Jen Werfelman - Round 1 - Mitt Schlag!

Hi everyone. So I guess the main thing on everyones mind is "What the hell. Why do we need to do this open forum writing? I don't want everyone reading what I have to say, why would anyone care about that sort of thing." I don't mind that everyone reads my stuff, I just don't think I'm that interesting.

I suppose I should start at the beginning. For as long as I can remember I'm German, mostly. My father's side is ALL German, nothing else. My uncles used to try to teach German to my sister and I but we only were able to pick up a few words here and there. "Mitt Schlag" (with whipped cream (literally "with beaten" but colloquial)) and "Verstehen" (a rather abrupt command for "understand?") became the extent of German we could understand at that point. My grandmother Catherine (Arnold) Werfelman(my father's mother) would tell us about how on her side of the family her grandparents spoke almost no English and that when she was growing up that she and her 4 siblings were entirely unable to speak with their grandparents because they were never really exposed to the language. And I suppose in those days, the German population of NYC had pretty much headed out west and the New York Germans were in South Brooklyn (Sheepshead Bay area). My grandmothers family stayed in Jamaica, Queens until her parents died (1962 and 1965 respectively)

My grandfather Ronny Werfelman(my fathers father) died in 1976. I never met him (obviously) but from what I understand, when his grandparents arrived in America (1888) and moved to South Brooklyn, they did all they could to get their kids into good schools and did what they could to learn English and assimilate. They had moved around the city a little as had their kids and by the time my grandfather was born, his parents had too, had relocated to Jamaica, Queens. My great grandmother (Martha Werfelman(by marriage)) spoke and kept German traditions. She died when I was 8 and all I remember was that her apartment smelled like sauerkraut and pork when ever we went over there. She also cooked enough food for ten extra people but I think that was because she was 95 years old and bored.

I was later sent to German school because my babysitters kids were going and my parents, being the frugal people they are, decided that German school was cheaper than the babysitter and seeing as she was already going there she might as well drop us off too. So my sister and I started German language classes. It worked out in my favor, I took my German language Regent exam the same year I took my French one for public school. I took the same exam in 2 languages... unfair advantage you say? I think not... I got the same score on the exams. A happy 84. Just a point below what I needed to bypass my SUNY language requirement. >.< Whatever... I'm over it now. We also have attended The Steuben Day Parade in NYC every year since I was in middle school.

And after all of this I think that basically it boils down to this: I identify with the German people to the extent that I speak their language at the level of a 4 year old. I can also cook traditional recipes with out the recipe card in front of me. Impressive right? Yeah...whatever. I don't live in Jamaica, Queens either.

Post 1-Who am I

I have always enjoyed learning about my heritage for many reasons. I suppose I should begin by saying that I am a mutt. I am Polish, Hungarian, German, and I have ancestors from a former German territory called Alsace-Lorraine. Which also makes me Alsace-Lorrainian or something. There's also a story in my family that my Great-Grandpa Archie used to say we were Irish so he could celebrate St. Patrick's Day. But that's another story. I mostly identify with the Polish part of my heritage. I've visited the town of Lena, Wisconsin (current population:500) and I've seen the farmhouse and big white barn that were built on the land where my Great-Grandma Vicky and her 13 brothers and sisters grew up. Their father spoke only Polish--something that my Grandma has said terrified her as a kid. In that house, my Great-Grandma shared an attic for a bedroom and she told us how the snow would drift in on their faces in the winter. They would make Polish sausage from scratch, and we still have and use the grinder and sausage-stuffer that her mother used. I think I identify myself mostly as Polish because that is the side of the family I know most about, like how my Great-Grandmother's job was to cut the heads off of chickens and pluck them for the family to eat--something that proves she had a much stronger stomach than I do.

I honestly can't remember the exact moment when I became aware of issues of ethnicity and race. I grew up in a tiny farming community on Lake Ontario called Kendall. I think there was only one Black kid that went to our school, but I can't remember thinking he was strange or different. I just knew him by his name. The town I lived in was virtually all White. I suppose when I moved from that town to a larger suburban town with a much larger suburban school, I began to at least notice the ways kids of different color interacted, or didn't. I remember in school the White kids stuck with the White kids and the Black kids stuck with the Black kids. I'm not saying it's the right thing, it was just the way it was there. I'm hoping future generations will erase the lines in school lunch rooms and actually get to know each other for what's beneath the surface, even though in high school, the surface is for the most part all anybody sees.

Even though I grew up in that town, I can't remember being taught anything negative about racial issues; of course, that could be because there was no diversity to speak of anyhow. My parents always taught me to really know someone by what is beneath the surface. My views have not changed; however, I think I have become much more aware of what other views there are. I remember seeing the Schoolhouse Rock video in 7th grade talking about the Melting Pot. I guess now I realize that that Melting Pot meant that America was to be not a diverse nation, but one that attempted to purify and stomp out so many cultures for the sake of promoting the "approved" culture and way of life. I've learned about slavery, the Eugenics Movement, and scientific racism and seen the horrors that negligence, ignorance, and hate can produce, and I think I've learned that we cannot ignore the problems or pretend they aren't there. We can't pretend we are progressing when we're not because we are blinded by our own proclamations of progress. I can't say that I have directly witnessed any instances of racism, but I have tried to educate myself on the topic of racism because it shouldn't just be something people of color try to overcome, but something we as a human race need to work toward eradicating. I think we first have to admit that great injustice and struggle exist and then begin the process of change.

David Kleis (1)

I am a Caucasian with ties to Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Ireland. I would identify myself as just another "American" living inside a country that lacks an authentic cultural heritage. I tend to celebrate life rather than trying to celebrate any ethnic holidays, like St. Patricks day and what not. I feel that it's disrespectful considering these holidays have all been "Americanized" with parades, beer tents, and Hallmark cards. My first encounter with the issues of ethnicity and race came about when learning about American history. The slaughter of Natives, the enslavement of blacks, and the containment of Japanese during WWII caught my attention. Growing up, I wasn't really concerned with ethnicity and race. My school had a very low number of minorities and there wasn't a lot discussion about the topic. I have come to accept people and embrace their intricacies. I'm very interested in Jazz, Indo Jazz, and Bossa Nova. This has led me to explore early African American, Indian, and Brazilian culture in order to understand their music. In my own experiences, I have not encountered any notable instances of racism.

Who I Think I Am (Post 1)

My background is a mix bag of different things. I was raised in a household that was split. My father for example is an Ashkenazic Jew, which is rooted in Poland, Russia, and Germany. My mother is a Methodist with a background in Germany and Scotland. Right off the get-go my family has had traditional differences that we made work, by combining all the traditions. I personally consider my self Jewish in the most liberal of ways, though Judaism is fairly liberal as is.
Fortunately/unfortuantely I was able to remain ignorant of raicial or ethnic issues until Middle School. I say fortunate because I feel children are being exposed to these issues earlier and earlier. The reason I say unfortunate though is because I learned these issues first hand. For some reason once middle school started being Jewish was not an accepted religion. I had to face people throwing slurs at me on a daily basis, but it was truly evident once being pushed down the stairs for being Jewish.
Growing up when I was little all I really learned was the Civil Rights Movement, and that was during school. During middle school we covered the Holocaust in my Hebrew School, which was after my bouts with discrimination. This topic caused me to take my first steps into becoming a Social Studies major. For the most part though, I agreed with everything I was told, but that was probably because I was never told anything overtly bad about any race.
My view has never really changed. I has always viewed race as both important, and not important. I feel you shouldn't judge people for their race/ethnicity, but I feel it is important because that is what makes life interesting and exciting.
As I said before, I have experienced discrimination on different levels, from simple name calling, to acts of violence. My biggest instance was when I got into a series of fights over people making fun of my ethnicity. I wonder up with the worst punishment of five days of out of school suspension, one of them got a day of out of school and the other got a day of inschool suspension.
That's my background though. I'd be happy to answer any other questions to any of this.

Who Am I

My whole life I have identified myself as being a young African American male. My ethnicity/racial heritage is African American. I became aware of issues of ethnicity and race at a very young age. When I was young, I always knew that I was "different" from the rest of the kids that I grew up with. From preschool to the 12th grade, I was one of about 7 African American students that were in my school district. The school district I attended was a suburban school district, with the majority of the kids being white. In high school, my senior class was a class of 500. One of my buddies and I were the only African Americans out of the 500 students. Growing up through middle school and high school, There was no diversity in my schools growing up. Being African American in an ethnic majority environment kind of made me "different" in the eyes of the kids that were in my schools. If I had to kind of give a visual about how it was for me, if anyone has watched the television show "Everybody Hates Chris" that's how I can best summarize things for the moment. There were many things that I were taught by my parents about race, growing up. I can remember them telling me at a very young age, at the time that growing up was going to be difficult for me because of me being African American. My parents also told me to never let anyone degrade me or make me feel less than because I was African American. They also throughout my life gave me the right upbringing to rise above any negativity from society as a whole. These two principles I took to heart and I still do today. My family was the main outlet that gave me the insights about race and ethnicity at a young age. I didn't quite understand some of the things that they were telling me at the time, but as I grew up I started to see everything that my parents and family had told me about unfold right in front of my very own eyes. I agreed with what my parents told me before I actually experienced any form of racism because I trusted that they would not steer me wrong about it. As I grew up I began to experience many situations that would test the knowledge that was given to me. My views on ethnicity and race as a whole have changed greatly through my life experiences. I used to think that if any person who is a minority was always the "inferior" in society today. Through my life experiences i have concluded that I was wrong on every level. I believe that no race or ethnicity is "inferiors" in our society. In this day and age, there are peoples of many different races and ethnicity that shape our society politically, socially, and economically. Determination is the key to success in life no matter who you are. I believe that all races and people are the same. I think that as a society we lack the interest and respect for other peoples cultures on all levels. When respect and appreciation is not evident in a society, that's when the feeling of inferiority creeps in and can cause problems within a society. I believe that all people are the same no matter what ethnicity or race one might be; It's how us in society find those "differences" and try to create divisions among each other. As humans we all have emotions, struggles, obstacles, differences, similarities, goals and dreams. With those things in common, we all just need to appreciate each others races. I started to experience racism in middle school when I was about 11. The people I called "my friends" were the main people who would call me derogatory names because I was black. All of my "friends" at the time were white. I became an everyday event at lunch between the boys to see who could come up with the funniest "black jokes" to try and get me mad. I would talk to my teachers, principle, and others about the situations that I was experiencing at a young age. There was action taken, but this continued until high school. Growing up, my parents taught me how to be a strong individual and how to rise above ignorance. With them as my guides in my life and my own personal beliefs, I was able to overcome the race issues that I had to deal with in school. By high school, I seperated myself from those that I called "friends" because I was able to see things for what they were. Not once did I ever comment back or make racial jokes back, I just "brushed it off". In high school, out of those 500 kids, I was friends with every single one of them. I made a vow to myself that I would not be like one of my "friends" in middle school and try and bring someone down to try and make myself cool for a group of people. With that vow I can honestly say by my senior year I had no enemies within my whole entire class of 500 students. Some kids I knew personally, and some just passing in the halls and saying "hey" to every morning. By the time I graduated high school, I was voted on numerous awards given by my class of 500, best smile, best personality, best musician, and prom king. What I took from all my experiences is that every time somone tries to knock me down, I will get up and fight two times harder. The negativity that I experienced only made me better and wiser in the end. Us as people, we are the same. If we all had the same skin or not skin at all, would we be the same people that we are today? Would our thoughts and conception of ourselves be different?

Marcus Anderson (Post 1)

Danielle Wlodarek, Post 1

Though not both of my parents are entirely, my sister and I consider ourselves to be Polish. We don't take part in any other ethnic traditions around the holidays. We've both been raised to embrace the Polish culture, as were my cousins on my dads side. The holidays, the slang talk, it all reflects a Polish culture for as long as I remember even though my mother isn't entirely Polish.
Racially I guess I've just considered myself to be white, Caucasian. Neither of my parents are anything but, so neither am I. The majority of the people who I live near or in my town are white, it wasn't until I moved out of Mayville that I ever was exposed to different races in great depth.
I always knew there were people out and about who looked differently than I did. I learned from my teachers at school, just like everyone does, about segregation and the struggle we've all gone through to be equals. My parents got more in to depth, shared with me what my teachers might not have. My dad was a corrections officer at the time, he spoke with experience. He always used to tell me it didn't matter what color anyone I might date was, as long as they didn't have a record he could trace. He just didn't like me having any boys around, he wasn't picky! My mom agreed. She really taught me a lot about the rest of the world when I was growing up. She had a way of conveying messages, she made things I hadn't experienced understandable. She was honest with me, she told me how wonderfully diverse this world was in places outside of Mayville. She always did (and still does) hope that I make my way into an area that isn't as simple as home. I didn't necessarily agree at that point, I had no experience with it. But I did understand.
Of course learning and hearing things from parents, peers, teachers, isn't nearly as impacting as experiencing them for yourself. My views on race have expanded over time, not really changed. But i never got to experience anyone different until after high school. I got recruited to play soccer at a junior college in Olean. Olean is where I first really experienced any diversity. Olean is where I learned some of the most important lessons in my life thus far. Olean was so wonderfully different from Mayville. People from all sorts of walks of lives seem to function together there with ease.
It was in Olean that I met Miguel Lantigua, a guy who changed my life. He was Spanish, Dominican. He moved to Olean from East New York, Brooklyn. We came from totally different paths but somehow were SO similar to each other. Meeting him solidified it for me, it didn't matter what race or ethnicity someone was. We dated for the majority of the time that I lived in Olean, I visited Brooklyn (something I never thought I'd do), I met friends of his and family. Another solidifier was when one of my closest friends, Aaron Moe, passed away. He was an Olean friend too, he even rode five hours away with me so I could watch a game I had gotten kicked out of playing in! But when he passed away last year I realized that loss means loss, it didn't matter that he wasn't white. I still lost one of my best friends.
I never dealt with racism either until Olean, Oleans downfall and beauty is it's diversity. Some people just don't understand that it doesn't matter what race or ethnicity people are. I used to wait at certain restaurants for a good 20 minutes to be seated when I'd go out to eat with Miguel. I work in a restaurant, have for years, and know there wasn't reason to be waiting that long. People used to just stare at us sometimes, like it was unthinkable that we'd be paired together. It's sad to see something like that actually take place. It's worse to be a part of it. It gave me only a glimpse of what some people may go through, it's discouraging to say the least.

How I understand it all. (1)

My personal ethnic and racial heritage is African American, Now I have met many blacks whom choose to only Identify as being black. simply because they were not born in Africa nor have any direct ties to Africa. ex my best friend is Nigerian her father is from Nigeria and her mother is black (her roots like most blacks comes from the south then travel north) so she is considered technically African American. This divide has happened during slavery after first generation slaves from African had American born black children they weren't considered African. But I consider myself as such because the blood of those African slaves are my dependence and although many other black people due to race relations and attitudes between American blacks and Africans as well Caribbean Blacks some choose to only Identify as Black Americans Not African Americans. A petty tiff if you ask me. But if you wanna get technical aren't we all African Americans seeing as thought all humans descended from Africa? I first became aware of issues concerning race during early childhood. I came from a household of strong morals and I think as children my parents tried not to really discuss certain serious matter in front of us. But I was always aware that I was black and I felt no kinda way about it. I didn't feel bad nor did I know enough to be Proud I was a kid. And I think children are innocent allowing them to be most colorblind like but like human nature when people are angry we become hateful so I remember growing up in a project housing in Buffalo new York and once children were upset with one another the name calling was bar none. Polish, Italian, purtorician, black and other would just dig into each other. Especially the other black children against each other oh the hate would just be vicious often resulting in the parents making the two children fight. lol insults like "African booty scratchier" "Tar baby" "Nappy head" As for the Lighter skin blacks "Light bright" "White" etc etc. But as I got older And discussed race from school to home I began to understand where the hate came from the self hate both external and internal. Now my mothers family are from the south. she grew up part her life down south with her grandmother then the majority of her life in New york city. But both her and her side of the family see race differently based on many traumatic experiences living in the south during the 1950's majority of them for this reason alone migrated to New York. Now many have sense retired and gone back but when ever we discuss race it comes more so from a ambiguous place depending on the story they are telling. Sometimes they sound happy they were able to stand up to a white person but then there are other stories where they were also put in positions where they had to be submissive to a white person due to fear. But my family overall is a mixed bag because my father who is fairly light skin (he's gotten darker over the years due to drinking) his family is from comes from Midwest all migrated to new york state (Buffalo NY or New york city) and his family is filled with American Indians, blacks, light skinned blacks who look white and actual white people. My mom always said his family was "Color struck" meaning they wanted only light skin blacks or whites in their family. My mother is dark skin. I always felt loved and accepted by the side of my dads family I have known all my life. My grandfather has been married to My grandmother Joan who is Jewish since a lil after I was born. After the death of my biological grandmother whom I never met. I love my Grandmother Joan dearly. When we are out in public for family affairs she is accepted. We all love her. And she love us.

My family all across the board had educated me on being proud to be black not being apologetic for my culture Accepting myself for who Iam. My Nana (my moms mother) has always been militant, honory and above all she seeks respect. Now at times I feel she may overreacts, but I think its the time she has lived in and on top of that coming from the south. She has let it be know that she doesn't prefer us to interracial date specifically the men in our family. This is her preference My older sister and I also feel the same. I do not consider this racist because My feelings on this matter aren't based in hate at all.(subject for another blog perhaps) But my family has always tried to insteal in us to not be ashamed or be made to feel inferior because we are black but to understand that there are people that want you to feel less then both black and white but to not be discourage because thought our faith all things are possible. But my father on the other hand who has had several white family member as well as white friends "Drinking buddies" I can remember him having a hard time at a job or having lost out on a job opportunity and getting drunk making reference to "The white man" I would always think well what white man specifically is making you loose several jobs? but as I got older I began to read up on issues of race both in high school and college. I had watched Alex Haley's Roots the entire made for TV saga several times in my life so I understand the pressure the Black man feels. But I also learned that you cant make excuses for your shortcoming and balm it on race. It all stems back from the painful traumatic past of slavery and allot of race relations do here in America anyhow. I think my parents did a great job teaching us about race relations. Especially in comparison to other blacks I know. Where their parent told them that you cant do this or that because your black. My parents have never drawn those kinds of racial lines for me. My mother or father never did not allow me to listen to certain types of music. Or wear my hair a certain way or speak a certain way they always encouraged me to not be hateful. I as a child had white friends and Spanish friends. And although we prefer the men in our family not to date white woman we have done nothing to stop them from doing so. Both my brother and Nephew have been in interracial relationships (Chinese and Italian)in which my family respects. (We all actually like the girls) But my mother would now prefer these woman to be christian lol. Has my views on race and ethnicity changed overtime yes. I have gained a deeper understanding on how things have gotten to where they are. Both I and my family as a whole have our preferences and feelings towards certain situations but overall our preferences aren't steeped in hatred which make them justifiable. And I always say this "You have a right to feel any way you want to feel. You may not be justified. But you still have that right" look at me quoting myself. lol What prompted these changes was the diversity that has always surrounded me. My family and living in Buffalo New York and frequent visits to NYC. I have always wanted to know more and how to prevent myself from becoming as ignorant as others I have have encounted. I was always intrested in how they have come to think and act this way. What where some of thier exsperiance?

Yes I have both experienced and witnessed instances of racism. I have seen people I associate with whom are very outspoken and fun. Who can stand up to anybody in the hood mainly because its a familiar setting but then I have also seen then put into a different setting and sen them act inferior to a white person who is blatantly disrespecting them. And it hurts to see a strong person belittled all because they have no pride in themselves they weren't taught to have no pride. Somehow the often times unspoken lesson of black=inferiority was taught to them. The same way the unspoken lesson of white=superiority is taught to others. Either way both lessons are lies. I have been discriminated against based on little things such as how I wear my hair. I have worn cornrows (braids going back in a rows) and have been talked too and treated as if I'm unintelligent or I guess the person assumed I'm "ghetto"versus in a long straight weave.(these are the things that make black people more so aware of race then others. Because its not just our skin its internal as well as external) I have learned the more aspects of race and ethnicity you study I have began to realize its not so black and white. Also that everything is cause and effect so racism and hatred from within and without can be cured through knowledge of people. People learning about other people. I'm glad to say I grew up with a Jewish Grandmother who has fed me matzo with cheese and fish and who has also eaten neck bones and greens with me. I'm happy to say that I my parents played berry white as well as hall n oats in my house. I'm more then happy to say my mom has sported a Afro most her life but has also worn a weave. I'm proud to say I speak intelligently but also speak fluent Ebonics depending on the crowd I'm with. I have lived in both the hood, the projects and suburbs. I feel like all of these things have made me a better person. the people I have met, some in consider friends, family foes I'm glad to have experience them all. I took away from all those situations and each of those living conditions what I needed and left behind the other things that aren't as productive to my life. *James brown voice* "I'm black and I'm proud."