Continuous Shifts of Women’s Role because of FeminismWomen from history and literature have been regarded as less inferior gender than men. Women’s roles and identity was often linked to home, family and childbearing.. Their roles created by society strictly confined to motherhood and domesticity.
The general notion that women is intellectually less capable than restricted them to get involve in politics and other societal movements. Politics, employment, leadership and even education were initially for men’s domain. Women in the past due to limited literacy accepted these roles as part of the “ natural order of things”. Their lives and the realities of their existence totally conformed to the given standard of the society. But these assumed roles for women started to reexamine in the end of the nineteenth century. The 20th century reflects a remarkable shift in the way the great numbers of people lived as a result of technological and ideological innovation. The growth of industrialization, immigration and urban centers overtime greatly influence the cultural background and traditional perspective about women. Some women’s movement in the past called the possibility that girls should be educated.
Literacy and education paved the way for more opportunities that will eventually make them discover their full potentials. The definition and constructed roles of women was being redefined. Girls’ became more aware that can do more aside from being a mother and a wife. As women becoming more knowledgeable and exposed to awareness of their potentials, they started to demand many rights from the U. S. government. This started when they call the right to vote. Women’s desire to be part of politics motivated numerous women’s movements that started in America.
There is an unending issue on how women must be treated in society. The women’s movement started from the abstract presentation and discussion over women’s status in 1846. It seeks to develop women’s individuality as someone equal and not inferior to men. The suggested resolution of women’s movement over time is to provide them equal rights with men. The groups of feminists in US nowadays are not content with the abstract discussion over giving women’s equal rights. They seek to win concrete action and law in giving them equal opportunities. Nevertheless, the feminists’ pursuit of happiness for equality is not easy. Some does not conform to the battle of women’s movement.
Though hard, liberation of thoughts and ideas about women is very evident.“ The Declaration of Seneca” in 1848 was the start of women’s movement. It suggests resolution to stop male tyranny and dominance over women. According to the law of God that “ man shall pursue his own true substantial happiness” and that “ all women and men are created equal” contradicts women’s status in history (“ Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions”). They clearly observed that the authority was not following God’s idea about men and women. The Declaration of Sentiments and 12 resolutions received unanimous endorsement, one by one, with a few amendments. The only resolution that did not pass unanimously was the call for women’s enfranchisement.
That women should be allowed to vote in elections was almost inconceivable to many. The Seneca Falls women had also optimistically hoped for “ a series of conventions embracing every part of the country”. Women’s Rights Conventions were held regularly from 1850 until the start of the Civil War. The women’s energetic campaign received so much attention and endorsements. (Eisenberg and Ruthsdotter, History of the Movement). In 1960’s the second wave of activism washed into the public consciousness (Eisenberg and Ruthsdotte).
One of the famous women’s movements is the National Organization for Women (NOW) which was established by a group of feminists in 1966. NOW, the largest women’s rights group in the US seeks to win US constitutional assurance of equality for women (Imbornoni). They believe “ the time has come to move beyond abstract, discussion and symposia over the status and special nature of women which has raged in America in recent years” (Friedan). This American women’s movement created a powerful and persuasive impact in education, politics, religion, rights especially in employment. As a matter of fact, the most dramatic impact of the women’s rights movement of the past few decades has been women’s financial liberation (Eisenberg and Ruthsdotte). Women were given more opportunities at work even those requires physical strength.
The status of women is changing over time. In 1972, the campaign for state ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment which simply states that “ Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” provided the opportunity for millions of women across the nation to become actively involved in the Women’s Rights Movement in their own communities (Eisenberg and Ruthsdotte). The pervasive influence of women’s movement in America over time seems unending. The call for continuous women’s movement in the US is inevitable. Some standards of religion and culture contradict the cry of equality between sexes. In addition, traditional society dictates that women and men were created to fulfill specific roles. Consequently, some people, especially men, still perceive women as homemakers.
However, the persistence of women’s movements in fighting for women’s dignity and rights has motivated the women and empowers them to explore their strengths and value. The cause that these groups are fighting for encourages women to fight for their individuality: that there is something more to them than being a housewife and a mother.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Bread and Roses ReviewBread and Roses’s plot deals with the struggle of poorly paid janitorial workers in Los Angeles. The main protagonists are two Mexican women who went to Los Angeles to work as janitors in one of the city’s largest corporate offices. They are considered illegal immigrants. The sisters’s journey started when they try to organize a janitorial union aiming to acquire better working conditions, health insurance and increased salary.
The janitorial union and movement though threaten their livelihood and family and ultimately risk their expulsion from the country. The story for me is simple yet straightforward. Everything is seen and perceive through the eyes of Maya, a Mexican illegal immigrant. The janitors simply want health care, better wages and a decent life. I believe that this movie calls for a social change that generally describes the life of blue collar workers.
The movie gives the viewers idea about American healthcare, big businesses and immigration laws and implementation. People around the world perceive America as a rich and powerful country that is very much ideal place to live on. This awareness motivates immigrants to work in US and try their luck.
Some people in other countries even take the risk of illegal immigration just to experience the promise of American life. But this movie took the risk to give the people a hint that America is not perfect after all. The story of this film provokes people to see the realities of the unjust treatment given to the employees. The movie also reaffirms the truth that everybody has their own story. Janitors that are often unnoticed have their own sense of individuality and identity. Whether you work in a white collar or blue collar job, or whether you are an illegal immigrant, everybody is entitled to have a decent life that has reasonable salary and benefits. The movie also tackled relationships between the union, the love story between Sam and Maya and family struggles.
These compositions evoke emotions. I learned to sympathize with Maya forgetting that she is an illegal immigrant. The movie not only calls for social change but the director manages to put some sense of entertainment and story. It opens the eyes about the realities of how hard it is to keep a union especially that it involves relationships. The events and the situation of the characters are rich and complex that made me appreciate them. However, the movie did not justify whether the establishment of the union by the illegal immigrants is right. Nonetheless this is a good movie that illustrates the other side of America.
;;;;;;;;;;;; Safety through ImmigrationThe article of Mark Krikorian entitled Safety through Immigration Control illustrates the immigration policies of United States and how terrorists still manage to outwit it. The writer suggests that United States policy from security against illegal immigration is not enough to stop the terrorist’s attacks. Krikorian believes that the enemies particularly in the Middle East exercised the option of terrorism acts through exploiting the weaknesses of the US immigration system.
The lack of effective immigration control according to Krikorian leaves the American naked in face of the enemy. In this case, Krikorian seems to persuade the US government to review the immigration system since the system has been successfully penetrated by some terrorists. There’s a need to innovate a newly systemize immigration system. Krikorian believes that US “ need more effective international coordination, improved intelligence gathering and distribution, special military operations” to ensure the safety of the American people. Krikorian’s article clearly persuades the US Government to be more strict and vigilant.
The growing number of illegal immigration depicts how people cleverly outwit the law. There is a greater possibility for the terrorists then to do the same and to do even more. Security for Krikorian to stop illegal immigration is not enough. There must be a stronger group of policies that will ensure the lives of American people.
Leniency may lead to great deal of loss and damage. Terrorist will do everything to take revenge on US and so the government must look all possible angles on how the enemy will attack. Life and death issue must not be taken for compromise.
So as long as there is still time, law makers must guarantee the safety and protection of every citizen. That is afterall their job. Aside from the possibility of the terrorist attacks, illegal immigration for me will also lead to exploitation of culture.
Immigrants afterall came from different religion, culture and race. Too much liberation of thoughts and ideas caused by multicultural is not beneficial somehow since it may create unhealthy transformation. Ultimately, illegal immigration will pave the way for the explosion of population, conflicting ideologies, environment, demography and financial problems to the government.
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Work Cited Page: Friedan, Betty. “ The National Organization for Women’s 1966 Statement of Purpose”. National Organization for Women. 2008.
2 October 2008 html> Gordon, Ann, ed. “ Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions.” Selected Papers of ElizabethCady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, vol. 1, In the School of Anti-Slavery, 1840 to 1866. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1997. The State University of New Jersey. 2 October 2008 rutgers. edu/docs/seneca. html#sen7> Imbornoni, Ann-Marie. “ Women’s Rights Movement in the U. S.” Information Please. 2007. Pearson Education, Inc. 2 October 2008 “ History of the Movement”. Living the Legacy: The Women’s Rights Movement. the National Women’s History Project. 1998.; www. legacy98. org;;;;;
