When Eating Organic Was Totally Uncool

Eating organic foods is nothing to be ashamed of, disregarding whether it's cool or not. Being able to grow your own foods is wonderful because you know where it came from, what has been injected into the food, and so on. There are so many positives about eating organic foods that it's unbelievable people were ashamed of it. However, once organic food became a trend in this world it's outrageous how hard it actually is to eat organically. The prices, for starters, are very high; shouldn't the food that is healthy and good for your body be easy to get? Furthermore, not everyone has a place to be able to grow their own foods, and it may not be easy to find. Its sad to think that the country we live in doesn't actually care for our well being; pricing the processed greasy unhealthy foods at very low costs, and the healthy organically grown foods at astronomical costs. On the other hand, farmers benefit from this trend greatly because the demand for freshly grown crops is high. In the end, this trend makes you wonder if all the organic food that is being sold in these so-called organic stores are even 100% organic. If the demand for organic food shot up quickly the farmers must have used some kind of chemicals to increase the growing process, maybe even the size of the produce in order to get more out of it. So, you can never really know what you're eating, if it's organic or not unless you really do grow it under your own roof.

Latino USA a Cartoon History

This cartoon history is a fun reading; the majority of it is filled with pictures and specific characters. However, if you stop for a moment to look beyond the fun pictures, you realize the hidden messages within the text that are ironically in plain sight. I would like to focus on one particular part of this cartoon, on page 7. The characters speak about who they are depending on where they're from. In general, your background and home country have a lot to do with who you yourself are. Thus, the characters tell the readers how they are Cuban and Poblano. They aren't just "Mexican" or "Latino" they have a specific name to then depending on what region, city, and/or country they were born and raised in. America disregards this and in a sense takes away a chunk of their identity by categorizing everyone from south of the border as Latinoamericano. Yet if these people were to move into the United States, they'd be stripped of their identity further by being categorized as just Latino. It's unfair to the people because they all come from different areas and each have a uniqueness to their individuality based on where they're from, and America is just saying that they don't care about your background, this is what you are now. Furthermore, this can hinder future generations because they'd be growing up thinking their just Latino and then to find out that they're so much more than just that, that there's so much background to who they really are.

It's Not an Oxymoron

Western white women are very naive and single-minded; they are too quick to pity the Arab women rather than taking some time to learn and understand them. I love the motive Darraj has to portray her type of feminism, to show that her kind of women are not oppressed nor are they controlled by men. I don't understand why household chores are directly related to oppression in the western white women's mind. Having a clean house should be something all women want; I can't imagine a woman feeling comfortable coming home to a mess, or even inviting guests into a pigsty. Arab women should be praised for the pride they take in a cleansed home. Moreover, it's absurd to say that Arab women can't receive an education because in their culture the women are supposed to be housewives. Arab women are actually encouraged in their young adult years, by their fathers, to get an education and to live life the way they want. There are other aspects that need to be taken into consideration by the western women, for those are the true reasons why Arab women can't always receive the education they desire.

Dutiful Hijas: Dependency, Power, and Guilt

While reading this text I found it interesting how in the Puerto Rican culture the daughter holds an important role. The mothers' look forward to having a daughter, because that means they'll be cared for for the rest of their lives. This is unlike other cultures, where the sons' would usually be the ones that the parents' rely on. With other cultures, I can understand why parents' would rely on their sons; in general, sons would be described to be strong, responsible, hard-working, and reliant. Thus, it makes sense for families to celebrate the birth of a son. However, to celebrate the birth of a daughter is different, and Puerto Rican mothers depend on the birth of a girl. Furthermore, these daughters' grow up with the idea of caring for their mothers' till their death implemented into their minds. This is unfair as it causes stress on the daughters' later on in life; they get grief from their family members for leaving their mothers'. Moreover, the daughters' must always think twice about their actions and decisions because they aren't just thinking for themselves, but they're also responsible for thinking of their mothers' as well. I understand that you should not forget about your mother, as she is the one who brought you into this world, cared for you, and loved you unconditionally. However, it should be okay for the daughter to live, to explore, and be her own individual. Since she grew up with this idea circulating her, the mother should trust that her daughter will not abandon her.

Little Failure, Gary Shteyngart

Personally, I really enjoyed reading this memoir - probably because I understood the Russian terminology and was able to relate to the author on numerous levels. I have to say that for those whom do not speak the Russian language, cannot fully engage in, or attach to this book; even though Shteyngart translated each Russian word and phrase that he used, they sort of lost their meaning; written in English, the words and phrases were more bland and dull. In my opinion, the translation kills the emotion, emphasis, and humor behind it. From a Russians point of view, the translations do not do the words and phrases justice; I'd say that if i were a non-Russian speaking reader i would be rather bored, and confused because i cannot fully understand what is being said, even with the translation. On the other hand, I credit Shteyngart for his unique way of writing; Shteyngart achieved a sense of isolationism and confusion for many of the non-Russian readers, and that is what he felt most of his life. Shteyngart felt out of place, left out, like he did not belong. Through his writing he is able to replicate this feeling for the readers, to put them into his shoes. However, he doesn't completely block out the readers; Shteyngart allows for the confusion to be present, but he attempts to smooth it out by giving the translation.  

Class and the Politics of Writing

In the text the author states, "I was writing to resist all the socialization I had received in a religious, southern, working-class, patriarchal home that tried to teach me silence as the most desirable trait of womanliness. Writing about the ways I was often punished, particularly for the offense of talking back, I shared in published work both the pain and isolation I felt as a girl dreaming about ideas and writings as well as the punishment I received for refusing to be silent" (page 100-101). This particular excerpt caught my attention because the author was basically taught her whole life that silence is appealing, and that she would be frowned upon for talking back or speaking up. I found this very ironic considering that nowadays, starting from a young age, girls are taught to stand up for themselves, to be heard, to voice their opinions. Young girls are told to dream big, to hold on to that dream and push for it to come to reality. Yet here, the author find herself feeling pain and isolation for dreaming and having ideas. Nevertheless, I am fond of the author for refusing to be silent, for dealing with the punishments and not allowing them to discourage her motivation; For this truly portrays the author's strength and bravery to go against the majority in order to do what she loves.