Journal Prompt #11

"Write about a norm or ideal pertaining to physical appearance in the culture in which you belong. Do you conform or attempt to conform to this norm or ideal? Why? Are you at all familiar with the way this norm or ideal is perceived in cultures outside of your own? How is it different? Has your physical appearance ever been interpreted differently by a member of another culture or group than it is perceived in your own culture?"

I think a norm becomes a norm through the most popularized consistency a culture has. In the Mexican culture for instance, there is the traditional look that is rather outdated but is identifiable enough to be labeled as "Mexican. This look mostly persists of hair up and in ribbons, along with a flowy, flowery dress. Of course if one goes to Mexico, most of the attire will appear quite similar to American wear. Stereotypical features include dark skin, hair and eyes, small eyes, a round nose and most likely a short stature.

I don't believe that I conform to this ideal, mostly because not only is it outdated in Mexico, but I also live in Southern California. I think that for some cultures outside my own, a lot of the beauty hailed from Mexico is praised, yet I know that many are also threatened by anything different than their norm. It's different when a society views people as something less than human beings simply because they look different or have different customs. It's funny how much two prideful men have in common who derive from two completely different places; there's the patriotic American man and the prideful Mexican man that actually have plenty in common if they took their skin off and spoke the same language.

My physical appearance get completely interpreted differently by many groups of people, and it's strange how it doesn't even vary from culture to culture as much as it varies from household to household. There are general interpretations though, or at least perceptions I have of interpretations I've made. In Mexico, for instance, I've never felt like I've fit in when I've visited. I'm not tall, but I'm definitely not as short as most of the women there. My nose is long and slender, as opposed to their round one, and my eyes are a bit bigger. I've felt like a foreigner there, as well as the east side of the United States (which is quite a whole other story). In these places, along with some parts of California, I just felt like my appearance was the only level they wanted to associate me with, as if there were no other depths to my character besides my physical features. On the other hand, in places such as Southern California, where there is a true melting pot of varying backgrounds, I feel accepted and at home. Italy is also a place where I didn't feel as if I was being prejudged based on my physical appearance, especially regarding the fact that they love to tan like there's no tomorrow and woman's noses feel closer to my nose's kin like no other noses do! It seems silly, but it is nice to be among people who appreciate the individual instead of a stereotype, even if that stereotype to that particular culture is a good one.

Journal #10

"Write about the social contract as you see it. What is your responsibility to your community/communities? What is its responsibility to you? Think about the title "Neighbors". What do you associate with that word? Do the characters in the story reflect your understanding of "neighbor"? What about social contracts in IBN?"

I believe that people should always strive to help those around them at all times. Not when it's solely convenient or beneficial either; an act of selfless kindness is what should really be striven for. Unfortunately, not everyone is on the same page at the same time so this process oftentimes becomes tedious and is soon neglected. I believe that a person's responsibility to their community depends on what they have to offer that would enhance the people and surroundings. For me, for instance, I hope to one day become an English teacher and help out my community that way. My way of giving back will be to teach and educate the future leaders of my community, whom someday, may give back to either myself or others around them. In the meantime, my responsibility right now is to be kind to others and to educate myself so that one day I may play a larger role within my community.
The word "neighbors" associates itself with mostly positive meanings that if somewhat tarnished, is only so because of bad experiences with real life next-door neighbors. For the most part, the word "neighbor" means helpful and friendly, as well as someone who I should serve. Perhaps the latter definition connects itself that way, because of the relevance to my religion. A neighbor should be someone whom we love. The characters in the story do not associate themselves with my definition of the word, since they aren't very familiar with one another. They care about taking care of themselves, but not each other. Even though Doña Aura and Don Fierro share close quarters, they still do not share the familiarity that I personally associate with the word "neighbor".
In Into the Beautiful North, the characters, although not neighbors in the modern sense of the word, share a relevance with each other which leads to kindness and care towards one another. The main characters show their support to one another, and help each other through the hard times.

Journal #9

"Read through Lewis Coser's introduction to Durkheim's view of the individual in society. Please come up with one "how" question and one "why" question that connects what you learned about Durkheim to the literature."

Emile Durkheim

•  How do Durkheim's ideas on society and the individual connect with  the theme of "climbing the social ladder" seen throughout the unit of The Urban World?
• Why do the individuals throughout the Urban World unit identify themselves so much with the definition society puts among them? Does Durkheim's social contract regarding limitations, as well as deregulation, further emphasize the idea that individuals within the Latin American urban world must endure being put in a box of stereotypes by the those around them?