HD 361 Social and Political 1

Running Head: HD 361 Social and Political

HD 361 Social and Political Contexts of Human Development Reflection

Nancy Muiz
Pacific Oaks College

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HD 361 Social and Political Contexts of Human Development Reflection
The beginning of this class I had no clear goals because the title of this class made
me a little apprehensive. The two words that stood out were Social and Political. I
thought that I was going to learn about politics. This class was a review of what I had
been taught in elementary through high school. However, this class helped me look at the
world through a different lens. In this way I fulfilled my goals, because I came out with a
different way of seeing the world. I learned about how simple videos can actually portray
what the government wants me to believe. I learned that there are always two ways to see
things, and that racism still occurs till this day. So in other words my accomplishment
was to actually pay attention to what really goes on around me.
Wow, I do not know where to start because from this class I actually gained a lot
of knowledge. The term Manifest Destiny is a powerful one. I had always heard about
this but never really understood what it meant. After Dr. Luis explained to the class that
the word Manifest Destiny means the God given right to rule from sea to shining sea. I
did not know what to say. That is when I realized that the world is deeply affected by
Manifest Destiny, and that it is used to justify government or those otherwise in power to
do whatever they want.
Something else that impacted me was seeing how racism still exists. Before this
class I thought that it existed today only a little bit. I came to realize that it is as bad as in
the past. Some people tend to brush it off when they go through it. An example that I
have experienced would be when I visited my sisters house in Santa Maria, California.
There is just one Dennys in this town. I remember going to Dennys a few times and the
waiter would sit my family and I either on the right or left side. I would notice that there

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were only Hispanics on the side I was in but did not think much of it. After taking this
class I went back to that same Dennys and noticed that I was being again seated on the
side with the Hispanics. The other side of the restaurant had nothing but white customers.
I then realized that segregation still happens, despite advances in our laws, because there
is no way that this could have been a coincidence.
Through this class I have acquired new techniques to speak up for who I am. It
does not matter the color of my skin or my race, we all have the same rights. I have
learned that the damaging attitudes of White Supremacy can be changed by me making
a difference in the world and speaking out for myself and for my peers. I have begun to
question people for not treating me right and standing up for what I believe. So now if I
go to my sisters house to Dennys and the waitress wants to sit me on the side where all
the Hispanic people are, I tell her that I want to sit on the other side. I work hard to effect
change and spread the word to make a difference. I know that it may take some time but I
am sure that I will make a difference in this world.
The contributions that I made to the class were sharing scenarios that I have gone
through with racism. I would give my fellow students my point of view on how I see
things. The professor actually asked me how I felt. My classmates made contributions by
supporting me and also sharing their experiences. As an educator I also go through racism
with parents and people from other careers.
Racism is an issue that continues to stir and anger me because there are people in
the United States who claim that undocumented people steal their jobs, yet they
themselves would not do the job for the amount being paid. In my point of view I believe
that undocumented people are the ones that work the hardest and do not get paid fairly for

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the work they do. An example of this would be the farm workers because they have few
rights. It has gotten better, but there are still improvements needed.
What I learned about myself through this class was that I was actually letting
people discriminate against me without even noticing because it happens in small ways,
daily. Half way through the class, I learned that I needed to stop ignoring what was being
done to me and take action to put it to a stop. The knowledge from this class made me
view the world differently, and see how often people do not really see negative remarks
and injustices in their daily lives. We need to make a change because if other groups were
able to do it in the past so can we. All we need to do is to get together and stand up for
what is just.