Cincinnati by Mitsuye Yamada

Cincinnati was a town that Mrs. Yamada lived in after she left the relocation camp.  Please read the poem below and write a short paragraph on the what you think the poem means and why.  Use examples from the poem.  There is no wrong or right answer.  Do you best.

Cincinnati

Mitsuye Yamada

Freedom at last

in this town aimless

I walked against the rush

hour traffic

My first day

in a real city

where

no one knew me.

No one except one

hissing voice that said

dirty jap

warm spittle on my right cheek.

I turned and faced

the shop window

and my spittled face

spilled onto a hill

of books.

Words on display.

In Government Square

people criss-crossed

the street

like the spokes of

a giant wheel.

I lifted my right hand

but it would not obey me.

My other hand fumbled for a hankie.

My tears would not

wash it. They stopped

and parted.

My hankie brushed

the forked

tears and spittle

together.

I edged toward the curb

loosened my fisthold

and the bleached laced

mother-ironed hankie blossomed in

the gutter atop teeth marked

gum wads and heeled candy wrappers.

Everyone knew me.

Discrimination in Japan?

Please watch both videos.

1)  This video is about a restaurant in Japan that refused to serve Korean customers.


Do you think it is OK for the owner to not serve Korean customers because of the reasons he stated?


2) This video is about a young Japanese woman and her 4yr old son who live in Florida, USA. They came to Japan on vacation and experienced discrimination.

 Please watch the video (7:24 minutes) and listen to her experience.

 

What advice would you give her? Do you think she experienced discrimination in every situation? Please explain your answer and why.

If you have problems posting, please write your answer on paper.  Do not forget to reply to other comments, too.

Segregation in the World

Hello everyone... this week in class we discussed Civil Rights, Segregation, and the Montgomery Bus Boycotts.  We saw how Rosa Parks stood up for what she believed in and refused to give up her seat to a white person.  People have been doing things to show what they believe in all over the world.  Look at the pictures and video below.  Each picture and video shows how people have done something to express what they believe in.   You might think some are good and some are bad.

This is a young man in South Africa during Apartheid.  He is riding a "white-only" bus to stand up against apartheid. 

This is Thích Quảng Đức, who was protesting the persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam's Roman Catholic government.  He burned himself alive to make the world know about the South Vietnam government.

This is the Sea Shepard.  It is attacking a Japanese whaling ship because it believes that the Japanese should not kill whales.  

This is a song protesting the use of nuclear power in Japan.

Today's question:  Which of the above do you think are good and which do you think are bad?  Why or why not?  Which do you think are most effective? Why or why not?  

Please remember, everyone has a right to express their opinion.  Please respect other's opinions.  You must learn how to respectively argue.

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"Civil Rights Leader Dies" answers 

1. almost 60 years ago

2. Because she broke the law (because she refused to give up her seat to a white man.)

3. Black men and women boycotted and refused to use the city buses.

4. (many answers) Because it was the law for blacks and whites to be seperate.

5. It was a movement to grant Americans the same rights, regardless of their color.

6. (many answers) It means her action of sitting down on the bus gave encouragement to other to stand up and fight for civil rights

7. (many answers) It means that one small action can become a big action.

8. It lasted 381 days.  In Novemenber 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation on buses.