BGSU Ethnic Studies 1010

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ12

Identity, as shown in the reading, can be used to help bring together people from many different and overlapping marginalized groups by helping them face their problems head on, “this is what we are”. On the other hand, identity, can “other” people, this can be caused by identifying as too many different groups skewing a sense of where the person belongs placing them on the outside of every group they try to place themselves in.

Eric A.

[ethnicstudies1010]

I believe that your last statement regarding over-identification is mostly correct, but I would also be inclined to believe that that isn't the only complication. I think it's also important to note that when one person chooses to include themselves in a group that their appearance does not convey, it can lead to misunderstanding and negative scenarios. This can be applied to identification as a whole. -Dylan Wolfe

[ethnicstudies1010]

Discussion Question 12

Throughout the readings this week, we learned that identity is responsible for bringing marginalized groups together. Having a sense of “identity” can do both good and harm to the person acknowledging it; by either realizing that you are part of more cultures than just one or realizing you’re part of only on culture and separating yourself from other groups. Although we might believe we can choose this outcome, many have this chosen early on without knowing because of their race. throughout the first readings, they discuss the ways their race have decided their identities. Coates describes how the police will target many African Americans, only because of the color of their skin. Occurring only because of the history between the two.

Michele Elam explains the mistreatment of “Jazmine”. Her identity is already chosen by her mixed skin and judged because of the same reason. Even though Jazmine is being “othered” because of her mixed skin, she still feels unified with the people in her community. I’ve had this situation occur in my family many times with my uncle-in-law. Since he is an African American within a “white” family, he is othered. But between my side of the family and the other, we unify ourselves with him and let him know he is really part of the family.

-Floyd Croka Jr.

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ 12

AJ McCullough

Through the readings for this week, we can see that identity can help bring together marginalized groups by not escaping problems that a certain group faces. For example, some of the more successful black people like to escape “blackness” by buying into stereotypes of people they are identified with by a society. By escaping their race, they do not help the problems that are at hand with the race and it shows a type of embarrassment they have of the race they get identified with. So if they were to represent their race, they can fix the issues people of similar people to them.

What identity doesn’t help with is bringing back scientific racism. This brings back people to discuss how they are “a quarter Swedish,” or “part Cherokee.” Which really doesn’t make any sense. It also puts people of mixed races at a disadvantage because they are seen as being tainted with an inferior race’s blood. Even if these multiracial people are considered the race of the non-dominant race they “are made of.” That race doesn’t see them as something like “not black enough.” So scientific racism is used be people of all races.

[ethnicstudies1010]

I agree that stereotypes play a major role in how identity unifies and separates individuals even though they may share a common racial background -Jasmine White

[ethnicstudies1010]

Discussion Question 12

For this week’s discussion, think of the word “Identity.” How does Identity unify AND how does it “other” in both the readings from Monday and in “The Ethno-Ambiguo Hostility Syndrome” chapter in Doing Race? 

[ethnicstudies1010]

When you think of the word “Identity” within a common race/culture, it varies on if it will unite the people of the same race or if it with separate you. The unifying factor of what identity means is that you have some kind of common, or similarities with a select group of other people, you are amongst people who act similar to you and who also share the same cultural beliefs making it easy for you to fit in. But what if you don't believe in those same beliefs and the way you act is slightly different than those around you? This is where the “bothering” characteristic comes into play. -Jasmine White

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ 12

identity is something a person can chose. So when talking about ‘The ethnology-ambiguous Hostility Syndrome’, Identity is basically a group of people that create their own culture based on having the same identity. Then the different cultures clash together because they have different identities and backgrounds.

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ12

Identity is a concept that has consistently been brought up within our readings, and it has already been apparent that identify can be a positive or negative aspect of one's life. Within the readings this week, we have witnessed the artificial suppression of identity and how it is continuously defined based off of outside perspectives. (Ex. The Trouble Ball and the Coates reading in that order.) Many peoples have been forced to supress their identity in order to fit in with the running standard, and their identity also remains out of their hands as we have discussed in the past. "Ethno-Ambiguo Hostility Syndrome" further brings these statements into light by focusing heavily on a specific character in The Boondocks, Jazmine. The reading also helps recognize the incongruity of Jazmine's identity and the dangers that it can bring. -Dylan Wolfe

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ12

From the readings this week, we learn that having a sense of identity is almost essential for bringing marginalized groups together. Personal identities are positive and give a sense of togetherness and belonging to marginalized groups who may otherwise feel outcasted by society. However, someone’s identity can also harm them based on the perception of that identity coming from outside groups. It is obvious to see that many people do not get to choose their own identities because it is often assigned to them based on race. Ta-Nehisi Coates touches on this idea when he describes the police force and how they target African Americans. This is because African Americans are assigned a certain identity by police that they themselves cannot control. The identities of African Americans do not come from the police, but from centuries of racial bias. 

From reading “The Ethno-Ambiguo Hostility Syndrome”, we see how people such as Jazmine struggle with both concepts of identity and othering. She is othered because of her mixed race and the fact that she is not purely white but still perceives herself as being unified with the people around her. In this situation, the unity that comes from personal identification and the feeling of being the “other” are affecting Jazmine in different ways.

-Jason Davis

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ12

For this week’s discussion, think of the word “Identity.” How does Identity unify AND how does it “other” in both the readings from Monday and in “The Ethno-Ambiguo Hostility Syndrome” chapter in Doing Race?

Identity is defined by what a person wants to think about themselves inside and out . There are some identities that people define for you and some that you can pick or chose to share .  I think that having an Identify does not unify at all I think that it in fact only separates. When people Identify themselves they become smaller and smaller as a whole instead of uniting as one . I think the only way it unifies is by connecting when people have similarities. I think that people can look to others for support but that often stops the unifying process because people think that other people can not relate .

Basia Robertson

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ12

Identity, as shown in the reading, can be used to help bring together people from many different and overlapping marginalized groups by helping them face their problems head on, “this is what we are”. On the other hand, identity, can “other” people, this can be caused by identifying as too many different groups skewing a sense of where the person belongs placing them on the outside of every group they try to place themselves in.

Eric A.

[ethnicstudies1010]

DB 12

 Identity can be defined by person’s own interests and defining characteristics as well as the way that others perceive you by the characteristics that you possess. With this said, Identity can be used to unify and other people. In the readings from Monday, we see that identity can directly effect and cause othering. In the article “Trouble Ball” the identity of the author directly categorizes him as an other. The author is not of the same race and ethnicity of those in the baseball field and therefore not part of the majority group. This causes fear, cautiousness, and consciousness from the author and his father. The reading from Between the World and Me had examples from how one’s identity can both be othering and unifying. In regards to the article Coates told a story which demonstrated fear between people who identified as black and those whom identified as PG County Police. In this situation identifying as black identified you and created a perceived reason to be othered. On the other hand, identifying as a police officer is unifying due to being part of a perceived respected and helpful group of people with power.

 The Doing Race’s chapter “The Ethno-Ambiguo Hostility Syndrome” othering and unification due to identity happens for individuals. In the reading, Jazmine identifies herself as of someone of mixed race and lighter skin and through this she is both perceived as othered and unified. Through the community that Jazmine lives in she is surrounded by individuals in a white community and through her self-identification she is united with the people whom she lives with. However, the community in which she lives and the people that surround her often perceive her as black, which causes her to be perceived and identified as an other.

Lexie Stelnicki

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ 12

Both articles illustrate how identity can other and unify people. Between the world and me shows how the PG Police department identified “others” based off of how they identified as a race. They saw blacks as others based off of this racial identity and treated them inhumanely. Coates also illustrates through his constant reminders of people he met at the mecca and Prince Jones, how identity can unify people. He felt a connection to Prince Jones because they both identified as the same race. He illustrated this unity when he talked about all the people from the mecca that came to Princes funeral. They all felt the same fear, knowing that their bodies could be so easily taken away because they all identified with the same race.

This weeks chapter from dong race also illustrates unity and othering based off identity. We can see how Jazmine is almost othering by identifying herself as mixed not black. She clearly does not want to be seen as black, and does not want to have any connection to that race. We also see how Huey’s view shows how identity can bring unity. He so badly wants Jazmine to admit she is black, so he can feel unified with her. He even tries to relate her to prominent black figures in society so she can begin to see this unity. He even says its nice to have more black people around.

Mary Gebby

[ethnicstudies1010]

~Kaleb Ehlert

The unwilling to identify as “black” demonstartes to others that the group is inferior and is undisrable to be identified as part of the group. How is Jazmine almost “othering?”

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ#12

Identity is what sets people apart from one another. Someone's identity is what makes them who they are, it is something people can take years to figure out. It brings people together because it helps people identify with one another through common interests or experiences. It can promote "othering" when a person does not identify with the majority, or they feel like they don't really identify with anyone. In Wednesday's reading identity is mentioned when the girls mother tells the principle that she wants her daughter to figure out her identity on her own, she doesn't want anyone to label her before she decides. In the trouble ball his father realizes that he does not identify with all of the white people in the stadium. Having a sense of identity can help people form relationships with others, both good and bad. Emily Drumm

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ 12

The readings for this week were unique because there have been examples of providing unity and examples of what we are referring to as “othering”. Right away in the Doing Race essay for this week Michele Elam discusses the idea that mixed race children are being promoted as “The Faces of the Raceless Generation” I can see how this both provides unity but also can be “othering” the children or people that fit this mixed race description. These children are being grouped together regardless of which races they are a combination of which could present a sense of unity amongst all of these children, but I still believe they are being singled out because their skin has some color to it. Clearly we aren't at a state in time where people are simply people and they aren't identified by skin color, as if we didn't already know that though.

This article focuses heavily on the idea that mixed race people are the prime example that we are moving to a “raceless society” and that the death toll for race has come, however, until there are no prejudgments, acts of violence, and hate speech against people of minority races or the majority race for that matter, I don't think we can say that society has moved beyond race.

-Josh Kimmel

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DQ12

~Kaleb Ehlert

Identity unifies those who face a similar challenge as they relate to one anothers struggle and can create a sense of community. This unification can cause for those to look for each other for support or can cause anger and distrust to create protest against the inequality. This protest can cause “othering” by isolating other groups as they are seen as the enemy of another. There can also be individuals who try to separate from the group because they have been accepted within the mainstream culture, which does not help address the issues at hand, but hide them.

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ12

There was a really interesting quote that Elam brings up in her article of “The Ethno-Ambiguo Hostility Syndrome” and it went like this, “‘Ok…  if you’re not black, then what are you, hmmm?’ she responds dutifully with a list documenting down to the fraction her ethnic racial portfolio: ‘My mother is one-quarter Irish, one-quarter Swedish, and one-half German, and on my father’s side is part Cherokee, and my grandfather is mostly French, I think, because he’s originally from Louisiana, and his father was from Haiti I believe, which makes me.  . .’” (537).  I believe this quote really stands out to how identity can unify and “other” an individual at the same time.  In this example, the person can identify with a variety of ethnicities and have the sense of belongingness in these various groups of people.  However, at the same time, it can cause the person to be seen as an “other” due to how none of the descriptions show any indications that she is a true, white American, which often times leads to inferiority, and othering to occur.  In the section by Coates, the idea of blackness and how to fit in society is a reoccurring theme, which ties into unifying and othering.  By being black and identifying as black, it is clearly a way for whites to “other” blacks as being different and serves as easy targets by cops, which Coates demonstrates with his recollection of how many black people were killed by the PG county police.  However, in this case, if many blacks unify together, then it can in turn serve as support system to fight the oppression experienced for being different. 

~Stephanie Maiorano

[ethnicstudies1010]

I thought your view on unity was very unique. At first I did not see how identifying as all of those different races could bring unity, but I feel the your explanation brought up an interesting point. But I disagree that identifying as black “is clearly a way for white to other blacks”. I think whether they identify themselves this way or not, society will still view them as inferior. I think by identifying themselves as black, it gives them more power then allowing someone else to identify them. For example, the black lives matter movement could not be effective if they did not acknowledge the identity of this race.

Mary Gebby

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ 12

Both articles illustrate how identity can other and unify people. Between the world and me shows how the PG Police department identified “others” based off of how they identified as a race. They saw blacks as others based off of this racial identity and treated them inhumanely. Coates also illustrates through his constant reminders of people he met at the mecca and Prince Jones, how identity can unify people. He felt a connection to Prince Jones because they both identified as the same race. He illustrated this unity when he talked about all the people from the mecca that came to Princes funeral. They all felt the same fear, knowing that their bodies could be so easily taken away because they all identified with the same race.

This weeks chapter from dong race also illustrates unity and othering based off identity. We can see how Jazmine is almost othering by identifying herself as mixed not black. She clearly does not want to be seen as black, and does not want to have any connection to that race. We also see how Huey’s view shows how identity can bring unity. He so badly wants Jazmine to admit she is black, so he can feel unified with her. He even tries to relate her to prominent black figures in society so she can begin to see this unity. He even says its nice to have more black people around.

Mary Gebby

[ethnicstudies1010]

DQ 12

One’s identity can be shaped by both one’s personal identity and the way others identify them. An individual’s collective identity can be directly related to whether they are categorized as an “other” or an outsider from the dominant group. The reading for Monday consisted of an excerpt from Between the World and Me and the article “The Trouble Ball” by Martin Espada. In the excerpt from Between the World and Me, Coates describes how black people feared the PG county police because of the police’s control over black peoples’ bodies. Coates experiences this fear personally when he gets pulled over by the police. So, the identity of black in this reading results in an individual being categorized as an “other.” On the other hand, the identity of being a police officer is unifying. For example, the police officer that killed Prince Jones was black; however, his identity as a police officer unifies him with other police officers and the majority group instead of being categorized as an “other” because he is black.

In addition, the article “The Trouble Ball” discusses identity in terms of “othering” because the author’s identity of being Spanish led him to feel ostracized at the baseball game. This is evident when the author points out that everyone around him was white and that his father whispered his Spanish. Further, the chapter “The ‘Ethno-Ambiguo Hostility Syndrome” in Doing Race explored the struggle for identity experienced by a character named Jazmine from the comic strip called “The Boondocks.” Jazmine’s principal and Jazmine’s friend Huey both define Jazmine as black. However, Jazmine identifies herself as light-skinned with hair she just considers to be frizzy. This is a perfect example of how one identifies themselves may not agree with how others identify them. As a result, Jazmine struggles with her personal identity as light-skinned which unifies her with the rest of the white upscale neighborhood she lives in or the way others identify her as black and becoming an “other.”

Hallie Zimmer

[ethnicstudies1010]

I completely agree with how one’s identity can be shaped by themselves and others. Having an identity of being black allowed for the people to unify together, but it also allowed for people to see them as “others.” The police officers identities are also shaped by others because people see the police uniform and already know who they are grouped with. Wearing the uniform allowed for blacks to be looked at as more than just a black person. 

Morgan Flick