I am Not Bi-Racial, I am a Human Being
At the end of my first semester at the University, I had the experience of filling out forms to rate the professor of each course that I was enrolled in at the time. Each standard evaluation given by the University was alike in almost all respects. I have been taking standardized tests as early as second grade, and it seemed quite familiar to fill in the informational circles with a number two pencil. The informational circles were nothing new to me: full name, sex, social security number, and race, yet each time I reach the section of race, I am unable to come up with a good solution to a problem that exists. Biologically, I am half African-American and half Caucasian. My appearance tells me that I should choose one answer and my life experience tells me that I should choose another answer to the race question. This usually puts me in the category of "other." I don’t want to be known as "other." I don’t want to be known as black or white or pink or blue or green, for that matter. I want to be known as Karin Brown, a human being without classification.
In her essay, "Fifty Years in America: Through Back Doors," Elena Caceres uses the idea of "Americanness"(90) as a philosophical aspect of one’s life; one that will fulfill dreams and promises if perfected. It appears that the "Americanness" that each person experiences varies on many levels. In Caceres’ case, it began as something to be thought of in highest respects, but the feelings that people go through regarding acceptance can extend to extreme positions. How can a country founded on the ideas of freedom and individuality promote acceptance to all degrees and at the same time make classification a normal part of everyday life, as...
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...She looked over the informational section and started laughing. I asked her what was funny, and she read me the options that were available to check for race. She was chuckling at the last option as she said enthusiastically, "Other. I wonder who would have to check that." That statement enlightened me to two very important aspects of my life. First, it allowed me to grasp the idea that standard classifications of "Americanness" aren’t always appropriate. Secondly, it pleased me to know and understand that the people in my everyday life look beyond the color of my skin and see Karin Brown, because in the midst of her chuckling, my classmate had forgotten that I was the "other."
Works Cited
Caceres, Elena. "Fifty Years in America: Through Back Doors." MultiAmerica: Essays on
Cultural Wars and Cultural Peace. Ed. Ishmael Reed. Penguin Books(US), 1997.
After reading Alsultany’s “Los Intersticios: Recasting Moving Selves,” I realized that there are many misconceptions among those who have single or mixed racial background. For individuals who have more than one races, it may seem that they are at an advantage since they have luxury to take side with which ever race they choose. However, it actually results in a constant aggravation when one is constantly questioned about their race. Alsultany was asked by her classmate about her racial background. It was apparent that her classmate confirmed in her mind that Alsultany was different from her since she didn’t supposedly fit the description of a typical American, despite mentioning that she was born and raised in the U.S. This further strengthened
In Schooltalk: Rethinking What We Say About - and to - Students Every Day, Mica Pollock provides readers with fact-based information to “flip the script” of the misrepresentation of students in the education setting. Pollock demonstrates how race, gender, and ethnic labels can be detrimental to student achievement. She, then, dives in to 600 years of myths regarding social race labels and how they continue to affect humans today. By correcting race, gender, and ethnicity label myths in our minds, we can effectively advocate for these students. To conclude the book, Pollock focuses on how to devise a plan to correct our own misconceptions and foster a supportive environment for diverse students. Throughout
One of Beverly Tatum's major topics of discussion is racial identity. Racial identity is the meaning each of us has constructed or is constructing about what it means to be a white person or a person of color in a race-conscious society. (Tatum, pp Xvii) She talks about how many parents hesitate to talk to their children about racism because of embarrassment and the awkwardness of the subject. I agree with her when she says that parents don't want to talk about racism when they don't see a problem. They don't want to create fear or racism where none may exist. It is touchy subject because if not gone about right, you can perhaps steer someone the wrong way. Another theory she has on racial identity is that other people are the mirror in which we see ourselves. (tatum pp18) 'The parts of our identity that do capture our attention are those that other people notice, and that reflects back to us.'; (Tatum pp21) What she means by this is that what other people tell us we are like is what we believe. If you are told you are stupid enough you might start to question your intelligence. When people are searching for their identity normally the questions 'who am I now?'; 'Who was I before?'; and 'who will I become'; are the first that come to mind. When a person starts to answer these questions their answers will influence their beliefs, type of work, where they may live, partners, as well as morals. She also mentions an experiment where she asked her students to describe themselves in sixty seconds. Most used descriptive words like friendly, shy, intelligent, but students of color usually state there racial or ethnic group, while white students rarely, if ever mention that they are white. Women usually mention that they are female while males usually don't think to say that they are males. The same situation appeared to take place when the topic of religious beliefs came up. The Jewish students mentioned being Je...
In America, essentially everyone is classified in terms of race in a way. We are all familiar with terms such as Caucasian, African-American, Asian, etc. Most Americans think of these terms as biological or natural classifications; meaning that all people of a certain race share similarities on their D.N.A. that are different and sets that particular race apart from all the other races. However, recent genetic studies show that there’s no scientific basis for the socially popular idea that race is a valid taxonomy of human biological difference. This means that humans are not divided into different groups through genetics or nature. Contrary to scientific studies, social beliefs are reflected through racial realism. Racial realists believe that being of a particular race does not only have phenotypical values (i.e. skin color, facial features, etc.), but also broadens its effects to moral, intellectual and spiritual characteristics.
This cognizance really ensued when I first started work as an educational therapist in a residential placement for severely emotionally disturbed teenage girls. Being in such a arbitrary position of power was difficult enough with people who have issues with control and lack of respect from elders but I also happened to be the only male ever in this position at the facility and a "white guy" to boot. Ninety percent of my clients happened to be Latina or African American. This ethnic flash point did not initially bother me because of my lack of awareness of its existence and my naive determination that it was not important for my therapeutic and educational goals. However, of course I had not really considered at that time what being 'white' really entails in this society. Consideration of one's identity is obviously key to successful educational and therapeutic interventions but it took the actual experience of being what I call "white-washed" to make me realize that skin color may actually have something important to do with one's perceived identity.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health can also provide information about high blood pressure and its treatment. Visit their Web site at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/.
Nationalism is extreme loyalty and devotion to one particular nation, and many Americans are nationalistic about their country. But even though they are loyal to America, defining what it means to be a true American is tricky. Being American is one complex thing, but the concept of being American can not be fully grasped. What it means to be American may in fact be one of the biggest mysteries of all time. Indeed, discovering what it means to be a true American could possibly take an entire lifetime. One thing, however about all true Americans is certain: we are all alike in that each one of us is different from the Americans in important ways. We are diverse in our backgrounds, races, and religions. Nevertheless, we are exactly identical in the we feel toward our country, even though we express our pride in a million different ways.
Viera AJ, Hinderliter AL. Evaluation and management of the patient with difficult-to-control or resistant hypertension. American Family Physician 2009; 79(10): 863-869.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a disease by which the force of the arteries raises the blood pressure in the body. The continuous elevation of the high blood pressure will ultimately lead to major health issues. Boedthjer & Aalkjaer (2013) states, "frequently described causes for hypertension involve changes in the kidneys, the resistance vasculature, and the autonomic nervous system" (p.1). Blood pressure is assessed by the strength of blood that depresses against the vessel walls. Consequently, an increase in an individual 's blood pressure will tighten the arteries and cause the heart to pump more blood.
In contrast to Aristotle, Roko Belic’s documentary “Happy” provides a fresh perspective that takes place far more recently. The film sets out to similar goals of Aristotle in defining the nature of happiness and exploring what makes different people happy in general. Unlike Aristotle, however, the film’s main argument refers to makes people happier. In this case, the film argues that merely “doing what you love” is what leads to happiness (Belic). The argument itself appears oddly self-serving, considering that message is what underlines the foundation of happiness, yet there is a subliminal message that a simpler lifestyle is what leads to what the film is trying to convince you of. The message itself is obviously addressed to Americans, considering
Treatment for the client presenting to the APN diagnosed with hypertension, the first efforts should be focused on education. The patient should be informed of what current JNC 8 guidelines for the diagnosis of hypertension are. This will help the patient identify that he or she in fact has a problem and his blood pressure is abnormal. Further education should also include anticipated progression of the disease and complications from prolonged hypertension to help the patient understand the effects hypertension have on the body and risk of development of end-organ damage. Since hypertension is a silent disease, often void of symptoms, the patient must understand fully the implications of the disease and necessity to control the blood pressure.
Ethnical ambiguity is my specialty. Since I was a child, I have always been mistaken for either being Mexican or Indian. At first I enjoyed the puzzled faces, but experience has taught me the dangers of racial profiling. There is an apparent juxtaposition between my high school and my university. I lived in a predominantly Spanish-speaking area and also attended a diverse high school. This was a privilege and at the time, I did not realize how lucky I was to be learn cultural competency without actively seeking it. In college, I am surrounded by people of similar traditions, upbringings, and mentalities. Transitioning from a suburban, diverse high school to a rural, predominantly white institution generated a culture shock. I was accustomed
Vicki is a 42-year-old African American woman who was diagnosed with Hypertension a month ago. She has been married to her high school sweetheart for the past 20 years. She is self-employed and runs a successful insurance agency. Her work requires frequent travel and Vicki often has to eat at fast food restaurants for most of her meals. A poor diet that is high in salt and fat and low in nutrients for the body and stress from her job are contributing factors of Vicki’s diagnosis of hypertension. This paper will discuss the diagnostic testing, Complementary and Alternative Medicine treatments, the prognosis for hypertension, appropriate treatment for Vicki, patient education, and potential barriers to therapy that Vicki may experience.
?A definition of race might rely on an outward manifestation such as color or some other physiological sign. Race and ethnicity (and to some degree nationality) also imply a shared socio-cultural heritage and belief system. Finally, race and ethnicity harbor a physiological self-identification. Indeed, this factor is perhaps the most important in defining the identity of an ?ethnic? or ?racial? individual. It implies a conscious desire on the part of a person to belong to an aggregate of people, which possesses unique cultural characteristics, rituals and manners and a unique value system.
Hypertension is considered to be a disease in which a constantly raised blood pressure, or higher than what is perceived “normal” blood pressure, causes a halt in organ function such as heart failure, a stroke etc (Opie, L. H.). Most people don’t even know that they have hypertension as a condition because they haven’t had their blood pressure measured at a health care facility. In South Africa Hypertension is usually considered to be a “silent killer” because most people do not even realise that they are suffering from it because of their lack of knowledge on the subject. “Consequently, hypertension is universally underdiagnosed and/or inadequately treated resulting in extensive target-organ damage and premature death. Furthermore, hypertension frequently co-exists with other risk factors for chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDL), such as diabetes and obesity” (Steyn, 2005).