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Kelci Mueller
Professor Lo
R&SJ
January 11th 2015

Reflection
In the past term I have learned many things from resources in the class. These include:
discussions, group work, reading articles, essay writing, mentor session, and from the teachers
themselves. I have used the resources to learn more about why race exists and it has helped me
change my thinking patterns to care more about the injustices that happen here in America.
I used the term white in my paper What Classifies People as White because Haney
Lpez in the excerpt from the book White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race pointed out
that white was deep into the legal system. It was deep in the legal system because America
wanted to keep itself solely a European country. I also learned that it wasnt solely based on
looks but also it was based on common knowledge or scientific knowledge. Common
knowledge is the belief that everyone thinks the same way. While scientific knowledge is the
belief that there is a scientific reasoning behind race. The legal system had many biases towards
people, for example, Irish wasnt considered white for the longest time because Americans didnt
like the Irish people, even though they looked like every other European. Law puts an idea in
peoples mind that other races are inferior to whites and thus they should not be citizens of
America.

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Discussions were very helpful to understand the readings in a better light. Hearing other
peoples opinions on the matter helped me be more open minded and accepting of the topic. It
also helped me understand parts that I didnt understand before, and gave the readings a deeper
meaning than I interpreted them to be. Going in depth into the readings also help me because a
better reader for the future and better writer as well. I didnt know a whole lot about these topics
before going into the class but now I am starting to understand everything that includes the
meaning of race within the American system.
Group work helped me understand other peoples point of view in the class up close and
personal. Really getting to know my group members showed me that all the stuff on paper,
people believe and support in real life. Hearing others opinions changed mine because of the
personal aspect involved. Group work also pulled away from the materials we learned in class
and focused more on the more modern issues that we are experiencing today. Also the partner or
groups we formed in mentor session helped me learn more about my classmates and helped me
become more able to speak up in class about my opinions. This taught me that every opinion
matters whether or not I agree with it.
The essays I wrote helped me look more into the articles and find a deeper meaning than
the surface. I got better at writing essays and I got better at really learning about the topic. This
also helped me with grammar, citations, and quoting. With the help of discussions and mentor
session, overall I have become a better reader and writer throughout the course of the term.
Mentor session benefited me by helping me improve my social skills by meeting with
others in the class. It also helped me by giving me resources such as the library and the internet.
Other resources include power points that Miriam gave us to help with MLA and APA
formatting. She also helped us with strengthening our writing and with lengthening our essays so

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we are able to write longer and more efficiently. In mentor sessions we also analyzed videos and
articles within the class to discuss our opinions. Professor Lo and Miriam helped me understand
a lot about the history, law, and the sociology aspects of the articles, videos, and internet writings
behind race and racism.
These things will help me in the future understand the injustices within the system so that
when I become a cop, I can help make our justice system a better, racist free place. Or if I
become a lawyer I can help fight against the laws that were put in place and keep with my
morals. The class has also benefited me with my writing and understanding the readings better.
My social and speech skills have also improved because I was meeting people in the class who
shared the same opinions as me. Overall this class has been a huge impact for me and my
opinions.