Historical Figure Post 3

   Someone influential in my selected field of my hobby is Frederick Douglass and yes my hobby was to learn the culture/customs of South Africa but at the same time, it focused on racial discrimination and segregation. This person or legend has a lot of accomplishment to describe  and is very influential by becoming one of the first African Americans in the 19th century by fleeing to the North where staying in the South would have not made him successful and maybe he would have never been that important or become the leader he became for the Black Community in the 1800’s.

  Mr. Douglass was always against Slavery and hoped to make a difference to his own people, and before him there still was not any Black Leader to represent and make a change in the African American community which many were slaves that ended up working for long hours, without being paid. Once Douglass was in the North of the United States and as an Abolitionist against slavery especially to the laws that were created like the Jim Crow law which its only purpose was to segregate blacks and whites from different facilities which was totally unfair.  He published a few books which were “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, My Bondage and My Freedom, and The Life and times of Frederick Douglass” were books that caused a difference because technically Douglass became popular and the 1st writer of all times in a period where seeing an African American write books, and earning the respect from the white community was something new.

   Being and advisor a couple of times for Abraham Lincoln, traveling to different states to discuss about racial issues,  and being a strong propagandist of the Union which was against the Confederacy must be some huge accomplishments and goals. I know Frederick Douglass has been died for 118 I have to give him a lot of credit and thanks to him the world started to discover that besides the white group, Blacks as well had talent and could be someone in life, but unfortunately racism kept existing for almost 70 years after his death. Something that I learn and will always look up to him and anyone is to never forget from where you came and grew up from. Why? Many people for example once they reach fame, and become important forget about their roots and where they came from. There is a case a someone that I do not understand why they keep recognizing if she has assimilated and feels embarrassed of being an Hispanic. This person is Salma Hayek she has acculturated and does not like saying that she is from Mexico, and does not like speaking Spanish, but later on Univision one of the biggest Spanish Network in this country is awarding her for representing the Hispanic community. In reality she has not and even if Frederick Douglass was not born in Slave States in South, he was born in Maryland he always cared about the people from those states and wanted to end slavery, but never became whitewash.

Contemporary Figure Post:

 
Today the most influential person today in the selected field is Samuel Eto’o. Who is Samuel Eto’o is an African Soccer player from Cameroon that plays in Europe and has accomplished a lot of goals and age 33 he has earned the respect from all the Africans in Africa. Yes he might not be from America, but he represents an entire country and continent every weekend when he plays for his team Chelsea in England. People like these even though he might not be an inventor, a senator or politician, since he was 17 everyone always had faith on him and believed that he would become one of the best forwards in Soccer of all times.

  Playing for big clubs like F.C Barcelona, Real Madrid Inter de Milan, and now Chelsea with 19 accomplishments and 16 of them in Europe is something that it will be difficult to be reached by another African in a few years. If they want to be the next Samuel Eto’o or even better than him this new figure will have to try as hard as they can, have the mentality every single day that he will want to overcome and be someone in life, and have the discipline. But honestly it will take a long time for another player like Eto’o to exist in the world of soccer.

  Samuel Eto’o is another person like Frederick Douglass that does not feel embarrass from where he comes from. He has gone back to his country to help the poor, he has invested in his country by seeing the poverty, and lack of food, clothes, and health care that his own people have to struggle day to day. Samuel was on the same shoes one day when he was little, and today he is paying back and hoping that the little children will have a better and happier life that him while he was growing up in Cameroon.

   Although he has had a lot of arguments with his country federation with the lack of support to his national team, and stated that they have the money to invest but there is corruption and no one does anything to make a change. It is disappointing to see that someone is doing their work out there to represent a whole nation, and when he comes back after all the hard work he has built from scratch for years the people in the federation prefer keeping the money to themselves instead of spending it on what they need. He sometimes tells the media in Europe pretty much the people back home have never cared for all the sacrifices I have made day to day and do not appreciate what I have been doing over here in Europe. If Samuel does not represent and do the job no one will do it, and Cameroon honestly who will know that this country exists.
The goal of Samuel Eto’o is enter into politics and be the next Manny Pacquaio by trying to make a difference in the government.

Book Comparison Post 2

I read the book To Kill a MockingBird which relates to my hobby because it takes place in America with so much racial discrimination going on in the year 1936.  The characters of the book were Atticus the father, with Scout and Jem which were white, and one of the important characters is Tom Robinson an African American that is accused by raping a little girl called Mayella. In reality the father of Mayella a white young girl later on in the story is raped by his father Bob Ewell who is uneducated and drunk most of the time.
From my point of view injustice and discrimination exists in this book, when later on in the story Tom Robinson is arrested and accused unfairly that he raped Mayella which lies along with her father Bob where Atticus who is the main protagonist becomes the attorney for Tom but is unable to help him. Due to the amount of witness which were paid to lie to the judge, Tom Robinson ends up in prison and is shot 17 times for a crime that he did not commit.

     This makes me reflect that as a young man at the age of 18 I have to be careful with young women around the age of 14-17. Why? There are so many girls that are young that look old and having a relationship with them is a big mistake because later on it does not matter the ethnicity or race they can get me or whoever in trouble. They can lie to their parents and go to police with a lie that we caused them harm such as hitting, or abusing them which the law with always be in favor of the teen girls which might ruin our life and send us to jail for the rest of our life.

   To Kill a Mockingbird is completely different from “The Power of One” because the similarities are that racism exists but the difference in the second book is that there is not anyone that is accused for something that is unfair and sent to prison for their rest of their life. From my perspective that is the big difference between the both books, because it has more similarities than differences with Discrimination playing a major role in the United States in 1936 and in South Africa.
The quote that grabbed my attention was on Chapter 18 when “Atticus pleads with Mayella to admit that there was no rape, that her father beat her. She shouts at him and yells that the courtroom would have to be a bunch of cowards not to convict Tom Robinson”, (Page 351). What I notice is that, when someone has revealed the truth and found out that this person has been denying and lying the whole time the person reaction will be yelling at everyone like crazy. Someone that lies will never recognize if they were wrong and Atticus did a good job on revealing that she had lied but unfortunately the Judge of the story was not convince and did not believe Atticus which caused Tom Robinson to be sentence in prison.

Book Review Post 1

Some of my highlights of the book I read for Professor Tang which was “The Power of One” are that it was very interesting and emotional at the same time.  The main protagonist of the book was Peekay a little boy in South Africa that was physical harmed and physical abuse but left his hometown in search for a better future. Months passed and he meets Doc, but he will meet someone that will change his life in a sport that he never thought he had the enough talent for which is Boxing. When Peekay starts ascending in this sports thanks Hoppie Groenwald thanks to the professional boxer, I feel happy and glad for him that in a young age he is becoming very successful in a country where discrimination is a major problem.

  Then during the years he became a strong opponent and he earned the respect by being a short boxer but with a lot of spirit and talent in his arms which almost anyone did not give any hopes or faith that he would defeat so many tough opponents. I liked the message and theme about this book that it does not matter the physical appearance, height, gender, race, culture, as long as you have talent, and do not give up you can make it so far in life, as well earn the respect from everyone.

    I know many may disagree with me, but I can compare in some aspects with Peekay the South African boy in the book and why? When I was in elementary 8 years ago, I had speech problems, many people did not understand what I said, and did not give hope on me. Throughout the years I worked hard in my years in middle school, and especially High School. Today I am in place called College in the University of Cal-State Northridge where not that many people are lucky to be or due to their mistakes in the past they impacted negatively their future. I still have not achieved my final goal and I know I am barely starting my journey in college, but finishing my first year in college is a big goal. If I believe on myself as well as being mentality prepared I will achieve the biggest goal in my life which is finishing and graduating from college.
In this book their was one specific quote that grabbed my attention on page 246.
 
   “ When I tell you to stay out of the way, you stay out of the way, you hear… that right cross nearly brained you, man two like that early in the next bout and we throw in the towel, you understand”, ( Courtenay 246). This quote grabbed my attention because there are so many times, our parents or coaches yell at us and we get mad but if they are screaming at us is because they do not want us to do the same mistake again. They are doing yelling for us to improve and do not make the same mistake that can impact us later on and we have to learn to listen if not we will be ignorant for the rest of our lives and not make it anywhere.

More Chaos in Venezuela

It is disappointing to hear that their is still chaos going on in the South American Country of Venezuela where the citizens are revolting against the president Nicholas Maduro. Today on easter day many citizens marched Chanting for "Liberty" and a change in the country where many want to see a safe Venezuela but with the person in power it is difficult to see any change.
When the civilians are marching peacefully, the police comes in with teargas and water cannons to scare the people, and not allow their voices and their freedom of expression to be heard.

Csun 4 News Project Broadcast

Week 14 is Approaching

Well for these upcoming week in my 14th week in my semester two in college, I have a Exam for My Central American Studies Class tomorrow, I have a presentation for my Asian American Studies Class which my partners and I worked last week, in order for it to be a good presentation. Not to put anyone down, my goal for this week is for my presentation on Wednesday for Professor Tangs class to be Organize and not a mess like the group that went last week which was a disaster and I got lost in their presentation. 

  My weekend went great I went to the Chivas USA vs Seattle Sounders game and I was lucky to take a picture with Kasey Keller. Many may ask who is Kasey Keller? This guy is a retired American Soccer Player that played soccer in Europe in different countries for example in Germany, Spain, and England for 18 years, plus he played two FIFA World Cups the biggest event on this planet in 1998, and 2006 with the US National Team. 

 I am so excited for this upcoming Friday, it is Matador Night, I am going to kick it with my friends and have a fun night. 

Week 12/13 College Life

Spring Break is gone, but now not only me but thousands of students in Cal-state Northridge have to face a nightmare which will last for the following 5 weeks. Essays, Projects, Assignments/Extra-credit and Exams are what many fear and hope to turn, as well as passing including me in order to pass our classes, and get the credit for that course.
In order to face these weeks, everyone has to be prepared which includes organized, good study habits and be mentality prepared, these are the challenges that every student has to face in life in order to succeed in college, and be someone later on in life.

  I want to take this Space to Lament something that occurred last week which many people know, the Bus Accident last week in Orland. This news has impact me for several reasons, first 10 people died, and many other resulted injured. Second Humboldt State was the University I was really close of attending last year, like all these excited, and optimistic seniors, when I look/hear about them, I remember when I use to be excited as well a year ago of attending that school. Third two students that died in the accident went to my High School, and I know who they were personal, and even though I really talked to them that much, the tragedy has impacted me so much. Their names were Ismael Jimenez, and Denise Gomez, both of them had a future ahead of them, brilliant/kind people which have left this world, and sometimes life is unfair to take this type of people that want to be someone in life, and overcome their personal/financial challenges in order to be someone in life later on.

 Learning more information about my Hobby the population in South Africa around 41% is black, 4.5% million are white, another 4.6% is colored, leaving 1,3% million from Asian/Indian Groups. I am shocked to hear and learn that their is more women than men in the country the data shows 51.3% are women, and 48.7 men, but from these numbers, South Africa maybe the only country in Africa with a large amount of White population, I do not think that in other nations in Africa, their is a large amount of whites living there.

Week 10/11 of College

 

So far we are almost at the end of the semester, but all the workload is starting to increase week by week, but I am happy Spring Break will begin next week to catch up to most of the assignments I have to turn in before the semester is over. This Spring Break which begins for me on Friday will help me fresh, and cool me down which means prepare for the final weeks of my 1st year in college.

 I Know I Should not focus and lament that many people that are not taking College serious will not return for next week, but it is a reality that will occur next fall in my sophomore year. 

 Something New that I learned for this week is to accept when you are wrong. If we do not accept that we are not right, it will be a problem that will affect us for the rest of the college. I am a person that is working with other people, and also with myself because we are young and can fix our mistakes, if we do not fix when we are 18-19 it will be a problem and maybe a habit that will be unfixed for ever.