Author: marshall.1072

Text Review: Avatar

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The Steven Spielberg movie, Avatar, tells the story of Jake Sully, a former marine, who is paralyzed from the waist down. Jake is sent on a mission to an alien planet where he becomes connected to a hybrid human-alien life form known as an Avatar and is immersed into the world of Na’vi. Jake enters the Na’vi world and is ordered to gather information on gathering places as well as other information for his commanding officers. At first, Jake does as he is told because he is held to the promise that his commanders will restore his mobility if he executes his mission. However, after he enters the world, he quickly falls in love with a Na’vi woman and begins to question the integrity of his mission. Jake then figures out that his mission may be something more sinister than he had previously been aware. The human forces are planning on taking the Na’vi people’s resources by force. The humans begin to use Jake’s information to coordinate attacks on the Na’vi. Jake slowly begins to synthesize with the Na’vi people and ends up fighting for them.

The movie Avatar offers a unique perspective into how humans might act in an encounter with an alien society. In many ways, The Black Panther is very similar to the plot in Avatar. In both movies, a fictional society comes into contact with a human society that is trying to take advantage of them in some way. In Avatar, humans are after natural resources on the Na’vi planet much like humans want vibranium in The Black Panther. Both societies are left to defend themselves from an enemy who is driven by greed.

Though the human society is fictional in both films, ethical dilemmas are present in both. These screenplays are designed to draw attention to ethical issues that stem from the abuse of other cultures. The idea of taking advantage of a culture for one’s own gain has long been a hotbed for debate as it is unfortunately all too common in today’s world. Much like the movies, cultures around the world are robbed of riches and taken advantage of simply because they can’t defend themselves. This mostly stems from the early ideas of colonialism where African tribes were forced into labor and kept under tight control as colonists searched for Africa’s vast riches of gold and resources. Today, an excellent example of this mistreatment are blood diamonds Blood diamonds are a result of forced labor and are often not the true property of the one selling it. Overall, I believe Avatar was intended to cast a light on the idea that societies are often mistreated and when that society is small enough or far away enough, people turn the other way. 

 

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Ohio Students Calesta Holloway and Spencer Marshall discuss the prevalence of systemic racism and its effects on housing across the United States…

 S: Racism is prevalent in many things we fail to recognize each day. In housing it is extremely common. What are some examples of housing  injustices you have seen or experienced?

C: When I think about racism in housing, I first think about how it was against the law for people of color to purchase homes in “suburban” neighborhoods. This lasted until the 60’s when the Fair Housing Act was passed. This lack of being able to purchase homes in better neighborhoods allowed for overcrowding in urbanized areas. This also meant that there were no homes to be passed down to families. Meaning the spread of inequity in home ownership can be explained by the many minorities that did not own land or property at the time due to the many years of slavery they had endured in early generations. Therefore, unlike their white counterparts, there was nothing to give to the following generations to ensure continuation of wealth.  

C: Since Black Americans own homes at a lower rate, what is the result? How might that encourage racism?

S: Since Black Americans many aren’t able to get into homes, their only alternative is to rent. Many times, they make the same amount as the white homeowner. When they rent and don’t build equity, they are left with nothing to show for the money they used on rent. This unfortunately forces them to live in less desirable areas where there are accessible rentals. 

 

S: Fair Housing legislation was passed to protect the rights of minorities in housing. What are some areas where these laws still don’t allow for equal housing opportunities? 

 C: Although the Fair Housing Act was passed it has never really been enforced. This is evident by the inability or lack of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) houses in the suburban area. Houses supported by HUD are usually found in urban areas that are already minority filled. This doesn’t mean that Black Americans are being prevented from buying houses in suburban areas. However, Black American may typically have higher debt to income ratios that prevent them from being able to purchase homes in the better suburban areas. This higher debt to income ratio can be attributed to the salaries inequalities. Black Americans tend to have a lower wage in pay versus other races. Therefore, they rely on borrowing money or being forced to succumb to debt by not paying bills.

 

C: In most statistics about homeownership and race Indigenous Americans are usually left out. Why do you think that is? 

S: There could be a multitude of reasons for this. It could simply be that there is not a large enough population to accurately find these statistics. Or it could be that their statistics are roped in with other minorities. Indigenous Americans are unfortunately among one of the lowest earning classes in America so it would be interesting to see if there are any statistics regarding Indigenous Americans. 

 

C:Why are suburban areas considered to be better living areas versus urbanized areas?

S: The ideal location of one’s housing should be decided by the homeowner. If someone would like to live in an urban setting, then they should be able to. The opposite is also true. Families should be afforded the apple opportunity to consider living in either setting. Unfortunately, things like Section 8 housing or other government subsidized living areas do not afford the same opportunities. 

 

C:With wealthier White Americans buying homes in urbanized areas, do you think that this process of gentrification is helping or hurting racial disparities in home ownership and why or why not? 

C: I think the gentrification of neighborhoods is one of the best things for equal housing. When a neighborhood becomes gentrified, those who still own homes in an area reap the benefits of increased property values. This also allows them to see their property value increase even more if they were to decide to make improvements. 

 

C: In what other ways can urbanized areas become more desirable? What changes would need to occur? 

S: As you said before, gentrification of neighborhoods is an extremely important step towards making urban communities more desirable for all socioeconomic backgrounds. Also, increased government spending in areas of high crime/lower income may make certain areas more desirable.

C: In what ways do you think high crime rates affect homeownership? 

S: For many folks, homeownership is something that is a major investment. So when high crime rates are present in areas where you are making a major investment, people tend to steer clear of these areas. It is for these reasons that landlords buy up the properties for cheap and rent to lower income individuals. 

C: How do you think income disparities play into homeownership?

S: I would say that income disparities certainly do play into homeownership. This goes for all races as those who make less can’t afford as much house as others. However, this brings up the idea of how education in the homebuying process can lead to two different outcomes off of the same level of income. 

 

S: When it comes to homeownership, Black people own their homes at a significantly lower rate than other races. What do you think could be some reasoning for this?

S: I personally think this is a result of lack of education on what it takes to be approved and how one establishes a credit score before they buy a home. Calesta, what do you think?

C: I think it’s a mixture of lack of education on the approval process and understanding your credit score. I also believe that it is the process of previous years of homeownership and property management. Due to several stacking years of oppression the gap of disparity is at an extreme that unfortunately we have not been able to close the gap after all these years. 

 

S: What are some ways you recommend that we can bridge the gap in homeownership by race? 

C: In order to bridge the gap in homeownership I think there needs to be earlier education on credit score importance and home buying education. Meaning as early as high school there needs to be some form of education that helps minorities in their future, this includes homebuying. Without proper education and understanding of the importance of real estate the homeownership gap may never be closed. I also think that by providing a program where abandoned houses can be restored for a lower rate or reimbursement would not only help make urban areas more desirable but also help close the homeownership gap.

 

C: Do you think other minority groups are affected by the homeownership gap attributed by race? What disparities do you think play a role into their inequality if you believe there are any?

S: I believe that the homeownership gap is prevalent with other minorities in addition to Black Americans. I believe the same disparities are present with them that face Black Americans. They face the same lack of education and exposure to the process that in turn puts them at a disadvantage in the home buying process.

 

C: Would you consider Indigenous homeownership a problem even though the Indigenous groups technically own the land? 

S: This is an excellent point. Indegenous Americans often own the land and most of the business within their area. This could be a result of how there is not as much data regarding their rates of homeownership. Since they may not be recording their transactions with conventional real estate agents or mortgage lenders .

 

S: Beyond the lack of knowledge on the subject, why do you think that Black Americans have the lowest homeownership rate compared to all races?

C: Besides there being a lack of knowledge, I believe there is a certain level of fear that is associated with home buying. There is fear of breaking out of a comfort zone or what they are used to and there is a fear of denial. Comfort from the constant nature of living and renting.  Then the denial meaning not worthy of owning a home. A sense of rejection for not making enough money or having the means to maintain a home. Black Americans have been told they are not good enough to vote, own property, or even be provided the same education and healthcare. Therefore, I feel there has been so much oppression for the black community that they unfortunately do not have the confidence to want to seek to purchase a home. Therefore, their homeownership rates are much lower compared to any other race.

 

C: Do you think there are any similarities between the way Black Americans and Indigenous Americans are forced into oppressive lifestyles through homeownership? 

S: I don’t believe that there is any one thing that is causing this. I think that the fact that they are often forced into rental situations automatically puts them at a disadvantage when building their futures. I do think that renting for a lifetime  and not building equity is certainly a factor when it comes to building a future. However, this is not to say renting is not the best option for many. Homeownership can often be a large task and require money that many folks just don’t have. 

 

This conversation took place between Spencer Marshall and Calesta Holloway.

Diary of Systemic Injustices Showcase

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In my diary of Systemic Injustices #5, I spoke about how these assignments have forced me to open my eyes to the numerous injustices that we as American look past on a daily basis. In the short time I have worked as a real estate agent in Dayton, Ohio, I have seen how hard it can be for people to take the step of home ownership. Owning a home is no easy task. However, buying your first home in combination with being a minority can make that process even harder. Housing has always been an area where racism is unfortunately extremely common. Years of mistreatment of minorities resulted in them being confined to smaller, less desirable neighborhoods. In response, the U.S. government passed the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The Fair housing act was designed to address segregation in neighborhoods and to ensure that no one race was steered towards a certain area or away from another. Today, most of these issues have been solved. Blacks, whites, latinos, and others are free to live amongst one another. However the new issue in homeownership is financing. Getting approval for a mortgage is the most difficult part of buying a home. There is a combination of reports, credit scores, and examples of credit that go into a mortgage lender’s approval. One of the major components for getting a loan is how much money the soon to be homeowner makes. On average, White and Asian people make more money than blacks and hispanics. In addition to this, most people don’t learn about a credit score or how to obtain one in school. So if their parents had no credit and never learned how to establish it, chances are they won’t either. This among other things is something that all Americans should be educated on. 

As things stand right now, every person is held to the same standard in the eyes of the bank. This means that everyone must disclose what they make as well as obtain their credit scores. As is the case for many minorities, they either don’t have a credit score or were not aware that it plays such an integral part of the home ownership process. In addition, minorities are often so overwhelmed when lenders require them to find so many things that they give up on the idea of homeownership. When this happens, they resort to paying rent for the entirety of their lives. Though this does give you a roof over your head, it does not help you set up yourself or your family for the future. Meanwhile, white homeowners build equity and wealth while the minorities are left renting and eventually will have nothing to show for it. I believe the biggest way to combat this issue is to help all people get access to what they need to start building their credit and saving money so that one day they may be fortunate enough to own their own home. I also believe that there need to be charitable mortgage lenders who make it a mission to educate minorities on homeownership and how they can be prepared. 

 

References

https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2019/10/income-and-wealth-in-the-united-states-an-overview-of-data

 

https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf

 

https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2020/07/inequality-in-us-homeownership-rates-by-race-and-ethnicity.html

 

Context Presentation- 1960s Latin American Immigration- Spencer Marshall

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In the writing, Judith Ortiz Cofer tell her story of being a young Puerto Rican girl who’s family has just moved to the United States during the mid 1960s. She talks about how difficult things were for her as she struggled with American animosity towards immigrants. She cites an instance where a man says “you PR kids put your dirty hands on stuff. You always look dirty…” (Ortiz Cofer). Unfortunately, instances such as this would have been all to common in 1960s America. The 60s were a time of change in the United States. As millions of African Americans battled for civil rights, there was also a strong push for immigration reform. With pressure from the civil rights movement as well as some politicians, the Immigration Act of 1965 was passed. “the bill marked a dramatic break with past immigration policy… In place of the national-origins quota system, the act provided for preferences to be made according to categories, such as relatives of U.S. citizens or permanent residents”(History.com). The act changed the lives of not just immigrants around the world but also many Americans. People believed “in debating an overhaul of immigration policy in the 1960s, many in Congress had argued that little would change” (Ludden). However, those who believed they would see very little change were very wrong. The act allowed millions of South American and Latino immigrants access to the U.S. This influx of citizens created a more competitive job market which in turn lead to a growing animosity towards immigrants of Latin American decent. Ortiz Cofer experienced first hand what this animosity looked like.

After 60 years some immigrants still have to deal with American prejudices and opposition on a daily basis. However, today’s views of immigrants may not be as straight forward as they may of been in the 60s. For example, the U.S. border with Mexico has been a hot bed for political debate as Americans try to deal with illegal immigration. Most of these views towards immigrants come from racial biases stemming from the 1960s. In todays America, “50.7 percent of immigrant heads of household owned their own homes, compared with 65.2 percent of U.S.-born heads of household” (Nicholson). This highlights how those who are determined to better their lives will ultimately succeed in achieving their American Dream. Unfortunately, the freedoms many immigrants enjoy today were at the expense of previous generations such as Judith Ortiz Cofer and her family. Overall, understanding the social and political movements that coincide with the story allow for a much more comprehensive view.

 

Works Cited

the CAP Immigration Team and Michael D. Nicholson. “The Facts on Immigration Today: 2017 Edition.” Center for American Progress, www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2017/04/20/430736/facts-immigration-today-2017-edition/.

History.com Editors. “U.S. Immigration Since 1965.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 5 Mar. 2010, www.history.com/topics/immigration/us-immigration-since-1965

Ludden, Jennifer. “1965 Immigration Law Changed Face of America.” NPR, NPR, 9 May 2006, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5391395.

Ortiz Cofer, Judith. “The Story of My Body.” True Women and Real Men.