This week in class we watched a movie called Crash. This movie portrayed intense examples of racism in every day life. Racism is a socially constructed concept, apparent in every day situations, it's something we have gotten used to seeing and hearing. The movie pointed out obvious stereotypes, when most of the time they were completely wrong. The locksmith was seen as a gangbanger for merely being mexican, when he was truly a loving father and husband trying to make a good life for his family. Implicit racism appeared when the off duty cop was in the car with a black guy who reached into his pocket; without even thinking, his implicit assumptions took action and killed him. The movie goes to show how dangerous racist act can really be. Implicit racism is more dangerous than explicit, though explicit is still hurtful. With implicit racism, a person may try to avoid their racist thoughts, but instead they build up and soon may act spontaneously based on all of that implicit racism that collected over time. I enjoyed how this movie played with your mind. For example, the china man in the beginning seemed to simply be making a business deal for some company. Little did we know he was actually human trafficking. It's funny how people shock you, in the movie as well as in real life. Ludacris lets the enslaved people free at the end of the movie, when the whole time we think money is more important to him. When people say hurtful things or seem to have strong feelings about racism, it doesn't always mean that they truly feel that way, but merely feel that they are expected to act that way or act out of anger/frustration. Everyone grows to be their own person, and though there are influences by society, they act as individuals and cannot always be categorized into groups.

In class we discussed race. Race is socially constructed and has become normal part in our everyday lives, though we don't always realize it. Because of our every day environment, it is almost impossible to avoid forming certain stereotypes. Stereotypes are constantly portrayed on television shows and movies. By doing a demo in class, we were able to recognize how people classify things in groups. One thing that I found interesting was that a lot of people classified them by exactly what they saw. Some classified them by what they looked like their function would be. It was funny though, because Mr. Salituro brought it to our attention that although it looked like a ball could perform a certain function, like a soccer ball, it could be much easier to play actual soccer with one of the other balls on display. This demo really showed that we classify based on looks. No matter a persons level of intelligence or their background, first impressions are always based upon appearance and stereotypes.
We also did an online activity that had us categorize certain people based on their ethnic background. It was shocking to see how many people looked completely different than their actual ethnic background. But this just goes to show that race is a made up phenomenon. It doesn't exist, but we as people created it. Without even talking to a person, we judge. They may be the exact same racial makeup as you, yet you perceive them differently merely because they don't look like you. We often don't realize it, but it happens.

I participated in the Stevenson Blood Drive in February. This blood drive was specifically for leukemia research. I wanted to donate my blood so I could give back to people who have no control over their lives. My grandma suffered from leukemia, so it is something very close to my heart. I enjoyed knowing that my blood would help someone recover.

I also participated in Project Dance on Saturday, April 17th from 5pm to 10pm. In order to be part of this dance we needed to raise at least $50. I went around my neighborhood and asked people to donate to a great cause, the Riverside Foundation. I ended up raising about $70 for the Riverside Foundation. The dance was a great celebration for donating all that money to the Riverside Foundation. Having some of the members show really showed how much they appreciated it. It felt great knowing that we were able to put smiles on their faces as well remove some of their worries.

This week in class we watched a movie on social class in America. It's so strange to think that two human beings could be brought up so differently that they become almost polar opposites in the way they live. People with 'old money' aren't afraid to hide their wealth. They grew up with parents who had it, and this concept easily explains where the wealthier ones get the idea of 'playing that role'. The wealthy can only associate with other wealthy people. They are so turned off to reality it's crazy. Yet, there are others on the same planet who have nothing, not even a car to drive to work. They grew up differently and must work hard for a good life; not everyone is born into money. It's scary to think how separate every class is, because some people want to be viewed as better than others. What the wealthier people really need to do is stretch outside of their comfort zone, and help those below them instead of step on them like doormats.

This week in class really got me thinking about social class and each class has completely different roles in society. The coin toss demonstration really showed how a lot of wealth is based on luck and how you manage your belongings. It is easier to gain more money if you have a lot to begin with. Wealth along with luck is on your side when you start out with a good amount of money. Social class is mainly seen by one side. When people want to seem rich or wealthy they buy or wear expensive or expensive looking things. It's all an image. They not only look classier, they get through things much more easily. No one is going to suspect the rich person for the crime. The blue collar workers who actually do labor to earn their money, aren't treated as special as upper class (white collar workers). As sad as it is and as much as we would like to deny it, lower class people are looked at differently.
I thought that it was very interesting how each class gets so used to certain materials and foods that they would choose one food over a better one merely because they're used to eating that way. For instance, they were giving away free, quality sourdough bread but the lower class lady looking for food would only have the white bread, merely because she was used to it. Not only does society place us in a certain class, we adapt and stick to the norms of that class as well.