To Lena,
I really enjoyed your story about your school project and how you had to lose a limb for a day. That's a really creative assingment to teach kids about discrimination and also how it feels to be different. I too experienced something like this, for two months of my senior year I had to wear an eye patch, and through this experience, although I didn't have any perminant damage, I learned alot about people and and myself which allowed me to be a better person and more accepting of everyone. Too bad not everyone had to do this assingment, maybe bullying and teasing rates would be lower. Its great that you had a teacher that not only taught you math but taught you about life and lessons that help you to grow as a person.
To Ronald,
The story about your trip to Cambodia was very interesting and I thought that how when the mob swarmed you when they saw the American money it was sad. Living in America, we don't know how good we have it, and when we see how far a dollar can go in places like Cambodia it is hard not to give all our money away because it would go so far for them. I don't have any experiences like this but I went to the Museum of Science the other day and there was an exhibit on "Diets from around the world" and it showed how many calories people from different countries consumed in one day. I don't remember the exact numbers so I don't want to guess them, but this is a similar collection of photos from Time Magazine that I thought were interesting because you can see how much more food we have than others and in the case of Americans, how much unhealthy food we are eating.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Identity Narrative Responses
To Peter,
I really enjoyed your post, and can relate to it in many ways. I lost my grandmother when I was young and she was absolutely the main factor that held my very large extended family together. I also agree that no matter what happens, family can be a great way to "keep you grounded." No matter what the differences are that arise or exist, your family is always your family. I know for our class, a theme of "family" comes up a lot as a strong force in the novels and other forms of stories that we are reading. This was a very interesting post. Thanks for sharing!
-Brandon
To Voyager,
A sort of feeling of jealousy arose after reading your post...I grew up in an area that was not very racially or ethnically diverse. Although I consider myself in my adult life as a very diverse person, I think back to how my youth could have been shaped if I was exposed to more different and challenging experiences. Luckily, by having people in my life outside of my family, I was exposed to a lot more "worldly" concepts as a teenager. Attending university has also broadened my experiences. However, your post makes me wonder how I would be different if I had more exposure to diversity as a young person. Thanks so much for sharing!
-Brandon
I really enjoyed your post, and can relate to it in many ways. I lost my grandmother when I was young and she was absolutely the main factor that held my very large extended family together. I also agree that no matter what happens, family can be a great way to "keep you grounded." No matter what the differences are that arise or exist, your family is always your family. I know for our class, a theme of "family" comes up a lot as a strong force in the novels and other forms of stories that we are reading. This was a very interesting post. Thanks for sharing!
-Brandon
To Voyager,
A sort of feeling of jealousy arose after reading your post...I grew up in an area that was not very racially or ethnically diverse. Although I consider myself in my adult life as a very diverse person, I think back to how my youth could have been shaped if I was exposed to more different and challenging experiences. Luckily, by having people in my life outside of my family, I was exposed to a lot more "worldly" concepts as a teenager. Attending university has also broadened my experiences. However, your post makes me wonder how I would be different if I had more exposure to diversity as a young person. Thanks so much for sharing!
-Brandon
Friday, February 10, 2012
Narrative Responses
To Girl with the White Name,
I really enjoyed this narrative because I could sort of connect to it. It's not exactly the same as what you've experienced, but I actually had a time where I hated being Asian around the time when I was in middle school, so it wasn't like in your case where you disliked people of your own color, I just didn't like being the ethnicity that I was because of many reasons, like pressure to do good in school from my parents, and sometimes people would ask me what I was eating for lunch because I brought food from school and I just felt weird and wanted I wanted to be more "American." I've also come to appreciate my own culture as I grew up because I realized I can't change the color of my skin no matter how hard I try anyway.
It was a really good narrative, but I would've liked to hear a bit more about how you got over all of the resentment and the anger that you've had, as well as how you dealt with that situation back then. For example, did you go along with the girls who were threatening you, or did you continue to follow your true friends who accepted you?
-Carmen
To Panda,
I was literally laughing as I was reading this story. It was very humorous and I'm glad you are now able to look back at it and laugh at yourself, which is a really good thing. I really enjoyed it, and at first, I thought it was the peeing incident that shaped who you are, so the talk about your fear of heights at the end was really unexpected. Maybe it would've been better if you introduced that to us before telling your story so that we could see how that was connected to your story.
P.S. I never knew that fear of heights could apply to looking up high from down low as well. Guess you learn something new everyday! :D
-Carmen
I really enjoyed this narrative because I could sort of connect to it. It's not exactly the same as what you've experienced, but I actually had a time where I hated being Asian around the time when I was in middle school, so it wasn't like in your case where you disliked people of your own color, I just didn't like being the ethnicity that I was because of many reasons, like pressure to do good in school from my parents, and sometimes people would ask me what I was eating for lunch because I brought food from school and I just felt weird and wanted I wanted to be more "American." I've also come to appreciate my own culture as I grew up because I realized I can't change the color of my skin no matter how hard I try anyway.
It was a really good narrative, but I would've liked to hear a bit more about how you got over all of the resentment and the anger that you've had, as well as how you dealt with that situation back then. For example, did you go along with the girls who were threatening you, or did you continue to follow your true friends who accepted you?
-Carmen
To Panda,
I was literally laughing as I was reading this story. It was very humorous and I'm glad you are now able to look back at it and laugh at yourself, which is a really good thing. I really enjoyed it, and at first, I thought it was the peeing incident that shaped who you are, so the talk about your fear of heights at the end was really unexpected. Maybe it would've been better if you introduced that to us before telling your story so that we could see how that was connected to your story.
P.S. I never knew that fear of heights could apply to looking up high from down low as well. Guess you learn something new everyday! :D
-Carmen
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Narrative Responses
Response to "Panda"
What I loved about most about this Identity Narrative was that the writer was able to present this traumatic event with a side of humor. I know that if it were me, I probably would have played it out like it was one of the most horrific events that I have ever had. Well maybe not that over played but I'm sure that I would have been more dramatic about the whole thing.
Although I believe that this was a wonderfully told narrative I do have one suggestion that I believe could make this writing a little stronger. When I first read this narrative, I had missed the connection between having to pee and the authors fear of heights. So, although I was able to figure out the connection after a second read, I believe that if the author could explain his fear of heights or introduce his fear of heights a little earlier in the story the reader might be able to make the connection a little more quickly. Overall though, I really enjoyed this narrative.
-Stacey
Response to "Homesick"
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this narrative because I was able to connect with it on a personal level; it wasn't just a story that everyone is able to relate to, it was a story that I could identify with. As a Filipina who has been born and raised here in the United States, I too have felt that disconnect from the motherland. I grew up around friends who spoke the language and would always ask me why I didn't, why I was never taught to speak as a child. I get the same reaction from some of my coworkers as well, hearing such comments as "Oh, you no speak Tagalog? Then you are NOT a Filipino." I understand that if a Filipino/a does not speak the language it is disappointing to some, but it does not make a person any less of what they are. So when you wrote about your own disconnect it really struck home for me.
What I loved about this writing, aside from how I can relate to the story, is her use of detail. How you craved lumpia,and halo-halo instead of just saying that she craved the food. The way she explained the weather as "hot, sticky, sauna-like," I am able to really understand the humidity of the weather. The only thing that I wish you would expand on more is how you never felt like home here in the United States. I love the fact that your visit to the homeland had such an impact, but I think by adding some detail about how the U.S was never your home would amplify the impact of the writing.
-Stacey
What I loved about most about this Identity Narrative was that the writer was able to present this traumatic event with a side of humor. I know that if it were me, I probably would have played it out like it was one of the most horrific events that I have ever had. Well maybe not that over played but I'm sure that I would have been more dramatic about the whole thing.
Although I believe that this was a wonderfully told narrative I do have one suggestion that I believe could make this writing a little stronger. When I first read this narrative, I had missed the connection between having to pee and the authors fear of heights. So, although I was able to figure out the connection after a second read, I believe that if the author could explain his fear of heights or introduce his fear of heights a little earlier in the story the reader might be able to make the connection a little more quickly. Overall though, I really enjoyed this narrative.
-Stacey
Response to "Homesick"
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this narrative because I was able to connect with it on a personal level; it wasn't just a story that everyone is able to relate to, it was a story that I could identify with. As a Filipina who has been born and raised here in the United States, I too have felt that disconnect from the motherland. I grew up around friends who spoke the language and would always ask me why I didn't, why I was never taught to speak as a child. I get the same reaction from some of my coworkers as well, hearing such comments as "Oh, you no speak Tagalog? Then you are NOT a Filipino." I understand that if a Filipino/a does not speak the language it is disappointing to some, but it does not make a person any less of what they are. So when you wrote about your own disconnect it really struck home for me.
What I loved about this writing, aside from how I can relate to the story, is her use of detail. How you craved lumpia,and halo-halo instead of just saying that she craved the food. The way she explained the weather as "hot, sticky, sauna-like," I am able to really understand the humidity of the weather. The only thing that I wish you would expand on more is how you never felt like home here in the United States. I love the fact that your visit to the homeland had such an impact, but I think by adding some detail about how the U.S was never your home would amplify the impact of the writing.
-Stacey
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
How to Post a New Comment
"Hi to all the new group members from Prof. Dariotis's class! To post a new comment to this page about the Identity Narratives, look in the upper right corner of this page for the phrase "New Post," click on those words and you will get a new window where you can type up your comments. Please add your first name at the bottom of your comments.
Later on, if you want to post a reply to somebody else's comments, look at the bottom of the post for the phrase "0 comments," click on those words, and that will give you a new window for typing in your response. Thanks!"
Later on, if you want to post a reply to somebody else's comments, look at the bottom of the post for the phrase "0 comments," click on those words, and that will give you a new window for typing in your response. Thanks!"
Monday, February 6, 2012
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