Chang Yu-i’s Struggle With Identity Essay -- Chinese Culture China Ess

Chang Yu-i’s Struggle With Identity Are you are confused as to where you are going in life? Do you sometimes feel like you just do not know who you are, or who you want to be? Do not worry, this is not uncommon. In fact, according to psychoanalyst Erik Erickson (1902-1994), most young people ages fifteen to twenty years of age feel the same way. Erickson, a psychoanalytic theorist, took the human life cycle and categorized it into eight stages. One such stage would be identity versus role-confusion. During this stage, adolescents begin to truly form who they are in life. They form their present off of the good and bad experiences of their past. Erickson believes that the stages in the life cycle apply to nearly everyone. It does not matter where or what era you are from. Take, for example, a character from Bound Feet & Western Dress by Pang-Mei Natasha Chang. Chang writes a dual memoir of her and her great-aunt’s lives. In her novel, Chang tells the story of her great aunt, Chang Yu-i, growing up in a chang ing world. Even though Yu-i is born and raised in China during the early 1900s, she still faces the conflicts of trying to find herself. The psycho social crisis called ‘identity versus role-confusion’ occurs mainly during adolescence, although it is not restricted to this period in life. It is usually the fifth stage in the life cycle, although it may overlap with the stages before and after it. Major circumstances can also later change the outcome of this stage. Throughout this stage, a person finds himself bringing together parts of his life and combining them to form who he wants to be in life. Outside factors, such as the community or family, tend to play an indirect, but important role in forming an identity. This is true in any culture, although family plays an even more significant role in a collectivist culture, such as Yu-i’s. Chang Yu-i grows up in a family of twelve children in a small county outside Shanghai, China. Born into changing times, the struggle for finding herself is perhaps even harder and more confusing than it would be for people born today. Yu-i is born into a time when China is torn between holding on to the old traditions and adopting the ways of the western world. Throughout the early 1900s, China was in political turmoil. China had to deal with the Boxer Rebellion, the revolution against the Manchu dyna... ..., Yu-i’s family decides she will marry Hsu Chi-mo at age fifteen. Yu-i does not want to get married yet, but instead wants to continue her education at the Academy. However, she does not have a say in who or when she will marry. Because it is time for her to get married, her education is discontinued. She is pulled from her schooling before she is finished with it, neither her parents nor her in-laws feel that this is important. Although the fact that her education was cut short is not something she is pleased with, it is still something she has to accept, and it still a part of who she is. It is a difficult and long process to find yourself. Erickson tells us that is is a natural stage in life to question who you are. Everyone goes through it, regardless of age, sex, race, or time. Take Chang Yu-i for example. She pulled good experiences in her life, such as having unbound feet and getting some education, and used them to help form who she was becoming But she also took the experiences she did not like, such as discontinuing her education as such a young age to get married, and accepted them as part of who she was. She grew up strong, and eventually became her own person.

On “The Incident at Oglala: the Leonard Peltier Story” Essay

The Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story is a political documentary which questions the claims of justice and equality in the United States. It is a Civil Rights documentary that recounts one event in the lives of Native Americans. This essay is an expository work and not a critique. The objective here is to present the major elements of the documentary and their ramifications for the doctrine of equal treatment under the law in the United States. With other supporting sources, it is my hope that the readers would become enlightened about the issues of justice as it relates to minority populations. Pine Ridge: The Political Context The primary events documented in the film occurred at a placed considered the poorest reservation in the nation, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Pine Ridge, with a population of about 15,000 Lakota Indians, is a severely economically depressed area with the highest murder rate in the United States per capita. The high murder rate is the result of intra-tribal rivalries fermented by limited Federal funding. The residents of Pine Ridge had divided themselves into two groups, the full-blood and the mixed blood. The full-bloods were the genetically pure natives with culturally conservative views. The mixed-bloods were Native Americans with Caucasian heritage who generally preferred a more progressive society. For the most part, the mixed-blood dominated the administration of the reservation. To foster self-help and a sense of pride among themselves, the residents formed the American Indian Movement (AIM). In the spring of 1972, Dick Wilson, a mixed-blood, became president the Tribal Council. The leader of the Tribal Council controlled the major source of livelihood on the reservation, the money from the Federal Government. Wilson was believed to be a very corrupt leader who used death squads (Guardians of the Oglala Nations or GOONs) to silence his critics. As a result, nearly all of the victims of the high murder rate in Pine Ridge were the full-blood Native Americans. The failure of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of India Affairs (BIA) to investigate the murders coupled with the fact that Wilson was being supported by Federal money gave the impression that the Federal Government was in support of the actions of Wilson and his cohorts. In this environment of fear and intimidation, many of the residents secured arms for self-defense. To publicize their plight, AIM decided to get confrontational with the Federal Government. The group occupied Wounded Knee in late 1973. AIM got the desired publicity with the unintended consequences of a heavy military response from the Federal Government. After a three-day standoff and two Native American deaths, the crisis was resolved. It, however, reinforced the belief among the Pine Ridge residents that they could not depend on the Federal Government to seek their interests. As Wilson’s vigilantes pushed their campaign of intimidation and elimination, Pine Ridge residents became more concerned for their lives and afraid of strangers. Wilson’s Goons, in collaboration with the FBI and BIA, attempted to destroy the American Indian Movement. AIM members became very much afraid of strangers and always assumed a defensive posture. It was in this environment that two FBI agents, driving in two unmarked vehicles, made an aggressive pursuit of a vehicle into a heavily armed section of the reservation in 1975. A gun battle ensued in which the agents were killed. It was not until after their deaths did any of the residents of Pine Ridge know that they were Federal Agents. All the men involved in the shootout fled. Leonard Peltier went to Canada. The Trials The events of that day became the focus of the Michael Apted’s documentary, Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story. The U. S. Government brought indictments against Jimmy Eagle, Dareelle Butler, Bob Robideau, and Leonard Peltier. The case against Eagle was dismissed for lack of evidence. According to the documentary, Peltier fled to Canada fearing that he would not get a fair trial anywhere in the United States. Peltier fought extradition from Canada. Desiring a speedy trial and perceiving that the extradition proceedings would take considerable time, the U. S. Government prosecuted the other defendants without Peltier. The case was taken to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Government tried to instill a sense of fear in the local population against the Native American population. It did not work. Convinced that the government did not present case void of reasonable doubts, all the defendants were found not guilty on the grounds of self-defense. Peltier was the lone accuser left and the prosecutor wanted to convict him at all cost. Federal agents had been murdered and someone had to be convicted; and Peltier was the man. If he had not fled to Canada, he would have acquitted along with his colleagues. Now, he must face a separate fate. What followed is a disturbing look into how representatives of the Federal Government can manipulate people and information to convict innocent people. It began with the extradition. The U. S. Government used a perjured document to get Canada to extradite Peltier back to the United States. Myrtle Poor Bear, the Government’s witness in the extradition case, claimed to be Peltier’s girlfriend. It was a lie. She admitted in the documentary that if she had seen Peltier in court, she would not have been able to identify him. Yet, they Government got her to sign two affidavits attesting to be on the scene when the Federal Agents were murdered and that they were murdered by Peltier. Her affidavit of February 23rd indicated that she was not present when the agents were murdered. Four days later, she signed another affidavit indicating that she was present when the agents were killed and that the perpetrator was Peltier. Fingerprints analyses from the location did not put Poor Bear at the scene. Why, then, did she lie? Poor Bear was threatened by representatives of the U. S. Government. She was shown the mutilated body of a colleague and told that her fate could be worse. In addition, she was told that she could lose her child to the Government. Fearing that the Government had the power to make good on its threats, she decided to cooperate. The Government Agents then provided her the information she attested to in the affidavits. That representatives of the United States Government would deliberately lie to a foreign government and undermine international treaty is very disturbing. But that is what happened. With an eyewitness affidavits ((Linder, Famous Trials: Leonard Peltier Trial, paragraph 17) putting Peltier at the scene of the crime and identifying him as the perpetrator, the Canadian Government turned Peltier over to the United States. According to Bob Robideau, one of the defendants in the first trial, the Canadians did not need the affidavits to extradite Peltier. It gave them the excuse because the Canadian Government has its own problems with the local populations of Native Americans. No wonder they were willing to breach an international treaty based on conflicting evidence. The trial of Leonard Peltier was filled with many inconsistencies in the Government’s case. James Harper, the Government’s prime witnessed who allegedly got a prison confession from Peltier, was a liar. His landlord reported how he had rehearsed his claims of evidence in the Manson case and in Peltier’s case. Secondly, the bullet casings found at the murder scene could not me matched to any one particular weapon. Thirdly, the Government provided conflicted evidence about the vehicle the dead agents were following. All initial reports indicated that the agents were following a red pick-up truck. This would have been the case because the person they were look for, Jimmy Eagle, was last seeing driving a red pickup. So it made sense that they would chasing after a red pickup truck; however, to implicate Peltier, the prosecutors changed the vehicle in the chase from a red pickup truck to a red and white van because Peltier owned a red and white van. Three witnesses, who at the trial placed Peltier at the murder scene, later recanted their statements and said that they were coerced (AIM For Freedom For Leonard Peltier). Unlike his colleagues who were tried in Iowa, Peltier was tried in Fargo, South Dakota by a jury that did not represent his peers (Linder, Famous Trials: Leonard Peltier trial, paragraph 20). Peltier was found guilty in spite of the preponderance of very doubtful evidence. Ballistics analyses could not definitely tie Peltier’s gun to the casings found at the murder scene because his gun was damaged in a motor vehicle fire. The Government Agents were apparently chasing one vehicle: it was both a red pickup truck and a red and white van. Witnesses were coerced. Even a Federal Appeals Court has found this case to be gross travesty of justice. â€Å"As late as November 2003, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged that ‘†¦Much of the government’s behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its prosecution of Mr. Peltier is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed’† (AIM For Freedom For Leonard Peltier) Opinion The credibility of any judicial system rests on the fact that it can be trusted by the people to administer justice impartially. When judicial system can be manipulated, especially by the government, to disregard the principle of innocent until proven guilty, it is not Leonard Peltier alone who is the victim. We are all victims because the judicial system loses its credibility at home and abroad. Since his imprisonment, many world-renowned figures have called for his on the grounds that he is a political prison. Amnesty International, the 14th Dalai Lama, the Belgium Parliament, the United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights, the Italian Parliament, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Italian Parliament, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the European Parliament have all called for his release (See Resolution). The continued imprisonment of Peltier also undermines the United States in it efforts to be a beacon of justice, equality, and fair play. As long as the world continues to see Peltier as a political prisoner, America’s call on other nations, like Cuba and China, to release their political prisoners would ring hollow, if not seen as hypocritical. Worst of all, if the government can plant evidence, distort evidence, coerced witnesses, and intentionally falsify documents just to get a conviction in one case, what will stop it from doing the same in any other case? On a larger sociological point, the Pine Ridge Indians see the case of Peltier as another reason why they should be skeptical about the government seeking their interests. This is the same reason why African Americans have distrusted the government, especially law enforcement. If the government wants to be a government for all people, regardless of race, creed or ethnicity, justice must be blind and never, even manipulated by the government. References AIM For Freedom For Peltier, 2009. An Internet publication. Retrieved on 12 May 2009 from http://www. whoisleonardpeltier. info/background. htm Linder, Douglas. 2006. Famous Trials: The Leonard Peltier Trial, 1977. Retrieved on. 12 May 2009 from: http://www. iterasi. net/openviewer. aspx? sqrlitid=eguyvxdeae-dwr5whj8t6g Resolution on the case of Leonard Peltier. European Parliament. 1999-02-11. Retrieved on 12 May 2009 from: http://www. webcitation. org/5LSGc933r.

Japanese Street Fashion

The beginning of the 21st century, it formed street fashion, a fashion style in which the wearer customizes outfits by adopting a mixture of current and traditional trends. At present, there are many styles of dress in Japan, created from a mix of both local and foreign labels. Some examples of popular styles are: Laity, Gaur and Decors fashion. Laity is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian-era clothing. It is usually consisted of knee length skirt or dress with a cupcake† shape assisted by petticoats.Laity fashion has evolved into many different sub styles that are present in many parts of the world. The most popular sub categories are: gothic Laity, sweet Laity and the punk Laity. Laity has popularized by the more feminine visual eke or â€Å"visual style† artists. Visual eke is a fashion among Japanese musicians, who are usually male, featuring make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes Guar fashion is a type of Japanese str eet fashion that was popular in the sass, but shortly died out in the early sass.It is often portrayed as a sign of youth rebellion as it is the opposite of the traditional idea of beauty in Japan. Guar fashion is typically characterized by heavily bleached or dyed hair, highly decorated nails, and dramatic makeup. Popular sub categories include: Kangaroo, Him guar and Anne guar. The Decors style originated in the late ass and rose to great popularity both in and outside Japan. The clothes are usually in black, dark pink r baby pink and neon.A plain shirt and hooded are often worn with short tutu-like skirts. The most important part of the style is to pile on many layers of cute accessories until the clothes worn underneath are barely visible. Leg and arm warmers, knee socks, and many accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, lights, children's toys, mittens, face masks and sunglasses are worn atop each other in different layers. The style is worn to give the youthful and inn ocent image.

War in Iraq

War in Iraq Free Online Research Papers We got into a war that had no meaning. There was no weapons of mass destruction and Husein was not a part of the threat. The real threat was with Arafat and Acadia. We chose to detour around the source of the problem causing many lives to be lost for no reason. We are dealing with people who will take any life at any cost for their religious faith. America had good intentions of helping to change a place to better the world. It was a plan no one wanted to have part of. The world viewed this war as an error. Now this country is a threat for a civil war. They need our help to provide the government we promised them. If we pull our troops out without a last strategy to deter the danger of a civil war, it will be chaos. Peace making efforts with the conflicting tribes should come into consideration. We should convince them that the government we promised will help their nation rather than have them destroy it and suffer the burden of a collapsed state of living. We must work with the people instead of inflicting our ideas of living so they can form the government they so badly need. Research Papers on War in IraqQuebec and CanadaCapital PunishmentAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2The Effects of Illegal Immigration19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraGenetic EngineeringPETSTEL analysis of IndiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Pets in the Classroom

Pets in the Classroom If youre thinking about getting a classroom pet its important to know a few things first. While research has shown that classroom pets can be stimulating and help to enrich a students experience, you must know which animals are the best to get, and which are not. Classroom pets can be a lot of work, and if you would like to teach your students some responsibility, then they can be a great addition to your classroom. Here are a few quick tips to help you decide which pet is good for your classroom. Amphibians   Frogs and salamanders make great classroom pets because students rarely (if ever) have allergies to them and can be left unattended for days at a time. Frogs have been a staple in many classrooms, a popular frog that most teachers like to get is the African Clawed frog. This frog only needs to be fed two to three times per week, so it is a very convenient pet to have. The only concern with amphibians is the risk of salmonella. You would need to encourage frequent hand washing before and after touching these types of animals. Fish Like Amphibians, fish can be a popular classroom pet because students are not allergic to them nor do they have any bad order to them. They can also be left unattended for days at a time. The maintenance is low, all you really have to do is clean the tank about once a week, and students can easily feed the fish with little supervision. Betta and Goldfish are the most popular in classrooms. Hermit Crabs   Hermit crabs have been popular in science classrooms for some time now. What people don’t realize is they can be a lot of work, die easily and not to mention they smell really bad. Other than that, students seem to really love them, and they can make a great addition to your science curriculum. Reptiles   Turtles are another popular choice for a classroom pet. They are another good choice because they can be picked up easily and are pretty low maintenance. Snakes like the garter and corn are popular as well as ball pythons. Good hygiene is recommended in caring for reptiles  because they may carry salmonella. Other Animals   Pets such as guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils, rabbits, and mice may harbor viruses and children may be allergic to them so make sure before choosing your pet that you find out what allergies your students have. If students do in fact have allergies then you may need to stay away from any â€Å"furry† pets because of this risk. Try and stick to the animals listed above if you want low maintenance and have allergies in your classroom. Before you decide upon purchasing your classroom pet, take a moment to think about who will take care of this animal on the weekends or on the holidays when you are gone. You should also think about where you would put the pet in your classroom, that would not cause a distraction to your students. If you are still set on getting a classroom pet then please consider getting a grant from Petsintheclassroom.org or Petsmart.com. Pet Smart allows teachers to submit one application per school year to receive a hamster, guinea pig or snake. These grants are used to support the teaching the of children on how to bond and care about pets responsibility.

Business Ethics Presentation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Ethics Presentation - Research Paper Example From the figures, it is a clear indication that the blame was pointed to the bankers for the financial crises. The public felt that the financial problems were due to bad ethics in the banking sector. Bankers have been criticized for issuing risky loans but according to (Lewis 2010), he argues that it is too crude to blame the financial crisis on ethics of bankers. According to Graafland and van deVen (2011) the three areas where of U.S. government has failed include encouraging the credit extension in the real estate market, failure by the government to keep a strong financial policy, and finally failure to regulate and monitor the markets. According to Graafland and van deVen there should be an improved sense of professionalism and duty to the public is needed. When an organization or industry loses its authenticity, the benefit of doubt is also lost. This is according to Kopeck. The corruption perception index (CPI) can also be used to measure the ethics of the US businesses. This method ranks countries on the degree of corruption in the government and also public officials. The method was inaugurated in 1995. The Corruption Perception Index ranks countries on a scale. The scale runs from10-0. The 10TH scale is perceived to be the least corrupt country and one as the most corrupt country. Corruption is a hidden activity hence measuring it is a challenge and that is why organization such as transparency international bases the index on a number of polls which is challenging to measure. The corruption perception index began with 41 countries in the year 1995 and has since grown and expanded to 182 countries and this is included in the 2011 index. The challenge with this method is that measuring the degree of corruption and also ranking is hard. Significantly there has been a steady decline in the United States CPI score over the last sixteen years with the hi ghest score of 7.79. Edel-man Trust Barometer is also another way of measuring trust;

Analysis of Black History Month Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Analysis of Black History Month - Essay Example Celebrating African American history does a lot more than simply show us the contributions African Americans have made to society; it also promotes the idea of equality and understanding for all races which make up our society. Appreciation for black history does not have to be concerned with events and situations which developed concerning African Americans since they can also focus on individuals. People such as Willie Brown become good examples of how influential African Americans have been in recent history as Willie Brown served for more than three decades in the California State Assembly and remained the speaker of the body for fourteen years. He continued his political career to become the only African American Mayor to govern San Francisco as a Democratic Party member (Wikipedia, 2008). Going further back in time, we have figures such as Malcolm X who started off as a petty thief and ended up being one of the greatest leaders in American history. We can certainly compare his life to other leaders who went through trials and confrontations before coming to terms with their thoughts and their understanding of the world. However, Malcolm X often met opposition from those who respected and admired him once he changed his viewpoints about violence and the use of force. Malcolm was one of the major black leaders to advocate equality and understanding towards peoples of all religions whether they be Muslim or Christian (Wikipedia, 2008). Even further in history, we have Frederick Douglass who is perhaps the greatest African American leader produced by the country. He was a lot more than a mere politician since he was an author, a reformer, an abolitionist and a magnificent orator.