TEXT is the technical term we use to describe a complex message composed of signs and symbols: it can be an article, a novel, a film, a photo (or a slideshow), a song etc.
I strongly recommend that you read (even wikipedia is OK) about "SEMIOTICS."
If you are philosophically inclined, you may enjoy reading about "semiotics" and "semiology." LINK.
COMMENT:
1) Among the texts you analyzed in the course so far, which one made the deepest impression? WHY?
2) And, within THAT text, was there a SMALL detail that really stayed with you longer than everything else?
REPLY: read a comment posted AFTER yours that gave you an insight into the person who wrote it and his/her world of reference.
Of the texts we've analyzed so far in this course the one that stuck with me would be the article "U Cant Talk to UR Professor Like This". This article resonated with me the most because I find it mind boggling how many young adults address their professors as if they are having a casual chat with a buddy; or use an email address that lacks professionalism. The part that stuck with me the most was when a professor Jackson Brown stated that she felt social media was to blame for lack of professionalism displayed to her by her students as opposed to her students in the 1990's. It's clear social media and the increase in texting has made students forget where to draw the line, and I think it is important that we fix this issue.
ReplyDeleteA part of that text that stood with me was when Worthen mentioned the Harvard incident in 1834, where students rebelled against deference by vandalizing a professors home and hanging and burning him. This was the most outlandish thing I've read, and it was all caused because students refused to show simple respect to their professors.
Out of all of the readings, the article called "When America Barred Italians" by Helene Stapinski really made the deepest impression. I never really knew and understood what Italian immigrants went through in regards to racism and trying to better their lives. Reading that Italian women just wanted to make ends meat just to feed their families were raped by their padrone and then their husbands couldn't really do anything about it really had a lasting impact on me. These women were just trying to work to keep their families fed and have a place to live and they were being subjected to this kind of disgusting crime. The fact the the husbands couldn’t do anything because then they would be out of work and then they would have no money to feed their families is very heartbreaking. This article surprised me where Stapinski linked it the Italian-Americans today who support the president’s efforts to keep out Mexicans and Muslims. I thought it was very intriguing that Stapinski wrote all the hardships that Italians went through and then told Italian-Americans today to look at their history and realize that their ancestors went through the same racism as the Mexicans and Muslims do today.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the texts that I've read thus far the one that stood out the most to me was “When America Barred Italians” for the simple fact that I had no idea that any of this went on for the immigrant Italians. I was so intrigued by the article after I read it that I went on and told my boyfriend about it because he comes from an Italian background. I thought it was amazing that the men and women had to deal with so many difficulties that were all to just make almost enough to feed their families. Something that really stuck out to me in the article was that on top of the men working for only 40 cents a day they were also expected to pay tribute to their “padrone” as a thank you for allowing them to work. I also thought it was intriguing that because the doctor Cesare Lombroso stated that if an Italian looked a certain way they were most likely a criminal and because of this it later brought a ban on the Italians to come to the United States. Knowing this about history now it is also funny to me that some Italian-Americans are on board with the ban for Mexicans and Muslims to stay out of this country when their history is the same as what is currently happening to the Mexicans and Muslims when in both circumstances people just want to make a better life for themselves.
ReplyDeleteHands down the text that stood to me and that I will take with me as I continue my college career is "When America Barred Italians" . Before reading this article I always just knew of the African-American struggle . The Italian struggle was the same struggle that African-Americans experienced . It shocked me how Italians were treated all because they just wanted a better life . When I think about how some were paid 40 cents to work , remind me of prisoners today working often time just for 25cents an hour . Seems much hasn't change out all .Fast forward today as muslim facing the same thing .If we are not careful history is happending and destroying us all . Immigrants make this country , we see what the Italians that came over were able to accomplish and same thing with the muslim . Everyone decide a chance and we even if we are not given that we have to made it .
ReplyDeleteSo far, the text that has stayed with me is the story told by the author of Son of Italy about the "hag" in Chapter 3 and how she dies. The treatment of this poor beggar woman by the people in the village was terrible. They seemed prejudiced because they judged her by her dirty appearance and strange behavior. The moment that stood out to me the most was when the author (as a little boy) finds the hag on a mountain and she starts crying, and he sees her as a person for the first time. It gave me hope that maybe in the future he'll learn to treat everyone with respect.
ReplyDeleteThe text that made the deepest impression on me was "When America Barred Italians". I think what stood out the most was the fact that the dillingham report was allowed to be published. I could never understand how instances such as these are allowed to occur in american history without any individual challenging the particular belief. One would think that a report by the immigration commission would be one based on facts and that the research it was based on would be credible. However, this clearly was not the case. I'm baffled that no one, at any step of the process, thought to critique the report. Another thing that stayed with me was the author's closing remarks. He made a very strong point by implying that Italian-Americans who support the president's racist and discriminatory initiatives are, in a sense, choosing the wrong side. If only they knew that their ancestors were subjected to similar initiatives and were similarly criminalized, they may have more empathy. At the end of the article, I thought of a poem I've once read. (I've pasted it below)
ReplyDelete"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
I feel as though the poem above perfectly depicts how we often view injustice. Some of us don't feel the need to speak on behalf of injustices that are happening to other groups we can't relate. And we do this while not being aware that the groups we identify with have experienced the same injustice or, may one day, face similar injustices.
To conclude, the detail that lingered with me after reading the article was Lombroso's description of a criminal. I have so many questions! Did he fit his own description? If not, was this because Italian Northerners did not possess the physical attributes that he claimed a criminal did possess? If so, what was the reason for this? Why did northern Italians vary in physical appearance than southern Italians? I really want to know if Lombrosos's belief was founded on his own dislike of how southern Italians looked or if there were more reasons as to why he made this outrageous claim.
I loved the short poem you shared. It highlights the importance of standing up to injustice the moment it appears. Staying silent could lead to your own downfall.
DeleteHi Mitsuka. I remember reading this poem about six years back. This poem is so strong. It represents most human beings as on-lookers, rather than activists, which is the case still today. We tend to ignore matters that don't directly affect us. It is truly sad.
DeleteThe text that made the deepest impression on me was "When America Barred Italians". I think what stood out the most was the fact that the dillingham report was allowed to be published. I could never understand how instances such as these are allowed to occur in american history without any individual challenging the particular belief. One would think that a report by the immigration commission would be one based on facts and that the research it was based on would be credible. However, this clearly was not the case. I'm baffled that no one, at any step of the process, thought to critique the report. Another thing that stayed with me was the author's closing remarks. He made a very strong point by implying that Italian-Americans who support the president's racist and discriminatory initiatives are, in a sense, choosing the wrong side. If only they knew that their ancestors were subjected to similar initiatives and were similarly criminalized, they may have more empathy. At the end of the article, I thought of a poem I've once read. (I've pasted it below)
ReplyDelete"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
I feel as though the poem above perfectly depicts how we often view injustice. Some of us don't feel the need to speak on behalf of injustices that are happening to other groups we can't relate. And we do this while not being aware that the groups we identify with have experienced the same injustice or, may one day, face similar injustices.
To conclude, the detail that lingered with me after reading the article was Lombroso's description of a criminal. I have so many questions! Did he fit his own description? If not, was this because Italian Northerners did not possess the physical attributes that he claimed a criminal did possess? If so, what was the reason for this? Why did northern Italians vary in physical appearance than southern Italians? I really want to know if Lombrosos's belief was founded on his own dislike of how southern Italians looked or if there were more reasons as to why he made this outrageous claim.
It is very sad that the propaganda was allowed to be pusblished. I don't think that it's right to negativitley Tate get a group of people and have an influence on society. But this was at a time where propaganda was used in the newspaper heavily.
DeleteThe passage that stood out to me the most was the article by Stapinksi. She really helped understand the history behind how we treat minorities in our society. We tend to blame them for issues that they may not be the culprit for.
ReplyDeleteWhat really resonated with me was at the end of the article after she outlined Italian history, she tied it in with how we treat Mexicans and Muslims in America. Her correlation that she was trying to tie together was not to judge people so freely because there was a time when your ancestors may have been treated unjustly.
The article that had the deepest impression on me was "When America Barred Italians." I was never aware of the struggles Italians had to face. The details the author provided were so visceral--I could almost feel their suffering. I also like the message at the end that urged Italians to remember the history of their people, so that history doesn't repeat itself.
ReplyDeleteOne small detail that stood out to me was how Italians celebrated the 1 year birthdays of children because it was rare for kids to live long lives. That was like a gut blow for me. I can't imagine what it's like to have a child and not know if it will make it to the age of 5.
The NY Times article "When America Barred Italians" by Helene Stapinski had a deep impression on my understanding of Italian history. My knowledge of Italian culture and history is quite limited so I was shocked and disheartened to learn of their maligned history and the role that Americans played. One thing that has stayed with me after reading the text is that Italy was under a feudalistic system that desecrated mass populations and objectified women in the worst way.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to many of my classmates, the text that had the deepest impression on me is "When America Barred Italians" by Helene Stapinski. I still cannot accept that the practice of prima notte was accepted in the United States. Claiming a woman for the night as if she was property is one of the many forms of dehumanization that I always refer back to. In 21st century America, this practice would definitely be defined as rape. I cannot imagine the mental torture that these women must have gone through.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason this text had the deepest impression on me is due to the layout the author chose. By establishing a history with her Italian-American audience, the author builds credibility. She establishes logos, pathos, and ethos before finishing strong by asking those Italian-Americans who support the Muslim and Mexican bans to think back to their own history.
I'm glad that you used the term dehumanization. I feel as though there is a consistent rhetoric of making certain groups feel as though they are less than humans and do not deserve the basic rights of a human being. I also love the fact that you assessed the layout of the article. Great job on taking that into account! I didn't really pay much attention to the fact that she established credibility prior to diving into the details. however, you brought it to light. Wow!
DeleteThe reading that made the deepest impression was “When America Barred Italians." Reading this article I had no idea any of this went on, this article was surprising to read. I always thought i knew a lot about Italian culture, but I am learning more about their history. One part that stuck with me the most was that children would die by the age of 5. That is why Italians throw a big party for the first birthday. The article shows a lot of suffering and hardships endured by Italians just to come to America.
ReplyDeleteThrough your comment, I predict that your world of reference is similar to mine. Growing up, we learned world history and U.S. history. However, in neither subject did we learn about the adversities that Italians faced when they first emigrated to this "great" nation. They may have been mentioned here and there, but nothing major about their struggles are ever discussed.
DeleteI wonder why you thought you knew a lot about Italian culture. How did you know what you know?
You definitely seem like a compassionate person since the part that stuck you is the high child mortality rate. That part also struck me, but more for the reason that our culture also celebrates the first birthday of a child with a grand party.
The article "When America Barred Italians" made the deepest impression on me. America is the great melting pot of the world, but there has always been a group of people who stopped immigrants from entering our borders. Today it is the Republican party, especially our president who is banning any and all Muslims from entering the US. During WW2, America put up “paper walls” to stop European Jews from immigrating to the US. In some cases, Ellis Island turned away an entire ship of Jews, sending them back to Germany where they were taken from the ship, straight to a concentration camp. Even though I know America’s hot and cold past with new immigrants, it’s jarring to read about how poorly the government treated an entire group of people, in this case, the Italians.
ReplyDeleteIt isn’t small, but the fact that our government constantly treats the “other” so harshly, shakes me to my core. I partially can’t wait to fast forward fifty years and look back and sort of laugh, remember how poorly our government treated the Muslim people. I wonder what new “tribe” we’ll ban from our borders then.
From all the texts, "U can't talk to Ur professor like this" was the article that made the deepest impression. I never thought that such things had to be explained to certain people. It's a shame that people don't know basic manners. There is no reason why anyone should talk to their professors as they would their friend. The reason it made the deepest impression on me was because some students go out of their way to try to talk to professors as they would their friends, the lack of respect one might have is really surprising.
ReplyDeleteThere were two things that stayed with me when reading the article. The first was when social media was blamed for the lack of respect and the second one was when Harvard students disrespected their professors house. I personally disagree on the blame on social media; although it does play a part, the case with the Harvard students happened in 1834 where media then can not compare to media today. Respect has to be taught no matter what time period we live in.
The article “When America Barred Italians" is what left eh most impression on me thus far. I was unaware of the incidents that took place such as the ban of Italians coming to America. I was even in shock knowing that an Italian doctor would use a description to assume that certain Italians were more likely to commit a crime than others. Italians were coming to America in hope of a better life yet were restricted due to their own kind being selfish, loosing out on workers, who if they would have treated right maybe would have ever migrated in the first place. The negative outlook on Italians form their own kind is what set the bar of their discrimination here in America.
ReplyDeleteWhat really stuck out to me due to it being upsetting and disturbing was to learn that Italian women were victims of rapes by their own landlords and their husbands couldn't even protect them out of fear of being put out on the streets to starve to death. I couldn't even imagine the hopelessness feeling the women and their own husbands had knowing these actions were happening to not only them, but to other women of their community. I also found it interesting how Italian-Americans throw big celebrations for the first birthday of a child because of the amount of children who didn't make it to five years old due to starvation and sickness.
The text "When America Barred Italians" left a large impression on me because I am an Italian-American with roots in Southern Italy, who lives in a Republican neighborhood that supports Trump. However, I am one of the few Democrats in this neighborhood, and I enjoy expressing my feelings about their points of view.
ReplyDeleteIt's truly difficult to always be at war with the mentality of those who live around you. They do not understand that our ancestors were in the positions of Mexicans and Muslims! They are so easy to cast hatred and become annoyed at those who dare enter their area. They fail to see that they were not the founders of Brooklyn, New York. This area is not theirs to claim. They do not have the right to say who can enter and who can leave, especially when those who want to immigrant are escaping hatred in their own country. Therefore, the very last paragraph in the text stood out to me and left the deepest impression on me. As I mentioned in my homework assignment, I believe that Mexicans and Muslims have it worse than Italians had it a century ago.