Connections-Anna,+Leah,+Kamarah

=//Anna Townley// =

I feel that America needs to be more of a Salad. Everyone has their own culture; that's what makes everyone unique. Throughout this whole semester we could see that everyone has had a strong sense of identity with their own ancestry. If we didn't hold on to our identity then everyone would be the same. It may seem like a good idea that way we can't be prejudiced against others, but at the same time, there wouldn't be a uniqueness about us. America is known as the Melting Pot, and I think we need to show that we are a Melting Pot. We need to show that we are accepting of other ethnicities. Growing up in Imlay City I have seen a different culture. There is a large Hispanic population. The people there are very proud if their background. There is nothing wrong with that. Even if the kids don't speak any Spanish, they are proud of their past. Every year on May 5th, there is a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the fairgrounds. It's great to see that even though the Hispanics no longer live in Mexico, they still want to celebrate their past. From everything I've seen from the Hispanics living in my town, they are hard workers. They take jobs that no one else would want. They work hard to provide for their families. They are definitely family oriented. Throughout this reading I've learned of the hardships illegal immigrants go through. I knew that they had a lot to go through, but I didn't realize how many died in the desert along the way. Reading //Devil's Highway// really opened my eyes to what all they go through. I knew that they would walk for miles to try and get to a certain location, and that they wanted to come to the United States for a better life, but I didn't realize that there is a guide that brings them through. When I was reading Devil's Highway, it really upset me how the Coyotes would just take advantage of the people; that they would make money even if the men or women they were leading died. It upset me that they could knowingly lead people to their deaths. It made me sad to read about all the men who died in the Wellton 26. These men just wanted a better life for their families, but they couldn't get that. They were led by an inexperienced guide. They weren't properly prepared. They were caught off guard by the heat. If they had been warned then everything would have turned out better for them. They would have had the right amount of water, or they wouldn't have gone at all. Also while reading this book it ticked me off to see the way the Border Patrol treated the illegal immigrants that they caught. They would do everything the could to scared them. I felt that they should have treated them better. These people had just walked a long distance and they get caught, then they're treated like garbage. They are human beings just like everyone else, and they deserve to be treated that way. I have really seen how badly Hispanics are treated in the U.S. We expect them to conform to our ways. We don't want them to have their own identity. We want them to speak English so we can understand them. We want them out of here because we're afraid that they're going to ruin our lives. What we don't realize is that we can get out of our laziness and try to talk with them. We can get to understand a different culture just as easily. We can learn a new language to try and connect to someone, we can spend time with them. I'm not saying we have to change our lives completely, but we need to get out of our laziness and learn to love those who are different from ourselves. As Christians we need to love others. It's been commanded in the Bible. We need to love people who are different. We need to also show our love to others. We shouldn't be the ones saying that all Hispanics who come to America need to learn our language. We need to show that we appreciate them and their heritage.

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=//Leah Lentini// =

I feel that America should be more of a salad than of a soup. Right now lots of people say that America is a melting pot of cultures, which is true, but it takes away from the different cultures that are supposed to be represented in this great nation that we live in. So if we were more of a salad, then I feel that different cultures would be represented better, and you would be able to distinguish better between different cultures. At the same time you could still stay true to your own culture and not have much of anything to do with the other cultures and just stick to your own culture. I have lived in a lot of different places for someone who is only 21, and I've seen my fair share of different cultures that went along with moving to different places. But actually taking the time in class to talk about one different culture was a lot different for me. I had never really given the other cultures the time of day because I really didn't care. I learned that when the United States was becoming a power house, South America was struggling with all of the repercussions that were being caused by us. I had never really understood all that they had gone through. I knew that there were stereotypes, because I have stereotyped them before, so that wasn't really anything new to me. But I would say that it did bring it to my attention more. I wouldn't say that what I learned deepened my understanding of culture, but I would say that it helped me to become more aware of what happens in other cultures. Without being to harsh I'm not going to be super specific, but I feel that if you are here in the United States of America illegally, you need to leave. It is a privilege to live here, and if you are going to take advantage and come here and try and slide through you need to be deported and come back the legal way. I know that the Bible tells us to treat each other how we want to be treated, and maybe it's my bull headedness that makes it hard for me to do, but I just can't get past that. My faith should help me get past it, "WWJD" right? I tell myself this, but then I tell myself, "would Jesus think it's ok for them to come here illegally and not obey the law?" I don't think he would.

=// Kamarah Bayard// =

If the question is would I like soup, salad, or salsa? My answer would be salad. I don't think that all of the people of the Hispanic culture should be forced to become homogenously integrated into this ideal "America" that we believe exists. Furthermore, I don't think that I would like salsa, because I believe in a way lifting and praising one group one race of people over another has a tendency to not work out especially in our country. I like the idea of having a salad, because in a salad, no one ingredient is more important than the other. I feel like having a salad is like saying, "Hey everyone! Let's all be equal with one another," but also not exclaiming that we all must be the same. Every race has different flavors and spices that they bring to this salad we call America. Although the Hispanic population has a huge investment and pride in their native cultures, I feel that praising those native cultures above those of everyone else in America is slightly un-American. I am an African-American, and I take pride in that, and the pride of my families Kenyan ancestry. However if, African-Americans of Kenyan ancestry where the majority in the United States and I had the choice to assimilate into this idea of American society or proudly proclaim my ancestry, history, race, and culture, as being better than or worse than another's culture the balance of power which shift. This shift in the balance of power would cause excitement for some and fear for others. If all of a sudden African-Americans of Kenyan ancestry became the dominant race in America, I would feel very proud but another others like me would not share in my excitement. I personally am, as my mother says, always looking out for the underdog. I don't like environments where someone else has more power or influence. This is something that I feel many Americans take for granted. I love different cultures, and I love being an American because this is one of the only countries in which I get to be surrounded daily with people is so many different environmental backgrounds and cultural experiences. I enjoyed the salad aspect of America where we are all included we are all equal but all of our differences can be seen, and all of our tastes crate something truly delicious, the perfect America.

Introduction Summaries Connections Conclusion