Ghetto Nation Blog entry from November!

Hey Christina I can definitely relate to your experience on many levels because I have been the unfortunate target of many Spanish stereotypes and nobody helps out. You just have to keep opening your mouth and someday you will be surrounded by people who will back you up. The kid that said the joke thought it was harmless and wanted to make people laugh but it shows his lack of self-esteem. Just remember that next time you are near or the target of such ridicule; they are only words and they convey the speaker’s self-loathing. Cora Daniels is careful enough in her wording of Ghetto Nation making sure that she does not limit ghetto to any race or nationalities or even mention any sort of stereotype. There are actual surprising contrasts that help disprove stereotypes. I know that I was shocked when I read that one fourth of all non-Hispanic white births are to single white women, meaning that a lot of babies are going to be born missing a very important father figure in their lives. Back when I was in Melrose I actually had the stereotype that white people didn’t have to deal with those problems. Ghetto Nation has shattered a lot of stereotypes for me and it has also been humorous all the while. One idea that Ghetto Nation has solidified my belief in is that “ghettoitis” has no color or race and that ghetto comes in fat wallet sizes too. I never thought that ghetto could be used to describe the crazy relationships of Hollywood and all of its stars that go out late at night drinking their riches away. Ghetto. But, the majority of America does not see it as ghetto because the stars don’t go out in public and scream “I’m broke as a mofo!!!!” If they did, the paparazzi would be all over them in seconds. Cora Daniels tells us that ghetto is found in all levels of society. I was able to witness this idea when I was returning home from my dentist appointment in Stoneham late in the afternoon. My father and I had chosen to stop along the way back to Malden in Melrose for some pizza so that we could turn our cleaned teeth dirty and fill up our fat stomachs. Just for some background; Melrose and Malden though they are neighbors are two completely different worlds. Melrose residents are a little more affluent while the demographics of Malden can be seen as “struggling money-wise”. My father was ordering and I sat in one of the stalls awaiting a calzone and a meatball sub. A man walked in the small pizza joint and asked for half of a pizza. (It seems that the owner and I have never heard of this in our lives …) This man was white almost Italian looking, with dark colored parted hair, wearing a pair of tight Levi’s, a fitted worn-out forest green leather jacket, and a pair of yellow wood stained work gloves. My father happened to step out of the shop for a smoke on a cigarette and the man decided to start up some small conversation with the owner behind the counter. The man got on the tip of his toes so as to get a good look behind the counter and said, “What is that, a big block of cheese?!” The owner behind the register solemnly replied, “Yup, a hundred pounds.” So the Italian man said “DAAAAAAYYYYYAAAAAMMMMMMMNNNNNNNN!!!!” (And yes he said it in a pretty loud voice just like in the movie FRIDAY) Immediately, I began to laugh to myself and thankfully my father came in after the conversation between the owner and the customer had finished because my father would have joined in and embarrassed me. I laughed because I saw this man as he walked into the shop and take off his gloves. Never did I think that he was even going to say that as an exclamation. Maybe that is just me and my stereotypes that I have. But it solidifies Cora Daniels statement that Ghetto is found everywhere. This man, who looked like he was in his forties or maybe early thirties, chose to be hip and in the groove with things by saying “DAAAAAAYYYYYAAAAAMMMMMMMNNNNNNNN!!!” instead of a simple “wow,” which is what my stereotypical mind anticipated him to say. Ghetto Nation helps to do away with many stereotypes that I have about all kinds of things. It sheds light on problems that we face on a daily basis like what Christina had to go through. The stereotypes spoken of in ghetto nation can connected to the degrading of women in music videos and there always people who disagree but don’t open their mouths about it while others choose to stand up and say, “That’s not funny and it is wrong.”