Watsonville Weekend Day Camp

*I have pictures from today, and I'll upload them soon !

Today I took my first trip to the Buena Vista Labor Camp w/ a group from TOUCCh & Red Cross. I was anxious on the way there this morning, because I had no clue what to expect. I had spoken to some other students from TOUCCh and they gave me "mixed reviews" about their experiences there. So I went in expecting to be the odd one out. I'm normally very shy and sometimes awkward, but I was completely wrong. The whole point of Saturday's visits are to have fun with the kids, who often have nothing to do while their parents are out picking for long hours.
Upon our arrival, we began a search for kids, to try and attract them to our group. Two boys came and played soccer with us, and pretty soon we were outnumbered by 15 little boys and girls scrambling to get in on the fun. Three teenagers from the camps came out to see what the noise was about, and we spent some time talking to them about their high school/post graduate plans as well. I even got to 'bond' with Jasmine, a 17-year old high school junior & her toddler sister who recently returned from a 6-month trip to Mexico and had to deal with finals and catching up with the curriculum (which obviously didn't correspond to the one in Mexico). I was glad to hear a lot of these kids had plans to go to college and were trying their best to make a better life for themselves.
After playing everything from soccer to basketball to Duck, Duck, Goose (in 3 different languages), we left the kids promising to see them next week. I was so happy I decided to come this morning, and so glad I was able to actually hang out with the kids, instead of studying them. I realized on my way home I was putting Schwalbe's words to good use, and being sociologically mindful--trying to see their situations from a 360 view, instead of the conventional route.

Week 7: Race

I have always identified myself as a South Asian-American. My mother is Indian and my father is Pakistani, but I was born and raised in California without considering myself the 'outsider.' There were a number of events in my life that made me aware of my race, and how I was different from the other children I went to school with.

I attended a montessori school when I was about 4, and I remember the majority of children being Asian. One day we had our parents come to class and speak about their cultures. I remember my mother being the only parent who was asked the most questions. "Why do you eat that?' What's on your hand?' 'Why don't you wear a dot on your forehead?" Looking back now, I realize that was probably the first time I figured out I wasn't like everyone else in a school where we learned America was a 'melting pot.' However, after that montessori school, I was moved to a private Muslim school for 10 years (until high school, minus the 5th grade) where I was like everyone else, and everyone was like me--so it wasn't until one day that everything became a little twisted.

After 9/11, it wasn't only my race that excluded me from my society. All of a sudden, I wasn't "Pakistani" anymore. I subconciously made the decision to hide my real identity from people I didn't know too well. If anyone asked, I was Indian, or Asian--either one was safer than being associated with anything close to 9/11 (I had honestly tried to stick to the truth, and I dealt with the consequences).

I'm still not sure whether I regret what I did in the past was the right thing to do. Today I just hope our future generations never have to deal with hiding their identity or suffer from being proud of it.

Week 6: Social Class

Last weekend I made a road trip to Southern California to attend my aunt's law school commencement. On the way, I made a detour to one of my favorite outdoor shopping centers, Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA. Americana is like a larger Santana Row, more family friendly with a large grass area and playground and has a much larger variety of shopping and dining options.

The stores at Americana range from moderately priced shops like Forever XXI, H&M, Urban Outfitters to higher priced ones such as Martin+Osa, Free People, and Kitson. All the stores are larger in size and selection, but they are mostly higher priced. For example, you might find more clearance or sale items at the Urban Outfitters in Santana Row but more full-priced items at Americana.

The atmosphere of the entire outdoor shopping center was designed to serve the younger demographic, couples with children and even pets. I noticed many of the stores (not the aforementioned) had water and food bowls for small pets and small play areas for babies (ie: Crumbs Bake Shop). However, the apparel section of the mall was designated for "serious" shoppers--delicate decorations, full price selections, "hipster" music (I actually don't know what hipster music is, but it's definitely too hip for me ;), if there was a sale section it was neatly tucked away at the end of the store (and it took me quite a while to find it). Overall, I felt that Americana was an all around shopping mall. It wasn't a bargain shopping center, but it wasn't Rodeo Drive either.

I decided to walk into H&M, easily one of the largest and most popular store at Americana. The three people I spotted were: an elderly woman with a small dog in her purse, a young mother with baby in tow, and a young woman in her 20s with designer labels (does Ed Hardy count?) head to toe. To be honest, I felt there were multiple "copies" of these representations throughout Americana, and their race did not do much to convince me of their social status. All three of them were either middle or upper class.

I based my decision off the shoppers'style, additional shopping and accessories. The elderly Caucasian woman who walked in with her dog did not seem like the typical women I see at Stanford Mall with their dogs (they are usually accompanied by personal shopping assistants), I figured her to be middle class She was dressed sensibly without any other shopping bags. In fact, she seemed a little out of place now that I think of it, like she was shopping for a gift instead of for herself. The young mother with baby in tow was Asian, and even with stroller, baby bag and doggy bags from The Cheesecake Factory in hand, she maneuvered herself through the store like she did it everyday. I thought she could have been middle class until I saw a Barneys NY and J. Crew shopping bag tucked away under the stroller. The last representative, the 20-something collegiate with a USC t-shirt, Ed Hardy boots and matching oversized bag walked into the store and immediately sifted through the front racks, already carrying three bags from Urban Outfitters and Forever XXI. I noticed a handmade bracelet with the Armenian flag on her wrist; there is actually a large Armenian population in Southern California, apart from the Kardashians of course. I assumed this girl came from a wealthy family as she could afford to attend a school like USC and still shop at her leisure.

The social markers I used for this observation was the general style of the shopper. I believe that that society's emphasis on being rich and good-looking leads individuals to believe they will be placed on a pedestal if they dress nicely, own expensive things and spend ridiculous amounts of money on a regular basis. However, these social markers can be misleading as well. I used the dog as an index of being wealthy because of my previous observations, but as it turns out, this dog-owner was nothing like the ones I am used to. The USC t-shirt I used to indicate the young woman was able to afford college was misleading because it didn't actually prove she went to USC. One index that surprised me was the young Asian mother. I assumed she was middle class until I spotted her shopping from expensive stores hidden from the naked eye. Usually, a person might show off their purchases or at least keep them in the open, but this woman chose to hide it and let others think whatever they wanted of her--or perhaps being a mother was more important, as she looked after her child's needs before her own image.

Overall, I would say the people at Americana were mostly middle and upper class, with a higher concentration of Asians and Caucasians than any other race. Just another day at the mall? Absolutely.

Week 5: Deviance

Deviant behavior is often defined as any act committed by an individual or group which defies the values and behavior of society. Before researching more about deviance in our society, I assumed deviant behavior was limited to violent, or discriminatory acts. However, deviance can be any form of risky behavior that challenges the status quo, or balance of society.

I came across an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the hunger strike at UC Berkeley. Over 20 students have gone a little over two weeks without food (and over 200 have joined them in protest) until they are given a face-to-face meeting with the Chancellor. The hunger strike started in response to Arizona's Senate Bill 1070, where police are allowed to question and detain anyone who they suspect is an illegal immigrant.

After I read this article, I realized the actions of these students could be viewed in different perspectives. Some groups may perceive the students protests as deviant, while others can perceive the cause of protest as deviant. I would relate this act of "deviance" to functionalism, where groups of people determine the social expectations and behaviors. Different groups and institutions determine what is expected of others and what society expects of them. In this case, students, policy makers, school officials, the media and the general public are all groups and institutions that view this deviance differently. Supporters of the protesters may see this as a necessary act of deviance in order to bring the immigration law to the attention of the media and public and challenge sociological principles like hegemony. Supporters of the bill could see the protesters as radical attention seekers hoping to corrupt society and change the traditional views of dominant ideology and culture.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/11/BAC21DCK4C.DTL#ixzz0nhB83lZ4

Week 4

The most common reason for "risky behavior" like underage smoking or drinking is the concept of "group think". I have rarely observed or heard of situations where an individual decides willingly, and on their own, to make decisions like these. I wanted to interview 3 people who have had some sort of influence in my life, so I could learn how peer pressure affected them and if they were able to learn from it. The 3 people I chose wanted to remain anonymous, but they were all students from my high school so I could compare their high school to college experiences.

"Janice" was never one to let high school parties get in the way of studying or her parents' strict rules which she had been raised to obey. Once she entered college, she wasn't used to the sudden freedom she experienced, and although she initially held back, it was not long before she woke up with her first hangover. When I asked if it was "group thinking" that caused her to give into the pressures of drinking, she admitted that academic pressure contributed to her decisions but without the comfort of her friends, she wouldn't have done it.

"Thomas" was with his friends when they were passing around a joint in high school. He wanted to be a role model to his friends, so he said no when his turn came, and took the joint away from the rest of them as well. However, curiosity got the best of him, and when he was home alone, he smoked the joint in his backyard so no one would find out. I was confused by Thomas' decision. I thought the only reason one might do something like that was if they were with friends and everyone else was doing it. In Thomas' case, the comfort or acceptance of friends wasn't required but he still wanted to know what he was missing out on.

My last interviewee, "Nisha" had an experience I was involved in as well. Nisha and I both came from traditional Indian families who discouraged their children from doing culturally acceptable activities like hookah. On a night out with our friends, Nisha and I were persuaded to go to a hookah cafe. Neither of us wanted to be the only one not doing it, so we tried it and ended up regretting the whole thing, even with the support of our friends .

The concept of "group think" teaches us that without the pressure from our friends or peers (whether it is direct or indirect), we normally would not make decisions that we regret later on in life. So when it comes to risky behavior and decisions, I believe in the power of one.