HAPPY OBAMA DAY!...w/ better days to come

On the coldest, but most beautiful 20th day of January 2009, Barack Obama was sworn into the White House. I can honestly say I was a part of history because I was one of those millions of people heading out at 4 a.m. to witness this event. I walked for several blocks with my fellow H.U. peers and a great amount of positive energy surrounded me. It was not long before we reached a checkpoint barrier where the crowds anxiously awaited to witness history about to happen. I waited hours before my friends and I decided to leave because it was 11 a.m. and we had not made it anywhere near the capitol. We roamed the streets and bought souvenirs before we headed back to our warm rooms. We had realized we were not going to see anything due to the full capacity of people crowding the streets. I know what you are thinking…, but the answer is no. How could we be upset? I was so happy just to be surrounded by Blacks, Whites, Yellow, and many other races/colors where everyone all had the same feelings and thoughts. No one was angry or ready to cause a riot due to the fact the police had us barricaded for a long period. Everyone was happy that change was here.
I made it back to my room in time to see Obama speak and his words enlightened me. His words made me shiver. CNN showed people from all around the world that supported Barrack Obama; meanwhile I thought it was only majority of the U.S. citizens that had his back. I ended my day watching CNN until his last inaugural dance was over.
“This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled.”
-President Barack Obama
January 20th, 2009

Border Studies

In english class we read Gloria Anzaldua's perspective of the U.S.-Mexican border. Gloria considers herself to be Mexican and American. According to her, "Borders are set up to define the places that are unsafe and safe, to distinguish us from them." She also mentions that the U.S. Southwest consider people who live in these borderlands to be "aliens." The way Mexicans are being treated by the U.S. is obviously bothering Gloria; the same way anyone else would be upset if they were looked down upon. My belief as to why people of the U.S. might respond to Mexicans this way is because many people either fear or dislike anything that is foreign/different from themselves or what they are accustomed to doing. And when your not accustomed to something, you are usually out of your comfort zone. I have noticed this many times with people and also with myself. For example, people might see Mexico's way of living in a negative mannerism because it is different from the way the U.S. way of living. When Mexicans move away from their homeland to the U.S., they are shunned for taking low paying jobs; making it difficult for American citizens to receive jobs. Everyone might have many different reasons as to why the U.S. looks down on Mexicans, but this is my psychological reasoning for the U.S. negative perspective on Mexicans.