Final

1. Your Name: Melissa L. Sanchez
2. Your Username: bytheseagrl
3. Attendance: I have missed 2 classes.
4. Link to the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgmnWbmRdVw
5. Detail of what you read: I have read Not a Genuine Black Man its entirety. As far as the reader goes I have only read a sufficient amount to be able to answer the questions on the midterm and final as best as I can.
6. Midterm Grade: The grade I received on the midterm was an A.
7. The grade that I deserve in this class is an A. I have thoroughly enjoyed this class unlike any other. I believe this class has a lot more meaning. I do not say this because it is a religion class, but because out of all the classes that I have taken it actually makes you think outside the box. The two classes that I missed were not necessarily by choice. I was enrolled in a political science class called Moot Court. This class had practice sessions to get ready for the competition that occurred on November 30th. This was one of the days that I missed. If it were not for that one class, I would have gone to class every Friday. I also deserve an A because I wrote a very insightful and enjoyable midterm that showed that I understood the material that was presented in class and showed that I was participating in blogging on the website and overall participating in class discussion.

8. The blogs are located on my blog spot. I will post them at the end of the final.
9.Religion, Gender, and Ethnicity on my life:
Religion and ethnicity in my life go hand in hand. My family is from Cuba. My dad was born here, but his parents are from Cuba. My mother was born in Cuba. My family came to the United States to escape Communism. When they were in Cuba they were part of the Episcopalian church, but when they arrived to California, they began attending the Catholic Church. I was raised Catholic, baptized, went through Reconciliation, received Holy Communion, and was confirmed my sophomore year in high school. Confirmation was an interesting experience. It was the first time where as a young adult you personally choose to be a follower of Christ. It is not like baptism or Holy Communion where you really do not understand what is going on. When you are fifteen or sixteen and getting ready to be confirmed you have a greater understanding of what is actually taking place. Though I knew what I was admitting to the congregation that I believe in Jesus Christ, it seemed that Confirmation at that age was also a social matter. My friends were in the same class with me, there was a boy I liked in my class, so in a way I was in the class because one my parents wanted me to be confirmed, second because I personally wanted to be confirmed, and third because my friends were doing it. Later in life, I found out that in order to get married in a Catholic Church at least one person had to be confirmed. Because I did not know who I would end up marrying in life, I wanted to make sure that I would be able to get married in a Catholic Church. As a Catholic there are many restrictions of what you can do and when you can do them. This also rings true for a Cuban family.
My family is very protective. We were never really able to sleep over any friend’s house because if an earthquake were to occur we would not be with our parents. It was even tough sometimes to sleep over my cousin’s house. I was not allowed to go out very late. I was to be in bed at least by nine. I would usually watch television with my grandmas. I was raised by my grandma mostly because my mom would be working and would come home late at times. The values that were shown to me as a child, was that every Sunday we must go to church, sexual intercourse is not for dating, but for marriage. It was also improper for boys to sleepover with no parental supervision. There were many rules and regulations that went on in my household. Thus, I guess it is not hard to believe that the religion that my family and I follow is that of the Catholic Church. Most of the belief system and values that my family and I hold dear are those that the Catholic religion holds dear as well.
Both my religion and my Cuban background have not had a negative impact on my life. It is quite the opposite. I believe that my background has made me a wise and responsible person. At times I envy those who have the energy to go out at like ten at night and go clubbing or partying, but since I was not raised with that mentality, I do not even understand how someone has the energy to leave the house at ten at night! I also do not know how someone can wake up Sunday morning and not go to church. When I miss church for some reason or another I feel strange. Sunday is not the same. Sundays are also the days when I spend time with my family. This is why one can see that the two in my household are shared together.
I cherish every moment I get to spend with my grandparents especially now since they are getting older. I have one grandpa who has been recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer. It is cancer of the blood. It is very hard to watch someone you grew up with suffering from a disease like this. I have a great grandmother who is suffering from dementia. She is not the one who is actually suffering, it is those around her who takes care of her and watches her everyday that get saddened by the fact that she cannot remember people at times, or even function independently. When you look at life in this matter it gets very depressing. My grandmother is the one taking care of her elderly mother, my great-grandmother who has dementia. My grandfather who is suffering from cancer is the husband of my grandma who is taking care of her elderly mother. I have watched my grandma cry many times because she has stressed so much about her mother and taking care of her, and now to get the news that her husband has cancer is not the icing on the cake that she wanted. Being from a Cuban family, everybody always says in times of trouble turn to faith and God, but when this news hit my family, my grandma started to question her very existence in life and that God had disappeared from her side. It is not uncommon to have these feelings I believe. I think at one point people do start to question God’s existence especially in times of trouble. For a family member like my grandma and for a family like my own who go to church religiously who do good deeds, to have this terrible news, it is, I believe okay to question.
But because my family’s ethnicity and culture is religious in itself, the question does not last very long. There are some families and friends that I see who have had some terrible things happen in their lives and they begin to question God’s existence as well. Since my friend’s family was not brought up with a strong religious background, I believe that it is harder for them to get back in line with God. Since the relationship is only a Sunday relationship, and it is not a day to day relationship with God like it is with my family, it is harder for a person to forgive or understand why God has done the things he has. Slowly but surely, my grandma has come to terms with God and has continued to go to church and has looked at the brighter side and not the negative. That is one aspect of my life that I will always remember, the doubt and the fear of what may happen when a love one is near their end.
The impact of religion on my life is good one. Because death is all around us, it really allows me to cope with the reality of death. I still fear it at times, but that is only natural. I am still saddened when I loose a love one close to me, and if I had it my way the ones that I have lost would still be with me. Since this does not happen, because I know that they are in with God I rest easier. I know they are here by my side. In class we have discussed that religion gives a persons life more meaning. I really do believe in this. Without a belief system that there is something greater than you that watches you and protects you, it can be a very lonely life. I do not believe that one has to have a uniform religion in order to fulfill this meaning, there are many people who are spiritual who do not belong to a uniform religion that have plenty meaning and self-worth to their life. In my case, it is my friend Jesus. In the Catholic religion Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are one in the same. I tend to call out to Jesus because it’s more personal for me, like a true friend.
With that said, because my family culturally and spiritually is one in the same, I do not alienate my religion as a religion separately. I try my best to keep them intertwined. Although there are certain aspects of my Catholic faith that I do not agree with, I believe that everyone has likes and dislikes of the actual theology and practices of their religion. That does not necessarily mean that I am not a Catholic. The educations that I have had in college and in high school have opened my eyes to a wider appreciation of life in general, and people. Since the Catholic Church has close minded views in some issues, I do not find it necessary for me to just follow something I do not believe in just because it is taught in the Catholic religion. Overall it is my family who has taught, and instilled the Catholic faith in my life, but it is I who has chosen to continue down that path. And with this path, I know there will be difficulties and conflicts that will arise that will perhaps make me question the path, but I know that because I have my one true friend in the sky to guide, love, and protect me I will be fine.

10. I attended a Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Unlike my own Catholic Church, most Baptist churches do not look like a Church. They almost look like a community center where people go and hangout. Needless to say, Sunday morning came a long and I went with my boyfriend to there morning service. I realized everyone was dressed very formally. They were not dressed as if they were going to a ball, but most of the men were dressed in suits and the women were dressed in dresses. The children were dressed up in suits and dresses as well. To my surprise there was a lot of diversity between the races that appeared Sunday morning. I went to school in Playa Del Rey, and though it was a Catholic high school, the majority of the students were Baptist and of African American descent. I figured that when I arrived at this Baptist church that is what I would find. Yet, to my surprise, there were Caucasians, Latinos, Asians, and African Americans. It was a mix of people which was surprising to see. I am use to seeing a diversified church when I attend my Catholic mass on Sunday because it is a pretty universal religion, but I did not imagine that the Baptist church would be the same. As we walked in, people greeted us immediately saying good morning. We did not feel alienated at all. When I go to church I usually smile and say good morning, but it was different here. People actually seemed genuine. People seemed happy to be there early in the morning, unlike at my church people seem tired and their cell phone go off and some what disconnected from the whole experience. The setup in this church had pews. The pews all faced the where the pastor would begin his preaching. This way it everyone would be able to hear the message of their “preaching.” It would be similar to a sermon or also known as a homily in the Catholic tradition. This setup of the pews I found better because I have been to other Catholic churches where one whole side is facing the side of the altar and of the priest, which alienates that whole side of the congregation. When we sat down music began to start. The choir sang old hymns and sang loud. Harmony filled the ceilings and the songs lasted at least two minutes or three minutes each. I knew some of the songs, but others seemed to be old hymnals that I have never heard before. Before we sat down, people passed out pieces of paper that would let us know what hymnals would be sung and what the message was for that day’s sermon. By doing this, it truly got the congregation engaged in worship and song. People were not clueless of what the readings were or what the meaning of sermon was.
They did pass out communion. I was wondering whether I should receive it or not. I was not aware of the practices of the Baptist church, so I sat their quietly as the people lined up to get their communion. When the pastor went up to give the sermon, I found that it was much easier to understand him than a priest. There was more passion in his voice than some of the priests that I have heard in my life. The pastor did not stay at the podium talking he wandered throughout the church talking making sure to make eye contact with the people sitting in the pews. When I saw this I thought to myself he really wants to get the message across. Rather than saying a phrase once, he would repeat it once, a second, and a third time to make sure we knew what he was saying exactly. When observing people in the pews when the sermon was being spoken, I saw people have their eyes closed, others had their hands up in prayer, and others sat silently, but writing in a notebook that they had brought with them. I leaned over to see what a woman was writing in this small notebook, and they were Bible passages that the pastor was quoting. It seemed she was taking notes on what was happening and what the message was that Sunday morning. Again, people were truly interested in what was being said, and what going on. It made me feel as if I should be doing something more than sitting in my pew at church. I do sing, and they say that by singing you pray twice, but it seemed that these people did a little bit more.
After the mass, people gathered in a community hall that was connected to the place of worship have coffee which is similar to what my church does after mass as well. Overall what I took from this experience is that I should not categorize a particular group of people to one religion it is not fair, and it is not true. Also, I have learned that in order for me to get something out of my religious experience in my church, I should probably get more interactive like the people I observed attending the Baptist service.

11. The miracle story surrounding Our Lady Of Guadalupe is a story when Our Lady of Guadalupe appears to Juan Diego and tells him to let the people know that they are fine and if they did not believe him, to open his robe and there the evidence would be. In his robe there were flowers and when he told the story to the people he opened his robe and there was a painted image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This miracle story of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe informs and impacts the believers because it shows one that we are being watched over. In the reader it states that Guadalupe is an expression and an image of compassion, courageous, warm, strong, and humble. All of these adjectives describe Our Lady of Guadalupe. This story allows for one to believe strongly that she is here amongst us. She is striving to give everyone compassion and hope. Because she is a symbol of God the appearance of her shows that she is watching us as well. This impacts believers of Our Lady of Guadalupe because it strengthens this belief. Because she showed herself to the Mexican people, the Mexican community has revolved its religious foundation on her. When at church, one can hear the Latino sitting next to him or her praying the rosary or saying the Hail Mary. Rarely when watching the Spanish soap operas does one see a character praying specifically to God. One hears them specifically praying for Our Lady of Guadalupe’s guidance. Thus this miracle story has strengthened and given rise to a greater worship and respect for the Virgin Mary, than any other religious group who worships whom we know as the Virgin Mary.

12. The Latino religious experience in North America is different then that of the Asian religious experience. The Latino experience continues the Christian faith. They are devout Catholics, but the Asian American experience, they have brought their Buddhist religion and magical religions like the Native Americans. Unlike the Native Americans, the Chinese and other Asian groups have continued to bring their own religious beliefs and their culture into America. They have not assimilated to the Christian missionaries. The Latinos overall have always been Roman Catholics even in their homeland, thus not much has changed for them. In America the most common religion is Catholicism, thus the Latinos have not really experienced any alienation or discrimination. The Asian experience in North America has experienced this alienation. One can see this alienation and seclusion in cities like Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and Korea town. Because their culture and religion are distinct from what is common in North America, they have made their own communities in which the majority worship and have the same culture. The Latinos since their culture and religious experiences are shared throughout North America it is different. They do not feel as alienated. The similarities of the foundation of these religious experiences can be seen in the Cuban religion. The Santeria aspect of the Latino experience is similar to the magic of the Asian experience. In this they are both superstitious and have different saints or gods for a certain values. In the Latino experience their religious beliefs and persons that they worship are saints as well. This can be similar to those gods that the Asian religious experience worship as well. Both groups are family oriented and involve their religion with their culture. Though both groups view their American experience differently, what they have in common is that they are both free to be in a country which allows them to worship in their way.

13. The role that the Buddhist Church played in the “ethnic adjustment of Japanese Americans,” as place of refuge. When World War II occurred many of the Japanese were placed in internment camps because they were thought to be suspicious. When World War II ended, many of the Japanese people were let out of the camps, but had no place to go because their property, homes, and their belongings were taken away. Their Buddhist temples were vandalized, but those that were still standing acted as shelter for those Japanese’s that were homeless. The temples did not only act as shelter for the people, it also acted as a place of education. English was being taught to the Japanese and Sunday school was also educating the Japanese youth about their culture, and of their Buddhist religion. Thus these temples did not only aid them after the war in hopes that they would be able to regroup and start over in America, but also as a place where they felt comfortable. They would feel comfortable in a familiar way because most of the people in the temple would be of Japanese descent, thus each person had similar backgrounds and similar value and belief system. It is no surprise that groups like the Japanese have migrated into particular communities because they were kicked out of their homes, therefore rather then having relations with those persons who pushed them from their homes; it was wiser to associate themselves with people like themselves.

14. The lessons that we should draw from religious diversity in America is that we are all one in the same. The messages in each religion that we have discussed and read are the same. The message is to love and treat others as you would want to be treated. The message states do well in this life and in your other life you will be rewarded. The messages are the same; the only difference is what a particular group is praying to. I believe that each group is praying to the same God, but that there are a variety of names. Each religious experience is different. The Asian experience had difficult trials especially in how North America treated the Asian people, thus their experience in America is going to be different from that of the Latino people. Each specific experience creates ones religious experience.
The hurdle that Americans have to face in practicing their religions is the mentality that one religion is better than any other one. People seem to think that their religion is the one almighty, and all the other religions are incorrect. One needs to sit down and realize that each person has the right to choose the religious path of their choosing. No religion is better than the other, especially those that preach goodness and love. Once people begin to realize that religion is a matter of personal choice and decision and not a competition, one will be able to worship in peace. Religious groups tend to look down upon other religious practicing groups which go against what is taught especially that of the Christian faith. Therefore in order to overcome this obstacle, people must realize that religion is not a competition and is not a game, it is simply a way to live life in harmony with God in one’s own way.

15. The Scientology movement has transformed American life in unexpected ways. Because the Scientology religion is most popular within the celebrity demographic of the America, it has changed American life. Americans are enthralled and interested in what celebrities and Hollywood is doing. They are interested in what the latest trends are and how to go about doing it. Tom Cruise a very strong Scientologist spoke out against the use of pharmaceuticals in regards to post partum depression. He claimed that people did not need drugs and that the best way to handle depression and illnesses was through natural remedies. This way of life in which the Scientologist preach, had the American public questioning the actual credibility of pharmaceuticals and the credibility of psychiatrists. It has seemed that since this religion has been given recognition, Eastern medicine has been able to introduce itself in a more popular light. More people are beginning to stray away from medications and beginning to go the natural route.

Latino Experience

My religious experience can be identified with that of the Latino experience. I am of Latino descent. My family is from Cuba and we are Catholics. Catholicsm is a very universal and popular religion, but it is most popular I believe in the Latin culture. When reading the reader in the Latin American section, most of the stories and readings were very familiar to me, because they were stories and parables that I have been taught throughout grade school and high school. It has probably been the section that I can honestly relate to the most.

Japanese Experience

In class the other day there was discussion about the Japanese and Chinese religious experience and we learned about how the Asian culture is the only culture that really has not assimilated themselves into the Christian way. In the Native American readings we saw the great influence of the Christian missionaries in their writings, but with the Asian experience it is not the case. It was mentioned that it was because the Chinese believe that the American culture is barbaric, and they do not want to act or be like Americans. They want to preserve their religion and their culture, and solely live in the United States for the economic benefits. I found this very interesting, but true. When I went to Chinatown for a field trip for an anthropology class it was not hard to notice that the people there looked down upon those that were not of Asian descent.

When we walked in stores the store workers would not acknowledge are presence they would go on their way talking in Chinese or their home language. It makes sense now, because in reading, and hearing the discussion in class it has been said that the Asian culture not all, but some do not like our American way.

Meaning

I know this blog does not have anything to do with any readings that have been discussed in class or that we were supposed to read, yet I wanted to blog about what is going on with my family at this point. My great grandmother went to the emergency room this morning. She was having trouble breathing. The doctor says that she has a lung infection. There is alot of fluid build up in her lungs which can lead to pneumonia. She is 92 years old. She has a good life, and now I think her end is near. The doctors say that there is not much they can do for her at this point. They can give her antibiotics, but at this age the antibiotics are not very beneficial. My grandma has been the one taking care of her for the past couple of months. She has moved in with my grandparents so that my great grandmother can be taken care of. When we received the call this morning, about her admittance to the hospital I sat down to pray. I prayed to God to give my grandma the patience and strength to get her through today and the days to come. It is hard on my grandma too because my grandpa has been recently diagnosed with cancer, so in her household she has two sick patients. So I can only imagine the stress and the depression she feels at this very moment. Anyway, I am sad that my great grandma is not doing well and that I may not be able to see her for many years to come, but the one thing that is getting me through this moment, is my faith.

In class we talked about how religion helps us cope and right now I believe that the reason why I am not freaking out at this point, is because I know that where my great grandma goes, she will be taken care of and her suffering will be no more.