its-andre-raphaela

[its-andre-raphaela]

Fieldwork 13

Interviewer: Do you agree to take this interview?

Interviewee: Yes

Interviewer: How old are you, if you don’t mind?

Interviewee: 41 years old

Interviewer: Where did you migrate from?

Interviewee: Jeremy, Haiti

Interviewer:Where in the States did you move to?

Interviewee: State of Florida, and I never left.

Interviewer: How old were you when you moved to the country?

Interviewee: 12 years old, I was young

Interviewer: Do you visit home often?

Interviewee: yes

Interviewer: What pushed you to move to the U.S.?

Interviewee: I was young and my mother was living in the states?

Interviewer: What impact did that have on you?

Interviewee: A better opportunity to do something with my life, there were advantages such as going to school for free, a better education, which gave me the strength to start a non profit organization to help others that did not get the same opportunity as I, in Haiti.

Interviewer: Do you think that if you did not move to the States, would you have the same ideas concerning starting the non profit organization?

Interviewee: Yes and no, and I will give you the reason why… yes and the reason is my beliefs since I was a kid to do something different to make a change in people’s lives. ANd no because I would have not had the opportunity, because of work conditions in the country. It is not easy to find a job in a third world country that has been governed by people who have greed and ambitions. They do not see the people, they see themselves instead. Now, politics is the reason why Haiti is suffering. It is a pandemic, like any other pandemic which thrives in greed. The interest and well being does not matter. What matters to the politicians are their pockets, so I would have not had the opportunity to do anything.

Interviewer: If it were not for education purposes would you have stayed home instead, or would you have gone to your mother anyway?

Interviewee: As a child I would have preferred to be with my mom, because every child deserves to be where their mother is at. If the country had job opportunities and my mom did have to travel, I would have stayed home with my family, brothers and sisters, cousins and all. However, they did not and the United States has become my home for 31 years. A home that I love and that has done right by me. And I thank the lord for giving me the opportunity to be part of it. An opportunity that I am grateful for and an opportunity that I would love to share with those who cannot have it. It is my job to make it possible for them, by providing a proper education for free for all children who are in need of it.

Interviewer: What does this country offer you?

Interviewee: Security, peace, opportunities, a way of life that you could make whatever you want and become whomever you want. 

Interviewer: Thank you!

Interviewee: You’re welcome. 

[its-andre-raphaela]

FieldWork 11

For this fieldwork I have chosen to write about a KitKat chocolate bar. To begin the ingredients of this product are: cocoa butter;chocolate; vegetable oil [palm oil; palm kernel oil] sugar; wheat flour; lactose [milk]; skim milk; milk fat; contains 2% or less of: lecithin (soy); PGR; vanillin, artificial flavor salt; yeast; and baking soda. The most important ingredient to a KitKat bar would most likely be its chocolate. It coats the wafers and glues them together. The classic KitKat bar. Nestlé mostly gets its chocolate from West Africa, specifically Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. The Kit Kat making process is actually quite simple. First, the chocolate is melted while sheets of wafer biscuit are baked and then cooled on a conveyor belt. Three layers of wafers are then stacked on top of each other and cooled, and cut into various sizes. There are articles saying that there are children younger than 15 who work at chocolate farms connected to Nestlé, more than a decade after the company promised to end child labor. KitKat wafers are transported by machines. However, the movement of each part of the KitKat to the next machine or to the distributor relies on human touch in other factories that are not in Japan. The international corporation that dominates the chocolate trade is Nestle. The company that regulates the kit kat trade is Nestle. Kit Kat prominently features its tagline on the packaging of each individually wrapped chocolate, and in all its online and print advertisements too. Such aggressive branding drives across a consistent message that becomes ingrained in the consumer's mind. I bought my chocolate bar at Wawa. A store owner makes around 7 to 10 dollars per round on chocolate bars.

[its-andre-raphaela]

Marx’s theory was that he believed that society would be a better place with no social class. And this article talks about the political and economic inequality of our time.

https://resource.download.wjec.co.uk/vtc/2016-17/16-17_1-10/pdf/08-max-weber-and-social-class.pdf

Weber’s Theory was that he believed that having a social class was that if a person owns property, factories and equipment. In this article it talks about Max Weber’s theory. And it discusses the epitome of social class.

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/06/arts/the-intellectual-class-struggle.html

According to Bourdieu, cultural reproduction is the social process through which culture is reproduced across generations. In this article, they talk about Bourdieu’s social class theory.

[its-andre-raphaela]

Chapter 7 Fieldwork!

NICK JR.

How many commercials were aimed at boys?

Ricky Zoom- a little motorcycle toy that children can play with, I would say that it was aimed at little boys because it was a little boy playing with the bike and the color blue was prominent.

Yeti in my Spaghetti- a game in which there were two little boys and two little girls sitting at one table playing the game, however in the commercial only the boys were talking.

Hot Wheel City- a car game with toys, and it somewhat looked terrifying with the giant snake that had slime dripping off its teeth. There were only boys in the commercial so I believe that it is safe to say that it was directed towards boys.

How many girls?

Bluey- is a little “doll house” like game. It is a house in which there are little dogs inhabiting it and the children can play with them as they will. However it was not aimed towards a specific gender but it was little girls playing with them. 

Downy- in this commercial there was a grown woman talking about how her clothes were itchy and how her life changed after using downy. I would say that it was aimed at girls because it was a lady speaking and she was doing laundry (this reinforces the behavior of thinking that it is a woman’s job to maintain a home, while it goes both ways)

Fur Real- a little toy that is a unicorn or a kitten with wings. The colors are pink and purple, there were only little girls in the commercial so I would say that it was aimed at young girls. Also, the girls were taking care of it as if the toy was a baby, when it lights up in a certain color that means it is time to feed it, and when it is another color then it’s cuddle time.

ProHeat2X- is a vacuum but there were women only in the commercial.

Tide- it was directed towards women because there were to older women that were sitting on a couch folding the fresh laundry together. The only boy that was in the commercial was a toddler that was getting his clothes dirty.

Barbie- it was aimed towards girls.

Kindi Kids- Little dolls that have super long hair and you could see little girls playing with them. This advertisement was aimed towards girls.

Spirit Untamed- Horses with dolls and it was only little girls playing with them.

Were any commercials not gendered?

Baby Shark’s Big Show (Not gendered- it did not seem as if it was targeting a specific gender)

Paw Patrol- it was not directed to any gender specifically, there was equal representation for both genders.

The Adventures of Paddington- it was not aimed at any specific gender.

What techniques did the ads use to attract boys or girls?

The techniques the ads used to attract girls were the colors bright pink, purple, dolls, and other girls in the commercials

For boys it was cars, motorcycles and other little boys in the commercials.  

In what ways do these commercials teach gendered behavior?

Some commercials that are aimed towards girls and subliminally give the message that women are to clean and do laundry for the rest of the house.

And other commercials subliminally give the message to boys to play with cars and motorcycles.

[its-andre-raphaela]

Fieldwork Chap. 9 

My father was an only child and he was raised by women. His mother, and his aunts. My mother on the other hand had an enormous family and she is close to them, they basically almost all grew up together. My mother used to help take care of her siblings because she was older than them. 

[its-andre-raphaela]

Fieldwork 6

How long has your family lived in this country?

I was born in the United States, but I moved right back to Haiti. When I was fourteen years old I left my home country Haiti, and moved to the United States and left my parents. I moved in with a really close friend of the family, she became my guardian and her daughter and I were really close ever since we were children so I considered her my sister from the beginning, and it was the same for her too. However, I’ve lived in the states for about six years now. My big sister moved to the states in 2010, she has been in the State for 11 years.

Where did they come from?

My parents come from Haiti, however, on my mother’s side her grand-father is from England, and her grandmother is a Taïno (native people on the island).

Has your family embraced American Nationalism?

My parents like the United states, however, they like Haiti more, it is their home.

If some of your family have migrated from other parts of the world, how do they integrate their American identity with their ethnic identity?

I do not think that any of my family members say that they are American. They claim their Haitian/ Caribbean heritage more. They let it be known that they are from elsewhere and they also claim their American side because they did grow up in the states, however their childhood was spent in Haiti.

[its-andre-raphaela]

Fieldwork 5

Racism: This article puts the word ��racism” in perspective. This article talks about racism in different parts of the world as well. For instance, there are brief mentions of the apartheid in South Africa, North-America with slavery, and Germany with the Holocaust.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/racism

White Supremacy: This article talks about how white supremacist believe that the “white race” is “superior” than any other race. This article also mentions how white people thought that it was “the white man’s burden” to bring civilization to nonwhite peoples through beneficent imperialism. In this article you will find a small segway on how the election of Donald J. Trump had attracted the support of white supremacists, hence the march in Charlottesville.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nathan-Bedford-Forrest

Microaggressions: In this video, college students talk about their experiences with microaggression. They explain to the viewers what it is, which is basically a stereotypical or ignorant comment wrapped up in a compliment so that it does not seem offensive, or harsh.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCBJZQrqXG0

Jim Crow: During the Jim Crow era, the segregation laws were enforced between white and black people. They had different bathrooms, different restaurants, different water fountains,  different schools, and essentially everything else. White people refused to be in the “same vicinity” as black people, or even use the same things as them. It was also, in that era that the KKK was formed. The KKK believed that they should enforce fear and terror against the black community in order to install racial order. This image shows how there were signs to let people know which fountains to use. There was one for the people of color and another for the white people. 

Race: The origin of race specifically in the U.S. is talked about in this clip. Before race meant that a person was from the same household or in the same kinship. Later on, race became such a big issue especially after slavery. It is really all about power, greed, and fear. This clip does a good job at explaining the origin of race in the U.S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVxAlmAPHec

Racial Ideology: In this clip, racial ideology is talked about but in the context of black panther. They make reference to T'Challa being a nationalist because he is trying to protect Wakanda, and keep it hidden from the rest of the world so that they don’t get taken advantage of. Then, Eric Killmonger is also talked about, he too is a  nationalist and he believes that black people should have their own, but him being from the United States and within white supremacy is not able to do that. This clip does a really good job at explaining it more in depth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU3VE-NaBBw

[its-andre-raphaela]

Fieldwork 4- Language and Gender in a Virtual Classroom

I kept track of my African-American History class, and there were seven people who were on time. There were three men and four women, nobody turned on their camera except the professor. A few minutes later nine more people joined the class and we now had sixteen people present. Now we have about five men and eleven women. The women spoke more often than the men.

When people asked for something or rather commented about something, it took merely a couple of seconds. For example my instructor had asked if we could see the powerpoint, there was a long four seconds period of silence and four girls answered at the same time but the answers were different.

Girl one said: “Yes”

Girl two said: “Yes”

Girl three said: “I can see”

Girl four said: “I can see but I don’t know about the others”

Then later during the lesson the instructor had asked us if we knew what a wet nurse was?

I replied “No”, then this girl said “yes”. The instructor asked her if she could explain what it meant and she said “A wet nurse is like… it basically when a person is taking care of your baby for you, even like feeding the baby with breast milk.” then the teacher confirmed it.

The men barely said a word at all, the women were most definitely way more vocal than the men this class period.

Nobody had their camera on except the instructor.

The instructor is a woman and so is her assistant. They both tried to ask the class questions and make sure that we understood what was going on. They also kept on asking if the class was following and we would unmute our mic and say “yes”.

I do not believe that the instructor’s gender seems to influence the class in any particular way. But, if she does then she is very patient and she has no problem repeating herself if one of us has trouble understanding the first time.

(My classes are very quiet and the students don’t always interact with the instructor) 

[its-andre-raphaela]

I chose Downtown Silver Spring, because it holds many memories. I chose it because I spent so much time in that area with my friends and my family. I found a few things that have slightly changed since I have been there. On the side of the movie theater there are some artwork that were placed during covid-19. The people are the same as before, barely acknowledging each other unless they know one another. Since it is a very inclusive city, and very open-minded they respect the fact that social distancing is important and they care for the protection of the ones around them so everyone wears their masks. However, you might find a few with their mask below their nose. Public buses are working again in that area, and people try their best to keep their distances. The malls are busy, and the food places are packed but no one is really on top of each other, due to the 6 ft distance stickers on the floors.

What I noticed, that I never really noticed before is that everyone has a different storyline and when you think about it, the world revolves around everyone, we just have to be aware of our surroundings. For example, I saw a group of four friends hanging out together and they seem like they are in high school. Three of them were walking side by side while the fourth one was hanging back with their head down and hands in pocket. It was clear that something was troubling them, or they were preoccupied with other things at home. The three friends laughing and acknowledging one another might be having a great time, dare I even say the best time of their lives from their own perspective, while the one with their head hanging low is feeling like the outcast. It is like this: different perspectives, different storylines, but somehow it all comes together. It is just about the perspectives, and other people’s shoes.

I expected to find little kids. At this time of the day on a friday afternoon , you might find little kids skating in the ice skating rink.

Downtown was always packed and especially the chick-fil-a, at all times during the day. Before, no matter what people were always on top of each other, and breathing the same air as one another. Now after covid, almost everyone keeps their distances, almost everyone wears a mask, and there is a slight decrease in the amount of people that do go there on friday nights. Almost, no one dines in anymore, and there are less to almost no children parading around in the indoor playground.

[its-andre-raphaela]

Fieldwork 2

[its-andre-raphaela]

Doing this assignment has opened my eyes and made me realise that my room is a reflection of myself. I do not like my space to be crowded, however I like to have everything that I need in my reach. I am simple, and I like my own space. I have to have some sort of a calming aura in my room, hence my diffuser with my oils. I like multiple pillows, but I already knew that. Upon completion of the assignment, I have realised that I am missing my LED lights. My room is still under construction, for I had changed it up last month a week before my birthday. However, I should be done by the end of next month. I have a lot of things that I need to change and add.

Link to Chart:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q3z0REuHWbGyXJdRszDdkMeumE4JIhHzwiosTou3He4/edit

[its-andre-raphaela]

Layé

A “Layé” is a hand woven palm basket known and traditionally used in the haitian culture. It is used as an agricultural element to shift rice, beans, and cornmeal. It is a household item, haitians use it as a fruit basket/fruit platter, and a serving tray. It is a household staple, and it is a necessity. A layé is used by our farmers, and families who produce food. In regards to manufacturing, layés are not made by machines, they are hand woven by local craftsmen, and that is the beauty of it. The craftsmen who make things such as layés live pretty normal lives, it is a cultural adaptation, it is part of their everyday living. 

[its-andre-raphaela]

If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself

The Lightning Thief