Why has there been such a deterioration of unity in society or more specifically American Society? One reason is the cultural principles and priorities that society upholds. Hedonistic elements such as sex and materialism are perpetuated by the mass media and promote egotism. American ideals that focus on self attainment and prosperity rather than communal prosperity have also contributed to the demise of community. Other divisive factors such as classism, ageism, racism, and sexism have also contributed to the dissolve of our sense of community.
While focusing on your materialistic desires you deviate from uniting for a common cause. Furthermore, materialism distracts us from fighting for something larger than ourselves whether it’s a non profit organization, religious group, mentoring program, or a political party. So instead of helping the next brother out I am worrying about getting the new Jordans that came out. Sex has us focus on what makes us look sexy and attracts the opposite sex, which there is nothing wrong with but when that is your main objective it can be self defeating. Self destructive behaviors are rooted in these elements of sex and materialism.
Indulging in materialism makes us forget what is important (which is the connection of human souls). Worrying about self gratification as opposed to catering to others' needs (which is a big part of the community) only facilitates the fall of the community. In addition maintaining the community entails sacrifice and humility which most people in modern society don’t have. This limits the potential for cultivation of a community. In order to build strong bonds in the American community we must forget about individual luxuries and work with others to establish common ground. We need to be less selfish and forge bonds so that our world is unified and this world will become a much better place. We need to love each other regardless of skin color, income, age, sexual orientation, nor religious preference! UNITY FOR THE WORLD!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Immigrant's Ambition II
When you give a foreign-born person all these resources its like giving them all the world's treasures all at once. Immigrants really value what they have. Dominicans are one of the largest foreign-born populations in New York City's metropolitan area. Dominican students continue to grow as one of the largest immigrant populations attending college. I have seen this firsthand as the largest latino population in Syracuse University was Dominicans. Not because we are better or anything but because our parents had that immigrant drive: the eye of the tiger! To elaborate on this concept if someone was African American with generations of ancestors born here then the likelihood is higher that he will take things for granted and not appreciate what he/she has whether its an ipod or heating in your residence.
Also if my mother was born here she may take things for granted but if someone is conscious enough to break the cycle and take advantages of the opportunities then progress would be inevitable because you are no longer stagnant and have now broken the mold. Even children of immigrants who were born here do not know what its like not to go to college if you don't have the funds, endure harsh weather without proper garments, not to have running hot water, to have a power outage for eight hours out of the day, or to labor at five years old in order to help out financially in the household. An American born citizen see things as necessities while an immigrant views these things as luxuries. Where an American sees a vacancy an immigrant sees an opportunity. Here lies a very powerful distinction. When you are not born here you have future aspirations to achieve success and bring more of your family to the US. If you were born here this is everyday life and you aren't exposed to any other part of the globe nor anything diffrent for a prolonged period of time so you don't value your priviledges and resources along with not proactively seeking opportunities. Out of all of the people of color, immigrants are the most successful ethnic group. Isn't that a paradox!
Also if my mother was born here she may take things for granted but if someone is conscious enough to break the cycle and take advantages of the opportunities then progress would be inevitable because you are no longer stagnant and have now broken the mold. Even children of immigrants who were born here do not know what its like not to go to college if you don't have the funds, endure harsh weather without proper garments, not to have running hot water, to have a power outage for eight hours out of the day, or to labor at five years old in order to help out financially in the household. An American born citizen see things as necessities while an immigrant views these things as luxuries. Where an American sees a vacancy an immigrant sees an opportunity. Here lies a very powerful distinction. When you are not born here you have future aspirations to achieve success and bring more of your family to the US. If you were born here this is everyday life and you aren't exposed to any other part of the globe nor anything diffrent for a prolonged period of time so you don't value your priviledges and resources along with not proactively seeking opportunities. Out of all of the people of color, immigrants are the most successful ethnic group. Isn't that a paradox!
Immigrant's Ambition I
For some American citizens the United States of America is the land of extortion for most foreigners the Unites States of America is seen as the land of infinite opportunity. The voyage is made to the land of milk and honey where the passengers possess a strong will to succeed and a hunger like ambition. So I ask myself are people who are neither immigrants nor 1st/2nd generation Americans taking the resources available for granted? Well in my story my parents were born in Dominicabn Republic and they came to the country in the early 1980s. They lived in the South Bronx by Jerome ave. which was a breeding ground for Dominicans. Most people flock to their own ethniciy which is a natural instinct of mankind. My parent's attitude was one of positivity growth and progress. They had a goal in mind and would not let up until it was accomplished. Thye did not come here to squander time nor resources but rather to seek better opportunities for themselves and to provide a better future for their kids. They never took anything for granted from being able to send their kids to schools where they were eligible for good financial aid to having running hot water. They new they had to break their backs to get what they wanted.
My parents had a dream and behind that dream there was a vision that carried their aspiration. My parents have always progressed; we moved every couple of years in order to improve our living conditions. The central theme in my parent's lives is progression. My parents wont stop until all of their kids graduated from college. and become successful professionals. My parents push us to realize our academic potential without even knowing about what is required to acquire these grades. But they recognize our efforts and commend us whenever best suited. An immigrant's dream always encapsulates prosperity, progress, and persisitence. Most immigrant
s come here with a fighting attitude to become successful and they have a mentality that breeds success because they take full advantage of the resources available to the general public. Some of these resources are the New York Public Library, education, healthcare, and day care. They take advantage because their homeland is devoid of certain resources.
My parents had a dream and behind that dream there was a vision that carried their aspiration. My parents have always progressed; we moved every couple of years in order to improve our living conditions. The central theme in my parent's lives is progression. My parents wont stop until all of their kids graduated from college. and become successful professionals. My parents push us to realize our academic potential without even knowing about what is required to acquire these grades. But they recognize our efforts and commend us whenever best suited. An immigrant's dream always encapsulates prosperity, progress, and persisitence. Most immigrant
s come here with a fighting attitude to become successful and they have a mentality that breeds success because they take full advantage of the resources available to the general public. Some of these resources are the New York Public Library, education, healthcare, and day care. They take advantage because their homeland is devoid of certain resources.
Education from Independent Study vs. School education
Does real knowledge depend on how many degress you have attained or how much independent study you have done? By independent study I mean reading history, philosophy,science etc.and analyzing the literature that is being presented to you. When conducting independent study or self edification there are no external views that can tamper with the construction of your personal worldviews. Therefore independent study allows you to formulate your own opinion on whatever information you digest. Inevitably this will cultivate critical thinking. In result you will have a wider scope of reality which will lead to questioning any concept, person, place, or thing you come in contact with. In addition independent study has no limitation to what you can study while school based education is restricted to the subject or theme of the course.
On the other hand learning in a classroom environment will give you knowledge from the teacher's perspective rather than enabling you to draw your own conclusion. Learning in a school also provides a formal education for those who prefer structure. Although, I do think that a structural type of education is critical for the degrees it offers which are prerequesites for many professional fields and are necessary for the job market. Furthermore, school based education creates a safe space for the open dialogue of different ideologies and allows students to challenge each other's view points. By listening to others' view points you become enlightened which subconsciously makes you more open minded, strengthens your ideologies, and enhances your growth. This is the disadvantage to independent study: in independent study your are auto-educating which is basically dictating your thoughts to yourself without disagreeing. This type of education does not challenge you which means it does not strengthen your point of view on any given topic. Each type of edification has its advanatages and disadvanatages. At the end of the day participating in both should be the most beneficial thing for any scholar!
On the other hand learning in a classroom environment will give you knowledge from the teacher's perspective rather than enabling you to draw your own conclusion. Learning in a school also provides a formal education for those who prefer structure. Although, I do think that a structural type of education is critical for the degrees it offers which are prerequesites for many professional fields and are necessary for the job market. Furthermore, school based education creates a safe space for the open dialogue of different ideologies and allows students to challenge each other's view points. By listening to others' view points you become enlightened which subconsciously makes you more open minded, strengthens your ideologies, and enhances your growth. This is the disadvantage to independent study: in independent study your are auto-educating which is basically dictating your thoughts to yourself without disagreeing. This type of education does not challenge you which means it does not strengthen your point of view on any given topic. Each type of edification has its advanatages and disadvanatages. At the end of the day participating in both should be the most beneficial thing for any scholar!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Diversity II
Diversity in any residential community has the same impact on its population. It teaches us how we can all get along and love each other despite our differences. Too much of the same thing can be catastrophic. An area with a population that shares the same racial background, lower economic strata, and oppression can become a breeding ground for crime and violence. Ignorance is perpetuated when you are not exposed to anything different than what you are used to. Exposure to something other than what you are accustomed to has the power to expand your world which causes you to think differently. Once your thoughts change then your actions begin to change for the better.
Surroundings have a dramatic impact on who we are. Due to the fact that external influences inhibit us from being who we truly are, secluding ourselves from our normal environment allows us to explore who we are. Living in an environment where we are surrounded by individuals from different economic and/or cultural backgrounds will cultivate a positive environment by reducing the ignorance which will not be tolerated. This will cause a chain reaction and will lead to a decline in the crime rate and inevitably incarceration rates as well as a rise in college attendance.
Take my neighborhood for example. The population consists of predominantly lower middle class Jamaicans and African Americans. Most of the teens here are trapped in their own little world where they are interfaced with poverty, gang violence, drugs, and teen pregnancy. These young men and women see no bright future because they cannot see beyond their current condition. They do not know any better. They haven't been around people who have gone to college or friends whose' fathers are doctors or lawyers. Since they have not experienced an alternative environment they remain with the same mentality and perpetuate the ignorance. There is a small population of unique kids who will break the vicious cycle of poverty and attend college but for most kids higher education is not tangible.
Diversifying the residential community will allow these kids to think outside of the box and give them a unique opportunity to interact with different people and change their thought process. In a diverse area a kid from the ghetto will be able to meet somebody who grew up down south but migrated to the north and share the same racial background but whose father is a doctor. They will be able to speak to somebody who grew up in India and whose father is a diplomat. Before they thought college wasn't feasible but now they do. Along with the feasibility of higher education the
teenagers are exposed to a new world of possibilities. Now they know that the environment they live in is not normal and that there is a better world out there.
The borough of Queens embodies this concept of diversity enhancing the environment. For the most part Queens is very diverse and has a low crime rate compared to the boroughs that are concentrated with the same social class and racial background (Bronx and Brooklyn). As a resident of the Bronx I can attest to that. Another concrete example is my mentoring program. In this mentoring program we mentor at risk youth from Far Rockaway (an area in which the residents have the same socio-economic and racial background). One of the program's goals is to broaden the kids' scopes of reality and take them outside of their every day environment (i.e. taking a trip to Manhattan or going to a retreat upstate).In the past years after this year long program the greater majority of these teens eventually end up either attending college or gaining stable employment.
I have been a witness to the magical effect diversity can have in numerous environments. Diversity spices up life and creates a progressive atmosphere. I strongly believe that diversity can change the world.
Surroundings have a dramatic impact on who we are. Due to the fact that external influences inhibit us from being who we truly are, secluding ourselves from our normal environment allows us to explore who we are. Living in an environment where we are surrounded by individuals from different economic and/or cultural backgrounds will cultivate a positive environment by reducing the ignorance which will not be tolerated. This will cause a chain reaction and will lead to a decline in the crime rate and inevitably incarceration rates as well as a rise in college attendance.
Take my neighborhood for example. The population consists of predominantly lower middle class Jamaicans and African Americans. Most of the teens here are trapped in their own little world where they are interfaced with poverty, gang violence, drugs, and teen pregnancy. These young men and women see no bright future because they cannot see beyond their current condition. They do not know any better. They haven't been around people who have gone to college or friends whose' fathers are doctors or lawyers. Since they have not experienced an alternative environment they remain with the same mentality and perpetuate the ignorance. There is a small population of unique kids who will break the vicious cycle of poverty and attend college but for most kids higher education is not tangible.
Diversifying the residential community will allow these kids to think outside of the box and give them a unique opportunity to interact with different people and change their thought process. In a diverse area a kid from the ghetto will be able to meet somebody who grew up down south but migrated to the north and share the same racial background but whose father is a doctor. They will be able to speak to somebody who grew up in India and whose father is a diplomat. Before they thought college wasn't feasible but now they do. Along with the feasibility of higher education the
teenagers are exposed to a new world of possibilities. Now they know that the environment they live in is not normal and that there is a better world out there.
The borough of Queens embodies this concept of diversity enhancing the environment. For the most part Queens is very diverse and has a low crime rate compared to the boroughs that are concentrated with the same social class and racial background (Bronx and Brooklyn). As a resident of the Bronx I can attest to that. Another concrete example is my mentoring program. In this mentoring program we mentor at risk youth from Far Rockaway (an area in which the residents have the same socio-economic and racial background). One of the program's goals is to broaden the kids' scopes of reality and take them outside of their every day environment (i.e. taking a trip to Manhattan or going to a retreat upstate).In the past years after this year long program the greater majority of these teens eventually end up either attending college or gaining stable employment.
I have been a witness to the magical effect diversity can have in numerous environments. Diversity spices up life and creates a progressive atmosphere. I strongly believe that diversity can change the world.
Diversity I
Diversity can change the world. I know what the readers out there are thinking, that is such a big statement. I say this because diversity has a way of enhancing the human experience in any setting whether it it be college, the workplace or a residential community. When I say diversity I mean a population that varies in race, religous background, social class, family upbringing.
The way we grow is by shedding the layers of ignorance and exploring new horizons. The reason why I think diversity can transfrom society is because it allows us to learn from others and get out of our comfort zone. Forming bonds with others who do not share our background allows us to grow. The way we grow is by shedding the layers of ignorance and exploring new horizons.
Diversity is crucial in college. This is especially true if you go away for college. It is the perfect environment for exploration of new horizons. College is where most people discover who they really are! Diversity definitely facilitates this process. When you have people from various socio-economic, residential, and cultural backgrounds in the same location there is potential for incredible things to happen. My college experience was great. Although my college was socially segregated by race, I went out of my way and used my extroversion to mingle in different social circles and it was worth it. Being exposed to people from Poland, China, South America, The Middle East, Down South, and Cali revolutionized my world view. I had never traveled to these places but I got a glimpse of what they were like through interacting with these individuals and attending diffrent culural events. I would go to the Chinese moon festival, korean drumming, and Indian bhangra performances. In addition I would attend Latino and Carribean events. I would also speak to people who were affluent. On the contrary I spoke to others who were homeless at one time in their lives. These experiences made me a new man. I left college with a wealth of experiences that changed the way I thought. Going away for college was the right choice, after coming back home from college I see the world through different lens than I did before.
The way we grow is by shedding the layers of ignorance and exploring new horizons. The reason why I think diversity can transfrom society is because it allows us to learn from others and get out of our comfort zone. Forming bonds with others who do not share our background allows us to grow. The way we grow is by shedding the layers of ignorance and exploring new horizons.
Diversity is crucial in college. This is especially true if you go away for college. It is the perfect environment for exploration of new horizons. College is where most people discover who they really are! Diversity definitely facilitates this process. When you have people from various socio-economic, residential, and cultural backgrounds in the same location there is potential for incredible things to happen. My college experience was great. Although my college was socially segregated by race, I went out of my way and used my extroversion to mingle in different social circles and it was worth it. Being exposed to people from Poland, China, South America, The Middle East, Down South, and Cali revolutionized my world view. I had never traveled to these places but I got a glimpse of what they were like through interacting with these individuals and attending diffrent culural events. I would go to the Chinese moon festival, korean drumming, and Indian bhangra performances. In addition I would attend Latino and Carribean events. I would also speak to people who were affluent. On the contrary I spoke to others who were homeless at one time in their lives. These experiences made me a new man. I left college with a wealth of experiences that changed the way I thought. Going away for college was the right choice, after coming back home from college I see the world through different lens than I did before.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Critical Thinking
Nowadays I feel as if we take everything we see, hear, and touch for granted. What we lack is critical thinking. Everything we see can deceive us. In order to escape the dubious nature of whatever we subject our vision to, we must call into question. If we do not think about everything in a critical manner something may pass us by without us even knowing. A perfect example is watching the news and seeing how a natural disaster has killed many people in the Caribbean and believing it without doing any further investigation .
Also lets say somebody shares some historical information with you that seems inaccurate but you accept it. Society has taught us to remain ignorant and not to think critically. The ideal situation requires the use of the mental faculties in order to make a rational judgment based on the facts. For some people they may use this time to ponder and dissect any new information they come in contact with.
A critical thinker must think outside of the box and analyze the world from a different perspective. One of my African American Studies teacher in College told me that there are particular things you must get from life: conquer fear, think critically, and etc. I have strived to be a critical thinker because there are many things that are not seen to the plain eye. By believing everything that we hear and see, we put ourselves in a perilous position that can lead to our own mental or physical demise. When you don't accept anything at face value, call it into question, and scrutinize the issue you are critically thinking about it. Critical thinking can enable you to discern between false and veritable pieces of information and can enhance your ability to examine any strand of information. Furthermore critical thinking allows you to grow and bring about new ways of thinking as well as ideas.
Critical thinking is an incredible trait to have. Having a certain world view allows me to critically analyze and deepen my understanding in any activity, concept or area of study. This is a crucial skill that is useful in any situation that life throws at you and any realm whether it be science or politics. Thinking outside the box and reaching conclusions yourself rather than being dictated information is crucial for the development of the mind, thought process, and intelligence. Critical thinking skills can also help solve problems in life which is essential to survival.
Also lets say somebody shares some historical information with you that seems inaccurate but you accept it. Society has taught us to remain ignorant and not to think critically. The ideal situation requires the use of the mental faculties in order to make a rational judgment based on the facts. For some people they may use this time to ponder and dissect any new information they come in contact with.
A critical thinker must think outside of the box and analyze the world from a different perspective. One of my African American Studies teacher in College told me that there are particular things you must get from life: conquer fear, think critically, and etc. I have strived to be a critical thinker because there are many things that are not seen to the plain eye. By believing everything that we hear and see, we put ourselves in a perilous position that can lead to our own mental or physical demise. When you don't accept anything at face value, call it into question, and scrutinize the issue you are critically thinking about it. Critical thinking can enable you to discern between false and veritable pieces of information and can enhance your ability to examine any strand of information. Furthermore critical thinking allows you to grow and bring about new ways of thinking as well as ideas.
Critical thinking is an incredible trait to have. Having a certain world view allows me to critically analyze and deepen my understanding in any activity, concept or area of study. This is a crucial skill that is useful in any situation that life throws at you and any realm whether it be science or politics. Thinking outside the box and reaching conclusions yourself rather than being dictated information is crucial for the development of the mind, thought process, and intelligence. Critical thinking skills can also help solve problems in life which is essential to survival.
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