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This is a college level tranfer course, the second in a series where we will examine the poetics of life lived on the ground...as in rough and tumble, as in America at war with herself. This is a world art alone makes sense of, an artist's work is a gift freely shared like air...sympathetic systems aligned, the the fictive or imaginary worlds of possiblity simply an inhale or exhale away. This class is an opportunity to close your eyes and believe.
15 comments:
Mauricio Cavero Alprecht
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
9 November 2010
American Culture - United States of America Flag
When I think of an icon of the United States of America, there are a lot that comes to my mind. The Coca Cola bottle, the Andy Warhol’s picture of Marilyn Monroe, a cheese burger, the one dollar bill and even the Gibson Les Paul guitar. All of those are very iconic but I believe that the United States of America flag is the mother of all icons.
It was on Saturday, when I was watching one of those documentaries of 9/11 that I saw why it was so iconic and so important for all of us. It brings hope when you see the flag, it tells you: “Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright.” It doesn’t matter the situation that you are in at the time, when you see that flag it makes you bigger that all the problems that you might have and the most important thing of all, it unites us. It gives us the strength to overcome adversity and reminds us that United States of America is the home of the brave.
The image that I’m talking about is the one with the three, cover in white dust, fire fighters raising the flag to a beam that might have been of one of the two towers and at the background the devastated rumble of what used to be the World Trade Center. When you see that you really think that this land is really the home of the brave.
That is only one image, but there are many other images and one of them is one that all you have seen millions of times and that has the same effect that the previous image. Makes you proud to be an American and brings the good in you. That image is the image of the soldiers raising the flag in Iwo Jima. That image unites us as a country, even though one of the members of the team that raised the flag was a Native American and at that time they were discriminated, that image taught us that together we can do it all.
Those two images would have been like many other images but the difference is that they have the American Flag in them with people acting together to raise the moral of the entire nation in time of adversity.
Mauricio Cavero Alprecht
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
9 November 2010
Ahu.
I liked how she linked her ancestry to the Pocahontas story. I was really interested on her point of view that her icon was a young native girl and why she chose it.
Bishu.
The Coca Cola icon is world known and Bishu told us the story on why it became a World wide icon. I liked that Bishu told us that it became a world icon after the Second World War, because the soldiers were seen drinking coke everywhere.
Shonta.
Shonta American icon was revealing to me. She talked about the clay pots and the Creole cousin that is part of the African American culture. I was particularly interested with this presentation because it is part of my Peruvian culture. For the Peruvians it is used in very similar ways that in the African American culture. As a reason on why use the clay pots to cook, Shonta said, “Because of all the spices that we cook with,” that is probably something that my grandma would say.
Ahu,
I loved your introduction about your DNA surprise when the results from your test returned: 80 percent European, 10 percent Native American, 9 percent Sub-Saharan African, and 1 percent Asian, and then your talk which centered on the aspects of your person you were least familiar with: Native American and African & African American.
You doll is cute as well.
You are a great presenter. Even when the work doesn't work on paper, you make the discourse make sense when you are allowed to share it aloud. Hopefully, this facility will leak into your written discourse as well so that you are dually competent.
Cory Hollamon
English 1b
Professor Sabir
09 November 2010
Ahu- Comparing your family history to Pocahontas was a great idea. That was orgianal and a creative idea.
Bishu- Using Coca Cola was very smart because weather someone drinks Coke or not they can still relate to it in regards to American culture.
Shonta- I like the fact that you shared your creole culture with us. Its always interesting to learn something new about a different culture.
Ahu Yildirim
Prof. Sabir
English 1B
9 November 2010
Reflection on American Cultures Presentations
Today many students from class including me did representations about American Cultures. I brought Native American Doll, especially talked about Native American and Afro-American cultures. American culture is a very cosmopolitan culture. Cosmopolitanism is the ideology that all kinds of human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality.
The cosmopolitan community might be based on an inclusive morality, a shared economic relationship, or a political structure that encompasses different nations. In its more positive versions, the cosmopolitan community is one in which individuals from different places form relationships of mutual respect as in the United States.
The name "America" is often used to refer to the United States, but until the political formation of the United States after the Revolutionary War, this designation referred to South America only. Contemporary use of the term to refer to the United States underlines that country's political and economic dominance in the western hemisphere. Such use of this designation is impolitic from the perspective of Canadians and Latin Americans.
U.S. culture has significant regional inflections. Most Americans are aware of these differences despite the fact that these regions have experienced economic transformations and that Americans are a mobile people who often leave their regions of origin.
There is no official national language. If English is its unofficial first language, Spanish is its unofficial second language. The United States ranks fifth in the world in the number of Spanish speakers. Standard English is the language Americans are expected to speak. Within the social hierarchy of American English dialects, Standard English can be described as the exemplar of acceptable for correct usage based on the model of cultural, economic, and political leaders. Spoken English includes many dialects that have been influenced by Native Americans, immigrants, and Afro-Americans.
The class, racial, ethnic, and gender relationships of the contemporary nation have their roots in the colonial period.
Overall American culture is a cosmopolitan rich culture with the mixture of many different cultures and ethnicities. I enjoyed all my friends presentations and I like Mauricio’s the most.
Shonte:
I found the objects: Garlic and the Christmas ornament an aromatic discourse on American culture which certainly is connected to food and surprise and ritual.
Your presentation was excellent. You illustrated an understanding of a culture you are proud of.
Thanks for sharing. Next time, bring some food.
Victoria Gambrell
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
9 November 2010
American Culture Presentations
Today in class we presented our images and views on what we thought America Culture was to us.
The first person was Mauricio. He brought in flags of America and Pero. He talked about how here in America the soilders were proud to raise the flags to represent their country.
The second person was Ahu. She talked about how she was Turkish and was always taught that her people mostly came from Asia. To thought a good way to comfirm her acusations was to take a DNA test. She did so with Nathan Strong, her Peralta anthropology teacher and found out she was only 1% Asian. Way different from what she heard growing up. She also brought in a Native American doll to show representation of who she is.
The third person was Bishu. He brought in a bottle of Coke and explained how it has been apart of American Culture a very very long time. Ever since it had cocaine in it and had bottles that were shaped as womens bodies.
The forth person was Shonta. She brought in a handmade Garlic clay jar. Which at her home would store garlic and many other seasonings her family would cook with.She realated the jar making and the type of food cooking back to the African American Culture. She also brought in a Santa piece which represent the American Culture. She express how Santa was to be the thought of giving from ones self to another. In her family they would do secret santa and usually buy all the kids in the family gifts.
Shonta Jones
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
9, November 2010
Bishu
I love how he brought the big bottle of Coco Cola in instead of the old school slender glass bottle. He gave us great history on how the Coco Cola was formed and where it comes from, how it got to be such a big icon and why it is drunk all over the world. Once the world saw someone they looked up to drinking the Coco Cola everyone wanted to drink it around the Second World War, our Heroes were seen drinking it, the ones who protect us.
Mauricio
I was not able to hear all of what he discussed in class, but I was able to read what he posted on the blog and I love what he says about how people view the American Flag as a sign of Bravery and Freedom. I like how he also discusses how the strengths of the American Flag shows that this is a free America and you can do what you want as long as you keep you mind on your goal.
Johna Manibusan
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1b
9 November 2010
American Culture Presenations
Today in class we listened to four presentation on what they believed was American Culture. Each presentation was tied together, everyone seems to have some similiarity when it comes to what they think.
The first presentation started out with what came to mind, like the coca cola bottle, Cheeseburgers, Marilyn Monroe and so on. His most significant icon was the American Flag, he talked about 9/11 and how he realized how significant the american flag was to Americans. How they waved it in such honor after all the trajedy.
The second presentation had a native american doll. She is not from america and she believes that America is very accepting. She began to talk about her dna being from a lot of places around the world than she was aware of.
The third presentation was similar to the first, what she thought of when she heard American Culutre. What she focused on the most was Christmas. How everyone comes together and celebrates christmas with a twist of their own culture.
The fourth presentation brought in two flags, his was similar to the fist about how much the American flag mean to everyone.
I enjoyed all the presentations, they all reminded me of American Culture. They were all great presentaions.
Victoria Gambrell
English 1B
Professor Wanda Sabir
9 November 2010
American Culture 2nd part
The fifth person was Sara. She spoke on how coffee was apart of the American Culture. It started from the Boston Tea Party and how tea was banned. One of the first coffee shops was in Berkeley named Pete's. Another is Starbucks that is nationwide. Ever since then she said coffee was the drink to be served at homes and enjoyed in coffee shops by students.
Bishwojit Sharma
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
12 November 2010
American Culture
well we were supposed to present an object that represents American culture. It was really interesting class because everyone brought some different objects and described it very well. All presentation were good but there were few which i liked the most. First one is Shonta. Her presentation was about Clay pots which American people use for storage of spices like garlic etc. It was very exciting the way she presented. second one is Mauricio. He brought flag of American. I liked how he focused the flags represents country. I also like the Sara presentation. she gave us brief summary about how coffee become famous in America and became its culture. I talked about coca cola. I focused how it become famous from world war II and become one of the US culture.
Bishwojit Sharma
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1B
12, November 2010
Coca Cola:
Coca Cola is founded here in United States in Atlanta around 1880’s by Jon Pemberton. Coca Cola can be automatically associated with being Western and Modern Culture and American Culture is a Western Culture
United States has the highest consumption Rate. In an average, in one year 1 person in America drinks 97 liters of Coca Cola whereas in other country a person drinks 25 liters in a year
As a foreign student, when I thought about America, things that came to mind were Statue of Liberty, Empire State, McDonald, hamburgers and Coca cola Coca Cola was immensely popular with all the American Soldiers of World War II, which is how the soft drink got popularized around the world
From 6 years old kid to a 60 year old man, on average they choose Coca-Cola over other soft drinks.
Coca Cola’s slogan “Enjoy Happiness” reflects the essence of American Culture, which is to enjoy your life, and be happy.
Coca Cola has been continuously had the same product, and yet America has accepted it. Coca Cola is still very popular from which we can assume that majority of America has been accepting it for a very long time so it is safe to say that it is infused into this culture.
Coca Cola can be found anywhere in all of America. Birthday Parties, County Fairs. It is found in Bars, Clubs, Corporate Events, Fast Foods restaurants. Let’s say in almost every places all over world.
Although coca cola is now a world Culture, even today “coca cola” is thought of to be “American” around rest of the world.
Sha’Quea Pratt
Ms. Sabir
English 1B
9 October 2010
Tea
Tea was first discovered in China. In 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea. Tea has been very popular in America since the 1700’s. In 1773 Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave the English East India Company a chance to avert bankruptcy by granting a monopoly on the importation of tea into the colonies. The new regulations allowed the company to sell tea to the colonists at a low price, lower than the price of smuggled tea. The British thought that the Americans would willingly pay the tax if they were able to pay a low price for the tea. The Tea Act was an act where the British government put a lot of tax on tea in order to benefit from it. The American’s did not want to buy this tea because it was a way to take money away from them so they decided to buy tea off of smugglers that illegally brought it into America. The British government had realized that the Tea they sale was not being bought but everyone was still buying tea. This is where they put an act across to band all illegal imported goods. They also arrested the smugglers that were selling goods. By doing arresting them and setting this law they knew this would cause the people to buy there tea. Unfortunately, they were wrong. The American’s did not buy the Tea because they knew they were being ripped off by the British government. Instead they would board the ships where the imported Tea was and split the crates open and dumped the tea into the Sea. Tea is still apart of American Culture today. Till this day, people still drink tea. They have a lot of different Tea café’s and also sale tea in lots of stores.
Sha’Quea Pratt
Ms. Sabir
English 1B
9 November 2010
Tea
Tea was first discovered in China. In 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea. Tea has been very popular in America since the 1700’s. In 1773 Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave the English East India Company a chance to avert bankruptcy by granting a monopoly on the importation of tea into the colonies. The new regulations allowed the company to sell tea to the colonists at a low price, lower than the price of smuggled tea. The British thought that the Americans would willingly pay the tax if they were able to pay a low price for the tea. The Tea Act was an act where the British government put a lot of tax on tea in order to benefit from it. The American’s did not want to buy this tea because it was a way to take money away from them so they decided to buy tea off of smugglers that illegally brought it into America. The British government had realized that the Tea they sale was not being bought but everyone was still buying tea. This is where they put an act across to band all illegal imported goods. They also arrested the smugglers that were selling goods. By doing arresting them and setting this law they knew this would cause the people to buy there tea. Unfortunately, they were wrong. The American’s did not buy the Tea because they knew they were being ripped off by the British government. Instead they would board the ships where the imported Tea was and split the crates open and dumped the tea into the Sea. Tea is still apart of American Culture today. Till this day, people still drink tea. They have a lot of different Tea café’s and also sale tea in lots of stores.
Sha'Quea Pratt
Professor Sabir
English 1B
10 November 2010
American Culture
Ahu: It was very interesting the way she connected herself to Pocahontas through your DNA 80%, 10%, 9% and 1%.
Bishu: It was interesting to know that coca cola became popular after the world war when many soldiers were seen drinking them.
Shonta: I enjoyed your discussion about your creole culture. I can connect with this because I believe my father side of the family holds a bit of creole.
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