Journal Entries

What Does Diversity Mean to You? My definition of diversity is the differences between cultures, races, ethnicities, genders, and even just neighborhoods or families. Diversity means that we are fundamentally the same as humans. We are all humans, we all breath air, we all need nourishment, we need shelter, these are our basic needs and they are the same across our differences. What makes us diverse are the differences. I grew up in an Italian family with very strong family ties. We have our own distinct set of traditions and morals. My husband on the other hand grew up in a very different family. My neighbor grew up in a large city and she too is different from both my husband and I, but we are all human. Without diversity, we would all be clones of each other, without our own individuality, history, morals, culture, or sense of community or connections. What makes us different is what makes us who we are as individuals. Diversity is important in America. For generations people have been coming here for a new start, for opportunities. This influx of immigrants allowed America to have so many different cultures, races, religions, these led to a unique mixture, but also to many challenges. Also, diversity is how you at things. I see art and I see paint on a canvas, but I can appreciate the thought and effort that went into it. I read poetry and I do not always understand the meanings. But, because of diversity, there are people who can both create and admire art. I love the outdoors and find solace and meaning while in the

woods. Others do not. If everyone had the same aptitudes, the same goals, the same way of looking at things, the world would be a very different and boring place. Because of diversity, we can see the world through many different eyes. How did you learn about people who were different than you? I learned through teaching and experience. My parents did a very good job of teaching me that everyone was the same. That everyone deserved to be treated equally, that one person was not better than another. As I got older, I realized that not everyone felt this same way. I learned that there were people who were different than me. That they did not feel that everyone was created equally and that one person was not better just because of their race, religion, gender, or appearance. This was something that I guess I was pretty naive about while I was growing up. My first best friend was African American and I never though twice about it. I never honestly really even noticed the difference. I went to a private Catholic school and I didn't even look at people who were not the same religion as being any different. Once I moved down South, that is when it really made me realize the differences. I saw that there were people who were not the same as me and that some people would treat me differently because of the fact that I did not feel the same way as them. This experience was very hard for me to understand. Not only did I not understand, I was appalled by the way that people were acting. I learned that people were different, but I also learned that people were the same. That is all that mattered. Everyone had the same basic needs and the rest just makes us who we are as people. It doesn't matter what color their skin is or what

religion they are, people are people. That is what I learned. I learned to celebrate the differences, that is what makes me..me. Then, I realized exactly how naive I was and I asked questions. I wanted to know why people treated people the way that they did. I wanted to know why. I asked questions that I had been wondering about and I got answers. Knowledge of and acknowledging the differences that make us who we are is the first step in breaking down that barrier that some people have. After we learn to celebrate the things that make us who are we are, we can celebrate and learn about the things that make us different.

Which racial, ethnic, gender, ect. group experiences the most discrimination? My answer to this question would have to be women. Around the world, no matter what culture or race, for the most part, women are not considered to be the same as men. Women make less money, they have fewer career fields that they are easily accepted into, and they have restrictions or modifications for some of these career fields even if they do get into them. An example would be that women can be in the military, but they cannot be in combat. They have different standards when it comes to physical training and weigh-ins. My mother was a firefighter for most of my young life. I asked her how she did it since she was not physically as strong as a man. She told me that she learned to do things differently, but she was still just as effective at her job. I have female friends who are cops and corrections officers. They all have said that they had to prove themselves

more than a man would when they first started. They also said that they still have some resistance from some of the men that they work with. Women who enter male dominated fields tend to have a lot more stress and hurdles that they have to overcome in order to be successful. They also have a lot of stereotypes that are present such as not being as dedicated to their jobs because they have a family or taking maternity leave after having a baby. Some employers look at women as a liability because they feel that women have more responsibilities at home where they may have to take time off in order to take care of them. Women who are successful tend to have to work harder than their male counterparts and they may have more stereotypes to overcome. Because of these perceptions, some women feel that they have to give up family and children because they have to dedicate themselves to their jobs in order to make sure that they are successful and can keep up in a male dominated workforce. This workforce causes women to feel that they are being prejudiced against just because of the fact that they are women and this is not the way it should be. But, things have come a long way since even my mother entered to workforce.

Can racism be stopped? Of course it can, but realistically, no probably not. We as a society are so obsessed with appearances and status that I do not think that there is a feasible way to completely get rid of racism. Any time that there is a way for one person to make themselves feel that they are superior, they will use it. It doesnt matter if it is racial,

ethnic, hair color, nationality, or even something as simple as weight, if someone can use it against someone else, they will. But, as a society, we have also come a long way since the days of slavery and Jim Crowe laws. My parents remember racial segregation. I do not. My kids will learn about it in history books, but I hope that they never have to experience it and I hope that I have taught them well enough that they will never take part in it even if they do see racism. Better yet, I hope that they work to stop it. Maybe future generations will learn from the mistakes of the past and will not perpetuate racism. Right now, I do not think that racism can be stopped with the older generations still making decisions and speaking their minds. Hopefully, the generations that follow will denounce racist statements that they have seen when they were growing up and make a stand against racism. Those who were brought up that racism was wrong will hopefully keep these values and pass them on to future generations and make a stand also. What would you be able to tolerate more sexism or religious intolerance? I do not think that I would be able to tolerate either of them. Both of them are unacceptable to me. Both of them have serious consequences for everyone involved. Sexism puts once sex over another, religious intolerance puts religions against other religions. Sexism hurts both men and women. Not to mention the portion of the population that is transgendered or live alternative lifestyles. My mother was a fire fighter and a race car driver. I remember a lot of the men saying things about her gender and how

she should be back in the stands. She didnt care, she just enjoyed racing and didnt let it bother her. I also know a male who is a nurse, he gets teased a lot because of that also, until he tells them that he is working with combat veterans and that he is a disabled veteran himself. But why are women put down in some jobs and men are in others. Why do we not look at the value of different sexes in different positions, rather than using gender against people. The religion that I was raised in had members that are very intolerant of any other religion. This can happen in any religion, each one thinks that they are better or more holy than the other ones. This can be just as detrimental to people as sexism. Wars have been waged because of religion, people have tried to wipe out whole civilizations because of religion. After thinking about it, if I absolutely had to choose one of them, I would say that I could tolerate sexism over religious intolerance, just because of the level of violence that is associated with it. Write about an experience in which I experienced discrimination. When I lived in Florida, I applied for a job at a farm, taking care of horses. I have worked with horses much of my young life and I have worked on a farm also so I knew exactly what was expected. When I got to the farm for the interview, the man that was there said that he didnt know if he even wanted to do the interview because he didnt realize that I was a woman and he was looking for a man. I took the tour of the farm, showed him that I knew what I was doing, that I was good with the horses, but the

whole time, I was thinking that there was no way that I was ever going to work for this man. He wanted a man because he thought that women should be in the house baking and actually asked me if I could bake good pies and make sweet tea. I was seriously not happy. I thought that if I could prove to him that I could throw bales of hay, muck stalls, and ride horses, I could get the job, just to have him know that a woman could do it, I proved this to him, but he still was not convinced that I could do the job. In an ironic twist of events, I ended up getting a job at one of the neighboring farms and while working there, he had asked the owner of the farm that I worked at to please send over one of his workers because his worker had left. So, who does my boss send over? Me. I went and did all of the work that the guy had left, made everything look the way it should have. Took care of the horses and got in a quick ride on an untamed horse. He came over to the stable just in time to see me ride in with the horse and because I had my hair up under a baseball hat (hay is really hard to get out of hair) he didnt realize that I was a girl. After getting down from the horse and taking off my baseball hat, he realized who I was. He offered me double what they were paying me. I declined. What images do you see of black people on TV? A lot of the images that are seen on TV of black individuals are stereotypical and wrong. Before I made this journal entry, I watched TV to look for especially for the stereotypes.

Black individuals were seen as gang-bangers, welfare moms, and sexually promiscuous. It shows the men as being absentee fathers a lot of whom has spent time in prison. They also use more slang or racially specific sayings. Both men and women are seen as being more violent as their white counterparts. Carrying guns, drive-bys, and selling drugs are often seen. In movies, they are usually seen as the villains, menial workers, lower enlisted in military movies, or in movies where everyone in the movie is African American. In sports, African Americans can be seen as being superstars and excelling. But, in sports like hockey and NASCAR there are very few black athletes and due to this, there are less black fans of these sports. There have only been a handful of black hockey players and most are from Canada and not from the United States. In NASCAR, I do not think that I have seen a black driver. As of right now, there is a disproportionate amount of white actors and actresses on TV and in movies. Actors like Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Will Smith, and Samuel L. Jackson are starting to break the stereotypical roles. What about the ethnic, religious, and racial makeup of your town or city. Hubbardston, though not the town that I currently live in, is my hometown. According to citydata.com, 95% of the residents in Hubbardston speak English, 22.2% speak Spanish, 18.6% speak another Indo-European language, 9.0% speak Asian or Pacific Island language, and 2.3% speak another language .

The foreign born population (4.2%,) is from Canada, United Kingdom, Cuba, Sweden, Hungary, Australia, and Iran. 98.3% of the city is white, .15% African

American, .08% Native American, .49% Asian, and .28 from other races, and .61 from two or more races, Hispanic or Latino is 1.33% of the population . The only church that I have seen is the First Parish Unitarian Church. But, I believe that there are a few smaller non-denominational or alternative churches in the town. I have not found any information on the specific religious makeup of the town. Growing up, there was not a lot of diversity when it comes to race or ethnicity. There were very few families who where non-Caucasian. Both of the towns have a very limited amount of religious diversity either, it seems that everyone went to the church that was in town or they went to one of the Catholic churches. What about the ethnic, religious, and racial makeup of your favorite TV show. My favorite television show is NCIS. Of the seven main characters, all but one are white, two are women, and the rest are white men. The one black character is Director Vance, who is the boss of the team. The ethnic makeup of the show is predominately American, with one character, who may (it has never been mentioned that I have seen) have grown up in England. He is the older, mentor-type, medical examiner who is filled with wisdom. The other character is from Israel and is female, I believe that she is Jewish.

Religious preference is never spoken about on the show, so I am not sure what the religious make up is. Since the show is based in a military setting, religion is not one of the topics that is discussed by the characters. Many of the characters that are brought into the show are of many different races, ethnicities, and religions. There does not seem to be a lot of diversity on this show. Different races, ethnicities, and sexes, are shown as both villains and good-guys, high ranking and low ranking, powerful and not, strong and weak. Overall, I would say that this show, is racially, ethically, and gender diverse.