Argumentative Writing – The Face of Racism

Racism comes in many different forms.  There was a time just like in Lawrence Hill’s story, So What Are You, Anyway? when people were very abrupt, rude, and forward when it came to relating to other races.  Henry Norton blatantly shows his ignorance when he asks Carole, “That’s a negro doll.  That’s race.  What’s your race?”  The use of the word ‘negro’ is meant as a degrading term for people of African descent and was used up until the 1960’s when civil rights movements tried to change racist views.  My Mother told me a story of when she was a little girl in 1969.  She clearly remembers one of her teachers tell the class that she was tired of smelling garlic on their breath, tired of their ignorance, and tired of so many Italians.  My Mother still remembers her full name and admitted that she wished horrible things for this teacher for the pain she caused.  One day she dragged her to the principal’s office and demanded that she get the strap for putting a book on the wrong shelf.  My Mother is not a visible minority and had experienced such as this.  So, I can imagine how hard it was for visible minorities.  Through time and education, we have become more educated about using vulgar terms and discriminating according to race.  However, racism still exists today in a more mild form.  People still practise racism in subtle ways. For example, I’ve noticed in all my years of playing soccer that many teams have players that are mostly of the same race.   Even neighbourhoods sometimes are made up of one particular race, either because they want it this way or others don’t feel comfortable moving in.  The difference today is that there are laws and policies in place to help protect people from being discriminated against because of their race.  During my Mothers childhood in the 1960s-70s there was nobody to complain to and children were even ashamed to tell their parents.  Although some improvements have happened though time, racism still exists today and we still have a long way to go before we can truly achieve harmony and equality for all races.

 

Gender Expectations

I never really stopped to think about gender expectations until recently as I have been thinking about my own role as a male in a predominantly female household.  I can only speak from my own experience and in what i have seen in my own family.  In my Grandparents' generation, it is fairly clear that the male goes to work and is the breadwinner while the female stays home to cook, clean, and look after the children.  In my Grandmother's case, she was forced to work outside the home because of economic reasons.  This created a shift in their gender roles because my grandfather learned how to cook and looked after the children after school when he wasn't working in construction.  In spite of this, my Grandmother still had the main responsibility of doing the typical female jobs around the house which she later taught my Mother and my Aunt.  This reminds me of the article we read in class called, I want a Wife because of the expectations that were to be expected from a wife back when the article was written.

Today Gender expectations are not so clearly defined.  For example, my Mother is a single parent and she has to do both the female and male roles in our house.  She has recently started to give my sister and I more responsibility but we don't necessarily divide the tasks according to our gender.  It's according to convenience, whoever is home first will start to make dinner for the family whether it is my sister or I.  My dad used to take out the garbage but now my Mother does it.  Because I'm physically stronger than my sister I tend to do more of the out door jobs. My sister works in a bakery and loves to bake at home which is typically a female role; however, she chooses to bake because it's fun for her.  We can't always judge people by their roles that they perform because of their gender because there may be other reasons behind their choices.  Whats really important is that men and women help one another and not feel like the writer of the article, I Want a Wife.  The writer's tone is obviously sarcastic when she says that she wants a wife to do things for her as she does for others.  She uses this to get our attention and to listen  to her feelings.  The point of this is that men and women need to do things for each other because they want to and not because of a gender expectation.

The 5 ways I Balance My Life with School and Work

Having a balanced life is very important but especially when trying to balance school, work, and social life.  When one of these area is left out in planning your time, it can lead to loneliness and unhappiness.  For most of my life my parent have helped me balance all the things that I want to do with all the things that I need to do.  I'm at a point in my life now where I have to start figuring out how accomplish this balance on my own.

#1  Set Realistic Goals

It is important to set goals that can be accomplished in a realistic period of time.  For example, I have a part time job because I want to make money and even though I would like to work 5 days a week so that I could have more spending money.  I know that it is not a realistic goal because it will interfere with my success in school.  Therefor, a more realistic goal for me is to work 2 or 3 days a week which gives me enough spending money and enough time to complete my homework and to leave time for social events.

#2  Time Management 

In order to make sure that school work is up-to-date, I need to make sure that I leave enough time to complete assignments.  For example, if i have an assignment due on Monday and my friends ask me to go out on the weekend and I also have to go to work, I need to make sure that I have enough enough time in my schedule to complete my work.  This means that I have to prioritize.  Sometimes I have family events that I need to attend which means I need to reevaluate again how I am going to use my time.

#3  Have a Positive Attitude

A persons attitude can really have a positive or a negative effect on their success in balancing school work and social life.  Sometimes I would rather do social things than finish my homework.  But I push myself to focus on my studies because this is what will impact my future happiness.  I try to approach things that I have to do, whether they are pleasant or not, with a positive attitude.  For example, sometimes I don't particularity like an assignment and I have difficulty with it but I try to put my negative thoughts aside because if I don't I will procrastinate and may not get the assignment done.  I try to use this attitude adjustment in other areas of my life.

#4  Look After Yourself

In order to be a healthy individual I need to look after myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's important to eat healthy and to have some kind of physical fitness in your life.  A healthy body can lead to a healthy mind.  For example, I try to eat healthy meals and try to exercise when ever I can.  When i feel good physically, I feel that I am ready to use my mind and it makes me more aware. Make time for family and friends because this will make you emotionally happy and it will make you look forward to things.

#5  Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Part of being successful is asking for help when needed.  For example, in school its good to connect with other students to create friendships and to have someone to talk to when you are experiencing problems.  It's important to also speak to professors when your unsure of assignments and you need questions answered.  If you don't ask questions you may not be as successful because you may have the wrong information.  Your family can also be a great support.

By trying to create a healthy balance between school, work, and social life, you can fulfill your responsibilities and at the same time enjoy all aspects of your life.

The Women in my Life

I'm fortunate to have developed many positive relationships with women and girls of all ages. Because of the experiences I've had, I find it easy to communicate and relate to girls and women. One of the most traditional women in my life is my 80 year old Nonna (Grandmother) who helped take care of me since I was 8 months old.  My Nonna was very kind and nurturing and always made sure I was well fed, clean, and happy.  When I was with her she was completely dedicated to me and showed me unconditional love.  Because of this experience I find it easy to return the love and affection to my Nonna and I still enjoy spending time with her.  Even without speaking there is a great love between us that will last forever.  My only regret is that I didn't keep up my Italian speaking skills which makes it hard sometimes to communicate with her.

Probably the most significant relationship relationship I've had with a women so far is my Mother. My Mother and I have a special bond together because of the things we have been through.  When my Mother was pregnant with me, it was a high risk pregnancy and she didn't know if I was going to survive.  7 days after I was born I was diagnosed with Meningitis, I was hospitalized, and once again my Mother prayed that I would live.  She never left my side.  I obviously came through.  Since the moment that I was born my Mother tells me that she has always felt a special connection and bond with me because of what we went through.  I've always felt that my Mother has supported me in any aspect of my life and like my Nonna she has given me unconditional love.

The relationship I have with my sister has become more of a friendship as we have gotten older.  She is 3 1/2 years older than me and has always looked out for me. Now that I am 18 I have started to look out for her and now we share the responsibility as siblings.  My Mother has instilled in us the importance of being close to one another so that we will always be there for each other even when there is no one else to turn to.  My Mother and I call my sister Vanessa a butterfly because she is such a free and fun loving spirit.  She is also the one every one goes to for advice.

Each of these relationships has helped me to connect with other women and to create positive and healthy relationships with them.  From these 3 women i have learned about loyalty, respect, and most importantly, unconditional love.

About Me

My name is Matthew Joseph Fiorini.  I am a 18 year old male born on September 17, 1996.  I am attending Seneca College at the Newnham campus as a first year student enrolled in the FPN(Fire Protection Engineering Technology) Program.  I am a sports fanatic and have been an athlete for a majority of my life.  My favorite sport has been and continues to be soccer.  I've played soccer since the age of 4 and started it at a competitive level at the age of 7 to present.

Some things I enjoy doing for fun are going out with my friends, using snapchat,  playings sports, working on my car, learning new things and surfing the web.

I always have a good time with my friends and treasure the moments we spend together.  Some serious, and some funny.

This photo was taken at prom of me and my two best friends, dancing on the stage.