The American Dream is a Privilege (FYS Final)

I portrayed an illegal immigrant in the simulation, and was told to take 9 steps backward. This confused me at first because I didn't grasp the meaning of the exercise. Then i realized that we were visualizing the chances of specific majorities and minorities of achieving the "American Dream." An illegal immigrant is the third on the scale to be the least likely to get a taste of the American Dream; the American Dream is one that is a privilege. To be specific, the 1950s Baby Boomers are most likely to achieve the Dream, but a disabled American chances are low, and even worse off were Native Americans. I ask myself why this is, but the only explanation I can think of is "favoritism." Those groups at the bottom of the scale remind me of the Holocaust during WWII; Hitler was trying to perfect (in his mind) the world by ridding it of imperfections: Jews, the disabled (mentally and physically), gypsies, the elderly, etc. This is not only unfair, it is wrong! America is supposed to permit equal rights to all, and everyone should be able to achieve the American Dream, but how can they if they are not given the chance to do so. Portraying an illegal immigrant inspired me to ask this question, because I have had the privilege to be close friends with amazing people who had traveled to America illegally. I've spoken with their parents and have learned that they only came here to give their children the best education, and possibly a better life than they would have had back home. Is it fair to punish someone who is just trying to help their children?

Disabled people are even more neglected; for example, can a person in a wheelchair achieve their dream of living in a two-story house if ramps and elevators are not provided? They can't always get hired (despite the fact that employers are not permitted to discriminate against the disabled), which explains why many are asking for financial help from the government. I have had first hand experience of this situation: my mother was in a car accident before I was born. Her back was broken, but thankfully she could still walk, but not without pain. Our family got on well enough (we were financially stable), until my parents got a divorce. The family income was split in half, and my mom was out of a job after getting injured at work (different incident). Now she was a single mom trying to support two children as well as herself, with minimal child support and almost an nonexistent Workman's Composition. In conclusion, is the American Dream a reality for everyone, or only those privileged enough to achieve it?

RHS

We got the opportunity to work with students from RHS with minor or severe handicaps, and I believe it was one of the most rewarding experiences I have encountered. The first thing I noticed upon arriving at the school was the beautiful garden in front of the classroom; it must be very calming to sit near the little fountain. Over the period of four days, we did arts and crafts, and played games with the students; I especially enjoyed the Cat and Mouse game with the hula-hoops.

The student who pops into my mind when I think about our trips to RHS is a wonderful girl named *Kelly. Kelly was the first student I met upon arriving at the school, and I had the pleasure of helping her paint her holiday picture frame. I learned that her favorite color was white, so she was extremely excited to learn that we were painting the frames white. Kelly is the student that I remember most vividly because she had one of the most beautiful smile that can light up a room the instant she walks in. She always showed her happiness when we would do one of her favorite activities (especially when she got two strikes in a row when we were bowling).

The one thing i found very surprising was how the "normal" students (I believe no one is normal) would walk past the class without even noticing they existed. I found it rather offensive, because these students are wonderful human beings and should be treated as such, not ignored as they have been for years.

After we left on the last day of our experience, I couldn't help but feel guilty because of the sad faces I received after the students learned that we would not be coming back the next day. I have honestly learned that beauty is on the inside, and these students are not quiet and "weird" (as some may put it) if you take the time to talk to them.

The Lincoln Shrine

I was rather interested in the different books Lincoln had read (very excited about him having read the Complete Works of Shakespeare, as he is one of my favorites). I noticed one that caught my attention in passing: I believe it was titled "The River Runs Red." I will most likely begin reading it as soon as possible. I was also amazed to discover art by Norman Rockwell (the Shrine's curator seemed to think it odd that I knew who that was, stating beforehand that "Some of [us] would be too young to know who Norman Rockwell is." Call me an old soul, but he is one of my favorite artists.

Lincoln's wife, however, was the topic that stuck in my mind throughout the day. Questions kept popping up in my thoughts: "Was she really Bi-Polar?" "Did she have a spending problem?" "What did she do so different, that made the idea of a 'First Lady' stay with the presidency?" I will probably end up doing some research if I can find the time.

Smiley Library

I am quite passionate about reading, which may sound strange considering that I, like many of my classmates, was raised surrounded by the latest and greatest technology. Household electronics such as TVs, computers, and radios could not compete against a book for my attention. I'm not quite sure how I became interested in reading, but I have been told (as I don't remember it myself as I was too young) that I refused to pick up a pencil to draw something, and would, instead, grab a book, and do a picture walk. I was overjoyed when I began elementary school, and I was finally learning to read. My favorite day of the week was Friday, because we would go to our school library to choose a book we would read the next week. My teachers had a difficult time getting me out of the library, as I could never choose just one book; they all seemed marvleous. Eventually I would have to do "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe" to choose my book. I could not say, "Libraries were what influenced me to read books," becausee then I would be lying. I believe that I became interested ("obsessed" would be a more accurate description) in books due to the encouragement of my parents; they always enjoyed seeing me "reading" to myself, making up nearly accurate stories to go along with the pictures, and I loved it when they would read to me before bedtime.

Libraries did, however, allow me to expand my book interests: mysteries, poems, adventures, comedies, and many others. The library offers children a portal into the imaginary world of their choosing; whether it be an island with buried treasure and plundering pirates, or the streets of London, witnessing Sherlock Holmes solve his latest mystery. Libraries can give children an excape, through books, from the troubles and hardships of everyday life.

Estencia

The Asistencia was originally built (originally one mile east of where it is today) as an outpost for cattle grazing activities in the Mission Era (1819 - 1834). This is when (it is believed) that Native Americans dug irrigation ditches (a.k.a zanjas) to serve the area. It was made completely of adobe and timber. The missionaries intended to bring religion and civilization to the Native Americans. The original site of the Asistencia was attacked by Indians in 1834, and was thus passed into private hands: José de Carmen Lugo purchased the property in 1842. It was then sold in the early 1850s to the Mormons, then it was a school, and later was used as a furniture factory. In 1857 Dr. Benjamin Barton bought the property. And finally, in 1925, the County of San Bernardino took over the property and its restoration was complete in 1937. The Asistencia today is a museum, and a wedding chapel. There is an on site manager who can help guests with any questions they may have about the Asistencia and wedding information (and fyi the manager has a few adorable cats that live in his office; thought I'd throw that in for some random Asistencia trivia).

Although the Mission thought it was helping the Native Americans, I don't think they would have liked missionaries invading their land. Yes, the missions brought religion and civilization (or what they believed to be civilization, because it is a matter of opinion) to the Native Americans, but they also brought diseases like Small Pox. Small Pox was fatal to many Native Americans because they had not yet been exposed to it, and was thus not immune to it. It seems that although the missions brought about a new (possibly better) form of civilization, they brought too much death.

Jonathan Kozol

To be honest I was a little pessimistic about going to Dr. Kozol's lecture last night, but only because it started at the time I usually go exercise. But I grabbed a couple of friends and headed down to the chapel, to listen to Kozol's lecture. I was not disappointed at all; he spoke of many things concerning our youth today, especially state testing. Jonathan Kozol believes greatly that children today have these tests forced upon them too early, thus taking away their childhood. Children should be able to be children not, as some schools prefer to refer to children, "products" in a business like environment. Many teachers, most at the elementary level, are put under alot of stress, what with all the state standards, that they do not always teach in a way children can understand, but rather by the template the state has provided them. They force children to predict "what Sad Sam will do after sitting in the sand." THERE IS NOTHING THERE TO PREDICT! Even I would say, "He kept sitting?" All of the state standards are to be posted on the whiteboards in every classroom in California (and other states as well) so the students can know what they are expected to learn from each lesson. The flaw in this idea is that children do not understand what is meant by the words used in the state standards ("proficiency" for example). And to make it worse not many adults understand exactly what is expected from the students for each state standard. These standards have also created another, extreme problem in elementary, middle school, and even high school levels. These standards force teachers to read books that are not the most interesting, and at a quick pace; thus children who understand why they must complete the standards (to save the school from getting into trouble with the government) do not learn to read for the joy of reading.

One last topic Kozol touched on: the government insists that classroom size is irrelevant to learning. They try to cram as many students as possible into already full classes, and even go so far to send the overflow to trailers/portables/bungalows which are sometimes off campus, or to hot/smelly or otherwise distracting to learn anything of value.

Gab Cast Blog

This is my gabcast blog...I finally figured out how to put it on blogger: http://gabcast.com/index.php?a=search&query=crystalfys

Eat Local

Locally grown foods are advantageous because they can be delivered to grocery stores fresh. Whereas imported foods aren't as fresh because they take longer to ship. I prefer imported foods because I cannot always eat local foods due to food allergies. However I do enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, especially apples from Oak Glen! I don't think I would be able to make my fresh salsa if I was only able to buy locally grown food, because the ingredients are not purely local. I did not attend the "Eat Locally Challenge" because I woke up too late, but from what I heard students did not enjoy the food, but I don't know whether this was due to inefficient food preparation or food quality. A good reason to eat local is that it helps support the local food vendors (like the shops in Oak Glen, or farmers/gardeners). I truly wish that I had gotten the chance to "Eat Locally," simply to experience something new.

Menu Meal

To start off the meal, guests are given complementary bowls of chips and salsa and their choice of bebidas: Pepsi product soft drinks and/or water. For an appetizer our chef has prepared a delicious sopa de vegetal consisting of: pasta, juicy roma tomates, cebollas, and sabor de pollo to compliment the vegetables. For the main course, guests are served a Build-Your-Own-Tostada: corn tortillas, roma tomates, cebollas, lettuce, frijoles refritos, cuatro quesos, and sour cream. And finally for dessert, creamy Tampico brand vanilla ice cream served with Suavicremas (which are vanilla waffle cookies). The meal for one person costs $8.50 plus tax.

A supply of ingredients for a group of five people costs $38.75 plus tax (including cooking oils and butters).

I thouroghly enjoyed going to the market because it has many of the same things a store like Albertson's or Von's would have, yet in most cases, the Ranch Market's products are priced lower. The Ranch Market also sells pre-marinated meats (beef, pork, chicken) that one can take home and cook up with out having to do much preparing. The restaurant in the back of the market, Fiesta Grille, offers a variety of mexican entres, such as burritos, tortas, tostadas, and many different side orders (I got the rice which was delicioso if I may say so myself). It was definitely a new experience for me, as I always shop where my mother buys her food, and there are no Mexican markets near our home.

Reflection of The Inland Empire

The Inland Empire today is somewhat different than it was a hundred year ago. For instance there are no long the vast quantities of crops; there are still some farming areas but not as many as before, and the only crop (if that is the appropriate word) that still covers the majority of the Inland Empire, is the orange groves. The orange groves stretch from Riverside to Cherry Valley, and even farther on both sides (I don't know exactly how far). The pitiful thing about the orange groves, however, as they are a part of Inland Empire history, is that they are no longer being harvested; they are left where they are standing, dropping fruit that is left there to rot. My theory about this terrible fate of the orange grove, is that the land owners of the oranges might be planning to sell the land to real estate but don't want to (or can't) tear up the groves. Thus they are simply depriving the groves of proper care in hope that they will soon die. It is pitiful to let such a great resource go to waste.

Our Inland Empire has also changed somewhat for the better; Redlands is nearly famous (Jerry Bruckheimer recognized the city when he chose the cities in which there would be an eight o'clock showing of Pirates of the Caribbean), and there is plenty of tourism to the historical downtowns of Inland cities. With this popularity of much of Southern California comes problems, however. Much of the Inland Empire is located in the middle of a valley, therefore, every time the heat bears down and the wind blows from the west, the smog rolls in and gets stuck in our valley. This often causes health difficulties (people with sever asthma cannot linger outside for too long, is one example), and makes me realize that we need to do something about the smog problem in California.

In general, the Inland Empire is much more developed than it was (there are elementary schools and universities, for example), but it still contains many of the elements that molded it into what it is today. San Bernardino still has a Methodist, Presbyterian, Mormon, and Catholic Church, for example. There are also numerous refurbished Victorian homes in Redlands. The Inland Empire will continue to grow for generations to come, forever making new traditions and holding on to old ones.

Inlandia

There is much information included in the first few pages of Inlandia, and most of this information seems to discuss the creation of the Inland Empire:

The first two authors (Katherine Saubel and Francisco Patencio) describe the way their people, the Cahuilla, have been told how the tribe came to be. Both authors mention a tribe with supernatural powers, and how the death of their leaders caused them to become mortal. The deaths of these leaders are quite different from each other, however; Saubel explains that the leader (a god) in her version of the story becomes a bit of a menace to his people, and they decide to do away with him, whereas Patencio describes the first leader in his story as being attacked and killed by a mountain lion, and the second tribal leader gives up on living and turns himself into a rock (which is rumored to still contain the body of the leader). Both tales, however different, also discuss the lives of the tribe members after the death of their leader(s); both authors agree that the people settled into the land they finally had chosen as suitable for living, and started families on that land, thus continuing the growth of their people. In both stories, the death of the leader(s) marked the end/loss of the tribes'supernatural powers.
The second two authors (Juan Bautista deAnza and Jose Romero) both made trips through Cahuilla territory, and both believe the Cahuilla to be heathens. De Anza suffered a few casualties caused by the Cahuilla near the river (which caused the riverbed to be fertile enought to sustain the life of much vegetation) he had traveled by, and therefore thought the Cahuilla merciless heathens, but Romero, on the other hand, described them as "friendly heathens," because the Cahuilla acted as guides for Romero's group so as to not get too far away from water during the groups travels through the area (they had already lost a number of horses to a lack of water).
All the stories seem to agree that there is someone or some thing that is the creator of life, whether it was a god, a tribe leaders death, a river, or a local guide (who gave them life by leading them to water).

First Blog

This is my first year seminar Blog #1. Hope this works! (Testing 1..2..3.)