I read Chapter six of Ronald Takaki’s book which was entitled Emigrants from Erin. In this chapter we learn all about the Irish immigrants who were basically removed from their land by tyranny and the destruction of major crop that produced a large famine that affected the whole Irish nation.
The Irish people were taken over by the British who became more like tyrants than rulers. They forced the people into a poor tenant state. Ben Franklin visited Ireland and found the Irish to be living in an “extremely poor” tenant farming type of life. The colonialism and emphasis on export had reduced their living conditions of the Irish so far, until they were barely clothed, had skinny frames, and all were only surviving by eating only potatoes every day. Many Irish men had to leave their jobs and take positions as migratory workers in other parts of Ireland; they later were able to return to their families in the fall. A million people died from famine and disease during this period of time in Ireland. Twenty percent of the people who decided to leave Ireland for America also died on the way. The Irish people contributed to the building of many of America’s roadways and canals that were being built throughout the country, and also many of the railroads as well. The Irish were pitted against other races and had fierce competition with African American for work when they arrived in America.
Why did People in America pit the Irish immigrants against the African American slaves? The answer to that question is that, when the Irish first arrived they were discriminated and though to be just as low the African American slaves. I think that white people feel as if people who are remotely different from them are inferior; I also feel that in most ways this view of other cultures and races has not changed.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Chapter 12 of Takaki - El Norte
I read Chapter twelve of Ronald Takaki’s book which is entitled “El Norte, The Borderland of Chicano America”. In this chapter I learn of Mexican immigrants, and all of their struggles and hardships looking for jobs with better money and opportunity for their families. The chapter also describes how the Mexican people were forced from their original lands, and in turn their lands became part of American territory. From the past into the present Mexican people continue to strive for the opportunity to do bigger and better things to help have better lives for themselves and their families.
For the Mexican people America was El Norte a land full of hopes and dreams. A great number of Mexican immigrants were fleeing the country to escape the starvation going on in Mexico. The great migration to America after 1900 was an extension of population movements already underway within Mexico. Once many of the people were in America they migrated to urban industrialization cities, many people found themselves trapped in a condition of cyclical unemployment as industries expanded and contracted. In 1883 a land law allowed private land development companies to receive up to one-third of any land they surveyed and subdivided. By the 1890’s about one-fifth of Mexico’s entire land area had been transferred to these companies. In 1910 frustration and anger exploded into the Mexican Revolution. Francisco Madero overthrew the Diaz government in 1911. Madero was overthrown by General Huerto, Huerta was later forced into exile. The warring factions plunged the country into chaos and violence. The civil war seemed endless forcing tens of thousands of refugees to move northward. Abouth one-tenth of the Mexican population migrated to United States, during the twentieth century Mexicans were encouraged to migrate to America because their labor was needed.
I believe that Mexican people have struggled to overcome many of the problems within their own country, then many found their way to America where they thought it would be a lot better for them. Instead many found America to be a place where they were paid low wages for very hard work, and only allowed for the most part to take jobs that didn’t require much skill.
My question is why were the Mexican people treated this way ?
I think the reason most American white people treated the Mexican people like that, is because they felt like they inferior and readily available to be taken advantage of. Also like many of the other races they discriminated against they felt like they weren’t smart enough to do anything else except for what they felt they were capable of doing.
For the Mexican people America was El Norte a land full of hopes and dreams. A great number of Mexican immigrants were fleeing the country to escape the starvation going on in Mexico. The great migration to America after 1900 was an extension of population movements already underway within Mexico. Once many of the people were in America they migrated to urban industrialization cities, many people found themselves trapped in a condition of cyclical unemployment as industries expanded and contracted. In 1883 a land law allowed private land development companies to receive up to one-third of any land they surveyed and subdivided. By the 1890’s about one-fifth of Mexico’s entire land area had been transferred to these companies. In 1910 frustration and anger exploded into the Mexican Revolution. Francisco Madero overthrew the Diaz government in 1911. Madero was overthrown by General Huerto, Huerta was later forced into exile. The warring factions plunged the country into chaos and violence. The civil war seemed endless forcing tens of thousands of refugees to move northward. Abouth one-tenth of the Mexican population migrated to United States, during the twentieth century Mexicans were encouraged to migrate to America because their labor was needed.
I believe that Mexican people have struggled to overcome many of the problems within their own country, then many found their way to America where they thought it would be a lot better for them. Instead many found America to be a place where they were paid low wages for very hard work, and only allowed for the most part to take jobs that didn’t require much skill.
My question is why were the Mexican people treated this way ?
I think the reason most American white people treated the Mexican people like that, is because they felt like they inferior and readily available to be taken advantage of. Also like many of the other races they discriminated against they felt like they weren’t smart enough to do anything else except for what they felt they were capable of doing.
Why I hate Abercrombie & Fitch
I read the article “Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch” by Dwight James. The article is basically self explanatory by the title; the author does like the clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch. He believes that the Abercrombie company does not represent the all American image it self proclaimed to have.
Abercrombie & Fitch is clothing company that started off as something completely different kind of a company. In they year of 1913 the company expanded its inventory to include sports wear clothing. It was also the first company to supply such clothing to both men and women. Abercrombie has outfitted everyone including all types of famous clientele even Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and John F. Kennedy. The clothing company went through hard times and even filed for bankruptcy. They now have been under the same management since 1992 under Michael Jeffries. The company is well known for having controversial ad campaigns causing a problem with their extremely over sexed pictures during their marketing campaigns. They also are known for celebrating their whiteness. The company says they are the classic all American look, but many often find that in their ads and magazines that look does not include African American people, Chinese, Mexican or Latino cultures. The pictures of diversity models aren’t included on the front page of the site, but rather under a small link at the bottom of the page entitled diversity. Dwight McBride was outraged that people of color were not represented in any of the ads and basically in an unspoken way are told that the clothing is not for them.
My question is why are minorities excluded from buying Abercrombie & Fitch?
The people at Abercrombie say they do not exclude from selling to consumers of color. They have also covered themselves by making their diversity page. But in reality they are still racist and that is a problem. I don’t agree with Dwight McBride however, because he is coming from a point of view that highly disagrees with and to me is morally incorrect.
Abercrombie & Fitch is clothing company that started off as something completely different kind of a company. In they year of 1913 the company expanded its inventory to include sports wear clothing. It was also the first company to supply such clothing to both men and women. Abercrombie has outfitted everyone including all types of famous clientele even Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and John F. Kennedy. The clothing company went through hard times and even filed for bankruptcy. They now have been under the same management since 1992 under Michael Jeffries. The company is well known for having controversial ad campaigns causing a problem with their extremely over sexed pictures during their marketing campaigns. They also are known for celebrating their whiteness. The company says they are the classic all American look, but many often find that in their ads and magazines that look does not include African American people, Chinese, Mexican or Latino cultures. The pictures of diversity models aren’t included on the front page of the site, but rather under a small link at the bottom of the page entitled diversity. Dwight McBride was outraged that people of color were not represented in any of the ads and basically in an unspoken way are told that the clothing is not for them.
My question is why are minorities excluded from buying Abercrombie & Fitch?
The people at Abercrombie say they do not exclude from selling to consumers of color. They have also covered themselves by making their diversity page. But in reality they are still racist and that is a problem. I don’t agree with Dwight McBride however, because he is coming from a point of view that highly disagrees with and to me is morally incorrect.
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