So I'm of Color?

Considering this blog was set up for academic purposes and I never intended to post something that did not necessitate grades, this is going to be interesting. For I have decided to talk about something outside the realms of English 100.

So during on of my classes we talked about race. Not to ramble of to something not related, and to keep this short and concise, I would like to focus on how I was identified as a person of "color". I am an international student here, and for the MOST part the locals do not know the racial make up, hierarchy or standings of my society. So when I was grouped together as part of "international students of color", naturally I wondered "how sure are you I belong to this group?". I might not be white, but I'm not black either. I may be Indian, but I'm not born or bred here. What are the parameters that are being used in classifying me as being of color, when in reality I do not belong to either the majority or minority group technically.

I'm more intrigued than I am angered (in fact there is no ill feeling at all). I think ignorance is rife. The fact that very less is known of international students like me, makes it easier for "the system" to lump us into groups that they THINK we belong to. Again we go to the concept of identity and labeling, where what one perceives of a person may not be similar to what the person think of himself; I certainly do not think I am of color, but I am certainly thought of as one.

Its curious how we see each other. Its even more interesting to see what makes people think we belong in a certain group. While it is impossible to get to know everyone better before judging them, we can all at least try.

So for this assignment, I initially thought I'd just pick some songs out of my Ipod's "Top 25" playlist. But I changed my mind, because it would be too cumbersome to find a song to fit a situation or feeling. So instead, I decided to divide my life into phases, and do a chronological soundtrack list. Here goes nothing

Early Childhood (0-12)

Well we all liked superheroes when we were small didn't we? I had my own favorite; Action Man. Perhaps he was not as famous as Superman or Spiderman, but I thought the world of him at this stage. So every time his cartoon was screened, there would be the most amazing soundtrack played. It was no more than 45 seconds, but boy was it good! That song encapsulated me at that point; naive to believe someone can kill a dinosaur with his bare hands, and innocent to believe that good always prevails over bad. I still listen to it sometimes, that's how I keep in touch with my inner child.

Teens (13-19)

This were my early rebel years, and i chose My Chemical Romances' "This Is How I Disappear". Basically a song with a lot of bottled up anger, which should exemplify that time of my life. Among the lines "..and without you is how I disappear..and live my life alone forever now". I was angry at my parents, teachers and everyone else, there were no concrete reasons for all these as far as I remember. But these were hard times, transitioning from a kid to an adult, so this song shows that-with such melodic subtlety.

Adult ( 20-50)

Eminem's "Lose Yourself". This part of life is where I work hard for all the things I need. I'll be on my own, no parents to support me now. Also I may be married and have problems with that too (hence Eminem fits well). But basically I need strength and motivation to get through all these, and I will probably be listening to this song during those times. I realize this is not for everyone ( can't picture every 40 something guy listening to this in a suit and all).

Old age (50-death)

"Livin' alone...I think of all the friends I've known....But when I dial the

telephone..Nobody's home".This is Eric Carmen's "All By Myself". When

I'm old and wrinkled, I foresee myself in in an old folks' home, being

dumped by my family (worst case scenario). So this song will describe

my situation well. I would want some company, but that probably will

never come. So, this song is depressing enough

to describe my old age, before I finally kick the bucket.

"The participant observer studies indicated that feelings of personal inadequacy led black men to reject the unskilled and poorly paid jobs open to them,to denigrate the kind of work these jobs represented, and to seek gratification through more accessible channels,such as sexual liaisons or intoxication" (Massey, Denton 171).

Massey, Douglas S. and Denton, Nancy A. American Apartheid. London: Harvard University Press, 1993

Well I was thinking about doing the difference between the incarceration rates between blacks and whites in the US and why and how that is so. This quote talks about establishing why blacks are more likely to go to prison than whites, and it is important to support my claim that the former are more highly incarcerated than the latter. By studying the reasons for the problems in the first place, I could decide how to decrease the rate of imprisonment for both groups, or even find out whether there are some other factors coming into play that I have never thought of before.