Did one resonate more with you? Which and why?

The audio, Hollywood Dreams Of Wealth, Youth And Beauty, resonating with me the most because they did a great job of explaining how Hollywood created what we have “learned” is the “American Dream”. This audio was intriguing because I had not thought about Hollywood as such a contributor to what we generally consider the American Dream. Beauty, wealth and even race plays a part in this so-called Dream. As I think back to some old movie’s I use to watch with my grandma I can see that this is very relevant but went undetected by me. Most main characters in old time films were white, beautiful/handsome and successful. If the character was not successful, they lacked love, material possessions and money.

What ideas did you get from the audios that you believe could be included in a lesson about American/Portland Culture?

            I think that so much for this audio could be included in a lesson about American/Portland Culture. The idea that you are living the Dream if you are wealthy, beautiful and without needs is so ingrained into our culture that even I don’t realize it. I know that personally I long for success, wealth and beauty and think that if I can have all three of these things, I will be living a happy and fulfilling life. I think that these ideas are shared among our community even if it is not something that someone will admit, it is ingrained in us and has been from the start of Hollywood films and probably before. Our culture is largely influenced by all types of media whether it be magazines, Facebook, Instagram, twitter, movies, TV
 shows, etc. We are constantly encouraged to live a certain way, eat a certain way, dress a certain way and even make money a certain way. This Hollywood creation of the American Dream lives on in today's culture in America and Portland.

My American Dream Sounds Like Rubén Blades:

 

and My American Dream Sounds Like Prince's 'Sign O' The Times': 

 

Did one resonate more with you? Which and why?

I believe I felt that I resonated to a greater extent with the first segment by historian Robin Kelly. He chose Ruben Blades' anthem, Buscando America, which best captures Kelly's version of the American dream, informed by the story of his mother's immigration to the states, where she was consistently his walls of discrimination at every turn. This resonated with me because my parents also immigrated to the United States in the early 90's and had a difficult time integrating into society, and finding solid ground to grow their family on, away from the religious persecution in the Soviet Union at the time. Kelly explains that Buscando America is not a story of rags to riches story, but one of democratic promise. I see that prevalently in the lives of my parents, and appreciate the sentiment greatly. 

 

From Robin Kelly's audio, I think an important thought that could be included in a lesson about American/Portland culture is that the American dream is not a dream of individual success but of democracy and social justice, and that Finding America means realizing the dreams of democracy, justice and equal rights. I see this as a very central theme in Portland, and it strikes me as one of the most important topics that is spoken on amongst the people of our city. From Miles Marshall Lewis, we hear some sound contribution to a lesson plan about American/Portland culture when he mentions that the American dream for us always represents the possibility of success and affluence on our own terms. He talks about the music culture around hip hop, and then describes how Prince's Sign of the Times takes an honest glance at the nations ill's, and examines issues that were critical in the US in the time that the song was made. This points to how the music and media leaders in United States often take a position of showing and reflecting the culture at large, and the issues surrounding it, especially around social justice, performing as first rate moth pieces for their audiences. 

I think the conception of america is that its a place where people from all parts of the world come and try to make a name for the,selves. I think it could be really interesting to explain the drive that some people might have and how that affects the person that they are because they couldn't be that in their country of origin. 

I chose “Persuading banks to give homeowners a break” and “Buried in debt, young people find dreams elusive”. I chose these because they deal with topics I'm interested in. The first audio clip deals with diminishing homeownership, abuses by banks which lead to foreclosures, taking preventative measures against future foreclosures, and using direct action as a negotiation tool. The second audio clip deals in how the burden of educational debt effects intergenerational progress, how milestones and metrics of success differ between generations.

Did one resonate more with you? Which and why?

I was initially more interested in the first audio clip, as it dealt with ordinary citizen's ability to force large banks to renegotiate the terms of disadvantageous loans. However, the second audio clip struck a little bit closer to home, as the differences in generational milestones between my generation and my parent's generation is very noticeable. While moth my mother and I share similar trajectories, as she also graduated college in her late 20s with a large amount of debt and as a result wasn't able to purchase a home until much later in life, I've noticed that parents of friends who were born into a more prosperous era eschewed higher ed, were able to find middle-class blue collar jobs, and enjoyed financial stability and the associated milestones (home ownership, marriage, starting a family, ect.) much earlier. Also, I felt that the comparison for metrics of success (younger generations of adults having higher degrees of education and higher paying jobs, but considerably more of it being siphoned away from debt and less equity overall) was important, and probably the most defining distinction between older and younger generations.

What ideas did you get from the audios that you believe could be included in a lesson plan for the school kids?

For primary schoolchildren, it's hard to say. I think it's important to make children aware of the material realities of the world they're going to grow into adulthood in, while also taking care not to be overly deterministic about what that means for them. However, I'm not sure how to work in the concept that the way their parents approached adulthood was different than how they'll approach adulthood themselves and the economic factors at play, or how to present that information to young children.

I selected to the audioes titled, “Hollywood Dreams Of Wealth, Youth And Beauty” and “Buried In Debt, Young People Find Dreams Elusive.” Before listening to these audios I picked them based on the simple connection they have made to me and my life and the American Dream. I come from a family line of beauty queens who ran for Miss USA, actors, and actresses in the Hollywood industry. In result the Hollywood Dreams Wealth and Beauty peaked my interest. The second audio based on the briefing described the massive debt youth are in from student loans. Although I have minimal students loans, this topic appealed to me.

“Hollywood Dreams Of Wealth, Youth And Beauty” resonated with me the most and made connections to other stories I have heard about people pursuing their American Dream. Hollywood paints a perfect image that if one partakes or is lucky enough to participate in the Hollywood industry they will live a happy and luxurious life, not! This audio made me think about a man named Tommy Wiseau. Some of you may know him as the ambitious immigrant who wrote, directed, and starred in the worst Hollywood film of all time, The Room. I have met this individual and he has said that his American Dream was making it big in hollywood as a star.

I believe their needs to be a lesson on the reality of Hollywood and showbiz in America. A lot of people who have not been to the US or know about hollywood and imagine it is glamorous and is part of the American dream, but it really isn't all that glamorous. There is a darkness to the entertainment industry in Hollywood and it influences american culture in a negative way.

The audio on the family who have been living in America from years legally, and still sometimes face problems was interesting and sad at the same time. America is a place where people from all over the world come together to live and share their experiences with one another. It is also a place which welcomes all. I can imagine how hard it can be for people who are born here and still have to prove that they are citizens. I also believe that every individual has their own definition of the American Dream, which is why the route to achieve the dream is very different from one another. 

I selected this audio because I was interested in knowing how immigration laws are affecting families who have been in America from years legally. Before listening to the audio I didn’t think how it could affect everyone. An idea that we can include in our lesson is to treat everyone the same and not discriminate on the basis of their color, nationality or gender. 

The other audio I listened to was Reporting The American Dream. In this audio, the journalist Ari Shapiro talks about how we can measure if we are getting closer to the American Dream by the fact if the kids are doing better and making more money than their parents. In reality, the difference between the parent’s income and their kid’s income differ by a very small amount. I chose this audio because I was curious about what politicians and journalists think about the American dream. This audio resonated with me more because it was more based on statistics and facts. Something we can include in our lessons could be a little about politics here and there and teach students about how politics works in America. The other journalist, John Ydstie talks about the inequality in opportunity and pay.  

Audio #2: Buried in Debt, Young People Find Dreams Elusive

I selected the first audio because I was very interested in this Vernon Jackson’s story. I always want to hear the story of individuals who go through challenges, yet do not get discouraged by them, and find something good from their experience. I think they are very inspiring and it makes me realize that positives can be found within any situation. I selected the second audio because I feel like it is something very important to address right now, especially with the recent 11% tuition increase here at Portland State University next year. So many individuals are graduating college with overbearing student loans and it will take a portion of their lives to repay them. Though I thought Vernon Jackson has an amazing story to tell, I related to the audio about student debt. I am two weeks away from graduating myself and trying to calculate how many years it will take to pay off loans and how much per month I will be paying can be stressful and overbearing. It is just wild that this individual who spoke in the audio had to take out the amount of loans that would be equivalent to purchasing four brand new cars, just to afford a good education. I think that the first audio, Vernon Jackson’s story, could be implemented into a lesson about American/Portland culture. In my opinion, Vernon Jackson’s story portrays a little bit of what America tries to stand for; second chances and a success story. Part of the American culture is to not give up when things are grim, and to try to find positives through the negatives. Vernon Jackson found a way to come out with a positive outlook from a negative experience. When it comes to the second audio that talked about student debt, a lesson could be taken with the approach of also never giving up. It is important to be aware of student debt, but do not let it be discouraging. Another thing about American culture is working hard, and students definitely work hard to get a solid education while preparing for what comes after college.