Out for a walk

In an attempt to see what messages we are exposed to day in and day out I took a walk with my kids.  Below is the path we took.  For about 1/2 the walk we stayed in the park until we got to Dyckman St.

Add caption

Scroll down to see what we saw, or rather what we pass by on a regular basis without a second thought.

Taped all about the window are prices to various locals.  The character of the neighborhood is reflected with signs for Mexico, Panama, San Juan and Bogota.  The big attention grabber though and the ones my kids look at is Mickey Mouse.

The smaller photos on the shelves behind the window are also of European looking women.

 

                     

The images that we pass don't give any hint that the
neighborhood is 72% Hispanic.  That includes Hispanics that are white, brown and black.  There is another 6% that are non-Hispanic African American yet the majority of ads contain non ethnic people.

                   Though I know anyone can use them, I have always associated hair extensions with African American hair.

I don't know what is more depressing.  That we are all constantly bombarded with these messages of physical perfection or that I'm actually looking forward to some of these stores opening.


To be sure, these messages are not calling for anyone's destruction, but does that make them any more proper?  They may not be illegal, but are they immoral?  Every day kids pass by all these images and see even more on television.  Intolerance is not being actively advertised, but by constantly showing children images that do not match their story, it's certainly not being combated?  Getting a doll that matches a child's ethnicity is a start, but is it good enough?  What can we do to better recognize these almost invisible sources of influence and how can we protect ourselves from being mislead?

These are big questions that have been asked over and over again.  I can't hope to answer them.  I can however still enjoy the time honored inner city tradition of playing at an open fire hydrant, society hasn't stopped that yet.  Though I can't recall the last time I saw an open hydrant in the Village, or the Upper East Side, or Battery Park City...uh oh.

Zip code 10034

When you are done absorbing the racial breakdown of the neighborhood click here.

Population: 38,908

Media income: $41,171

Foreign born: 20,473

Below poverty level: 25.8%

Race                 %

Hispanic         72.2

White             17.8

Black               6.3

Asian               2.1

Other               1.6



What messages are we getting today?

There is still a lot of intolerance in the world.  You don't have to look far to see the seeds of hate in the media.  Immigrants are still stigmatized for example but the problem of misinformation and being given incorrect or insensitive information is not just a problem for adults.  Kids especially are constantly being bombarded with images and info that is not in their best interest.

What is surprising to a lot of people is just how far you have to go to get messages that tell you that you are different, tell you what you need and give you information about the community you live in.  You don't have to sign up to some web site, no need to take out a credit card or visit a museum.

You just need to step outside and really take a good look around.  Click here for some quick stats of the neighborhood where my kid goes to school.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle

"The main source of the sickness of the German national body is charged to be the influence of the Jews, and although this was apparent to acute minds years ago, it is now said to have gone so far as to be apparent to the least observing". (Ford, 1920)

Imagine reading that in your local newspaper.  Imagine walking into a local car dealership and walking out with a pamphlet that said just that.  Would you be offended?  What if the person who printed it was Bill Gates, do you think people would listen?

In 1920 Henry Ford did just that.  One of the richest men in the country and a person who's innovations changed the world, he held anti-Semitic beliefs that Adolf Hitler admired!  Mr. Ford was even awarded a German medal in 1938.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of the average American.  Here was a titan of business, the man who made it possible for you to get in a car and drive to a town a couple hours away.  That was unthinkable just a few years before.  Now he is telling you that a certain group of people are bad.  Are you absolutely sure you would think he was crazy?

Before you say that you would never condone such a thing, take a few minutes to watch this 5 minute clip.  Though admittedly heavily edited, it will give you a good idea of just how influential Henry Ford was.  If you want to watch the full documentary click here.

Have we learned our lesson?

Intollerance

We are going to look at one of the worse example of intolerance.  We will see how opinions can be shaped and finally, take a look at some of the messages we are exposed to in our daily lives.

First, let's look at the book, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which were supposed to be the the written record from a secret meeting of Jewish leaders.  Dating from around 1900, it has long ago been proven to be a fake, but it continues to convince some that it is genuine.  Its message is that the Jewish people are conspiring to rule the word.  It details how they control the media, influence finance and promote war.

It's easy to see how someone like Hitler would use a book like this and use it he did.  By 1933 it was being taught in a few schools!

What is not so clear, and not often mentioned is how the man who invented the assembly line and produced millions of these...

http://www.history.com/topics/model-t

...used his power and influence to spread hate.

We may have our differences but we all want the same things.

Because we are so similar, it's not uncommon to feel uncomfortable around difference.