, so they are committed to learning, and so they can resist the pull of desire. The next three paths teach the Buddhist that they must conduct themselves ethically in order to reach Nirvana. The third path of Right Speech proves very useful in today’s society, because it would not only end slander and lies but would also do away with gossip. Right Speech teaches a Buddhist not only to be honest and sincere, but also to only speak when it is necessary. The fourth path of Right Action is a guide to living a life of wholesomeness and abiding by laws. This path can be equated to the 10 Commandments of Christian religions. The fifth path of Right Livelihood acknowledges that people must make a living in order to sustain themselves, but they should do so in a manner which would not cause harm to other people, animals or the environment. The last three paths are about the mental development of Buddhists. The sixth path is Right Effort, meaning that effort evolves from the mind as an act of will. If a Buddhist does not have the will or put in the effort then nothing can be achieved. The seventh path of Right Mindfulness is difficult to explain. Better to let a Buddhist explain Right Mindfulness as it can best be described by (The Big View, 2006) as “Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualization in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go.” To this author it is best describe as staying focused and directed. The eighth path is Right Concentration. Right concentration is obtained by Buddhist though a means called meditation. Meditation is an act of concentrating on a single thing and directing oneself into that single thing. Meditation sounds easy but in practice is an extremely hard thing to do, as it is very easy for a person to let his mind wonder into distant thoughts.
Karma is another important concept in Buddhism. Karma is an ancient Sanskrit word that means action and dates to long before Buddhism. Karma is used by both Hinduism and Buddhism but there are distinct differences between the ways it is used. In Buddhism Karma has a focused meaning and is described very well by (The Big View, 2006) as “What we are is determined largely by what we thought, said and did in the past, while what we are thinking, saying, and doing now will form our future.” While walking the Eightfold Path a Buddhist is very conscious of their Karma, they would not want to do anything today that would lead to their suffering tomorrow. Karma is a concept that if it were followed by all people of the world would have an impact on they way that people chose to conduct their business. Karma also fits in well with scientific studies of the environment. Many scientists today believe that people are directly influencing their own ability to live comfortably on the earth.
The Name Changed is a house located in a residential neighborhood. The grounds are typical for a residential neighborhood in Someplace, with large trees including palms and pines, but more typical of a business than a house the landscaping and structure are immaculately clean and primped. Innocent Name greeted me warmly at the entrance and asked me if I would like to take a tour. Innocent Name is a very soft spoken small man with a cleanly shave head. While the grounds were immaculately clean there was nothing very special about the outside of the white with light brown wood trimmed house. We walked slowly, and I sure that I am mistaken because it would go against all that he stood for, but I felt sense of pride coming from Innocent Name during the tour. I am sure it was just the calmness in which he easily smiled, walked slowly, and very securely. When we ventured inside Innocent Name walked in and sat down in a main worship room that was sparsely decorated with just a painting on the wall and Buddha statue underneath it. Innocent Name had two cushions facing each other already set up and made me feel right at home, it was a truly amazing feeling to know that he had taken time out of his day to prepare for our meeting. About halfway though our meeting one of Innocent Name’s followers named Christopher Samuel walk in, Innocent Name asked if it was all right for Christopher to join us. When Christopher sat down Innocent Name got up and headed off to a kitchen and came back with three glasses of water.
The hardest part of this report is trying to describe the conversation I had with Innocent Name, because it was just that a conversation and not an interview. I must admit that even though I felt completely comfortable with the surroundings, I was a little intimidated by Innocent Name’s presence. I went into the interview with a plan and thought that I would be able to act like a professional reporter, but those were grand illusions. We had a fabulous conversation, I sure we will have many more, but as an interviewer I was a flop in this case. I started the interview well and asked Innocent Name what got him interested in Buddhism, he responded “For me it was a natural evolution because my mother taught yoga classes at our house when I was growing up, and I always joined in on the classes.” (Innocent Name, personal communication of May 9, 2007) Innocent Name went on to describe a childhood that was full of spirituality and meditation, but his mother was not a Buddhist nor did she know much about Buddhism. Innocent Name grew up in Bend, Oregon with his mother and a younger sister, he did not offer any information about his father nor did I want to ask. Innocent Name said that life growing up in a small town was easy and simple and although his family did have money they never needed anything. At just 22 years old Innocent Name traveled to a Buddhist retreat and met his mentor Annon a Zen Buddhist monk who founded three monasteries. “I knew the moment I fist spoke with him that he would be my mentor and I would follow in his footsteps.” (Innocent Name, personal communication of May 9, 2007) Innocent Name then went on to speak about Annon at length and there is no doubt that the two have a strong bond. Christopher Samuel then joined us; we talked at length about Buddhism, and what it means to each of us. After the discussion Innocent Name offered to lead us in a chant which I declined, I thanked Innocent Name profusely and promised it would not be my last visit. After thinking about the visit for many days since I am sure it will not be my last visit to that wonderful place.
Buddhism could be closely related to Hinduism when only looking at the surface of the two religions, but Buddhism contrasts very nicely with Christianity. (Kreeft, 1987) said that “there have been only two people in history about whom others asked not “Who are you?” but “What are you: a man or a god?” They were Jesus and Buddha.” Each man had distinctly different answers to the question, Buddha was a man and only claimed to be just a man, Jesus on the other had was crucified because of his claims of divinity. Both Buddhism and Christianity employ a guide for the way that their followers should act, with Christianity it is called the 10 Commandments and with Buddhism it is called the Eightfold Path. These guides to living give an insight to both religions, where Buddha taught that the release of self and the release of desire was the right road, Jesus taught that more love and desire for Christ was the road to redemption. Buddhism teaches compassion for every man, Buddhists never engage in war nor do they spout hatred. Christian leaders throughout history have encouraged wars, and taught hatred through their lack of compassion for other religions.
With the spirituality movement growing larger everyday because of people’s contempt for western religions, Buddhism will gain many new followers, because it allows people to see that there is a reason for their suffering, and that there is a way to end it. In the future people will want their religion or their spirituality without all the political turmoil and Buddhism will be their answer. Buddhism may become the final religion of the world because of the teachings of the Buddha. Even the bible says that the meek shall inherit the earth.
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Religion and politics
By Alan Hood | August 2, 2007
Religion has been a driving political factor for many centuries, has influenced the lives and deaths of countless people across the globe. Religion is a fascinating subject because of the dynamic relationships that different people have with it. I have always used religion in conversations to get a feel for people that I don’t know very well, I feel that if you get someone talking about something they feel very strongly about you can find out more about their character than just a standard tell me a little about yourself. Of course I don’t know enough about any single religion to be an authority, but I always take the devils advocate role and tell them why they are wrong just to get a reaction. This class helped be gain more knowledge about certain religions even though it was a generalized class with just bits of information about many religions.
If there is one thing a person could do to learn more about the world and people who surround them it would be to learn about other people religions. Religion drives the lives of a great number of people on a daily basis. While work and family play an important roll in peoples lives it is their religion that dictates how they handle all situations that come up in their daily lives including problems at work and with their family. If the people of the world want to coexist in peace, harmony, and profitability then we must all take the time to find out what motivates and inspires the people around us. Not that I was surprised in the least little bit, but the discussion questions during this class showed that even when a person is learning about another religion it is very hard for them to look past their own beliefs and see that it is okay for other people to believe what they want to believe. I am just not sure that most humans have the ability to put difference aside and make decisions that are best for the whole not the individual. When you learn about a person’s religion you truly learn about the person.
I would love to try to convince you that I will go forth with this new found knowledge and bring the people of the world together in one harmonious group, but that wont happen and definitely not because of me. I will probably just use the information from this class as another way to teach my children how to be tolerant of the people around them. My children really make me feel that there is hope for our future generations; I can only hope that other parents around the world will teach their children the same lessons.
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Just another Opinion
By Alan Hood | August 2, 2007
In my opinion the single most important part of the constitution of the United States of America is the First Amendment. The greatest strength of the constitution is its ability to adapt over time, but the one part that should be left alone is the first amendment. These excerpts from the ruling have strong emotional impact on anyone who reads them. The issue in these excerpts is whether or not children should be allowed to recite the Pledge of Allegiance (as it is written today) in schools; however this issue has an underlying issue of whether or not the government should be involved in matters of religion. The men who wrote the Constitution of the United States were some of the most thoughtful and brilliant people who have ever walked the earth. What or forefathers knew to be true then, still holds true today, Government should play no active role in the private religious beliefs of its citizens.
The Pledge of Allegiance has changed over time just like the Constitution has, and it is time for it to change again. The last change made to the Pledge of Allegiance was made after pressure from the Knights of Columbus to add the words under god. If congress had thought it through then the change would not have been made. If the current congress were obliged to study the Constitution they would insist that the words “under god” be taken out of the pledge. Unfortunately, congress is made up of politicians and not people who have the ability to look at issues beyond their political lines, and do what is best for our country. Differences of opinion and dissent have always had a place in our society, another freedom granted by the first amendment. When it comes to our freedoms granted by the Constitution our leaders should have the ability to put their personal interest and feelings aside and make decisions that will benefit ALL Americans in the future.
While I do believe that this State Supreme court did come to the correct conclusion I do not agree with some of the inflammatory language used in both the opinion and dissent. The use of the word inculcate in the opinion is almost to suggest that our children are being brainwashed by the pledge. The use of language that can be open to interpretation in an opinion should be omitted. When a supreme court makes a ruling, that ruling should be clear and concise, not left open to the possibility of misinterpretation by those reading the opinion. In the same way, the use of the word picayune in the dissent shows the contempt the author had for the majority ruling and should be removed. While Judge Fernandez may not have been happy with the ruling he does still acknowledge that the use of the words “under god” do present a danger to our First Amendment rights even if he does call that danger picayune. I would have to say that any danger at all would not be picayune.
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Response to final question in an ethics class
By Alan Hood | August 2, 2007
Overall this was a very interesting class with a lot of helpful information. The information from this class should help every class member better understand people of other races and ethnicities. The information I found most useful was all of the different ways that people are subjugated and repressed. I have always know that our government repressed people of different colors and women, but it is always healthy to remember all of the laws and regulations that were passed with the soul intent of keeping people down. While many other countries don’t believe that the United States always does the right thing, I feel like we work hard to improve on the past and move forward with equality in mind.
I did not really learn anything new about my cultural history. My grandmother loves genealogy and I have spent numerous hours speaking with her about our family and culture. While most people would consider me White, I know that I come from a very diverse background and consider myself only as an American.
The Land of the Free will always be an attractant to people living under pressure from repressive foreign governments, so it will be Americas responsibility to lead the world into the future of race relations. What the face of America will look like in 50 years, three generations of families can make big changes as I am sure Darwin would agree, so we cannot predict those changes. Let’s hope that the face of America looks like an entire new race altogether. That would mean that people have overcome their prejudices and are willing to accept interracial marriages.
This country can best prepare for the changing race and ethnicity of its future citizens by leading the way. It is the government’s responsibility to equalize the playing field for all of its citizens. The government should continue to encourage the hiring of minorities until they don’t have to any more. The more people are intermixed the easier it is to accept people with differences. Does that mean that I believe that the next 50 years will bring harmony in race relations to America? Not by a long shot we continue to have people from all races who spew hate and segregation. As long as there is someone who feels slighted or wronged by a person from another race there will always be tension. I do believe race relations are getting better despite the few extremists.
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Jesus v Muhammad
By Alan Hood | July 31, 2007
Comparing the lives of two people who were integral to two religious groups with the largest and most volatile followers is not an easy task. The lives of these two people were not chronicled while they were alive if in fact they were alive at all. We must rely on the text of these two religious organizations that may have had ulterior motives when the chronicles were written. I will begin with the life of Jesus whose birth makes the zero year of the calendar we follow today, or maybe it doesn’t because of some discrepancies in the tale or the math. I will then chronicle the life of the last prophet of the Islamic religion, Muhammad or Mohammed as our syllabus would suggest. I find the spelling different in many places but most often I see Muhammad so I will go with that.
Jesus was born to a Jew Named Mary who was a virgin at the time of conception, setting up the whole divine conception theory held so dearly by Christians. Some chapters of the Bible state that the birth of Jesus took place in the town of Bethlehem while other chapters don’t begin the addressing Jesus until he was already an adult. Jesus was said to have grown up in the small town of Nazareth where he most likely training to become a carpenter like his “father” Joseph. According to the Bible when Jesus was a young boy of just 12 years he wondered off from his parents while they are in Jerusalem and goes to a temple to discuss religion. When his parents find him he says “Didn’t you know I would be in my father’s house?” Little else is know of the life of Jesus until he was approximately 30 years old when his first act as a as a minister is to be baptized by John the Baptist. It is also believed that when Jesus is baptized it marks the moment when Jesus goes from human to divine. Jesus begins his ministry with the followers of John the Baptist and he selected 12 of them to be his disciples. Two of Jesus’ disciples Mathew and John are also authors of the Bible. Jesus began his ministry by working miracles for all of his followers to see, including things like healing the sick, walking on water, and tuning water into wine. As Jesus’ popularity grew among the local towns people so did the anger of the current occupiers of Israel the Romans. The Romans felt threatened by Jesus because he claimed he was the Messiah who would liberate the Jews for the rule of the Romans. The Jewish leadership at the time also felt angered by Jesus and his interpretations of Jewish law and the fact that he spoke outwardly about his own divinity. And then we come to the end, the day before Jesus was executed for blasphemy he gathered his disciples for a Last Supper where they shared bread and wine and Jesus told them of the end and that one of them would betray him. The next day Judas Iscariot led the Romans to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, fulfilling the prophecy. Jesus was then found guilty by a Jewish priest and handed over to the Romans for execution. Jesus was crucified in front of his mother and a few female disciples and suffered on his cross for six hours before crying out, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Muhammad was born in the town of Mecca but his father died before he was born so the beginning of his life was spent with only his mother. When Muhammad was only five or six years old his mother took him on a journey to visit relatives and his father’s grave in the town of Yathrib. During the return trip his mother fell ill and died very quickly. Muhammad’s nurse then took him to live with his paternal grandfather who was an important man in the town of Mecca. This was also to be a very short stay for Muhammad, as his grandfather died just 2 short years later. Muhammad was then placed in the care of his uncle who was a man of very modest means. Muhammad was forced to make his own way by working as a shepherd, and later accompanied caravans to trade centers for his uncle. While doing business for his uncle the merchants recognized him as a person who cold be trusted and nicknamed him El-Amin. When Muhammad was in his twenties he went to work for his distant cousin who was a wealthy merchant in Mecca, and 15 years his senior. After Muhammad impressed the woman with his abilities, she proposed marriage and the two were wed. Muhammad was uneasy with the way his life and the lives of the people were going so he started to make long trips to a mountain cave where he would meditate. During many of these meditation sessions Muhammad was given the words of god and wrote them down in what is now the Qur’an. When Muhammad took his message to the people he gathered a modest group of followers and also the anger of the Quraysh, Mecca’s dominant tribe. The Quraysh refused to trade with Muhammad and his followers to the point that they were all starving. So they left Mecca and went to Yathrib, now known as Medina. When he arrived in Yathrib he was employed as a moderator for the townspeople who had endured a long civil war. Muhammad was successful and stayed there for 6 years, building the first Muslim community. But Muhammad still had problems with the people of Mecca and the fought 3 battles over the next 4 years, until a treaty was signed giving the Muslims freedom to move around Arabia as they saw fit. After the treaty was broken Muhammad and his followers decided to take Mecca once and for all. When they Marched into Mecca they had no resistance and Muslims have controlled it ever since. Muhammad returned to live in Medina until the final years of his life when he made one last pilgrimage to Mecca just 3 months before his death.
After the deaths of both men their movements took on very different forms, Jesus was seen as the savior of all Christians and he died for their sins. Muhammad is seen as the last prophet of God and is not really worshiped like he was a God. Muhammad made it known that Muslims were to worship only one god and nothing else, where Jesus claimed to be the son of God and felt that he should also be worshipped. People will believe some pretty incredible things and the deaths of both men have brought about extremist action from both religious groups in their names. Muhammad had a greater impact on his followers while he was alive than Jesus did. Muhammad brought his people their Qur’an and gave them all of the secrets to their religion. Jesus walked around performing miracles and claimed to be divine, and then when he supposedly made the ultimate sacrifice for his people he cried out that he had been forsaken. Jesus’ message is being carried out better today than when he was alive because people believe the tale better now than they did from him. Muhammad’s message while better when he was alive is still being carried out by many everyday because he isn’t the colonization of the religion, God is.
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Journal Entry 1
By Alan Hood | July 31, 2007
15 January 1980
Today we finally landed in San Francisco,
18 January 1980
My brother Dang’s Apartment is very small, just one bedroom that he has moved his two kids into, to accommodate the four of us sleeping in the main room. I am so thankful to be in America where one day I hope to own a house of my own. At work the bosses are nice, but I find it a little strange to be working for a Chinese family. Dang has learned to cook and is very well thought of at the restaurant, but he is very hard on me so that he does not look bad for recommending me to the boss. It’s not like I could screw up washing dishes, they’re either clean or they’re not. This entry has to be short I am very tired; we work from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm every day. It is so much nicer to be working and earning my way in the world than it was to be sitting in a camp with nothing to do.
January 20, 1980
Today Phuong met with the government about getting permanent visas and enrolling the children in school. Phuong told me it could be an entire year before we get permanent visas and are made citizens. That is not what they told us at the camp, but there is nothing we can do about it now. Phuong and the kids took English lessons at the camp and speak English very well but the government did an assessment of the children’s English and told Phuong that they would have to learn more before they could enroll in school. Phuong asked where they were teaching English and was told that the government did not have such a program; it would be up to us to teach the children English. On her way back from the government office a small group of long haired kids started yelling at Phuong to go home that she wasn’t wanted here. They were yelling “go home chink you will make America stink.” How can Americans be against us? We both fought on the same side, in the war against communism. I don’t understand why they thought Phuong was Chinese she doesn’t even look Chinese. At least Phuong doesn’t have to hear about the “boat People” like I do at work every day. I am sure tomorrow will be a better day.
March 23, 1980
I know it has been a long time since I have written in my journal. In the future I will try to do it on a more consistent basis, but I am so tired in the evenings after working 17 hours per day. I am still thankful for my job, but the hours are very long and tiresome. I am not so thankful for they way my family is treated in America though. Yesterday my son Trang was beaten up by a group of kids while playing in the park. His face looks bad but it sure could have been a lot worse if some of his friends didn’t stop the beating. I keep asking the children to make friends with white people and try to assimilate into American culture, but I guess it isn’t easy to make friends with people who make fun of the way you speak and call you names. It will be hard for me to assimilate into American culture but I hope the children are young enough to be accepted. I have the children reading a text book about race and ethnicity to learn how to be accepted. The children learned that (Schaefer, 2006, 23) “Assimilation is the process by which a subordinate individual or group takes on the characteristics of the dominant group and is eventually accepted as part of that group.” I just hope that they don’t get to discouraged and stop trying before they are fully accepted into American culture.
August 24, 1980
It didn’t take as long to get permanent visas as they told us it would. Yesterday the entire family was issued visas, and can now apply for citizenship in the United States. I am not sure when I will have time to take the citizenship classes; maybe my boss will let me take the time off of work to do it. I am not sure we can afford for me to take any time off of work, we have only saved 375 dollars in the 8 months we have been here. It is very expensive to dress the children in the appropriate clothes so they are more readily accepted. Both children start school tomorrow, as they have passed the English assessment. Trang wants to be a doctor like his grandfather, and Trinh wants to be a physicist like her mother. Unless things change a lot in the next 20 years it won’t do Trinh much good to work hard in school and get a good education. Phuong never complains but I can see the disappointment in her eyes after she has a job interview and has to go back to working in the laundry for the hotel. Phuong came from a wealthy family in Viet Nam and has a world class education. When her father was killed early in the war with North Viet Nam the government took all of her families land and money. I guess a good education and a good family name don’t do you much good when you’re an immigrant.
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Ethnic Groups and Discrimination
By Alan Hood | July 31, 2007
I am closely associated with being a white male in today’s society. Like most Americans though I have a very mixed background, my great grandmother on my fathers side was full blood Iroquois, contrasting with my mothers father immigrated to America from Germany with his parents just before World War II. Mix in a whole bunch of English, hence the last name Hood and you get me. I grew up in New Mexico which boasts that 52% of the population is from a Hispanic heritage, while I associated with being white to me there wasn’t much difference between being Hispanic and being white. I have the same skin tone and almost the same hair color as all of my Hispanic friends, just blue eyes instead of brown. My focus for this topic will be on English immigration and the obstacles faced by English immigrants.
The English are credited with colonizing America when the formed the first township of Jamestown in what is present day Virginia. Life was hard in the new world at first when according to (Thinkquest.org, 2006) “The village was often attacked by Native Americans. In 1622, 350 colonists were killed; 500 in 1644. Colonists rebelling against the rule of Governor William Berkeley burned Jamestown in the seat of government was moved to the Middle Plantation (now Williamsburg) in 1699, and Jamestown was deserted.” Many of the English who left England were being discriminated against by their government on the basis of their religion. While the struggles of the colonizing whites s not what this paper is about I feel it is important to include as a background of why so much of the discrimination of the past is attributed to whites.
After the American Revolution, while the newly formed United States of America was being settled by mostly white Europeans large landowners and wealthy business owners again participated heavily in the slave trade. According to (Davis, Ph. D., 2006) “…slaves were brought into what became the United States, only around 500,000 compared to perhaps 12 to 13 million imported into the Caribbean and South and Central America.” This of course is the root of all racism in America. When one group of people feels so superior to another group that they believe that they can own them as a possession it will take a very long time for both people to forget about those actions. For over one hundred years after the slaves were finally legally freed they have had to fight everyday for the same rights and opportunities that white Americans sometimes take for granted.
Having a different skin tone wouldn’t be the only reason for whites to discriminate against you though. Whites will just as easily discriminate against other whites from different countries or different religions. When the Irish started migrating to America they were treated just as poorly by the English immigrants as everybody else was. The Irish mostly came to America after the great potato famine of the 1840’s with little or no money and were forced into hard labor to make a substantive living. The Irish had no other choice but to leave their country or stave to death leaving them at the mercy of other whites in order to survive. When people are forced to make decisions like emigrate or die they leave themselves open the discrimination in the country they land in. As shown by (Thinkquest.org, 2006) “Their only mode of escape was emigration, starving families that could not pay landlords faced no alternative but to leave the country in hopes of a better future. And thus the steadily scaling number of Irish who entered the U.S. between 1820 and 1830 skyrocketed in the 1840’s, nearly 2 million came in that decade.”
So far I have clearly pointed out that whites have been a participant in every form of discrimination lately though we have been hearing a very big uproar about reverse discrimination against whites. Like the case pointed out on the Washington Times web site by (Archibald, 2004) “An English professor at the University of North Carolina illegally subjected a student to “intentional discrimination and harassment” because he was “a white, heterosexual Christian male” who expressed disapproval of homosexuality, the U.S. Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights has ruled.” I don’t believe that any discrimination is acceptable in today’s society, but what do you expect to happen after hundreds of years of oppression and discrimination by your race. I almost find it amusing how many white people are yelling about discrimination now.
I defiantly associate with American mainstream culture more than I would any English immigrant or colonizer. If all Americans are willing to work hard at building unity between the races then America will have an even brighter future.
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I have to write some stupid crap!
By Alan Hood | July 31, 2007
February 23, 2003
To: Carrie Underwood
From: Alan Hood
Subject: Richard’s trip to Mexico
Carrie I have been researching our upcoming trip to Mexico and would like to share some of the information I gathered. As I am sure you are aware the way we communicate in America isn’t always shared with the rest of the world and Mexico is decidedly different.
First I would like to point out the differences in non-verbal communication. Mexico is a high contact society, meaning that they will touch more and stand closer when speaking with people. Another thing that we need to be aware of in a high contact society is that they will pay close attention to body language. Because Mexicans are so aware of body language we will need to be careful of not placing our hands in our pockets or on our hips. We should also notice that if the Mexicans are using their hands while speaking they are fully involved in the conversation. Lastly I would like to point out that in high contact societies like Mexico they will be more interested in the things that are said and in building a relationship than they will be in numbers, figures, and contracts.
Verbal communications will be just as important as how we will be perceived from our non-verbal communications. Let everyone know that it will be important to build a relationship first before talking about business. Mexicans place a high importance on the relationships they have with people they do business with. It will be important to open ourselves up personally to them so that they feel we are people they would want to do business with. We should make a point of learning a few simple phrases in Spanish so they know we are willing to do everything it takes to make this a long lasting relationship and not just a sales meeting. Be aware that the most important part of this trip will be in what we verbally communicate to our clients. They will put great importance on the tone of our voices, and we should make sure to keep our tones light and easy, not harsh or business like. Another important aspect will be if we get to the point of negotiations Mexicans like to negotiate and feel very comfortable negotiating. We should be prepared for a lengthy negotiation and not try to get right to the bottom line figures.
If we keep these few things at the front of our minds during the trip I am sure it will be very rewarding. If there is anything I can do to help with any of these communication tips please let me know.
Sincerely
Alan Hood
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Hispanic American Diversity
By Alan Hood | July 31, 2007
While most Hispanics are lumped into one group referred to as Latinos or Hispanics just like most cultures Hispanics living in America come from different parts of the world with many differences in culture. Hispanics in the southwest United States are usually referred to as Mexicans or in the southeast United States are commonly referred to as Cubans but in reality may come from a mix of one, both or maybe someplace altogether different. While most Americans cannot tell the difference, they most certainly can and this report will focus on the differences of the cultures and people.
Mexican Americans are the prominent minority group where I live in the southwest United States. I have worked and gone to school with both legal and illegal immigrants from Mexico, as well as Mexican Americans whose families have been in the United States for longer than some of my ancestors. Growing up in New Mexico where 43% of the population is Hispanic gives a person a real insight into the Hispanic culture and heritage. One of the largest celebrations in New Mexico is the Cinco de Mayo celebration, which I would compare to a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Ireland. In New Mexico we put up luminarios which are paper bags filled with sand and a burning candle on top of the sand to light up the bag, for Christmas instead of the traditional lights done in most parts of the country. One of the outstanding insights into Hispanics that live in New Mexico is that most do not still have family that live in Mexico and have no real ties to Mexico, they consider illegal immigrants “wet backs” and say that the illegal immigrants give them a bad name. Native New Mexican’s will still hire illegal immigrants, to work in their yards, and in the kitchens of their restaurants. Our text supports this where (Schaefer, 2006, 238) reads “Among U.S.-born Latinos, there is clearly a move away from using the native country as a means of identity. Among this segment of the Latino population, 46 percent say they either first use or only use “American” to describe themselves, and 29 percent use their parents’ country of origin.”
I have only known one family of Puerto Ricans in my life and the live down the street from me now. The grandfather Silviero and I have become good friends because we have a common interest in cars. Silviero was a garbage collector from Chicago who retired and moved to Arizona to get away from the cold and to provide a better life for his grandchildren. Silviero has lived in the United States for 50 years but still speaks with a heavy accent and has close ties to Puerto Rico, visiting there often. Everyone in the family speaks English but only the adults are bilingual, it seems like they have intentionally not taught the children Spanish but I have never inquired as to why. Schaefer says that (Schaefer, 2006, 241) “Puerto Ricans in the United States tend to be more English-language oriented, with 39 percent English-dominant, 40 percent bilingual, and 21 percent Spanish dominant” Which makes me think that Puerto Ricans work hard at assimilation and acceptance. I believe that it is hard not to look at Puerto Ricans as immigrants even though Schaefer points out that (Schaefer, 2006, 237) “Sociologist Clara Rodríquez has noted that Puerto Ricans, who are American citizens, are often mistakenly viewed as an immigrant group and lumped with all Latinos or Hispanics.” If Puerto Ricans are American citizens then why aren’t they counted in the national census? Is our government still practicing subjugation after all these years? It seems like they are with Puerto Ricans, because we recently hit a milestone in population that was big news, 300 million Americans, if we had counted all of the 4 million plus Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico then that milestone would have been reached much faster.
When I think of Cubans it is mostly about the salsa dancing and night life in Miami Beach, but that is quickly overshadowed by the oppressive communist government run by Fidel Castro and Scare Face the movie. The only Cuban I have ever known is a business owner in Albuquerque who is a multi-millionaire that spends his free time hunting and mounting large game in Africa. To me he is the exception to what I see in news coverage and movies about Cubans. While I am sure that not all Cuban immigrants are drug dealers and hustlers, which is mostly how they are portrayed by mass media and entertainment. As a group Cubans Americans are doing well according to (Schaefer, 2006, 249) “Cuban Americans have college completion rates twice those of other Latinos. In this and all other social measures, the pattern is similar. Cuban Americans in 2000 compared favorably with other Hispanics, although recent arrivals as a group trail behind White Americans.” While I can not explain why Cuban Americans complete college at twice the rate of other Hispanic groups it would seem that a close family and community structure relies on the younger generation to get ahead so that they can all be accepted into American society.
The fourth group I would like to look at is a combination of Central Americans and South Americans. This group is the smallest in numbers of Hispanic immigrants. While they are classified as Hispanic the one thing that would make them stand out in my mind is that we mostly think of Hispanics as Spanish speaking people but immigrants from Central or South America could speak any number of languages pointed out by (Schaefer, 2006, 251) “Not all Central and South Americans have Spanish as their native tongue; for example, immigrants from Brazil speak Portuguese, immigrants from French Guyana speak French, and those from Suriname speak Dutch.” One of the most interesting things about people from Central and South America is that they don’t typically racially profile people but classify people by a color gradient system. A color gradient system is (Schaefer, 251) “A color gradient is the placement of people long a continuum from light to dark skin color rather than in distinct racial groupings by skin color.” Color gradients would make a lot a sense in America also, considering all of the people of mixed backgrounds. While Hispanics are now the largest minority group, because of their unique and differing backgrounds they will probably never get together and for a united front. Like all other grouped immigrants Whites, Blacks, Asians, we all have different beliefs and structures so it is foolish to classify the many different Hispanics all together.
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Immigration
By Alan Hood | July 31, 2007
While pondering the question of would I want to immigrate to the United States, There are too many variables to just say yes or no. If I felt that my situation was so desperate that I had no other choice then I hope that I would at least try to change my situation, even if it meant leaving my family, friends, and country behind. When you are in a situation of no education and very little prospect of earning enough money to survive on then you are almost forced to leave. In America the average illegal worker standing on a street corner looking for day labor job should be able to make fifteen to twenty times more than the average factory worker in Mexico. According to (Schaefer, 2006, 92/4) “Mexican factory wages start at $2.90 a day.” Anyone who wouldn’t want to change that situation has resigned themselves to living a miserable life.
While reviewing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website it becomes abundantly clear that it would be very hard for an immigrant worker to apply for or receive citizenship in the United States. The forms are lengthy and the fees are prohibitive to immigrants with very low paying jobs and little formal education. As a citizen I found it hard to understand which forms needed to be filled out and where to send them. Then you must comply with the background checks and finger printing at specified locations and times. I did find it funny that the forms ask you to give information about crimes you have committed but were never arrested for. I guess that’s what putting the USCIS under direction of the Homeland Security department did for us.
Priority should be given to immigrants who seek asylum due to their own government or country persecuting them based on race or religion. Immigration will become less of a factor in the decades to come because of the globalization of a world economy. When people in other countries are more able to share in the worlds wealth they will have fewer reasons to want to leave their own country. I further believe that it is the responsibility of the wealthy nations of the world to invest in every poor country that has a responsible government. Giving priority to people who have special skills should not be allowed at all. Our text book clearly points out that the brain drain principle could devastate developing countries. (Schaefer, 2006, 103/4) “The brain drain is the immigration to the United States of skilled workers, professionals, and technicians who are desperately needed by their home countries.” We should make it our priority to help developing countries not hinder them.
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