Ashley US History: 2014

Monday, December 15, 2014

US History- First Semester Summary Activity

Ashley Lurie

December 12, 2014

During this semester, I learned a wide variety of information about the history of the United States, beginning with Reconstruction in Chapter 15, and ending with Emerging Industrial Supremacy & Industrial Workers in the New Economy, in Chapter 17. Everything in between, such as Native Americans, and the Age of the City were most pleasing to me.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn how to write a film review. Being a visual learner, watching a film is more satisfying than reading from the text, and comprehending it. I enjoyed watching 12 Years a Slave produced by Steve McQueen, and Glory produced by Edward Zwick. The most interesting part of this process was researching the movies, and hearing what the filmmaker’s intentions really were. I also enjoyed learning about the Age of the City. In 1872, Montgomery Ward contributed a catalog of consumer goods in association with the farmers’ organization. By the 1880s, he was offering thousands of items at low prices to farmers throughout the Middle West. Facing competition with Sears Roebuck, established by Richard Sears. These catalogs changed lives of many isolated people, introducing them to new trends. I love shopping, so Marshall Field in Chicago, and Macys in New York caught my attention. I think it is interesting how they brought together the idea of a big Department store.

I was unpleasantly surprised to learn about the aggressive abuse to slaves. I never realized how badly slaves were treated until we watched 12 Years A Slave. Racial issues last to this day, buy they do not even compare to what they were.

I will be able to remember the cruel behavior white people gave to black people, and all of the racial issues 10 years from now. I will also be able to remember to use empathy over sympathy in the future. If I go into nursing, I will be able to use empathy everyday and put myself into my patient’s shoes, without feeling pity for them.

America has always struggled with racism. I believe racism is still an issue today. For example the recent Ferguson shooting that has lead to riots and racial tension all throughout the United States.

Historians tend to name various eras in history. From what I have learned in United States history this semester, I think “The Transportation Age” is the most suitable name for the period 1865-1920. By 1910, the industry had become a major force in the economy. The automobile was beginning to reshape American Social and Cultural life, and the nations landscape. Innovations and rapid developments were occurring at this time.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Thinking about success

4-Luck

2-Opportunity

3-Skill

1-Hard Work

First, I think hard work makes a person economically successful. Without a drive to work hard, you most likely wont get very far in life. Hard work pays off for anybody. If you strive to be something, and work everyday at it, you will at least achieve something. Second, I think opportunity is a crucial role in being economically successful. You can have hard work, some luck, and skill, but if you do not have the opportunity to show it and put it out there, it is useless. I believe skill comes third into play. If you work hard and have the opportunity, and you can use skill to prove it, then you are on the right track. Fourth, I believe comes luck. Luck is just something that happens, most likely randomly. You can not rely on luck to be successful. If you just sit back and dont work hard and use your skills and every opportunity, then you are just waiting for luck to come around. This is why I ranked Hard Work first, Opportunity second, Skill third, and Luck fourth. I believe this is the order in being economically successful.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Exploring Business / Clothing Industry

Today, I learned about Zara. The headquarters of Zara, considered the cube, is the company that came about fast fashion. Zara is mostly known for there speedy delivery. Another successful store, H&M, is known for its response to trends.The IT system associated with H&M connects each store, which also is a prime key to there success. H&M, Uniqlo, and Zara all have something in common. These successful stores look further than most stores who guess on the next trend and try to produce it. Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo try to make there customers happy. That is the best way to supply and demand.

Dear Family,

Immigration to the US from Europe is a fast, different change. This era of rapid urban growth is a lot different than Europe. I am now fluent in English, and it has taken several days to learn. I have assimilated with several other immigrants, and they are in the same shoes as me. Us immigrants have come together, and we talk about how it feels to come to this Urban lifestyle everyday. The assimilation process is hard, several things are changing in this urban lifestyle. Public schools are teaching English, and jobs are hiring English speaking people over non-english speaking. Football and baseball are becoming big sports at this time.
Skyscrapers are coming around, and they are very tall buildings. Leisure time is becoming popular in the US. Women view shopping as an activity, and men go to the Saloon. Rich people live in the heart of the city in mansions. The invention of the sewing machine is around, and women are starting to make there own clothes. Macys is a big department store. Sears came out with a catalog, it literally has everything you could imagine!!!! Ethnic diversity is also becoming a big thing at this time. Black immigrants are having a hard time, because they are African American, it is very hard for them to find a job. Factory workers do not want blacks in there factory for the most part. Refrigerated railroads are causing better health.

Ad from Macys catalog, just to show you how awesome the sales are!

Monday, October 20, 2014

Selling other peoples culture at $180 a T-shirt

Chief Joseph wears a Pendleton Blanket in 1901, which today is seen in stores and on many people, causing controversy.

Urban Outfitters wide selection of "Navajo" items caused controversy and even a lawsuit. The Navajo government filed a lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit and controversy are still going on today.

This Pendleton travel bag is found at Urban Outfitters for $180, a clothing retailer that has recently cause controversy with its own "Navajo" line.

Jessica Simpson and her husband spotted supporting the "Navajo" native look.

The two takes on Native American fashion are very diverse. Victoria Secret model(left) and Taos Pueblo designer Patricia Michaelis(right).

Controversy has been evolving for years. Controversy has come about recently through Native Americans. Stores such as Urban Outfitters, H&M, and many more have a different understanding of this so called “Navajo” look. Controversy surrounds the use of Native American labels, motifs, symbols, and products in the Fashion Industry. Urban Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret model, Karlie Kloss, and Gwen Stefani’s music video, spark controversy to the Native Americans.

Native Americans have a different idea of this “Native look.” To them, it is a lifestyle, and they take that seriously. To fashion industries, it is seen as just a fun pattern, that will go out the door fast. Urban Outfitters is a store that has abused the Natives “Navajo” look. Almost all Native Americans wear the Navajo pattern; it is an essential to their lifestyle. Urban Outfitters sold a “Navajo line” until asked to remove all Navajo items off the shelf. Navajo panties, Navajo socks, Navajo flasks, and even Navajo patterned “sleep over” bags were sold at Urban Outfitters. Urban outfitters was selling a lifestyle for under 180 dollars. After this was pointed out to the Natives, they pressured for all “Navajo” items to be removed off the shelves. The Natives did not see this as a compliment; they saw it as an embarrassment.

Not only was a store calling about the controversy, Victoria’s Secret model was too. Karlie Kloss walked that runway in a feathered headdress and skimpy clothing. She walked the runway without a care in the world, believing that she looked like the best Native American there ever was, while the true Natives did not even know that their own kind dressed this way. The Natives could not believe that others had this view of them. The Natives saw this as a joke, and believed that Victoria’s Secret was mimicking them. Karlie Kloss could have walked the runway in her skimpy outfit if that’s what she was about, but the Navajo print and feathery headdress obviously would bring about controversy to the Natives.

The Native Americans were about done with this, when Gwen Stefani was spotted in a full out feathered headdress in her music video, riding horseback. The Natives believed that Stefani did not have a clue of what she was doing, or whom she was mimicking. Fashion Industries may believe that they understand how to a dress a model, or celebrity in her music video, but some circumstances are taken way to far. Some cases are brought about as a bigger deal than they actually are, but a culture being mimicked and taken as a “joke” is not right or fair. Gwen Stefani could have cut the headdress out of her video. The headdress was one step to far, and the Natives were going to put an end to this, no matter how much effort it took.

Controversy was seen through Urban Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret model, and Gwen Stefani. Controversy surrounds the use of Native Americans labels, motifs, and products in the Fashion Industry. Fashion Industries take that one step to far, which brings around controversy and problems into the culture. Overall, Natives are being compared to cheap objects. Their own culture was being sold in a flask and skimpy panties, and that’s why it brought controversy to the table.

Collectors Weekly, “Why the ‘Native’ Fashion Trend is Pissing off Real Native Americans”

CNN, “Native American designers fight cultural caricatures”

The Week, “13 Urban Outfitter controversies”

College Fashion, “Fashionably Informed: Cultural Appropriation & Stereotyping in Retail Fashion”

Daily Review, “Selling Other People’s Culture At $180 A T-Shirt

The Daily Texan, “Cultural appropriations as fashion statements offend certain groups”

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Film Essay

Ashley Lurie

September 11, 2014

In-Class Film Essay

A movie can travel you back in time, and make you feel empathy for the hardship of the characters. Some movies are over processed, and begin to add traumatic scenes that are historically inaccurate. My class watched Glory, produced by Edward Zwick, and 12 Years A Slave produced by Steve McQueen. The graphic movies showed me a side of physical abuse to slaves that I did not know was humane. After research, I found deeper sides to each movie, and what the filmmaker’s intentions really were. It is possible to develop great analytical skills and explore real events, circumstances, and attitudes just by watching movies in a critical way, and doing some research.

Glory, a true story of the 54^th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first black units to fight in the civil war, was very graphic. “ Glory is the first serious American movie about the Civil War to be made in years. Almost everything else has been balderish or has used the war peripherally. (NYTs 12/14/89 review)” The film won loads of awards; in 1990 Denzel Washington won an Oscar for best actor in a supporting role. The film was nominated an Oscar for best film editing to Steven Rosenblum. Also, in 1990 the film was nominated a Golden Globe to Edward Zwick for best director. The film continued to gain awards, and this shows how historically accurate Glory was, with few inaccuracies. Regiments assault against Battery Wagner, confederate stronghold, guarding Charleston harbor, actually took place from South to North, rather than North to South as depicted in the flm. Glory critics recognized there was “a truth truer than the literal truth” as Mr. Bernstein called it, and were willing to forgive historical inaccuracies. The 54^th portrayed in the movie as made up of runaway slaves, was a regiment of freedmen, recruited not only from Massachusetts, but New York and Pennsylvania to. The outcome was as Zwick presented it. A top critic from Time Magazine, Richard Schickel says “It is the movies of often awesome imagery and bravely soaring choral score by James Horner that transfigure the reality granting it the status of necessary myth.”

Similar to Glory, 12 Years A Slave, a film depicted of physical abusive slavery, and slave owners, also won tons of awards. 12 Years A Slave won and Oscar to Bradd Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, and Anthony Katagas for best motion picture of the year. In 2014, the film was nominated a Golden Globe to Steve McQueen for best director-motion picture. All the awards given to this film, showed the strength of the graphic scenes of the film. 12 Years A Slave is so historically accurate, that it makes you feel empathy for every slave who has undergone those inhumane circumstances. “I have never seen a film represent slavery so accurately. The film starkly and powerfully unveiled the sights and sounds of enslavement-from slaves picking cotton in the fields to the crack of the lash down peoples backs.” A woman responded as she was asked by Dr. West if the film was historically accurate. The physical activity throughout the film really drew my attention. “Buyers ran their hands down Slaves’ backs and arms to check for physical strength and agility, and no doubt they also viewed the naked enslaved women in terms of their sexual attractiveness and childbearing ability” the woman added.

Director of Glory, Ed Swick, and director of 12 Years A Slave were both interviewed about their intentions for the films. Ed Zwick was asked, interviewed by Jay Wertz, being asked, “Few films about black history had been made before Glory. How did you know it was time to tell this story? Zwick responded, “I don’t think I did it to break political barrier. I did it because I felt it needed to be told much the same way my movie, Defiance, needs to be told. It was a high time. There was something improper that it hadn’t been told and that was true for Glory.” Zwick defended his choice to tell much of the story of the first black Civil War Regiment from a white officers ‘point of view’ “One of the points of the story was to explore a time in which both blacks and whites found some commonality of purpose.” The focus of Glory is not Shaw and the rest of the officers, but “the coming together of one regiment, in all aspects.” Shaw said Steve McQueen was also interviewed along the same idea key points. His said, “I wanted to throw the audience into the deep end at the beginning. I think as far as audiences go, most people can swim, so the film dives right into the environment of slavery, then we go back to see how it all started. It was just one of those things where I wanted the film to have an impact right off.”(Interview Magazine)