“The Outsiders” follows a two week period in the life of Ponyboy Curtis, who belongs to a lower class of Oklahoma teenagers known as Greasers because to their oily long hair, and leather dressed appearance. As he walks home from a movie, Ponyboy gets attacked by a bunch of Socs, which is short for Socials. The Socs are the Greasers’ adversaries, and upper-class teens from the West Side of town. Ponyboy is surrounded by the Socs, who threaten to slice his neck and beat him. Ponyboy is saved when a bunch of Greasers arrive and scare the bullies away. Sodapop, a high-school dropout, and Darry, Ponyboy’s older sibling, are among Ponyboy’s rescuers. Johnny Cade, a sixteen-year-old; Dally, a street crook with a long criminal record; Steve, Sodapop’s best friend; and Two-Bit, the group’s oldest member, are the other Greasers that come to Ponyboy’s rescue. Throughout the story, the Greasers and Socs battle, sometimes very violently. In the end, the Greasers ultimately “defeat” the Socs, but not to the satisfaction of Ponyboy at all. He feels immense regret and guilt for a death that took place, but eventually is able to come to terms with what happened. He writes his story as a paper for his english class, which happens to be the actual story of “The Outsiders.”
There is a lot of deeper meaning in this story. Although at the most simplistic level, this story is about the ongoing feud between the Greasers and Socs, this is not exactly the message this story is trying to portray. The main point of contention between the greasers and the Socs is how they reject or adapt to the social and economic factors that keep their groups apart. The members of the groupings are stereotyped as a result of societal and economic forces, robbing them of their uniqueness and, perhaps, their humanity. Finally, the narrative looks at how greasers and Socs choose to break free from stereotypes and regain their identity. Ponyboy changes his appearance to that of a boy rather than a greaser. When Ponyboy decides to tell his narrative, he is opting to show the Socs and greasers’ uniqueness and humanity. Although there are many course themes that come to mind when I consider this story, one stick outs to me. It is Simone De Beauvoir’s theory of “othering.” This theory states that in society one group of people will always be looked at as the “other” due to a plethora of factors including but not limited to economical and societal standings. As a result of this, that group will be looked at as “less than,” which is exactly what happened in this story to the Greasers, as the Socs looked down on them since they were poorer. Identity and power can be clearly identified in this story as the story depicts an ongoing power struggle between two groups. This work also inspires a conversation about injustice, as several acts of injustice were performed in the story because one side thought they were better than and more entitled than another.
This week we read A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. This book is about Jamaica’s childhood in Antigua and her experiences growing up there. The story is derived in sections, broken down in a way that the reader reads about Antigua in the perspective of someone who is a tourist there, and as someone who grew up there. It becomes blatantly clear that visitors to Antigua are not getting the same taste of Antigua that Jamaica did, as she highlights differences between Antigua as a tourist attraction and as a place of living and growing up. In the story, she moves chronologically as she explains how Antigua has developed over time, for better or for worse. She gives very interesting insight about Antigua that one could only receive and understand by living their first hand. She ends her story by practically explaining that a tourist can never get a true feel for Antigua, and that they are only experiencing the basics of her childhood home.
Antigua has experienced governmental issues for centuries, as originally Antigua was a British colony until its citizens were imprisoned, sold as slaves, and slaughtered as a result of destructive colonialism. These political issues would lead to years upon years of citizens struggling to find work and put food on the table, and would lead to a very high poverty and unemployment rate among the nation. In fact, most jobs in Antigua are actually used to promote tourism, which is their biggest market and practically what keeps the economy afloat, as mentioned in the story. Through scandals and changes in power dynamics, Antigua really has never truly found itself in a world of continuously developing countries.
Jamaica has experienced these troubles first hand, and gives a brief yet detailed synopsis of her youth and how she dealt with all of this adversity. This story can be connected to several course themes, but one that immediately comes to mind is the danger of a single story TED talk. There is a correlation here as when people visit Antigua and see the amazing resorts, beaches, and activities, they are probably not considering the areas outside of the resorts and lodges, and how much people there may be struggling. They only know the perspective of a tourist, and not someone who lived there and faced the adversity that comes with living there.
10:15:12 Hello, my name is Cole Spiegler.
10:15:16 Hello, my name is Haxin Pei.
10:15:18 We are here today on the yo is this racist podcast. Here we discuss and analyze current events and analyze whether they can be deemed racist or not, before we delve into an example, let’s discuss racism and recent history.
10:15:36 In American past institutions, racial, economic and educational inequality inequities are profoundly established, despite the fact that the Declaration of Independence, declares that all men are created equal.
10:15:47 American democracy has traditionally excluded some communities, often violently. Inequality manifests itself in a variety of ways from blatantly discriminatory policies and belief systems to less obvious discriminatory policies, and belief systems
10:16:03 poll taxes, effectively disenfranchised African American voters, marginalization of African American soldiers who fought in World War One and World War Two, but were treated as second class citizens at home.
10:16:18 Black innovators who were barred from filing patents for their inventions, segregation in schools and businesses, and more are all historical examples of this.
10:16:28 There’s also many examples of racism and segregation and other minority groups, as we will cover throughout this podcast.
10:16:35 So the thing I want to talk about the region is the rise of discrimination against Asians during the pandemic. Since outbreak of coordinating and the Asian hates crime search by 169%.
10:16:49 Across 15 major US cities. An organization of Asian-American groups that had created a reporting center called STOP AAPI HATE and said they had received almost 1500 reports of incidents of recent speech, discrimination and physical attacks against Asians
10:17:08 and Asian Americans, at least, 125 of incidents reported or physical attacks to build off of that. I also read many news reports that Asian people were attacked on streets, just because they were Asian a victim of anti Asian racism, named Mao posted
10:17:32 his experience online, he said.
10:17:38 In March, 2020.
10:17:40 I was patiently waiting at the checkout of a crowded grocery store in New York City.
10:17:45 Suddenly a middle aged person approached me pointed his finger and yelled, you virus, get out.
10:17:51 Meanwhile he splashed his half drunk bottle of water in my face. The man then turned around as if he was looking for something else you used as a weapon, fearing for my life I dropped everything in my hand and ran out.
10:18:04 While people around me stood there and watched, I was the only Asian in that grocery store at the time.
10:18:10 Although I can’t speak from the perspective of an international student or someone from China, I could definitely understand how scared that person felt in their experience.
10:18:26 And something that upsets me is that this by no means it’s an isolated incident.
10:18:32 And it’s for sure part of a global pattern of rising racism and hatred against Asian minorities during this ongoing pandemic.
10:18:43 I saw a video about an attack from an old Chinese woman in New York interview and old Chinese lady was walking on the street and then black men rushed up and give her a heavy bow on her head.
10:18:57 This Chinese old lady fell and the people surrounding her called an ambulance for her. I feel sympathetic and sad about her experience because she did not hurt anyone and did nothing wrong.
10:19:07 She just walk on the street, that was attacked because of her race.
10:19:15 Yeah.
10:19:16 And similar anti Asian racism cases have been reported in many countries, not just the US. In an article I read last week about the anti Asian racism cases around the world, shows that in the UK Asian people have been punched in the face because the
10:19:32 attackers thought that Asian people brought the virus of covid 19. Two women attacked two students in Australia punching and kicking them and yelling
10:19:42 Go back to China.
10:19:47 And you effing immigrants to man attack the Chinese American in Spain and beat him so heavily that he was forced in a coma for two days.
10:20:07 And in Africa, there have been many reports of discrimination and attacks on Asian people accused of carrying said covid 19 as well as foreigners generally, including in Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
10:20:17 Well, moreover, according to the Human Rights Watch organization, government leaders and senior officials in some instances have directly or indirectly encouraged hate crimes and racism by using any Chinese rhetoric.
10:20:33 US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “Chinese virus” and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s use of “Wuhan virus” may have encouraged the use of hate speech in the US. Brazil’s education minister ridiculed Chinese people in a tweet suggesting that the pandemic was part of the Chinese government’s “plan for world domination.”
10:21:06 From my perspective, such words from governmental leaders will aggravate anti-Asian racism.
10:21:08 Yeah, for sure and many people and organizations noticed the increasing trend of anti Asian racism and try to make efforts to change it.
10:21:19 For example, in May, 2020, the United Nations Security general Antonio Gutierrez, said that, quote unquote, “the pandemic continues to unleash hate and racism and urged governments to “act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate.”
10:21:38 OSU also took steps to prevent the spread of anti Asian racism on campus, as many individuals starting to think about how to prevent or deal with anti Asian racism.
10:21:52 Other people, I mentioned earlier in this podcast, the victim Mao pointed out in his posts that people should take action when we encounter such cases of racism.
10:22:02 He said that overcoming the bystander effect is one of the most direct and powerful ways to combat anti Asian racism. I totally agree with this. In the face of justice if we all remain silent racism will only persevere and become more and more serious.
10:22:17 But if we take actions when we see in justice. Other people will likely back you up. And as you break the silence and become an example as an example for others to follow good things will happen.
10:22:29 Hence, I think if I find other people being attacked by a racist or stand up and help the victim, because I believe in this way, and justice will be preserved effectively.
10:22:44 Yeah, so let’s talk about the African American racism. So African Americans have long been the victims of racially motivated physical violence. Between the end of Reconstruction and World War II, more than 4,400 lynchings—mob executions carried out without legal authority—occurred in the United States, according to the Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative.
10:23:05 Violent or not, African Americans still continue to be the victims of systemic injustices to this day
10:23:29 For this, a good example can be found
10:23:33 I know a good example.
10:23:46 So Deion Sanders, the coach of Jackson states HPC you historically black college and university, football program. He was a former NFL player also.
10:23:50 Deion Sanders was enraged in a postgame interview recently about players in the SWAC conference, South Western Athletic Conference which is usually made up of HBCU schools do not get names on the back of their shirts.
10:24:06 Sanders says quote unquote, is it that expensive to put the darn names on the back of their jerseys, don’t you think his mama at, and then want to see their baby’s name on the back of their jerseys.
10:24:17 Don’t you think is about a siblings family, friends, loved ones.
10:24:22 Sanders statements and and opinions, in my opinion.
10:24:25 Have significant influence on the sport in the country as a whole, students who attend and play at SWAC institutions should have the same fundamental rights as students who attend and play in, quote unquote, larger conferences.
10:24:41 Yeah.
10:24:43 Because the SWAC has historically been made up of HBCU college athletes who compete here don’t have as much of the opportunity to build a reputation for themselves as those who can be more prominent leagues.
10:25:01 To correct this scenario, I believe that all of the clubs and the league as a whole should invest in placing names on the players’ jerseys so that they can be recognized and earn far more recognition than they did previously.
10:25:20 Hopefully, Sanders’ postgame interview prompts a discussion among the guys upstairs for the conference, prompting them to reconsider their decision not to identify players. All D1 athletes, regardless of conference, are entitled to the same basic opportunities for success.
10:25:42 Yeah, and there’s definitely a course theme that I can connect, not only this scenario to, but the one we talked about with Asian racism as well. I can connect this to our course theme of “othering.”
10:25:56 This was a theory developed by Simone de Beauvoir, and is defined as a set of dynamics, processes, and structures that result in marginalization and persistent inequity throughout the whole range of human differences based on group identities.
10:26:14 I see a connection here because I feel like the people that are being victimized by these and justices are being looked at as less than.
10:26:25 And this is extremely significant in society, as if this were to continue. Then one group will forever think they’re above another, which is simply not true.
10:26:25 This concludes our “Yo, is this racist” podcast, thank you all so much for listening, and have a great day.
One societal injustice I noticed in the news involves the coach of the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Jackson State and former NFL player Deion Sanders. In a post game interview, Sanders was livid about how players do not wear their names on the back of their jerseys in the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference). Sanders said “Is it that expensive to put the darn names on the back of the jerseys? Don’t you think his mama and them want to see their baby’s name on the back of the jerseys? Don’t you think about his siblings, his family, his friends, his loved ones?” I think Sanders comments and thoughts have a big impact on the sport and country overall. Kids that attend and play at SWAC schools should have the same basic privileges that students in “bigger” conferences are entitled to.
I distinguish this as a systemic injustice because the SWAC is historically made up of HBCU schools, so athletes that play here are not getting as fair of a chance to make their name known as players in more powerful conferences. In order for this situation to be righted, I think all the teams and conference overall should invest in putting names on the players’ jerseys, so they could be recognized and receive much more praise than before. Hopefully Sanders post game interview sparks a conversation within the men upstairs for the conference and they can rethink their decision to not include names. All D1 players, no matter conference, deserve the same basic rights to obtain success. I can connect this to our course theme of “othering.” I see a connection here because I feel like the people that play in this conference are being looked at as “less than” since they do not get the same basic privileges that other schools are getting by having the name on the back of their jersey. This may not seem significant, but these kids worked just as hard to get to this level of play as anyone, and they deserve to be able to rep their family name.
There is a lot of deeper meaning in this story. Although at the most simplistic level, this story is about the ongoing feud between the Greasers and Socs, this is not exactly the message this story is trying to portray. The main point of contention between the greasers and the Socs is how they reject or adapt to the social and economic factors that keep their groups apart. The members of the groupings are stereotyped as a result of societal and economic forces, robbing them of their uniqueness and, perhaps, their humanity. Finally, the narrative looks at how greasers and Socs choose to break free from stereotypes and regain their identity. Ponyboy changes his appearance to that of a boy rather than a greaser. When Ponyboy decides to tell his narrative, he is opting to show the Socs and greasers’ uniqueness and humanity. Although there are many course themes that come to mind when I consider this story, one stick outs to me. It is Simone De Beauvoir’s theory of “othering.” This theory states that in society one group of people will always be looked at as the “other” due to a plethora of factors including but not limited to economical and societal standings. As a result of this, that group will be looked at as “less than,” which is exactly what happened in this story to the Greasers, as the Socs looked down on them since they were poorer. Identity and power can be clearly identified in this story as the story depicts an ongoing power struggle between two groups. This work also inspires a conversation about injustice, as several acts of injustice were performed in the story because one side thought they were better than and more entitled than another.
