Multiculturalism of the American Society In The Chinese in All of Us by Richard Rodriguez Free Essay Example, 1750 words

In The Chinese in All of Us , Richard Rodriguez explores Multiculturalism. Rodriguez talks about the effects that multiculturalism of the American society had on his life. Being the son of Spanish speaking Mexican immigrant parents, he narrates the constant encounters he experienced while growing up in America. In defense of all the labeling and accusations he faced as a reaction to his book, which highlighted issues such as bilingual education and affirmative action, he wrote his understanding of the issue of Multiculturalism while maintaining one s own ethnic identity. He further elaborates, that though America is a blend of various cultures and it takes pride in it, it still has its own identity. America has its own individuality, its own culture. Multiculturalism in America and its impact on the American identity is constantly debated, where one side calls it the essence of American society whereas the other side considers it a threat to the American identity. (Rodriguez n. p)A merica is a multicultural society, where different cultures coexist alongside each other. Multiculturalism started as a movement at the end of the 19th century in the United States and Europe. We will write a custom essay sample on Multiculturalism of the American Society In The Chinese in All of Us by Richard Rodriguez or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The mass immigration of southern and eastern Europeans and Latin Americans were the driving forces behind it. The genesis of multiculturalism was the concept of cultural pluralism. The different features of different cultures often combine and incorporate. In this way, a cultural blend is formed which creates an environment of tolerance and respect for each other. In a multicultural society, individuals have the freedom to practice their own religion, follow their own dressing code, to eat what they want and participate in cultural practices despite its variance from the mainstream cultural norms. Since the first half of the 19th century, the United States has witnessed a constant mass immigration. These immigrants have played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural landscape of America. The immigrants having their own values, beliefs and attitudes, created their own perception of the adopted home.

Social Exposure And Through Important Life Events

Question 1: Faith inculcation can work in many different ways, but the main two are by social exposure and through important life events. If asked, anyone will say their faith was influenced by either important figures in their life or an event that caused them to look at the world differently. My belief is that there is no one way that someone gains his or her view of faith. It can be influenced by countless conditions in which a single person experiences. Furthermore, when it comes to religion, there are two kinds of people, those who have an overtime transformation of their current faith or a sudden conversion of faith. To begin with, the first type is those who have been accustomed to his or her faith their whole life. For example,†¦show more content†¦Is there a god that will take me in after I die? Does he judge me everyday based on the things I do? This made me rethink my life and why I believe what I do. For others, it may be an event that causes them to become clos er to the god they already believe in. An example is getting married or having a child. These events allow people to praise the god they worship and give thanks for doing something amazing in your life. Augustine (1997) states that, â€Å"My faith, Lord, shall call on Thee, which Thou hast given me, wherewith Thou hast inspired me, through the Incarnation of Thy Son, through the ministry of the Preacher.† This quote shows that the faith in which Augustine has is based solely on God having given it to him. Also, in book one, Augustine states, â€Å"but how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe without a preacher?† Augustine brings up an interesting point about how can a person call upon God when that person has never believed in him or does not have someone to guide them to God. This reinforces the idea that when faced with a life altering experiences, we as humans search for something bigger to believe in. We all want to belie ve there is something after life. Which has caused many people to turn toward having faith when there is nothing else to turn to. Question 2: As Augustine reflects on his childhood in book one, he explains how he believes in original sin because of how he has seen children envy Social Exposure And Through Important Life Events Question 1: Faith inculcation can work in a variety of different ways, but the main two are by social exposure and through important life events. If asked, anyone will say their faith was influenced by either major figures in their life or an event that caused them to look at the world differently. My belief is that there is no one way that someone gains his or her view of faith. It can be influenced by countless conditions in which a single person experiences. Furthermore, when it comes to religion, there are two kinds of people, those who have an overtime transformation of their current faith or a sudden conversion of faith. To begin with, the first type is those who have been accustomed to his or her faith their whole life. For†¦show more content†¦Is there a god that will take me in after I die? Does he judge me everyday based on my actions? This event forced me to think more critically about the faith that I wanted to be associated with. For others, it may be an event that causes them to become closer to the god they already believe in. An example is getting married or having a child. These events allow people to praise the god they worship and give thanks for doing something amazing in their life. Augustine (1997) states that, â€Å"My faith, Lord, shall call on Thee, which Thou hast given me, wherewith Thou hast inspired me, through the Incarnation of Thy Son, through the ministry of the Preacher.† This quote shows that the faith in which Augustine has is based solely on God having given it to him. Also, in book one, Augustine states, â€Å"but how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe without a preacher?† Augustine brings up an interesting point about how can a person call upon God when that person has never believed in him or does not have someone to guide them to God. This reinforces the idea that when faced with a life altering experiences, we as humans search for something bigger to believe in. We all want to believe there is something after life. Which has caused people to turn toward having faith when there is nothing else to turn to. Question 2: As Augustine reflects on his childhood in book one, he explains how he believes in original sin because of how

The Open Boat by Stephen Crane free essay sample

The Open Boat by Stephen Crane Stephen Crane’s Open Boat is based on his own experience when he was shipwrecked off the coast of Florida. The story is famous for its philosophical theme of existentialism, powerfully evoked in the line† If I am going to drowned (repeated thrice), why in the name of the seven mad gods, who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? † (Crane). This opens up an existential view of man’s place in the universe. Man is utterly insignificant and nature, with all its power, has no care for its individual existence. The line was therefore fitting for Billie, the oiler, who did not make it shore. From an existential point of view, one could argue that Billie was not claimed by death; rather he was not worthy to live. Seeing the fine line between death and existence, the survivors had gained an extraordinary experience that could only be brought out by such tragedy—where their life could hang in the balance. Thus, they could be interpreters of existence and it’s opposite. They have conquered death and they have proved to that all powerful nature that they deserve life, which Billie wasn’t able to. As it happens, the existentialist view comes from the survivors’ examination of their condition while lost at sea. The correspondent—the fictional equivalent of Crane—tries desperately to justify their survive and understand the wrath of nature against them. But his ability to comprehend it all was utterly inadequate. It only seems to him that nature does not care. Nature, or the seven mad gods, as he called it, is indifferent to all the courage, brotherhood and valor that the survivors have shown. They receive no complement or reward to such defiance to survive. Their prayers fall into dead ears and God, it seemed, does not care. It was at this point that Crane found it appropriate to use the word absurd to summarize their misfortune. The sinking of their boat, their life clinging to a small dingy boat, this quest to find shore are all affairs that are absurd. Immediately, Crane echoes the existentialist anthem. There is no meaning to the story. No heroes, just survivors played around by nature and have become the victims of the sea. But at that desperation, man can draw his own analogy—and yes, his own reality—which is again another existentialist theme. Shut away from an uncaring cosmos, the men of the sea form a brotherhood and the correspondent—the narrator of the story—constructs his own meaning to it. Thus, when constructing meaning within a universe that regards them as insignificant, the correspondent tries to attach human qualities to things. For instance, the narrator refers to nature as a woman calling it â€Å"she†. To him, nature is an old mistress, often inscrutable, who operates beyond anyone’s understanding. By the end of the story, the cook, the captain and the correspondent have given up understanding and conversing with nature. The irony here is delivered in the final sentence wherein the narrator believes that the three men can be the interpreter’s of the ocean’s voice. Yet their understanding of the sea simply refers to its voice as an endless incoherent rumbling voice that portrays the universe in a cosmic void. At the end of it, there is nothing to interpret. It is up to man himself to interpret his own things. What is notable in this story is how the survivors reached that conclusion, as they go through the proper human response to the acts of nature. They go through as series of progression that lead them to believe that nature is all powerful and all disenchanted. At first, the men are angry to the fact that they could not do anything to sway nature. Moreover, they are disturbed by the fact that nature could kill them if she wishes. At this venture, they realize that nature does not regard them with value. The universe will not be maimed by their death and could dispose of their lives in the course of the movements of the sea. They could not even throw bricks at a temple to vent their rage toward God. But soon the men realize they could not do anything to change nature, so they decided to follow a different route of thinking. Their progress then pins their hopes to worshipping nature. The men decided that they should find something that represents nature and bow down to it as a sign of respect. They start to plead to nature that they be spared from death. Regardless, the men realized that neither anger or their grovelling could sway nature into leading them to their deaths. This is where they realized that nature is indifferent to their pleas and prayers. They became existentialist who start to think that existence is ultimately freedom. You are thrown into existence and be left on your own. They cannot influence the strength of nature. The only hope they have, within their rationalizations, is to respond to the wrath of nature and endure its power. Consequently, the survivors decided to form a brotherhood as a way to compensate their growing fear of death. The brotherhood gives them strength and comfort and it helps them tolerate the might of nature. The four men turn out to become friends, â€Å"friends in a more curiously iron-bound degree than may be common† (Crane). It is through their friendship that had prevented them from falling into complete despair. For example, when the correspondent serves as a watchman at night, he sees a shark and wishes that one of his companions would wake up and keep him in company. Of course, two persons awake would not have driven off the shark, but their togetherness kept them strong and their hopelessness would be kept at bay—thus keeping things less ominous. The shark sighting is a representation of nature itself who threatens the existence man. The correspondent’s fear of the shark’s presence is the same throughout the story; that nature is constantly threatening them to cease from existence. But the brotherhood provided comfort and prevented the feeling of helplessness. The most vicious of the survivors’ despair is their fear of drowning. They recite this fear at three different times â€Å"If I am going to be drowned,† they all remark (Crane). They recite this before and during the long uncertain nights. At this point, the men know that they are under the mercy of nature and its all consuming power. However, with this desperation comes the understanding that it is them versus nature; them versus all the elements that is pitted against them. This unique situation and the strength that they have gathered from their brotherhood made them numb at the concept of death. Later on, the men overcome their fear of drowning and hence, death itself. When the men jumped out of the boat, the correspondent knew that he and the others were no longer afraid. They have completely submitted to their fate, wherever it takes them. In the face of mortal peril swam toward the shore and unafraid of anything else, regardless of the fact that they could die easily. It is just the plain fact that the situation was out of their control. It is for this reason why it did not surprise the correspondent, the captain and the cook that the oiler, Billie, had died. The oiler was commended in the story as the strongest among the four, yet this further proves their realization that they have no power over nature, despite their strengths, courage, prayers—you name it. But it is this understanding that the men become existentialists-in-action that they throw themselves toward existence without trepidation. The lesson here, if there be a lesson, was that those that do not throw themselves into existence, those that continue to believe that nature cares for your life, would faced a more dangerous peril because of the blind faith they have on it. The oiler swam fast and strong ahead of the others, while the three maintained their comradeship. The captain helped the cook and the correspondent reach shore; while the oiler does not continue the brotherhood and depends on his strength to challenge nature. In the end, with the oiler’s death, the men showed no sadness over his loss. They have, at this point, no longer the slaves of death’s threats. Their existence was all up to them. Not by God or anyone. This is why they were allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees. Work Cited Crane, Stephen. â€Å"The Open Boat: A Tale intended to be after the Fact. † Edgar Roberts. â€Å"Literature-an introduction to reading and writing. † 9ed

The United States Housing Bubble

The housing bubble of 2000s remains one of the greatest economic challenges ever faced by the US. The housing bubble defines an economic bubble in which there was a remarked increase in housing prices in the United States.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The United States’ Housing Bubble specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The price escalation was fueled by increased demand and speculation. Increase in demand for houses against the limited supply in the housing market marked an onset of the housing bubble. With such a situation, speculators got into the housing market with a view to making profits through buying and selling of houses in the short-term. The entry of such speculators increased the demand further. With time, the demand decreased while the supply increased. This led to a significant drop in housing prices leading to the bursting of the bubble. The bursting of the housing bubble led to serious eco nomic repercussions on the economic front (Roberts, 57). The housing bubble can largely be attributed to financial activities and monetary policies. The housing prices in the United States escalated due to increased demand and reached an all time high in early 2006. From 2007, the prices started to decline tremendously. In particular, the Case Shriller Home Price Index, in 2008, recorded the biggest price drop in its history. The bursting of the bubble had much effect on the home valuations, mortgage markets and real property markets. While a lot of factors contributed to the housing bubble, financial activities and monetary policies played crucial roles in causing the bubble (Trass, 42). Traditionally, the Glass-Steagall Act played an imperative role in regulation of the financial sector. This act strictly regulated the lending activities of the commercial banks. It limited the banks’ lending activities and interest loans. However, from 1980s, significant changes occurred in the banking sector that set the stage for housing bubble. The banks were deregulated through several Acts. Most notable Acts are the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 and the Garn-ST. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982, which permitted banks to set any interest rate on their loans. These Acts also allowed for adjustable rate mortgages in the economy. In addition, these Acts allowed developers easy access to credit. The availability of credit increased people’s demand for houses. Similarly, the power of the developers to erect more houses to meet the heightened demand increased. This contributed to the housing bubble crisis. The deregulation brought about by the financial Acts enabled the banks to present risky products to the people. By enabling the banks to adjust their lending rates and interest rates, it was easy for the house bubble to set in. the security markets were equally to blame for the housing bubble.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics ? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Federal Reserve rapidly lowered the loan interest rates in response to the precedent dotcom bubble. The historically low interest rates made credit access much easier than before. The lowering of interest rates increased supply that served to cause a further drop in prices of houses in most states. The intense competition between the mortgage lenders pushed them to loosen their lending conditions. Subprime lending intensified due to the easy credit access conditions. Prior to 2003, subprime mortgage lending remained below 10%. However, this doubled to 20% by 2006 during the peak of the bubble. This led to an increase in demand for houses causing an increase in prices of houses, hence the onset of the bubble. The effects of the United States housing bubble on various aspects of the economy cannot be understated. The sharp drop in housing prices increased the rate of loan defaulting significantly . This was down to the increased subprime lending. The fall in housing prices made it difficult for subprime lenders to refinance their loans. Prior to the bubble, there was a massive inflow of foreign capital into the US economy from other world economies. This foreign money inflow plus the low interest conditions, increased credit availability and access in the United States. The decline in housing prices plunged global financial institutions into crises as they witnessed heavy losses. This affected virtually all aspects of global trade for established economies (Trass, 71). The lending potential of financial institutions declined and the governments engaged in extra financial commitments in their bid to bail out the fundamental institutions. This has limited the money available for investment in opportunities globally. In addition, the volume of global trade will decline tremendously since the industrialized countries will tend to reduce their demand for imports from other econom ies. The business cycle has not been spared either of the eminent effects of the housing bubble. The housing bubble led to a slowdown in the economy. With the United States constituting nearly one third of the world’s GDP, the world’s business cycle will undoubtedly be affected. The housing bubble has profoundly affected the country’s demand for exports from other countries thereby affecting the world business cycle (Cline, 112). The economic slowdown due to the housing bubble, also impacts on the workers’ wages. Workers’ wages are much likely to stagnate for long periods especially during this recovery period.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The United States’ Housing Bubble specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The housing bubble did not only affect the US economy but it had unpleasant effects on economies afar, as well. The distant places such as California, Wall Street an d Europe were all connected through the cash inflows. With the increasing prices, investors from varied ends were investing in the US housing markets from Europe and even the fast growing Asian economies. Works Cited Cline, William. Financial Globalization, Economic Growth, and the Crisis of 2007. New York: Peterson Institute, 2010. Print. Roberts, Lawrence. The Great Housing Bubble. California: Monterey Cypress LLC, 2008. Print. Trass, Kieran. The Housing Bubble: The Real Estate Cycle- Why You Can Grow Rich in Slumps as Well as Booms. Auckland: Penguin Group, 2009. Print. 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