History Comparison Betwen Mexican and African Americans Essay Example for Free

History Comparison Betwen Mexican and African Americans Essay The history of Mexican Americans is comparable to that of African Americans: filled with stories of conquest, racism, and discriminatory acts posed by society. The past has triggered Chicanos to fight back against injustices, in hopes of reforming immoral treatment, and emerging as an equal part of America’s society. The Chicano movement yielded some successes in this aspect. However, mass media and stereotypes confirm the notion that Mexican Americans are still viewed as a â€Å"lesser† people. This stems from the long-established concept of racial stratification. In this case, it indicates that Anglo-Americans have hierarchy over Mexican Americans. Consequently, discrimination towards Chicanos is still prevalent, despite ongoing efforts by activists for change. This nation was socially molded based on the idea that there is a hierarchy of races, and as long as that idea exists, Mexican Americans will continue to suffer inequality. In â€Å"Sexual Violence in the Politics of Conquest’, Castaneda explores the sexual crimes against Amerindian women during the Spanish conquest of Alta California. The soldiers accompanying the missionaries on the settlement raped and violated the native women openly. There were many incidents before rules were set to govern the matter, but even after the rapes continued to occur. One court case recorded in 1773 indicates that there was no intention to grant justice to the victims. The natives took matters into their own hands and formed forces to seek their own justice (similar to Chicano activist groups that seek reform for discrimination), but to no avail. Castaneda goes on to explain that the actions of the soldiers were not farfetched from practices of Western civilization (27-28). Because these dark crimes were normal for the dominant culture, they were automatically imposed on the natives, who were supposed to accept this without resistance. This is similar to Mexican Americans during the Chicano movement, who were not given equal opportunities for education and employment because they were not in the central group. In both situations, the majority emasculates the men and oppresses the women of the minority. The idea of hierarchy is apparent in this passage; Catholic missionaries try to strip the natives of their culture and convert them to value Western practices because they consider themselves the ‘prominent’ people. The history of the Chicano Movement can date back to the Manifest Destiny. In the 1840s, the United States planned to expand its territory and take Mexico, which had become independent from Spain. In reporting these events, Leo Cervantes notes the attitude of superiority that the Americans displayed in their imperialist plan. He notes one adherent’s thoughts, who asked â€Å"why resign this beautiful country to the custody of the ignorant cowards who have ruled for the last 25 years? † (13). Cervantes also quotes Thomas Jefferson, who has similar views of the matter, and promoted â€Å"policies of non-miscegenation† during the expansion (14). Even before Anglo-Americans were acquainted with Mexicans, they held predisposed opinions of contempt for them. As I suggested, Arturo Rosales agrees, â€Å"An underlying cause for the hostility Anglo-Americans felt for Mexicans was a preexisting ideology of racism† (5). These preconceived notions of Mexican Americans were the beginning of negative stereotypes attached to them. Today Chicanos are often represented in the media as uneducated thugs, loose women, or undocumented workers. Even whites who claim they are not racist may practice aversive racism by absorbing the images portrayed in media. It is this ideology of racism has contributed to discrimination over the years and inversely, the building of the Chicano Movement. The movement flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, feeding off other civil rights movements, particularly the African American movement. Both African American civil rights activists and Chicano activist protested the unlawful repression of minorities in America. They protested the terrible education system, police brutality, and denial of economic opportunities. Arturo Rosales compares Chicano activist, Cesar Chavez to Martin Luther King. It is expected that on this path to address the plight and repression of their people, Chicanos were met with resistance from White Americans. Rosales notes that police officers and other uniformed officials â€Å"were employed to suppress manifestations of discontent and did so using violence† (xv). It can be suggested that Anglo-Americans considered Chicanos a threat to the racial hierarchy, so they took action. Cervantes supports this theory, quoting Brooks Adams who said, â€Å"When a highly centralized society disintegrates, under the pressure of economics condition, it is because the energy of the race has been exhausted (18). This point illustrates the pressure Anglo-Americans felt to keep superiority over Mexicans. The American achievement ideology suggests four points: Anyone can make it. American society is fair and open. Success is based on merit. Moreover, inequality is the result of differences in ability and ambition. This ideology contradicts the apparent effects of a racial hierarchy. Stratification of races has formed structural discrimination among minorities, specifically, Mexican and African Americans. The poor education, poor neighborhoods, and badly equipped jobs that these minorities are subjected to prevent them from achieving upward mobility. However, white America still neglects to acknowledge these factors. Historian, Oscar Lewis, believed that people living in poverty are to blame for their own situation, yet minorities’ history in America consists of repression and treatment as inferior beings. There is no questioning it; racial classes have been socially constructed and this has directly affected minorities. The Chicano Movement has led to some advances for Mexican American such as the growing numbers of Latinos attending school, and raise concerns about unequal treatment to Chicanos. However, because underlying values of America are products of a deep-rooted, corrupt social structure, issue of prejudice will continue to exist.

The Impact Of The American Revolution On The Womens Rights Movement Es

The lack of participation of women in society in the United States before the women's rights movement in 1948 was remarkable. They did not participate in activities such as voting and fighting in wars. They also could not own property and "belonged" to their father until they were married, when they would then become the property of their husband. They were brought up to get married, often while they were still very young, then to become a good mother and housewife. The lack of activity though changed during the American Revolution that lasted from 1775 to 1783. This American Revolutionary experience had a great impact on the eventual movement for women's rights. Previous to their rights movement, women, by law, were declared inferior to men, had no separate existence from their husbands and every one of their possessions, acquired or inherited, would be passed on to the ownership of her husband. The children in a marriage belonged to the father alone and the custody of the children if one was to get divorced, was usually given to him. If a woman's husband died, she would receive only the use of one third of his real estate. They could be beaten as long as the stick was no bigger than a man's thumb and single women were excluded from earning a living, with the exception in a few poorly paid trades. They wanted to feel useful to society so during the American Revolution, women, who did not usually participate in the war, actively participated on the home front. They knitted stockings and sewed uniforms for the soldiers. They also had to replace men out in the factories as weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and shipbuilders. Other women also vol unteered out on front to take care of the wounded, become laundresses, cooks and companio... ...also were not represented, and made women understand that this inferiority dilemma that was going on every day had to stop, and that they had to revolt and fight for their own rights. Her influence combined with other women fighting and the spirit of rebellion already set in men spiked women's interests in their rights and made them want to struggle for their privileges. Before the American Revolution, women did not realize just how unfairly men were treating them until they experienced working, managing a household, and life without their husbands. It made them aware of their place in society and many wondered just why they were inferior to men at that time. That American Revolution was what led up to the women's rights movement of 1848 and without it, who knows when women would have ever revolted against this unjust behavior and obtained the right to vote in 1920. The Impact Of The American Revolution On The Women's Rights Movement Es The lack of participation of women in society in the United States before the women's rights movement in 1948 was remarkable. They did not participate in activities such as voting and fighting in wars. They also could not own property and "belonged" to their father until they were married, when they would then become the property of their husband. They were brought up to get married, often while they were still very young, then to become a good mother and housewife. The lack of activity though changed during the American Revolution that lasted from 1775 to 1783. This American Revolutionary experience had a great impact on the eventual movement for women's rights. Previous to their rights movement, women, by law, were declared inferior to men, had no separate existence from their husbands and every one of their possessions, acquired or inherited, would be passed on to the ownership of her husband. The children in a marriage belonged to the father alone and the custody of the children if one was to get divorced, was usually given to him. If a woman's husband died, she would receive only the use of one third of his real estate. They could be beaten as long as the stick was no bigger than a man's thumb and single women were excluded from earning a living, with the exception in a few poorly paid trades. They wanted to feel useful to society so during the American Revolution, women, who did not usually participate in the war, actively participated on the home front. They knitted stockings and sewed uniforms for the soldiers. They also had to replace men out in the factories as weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and shipbuilders. Other women also vol unteered out on front to take care of the wounded, become laundresses, cooks and companio... ...also were not represented, and made women understand that this inferiority dilemma that was going on every day had to stop, and that they had to revolt and fight for their own rights. Her influence combined with other women fighting and the spirit of rebellion already set in men spiked women's interests in their rights and made them want to struggle for their privileges. Before the American Revolution, women did not realize just how unfairly men were treating them until they experienced working, managing a household, and life without their husbands. It made them aware of their place in society and many wondered just why they were inferior to men at that time. That American Revolution was what led up to the women's rights movement of 1848 and without it, who knows when women would have ever revolted against this unjust behavior and obtained the right to vote in 1920.

Religion as the Opium of the Masses

Religion as the opium of the masses. Like the Hebrew prophets of old, Marx knew that to speak of social justice, we must become socially self-critical, and that means becoming critical of the ruling powers whether they may be kings or priests or investment bankers. Power and privilege in society always disguise their own arbitrariness behind the facade of fair play, which may be called providence or karma or standardized test scores.Whatever basis is used to claim an objective and unbiased perspective such claims need critical analysis and challenge. About 90% of the world belongs to some sort of religion. Marx understood that purpose and that is why he made the statement, â€Å"religion is the opium of the masses† which means that religion is what keeps the masses motivated, like a medicine that blinds them to all the hardships of life.Religion has blinded the people to enjoy their sufferings hoping for something like a ‘purgatory’ or a ‘heaven’ that they would enjoy after their toiling on earth. It has come to control the people with its guiding principles although most of its guiding principles aren’t adhered to by its top leaders for example: on the news there are various stories of pastors molesting children or their congregations, popes, monks and nuns breaking their vows; yet their followers are faithful due to the promise of a peaceful after life.For Marx, all ideas are relative to the social location and interests of their production. And like the prophets before him, the most revealing perspective is not from the top down or from the center outward, but the view of the â€Å"widow and the orphan† – the point of view of the exploited and the marginalized. Suffering can see through and unveil official explanation; it can cry out and protest against the arrogance of power.This brings us back to how Marx viewed religion as the â€Å"opium of the masses†. That is we tend to think Marx had a monol ithically negative view of religion but that is not the case immediately preceding this language â€Å"the opium† the following is found Religion is at one and at the same time the expression of real suffering and a protest. Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions.Here Marx recognizes in religion an active moral agency especially for the deprived and the despised. Religion is not simply the ideological expression of the powerful, legitimacy the social hierarchy as in the case, for example, of singing hymns with the hidden message that there’s a â€Å"King in Heaven† so there shall and should be kings on earth. No, for Marx in the hands and voices of the poor and exploited, religion is â€Å"protest†.It is a crying out against â€Å"real suffering† not illusory sufferings such as fear of punishment from the gods or suffering caused by some impurity inherited from a previous i ncarnation. For Marx, the essence of religion is its voicing of â€Å"suffering† its crying out against the realtors of exploitation and degradation. The essence of being human is a passionate suffering, a struggle to take back into our hands a world we have made but which is then taken away from us.Religion has found a way in which it governs our or lives or society in general. It is normal for the major religious group in a society to automatically control the ruling party. The major religious group affects the behavior of the people in power and somewhat controls their decisions due to their effect on the people. A major religious group can influence the choosing of who stays in power or who comes into power just by saying ‘God’ has chosen a particular person to lead us and make our country or state stronger.The people have no choice but to follow the doctrine that’s why Marx made the statement, â€Å"religion is the opium of the masses† was made . Religion has somewhat found a way to control every aspect of the lives of individuals in the society. It has become the new trend of the day; everyone belongs to a religion because of the returns that they intend to receive. Religion has turned into the medicine for all types of sorrows this in turn controls the people who come to it for help.

The Quick Definition of a Robot

A robot can be defined as a programmable, self-controlled device consisting of electronic, electrical, or mechanical units. More generally, it is a machine that functions in the place of a living agent. Robots are especially desirable for certain work functions because, unlike humans, they never get tired; they can endure physical conditions that are uncomfortable or even dangerous; they can operate in airless conditions; they do not get bored by repetition, and they cannot be distracted from the task at hand. The concept of robots is a very old one yet the actual word robot was invented in the 20th century from the Czechoslovakian word robota or robotnik meaning slave, servant, or forced labor. Robots dont have to look or act like humans but they do need to be flexible so they can perform different tasks. Early industrial robots handled radioactive material in atomic labs and were called master/slave manipulators. They were connected together with mechanical linkages and steel cables. Remote arm manipulators can now be moved by push buttons, switches or joysticks. Current robots have advanced sensory systems that process information and appear to function as if they have brains. Their brain is actually a form of computerized artificial intelligence (AI). AI allows a robot to perceive conditions and decide upon a course of action based on those conditions. Components of Robots Effectors — arms, legs, hands, feetSensors — parts that act like senses and can detect objects or things like heat and light and convert the object information into symbols that computers understandComputer — the brain that contains instructions called algorithms to control the robotEquipment — this includes tools and mechanical fixtures Characteristics that make robots different from regular machinery are that robots usually function by themselves, are sensitive to their environment, adapt to variations in the environment or to errors in prior performance, are task-oriented and often have the ability to try different methods to accomplish a task. Common industrial robots are generally heavy rigid devices limited to manufacturing. They operate in precisely structured environments and perform single highly repetitive tasks under pre-programmed control. There were an estimated 720,000 industrial robots in 1998. Tele-operated robots are used in semi-structured environments such as undersea and nuclear facilities. They perform non-repetitive tasks and have limited real-time control.