Miss America Pageant Analysis

On September 8, 2000, the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) made a formal apology for the their participation in ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of the Indigenous Nations of the Western Territories of the Unites States.2 From forced relocation to obscure lands and forced assimilation into the white man’s view of the world, the BIA previously set out to ‘destroy all things Indian’.3 Through the colonization of Turtle Island (North America), the American Federal policy set out to eliminate in part or as a whole, the Indigenous populations.4 The attitudes of the colonists were intentionally detrimental and the process is naturally exterminatory.5 The process of colonization was often exemplified by violent confrontations, deliberate massacres, and in some cases, total annihilations of a people.6 The culture of conquest was developed and practiced by Europeans well before they landed on Turtle Island as the practice was developed, and perfected well before the fifteenth century.7 Taking land and imposing values and ways of life on the social landscape created a conflictual relationship with the Indigenous peoples and forced a new way of life that ultimately destroyed those that previously existed there.8 Modern Europe

Life is a never ending sequence of problems. Every person has to learn to overcome them throughout his or her life to better themselves. In the story, I Want to be Miss America, by Julia Alvarez, she tells the story of how she and her sisters adapted to American style and culture. Her family came from the Dominican Republic. At a young age, they watched the Miss America Beauty Pageant, which show portrayed the ideal woman. So, the sisters changed their looks to appear like the women on the show. It was not until the 1960’s that their previous Dominican style, became the new trend in America. In the story, A Choice of Weapons, by Gordon Parks, talks about when he was a journalist/photographer going to Washington D.C. for a job at a local newspaper.

The essay “I want to be Miss America” is narrated by Julia Alvarez, a hispanic teenager who was willing to change the way she looked just so that she looked more like an "American" girl. When watching the Pageant with her sisters, Julia’s thoughts were: “I knew I would never be one of those girls ever... she was - An American- and we were not" ( Alvarez 22). They started complaining about their height, the texture of their hair, their body, and even their style, They started making changes to their way of clothing, and all of a sudden The colorful outfits that mom would pick for them like “fuchsia skirts with matching vests, flowered dresses with bows at the neck” (Alvarez 13) were described by Julia as “something someone might wear in a foreign country”(Alvarez 13). When Julia realizes that being an American girl isn’t the only definition of beauty, and sees that the ethnic looks, that she once used to have, became more popular is when she finally realized that she could’ve stayed beautiful in her own way. She felt “a gratifying sense of

Growing up, my mother always encouraged me to be involved in any activity I should interest in, whether that be soccer, softball, theater, or chess club. While my mom did not always have the extra money or time, she never told me I could not pursue a new activity. Through my mother’s actions, I have learned to never settle and to continue to fight and work for better, for myself and others. My mother’s selfless attitude and positive attitude inspire me to have the same attitude with the my future family and the people around me.

Agriculture, especially corn growing, was important for the size and sophistication of the Native Americans.

b. Their trade pattern was North-South not East-West if anything they should join the USA.

Ch.1: Christopher Columbus discovered the New World to European migration. Queen Isabella was funding Christopher Columbus voyage. He convinces the Spain that this would open up better trading routes and it would make them wealthier. ¬¬¬¬¬¬ The Indians were all fascinated with the entire product that the Europeans has. Christopher Columbus and the Conquistadors cheated the Indians and kicked them out of their own land. The Europeans mistreated and executed all the Native Americans that they encountered. The large impact of the invasion was The Europeans captured and used the native Americans as slaves and they brought diseases, weapons, and a hostile desire for the land and control over the new world. The diseases that cause million lives of the Indians were small pox, bubonic plague, influenza, and typhoid. Also the Native Americans were no match for the firearms and explosives of the Europeans. The Native Americans were pushed back into the middle of the United States. The accomplishments of the Spanish in opening the New World to exploration, conquest, and colonization were to gain money, lands, slaves and

Effect of Dawes Act: more opportunities for white plundering of Indian lands, further undermining of traditional Indian cultures

That most of the settlers were kicked out of England due to persecuting other Christian groups, then killed the Native Americans to steal their land. After refusing to pay their taxes that they owed, they started a war of independence and then it became the USA. Also, three hundred citizens died by being warned by a Native American and during the second Massacre, four hundred citizens died with no warning in 1608 and persecuted and leaving for the Netherlands. The most that surprised me was that the Tobacco was established in the state of Virginia and the king John Rolfe totaled a half a million pounds of tobacco. That’s how he was getting rich and by making others rich because he had people work 50 acres of land, which was expensive in

Many settlers lived in scarcely populated areas forming small settlements during the Oregon territory disputes with Britain. Many native people lived in areas that were thriving over the spanish success in a cotton boom; however this made American expansion into this land extremely difficult because they would have to fight against the aligned native and spanish powers to gain control of this land.

Colonial merchants resented the trading restrictions and continues to illegally trade with other countries. England did little to stop them until 1684, when King Charles II began to punish colonists whom he believed most resisted English authority, which were the leaders and merchants of Massachusetts. After failing to persuade them to obey English laws, England revoked the colony’s corporate character and they were under strict control of the crown. When King James II proceeded Charles, he began seeking to make the colonies more obedient. Within three years the land from south Maine to New Jersey was united into one colony, the Dominion of New England. The Navigation Acts were strictly enforced, smugglers were prosecuted, local assemblies

Significance: In regards to the significance of these claims, the examination of how women are objectified spans a wide spectrum from appearance to persona. To hone in on this, the reading “No More Miss America” provides clear evidence as to why beauty pageants are a negative influence

The American colonies had clear class divisions and from them arose much conflict. The elite wanted to stay on top so they created laws to oppress the poor and also tried to get the middle class to side with them by making “concessions to the middle class, without damage to their own wealth or power, at the expense of slaves, Indians, and poor whites.” I think Zinn said it best when he said, “New York in the colonial period was like a feudal kingdom…where barons controlled completely the lives of their tenants.” The use of slaves and indentured servants benefited and brought profit to only the elites. The American colonies were societies of “contending classes.”

a) The “American” people had no notion to create a new nation against the British.

The King has just granted a charter to the Virginia Company of London. As an employee I have been assigned the task of reaching North America. We are close to the Americas as this journey has been a long and tough one I am glad to say that I can finally see land but I must say the smell of ocean salt does get boring after a while. Once arrived on land we shall set up a colony as well has find gold and silver deposits. We have also been sent to find a river route to the Pacific Ocean so that the Virginia Company can trade with Asia. There is still more to come from this journey but for now I am happy to be so close.