Guest Speaker Helen Samhan~Courtney Reid

I thought that our last speaker was amazing! Mrs. Helen Samhan talked to our class about the Arab culture and how we receive a distorted view of what actually is the truth. She also gave us a brief timeline of how Arab families that immigrated to the United States worked to earn money and the laws that were passed by our government [United States] to prevent so a large population of Arab families coming over to would create our country to be an Arab nation.
In 1924, she talked to us about the National Origins Act which meant that only approximately 2 percent of the Western Europe were allowed to enter into the United States. This was called Xenophobia because they were afraid that the cultures from Europe would influence America and make the country seem European itself. This ignorance was soon changed in the 1960s when the New Act (also known as the Country Origin Act) which states that anyone can immigrate over to this country if he or she has family members are proof that they can support themselves while they are over here. Also during this time, institutions for Arabs in many different cultures were being established because of how people were being accustomed to the fact of people immigrating to the country [United States]. However, after September 11, this began to change.
People from the Arab culture would become scrutinized because of their culture by being called a “terrorist or kamikazes.” Even when Arabic institutions want to be started in, our nation people become angry and feel as if the institution wants to promote more suicide bombers. The morale of the men that were from this particular culture did not feel as proud to be of Arabic descent anymore because of the stereotype that was being placed upon them. The women that are of Middle Eastern descent continue to express their love and devotion to their culture because they were not getting such a harsh stereotype as the men because of the attack on the twin towers. However, our media tries to portray that Arab women are being held captive in their homes cooking and cleaning all day. That is actually not the case at all, 63 percent of women that are reside in Arab countries have their bachelor’s degree. Women in Iraq held the most positions in the workforce than any other Arab country! That is not the perspective we see because we want to portray how nothing is or any better than our country and we will continue to do so. We need to open our eyes and understand that there are other countries besides our own, which are able to progress and move forward in the sexism gap than we are. Even though, we “claim” to be more liberating and advanced country.

Speaker Helen Samhan and Documentary

I really enjoyed the documentary shown by Helen Samhan. I thought it was very insightful that it conveyed the perspectives of Arab women from such a variety of backgrounds and upbringings. It was interesting how one of the Arab women discussed how her non-Arab friends used to joke about how she was a terrorist. She said that she use to laugh and joke along with them because she knew it wasn’t a malicious comment. However, she expressed that it affected her deep inside because she knew that many people feel that there is truth to that comment.

I appreciated the ladies in the documentary who were very proud of their heritage and had no problems identifying where they were from. I found it a little strange that the woman who was part Philippino/Arab/American/NYC... said she tells people she’s from a particular place depending on who they are and where their from. For example, if she talking to an Arab she will say she Arab, or if she is talking to someone she doesn’t want to be bothered with she says she’s from New York. I’m curious to find out her reasoning for doing this. I think that she probably doesn’t like to or is tired of explaining her ethnicity, so she keeps it simple. She also can get away with it because she looks like she can be from a lot of places.

I found the different statistics that Helen Samhan read to us insightful as well. It was interesting to find out that more Arab women had a higher employment rate than non-Arab women. She seems very passionate about her work and I admire her goal to educate about the Arab world, especially since so many people are ignorant on the subject and feed-off of stereotypes. It was interesting when she said she spoke at a class in New Jersey and the students were not perceptive to what she was sharing. It makes me feel privilege to be at such a diverse school.

Guest speaker: Helen Samhan

Response to:
Guest speaker: Helen Semhan
Blog posting


Liz. and Sue, did it again, they brought in another great speaker.

Helen spoke on loss of point about how people view people from other states. When she talk about how Arab women not having the freedom as American women, they had to wear there Vail when in the public and how they feel when people look at them and judge them.

Well I think the nuns feel the same way when they had to wear there Vail all the time because they were married to God. And they were also look at funny and some of them had men testing them on sex, she also stated that men were discriminate against more than women.

She also had a good point about the films company and Hollywood, how they only see Arab as in fighting movies and love movie like L. of Arabian and romancing the stone. And cartoons, like Aladdin.

I really love the films she showed where one of the ladies speaks her mind on wearing a Vail. The lady said that she feels freely when she has her Vail on the men don't look at her like they do those women who walk around half naked and look at like a pieces of meat.

The other lady talks about not wear her Vail and wearing it and how she tell people where she was born depending on who asks. I liked the woman who was a dis jockey they had their own way of hip-hop.

When look at all of this from the of Arab and other racism we as Americas or not that much different we are just more free than other countries.

Pat.

Nance and Robin~Courtney

I loved Nance and Robin when they were our guest speakers last week! They were very comfortable with us and they tried their best to have us interact with them. I liked it when Nance put us in her situation when she had to make the decision to take the money or Shell oil or not. We all agreed that she should not have taken the money since Shell Oil had taken part in the apartheid with South Africa and for the 10 protestors who were killed in Nicaragua. She decided that she would not take the HUGE amount of money from Shell Oil because “taking the money would go against the concepts that they the Academy goes by.” I thought it was brave for a woman to say have the courage to approach the men of that corporation and in her workplace that “no we are not accepting the money.” Robin Gerber’s article about Title IX did make it apparent that women deserve equal opportunities and sufficient equipment as the men. I believe that Title IX has helped women but there are still some discrepancies in the amount of money and publicity, but it is slowly changing. So I guess without Title IX, women would not even be noticed in sports, it is just that it is taking too long for it to reach equal status with the men. Like she said “sexism is alive and well in America” but with these laws being enforced it does make a difference. Hearing both of them speak together makes me believe that we [women] are going to reach to the top and share those executive positions with the men.
When they answered the question “If this is what this is the profession that they wanted to pursue?” they both said strongly NO! Nance said that she never believed that she would end up doing higher education, while Robin graduated from law school and vows to NEVER work for the government again so she directed her attention to writing. None of our speakers ever thought that they would have the career that they are currently doing. This reminded me of my interview with Professor Eby. She told me that it is perfectly fine to stray away from the conventional path if there is something that you feel is more important.
The other things that I found connections with the other speakers (including Nance and Robin) were these three things. One was to do what is right to you, the second aspect is to make time for yourself and your individual needs, lastly is to be passionate about what you are doing because if you are going to make a profession you need to love what you are doing. Hearing these women speak just excite me to go and search for my niche and my true love in life. I hope that it will be something that motivates people to do something better for themselves; after these speakers, I am pretty sure that it will be.

Nance and Robin

I really enjoyed the guest speakers last week. One thing that particularly stood out to me was when Robin Gerber quoted that “women are the greatest causalities of history.” For some reason I never realized that barely any women, compared to men, were subjects in the history books that I have been taught from. I was shocked by this realization because, in retrospect, it is so obvious. After I heard this, I started thinking about all the women who never got their story told. I really disliked history in junior high and high school, and I think that my experience might have been more enjoyable if I was taught about important women in history. I find it unfortunate that in order to learn about women in history one has to search specifically for that “branch” of history. I feel inspired to learn more about women in history, and I hope to come across some unbiased information. In addition, I thought the concept of Robin Gerber’s book Eleanor vs. Ike has a very creative storyline. I definitely want to take a look at it. It would have been cool if she brought a copy for all of us, but I guess she’s got to make her money!

I also enjoyed Nance Lucas’s story/lesson on ethics involved in leadership. It was cool that she shared this story with us, especially because we had just read the section on ethics in Komives. Ethics is a topic I am fascinated with because I really can admire those who are dedicated to their ethical values. One of my major personal goals in life is to be as ethical a person as possible because I believe that internal happiness and ethical values run parallel to each other. Next semester I am taking the NCLC class Ethics and Leadership, and I am excited to go into further detail on the subject.

Guest speakers/Jerri Bird and Robin Gerber

Patricia Williams
NCLC 375
Guest Speakers

Comments on the guest speakers:

Jerri Bird and Robin Gerber

I loved the speakers they were right on time they both talk about the jobs they had to take to get to the one that was right for them. Robin start off working for the YWCA and Jerri, an assisted teacher while being a pre. med major. They both had to put up with BS on their jobs, Jerri left a job because of knowing about the raciest problems there.

I also like the way they both had their question ready to answer. Robin show her book on Roosevelt and Ike, which will be out soon. And talk about her job on capital hill with the labor union as a lobbyist. Robin drop out of collage and went back and got a degree in law.

Jerri, drop out of collage and went back to get her master at Penn State, and her doc. degree at Maryland. They both goes to show you that you can drop out and go back I call that being a leader in yourself. They both had roll models and mentors to lead them on, I liked the way they answer all questions and made us feel comfortable asking them question I know I did.

They really hit the nail on women taking more risks, asking how many of us was risk taker. I believed the point they were trying to make is that taking a risks means you never know what you can do if you don't try. Believed in yourself and know that you need to risk not to fail, it is like if you see a job that you believed in your heart that you can do and it is the one for you, but you don't have the exp. To do it.

So you have to take that risk and apply for it and if you get it do your best to keep it. Taking a risk is like any thing in life if you look at it life alone is a risk, stepping out your door is a risk. So you might as well take a risk for something that you thing is impossible to do.

Pat.

Our Discussions

You all are doing a good job, those of you who are really participating. Some voices are almost completely absent, and I'm sorry about that. However, more power to those of you who are keeping on keeping on. As a teacher, I was a bit disappointed in the discussions in the class when I put you all into groups to discuss parts I and III of the Komives, Lucas and McMahon text, so I was pleased to hear that C'Vette thought it was a good discussion. It just goes to show you that the teacher can't always tell what's happening in the classroom. (It felt as if everyone was totally disinterested to me! smile!) Today, though, when we discussed part II of the text, I felt as if everyone was really engaged and jumped right on the bandwagon. It was very gratifying. Thanks to all of you who joined into the conversation or looked like you were enjoying it! :)