Final Grading

 My Changing Understanding of Race, Oppression, and Resistance in the United States

           Before taking ethnic study class, I had a limited understanding of race in the United States. I thought racism was mostly about individual behavior and personal prejudice. I partially understand about black and white slavery history, but not how law and systems were established to benefit certain racial groups. After taking this class my understanding has changed a lot. This class help me understand racial issue from the past to present, it helps me see the society today and why it matters. 

           First, I learned how negative stereotype and white supremacy affect people of color. Before taking this class, I knew stereotype existed, but I did not fully understand their impact. Now I understand that stereotypes are used to justify inequality and unfair treatment. People of color are often described in negative ways, which make it easier for society to accept discrimination. This connects to the concept of white supremacy, which is a system that gives more power and privilege to white people. I learned that how black people were forced to sit in the back, and they were often treated with disrespect and facing violence. According to Tim Wise in the documentary video "White Like Me, during the height of segregation, African Americans were forced to sit at the back of buses, were refused service in restaurants, and were denied the right to vote. If they protested or challenged these conditions, they were often beaten by police and white vigilantes, attacked with fire hoses, lynched, or jailed (White like me 28:10-28:28)". I will carry this knowledge forward by being more aware of stereotypes and challenging. 

           Second important thing I learned how people of color faced unfair laws and resisted these systems. I learned that the criminal justice system is not neutral but shaped by racial inequality and history. Many laws and policies, such as the war on drug, have targeted poor communities of color and led to mass incarceration ( Acevedo and Fischer 10.8). This shows system oppression, where the system creates unfair outcomes. However, people of color did not just accept this injustice. They build strong communities and create movements to fight back. Activist and scholars have exposed how policing and imprisonment are connected to racism and control rather than safety ( Acevedo and Fischer 10.8). Movements such as prison abolition and restorative justice show how communities are trying to change the system and create more fair solutions. These are examples of agency and resistance because people of color actively challenge injustice. This also shows that resistance has happened for a long time, from slavery and segregation until today. This changed my view because I now see people of color not only victims, now I see them as leader in movement for injustice and inequality,

           Third important thing I learned that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities have always shown strong resistance, and solidarity. Social movement bring people together to fight injustice. Social movements are led by the people of color and are connected across the race, gender and class. Delano Grape Strike Movement were led by Filipino and Mexican farmworkers, they had faced racism, poverty and dangerous working condition for a long time. Instead of accepting this injustice, they organized together to fight for their rights. Leader such as Larry Itliong, Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta worked together to build the United Farm Workers Union. This movement showed agency because workers took action to challenge unfair systems. They used strategies such as strike, grapes boycott, created picket lines to bring attention to the society showed their struggles. The boycott asked people across the country not to buy grapes, which helped pressure growers to change (Mario Alberto, Viveros Espinoza- Kulick and Fischer 11.5). As a result the strike led wages and safer working conditions for workers. This example helped me understand that BIPOC communities are not only victims of oppression, but also powerful leader of change. 

           In conclusion, this course has changed how I understand race and inequality in the United States. I learned about the impact of stereotypes and white supremacy, the role of systemic oppression and the power of resistance and movement. These lessons are important because they help me understand what is happening in society today. Racism

is not just part of the past, but something that still affect people now. This knowledge will stay with me, and I will use it to be more aware, question injustice, and support fairness in the future.

741 words

Citation :

(1)  White Like Me. Directed by Scott Morris, featuring Tim Wise, Media Education Foundation,2013.

(2) "The State of Human Caging- Incarceration, Policing and State Sanctioned violence". Introduction to Ethnic Studies, by Ulysses Acevedo and Kay Fischer. ASCCC Open Education Resources Initiative (OERI), Chapter 10.8.

(3)"Race and Ethnic Relation US: Resistance and Solidarity ", Introduction to Ethnic Studies by Mario Alberto, Viveros Espinoza-Kulick and Kay Fischer. ASCCC Open Education Resources Initiative (OERI), Chapter 11.5.

Close Rubric

Reflection Paper: 3 Things (1)

Reflection Paper: 3 Things (1)
Criteria	Ratings	Pts
Rumi Originality Score	20 pts 5 Stars 16 pts 4 Stars 12 pts 3 Stars 8 pts 2 Stars 4 pts 1 Star 0 pts 0 Stars	20 / 20 pts
Structure & Length	20 pts Excellent 640 or more words. Well organized, clear and compelling progression of logic. 10 pts Fair Organized into paragraphs, moderately coherent, 320-640 words 5 pts Poor < 320 words including header 0 pts None	20 / 20 pts
Three Important Things	30 pts Excellent 20 pts Good 10 pts Needs Work 0 pts None	30 / 30 pts
Evidence + MLA In-text Citations	20 pts Excellent 10 pts Fair Use of evidence is vague or lacking credibility; MLA citations are non-standard in format or placement, missing information. 0 pts Missing; Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 citations of COURSE READINGS Comments Paper only cites two readings (Ch 10 and 11); a minimum of 3 READINGS required (films are not readings).	10 / 20 pts
Works Cited	10 pts Excellent Non-standard chapter formatting, see lecture W11-1b: chapter authors first, chapter title, book title, book editor credit, publisher, year, URL. Always credit authors first. 5 pts Non-standard format Non-standard, missing information, omits sources 0 pts No Works Cited Comments Non-standard chapter formatting, see lecture W11-1b: chapter authors first, chapter title, book title, book editor credit, publisher, year, URL. Always credit authors first.	5 / 10 pts
Total Points: 85