A Study in English

Hi, the name's Daisy, I'm currently 21, and living in California. This is just a small blog of my fancy. Primarily used for an interactive assignment. Currently taking English Reading 96. This blog will be a collection of numerous posts that contain reading responses and analyses on several assigned readings.

[dazelinhly]

To Do List

March 28

1. brunch and get changed

2. chores

3.  study

[dazelinhly]

vocabulary#3

assimilation

This picture shows people from many cultures blending in to become an american.

In elementary school I had to go through assimilation in order to not be deemed an outcast and therefore unworthy of companionship.

discrimination

This picture shows that this place only hires whites and any other race or skin color is banned.

I was discriminated against at smart and final just because I was an Asian when I was buying crackers.

aura

The pictures show that that person has a glowing aura.

Whenever I meet someone new, I give off a scared aura that is like a turtle in its shell.

[dazelinhly]

Reflection of the Week

Last week I had a rollercoaster of events to go through. Being the oldest and also being fluent in my mother’s native language comes with high expectations. For the past few days and much of last week was the same old mundane roles that I have to do. Sometimes I wish I had the resources to be able to hire someone to help take care of my chores.

Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I would always be forced to play chauffeur for my siblings. Afterwards, I have to give a hand to my neighbor and help her with any documents or anything that she does not understand due to her own son not knowing the language. For instance, I translated for her what the pharmacy technician was saying  in a way that she would be able to comprehend and fully understand. In addition, I had an abundance of tests to study for with so little time to do it. I know for sure I did well on my sociology test, but not so certain about my history of rock and roll test.

Even though I have been on this ride, I know that I have to stay positive because not everything is about me. Plus when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. At least I know that the upcoming week will better. I will be able to get my strength back, with more time to relax and a decrease in my weekly responsibilities. Spring break is a great time to rest and recoup, and thankfully my siblings have break at the same time, allowing me to have more free time.

As a lesson learned though no matter what there is always that one strand of positivity somewhere. If I am a downer, it will affect the people around me.

[dazelinhly]

[dazelinhly]

Context Clues Vocabulary 2

Anomie (n)

Sentence where it was found:  “Modern industrial communities were threatened by anomie, or a state of normlessness that occurs when people lose sight of the shared rules and values that give order and meaning to their lives.”

Source of sentence:  Discover Sociology by William J. Chambliss & Daina S. Eglitis

Context Clues:  was threatened by, a state of normlessness that occurs when people lose sight of the shared rules and values, give order and meaning to their lives

Explanation of how clues help you guess the meaning:  I can use the key terms like threatened by, or the phrase a state of, occurs, give order and meaning to figure out the definition of the word anomie.

Type of Clue: Dictionary

Guess of word’s meaning: When people lose track of what is right or wrong in life. they look track of what is called normal by society.

Dictionary Definition:  A social condition of normalness; a state of normative uncertainty that occurs when people lose touch with the shared rules and values that give order and meaning to their lives.

Was guess close?: Yes

Sociological imagination (n)

Sentence where it was found:  “As sociologist C. Wright Mills (1959/2000b) suggested half a century ago, uncovering the relationship between what he called personal troubles and public issues calls for a sociological imagination.

Source of sentence:  Discover Sociology by William J. Chambliss & Diana S. Eglitis

Context Clues:  uncovering relationship between, personal troubles, public issues

Explanation of how clues help you guess the meaning:  I can use key terms like relationship between, personal troubles, and public issues to  put them together so I can figure out the definition of the word social imagination.

Type of clue: Inference Clue

Guess of word’s meaning:  knowing the difference between personal, mental, and public issues

Dictionary Definition:  The ability to grasp the relationship between our individual and the larger social forces that help to shape them.

Was guess close: Yes

Proletariat (n)

Sentence where it was found: “In the period of the early industrialization in which he lived, Marx condemned capitalism’s exploitation of working people, the proletariat.”

Source of sentence: Discover Sociology by William J. Chambliss & Daina S. Eglitis

Context Clues: condemned, exploitation, capitalism, working people

Explanation of how clues help you guess the meaning: I can use the key terms condemned, exploitation, capitalism, and working people and connect them together with the sentence to help me figure out the definition of the word proletariat.

Type of Clue: Example

Guess of the Word’s Meaning: the middle class, people who barely can meet ends meet, minimum wage worker and above who do not own a business

Dictionary Definition: the working class; wage workers.

Was guess correct: Yes

[dazelinhly]

War Stories?

During the time that I was born there was no war going on that has impacted me in any personal way. As most people know, I am Vietnamese American, meaning I was born here but my parents were born in Vietnam.

Growing up, my great aunt would always tell me stories about how my mother and she were refuges, running away to America for a better life. During the war of North Vietnam against South Vietnam, my family endured a lot of strife and hardship, and hoping for a new beginning and some semblance of safety that their home country couldn't provide them at that point in the time. Just as my mother’s preteen years came, the horror of the war hit. You could hear gunshots at every corner; one day you can get arrested for being accused of being a “rebel”. If my mother did not escape, the communists from the north would take over the south where my mother grew up and lived in her entire prepubescent existence, making life unbearable.

They had to be like thieves in the night, making sure to not get caught lest they be tried for treason or any other fabricated crime against the government. Measures had to be taken into account for the successful journey, sacrifices having to be made to ensure the survival of the younger generation. With great reluctance, my mother and her family were forced to leave my grandmother behind: leaving at the right time of the day was crucial if staying alive was even remotely a possibility.

Later on, when my mother and her family had managed to steal away onto a boat, my great aunt became terrified when she noticed my mother ate an abundance of food in one sitting, fearing they would be caught by the police. The conditions of travel were less than ideal, cramped spaces and elbows and knees constantly knocking against each other. Many people were crammed into the small space, the size of a fish boat, with hardly enough room to sit or move around without bumping into someone else. The tight quarters might as well be people packed like a can of sardines, people pushing and praying in the hopes of escaping the tragedy that was their homeland. The rolling of the waves and the limited food supply had everyone on edge, nausea and sickness setting in as the journey went on. Some passed out, stressed and hungry as they were. Times were rough on the boat, food so scarce people had to go without eating for several days straight.

The journey was arduous and enduring, being shipped from one place to another, not knowing when they will be truly safe, if safety even existed, or if they would ever be free from the haunting sounds of gunfire and screams. First from Thailand, then to Cambodia, Japan, and at last, my mom makes it to the United States. Once dropped off somewhere, refugees became faceless strangers in a foreign land with no idea how to communicate and the unrelenting notion and paranoia that people in that land weren’t as friendly as rumors implied, if the strangers in the crowd would somehow turn around and make your new life another version of living hell. The inescapable images of gunfire, blood spilling, hiding in fear and having to constantly be on your guard, cautious because you never knew if someone was listening or if someone would rat you out for saying something less than favorable. The unfortunate collateral damage that the war had wrought upon millions, scarring them with unimaginable nightmares that was their reality. Finally, the promise land was within grasp.

However, although America welcomed all of the refuges, and my mother among them, with open arms, the fear still lurked in the deep and dark crevices of their mind, waiting for an opportune time to strike. My mother and great aunt had to do what it took to make it in a dog eat dog world. America was not as easy as everyone made it to seem. It may be the land of opportunity, but not everyone was privy to it, and not everyone could last in such a vast and unknown land that left each person to fend for themselves. And if someone fails? Well, that’s just too bad isn’t it.

After hearing my great aunt’s story about her voyage, I thought about how lucky I am to be here today. My mother and great aunt were forced to go through so much to create an opportunity for me to be successful and be exuberant in life. From that experience, I learned that the life I am able to have today is not for granted.

[dazelinhly]

What is a Life Backpack anyway?

If you were to dig into my life backpack you would find a whole abundance of wonders and stink bombs. However, the main components you can grab out my backpack is my faith, compassion, and life experiences. Without my faith I do not think I would be able get to where I am today. I grew up in a Christian Methodist Church ever since I was 5 years old.

As I got older through trials, tribulations, and temptations, numerous occasions of doubt called out to me, dancing before my eyes in an attempt to sway me onto a path of unfaithfulness. Through this troubling time, I  forgot how to confront my obstacles head on and instead wallowed about in my miseries. All that was in my train of thoughts was revenge. I constantly promised myself that I would find a way to be the messenger of revenge to those who did me wrong.

During my high school years I was grateful that one of my sisters in Christ at church reached out to me. Thanks to that one moment my perspective and attitude on life changed forever. Now I try my best deal with my roller coaster and stress with patiences. I know if I try to fight back or argue it would get me nowhere.

In addition, since I was raised in a family that revolved around manners and etiquette; my faith reinforced that ideal. Everywhere I go I carry my armor of God, in this case my bible and God himself. Compassion goes hand in hand with my faith. My definition of compassion is putting others before myself. Even if I’m tired I will tough it out and make sure they get the help they need.

Of course, there were often times where I would fail and complain about my misfortunes and bad lot in life, but I’m endeavoring to leave that behavior in the past and put it behind me. I instead choose to devote my time and energy into being cordial and lady-like (although my appearance and how I choose to present myself may say otherwise).

To close this blog entry off, I want to share with you my favorite bible verse that I try to live by the most: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This verse talks about how love should be. For Jesus loves me first and shows me how to give up an ultimate sacrifice. It is my goal to follow in his footsteps, to be a reflection of him and a beacon of light to others.

Life experiences are self explanatory. All my experiences that I have to go through, whether good or bad, mold me into the person I am today.  If I didn’t go through what I had as a child, I wouldn’t be making the same mistakes that I made back then. Mistakes and life experiences transform me into a wiser person. And for that, I am grateful.

[dazelinhly]

Context Clues Vocabulary

 Misconstruing

“For Hal, breakdowns in nonverbal communications takes place most commonly during cross-cultural circumstances. For instance, federal workers dealing with Navajo Indians are often seen as misconstruing their basic concepts of time.”

Why Gen-Y Johnny Can’t Read Nonverbal Cues

A "Context Clue" that helps someone understand the word is “basic concepts of time," which is considered an inference clue.

Guess: to infer or guess

Misconstruing - to misunderstand the meaning of, take in wrong sense of

Sometimes I notice people misconstruing me and the way I act due to the way I present myself.

Was my guess close? No

Juxtaposition

“He argues that body language, facial expressions and stock mannerisms function “in juxtaposition to words,” imparting feelings, attitudes, reactions and judgments in a different register.”

Why Gen-Y Johnny Can’t Read Nonverbal Cues

The context clue that helped me understand the word juxtaposition was “imparting feelings, attitudes, reactions, and judgments,” and in this case the clue was an inference and an example clue.

Guess: two things that fit together, go hand in hand

juxtapostion - the state of being side to side or close together

The two drawings I made as a hobby are placed side by side in order to be seen as a juxtaposition toward each other.

Was my guess close? Yes

Adroitness

“The digital natives improved their adroitness at the keyboard, but when it come to their capacity to “read” the behaviors of others, they are all thumbs.”

Why Gen-Y Johnny Can’t Read Nonverbal Cues

The context clues that helped me understand the word adroitness was “capacity, behavior of others, and improve," this also being considered an example clue and inference clue.

Guess: doing something with skill

adroitness - with skill, having shown cleverness or resourcefulness when handling situations.

I handle all my chores with adroitness.

Was my guess close? Yes