Mixed Blood

Jeffrey M. Fish's "Mixed Blood," actually was as amazing as Professor Gaunt said it would be. I didn't struggle to relate to the content. I also feel that I learned from it. Race is definitely socially constructed, as Fish says. The physical characteristics that we commonly associate with blacks, whites, Hispanics, or Asians, occur in other races as well. The different textures of hair, such as curly or straight, are not exclusive to a particular region. If that were the case, than people would easily fit into racial categories. In Puerto Rico (as I have been told by family), the inhabitants come in various shades and they classify themselves as white, black or Indio (or India for women). These social constructions are offensive and cause unnecessary division. My grandmother, for instance, would be white. I'm tan so I fall under the India category. As a result, my own grandmother is offended by me. My sister is white so she's favored over me. It's unnecessary.
Also, here in America racial categories have some variety. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, other, multiracial. I've never really understood why we have to explicitly state our race on a census. Why not something more specific or less offensive? Like, ancestral origins and you list all that apply. Few people in this world aren't mixed.
I also found the tipos of Brazil to be extremely interesting. I had trouble placing myself into a category though. I could be a morena because I have brown hair that is slightly wavy (when I don't straighten it), my skin is tan, and my lips aren't thin; however, I do have a narrow nose. But no other tipos fit me. This chapter was extremely informative because it made me see how ineffective racial groups actually are. I never saw that before because when I hear Hispanic, which is what I identify myself as, I think of a pretty inclusive category.

Fish, Jeffrey M. "Mixed Blood." Conformity and Conflict. 4th edition. Pearson. 2008. pp. 84-94.

Chapter 13 - Baseball Magic

“Baseball Magic,” by Geoorge Gmelch, was a very cute ethnography. It brought to light all the quirky habits that baseball players have and revealed them to be more than mere superstitions. Many baseball players perform rituals or adhere to taboos to do well during a game. For example, outfielder John White picks up a piece of paper before each and every game as a ritual. White truly believes that picking up paper will improve his game as a result of the first instance it happened when he “got some good hits that night” (Gmelch 129). Another player, like pitcher Turk Wendell, wears a necklace with the teeth of all the animals he has ever killed.

I never noticed all the rituals that baseball players put so much care into. Perhaps it is because I don’t watch enough baseball, or perhaps it is because my own religious beliefs are too skeptical to permit rituals and superstitions. The chapter in the Kottak book was about religion and the way people do bizarre things in order to establish control. I don’t have a religion or a need to explain the unexplainable. I don’t have good luck charms or taboos. Friday the 13th is a regular day. If there is a ladder and nowhere else for me to walk, I’ll walk under it. But I did find the text on these things interesting. It’s enlightening to understand people and the way they use their charms. Just this Sunday, when I became an official member of Kappa Phi Alpha sorority, I learned of one of their taboos regarding personal gear (greek lettered clothing). I do not know how specific I can be with what they told me because greek organizations are secretive and I’ve yet to be educated on so much, but regardless I thought what they told me was really silly. I have to adhere to it out of respect because if I don’t they’ll think I’m bringing bad luck upon them. But Gmelch’s story and the Kottak chapter kind of help me understand the taboo.

Gmelch, George. "Baseball Magic." Conformity and Conflict. 4th edition. Pearson. 2008. pp 126-135.