Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch

In Dwight McBride’s, Why I hate Abercrombie & Fitch, his thesis is that purchasing Abercrombie & Fitch brands is saying that you are part of a higher and better life style because A&F portrays a upper class white male.
The chapter begins with a personal story of McBride asking “What is Abercrombie & Fitch?” He then realized that it is everywhere he travels to. He always sees it. Then he goes into about the history of the company from the start in 1892 with David T. Abercrombie to when he partners up with Ezra Fitch in 1904 creating the new shop Abercrombie & Fitch. In 1992, Michael Jefferies took over Abercrombie &Fitch creating the image for people to look up to and want to be. The Look Book is a key factor to this argument. It talks about being part of the A&F look saying it is the most important part. The store has their employees dress up in all A&F clothing to support the look so customers know what they should look like. This book also contains pictures. The book also talks about what jewelry is acceptable. One of the items is no gold chains for men. “Who has been over identified or even stereotyped with these in the popular imagination more than black men?” (71). Also the book held pictures of white men and women but mostly men. Abercrombie also discriminates against people when they are hiring. “A&F discriminates people of color, including Latinos, Asian Americans, and African Americans, in the hiring, job assignment, compensation, termination and other terms and conditions of employment” (77). There are many lawsuits out against A&F for that. Managers are also very difficult on their employees and will fire people of color saying they are “Abercrombied out”. There is also a grading scale of their employees at A&F. If employees were not an “A” they were asked to leave and would be fired.
Why do so many people still go to Abercrombie to purchase their clothing if they know about the racism and class problems they create? I think people still go to Abercrombie because they want to follow a big crowd. Also many people want to be part of the “upper class white man” group thinking it is the best way to be. They do not want to be different and be “lower class” people. Some people of the lower class purchase Abercrombie so they look like they are part of the “upper class” to either prove they can be this way or just want to make everyone else think they are.
I think this article is very interesting. I learned a lot about Abercrombie & Fitch such as the grading scale of their employees based on the way they look. I also did not know they were so racist when hiring people and would turn people down of race just because of their color. I used to buy my clothes from Abercrombie & Fitch when I was in middle school and my freshman year in high school. I finally got away from it once I realized you do not have to wear the most expensive clothing to fit in with people. It just a piece of clothing that covers the same things as a cheaper piece of clothing.

Chapter 12 El Norte: The Borderland of Chicano America

In Ronald Takaki's chapter 12, his thesis is that each group had their own positive saying towards the United States while they were coming over. The Jewish, America was the Promise Land. To the Mexicans it is "El Norte, A land across the river, this country became the stuff of boundless dreams for Mexican migrants. The movement was by choice because they believed that their lives would become better with better opportunities in the United States. They wanted better jobs and a better life and to stray away from the Mexican revolution.
"El Norte, The Borderland of Chicano America" is about how the Mexicans began to migrate into the United States. It started with Mexican Revolutions that led to economic depressions and terrible living conditions. The Chicanos wanted a new life and living style so they built a rail road that led from Mexico to the state of Texas of the United States. Most were looking for better jobs to supports their family others were just trying to escape the horror of the revolutions and just trying to stay alive. The Mexicans were discriminated against with working wages along with working similar jobs they did in Mexico.
There were many different mechanisms of social construction. One of them is education. They were taught labor and manual training. They were told that "employees must be pliant, obedient,, courteous, an willing to help enterprise"(328.) Race was also a factor because the American Federation of Labor saw Mexicans as cheap labor and would never fully become American (331).
I thought this chapter was interesting. It taught me a lot of things I was unaware of and did not know. The way they migrated is interesting from he difference they have ti migrate today.

Comic Book

I chose a Captain America comic book. It is a picture of Captain America and his sidekick fighting a battle on a beach against the Japanese. They are riding on a bull dozer running over many Japanese with it. Captain America is in motion to throw a bomb on them while his sidekick is shooting them with a gun. Planes are coming in and shooting with air attacks.
I think it is talking about World War II after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The Americans are retaliating and sending in troops to kill the Japanese. They did it in such a powerful manor which is symbolizing the bull dozer. They jus pushed the Japanese around in their own country. With all the Japanese dieing/dead this symbolizes that the Americans won.
This is related to chapter 10 Takaki Pacific Crossing. This chapter talks about how the Japanese were treated unfairly. They moved to America for the better money pay and the work. With this bad terms came between white and Japanese races. They felt as those the Japanese were taking all the jobs and then were not treated with the same rights as the white race was treated with. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor that just crossed the line and then the Americans nuked them twice.
These comics did not really affect me at all. I do not know a whole lot about the different wars that happened in the past. A few of the comics were a little extreme with the racism they put in it.

How Jews Became White Folks

In How Jews Became White Folks by Karen Brodkin thesis is “Suddenly the same folks who had promoted nativism and xenophobia were eager to believe that the Euro-orgin people whom they had deported reviled as members of inferior races, and prevented from immigrating only a few years were now model middle-class white suburban citizens.”
In the 1920’s scientific racism said that real Americans were white and that real whites came from northwest Europe. In 1882 racism by white people did not count Chinese in being white. This came to the immigration door being closed on Europeans and Chinese. Jews were the first of the Euro-immigrants to enter schooling and have a significant constant number attending colleges. With this, the Jews were discriminated against being called harsh names. The Seven Sisters schools were being said to be flagrant discriminating. Speech test were becoming difficult to stop Jews from becoming teachers because they did not want them to be teaching Catholics. After World War II, views on whites were changing and it made it easier for Euro-ethnics to become middle class. Economics also played a large role in where you were placed in class.
How come Jews were discriminated against even thought they are white? I think they were discriminated against because they did not follow the Catholic way. So instead of saying it was because of their choices in what they believe in for their god they just said they were not white. This put the Jews at a lower class instead of being where all the other white people were.
I think this article was confusing. I also believe that the Jews were mistreated because of their views instead of what they looked like. As people grew they became more understanding that there are more views on Gods than just their own and began to accept that.

Chapter 9 Zinn Slavery without Submission and Emancipation without Freedom

In Howard Zinn’s chapter 9 Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom, his thesis is that black people still had slavery even though they were free and they were set free but had restrictions on what they could do.
African Americans had a tough time living in the 1800’s. They had to go though more brutal times than most people could say they have today. As the tobacco plantations grew they turned into cotton lands where more slaves were needed. As they slaves were being illegally imported, they started to revolt against the slave owners. One of the largest occurred in New Orleans. In the 1850’s slaves started to run away to Canada and Mexico. They used the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman, one of the most famous slaves for making numerous trips back and fourth with having the chance to being caught. She freed 300 slaves knowing she could go back to being slave for the risk of freeing other slaves. In1860, Lincoln was elected president. In 1861 he declared that all slaves to be free. Zinn says “When the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in January 1863, it declared slaves free in those areas still fighting against the Union and said nothing about slaves behind Union lines.” This means people in the Union still could have slaves because they were not fighting. As the blacks joined the Union army, whites became angry for having to sacrifice different things. They had to join the army because they were drafted because the rich paid their way out of being drafted. With this, the whites started to go town to town killing black people. One white person was heard saying, “If we are got to be killed up for the N word, then we kill everyone in this town.” This is saying they are unwilling to fight for black people and would rather kill the side they are on rather than fight for them. Since the states still fighting did not get rid of their slaves, the war produced slaves in select states to rebel and destroy the plantations they were on. As blacks were starting to be respected and get into the government, whites began to rebel on blacks. The Ku Kulx Klan was formed. A white supremacist group who hated blacks and went around killing them and raping them. As blacks started to get jobs they were only paid 55 cents. In the south the plantations owners basically tricked the black workers by not paying them but with “orders” that the black worker could only use where the planter owned.
Why were so many people angry about what Abraham Lincoln did freeing the slaves? I think Abraham Lincoln did the right thing. African Americans did not deserve to be treated unfairly being a citizen. They deserved the same rights as whites. Just because they have a different color of skin they were treated unfairly and Abraham Lincoln saw that they are the same even thought the look different from him.
I think African Americans had a terrible like in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Today there are still racism problems where blacks are being treated unfairly. Racism needs to stop and everyone needs to be treated fairly especially in the court system. People should follow the laws and respect everyone for who they are not by what they look like.

What It All Has to Do with Us

Allan Johnson’s thesis in his chapter, “What It All Has to Do with Us” is “Contrary to the individualistic model, social life happens only as people participate in social systems—families, schools, workplaces, religious organizations, and so on” (78). His main point is that individuals make social systems and as people participate in social systems they create individuals and how they act.
Everywhere we go we are shown an image about something. It comes from media, families, and friends and through examples set by parents, peers, coaches, teachers, and public figures (78). We get mindsets of how things are supposed to be and who the all the power belongs to. An example of this is Johnson says, “The message came through loud and clear that straight white men are the most important people on the planet because they’re the ones who supposedly do the most important things” (79). This is told everywhere because this system is creating this image for people. Individualism creates two different groups of people, good and bad. Johnson says that you are good if you don’t have any bad feelings toward racism and you are willing to help the bad people. Bad people are the ones who create problems and see racism and do not want to help the world. Being on the privilege side means you get many benefits. You do not have to worry about a lot of things such as race. Being on the bad side means you are more likely to perform bad actions. The neo-Nazi is an example of this where they go around abusing or killing people of color or gays or lesbians (85). They have joined a system that has similarities to their personality and then they are welcomed by others who share the same beliefs.
Why do people teach images to create such hostile systems? With all these bad groups that are being formed, people should rethink of what they are teaching to children so this world will one day be without anger. Media should not be able to portray certain groups as higher power. For example there should be even amounts of different races on television shows.
I agreed with most of the content in this chapter. Individualism does put people into two different groups. I think there should only be one but that would make the world way to easy. Images are shown to people as they grow up and depending on where you live and what your closer ones believe in is how you are going to see the world and belong to the system you belong to.

Getting Off the Hook: Denial and Resistance

In Allan Johnson’s chapter 8 “Getting Off the Hook: Denial and Resistance,” his thesis is “No one likes to see themselves as connected to someone else’s misery, no matter how remote the link. Usually their first response is to find a way to get themselves off the hook, and , as I’ll show below, there are all kinds of ways to do that” (108). His main point is that everyone is apart of the problem whether they want to be or not.
According to Johnson one of the easiest ways of getting off the hook is denying everything. An example he uses is, “Racism and sexism used to be problems, but they aren’t anymore.” This is saying that racism and sexism has disappeared in the current society and everyone knows that it hasn’t. Denial also promotes describing an experience for another person. An example used is a child falls down and is crying. The adult says it does not hurt that bad, which in fact the adult has no idea how bad it hurts (109). Another way of getting off the hook is to blame someone else. One example is “Whites can say things such as, “If blacks were smarter or worked harder or got an education, they’d be okay” and expect most other whites to go along” (110). This is saying that whites are blaming blacks for not getting better jobs. The whites do not want to take blame for making it harder for blacks to get jobs or saying racism is the reason why blacks are not getting better opportunities. Calling the problem something else is one more way to get off the hook. “Avoiding the trouble by renaming it is most prevalent in matters of gender inequality” (112). An additional way it saying it is better off this way. Johnson uses the example of whites saying black people would prefer to live among other black families (112). “Research has proven though that blacks would much rather prefer to live integrated neighborhoods” (112). This is saying just because whites would rather have blacks live among other blacks does not mean the blacks want to do that. The whites are trying to put it nicely that they do not want blacks to live around them or in their neighborhood. One more way is saying you are sick and tired of hearing about something. “When you are annoyed by something, it can seem as thought it is everywhere as if there is no escaping it” (121). This happens because you are always thinking about it. So every little instance of the thing that is annoying you is reminded by everything.
Why doesn’t anyone ever want to take responsibility for what they say or what they feel? I feel no one wants to take blame because they are scared the way society is going to feel about them. They want to please everyone and not stick up for what they believe in. Also people want to stay out of trouble by some of the comments they make with having harassment or offending someone because of their race.
I completely agreed with everything in this chapter. People do not want to take claim for most of the comments they make and are willing to get out of it however they can.

Capitalism, Class, and the Matrix of Domination

The thesis of Allan G. Johnson’s chapter, “Capitalism, Class, and the Matrix of Domination” is capitalism created white racism along with privileges for the white race.
Johnson begins the chapter by explaining what capitalism is which is making money become a bigger profit out of it. For example capitalist created the sowing machine to create more profit for less cost since the labor workers cost more and took longer to make clothes. He then talks about how money is spilt in the United States. “10 percent of the U.S. population holds more than two-thirds of all the wealth, including almost 90 percent of the cash, almost half the land, more than 90 percent of the business assets, and almost all stocks and bonds.” This is saying that the less fortunate citizens of the country are splitting less money than the smallest group. With capitalism, privileges created white racism due to the enslavement of Africans for their cheap labor. This made the white males feel more dominant than any other race. Even the white males who worked for higher powered capitalists, they still looked at themselves as more superior to a colored person. Once the lower class whites lost their superiority to the colors, this is where the Ku Klux Klan was created. The matrix of domination is having different privileges. You can have privileges in one area but then not have it in another. For example the white male says that an African male is a sex predator. Then women portray the male as a protector and comforter.
What would happen if we did not have capitalism? Without capitalism the United States would not be the power house it is with currency and with their army. Also technology may not be where it is today. If there was not a lot of money then we would not be able to afford all the things we can today to help benefit our country.
I thought this chapter was truthful. With capitalism being a huge problem of why there is white racism in the world. Johnson makes some great points about capitalism and explains to make this chapter make more sense.

Privilege, Oppression, and Difference

In Howard Zinn’s “Privilege, Oppression, and Difference,” the thesis of the chapter is “What makes socially constructed reality so powerful is that we rarely if ever experience it as that” (20). The main point of the argument is that there is no color difference between people but it is how we make it out to be.
As we grow up everyone is taught things differently through their families, friends, and where they grow up. Zinn says, “For all its popularity, the idea that everyone is naturally frightened by difference is a cultural myth that, more than anything, justifies keeping outsiders on the outside and treating them badly if they happen to get in” (13). This is saying people are welcoming to new things that are unknown but once they learn things about them they decide to not like them and treat them terribly. Like the Native Americans accepted the Europeans when they first met with open arms. The wheel created by Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener, explains physical characteristics of humans but does not explain the personalities. This is a problem because every one has different personalities and is unique in their own way. People are just judging on their looks and not who they are but what they are. Certain words also create distance between liking someone or disliking them. An example from the book being the word disabled. Being in a wheel chair makes the person disabled because they cannot walk but people all the time get their eyes adjusted to make them have better eye sight (18-19). This could be classified as disable but since they are the popular crowd it is not considered being disabled. Privilege is something everyone enjoys when they have them but get angry when they are on the downside of the privilege. One of the main privileges that people say is being male. This is slowly declining and women are on the rise so both men and women have the same privileges. There will always be privileges on both sides that only men and women can have but most will be the same one day.
Why does racism come into play in separate countries? I agree with Zinn saying that when you visit other places you become the outsider. This is because you are new and they are afraid of what actions you may do. This comes from past actions of the race you part of and people usually expect the worst and do not give everyone an equal chance.
I was familiar with much of this chapter. Not all the details but had a general idea of everything that was told in this chapter. I agreed with Zinn and his ideas. It is terrible to believe that the world is like this but there is not much that can be done to prevent this.

Race: The Power of an Illusion; Difference Between Us

In the movie, “Race: The Power of an Illusion; Difference Between Us,” it talks about race being an idea. Race has been attempted to be proven as biological but lack of evidence is stopping that argument keeping race an idea.
The movie talks about race being an idea. Technically it is not biological but it is still real. The idea is taken more serious but by certain people. This is racism and causes many problems in the world. An example from the movie is that African Americans are better than everyone else. They win many more athletic events such as the Olympics and basketball. People have said the African Americans have different types of bodies compared to everyone else. Like I have heard that they have an extra calf muscle and that is why they can jump higher than everyone else. Though it has been proven that African Americans have the same body as everyone else and does not have this extra calf muscle that they have been falsely accused of. The movie says that they are biological because of diseases they carry. They said that African Americans will die off. As we all know of looking at today’s society, they have gone no where and will be here for as long as mankind is.
Why would scientists think that race is biological? Race cannot be biological because we all have the same bodies inside. Just our skin colors are different.
I thought the movie was king of interesting to learn how people thought about how race was created. I personally believe that race is an idea and cannot be biological. The movie made me become more of a believer that race is an idea as well.

Drawing the Color Line

Howard Zinn’s thesis in his chapter Drawing the Color Line, in his book A People’s History of the United States, is that the black slaves were treated harsher than any other slaves were by the Americans.
Zinn argues that blacks slaves were not treated the same way whites were treated. Hugh Davis, a white man had to be whipped for abusing himself because he laid with a African American woman. Another example of this is white servants ran away with an African American salve and were caught. While the white servants received slight punishments, the African American received 30 whips and was branded with the letter “R” for his master. Whites were said to be the more superior to African Americans. Whites were masters and African Americans were servants to them. If the slaves tried to form together the white slave owners would kill them in terrible ways such as hanging or burning.
Why didn’t the slaves unite together since at one point, half of the population was slaves? They could have easily taken over the whites and could have been free. They tried in small groups but it never worked and the white masters would destroy them before the slaves could do any extreme measure of destruction.
While reading this article I felt bad for the slaves. I am against slavery and think it was a terrible thing and is a terrible thing now. The way that the African Americans were shipped over like sardines in a can on a boat was awful to where it killed many of them and it lost them a lot of money since they could not sell them all. In a way it was a lose, lose situation there. I am glad slavery is over and have hopes it never comes back again.

The Temptest in the Wilderness

Ronald Takaki’s thesis of The Tempest` in the Wilderness in the book The racialization of Savegery is that the Irish and the Indians were discriminated against for their race and their civilization by the English.
The English have been said to be the founders of the new land. In school they say that the English and the Indians were great friends and got along nicely. This is all wrong though. The English were nice at first until they learned of the resources the Indians had and where they were located. After intruding on the Indians land, the English became greedy wanting more and more. This caused problems because the English were willing to kill all the Indians and/or make them their slaves. One of their main resources the English wanted was the Indians tobacco which then resulted in a huge massacre between the them. Like the Indians the Irish went through these gruesome acts by the English because the English said that the Irish lived outside of their civilization. The English colonists established laws, “Every Irishman shall be forbidden to wear English apparel or weapon upon pain of death. That no Irishman, born of Irish race and brought up Irish, shall purchase land, bear office, be chosen of any jury or admitted witness in any real or personal action” Takaki says in his chapter The Tempest` in the Wilderness.
My question for the argument is, why shouldn’t the English be greedy and take what they can? If they did not take is over they may have been killed by the Indians and got nothing. They could have risked their life by the trusting them then being turned on by the Indians. Personally I agree with the author’s opinion and that the English should not have done what they did. I think the author’s opinion gives a strong impact on his argument and makes some solid points to show his side.
While reading this I wonder why all this is not told to us when we are younger. How come we only hear of the good and never the bad? It disturbs me the way this land was found but that is how the world is today as well. Not as extreme where everyone is killing each other but people get what they want some way or another. These wants turn into war and that is how the killing occurs. I wish racism did not exist but it is part of life and the world is going to have to deal with it.

Introduction

Hey, I am Kris Giesken. I am nineteen years old. I am a sophomore at Bowling Green State University this year. I live in the Heinsight apartments with my five other roommates. My major is business supply chain management. I am from Strongsville Ohio, a town a half hour south of Cleveland. I attended Strongsville high school. I love sports and I love to participate in them. Currently I am playing flag football and softball. I have played soccer most of my life and is my favorite sport. I have two siblings, a brother named Ken, and a sister named Kylie. I am the baby of the family. I have a dog named Dock. We basically grew up together. I love to hang out and have fun but I also love being lazy and just watching television and movies all day.

Columbus, the Indians, and the Human Progress; Zinn

In the book “A People’s History of the United States,” by Howard
Zinn, I believe is thesis statement is, “When he arrived on
Hispaniola in 1508, Las Casas says, “there were 60,000 people
living on this island, including the Indians; so that from 1494
to 1508, over three million people had perished from war,
slavery, and mines. Who in future generations is going to believe
this?”
I chose this selection because he is saying that the past is
being told from a certain point of view and that view is usually
from the more powerful side of two things. Columbus told the
side of him finding this new world but never of the terrible acts
he had committed in conquering these lands and now has a holiday
named after him. Columbus in his log wrote about how giving and
welcoming the Arawak tribe are. He only sees them for what they
can give to him in benefits for himself. For example the gold
the Arawaks makes for their jewelry, Columbus wants the Arawaks
to lead him straight to the gold imagining huge field of gold.
After finding out there is not that much gold he then starts to
kill the Arawaks for not fulfilling their duties. Today Columbus
is known as a great seaman who found the Americas and not known
for this murdering.
Why was there never evidence about this murdering earlier? Since
he is making this big case about the world never knowing of
Columbus’s rampage on the Arawaks, why did he not bring this
information up to others before this. I think he has a good
point but the world is not always peaceful and war is apart of life.
I felt disgusted while I was reading this. I think that children
should know about the cruelity that the Spartans had on the
different tribes. With the welcoming that the Arawaks gave them
and then being slaved for their resources without peace was
wrong. I also did not like how he lied when he returned back to
Europe and told his king false facts about his findings then had
numerous Indians become slaves for the lack of gold there
actually was. I am great full that Columbus did find the
Americas but did it the wrong way.