http://www.lds.org/?lang=eng
This is the official website for the religion that is known as the church of Jesus Christ of the latter-day saints other wise known as Mormons. It shows how Mormons should act and what there current history and teachings are. I say current because Mormons are the only religion to rewrite there holy book.
This religion sharpens the image of American identity because what a Mormon is expected to be follows in line with the image of a perfect American home e.g. marred with a big family that is clean cut and respectable. another reason id the growth in American pride because when Jesus Christ came back to earth he can back and did his teachings in America.
Sunday 23 February 2014
Southern Baptists Convention in America
Southern Baptists Convention are a christian denomination, who believe in the literal words of the Bible. What differentiates them from other christian denominations is that their baptisms require full immersion in the water, and believe that the christian themselves should choose whether to be baptised, rather than it being performed as an infant.
The Southern Baptists Convention is the worlds largest Baptist denomination, and the largest protestant body in the USA. In 2011 it's members population was 15,978,112.
The website itself clearly explains Southern Baptists views, and is easy to navigate around. It lists all of its churches in America and the list is kept up to date. It has daily devotions for its members to follow, which includes a bible passage. It has an FAQ section which could prove extremely useful to newcomers to the faith.
This helps to sharpen the definition of American Identity through it's determination to keep church and state separate, and they declare "Baptists cherish and defend religious liberty, and deny the right of any secular or religious authority to impose a confession of faith upon a church or body of churches.", which generally implies that they believe in the idea of religious freedom which is stated in the constitution, along with the idea of a seperation between church and state.
It also does this through its high family values, believing that man and woman are equal, but that man should have more power in regards to the ministries as the scriptures teach.
http://www.sbc.net/
The Southern Baptists Convention is the worlds largest Baptist denomination, and the largest protestant body in the USA. In 2011 it's members population was 15,978,112.
The website itself clearly explains Southern Baptists views, and is easy to navigate around. It lists all of its churches in America and the list is kept up to date. It has daily devotions for its members to follow, which includes a bible passage. It has an FAQ section which could prove extremely useful to newcomers to the faith.
This helps to sharpen the definition of American Identity through it's determination to keep church and state separate, and they declare "Baptists cherish and defend religious liberty, and deny the right of any secular or religious authority to impose a confession of faith upon a church or body of churches.", which generally implies that they believe in the idea of religious freedom which is stated in the constitution, along with the idea of a seperation between church and state.
It also does this through its high family values, believing that man and woman are equal, but that man should have more power in regards to the ministries as the scriptures teach.
http://www.sbc.net/
Religion in the USA
Christianity is the most popular religion in the United States,
with around 73% of asked Americans identifying themselves as Christian in 2012.
This is down from 86% in 1990, and slightly lower than 78.6% in 2001. About 62%
of those questioned claim to be members of a church congregation. In the mid-1990s
the United States had the largest Christian population on earth, with 224
million Christians.
Christianity was introduced to the Americas as it was first
colonized by Europeans beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today most
Christian churches are Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, or Roman Catholic.
Immigration further increased Christian numbers.
One of the many Christian groups across America is Catholic
Men’s Fellowship of California is a ministry for today’s Catholic man. It helps
to establish new parish men’s faith groups, and it serves existing men’s
groups. CMF sponsors conferences, retreats, leadership days and other events
throughout the state that are especially for men. It provides resources and
assistance to parish men’s groups. CMF is not a fraternal, service or a social
organization; it is a lay apostolate responding to the call for a new evangelization
to enrich each Catholic man in his journey of faith. Their purpose is to
encourage men to become daily followers of Christ. To also help men renew their
minds and transform their lives and hearts. They have seven principles that they live by claim that every mans life can be and should be lived accourdiung too.
This group is different to normal Catholic group as they only look at the issues that males have in society and claim that man was first created by God - implying that man should take priority in having their lifes sorted.
Amish
Source: http://amishamerica.com/
This website represents the Amish organisation. It includes
various information such as news,stories and their lifestyle. The man
responsible for this website is Erik Wesner. Although he is not Amish himself,
he has been fortunate enough to experience Amish life for himself first hand.
The Amish community originate from Pennsylvania during the 18th century. They keep to old traditional values, have a strong sense of community, dress simply, refuse to conform to society, etc.
The website includes an Encyclopedia which has a diverse range of topics as well as useful questions. For example, the discussion of Amish business, their beliefs, clothing and appearance, etc. Many seem to be interested in the Amish lifestyle and various questions are asked such as, do Amish use electricity?, What do Amish eat?, Do Amish visit doctors?, Do Amish vote? etc.
It also includes a blog where various Amish people are able to write about current news, as well as sharing photos with the rest of the community, quizzes, and general updates which illustrate the strong sense of community.
It could be considered that the Amish community does sharpen the sense of American identity due to the fact they place a high value on hard work (manual labour, etc) even though they have strayed away from the mainstream American society.
The Amish community originate from Pennsylvania during the 18th century. They keep to old traditional values, have a strong sense of community, dress simply, refuse to conform to society, etc.
The website includes an Encyclopedia which has a diverse range of topics as well as useful questions. For example, the discussion of Amish business, their beliefs, clothing and appearance, etc. Many seem to be interested in the Amish lifestyle and various questions are asked such as, do Amish use electricity?, What do Amish eat?, Do Amish visit doctors?, Do Amish vote? etc.
It also includes a blog where various Amish people are able to write about current news, as well as sharing photos with the rest of the community, quizzes, and general updates which illustrate the strong sense of community.
It could be considered that the Amish community does sharpen the sense of American identity due to the fact they place a high value on hard work (manual labour, etc) even though they have strayed away from the mainstream American society.
Monday 17 February 2014
The Hopi Tribe
http://www.hopi-nsn.gov/
The Hopi Tribe is located in Arizona, and they state that "Since time immemorial the Hopi people have lived in Hopituskwa".
The site is a government type of site, with information about tribal relations and various laws to do with their tribe. Their history is most known for the fact that their tribe is surrounded by the Navajo tribe, with whom there were many arguements. Their total population as of 2012 was 18,327.
The Hopi Tribe have always viewed their land as sacred, and important, as agriculture is a very important part of their culture. This is reinstated on the website, with the homepage at one point saying they "maintained our sacred covenant with Maasaw, the ancient caretaker of the earth, to live as peaceful and humble farmers respectful of the land and its resources."
This means that as farmers, they are most likely self-sufficient in many ways, meaning their economic situation is less immediately concerning as they would not be in need of food.
This shows that they present their identity as a humble and self-reliant tribe who identify with the land.
They also earn money from the coal that is mined at the location of the Navajo tribe, as they share royalty income.
Annually, tourism is also one of their sources of income.
They also seem very proud that "Over the centuries we have survived as a tribe, and to this day have managed to retain our culture, language and religion despite influences from the outside world." Showing that they wish to retain their culture as it is a huge part of their identity.
The website has newspaper articles and other relevant information regarding the tribe. I believe the website is a reliable source, as it is a government site and although is probably a fraction biased, it has very valid information.
Sunday 16 February 2014
Cherokee Nation
http://www.cherokee.org/Home.aspxThe Cherokee Nation is the biggest Native American reservation in America. This website shows not only the culture of there ancestors but also how the very same people are growing and adapting to survive in the 21st century. when you open up the homepage you see there three plans for completing this Home. Heath. Hope. Homes meaning that they are expanding and building homes for more Cherokee family's. Health meaning improvements to the Cherokee Nation health care system. Hope referring to the fact that along with the homes and the health care the improvement to education with give the Cherokee Nation a hope for a better tomorrow.
Native Americans
Native
Americans throughout history have been seen as “Savages” and “Uncivilised”
compared to that of the European White Man. All of the Native tribes from
across the country were categorised as the same; they all wear feathers, they
all use bow and arrows, they all dance around fires. This couldn’t be more from
the truth. The diversity of environments determined the way in which the tribes
evolved – Weather, landscape, temperature.
This
website: http://www.tolatsga.org/aben.html
focuses on the history of the Abenaki Tribe. It looks at a range of things
associated with the tribe; Names, Language, Divisions, Culture and there
History. Extending
across most of northern New England into the southern part of the Canadian
Maritimes, the Abenaki called their homeland Ndakinna meaning "our
land."
Here are two of the sub catergories in detail:
Population
“Before
contact the Abenaki (excluding the Pennacook and Micmac) may have numbered as
many as 40,000 divided roughly between 20,000 eastern; 10,000 western; and
10,000 maritime.” Diseases from
Europe such as Smallpox, killed off thousands of them. Currently there is about
3,000 members of the tribe left and they have a committee in the State of
Vermont. They been given recognition on a local level. But In 1982 they
applied for federal recognition which is still pending.
Language
“Algonquin, but distinct
from the languages of the Micmac to the north and the New England Algonquin to
the south. There was also a dialectic difference between the eastern and
western Abenaki with language of the western Abenaki being closer to that of
the Pennacook.”
It
would seem though that in today’s world Native American Tribe are becoming more
accepted on a state level giving them rights they hadn’t had ever before.
Hopefully this acceptance will increase on the same path making it a brighter
future.
Picture Source:
http://people.ucls.uchicago.edu/~snekros/2008-9%20webquests/products3/index.html
Tulalip Tribes
http://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov/
The Tulalip tribe is located north of Everett and the Snohomish River and west of Marysville, Washington. The tribe population currently has around 4,000 members.
The term 'Tulalip' means 'a bay shaped like a purse' and was used in 1855 to describe the tribes who has joined together on the reservation.
The Tulalip tribe appears to be economically successful and has high economic standards compared with other tribes as well as high health standards. The reservation owns the Tulalip casino, Cedars cafe, Torch Grill, Tulalip Resort hotel and Spa, etc.
Furthermore, the tribe provides many different services. For example, Health and dental clinics, a senior retirement home, and higher education assistance.
The website also states that the reservation is 'rich with natural resources marine waters, tidelands, fresh water creeks and lakes, wetlands, forests and developable land.' thus, this shows the tribes living conditions are satisfactory, and the website portrays the fact that environment preservation is very important among the tribe. Also, it is evident that the tribe plans to keep their own identity as they still practice their culture through activities such as fishing, hunting, gathering berries, etc. As well as participating in old customs such as Winter dancing, the Salmon ceremony and spiritual work. In addition, one of their values states 'We uphold and follow the teachings that come from our ancestors.'
The website also states the tribes missions and values. For example, they believe they will arrive at a time where each and every person has become most capable.
The Tulalip tribe is located north of Everett and the Snohomish River and west of Marysville, Washington. The tribe population currently has around 4,000 members.
The term 'Tulalip' means 'a bay shaped like a purse' and was used in 1855 to describe the tribes who has joined together on the reservation.
The Tulalip tribe appears to be economically successful and has high economic standards compared with other tribes as well as high health standards. The reservation owns the Tulalip casino, Cedars cafe, Torch Grill, Tulalip Resort hotel and Spa, etc.
Furthermore, the tribe provides many different services. For example, Health and dental clinics, a senior retirement home, and higher education assistance.
The website also states that the reservation is 'rich with natural resources marine waters, tidelands, fresh water creeks and lakes, wetlands, forests and developable land.' thus, this shows the tribes living conditions are satisfactory, and the website portrays the fact that environment preservation is very important among the tribe. Also, it is evident that the tribe plans to keep their own identity as they still practice their culture through activities such as fishing, hunting, gathering berries, etc. As well as participating in old customs such as Winter dancing, the Salmon ceremony and spiritual work. In addition, one of their values states 'We uphold and follow the teachings that come from our ancestors.'
The website also states the tribes missions and values. For example, they believe they will arrive at a time where each and every person has become most capable.
Sunday 9 February 2014
Analysis of Push by Sapphire
'Push' by Sapphire review
http://www.womanist-musings.com/2011/09/review-of-push-by-sapphire.html
This review was written by Renee Martin in 'Woman's Musings.' Renee starts with a brief summary of the plot and the characters involved. She states that Clarise represents 'all those who have fallen from the system.' I feel this is true as the idea of the novel is that Clarise is able to 'push' herself in order to gain an education and enhance her own life, which very much follows the whole idea of the American dream.
Renee then goes on to state how Clarisee was shut out even though she was in need of care. She seems sympathetic as she says 'It had me wondering how many victims of child abuse slip through the cracks in just the fashion.' Thus, I believe she is not portraying African Americans in a negative light, rather the authority who fail to help her with her issues back at home. However, it is clear Renee believes that she is treated different due to her race. She states that Clarise refuses to discuss her problems with the police, which is 'another example of how social institutions have let down this young black woman.' as she feels she is unable to trust the white authority.
Renee Martin compares 'Push' with 'the colour purple'. She states that 'As much as this book was about sexual abuse, it was also a statement about the various ways in which the system continues to fail poor people of colour.' I agree with her statement, as even though Clarise pushes herself to read and write and how much readers wish for her to achieve a successful life, it turns out she has HIV, which there seems to be a higher rate of HIV among poor women of a different race.
Renee concludes that 'Push' 'is about seeing those whom we have chosen to create as invisible in order to actively oppress and exploit.' So basically the book had been written in order for more people to acknowledge that there are characters similar to Clarise out there who are not been treated fairly and that something needs to be done about it.
This review was written by Renee Martin in 'Woman's Musings.' Renee starts with a brief summary of the plot and the characters involved. She states that Clarise represents 'all those who have fallen from the system.' I feel this is true as the idea of the novel is that Clarise is able to 'push' herself in order to gain an education and enhance her own life, which very much follows the whole idea of the American dream.
Renee then goes on to state how Clarisee was shut out even though she was in need of care. She seems sympathetic as she says 'It had me wondering how many victims of child abuse slip through the cracks in just the fashion.' Thus, I believe she is not portraying African Americans in a negative light, rather the authority who fail to help her with her issues back at home. However, it is clear Renee believes that she is treated different due to her race. She states that Clarise refuses to discuss her problems with the police, which is 'another example of how social institutions have let down this young black woman.' as she feels she is unable to trust the white authority.
Renee Martin compares 'Push' with 'the colour purple'. She states that 'As much as this book was about sexual abuse, it was also a statement about the various ways in which the system continues to fail poor people of colour.' I agree with her statement, as even though Clarise pushes herself to read and write and how much readers wish for her to achieve a successful life, it turns out she has HIV, which there seems to be a higher rate of HIV among poor women of a different race.
Renee concludes that 'Push' 'is about seeing those whom we have chosen to create as invisible in order to actively oppress and exploit.' So basically the book had been written in order for more people to acknowledge that there are characters similar to Clarise out there who are not been treated fairly and that something needs to be done about it.
Sunday 2 February 2014
Here I have two different looks at Arizona’s papers please
law. One from the Rachel Maddow show in which they show that this law is not only
racist in its design but also the kind of people who created it.
Were as on fox news there atrial was not a look at the problem
with this law but a platform for them to tell the Rachel Maddow show to leave
the law alone because they cannot see
what was wrong with it.
Pro & For Immigration
http://www.immigrationcontrol.com/
This website is pro Immigration. AIC (Americans for Immigration control) is an 'American non-partisan grassroots organization with more 250,000 members. It was founded in 1983, and the aim of the organization is to stop many 'illegal aliens' crossing the border from Mexico. The fact the Mexicans are labelled as 'illegal aliens' illustrates the organizations distaste for immigration.
They also aim to reduce annual legal immigration to numbers which can be readily assimilated.
The organization comes up with some solutions. They state that the amount of legal immigrants crossing the border should be reduced to no more than 250,000 per year, as well as increasing border control.
Their primary concern is they fear for the unity of the United States. "If we don’t take action now, the surging flood of legal and illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America will soon form a majority in California and the Southwest. Some of these Latino militants are already organizing to form those states into a new nation called AZTLAN.If and when that happens, these United States will be united no more!"
http://www.nclr.org/index.php/about_us/faqs/the_truth_about_nclr/
This website is FOR Immigration. The NCLR (National council of La Raza) is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the US. Who are committed to strengthening the nation by promoting advancement of Latino families.
The NCLR has helped more than 22,000 low income Hispanic families purchase their first homes. In addition, various health clinics have helped prevent sickness to up to 100, 000 families. The NCLR works to welcome Hispanic into American society, rather than treating them as different.
The website includes various issues which needs to be addressed. Such as, children and youth, health and nutrition, education, etc. There is also an opportunity for people to help those in their own community to feel accepted and providing them with equal rights.
This website is pro Immigration. AIC (Americans for Immigration control) is an 'American non-partisan grassroots organization with more 250,000 members. It was founded in 1983, and the aim of the organization is to stop many 'illegal aliens' crossing the border from Mexico. The fact the Mexicans are labelled as 'illegal aliens' illustrates the organizations distaste for immigration.
They also aim to reduce annual legal immigration to numbers which can be readily assimilated.
The organization comes up with some solutions. They state that the amount of legal immigrants crossing the border should be reduced to no more than 250,000 per year, as well as increasing border control.
Their primary concern is they fear for the unity of the United States. "If we don’t take action now, the surging flood of legal and illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America will soon form a majority in California and the Southwest. Some of these Latino militants are already organizing to form those states into a new nation called AZTLAN.If and when that happens, these United States will be united no more!"
http://www.nclr.org/index.php/about_us/faqs/the_truth_about_nclr/
This website is FOR Immigration. The NCLR (National council of La Raza) is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the US. Who are committed to strengthening the nation by promoting advancement of Latino families.
The NCLR has helped more than 22,000 low income Hispanic families purchase their first homes. In addition, various health clinics have helped prevent sickness to up to 100, 000 families. The NCLR works to welcome Hispanic into American society, rather than treating them as different.
The website includes various issues which needs to be addressed. Such as, children and youth, health and nutrition, education, etc. There is also an opportunity for people to help those in their own community to feel accepted and providing them with equal rights.
Pro and Anti Latino/Hispanic Immigration
Anti Latino/Hispanic Immigration
http://www.fairus.org/
FAIR: Federation for American Immigration Reform
FAIR is an organisation that is against immigration in general, rather than solely Latino or Hispanic immigration. While the don't demand to completely stop immigration, they want to reduce it to a significantly smaller number than currently, which they label 'traditional'.
The site itself is rather clever, in that it doesn't want to eliminate immigration, and uses language the could easily persuade people to see in their favour. However they are clearly against the rising population of foreign born citizens, as shown in their map under 'Immigration Facts', which suggests that the do not approve of the growing percentages of foreign born population, and would like to see the percentage decrease. This shows that they are stuck on the idea that America should be American, and contradicts the idea of the melting pot.
Although the website doesn't specifically state that they are against the immigration of Hispanic/Latino's, I found an article that talks about this:
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/federation-for-american-immigration-reform-fair
This refers to the founder of FAIR, John Tanton, who 'warned of a "Latin onslaught," complained of Latinos' allegedly low "educability."' Clearly showing that he was not too favourable of Latino's. Additionally in the same article, Linda Chavez, who used to work for one of Tanton's other organisations, resigned because of memos on The Catholic Church and Latin America. She called them "repugnant and not excusable" and "anti-Catholic and anti-Hispanic."
This explores similar issues to those raised in Huntington's 'The Hispanic Challenge', such as the idea of border control, which FAIR advocates, as the border is not as imagery rich as crossing the sea and seeing the statue of Liberty.
Comparison
Both sites look at the issue from the point of the upcoming immigration reform, but from varying sides.
Pro Latino/Hispanic Immigration
http://www.hispanicfederation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=77
Hispanic Federation: Taking Hispanic causes to heart.
The Hispanic Federation is an organisation which advocates and seeks to promote the social, political and economic well-being of Hispanic-Americans. On Immigration they believe 'structural changes to the country’s immigration process are necessary to reinvigorate the country’s economy and commitment to citizenship, allow families to reunite and maintain our promise of a better future for all who are willing to work hard and contribute to their families and local communities.'
Again, while the site is not strictly about immigration, it is one of the main issues today, so has prominence. They insist on family reunification as the chief tenet of immigration reform. However, they are specifically focused on the Latino/Hispanic community as opposed to FAIR.
The site is equivalent to FAIR's in that they have a similar, simple layout, and you can easily find any information required. However they provide help to people who want to Immigrate, which is not something FAIR would do as an organisation.
http://www.fairus.org/
FAIR: Federation for American Immigration Reform
FAIR is an organisation that is against immigration in general, rather than solely Latino or Hispanic immigration. While the don't demand to completely stop immigration, they want to reduce it to a significantly smaller number than currently, which they label 'traditional'.
The site itself is rather clever, in that it doesn't want to eliminate immigration, and uses language the could easily persuade people to see in their favour. However they are clearly against the rising population of foreign born citizens, as shown in their map under 'Immigration Facts', which suggests that the do not approve of the growing percentages of foreign born population, and would like to see the percentage decrease. This shows that they are stuck on the idea that America should be American, and contradicts the idea of the melting pot.
Although the website doesn't specifically state that they are against the immigration of Hispanic/Latino's, I found an article that talks about this:
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/federation-for-american-immigration-reform-fair
This refers to the founder of FAIR, John Tanton, who 'warned of a "Latin onslaught," complained of Latinos' allegedly low "educability."' Clearly showing that he was not too favourable of Latino's. Additionally in the same article, Linda Chavez, who used to work for one of Tanton's other organisations, resigned because of memos on The Catholic Church and Latin America. She called them "repugnant and not excusable" and "anti-Catholic and anti-Hispanic."
This explores similar issues to those raised in Huntington's 'The Hispanic Challenge', such as the idea of border control, which FAIR advocates, as the border is not as imagery rich as crossing the sea and seeing the statue of Liberty.
Comparison
Both sites look at the issue from the point of the upcoming immigration reform, but from varying sides.
Pro Latino/Hispanic Immigration
http://www.hispanicfederation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=77
Hispanic Federation: Taking Hispanic causes to heart.
The Hispanic Federation is an organisation which advocates and seeks to promote the social, political and economic well-being of Hispanic-Americans. On Immigration they believe 'structural changes to the country’s immigration process are necessary to reinvigorate the country’s economy and commitment to citizenship, allow families to reunite and maintain our promise of a better future for all who are willing to work hard and contribute to their families and local communities.'
Again, while the site is not strictly about immigration, it is one of the main issues today, so has prominence. They insist on family reunification as the chief tenet of immigration reform. However, they are specifically focused on the Latino/Hispanic community as opposed to FAIR.
The site is equivalent to FAIR's in that they have a similar, simple layout, and you can easily find any information required. However they provide help to people who want to Immigrate, which is not something FAIR would do as an organisation.
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