For The Sake Of It

This blog post will be dedicated to discussing the novel Notes From Underground By Fyodor Dostoevsky. The narrator in this story spends a lot of time blaming his lack of action on his "consciousness". He says that the fact that he's aware of everything, what would or wouldn't happen if he did this or that, is the reason that he does not do anything. Essentially, he overthinks everything and sits out. My response: stop thinking, and do it for just for the sake of it. This is what I mean: When you were a little kid and were scared of going on the tallest ride at a theme park, you though about it. The more you contemplated it, the more your desire waned. However, if you managed to overcome your fear and go on the ride, you found it to be enjoyable. If you had over-rationalized, you would not have gone on the ride and therefore not have overcame a personal fear. Over thinking can often lead to this; missing out on important life moments that teach bravery and an unforgettable experience. Once in a while it is important to do things just for the sake of doing them, without analyzing the pros and cons, because sometimes what you could gain cannot be measured by a number.

Standing Up Against Stereotypes

Alfonso Corona

1/30/14

D Block

Mrs. Hawkins

English II

Lion

In the novel [RJ1] Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Achebe provides a complete story of the African Ibo tribe in the same way that Tavis Smiley disproves stereotypes about Latinos in America.In Things Fall Apart, both the happy and somber aspects of African culture, namely those of the Ibo tribe, are exposed. As Achebe reveals the Ibo tribe’s way of life before and after the effects of imperialism by the “white men”(Achebe 174), [RJ2] the invasion of foreigners does not seem beneficial to the natives of the land. These foreigners had uneducated assumptions of African tribes, assuming  that they are all savages, or that there is no structure to the African way of life[RJ3] . Likewise, there are many stereotypes about Latinos in the United States.  A common misconception about the Latino population is that Latinos are all illegals and detrimental to society. As Achebe [RJ4] disproved stereotypes about Africans through a story that addresses misconceptions, a symposium hosted by PBS Broadcaster Tavis Smiley called “Latino Nation” interviewed many Latino leaders of today to dispel some of these notions.  

Achebe reveals that imperialism hurt the Ibo people more than it helped them. This is contradicting to what missionaries believed, that it was their duty to change the ways of people that they viewed as inferior. However, Achebe’s account shows how being imperialized disintegrated the lives of many and disrupted the preexisting order. Because Things Fall Apart illustrates a more complete canvas of the situation that the Ibo people were in, Achebe subdues any uneducated judgments or stereotypes.

Tavis Smiley showed Latinos can be influential because the speakers at his discussion were successful Latino individuals that had left an imprint on the organization that they are a part of. In this convention, the speakers were asked about their thoughts on how Latinos are viewed in America. Maria Durazo addressed a common stereotype immediately, saying, “...we are what everybody else in this country is. We work hard, we want to raise our families, have a good education…(Durazo, Maria. Interview with Tavis Smiley. “Latino Nation: Beyond the Numbers”.2013,Web.). Tavis Smiley’s symposium strives to justify Latinos against stereotypes the same way that Achebe does, by spotlighting actions by the group in question that disprove stereotypes.

Achebe sets out to show that the Ibo people had structure before missionaries came by narrating the tribe’s hierarchy. The Ibo’s main crop is the yam, and a man’s worth is measured in part by his success in farming yams. The tribe also values the accomplishments of an individual man and does not judge a man based on the accomplishments of those who came before, as Achebe explains, “Fortunately, among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father.”(Achebe 8). And since Okonkwo, the man in question[RJ5] , was a wealthy farmer with two barns full of yams, 3 wives, and great victories in war, he was a very well respected man[RJ6] . However, the arrival of foreigners also brought a change to the social hierarchy, as men who were not respected before could speak as an equal (Because of the Christian belief that every man is equal.[RJ7] 

Achebe displays how diplomatic the Ibo people are, opposed to the savages that they are thought to be. When an opposing tribe kills an Ibo citizen, the Ibo people do not react harshly and create a slaughter. The Ibo people make it a point to be reasonable in their disagreements, “…it never went to war unless its case was clear and just…”(Achebe 12).  However, when the missionaries arrive they do not care to investigate the people that they plan on conquering and instead walk around demanding change. This causes the Ibo people to change form their peaceful ways and there is unrest among them, where before all Ibo people were united, under faith and culture.

During Latino Night, [RJ8] the role of Latinos in shaping this country is also discussed. Oscar Chacon [RJ9] puts on emphasis on how influential Latinos can be, saying, “…mainly the fact that Latinos are, you know, the largest minority and the one growing at the fastest rate…”(Chacon, Oscar. Interview with Tavis Smiley. “Latino Nation: Beyond the Numbers”. 2013, Web.). Although Latinos are the largest minority, they are not necessarily a counterweight to society, as many believe. Maria Durazo explains,“Well, one thing that I think has always been positive not only of Latinos who’ve come here as immigrants from different parts of Latin America is the contribution that we give to the economy … we all have this great contribution that was made to this nation as working people and really boosting the creation of a middle class…”(Durazo, Maria. Interview with Tavis Smiley. “Latino Nation: Beyond the Numbers”. 2013, Web.).  The speakers at the panel discussion are used as shining role models to dispel stereotypes toward Latinos, just as Achebe uses the Ibo people.

•             By partly ceding to stereotypes, Achebe and Smiley become more credible sources. Achebe’s story of the Ibo people did not leave out the violence and wrongdoing that took place. If Achebe had only pointed out the good sides of Ibo society, the argument would be completely biased and lose credibility. During Latino Night Jesus Garcia elaborates on why some Latinos do come into this country illegally, “The reality is, Latinos just want to be Americans. They want the American dream.” (Garcia, Jesus. Interview with Tavis Smiley. “Latino Nation: Beyond the Numbers”.2013,Web.). Admitting to wrongdoings as well as showcasing the best of each group is what made both Achebe’s and Smiley’s accounts complete.

Both Achebe and Tavis set out to dissolve stereotypes through education. Achebe’s account of the Ibo people shows that the Ibo people are very different from what their stereotypes suggest. The complete story was shown in Things Fall Apart because Achebe also talked about Ibo traits that were unflattering; not only about the traits that disproved stereotypes. Tavis Smiley gave important Latinos a voice in his symposium, and they went on to provide a complete story. As Achebe and Smiley both strove to provide a complete story of groups that have been stereotyped, they left it in the hands of the people to best represent themselves.

After reading it, I understood that you were trying to tell us how those authors dispelled their respective stereotype. However, the organization, and frankly the lack of an introduction paragraph, confuses me.  Also, when you referred to your second text in the sixth paragraph as “Latino Night” is threw me off a bit because I was unaware of the additional text’s name. Nevertheless, the evidence you provide is informative.

Alfonso Corona

4/6/14

Mrs. Hawkins

English II

D Block

Bibliography

• Interview with Tavis Smiley. “Latino Nation: Beyond the Numbers”.2013,Web.)

·      Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.

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 [RJ1]Not a book, it’s a novel!

 [RJ2]Even though this is an appropriate quote insertion, it provides little information in the introduction.

 [RJ3]I don’t know where your thesis is.

 [RJ4]Good job, here , creating ways to talk about both texts at the same

 [RJ5]What does that mean?

 [RJ6]Evidence?

 [RJ7]This is a confusing sentence.

 [RJ8]Is this a different text than the one mentioned before?

 [RJ9]Who is this guy?