Mixed Hair, Mixed Me free essay sample

Growing up, Wednesdays were the bane of my existence. My white mother would tug and pull at my tangled curls lathered in sweetly scented conditioner while I, her helpless biracial child, cried my eyes out from sheer pain and frustration. Looking back, I could have spared washing my hair twice a week, but my mother and I probably could not have dealt with the emotional stress of the occasion. Every day I would wear my hair in one of the two hairstyles my mother could manage: a braided ponytail or pigtails. As a child of mixed race raised by a single white mother, I wanted nothing but long, straight, hair like my friends had. I wanted to be able to wear my hair down, swoop it out of my face or tuck it behind my ears. I begged my mother for wigs and hairpieces—anything that would make my hair less of a hassle. We will write a custom essay sample on Mixed Hair, Mixed Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She never obliged, and I would continuously long for more manageable hair. I was living in denial. I refused to accept the fact that I was different, even though deep down, I knew it was true. I did not look like my friends, whether they were white, black, Hispanic, or Asian. I always felt like the odd one out, and like any little girl, I desperately wanted to fit in. When I was twelve, a friend with similar hair to my own came to school with hers chemically relaxed. Astonished at the fact that her hair had gone from curly to straight overnight, I begged my mother until she finally agreed to take me to the hair salon. We drove thirty minutes one Saturday morning to a predominately African-American part of town. It was the first time I had been to a â€Å"black† hair salon. The whole place smelled of chemicals, flat irons, and burned hair, but I did not care. I would have gone to the ends of the earth to have straight hair. The process was long and painful. The feeling of chemicals literally burning my scalp was not pleasant, but well worth it; in a few hours, I would have pin straight hair like Barbie. The results were amazing. I sat in front of the mirror for hours just touching my hair and marveling at my self-improvement. Of course, the euphoria did not last long. I soon discovered that my hair would never look as good as it did when the hairdresser treated it. Although I spent hours in my tiny, hot bathroom making sure every piece was pin-straight, it never did look the same. I cut it shorter, thinking it would look better—it did not. It failed to make me the one thing I wanted to be: normal. On the second-to-last day of my sophomore year, I wore my hair curly and down. I do not know why I did, maybe I was just lazy that morning, but it felt wonderful. I was free—free of the pressure to be what I was not: white. My friends commented on how good my hair looked, and, for the first time in my life, I felt comfortable in my own mixed skin. My hair is big, wild, and difficult to manage, but I absolutely love it. I no longer let it define who I am. As I have grown older and my hair has changed, so have I as a person. Slowly but surely, I am becoming my own self. I am comfortable being me. I am neither black nor white; my hair is neither â€Å"nappy† nor â€Å"silky†; I am neither â€Å"ratchet† nor â€Å"prissy,† nor any other stereotype of blacks and whites. I am just me, Solina, the biracial girl who has finally accepted me for who I am, and I will not let anyone, especially myself, change that.

The Constitution Essays (2133 words) - United States Constitution

The Constitution The Constitution Right from the beginning of it's creation the constitution of the United States has been a shaky document. The very basis for it being there was in fact illegal. The story of American politics starts with the Declaration of Independence. This document was brilliantly written by Thomas Jefferson and compacted all of the great ideas of enlightenment into one short easy to read paper. The declaration stated all of the ideals the new American nation would strive for. A constitution was needed as a way in which to fulfill those goals. The articles of confederacy were created as that constitution. However, they were weak, because no state wanted to give away any of their powers, and so the articles eventually failed. That is when the modern day constitution was starting to form. The Articles of Confederacy stated that in order to change any part of the document all thirteen states must agree to the change. Therefor a meeting was called so that they could amend the failing articles. However, representatives from two of the states did not show up. Even though not all states were represented the meeting started and the first vote was to totally throw away the Articles of Confederacy. The constitution wasn't formed yet and it was already a flawed document. Because not all states were represented when the articles required it, the constitution was an illegal document. The delegates working on the constitution new that they needed a stronger document, because the articles proved too weak, but it still needed to please all of the states. This was impossible. So what ended up happening was the new ducocument became more and more vague. The only way to create a document that would pass was to make a document which didn't really solve any problems but make each state believe that there problems would be fixed. This was accomplished by making it so that it was too vague to offend anybody but you could read into it. This made for a document that would be seriously flawed because people would be able to read into it too much. It could not work. The Constitution of the United States of America was too vague to work. The way the constitution was written it gave power to four parts: the congress, the executive branch, the judicial branch, and the states. Because it was so vague it did not really define which powers went where (with a few exceptions). It left too much room to read into and take power away from other branches and into your branch to give yourself more power. The constitution leaves all unmentioned powers to the states, representing the people. This seems like that would be allot of power, and it would be, except that the other three branches would read into there powers and eventually take almost all powers so that the remaining powers were little and unconsiquencial. Throughout the history of the constitution the three branches of the government would time and time again expand their powers. Each time taking more powers away from the states and unbalance the system so that the original ideals set would be destroyed. Congress was split into two houses: the senate and the house of representatives. This was one of the ways which the constitution gave an unreal power to the people. The house is the only part of the government which is directly elected by the people. This made the people think they were getting a direct say in the government, but that wasn't true because everything done in the house would have to go through the senate which was run by the elite. throughout the years congress has constantly expanded their powers through a broad interpretation of the constitution and with every example they have abused the system by unbalancing powers and taking rights away from the people. The biggest thing they used to expand their powers was a small section of the constitution which they expanded to give them any power the saw proper of themselves to have. Article 1 section 8 clause 18 is called the elastic clause. This clause states that congress can make any laws necessary and proper to carry out their powers. This is one of the big reasons the constitution can not work. this clause is just too vague to allow any understanding of what congress's powers are. Congress would take this clause to the extreme. It does say the can only make laws which would complement their listed powers. However, they took it to mean they could do anything necessary to carry out their ?job,? which of coarse is

The eNotes Blog The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoesor Feminist Bunnies,Unite!

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoesor Feminist Bunnies,Unite! The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes  was one of my very favorite books when I was a little girl in the early-mid (cough) 70s. I didnt really know it then, but this engaging tale of a single mother bunny who works her way from the lowly ranks of a worker to becoming the Easter Bunny, champions feminist ideals. From the time the protagonist bunny is a little girl, she insist that she  will  become an Easter bunny, despite the people who doubted her and despite the fact that   Easter bunnies were, and had  always been,  boys. For years, the young girl bunny practiced. But then one day much to her surprise, there were twenty-one cottontail babies to take care of. And the other, older, boy bunnies laughed at her and said, What did we tell you? Only a country bunny would go and have all those babies! Now go take care of them and leave the the Easter Eggs to great big men bunnies like us! For a while, the mother puts her dream away. But as soon as the children get big enough, she gives them all special chores to do. Everyone is finally able to take care of the home while she, once again, pursues her dream. There are trials and set backs, like a twisted ankle, but the tenacious mother overcomes them all. She fulfills her dream of being an Easter bunny, her children are FINE and better FOR having a mother who is happy and fulfilled. In the early and mid-seventies, none of these messages seemed particularly radical to me. After all, Second Wave feminism was in full swing and all of the ideas in Du Bose Haywards story were ones I heard all the time. Maria on Sesame Street sported a tool belt, Helen Reddy (God help us) was belting out I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar (Yes, really, young ones.) I saw Gloria Steinem on television and on the covers of magazines at the checkout counter. Several of my teachers were called Ms., not Mrs. or Miss and I didnt think it odd. BUT this quiet little book was written not in the 1970s, but in 1939. You might better know Du Bose Heyward for the adaptation of his novel  Porgy,  which became the Broadway sensation,  Porgy and Bess.    Put  that  in your corn cob pipe and smoke it, Peter Rabbit!

1949 UN Resolution Calling for Referendum on Kashmir

1949 UN Resolution Calling for Referendum on Kashmir Pakistan was carved out of India in 1947 as the Muslim counterweight to Indias Hindu population. Predominantly Muslim Kashmir to the north of both countries was divided between them, with India dominating two-thirds of the region and Pakistan one third. A Muslim-led revolt against the Hindu ruler triggered a build-up of Indian troops and an attempt by India to annex the whole in 1948, provoking a war with Pakistan, which sent troops and Pashtun tribesmen to the region. A UN commission called for the withdrawal of both countries troops in August 1948. The United Nations brokered a cease-fire in 1949, and a five-member commission made up of Argentina, Belgium, Columbia, Czechoslovakia and the United States drew up a resolution calling for a referendum to decide Kashmirs future. The full text of the resolution, which India never allowed to be implemented, follows. Resolution of the Commission of January 5, 1949 The United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, Having received from the Governments of India and Pakistan, in communications dated 23 December and 25 December 1948, respectively, their acceptance of the following principles which are supplementary to the Commissions Resolution of 13 August 1948: 1. The question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite; 2. A plebiscite will be held when it shall be found by the Commission that the cease-fire and truce arrangements set forth in Parts I and II of the Commissions resolution of 13 August 1948 have been carried out and arrangements for the plebiscite have been completed; 3. (a) The Secretary-General of the United Nations will, in agreement with the Commission, nominate a Plebiscite Administrator who shall be a personality of high international standing and commanding general confidence. He will be formally appointed to office by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.(b) The Plebiscite Administrator shall derive from the State of Jammu and Kashmir the powers he considers necessary for organizing and conducting the plebiscite and for ensuring the freedom and impartiality of the plebiscite.(c) The Plebiscite Administrator shall have authority to appoint such staff of assistants and observes as he may require. 4. (a) After implementation of Parts I and II of the Commissions resolution of 13 August 1948, and when the Commission is satisfied that peaceful conditions have been restored in the State, the Commission and the Plebiscite Administrator will determine, in consultation with the Government of India, the final disposal of Indian and State armed forces, such disposal to be with due regard to the security of the State and the freedom of the plebiscite.(b) As regards the territory referred to in A.2 of Part II of the resolution of 13 August, final disposal of the armed forces in that territory will be determined by the Commission and the Plebiscite Administrator in consultation with the local authorities. 5. All civil and military authorities within the State and the principal political elements of the State will be required to co-operate with the Plebiscite Administrator in the preparation for the holding of the plebiscite. 6. (a) All citizens of the State who have left it on account of the disturbances will be invited and be free to return and to exercise all their rights as such citizens. For the purpose of facilitating repatriation there shall be appointed two Commissions, one composed of nominees of India and the other of nominees of Pakistan. The Commission shall operate under the direction of the Plebiscite Administrator. The Governments of India and Pakistan and all authorities within the State of Jammu and Kashmir will collaborate with the Plebiscite Administrator in putting this provision into effect.(b) All person (other than citizens of the State) who on or since 15 August 1947 have entered it for other than lawful purpose, shall be required to leave the State. 7. All authorities within the State of Jammu and Kashmir will undertake to ensure, in collaboration with the Plebiscite Administrator, that: (a) There is no threat, coercion or intimidation, bribery or other undue influence on the voters in the plebiscite;(b) No restrictions are placed on legitimate political activity throughout the State. All subjects of the State, regardless of creed, caste or party, shall be safe and free in expressing their views and in voting on the question of the accession of the State to India or Pakistan. There shall be freedom of the press, speech and assembly and freedom of travel in the State, including freedom of lawful entry and exit;(c) All political prisoners are released;(d) Minorities in all parts of the State are accorded adequate protection; and(e) There is no victimization. 8. The Plebiscite Administrator may refer to the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan problems on which he may require assistance, and the Commission may in its discretion call upon the Plebiscite Administrator to carry out on its behalf any of the responsibilities with which it has been entrusted; 9. At the conclusion of the plebiscite, the Plebiscite Administrator shall report the result thereof to the Commission and to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. The Commission shall then certify to the Security Council whether the plebiscite has or has not been free and impartial; 10. Upon the signature of the truce agreement the details of the foregoing proposals will be elaborated in the consultations envisaged in Part III of the Commissions resolution of 13 August 1948. The Plebiscite Administrator will be fully associated in these consultations; Commends the Governments of India and Pakistan for their prompt action in ordering a cease-fire to take effect from one minute before midnight of 1 January 1949, pursuant to the agreement arrived at as provided for by the Commissions Resolution of 13 August 1948; and Resolves to return in the immediate future to the Sub-continent to discharge the responsibilities imposed upon it by the Resolution of 13 August 1948 and by the foregoing principles.

The World Bank and IMF effects on developing countries Essay

The World Bank and IMF effects on developing countries - Essay Example United States, being the biggest stakeholder holds 17% of the vote in World Bank while all African countries have less than 9% vote (â€Å"The World Bank and IMF in Africa†,2008). Despite six decades of uninterrupted function, according to United Nations development program, over a fifth of world’s population lives below international standard of poverty line of $1 a day, another 1.6 billion survive between one and two dollar. One third of world’s population is either unemployed or underemployed. Combined incomes of richest fifth of the world population was over 60 times greater than the poorest fifth in 1998,in 1997 41% of Third World had no access to safe drinking water,57% had no access to sanitation,40% of children under five were underweight, 840 million people malnourished and under five mortality rate was 169/1000 live births. Moreover, external debt repayment or servicing amounts to 92.3% of the GDP and the list goes on (Ecologist, 2000). Since Asian financial crisis, role of IMF in managing the economies of developing countries is facing severe criticism. Non-governmental bodies have always been concerned about African development and IMF’s role in helping or hampering the process. Moreover, increasing debates over US economic policy for Africa and international pressures for poor countries debt cancellation highlighted IMF policies in Africa. Increasing external debt and multiplying IMF’s power also diverted the attention towards the impact of IMF’s economic policies in African countries (Naiman & Watkins 1999). Davison Budhoo resigned from IMF in 1988 in revulsion over policies what he identified as IMF’s â€Å"Increasingly genocidal policies.†Operations of these agencies proved to be catastrophic (Budhoo n.d., p.20). ‘Instead of development and favourable adjustment, the Third World today is in an accelerated spiral of economic and social decline. That

ECON337 4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ECON337 4 - Coursework Example These especially were; iron and steel, ships, chemicals and petroleum products. The growth of heavy manufacturing industries in Japan after World War II can mainly be to increased exports and wages of male workers(Paul & Hart., pp.110-111). The export of heavy-manufactured products increased as compared to the earlier over-reliance on domestic markets. The increased male wage and improved working conditions improved their purchasing power for the heavy manufactured goods like automobiles and advanced electronic products increasing the local market. In addition, the ability of Japan to keep real wage increases below productivity gains ensured that the heavy manufacturing industries would still make profits despite the increased labor costs. This gave Japan an added advantage over most of its international counterparts leading to rapid growth and export success (Paul & Hart, p.112). The industries scrapped off during this period were mainly the light manufacturing sector. These are the production of cotton textiles, synthetic textiles and labor-intensive electronic production- including radio, TV’s, and Tape recorders. The reason for scrapping off such industries was mainly the rising cost of labor in the country and external pressure from its bilateral (US &European governments) and multilateral trade partners (IMF, OECD & GATT).Unlike the heavy and chemical manufacturing industries that predominantly depended on male labor, the light manufacturing sector would accommodate both male and female employment. In this case, women, labor would be preferred since it would be cheap. Unfortunately, after WWII even women labor became expensive mostly due to the rapid growth of output as well as employment. As Japan increased its share of the worlds manufactured export market, other capitalists countries felt threatened and imposed import restrictions on Japan and demanded that it liberalizes its imports. This was mainly in

The Decomposition of Copper Carbonate Essay Example for Free

The Decomposition of Copper Carbonate Essay Planning Coursework Aim Our project is to find out what products are formed when copper carbonate decomposes. Copper has 2 oxides, Cu2O and CuO. We are told that one of the following two equations are correct: Equation 1 (Eqn1): 2 CuCO3 (s) Cu2O (s) + 2 CO2 (g) + 1/2 O2 (g) Equation 2 (Eqn2): CuCO3 (s) CuO (s) + CO2 (g) Calculations I have to find out which of the two are correct by experimentation. By looking at the equations, I can see that gas is given out. Collecting this gas will be a good way to find out which equation is correct. I will collect the gas in a 100cm3 gas syringe. Therefore I want to be collecting about 80cm3 of gas per amount of copper carbonate. Eqn1 Ratio copper carbonate : gas 2 : 2 + 1/2 1 : 1.25 Eqn2 Ratio copper carbonate : gas 1 : 1 Above states that 2 1/2 moles of gas are produced in Eqn1. I know that 1 mole of gas occupies 24000cm3 in standard room temperature and pressure. I have stated that I want to collect about 80cm3. This means that I wasnt to collect 80/24000 moles of gas. This is equal to 0.00333. (recurring) moles of gas. Out of the 0.0033 moles of gas collected, 2 of them have to be moles of CO2 and 0.5 of them are moles of 02 2.5 2.5 So in Eqn1 we want 2 x 0.0033 moles of CO2 to be collected which is 0.00266 moles 2.5 According to the Eqn, the mole ratio of CuCO3 to CO2 is 2:2. This means we need 0.00266 moles CuCO3 to be decomposed in oreder to create the 80cm3 of gas. From this we can find the mass of CuCO3 to be used, by using the formula: Mass = moles x RFM (relative formula mass) = 0.00266 x (63.5 + 12 + (16 x 3) ) = 0.329g So in Eqn1, using 0.329g CuCO3 should produce about 80cm3 gas. Using 0.329g CuCO3 in Eqn2 should give less than 80cm3 gas. I shall prove this: CuCO3 (s) CuO (s) + CO2 (g) Mass of CuCO3 0.329g Moles of CuCO3 0.00266 Moles of CO2 produced 0.00266 Volume of CO2 produced 0.00266 x 24000 = 63.9cm3 Therefore, I know that whichever Eqn is correct, using 0.329g CuCO3 will not produce over 80cm3, and therefore the gas will definitely be able to fit into the gas syringe Diagram Key: This represents the syringe being held by a retort stand and also the boiling tube being held by tongues Method * Weigh exactly about 0.329g powdered copper carbonate * Set out apparatus as above * Put copper carbonate into boiling tube and put bung on. Bung should be as tight as possible to ensure it is air tight and to minimise the amount of gas lost * Attach delivery tube to gas syringe making sure plunger is fully depressed * Light the Bunsen on a yellow flame for safety and then turn it to a blue flame when ready to begin experiment * Apply Bunsen burner under boiling tube, wafting it under the copper carbonate * I know when the reaction has stopped by when the copper carbonate has gone red or black (depending whether Cu2O or CuO is produced). * Also, when the reaction stops, the plunger on the gas syringe will stop moving * It might be necessary to wait to let the syringe and its contents to cool down so that the gas occupies the correct volume I need to make sure the experiment is fair to ensure accurate results. From past experience, I know that when the syringe is fully depressed, but then the bung is added, the syringe plunger extends a bit. However in this experiment, the reaction wont start straight away. Therefore I will need to make sure that I push the plunger back in before heat is applied. The experiment will be repeated 3 times and a mean of the results will be taken. All of the results must be concordant with the mean. This will reduce chance of any anomalous data being used. The condition must remain constant throughout each experiment. The collected gas should be at standard room temperature and pressure. There is another test that could help find which equation is correct. In both equations CO2 is produced. To check this, we could bubble the gas through limewater, which turns milky in presence in CO2. However, in eqn1 O2 is also produced. The test for the presence of O2 is to place a glowing splint into the gas. If it relights, O2 is present. However, this method is not very adequate as the amount of O2 produced is very small in comparison to the CO2, and even if it was present it still might not affect a glowing splint Results Providing under about 70cm3 of gas is produced, it shows that no oxygen is produced and so we can say that the 2nd equation is correct Precautions During experiment, safety goggles should be worn throughout. Wear a lab coat so that it may be removed, without problem, if chemicals spill onto it. Plastic gloves should be worn to prevent chemical contact with skin. Also, when handling Bunsen burners, care should be taken. Copper (I) oxide (Cu2O) may be harmful if swallowed or if inhaled, could irritate lungs. If in contact with eye, rinse thoroughly with water for 15 mins and seek medical attention if problem persists. If in contact with skin, rinse with soap and water, and if swallowed in reasonable quantity, seek medical attention Copper (II) Oxide (CuO) Causes eye irritation, can damage cornea. Flush eyes with water for 15 mins. Irritates skin and can discolour it. If contact should occur, wash skin with soap and water. If swallowed, can cause damage to kidneys and liver. May also cause vascular collapse. However, do not induce vomiting, but drink cupfuls of milk. Id breathing is difficult do not give mouth to mouth resuscitation Copper Carbonate (CuCO3) risks are similar, yet not so hazardous. However treat with similar care. Do induce vomiting if swallowed Bibliography http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/~hmc/hsci/chemicals/copper_I_oxide.html chemical safety on Copper (I) Oxide http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/MSDS/CuO.htm chemical safety on Copper (II) Oxide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper%28I%29_oxide general information on the copper oxides