Young bloods can't spell but they could rock you in PlayStation

At the high school I work at all teachers have to teach a literacy class. The reason is because our school's average reading grade is often below grade level. Every year when I get a new batch of students I always give a simiar spiel. I ask the students why reading is important and follow up with some practical questions regarding future success in their jobs. This is where I take a detour into my own personal experience. The next portion of my blog is written as if I were talking to my students. ...Please bear with me

Let me ask you guys a question, what is success? Is success a fancy car, name brand clothing, or owning a cell phone? These things aren't success but learning to read can help make you successful. Well, what is one thing most of us have in common? The majority of us are Latino. Did you know that we have the highest high school drop out rate? Or the highest teen pregnacy or make up 20% of the prison system? So what do we do with that? Well I have come to learn that learning to read and write is freedom. Does anyone know who Frederick Douglass is? He was a slave who become free and he wrote about what is was like to learn to read and write. I am going to be reading from his autobiography and I will be reading the word "Nigger" so I hope you are all adult enough to handle it. By the way what does the word "Nigger" mean? If you guys remember when African Americans were brought to this country as slaves they were counted by the government only as three-fifths of a person. That means for every two slaves that only counted as one and one fifths of a person. So when we look at the word "Nigger" we understand it means less than human. Please pay attention when I read out of Frederick Douglass's autobiography.

Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auldto instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further,he said, "If you give a nigger an inch, he will takean ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master--to do as he is told to do. Learning would~spoil~ the best nigger in the world. Now," said he, "if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy. These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation, ex-plaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me amost perplexing difficulty--to wit, the white man's power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom.

Now I am not saying that Latinos are bad, but we have a lot working against us.

Getting an education may not solve all your problems but it is a great help and is a way for us to advance in this society.

*** If you would like to download a free copy of the Autobiography of Frederick Douglass click here

Pastime Paradise

This last Sunday our church was honored by hosting missionaries from Nepal. During the question and answer portion we had during Sunday School hour a question was asked, "How do Christians in Nepal view us [American Christians] here." I found the missionary's response interesting. He mentioned that the Christians over there wonder why they (believers in Nepal) are such a minority but are able to make much such social change, but why we in the U.S. aren't doing the same. It is some of their views that Christians here are "asleep." This was met with some of my church members nodding it agreement. It seemed to resonate with people in the room and possibly their ideas of "the good ole' days" or America is "going to hell in a hand basket." I was very much inclined to jump in the conversation but that would be out of place. See here I go. I believe what the missionary had to say was true and somewhat false at the same time. On the one hand, I believe as a church we are asleep in sense. I feel that we let consumerism, a lack of world wide consciousness, attention to the poor, and playing political favorites hurt the church. On the other hand, I believe why it look like America has "lost it's way" because of it's history. In areas like Nepal we are able to see a snapshot of what the early church looked liked. When the missionary described new Christians being harassed by the government and local rebels, this what James's church might have looked like. An oppressive government, issues of economic class in the church, and a force of rebels killing political leaders to gain some control. Here in America I feel that we are experiencing what Europe has experienced. In the name of God, Europeans have enslaved the African, committed near genocide to the Native American, occupied the Mexican, and discriminated against the Asian. With such a downward momentum it is no wonder we have had such a backlash in American culture. Out of the 50 's and 60's we saw a woman's movement, Peace Movement, Chicano movement, Native American movement, Black movement, Gay movement, and several others groups who had felt oppressed. If we analyze these movements further they cannot be mentioned though without mentioning religious or Christian people being involved. People like Martin Luther King Jr. and groups like the Presbyterian Church. Although this is the case it seems that people distrust Christianity because of past atrocities. Now, it is easy to point out that people who, in the name of God, committed horrible acts did not have God's interests in mind. Many might say they were clouded my thoughts of nationalism, religious exploitation, and greed. On the one had I believe that people of faith have always been there be bothered by the events at hand. At the same time, I am sure that there were believers who were misguided and because of the time period, gave into popular ideas. Today I believe that there are benefits we reap because of what Christians have done in this country but, good news doesn't always make the news. I believe that the same Christians who did not trust Constantine, were troubled in their soul with Child labor, Slavery, and the mistreatment of women are still here. We just seem to be drowned out sometimes by nostalgia.

Asians, the next White man?

Recently, I have noticed at the mall and various Christian events the increase of an Asian presence. I for one have been excited. In the summer of 2000 I spent five weeks in China. It was an eye opening experience and was a very important part of my personal journey. I very much enjoy learning about Asian as well as black cultures. With that in mind, I have enjoyed the growth of Asian cultures in California. With that background I have noticed some interesting things. Asian folk have been able to participate in the consumption of fine American/European products such as, luxury cars, nice homes, and Abercrombie and Fitch clothing. Some people might exert the stereotype that Asians are smarter and are better at math. There are several problems with this idea. First when we use the word "Asian" we are talking about folks from: China, Japan, North and South Korea, Cambodia, India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Taiwan, just to name a few... Also, Pacific Islanders are a lot of times grouped together with Asian folk statistically. That is why according to the US Census, "Asians and Pacific Islanders are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to have earned at least a college degree, but are also more likely to have less than a ninth-grade education." Second, I don't believe that Asians or smarter than other folks, truly I believe it is an issue of economic disposition and skin color. Many who do come from China, Japan, Taiwan, or South Korea have to have some money. I mean could I just pick up all my stuff and move to Mexico, get a job, and/or have a successful business? Probably not, and I would guess it is the same for you. Further, due to the Chinese exclusionary acts, several people who were aloud to come over where already educated. So in a sense the first Asians, were in a sense, the "cream of their crop." Now Asians are accepted and not accepted for various reasons. Skin color and economics are factors why people like Asians or might call them a "Model Minority." Reasons why people may not like Asians, they have different facial features, differ in religious affiliation, and have a language that does not resemble English. When I was a teenager I heard a speaker at UCLA say that society's stratification according to color is White, Asian, Latino, Native American, and then Black. In essence I believe Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Indians, South Koreans, and Philippinos) are ahead of the game because of economic background, business experience, reasons of immigration, and sometimes color. Notice how much of a difference the immigrant experience is for the majorty of people who come to seek political asylum. Now the question is, are they the next white man? Are they the ones with money, the fine things in life, privilege, the ones to pass up poor folks, and the next folks in charge? A good friend of mine once said, "Economics is the new racism." If certain Asian groups have a economic advantages, with that comes the possibility of disenfranchisement. That is truly the case for any individual or people group. There is always someone poorer than you. The only problem is that there are a few things that make Asians distant from dominant culture. Like mentioned before, Asian folks know the struggle all too well like the brown and black man. Asians can still be seen as a threat and although they may wine, dine, and live amongst white folks they are still not "white." They also are not, like many of us, what Spike Lee has described African Americans as "gate keepers." An example, in the movie "Do the Right Thing" after the neighborhood had torched down Sal's Famous Pizzeria the people in the streets were looking for whatever else was a symbol of "the establishment." They turn to a Korean shop owner and he starts to scream, "Me not white, me black! Me black!" Although the Korean shop owner had more of an economic advantage than the Black folks in the neighborhood, he still knew what it was like to be in place where he was seen as different. Ultimately, Asian folk may not be the next "White man", but to it simply pin this just on Asians is unfair. Really any of us with some privilege have the potential to be part of a majority culture that can oppressive or negligent. This is not to say that there plenty of folks part of the dominant culture how are part of change (disclaimer for cool white folks-love ya.) Anyone of us could be part of a larger blob of a culture who with(out) knowing, can be contributing to a system that looks out for it's own. With privilege comes responsibility. Jesus says, "It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Privilege can mean more resources but also can be a barrier.