Minimum Wage at Its Maximum

Ever since the beginning of this year when I started my job as a teacher's aide in my Hebrew school, I have been more aware of the news about minimum wage in the United States. According to a recent article from the BBC, the future looks very promising many for minimum wage workers, especially after "the Seattle city council has voted unanimously to raise the city's minimum wage to the highest level of any major U.S. city-$15," (BBC) which is over twice the national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Personally, I hope that the rest of the country follows in suit and votes to raise the minimum wage.

Seattle is not the only U.S. city that is attempting to raise their minimum wage. California, Maryland, and Connecticut have recently passed laws that will increase their wages to $10 or more per hour. Also, on a national level, President Obama has proposed a $10.10 minimum wage. (BBC) However, most states still have minimum wages that are much less than $10, which is not really "livable," meaning that it is almost impossible for someone to support themselves and pay for basic expenses, let alone provide for a family, while earning such meager wages.

Image source: BBC

At my job at my Hebrew school, I currently earn $8.25 per hour (the minimum wage in Illinois) before taxes, which is a good amount of money for me. Although Illinois currently has one of the highest minimum wages in the country, it is still not nearly a "living wage." For people who work minimum wage jobs and support their families, even one of the highest minimum wages, $8.25 per hour, is only $66 (before taxes!) for an 8 hour workday. Less than $66 for all FULL DAY OF WORK is not even close to enough to pay for basic expenses such as rent, food, gas, clothes, etc. As a result, many minimum wage workers work 2 or even 3 jobs 6 days a week to support their families. Clearly, the idea that working class people who earn minimum wage often have to work serval jobs to make a sufficient living goes against the American Dream narrative where anyone can succeed with "hard work and little bit of luck." Even though working class people work hard and earn an honest living, they are still very unlikely to become wealthy and climb up the socioeconomic ladder.

Although many Americans support the idea of increasing the federal minimum wage, there are some businesses that oppose it for various reasons. One business owner in Seattle said that the wage raise "would force them to cut back on new recruits and service hours" (BBC). In my opinion, if a company cannot afford to pay their employees at $15 per hour, they should at least raise the wage to $10 per hour, so their employees can lead a better life.

Why do you think it is necessary or unnecessary for the U.S. to raise the national minimum wage?

The Ivy Yield is Never High Enough

After recently reading my American Studies classmate, Luke Iida's, blog post,"Our Educated (And Privileged) Government," I was prompted to think further on the subject of social capital, or social connections, and its role in the American class system. Like Luke, I want so badly to believe in the classic "American Dream" in which anyone can achieve their dreams if they work hard and have a little bit of luck. Although I do think the American Dream is true to an extent, I think social connections are also a major part of becoming "successful."

One way social capital and socioeconomic status play a role in our society is in college admissions. As Luke mentioned in his blog post, expensive East Coast private schools often end up sending outrageously high numbers of students to selective schools. In fact, this subject recently came up in a conversation with my mom. My mom told me that she just got off the phone with my uncle (her brother) and that he is outraged. She said that he cannot believe that no one from my cousin's school is going to Harvard or MIT this year. To put this into context, my cousin goes to Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, a $27,360 per year private preparatory school for boys (Gilman website). Like many elite private schools on the east coast, Gilman justifies its ridiculous price with its "superior quality" education, but, most importantly, its high enrollment rate at highly selective universities, or what some call "the ivy yield."

Gilman School Logo
Looks similar to Ivy League schools' doesn't it?

Personally, I was pretty shocked that my uncle would be upset that there are no seniors from Gilman going to Harvard or MIT this year, considering the fact that a number of students are going to Johns Hopkins, Princeton, and Dartmouth, as well as several other extremely selective colleges. Do not get me wrong, I know my uncle only wants the best for his children and that is why he and my aunt decided to send their children to private schools. However, I still find it a bit disturbing that many prep schools are basically selling well-off parents the opportunity to increase their child's odds of going to a selective university. I believe that anyone, regardless of the high school they attend, should have the same opportunities to go to any college they want, however, that does not seem to be the case with 1 out of every 20 freshmen at Harvard going to 1 of just 7 high schools: "Boston Latin, Phillips Academy in New Hampshire, Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, Stuyvesant High School in New York, Noble and Greenough School in Masssachusetts, Trinity School in New York, and Lexington High School in Massachusetts" (Sun-Times).

Although I do think that there is a clear connection between selective college admission rates and attendance at certain preparatory schools such as Gilman, I also think colleges are often looking for the best students for their school, not necessarily the ones who went to East Coast prep schools. In an article in the Brown Daily Herald, Jim Miller, the dean of admission at Brown, states that relationships between Brown and high schools do not affect acceptance rates. Miller simply attributes the high rate of acceptance from elite preparatory schools to the schools' "ability to attract a diverse and talented group of students with their high college admission rates." Schools like my cousin's do have a high level of academic and athletic talent, however, I still question Miller's statement. To me, when Miller says that preparatory schools have a "diverse and talented group of students," he really means "a rich and well-connected group of students."

So, what do you think, is there a connection between social capital (such as prep schools) and success (be it financial or otherwise)? If so, what examples of this can you think of?

Movies or Books?

Pretty much as long as movies and books have coexisted, people have been making movie versions of books. As a result, the obvious question comes to mind: which is better, the book or the movie? For me, it's almost always the book.

I was recently prompted to rethink my opinion regarding this question after finishing the novel, The Great Gatsby. As I often like to do when I finish a book, I watched the trailer for the movie version. Regardless of the impressive list of actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, after watching the short trailer and reading several negative review of the movie saying: "Just because a film looks like it was dipped in 18-karat gold doesn't mean it's rich in quality" (US Weekly) and calling the movie "A failure…" (Miami Herald), I am doubtful that the film lives up to its novel counterpart.

For example, one of my favorite books of all time, The Lightening Thief, was made into a movie in 2010, which I found to be an incredible let down mostly because I felt that the book did a much better job of "transporting me to another world." According to an article from The Guardian, "Films are great, but they just don't give you the same…inclusion that books have. You're merely an observer…" I could not agree more. The best part about a book for me is that you can become another person and live in a totally different place for a few hundred pages. I know my opinion about books is kind of cliché, but I truly believe that a movie can never be as great of an experience as a book.

So, what do you think are better? Books or movies?

Social Hierarchy in the U.S.

Although many Americans like to think that there is no longer such thing as social class boundaries in our society, I would argue that there are definitely social classes in the U.S. In The Great Gatsby, social class is of huge importance. In the book, the two classes are broken up into 2 categories: the East Egg and West Egg of Long Island, NY. Because East Egg is primarily composed of people with "old money," or inherited money, it is a considered to be "higher class" than the West Egg, which is mostly people who have earned their own money or "nouveau riche."

One notable distinction I have noticed between the social classes in The Great Gatsby is the clothes that the East Eggers wear vs. the clothes of the West Eggers. I think F. Scott Fitzgerald purposely makes a visible distinction between the people from East Egg and the people from West Egg: "They were both in white and their dresses were rippling and fluttering..." (8). "The effeminate swank of his riding clothes...he seemed to fill those glistening boots..." (7). Because the people from East Egg were wearing white dresses and "glistening boots," it is likely that they did have a job with any sort of manual labor involved. Furthermore, by calling the boots "glistening," it is also implied that they have probably been polished or they are brand new, yet again portraying the people of East Egg as upper class. If a person of working class were to wear a white dress or glistening polo clothes, they would ruin or get them dirty.

Another distinction between the East Egg and West Egg in The Great Gatsby is the people. Basically, in order to be considered part of the high society in East Egg, one must be a W.A.S.P. (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). When Mr. Wolfsheim, a Jew, is introduced he is described very anti-Semitically: "A small, flat-nosed Jew raised his large head and regarded me with two fine growths of hair which luxuriated in either nostril" (69). Because of the way Mr. Wolfsheim is portrayed by Nick Carraway, the narrator, shows that many people of the high society in the 20s were anti-Semitic and Jews were generally not part of the upper class in America.

How do you think social class has changed since the time of The Great Gatsby?

Done With JT!!!!

Sorry this post is a little delayed. I am still getting over the fact that our American Studies class just finished the Junior Theme--the paper that is made out to be the single most important thing you will do during your time as a New Trier student.

Clearly, the Junior Theme has been a bit over exaggerated. To be honest, I think the reason I am still in disbelief that we finished the Junior Theme is because it was really not that much different from any other paper I have written at New Trier. The only major difference I can think of is the research. I definitely feel that I did more research on my topic (domestic and sexual violence on Native American reservations) and that I know more about my topic than for any other research project I have done.

Another difference between the Junior Theme and other papers I have written is that I conducted interviews with experts on my subject. I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to interview Dr. Jane Palmer, a professor on domestic violence at American University, as well as Mr. Bruce Duthu, a professor of Native American studies at Dartmouth. I cannot express how much the interviews helped me to take my understanding of my topic to another level. Besides the interesting insight I got from both interviewees, I was also sent many new sources from my interviewees, which were a great help in my research.

Though there were definitely times when the Junior Theme was frustrating and overwhelming, I feel that I had a unique opportunity to explore a topic that I am genuinely interested in and to become somewhat of a "mini-scholar" on my subject.

Pain is Hereditary

Clearly, Native Americans have a mountain of issues from a suicide rate that is about 2.5 times as high as the national average (Meyers), a rate of alcoholism that is 6 times that national average (Ghosh), a 28.4% poverty rate (2010 U.S. Census), a 33% sexual violence rate for women (2013 Tribal Capacity Report)…But, where did it all come from?

For a long-term research project, I have been looking specifically at what has caused the incredibly high rate of domestic violence and sexual abuse on Indian reservations. Like many of the current problems faced by Native Americans today, I feel that intergenerational trauma plays a huge role. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, intergenerational trauma can be defined as: "[when] multiple generations have experienced excessive trauma, perpetrated by the European colonists and some has translated to [the modern generation]" (Palmer).

After an interview with Dr. Jane Palmer, a professor of domestic violence at American University, I gained a deepened understanding of how European colonization affected (and still affects) Native Americans. One of the main ways the Europeans tried to force Indians to assimilate to European culture was by having "Indian children taken from their families and tribes and sent to boarding schools" (Meyers). At the boarding schools, Indian children were "stripped of their identity…tortured and tormented for speaking the only language that they knew..." (Coyhis). Much of what happened at the boarding schools was inhumane and evil. Many scholars believe that the commonness of rape and abuse in the boarding schools gave Indians the idea that that was normal because it was "all they knew," so they "brought back" the way they were treated in the boarding schools to the reservations, thus, Native Americans have the highest rate of domestic violence and sexual abuse of any group in the U.S.

Only if it were that simple...

An Indian Boarding School (1912)

Another infamous event that has caused a great deal of intergenerational trauma for Native Americans is what is known as "The Trail of Tears," or the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians in 1838. As a result of the passing of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, "about 4,000 Cherokees died on the forced march during the brutal winter months…" (Mason). The trauma of being forced to leave behind their homes and all that they knew is a tragedy that has not been forgotten and like other atrocities, the pains are still felt today by native people. I will not say that the pain of losing 4,000 ancestors and having to give up the Cherokee homeland during The Trail of Tears has directly caused high suicide rates, poverty, and domestic violence, but it sure is part of the reason.

In what other ways do you think intergenerational trauma plays a role in modern American society?

After the Scholarly Interviews...

So, I've been doing quite a bit of reading on my Junior Theme topic, Native American domestic and sexual violence. To be honest, after reading hundreds of pages about my topic, I still felt like I was not learning much new information. The same statistics kept coming up over and over: 1 in 3 Native women will be raped in their lifetime, Native women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped than any other group (Weisman), 6 in 10 Native women will be physically assaulted ("Restoring Safety to Native Women and Girls and Strengthening Native Nations")...

However,  after my interviews with experts on my subject, my mind was quickly opened up to new ideas and possible reasons for the current state of domestic violence for Native Americans. The first interview I had was via email with Mr. Duthu, a professor of Native American studies at Dartmouth and my second interview was via Skype with Dr. Palmer (she insists I call her Jane), a professor on domestic violence at American University. In both interviews, I asked what they thought about my reasons for the rate of domestic violence on reservation (poverty, racist policies, and the remoteness of reservations). Both Dr. Palmer and Mr. Duthu seemed to agree with my ideas and they added to my list of reasons with "intergenerational trauma," (Palmer) "colonial-era racism," (Duthu) and "the affects related to alcoholism" (Palmer). One term that Dr. Palmer mentioned that I was especially interested in finding out more about was intergenerational trauma, which Dr. Palmer defined as "[when] multiple generations have experienced excessive trauma, perpitrated by the European colonists and some has translated to [the modern generation]." I agree completely that much of what is currently going on on the reservations is due in a great part to the actions of European colonists. Though I already have research that points to the same conclusion, I was glad that Dr. Palmer gave me the correct term, intergenerational trauma. 

I feel very lucky that both professors I interviewed provided me with invaluable information that solidified some of my previous reasons as well as giving me some new ideas. Both professors also gave me several additional sources that I plan on using give more background on new topics we discussed. In short, the interviews have helped me a great deal in terms of looking at new information and addressing the other sides of the issue of Native American violence.

Those Poor Natives

Currently there is about a 46% chance that a Native American woman will be assaulted or raped in her lifetime (National Intimate Partner Violence [IPV] Survey). Additionally, about 1-in-4 Native American girls and 1-in-6 boys are molested in Indian country by the age of 18 (Postmus). Compared to the U.S. national average of 1-in-4  women who have experienced sexual violence in their life time (National IPV Survey), Native Americans are almost TWICE as likely to be subject to sexual violence. So, the logical question is, why do Native Americans have such an outrageously high rate of sexual and domestic violence? Over the course of my research, I have come across many possible reasons such as: poverty, historic U.S. policy against Native Americans, poor tribal and federal criminal justice systems, the remoteness of reservations…among others.

To me, the most significant reason for the high rate of violence among Native American communities is the extreme poverty that plagues many Indian reservations. In fact, Native Americans experience the highest rates of unemployment and poverty than any other ethnic or racial group in the United States at an average poverty rate of about 29% compared to a national average of about 16%. I think the lack of money has led to very poor educational opportunities for Native Americans to learn how to avoid domestic violence. Moreover, because of the high poverty rates on Indian reservations, tribal law enforcement is often underfunded and understaffed, making it much less likely that they can prevent or punish acts of violence. With no one to stop them, assailants and rapists have been led to believe that they can get away with their crimes without being caught.

Home of Impoverished Native American

Besides not being able to catch and persecute sexual assailants because of poorly-funded tribal law enforcement, there is a legal loop-hole that sometimes makes it impossible for sexual assailants to be convicted for their crimes. According to the General Crimes Act of 1817, "tribes cannot under any circumstance prosecute a non-Indian--even for crimes committed on tribal land…" (Postmus). Because of the General Crimes Act, if a non-Indian commits a crime on an Indian reservation, they are basically acquitted of their crime. Though Indians are supposed to turn over to state of federal authorities for any non-Indian crimes, the government has been less than helpful in the past in cases such as Oliphant vs. Suquamish Indian Tribe in 1978.

Obama signing Violence Against Women Act

Though the situation of Native Americans domestic violence is still extremely poor, a law was recently signed by President Obama called the Violence Against Women Act in March of 2013, which will "allow Indian tribes to prosecute certain crimes of domestic violence committed by non-Indians in Indian country" (Horwitz) when the law goes into effect in March 2015. Personally, I think that the new Violence Against Women Act is a step in the right direction for Native Americans, but I do not see it making any large improvement in the poor situation of Native American.

How do you think the Violence Against Women Act will change life for Native Americans (and all women in the U.S.)?

Junior Theme--Dah Dah Dah!!

This. Is. It. The moment every New Trier student has always dreaded--the start of Junior Theme. Okay, maybe I am being a bit melodramatic, but based off of what some people say about the Junior Theme, I have a good reason to be. Honestly, I have been hearing rumors about the Junior Theme since I was in middle school. People say it is horrible.  People say they stay up all night, every night working on it. People say the essay is 20 pages long! The list goes on…

For those of you who do not go to New Trier, the Junior Theme is really just a big research paper that every junior at our high school does. The good news is that most of the above rumors are far from true (at least in my American Studies class). For our class, we are allowed a great deal of freedom in choosing our own topic on something that we are truly interested in. As long as the topic relates to a current American issue and we can state our inquiry in the form of a "why question," the choice is all ours (as opposed to some classes where students are assigned a Junior Theme topic). Also, I never really have to worry about pulling any all-nighters (unless I procrastinate a TON) because we are given class time to research and other resources such as the librarians to aid us. 

To be honest, I am really enjoying the project so far. I have only begun some preliminary topic searching and researching, but I have narrowed down my ideas somewhat. Some topics I have considered are same-sex marriage laws, Native Americans today, incarceration rates among different demographics, smoking, and lack of religion. To be honest, I still have no clue which topic I think is the one that I really want to do my project on.

However, I have always been very interested in Native American life and I think that I might like to pursue that topic further with the guiding question, "Why are many Native Americans in such a terrible current situation?" Though I have heard many stories in school and in textbooks about how Native Americans were forced out of their homes to make way for white settlers, I am not sure why modern-day Native Americans have never really "recovered" from what happened to their ancestors hundreds of years ago. Early on in my research, I discovered some shocking statistics: "American Indians have an infant death rate that is 40 percent higher than the rate for whites. They are twice as likely to die from diabetes, 60 percent more likely to have a stroke, 30 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and 20 percent more likely to have heart disease...3.5 times more likely to suffer kidney damage and 3 times more likely to die as a result of diabetes" (Opposing Viewpoints). Could all these horrifying facts be a result of what the government did to Native Americans hundreds of years ago? Or might this be a result of what is still being done to them today? I still have no clue...

Las Páginas en Blanco de St. Paddy's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

As with almost every holiday, St. Patrick's Day has changed quite a bit from its original meaning. Today, when most Americans think of St. Paddy's Day, we think of parades, green clothes, and, of course, the Shamrock Shake. However, I learned from an interesting NPR article that the true story behind all the green is a sad tale. 

The green food on St. Patrick's day most likely dates back to the Irish potato famine in the 1840s: "People were so deprived of food that they resorted to eating grass. In Irish folk memory, they talk about people's mouths being green as they died." Though most Americans do not really think twice about why they are wearing green or eating a green cupcake, I think it is important to remember the true meaning of holidays. I do not think there is anything wrong with enjoying a Shamrock Shake or going to a St. Patrick's Day parade, but we should not forget the morose history which is often hidden by an artificial green dye.

Another aspect of St. Patrick's Day that is often not talked about is the fact that gay and lesbian Irish groups have not been allowed to march openly in the New York City parade (the biggest in the country with over 1 million spectators and 200,000 participants [BBC]). Though Ireland's prime minister, Enda Kenny (who walked in this year's NYC parade), said, "[Saint Patrick's Day] is about Irishness, not sexuality," many people strongly feel that Irish gay-rights activists should be allowed to march in the New York parade. Personally, I think it is outrageous that gay and lesbian groups are not allowed to "march openly" in the parade. I believe Kenny and others who support keeping gays from marching in New York's St. Patrick's Day parade are supporting a tradition of hate and prejudice against gays.

How do you feel about the truth behind St. Patrick's Day? 

New York St. Paddy's Day Parade

Página en Blanco del ACT

While thinking about Páginas en Blanco, or blank pages in history, I happened to come across a P en B in the most unlikely of place--an ACT practice test! Though I never expected to actually be interested in the material in an ACT practice test, I found a short passage titled "Unfulfilled Promises" very entertaining. The passage is a true story about Helga Estby. Helga was motivated by a contest that offered $10,000 to "a woman who was willing to walk across the country." So, in 1896, Helga and her daughter, Clara, set out to New York City to claim their prize. However, upon arriving in NYC, no such prize existed. The whole event was kept a secret or "Página en Blanco" for many years because of the terrible affect Helga's trip had on her family: 2 of Helga's children died and her family lost their farm because they did not win the prize money. Basically, Helga learned the EXTREMELY hard way to never trust an advertisement.

Helga Estby

Though Helga's story is very sad, I found it interesting that her family and friends tried to keep her trek to New York a secret. After Helga's death, her kids decided to burn the hundreds of pages that Helga wrote about her journey to NYC because they felt that their mother was an embarrassment.

There are many stories like that of Helga Estby that have been kept secret for many years. I believe it is important to try to uncover the secrets and Paginas en Blanco of our history to expose a more realistic picture of our past, not necessarily the one painted in textbooks.

The Academy Awards are a 1-Way Street

Like 40 million other people from all over the world, I plan on watching the Academy Awards tonight. Every year, my grandparents come over to watch the awards and to have dinner with my family. Personally, I have always really enjoyed and looked forward to watching the Academy Awards with my family. However, one part of the Academy Awards that I have always found a bit boring is the "Foreign Language Film Award" mainly because I have almost never heard of a single title.

After a class discussion in American Studies last week about American Imperialism, I thought a lot about America's influence on other countries. I think the effects of "Americanization" can probably be seen in almost every country. Americanization is defined as "mak[ing] something more American, especially the language or culture of a person or place." In my opinion, Americanization and American Imperialism are not only harming other cultures, but it is also having a huge effect on the United States as well. I think the fact that American culture has become so wide-spread is making Americans less likely to learn about other cultures. Just by reading the list of the foreign film nominees for the Academy Awards, one can see Americans' attitude towards learning about other cultures.

This year, the Academy Award nominees for best foreign films are:

• The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
• The Great Beauty (Italy)
• The Hunt (Denmark)
• The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
• Omar (Palestine)

 
Personally, I have never heard of any of the above films and I know I am not the only one. One reason most Americans do not watch foreign movies is because we are "more familiar" with Hollywood movies and the common themes in American movies. I think it is a big problem that "the U.S. audience for foreign movies has been declining..." With less Americans watching foreign films and being exposed to less foreign culture, it looks like the transfer of ideas between nations is turning into a one-way street with Americans trying to influence the world, but not wanting the world to influence the U.S. One observation I noticed while researching foreign films was that "The Broken Circle Breakdown" (the nominee from Beligium) is mainly focused around American culture and music, showing just how little Americans are willing to take in new ideas from other countries.

Hate or Heritage?

Recent controversy has arisen over Georgia's new design for a specialty license plate, which bears the Confederate war flag. Some justify the flag in saying that it is "a symbol of the South's cultural heritage." Others believe the license plate is a symbol of hate and that it should not be allowed.

Personally, I think the license plate is obviously a symbol of hate and racism and should be banned. As Tyrone Brooks, a Georgia state representative, put it, "If the American Nazi Party applied for [a swastika on] one of those [license plates], would we grant one? Absolutely no." I agree with Mr. Brooks, because of the Confederate flag's history, is has a similar meaning as the Nazi flag. To some, the Confederate flag may only be a war flag and nothing more, but that is not the case for most people: "the Confederate flag is the semi-official symbol that represents the mark of 'old all white' traditions and the exclusionary feelings of whites towards blacks" (Kimenyi 52). Because the Confederate flag was used by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacy groups, the flag is a banner filled with hate rather than heritage. Though some argue that the Confederate flag is "simply a way to honor the memory of their ancestors," the only thing I see the Confederate flag honoring is the brutal institutional of slavery.

Though only 35 license plates have been ordered with this new design, I still find it very concerning that the design would ever be considered. Many people might want to believe that the days of racism are in the past, however, the fight for equality for all people is far from over. The creation of this new license plate shows how there is still a ways to go until the Civil Rights Movement is truly "over."

What do you think about the new license plate design? 

Code Language

After getting hooked on our class reading book, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, I took note of many examples of code-switching in the book. I also noticed a very close similarity to the code-switching in TBWLOW to the code-switching in my life as a New Trier student.

NPR's blog defines code-switching as when "many of us subtly, reflexively change the way we express ourselves all the time...between different cultural and linguistic spaces and different parts of our own identities..." To me, NPR is saying that code-switching is when people change the way they talk based on who they are talking to. From a young age, I have been trained to talk to certain people in different ways; as I'm sure most people have to some extent. You address adults with respect and use their title of Mr./Ms./Mrs/Dr... basic etiquette.

As we have discussed in American Studies class, the characters in TBWLOW often code-switch from using high dictation and proper grammar to swearing and using colloquial language. Besides just code-switching in language, I saw many examples in TBWLOW when the characters take on completely different personas based on the scenario. For example, when Oscar is with his friends Al and Miggs he acts very different than he does around his mother: "...for the first time ever in their relationship Oscar lost his temper and without a word swung on Miggs and connected so hard that homeboy's mouth spouted blood" (46). The aggressive attitude of Oscar is completely contrary to Oscar being a "loser" and a "nerd" as his sister calls him.

Similar to code-switching in TBWLOW, I have seen how many people at New Trier code-switch between personas. A persona for teachers; a persona for close friends; a persona for classmates... As Jackie O'Brien put it so well in her piece, "The Performance," in the New Trier LOGOS magazine: "With your friends you're supposed to be able to be the 'real' you. The 'original' you...You change yourself..." Jackie's piece really spoke to me. I feel like code-switching is something that we all do, even subconsciously at times. Code-switching is a means to survive and "adapt."

What are some examples of code-switching in your life? Do you think we are losing our "true self" with all the different code-switches?

Mickey D's is Mending our Future

How has our country's past shaped the present?

Recently, I came across an article by the BBC about the first McDonald's restaurant location in Vietnam that just opened up yesterday. At first glance, it might seem odd that the opening of a new McDonald's would be news-worthy. I mean, there are McDonald's locations in over 100 countries all over the world (NY Times), so why would this one be any different?

Clearly, the reason was because of the new McDonald's location--Vietnam. Though the Vietnam War ended about 40 years ago, many people in the U.S. and Vietnam still have strong feelings about the extremely controversial war. I think the effects of the Vietnam War are the main reason Vietnam is "one of Asia’s last consumer markets with significant untapped potential." Though there are other U.S. businesses in Vietnam such as KFC and Burger King, I feel like the opening of a McDonald's, an American icon, symbolizes an improving relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam.

Personally, I think it is great to see the U.S. mending relations with Vietnam. I can imagine many Vietnamese people not wanting to have anything to do with the country that killed millions of innocent people in their country for basically no reason at all. However, it appears that Vietnam is no longer bitter at the U.S. One reason a NY Times article hints as the reason for the changing attitude of the Vietnamese people is the fact that "most of [Vietnam's] 90 million citizens were born after the Vietnam War ended." It seems that the Vietnamese people have decided to move on with life rather than dwell on the past. The Vietnam War was obviously a terrible mistake, but does the new McDonald's mean that all is forgiven?

Trying to Form a More Perfect Union

I know I'm a bit late, but I have been considering the recent State of the Union Address for a while, trying to make meaning out of the long speech which was given by president Obama this past Tuesday. I have to admit that I did not actually see the delivery of the speech on Tuesday, but I have read the transcript of the address.

As we discussed in American Studies class last week, the State of the Union Address seemed very unique from any other that has been given in the last few years. Not only was the content of the speech very different from a "traditional" State of the Union, but the writing style was almost like that of a poem or a story rather than a speech. One of the first lines Obama says after greeting his audience is: "...today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it and did her part to lift America's graduation rate to its highest levels in more than three decades." By starting his speech in a more relatable way by talking about a teacher helping her student, Obama was able to grab the attention of the "average American." Instead of starting his speech by talking about complex issues about foreign policies or the very controversial "Obama Care," Mr. Obama gave a list of stories that "gave a face" to what would otherwise be bland statistics. 

Another observation many of my classmates picked up on about the State of the Union Address was a general lack of "negativity." What I mean is, Obama did not take very much time to address any controversial issues such as troops in Afghanistan or the recent shootings in the U.S.; Obama tended to only look at the good things that have come as a result of his presidency. 

Though Obama did make a very positive speech, he did address the fact that "Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled." Obama knows that many successes have occurred during his administration such as the decreasing obesity rate and increasing college graduation rates, however, many people are still without jobs and health care in the U.S. Both unemployment and health care are major issues and I am not sure they can be solved as easily as Obama claims. I agree that things have been improving in our country, but I hope the State of the Union is really able to deliver all its promises and make Obama's dream-like speech a reality. 

Why do you think the State of the Union Address focused mainly on the greatness of the United States rather than the many issues going on?  Why do you think Obama decided to give such a different State of the Union compared to others given in the past?

A Touchy Technology

After Apple's release of the new iPhone 5s in September, many new updates have been made to the iPhone 5, one of them being the fingerprint scanner. Though fingerprint technology has been used on a smaller scale by some businesses and universities as a means of identification, the addition of the fingerprint scanner on the 5s has made the technology mainstream.

When I first heard about the new fingerprint technology that is incorporated into the new iPhone, I thought it would be pretty cool--almost like something that only exists in the movies. Though a fingerprint scanner sounded cool, I was still not sold on the practicality of fingerprint technology. The idea of having a fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5s seemed like just another gimmick to get people to buy a new phone.

Another major concern about fingerprints being used to guard personal information, is security. Apple does do a very good job of making sure that your fingerprint is safe by storing "fingerprint data on a quarantined section of the phone's processor, doesn't sync with iCloud, and is blocked from third-party use." Though Apple is very protective of fingerprint information, they may not be the only ones who will have your fingerprint information in the future. With the increasing use of fingerprint technology, many people may be wondering if fingerprints might be the password of the future.

An article I was reading from Popular Science voices the possible concerns of biometric identification: "A fingerprint’s greatest strength—its uniqueness—is also its greatest weakness." Though fingerprint scanners are pretty awesome, they have many weaknesses when it comes to security. For one thing, a password can always be reset or an account can always be deleted, however, that is not true with a fingerprint. Because we have yet to perfect fingerprint technology, I feel it should be reserved for recreational use and for scifi movies.

How do you feel about fingerprint technology? How might fingerprint technology change the future for the good or bad?

Leave Your Guns At Home

As New Trier students and staff returned to school after an extended Winter Break, small laminated signs of a handgun surrounded by a red circle with a line through the center greeted everyone as we made our way inside. Nice way to start the day, eh?

After researching the origins of these signs, I found that the signs relate to the Illinois conceal and carry law, which took affect on January 1st this year. The conceal and carry law allows a citizen with a conceal carry permit to carry a firearm as protection. However, even with a conceal and carry permit, you are not allowed to bring a firearm into most public place like libraries, hospitals, sport stadiums, and zoos. 

I was also surprised to find out that Illinois was actually the last state in the country to pass a law that allows citizens to obtain a concealed carry permit. As long as you are 21 or older, have a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card, complete a 16-hour training course and pass a background check, you are able to get a concealed carry permit for $150.

Personally, I find it to be ridiculous that a citizens are now allowed to carry a concealed weapon even after hearing about all of the tragedies and school shootings that have happened as a result of gun misuse. Although most New Trier students could probably care less about the signs on the front of the school doors, I think the conceal and carry law will do more harm than benefit and that there is no need for the law.

Help for the Homeless

After reading one of my fellow American Studies classmate, Charlie Bunge's, blog post entitled, "Recent Cold Snap Descends on the Homeless," my eyes were opened to the plight of the homeless. I agree with Charlie that many people our age (in high school) are excited about the extremely cold weather because it means that we get a few more days added to Winter Break. However, while we are enjoying the extended break, the extremely cold weather is taking a great toll on the homeless. I think the majority of people who live in the suburbs may not really know (or avoid thinking about) the challenges of homeless people because there is little exposure to homeless people especially in high-income areas like the North Shore.

Although most people who live in the suburbs do not see many homeless people in their area, it does not mean that they do not exist. I think one of the most important things to do during especially hard times like this for the homeless is to spread awareness. I am sure that if more people knew about the amount of homeless people in their area, they would be more willing to help.

Thinking about the poor homeless people reminds me of the amazing story of Jimmy Mirikitani the Japanese artist who lost and was separated from his family and friends in the internment camps for Japanese-Americans during WW2. I was very moved by the hardships that Mr. Mirikitani went through in his life. To be honest, I would never have given him a second look if I saw him on a street corner in NYC. The movie helped me to see that homeless people are much more than, "homeless people," they are human beings and they are in need of help. Especially now with the "polar vortex" and decisions are being made on unemployment-aid, we need to show support and imagine what a huge difference a small good deed could do to help the homeless and unemployed get back on their feet.