"PEOPLE LIKE US"

After watching the documentary on PBS called “People Like Us”, I have learned that we are all divided into groups and these groups are classified in different ways. These ways makes us believe that we are all different based on the income we make and our class. After watching this video I have learned that we are all labeled in society.  This just made me think, why we have to be categorized in society based on our class?

This video reminds me of social stratification on how we rank people. We are ranked once we step into this world. We are ranked based on class, occupation, where we live, skin color, etc. Durkheim mentions on chapter 7 of the book that society served to create independence among society members so that everyone needed the activities of everyone else.

“People Like Us” shows me that we are ranked from the day that we are born, we are raised in a certain way that we view ourselves different from other groups. This makes us become distinct when we are really all the same. 

MEXICAN AMERICANS AND IMMIGRANTS INCORPORATION By Edward E. Telles

When i read this article "Mexican Americans and Immigrants Incorporation", by Edward E. Telles, i notice that there are some similar issues today with Mexican Americans that are still going on today. Like the article said, Mexican Americans end up living in big groups of family in one house hold because they don't often have education and cant afford their own homes. They also end up having a lot of children and living as a big family. They end up marrying someone that is from another group, race, nationality, or different religion because of the low education Mexican Americans have. What i learn from reading this article was that Mexican Americans have slow rates on learning a new language, religion, intermarriage, and residential integration. They have the lowest percent in graduating from high schools. Having no educations leads them to work for less money and work more harder.

This article talks about immigrants in general. How today's immigrants are mostly from Latin America and Asia. They have less opportunities because they have no background skills or educational. But this article is mostly based on Mexican American because of there higher numbers of immigrants in the U.S. Most immigrants have disadvantages coming to the United States because they dont know English, dont have identities and cant live on their own. I could relate this to some of the chapters i read from sociology class because Mexican Americans are stigmatized, meaning they are consider to be deviant without actually doing anything. And also with race, these are people living in poverty that are not neccessarily resigned to their situation, they have disadvantages that are impossible to over come like.
1. Poor education
2. Living with no health insurance
3. Lower income
4. No food or shelter and clothing

RACE MATTERS by Cornel West

My point of view for the article "RACE MATTERS" , by Cornel West, is that no one cares about equality and that everyone dont have equal lives. This article clearly explain that there's no type of changes for Black , Hispanic or poor race because we don't all have equal lives. We are letting the poor live there lives without no help from anyone because they dont have medical help for their health, and starving because they have no money for food or for there needs. My opinion to this is that i believe the wealthy people live longer than the people with nothing or LOW CLASS people, because wealthy people are spoiled and have money to cover anything up for them but on the other hand a poor person dont have that advantage so the longer they stay unhealthy the more their lives become threatening with death. The poor race dont have good education, good health, enough money, childcare, jobs, and food to survive on their own, they need help from the government to get those things but they have to go threw a lot of waiting and process to get those needs, so in other words the Poor class have to work harder to get the help they want.

Another issue about this article is that in order for people to get what they want they need a leader or a new government that is going to support them with what they want. They need someone that is going to make a change for the one's that need help and need support. Having a good leader will change everything for everyone and hope that everything goes good for all. So when it comes to what race you belong to, RACE does matter for all and hope that everyone has equal lives. We cant just let one race live happily and wealthy and watch the other people suffer and struggle with life because that just shows that we only care about a certain race when it comes to people that really needs help and dont have it.