Multi #6 - New superhero is Muslim-American teen

I had never thought about this until I saw this article headline on CNN today.  The headline to the article reads, "Marvel's newest superhero is Muslim-American teen."  This definitely got me thinking about all of the superheroes I know.  All of them are white.  Just take a look at the picture I inserted above.  They are pretty much all white.  In fact, they are all white from what I can see.  The ones that are not white aren't exactly human; for example the Hulk and the Thing.  They are different due to the fact they are not human, not because they are of a different race.  Looking at this I am kind of appalled writers did not incorporate any type of diversity within superheroes.  Now---there very well could be superheroes of a different race that I don't know about because I'm not an expert in this area, but thinking about the major superheroes myself none of them are of a different race.  This article doesn't even really address that the newest superhero is a of a different race until the very end of the article.  It mostly talks about how they want this 16-year-old girl, Kamala Khan, who is a superhero to relate to girls who are going through adolescence.  "Like any teenager, all of her opportunities are in front of her and she is full of potential, but her parents' high expectations come with tons of pressure and has led Kamala to carve out a future that she has little interest in," (Duke, 2013).

Article can be found here.  The article talks about how Kamala is exploring many facets of her identity and is finding out who she is based on challenges that rock the core of her conservative values (Duke, 2013).  I think this can be true for everyone.  I mean who doesn't stand by their values when they are challenged?  I certainly do.  One part of the article that I did not like was how it stereotyped a group of girls.  Stereotyping is a form of prejudice and discrimination of certain groups (Erford & Hays, 2014).  The writer quoted, "High school was a very vivid time in my life, and so I drew heavily on those experiences--impending adulthood, dealing with school, emotionally charged friendships that are such a huge part of being a teenager.  It's for all the geek girls out there, and everyone else who's ever look at life from the fringe," (Duke, 2013).  Can you pick out the stereotype the writer used?  Geek girls?  Why does this have to pertain to "geek girls"?  What is a definition of geek girls?  I'd like to know his answer to that.  I feel like he could have worded it differently.  This superhero could relate to ALL girls and this superhero could also be a step in the right direction for more diversity within this area.  That is what the article should really talk about.

Article:

Duke, A. (Producer). (2013, November 06). Marvel's newest superhero is a Muslim-American teen [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/showbiz/ms-marvel-muslim-superhero/index.html?hpt=en_c2 

References:

 Erford, B., & Hays, D. (2014). Developing multifulcutural counseling competence: A systems approach. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

I said YES!

It finally happened everyone and I couldn't be happier!  Jared asked me to marry him on my favorite holiday!  I was hoping he would ask me on Halloween because of how much I love it.  I was hoping he would pop the question on Halloween night and he did.  What I didn't expect was how he did it.  He had his cousin's little kids (ages three and five) dress up as bride and groom and come to "trick-or-treat" at our house.  We have babysat the two quite a bit and am glad he chose them to be his little helpers. The little boy was holding a sign that said 'Will you marry me?' and that was one of the first things I saw as I opened the door for who I thought were trick-or-treaters. It was perfect. I was excited and confused and asked if what was happening was for real about four times and it was real :)

Multi #5 - New 'Third Sex' law aims to reduce surgery

The definition of intersex, according to experts on CNN's coverage on Germany's new third sex law, is when "a child cannot be identified as male or female due to physical variations.  Another piece to this definition includes the child's hormonal and genetic makeup may also impact gender identification," (Mann, 2013).  It doesn't mean they are born with both a penis and a vagina.  It has to do with the difficulty of deciding which part they have due to the size of the private area.  The video gave some statistics on how many intersex births there are; an estimated 1 in every 1,500-2,000 births (Mann, 2013).  Now, I have heard of individuals who are born with this condition, but I never knew that there could possibly be another option used for gender identity when someone is born this way.  German lawmakers hope that this new law will take the pressure off parents to opt for surgery when a child is born with this condition.  German's third sex law gives parents the option to register their child as "intersex" at birth.

Germany's New 'Third Sex' Law video

Makes me want to ask the question....Can individuals with this condition, who are already grown adults, change their gender registration?  Or can it only be done at birth?  They should have the choice throughout their life span, I believe.  I have not personally known anyone with this condition but I believe if adults who were born with this were given the opportunity to change their gender they should be able to.  I feel like giving them the power to change their registration would be a sense of security, freedom, or choice.  Being confused about your own gender can be frustrating, scary, and just hard to deal with.  A person with this condition may have trouble with their definition of gender identity.  It may be difficult for them to pin point theirs and giving them one more option might help.  Gender identity is the belief a person has about his or her gender and that includes the psychological aspect of it (Erford & Hays, 2014).  I feel that if these individuals were given this new option that it would help them with their gender identity.  They might be more confident in themselves and would have some stress taken off their shoulders.  Although having more options can be good, it can be bad as well.  In this case I think it would be good.

Video:

Mann, J. (Producer). (2013, November 1). 'Third Sex' Law aims to reduce surgery [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/11/01/ctw-germany-third-gender-annand-saggar-intv.cnn.html 

Reference:

 Erford, B., & Hays, D. (2014). Developing multifulcutural counseling competence: A systems approach. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Multi #4 - Can low SES lead to better health benefits for Hispanics?

When Jessica Rodriguez, 39, found out she had breast cancer she was scared.  She didn't know how she was going to pay for treatment and she was afraid of what stage the cancer was in.  Article can be found here.  According to the American Cancer Society, "more often in Hispanics than whites, breast cancer is detected at an advanced stage" (Landau, 2013).  Not everyone has access to health care and that is one of the reasons why there is a later detection of breast cancer in Hispanic women (Landau, 2013).  This was the case for Rodriguez.  She did not have health insurance and was classified as low SES.  A 2013 study in the International Journal for Equity in Health found that, "among Hispanics in Texas, mortality rates for several cancers tend to be lower among those with more socioeconomic deprivation. A low mortality rate does not correspond with low socioeconomic status in whites and African-Americans. The phenomenon associating Hispanics with better health outcomes despite lower average income and education rates is called the 'Hispanic paradox" (Landau, 2013).  When the word cancer is brought up in Latina families it is considered to be synonymous with death (Landau, 2013).  When things started to look grim for Rodriguez she found an ogranization called Nueva Vida.  Nueva Vida is a support network for Latinas with cancer based in Washington.  The organization tries to address needs such as breaking language barriers that Latinas have when consulting with doctors, paying for treatment, and finding support from others who are going through similar situations (Landau, 2013).  This organization has been a great source for Rodriguez.  The organization covered her surgery, chemo, and radiation.  The support has been great and she is now clear of cancer.  She is even a Zumba instructor through Nueva Vida and is giving back to the organization that gave her so much.  "The women in this organization have a lot of need and they are my survivor sisters," she says.

Being in this multiculturalism class has opened my eyes to a lot.  I thought socioeconomic status only had to do with how much money an individual makes per year.  I had no idea it included educational attainment and occupational prestige.  Our book defines socioeconomic status (SES) as "a comparative measure of class standing, or status, based on a combination of educational attainment, income level, and occupational prestige," (Erford & Hays, 2014, p. 161).  According to the article, Rodriguez was considered to be in a low socioeconomic status, but it didn't say anything about her education or occupation.  It just talked about her struggle to find a way to pay for treatment.  I find it interesting that the research said Hispanics with lower SES tend to have better health outcomes than compared with Whites or African-Americans.  I would think the outcomes would be the same for everyone.  To me I feel there are a lot of organizations out there for all races to help those in need and have a low SES.  Not just Hispanics.  A lot of people get angry at the fact there is so much support and help out there for individuals with low SES.  I'm a fan of organizations helping out but I am not a fan of those who take those organizations for granted.  Rodriguez is one individual that did not take the extra support for granted.

Article:

Landau, E. (2013, October 10). 'sister survivors': Latinas band together in breast cancer battle. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/health/hispanic-breast-cancer-disparities/index.html?iref=allsearch 

References:

Erford, B., & Hays, D. (2014). Developing multifulcutural counseling competence: A systems approach. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Multi. #3 - Girls CAN Play Football

I have wanted to write about this story since it came out in March.  I wanted to write about it because I can totally relate to it.  A girl, by the name of Caroline Pla, loved the sport of football.  In fact she loved it so much she played it with the boys on an organizational football team.  She didn't care.  All I have to say is.....YOU GO GIRL!  When I was younger I did the exact same thing.  I wasn't on a team or anything but I was the only girl in my neighborhood who played football and basketball with the boys.  I liked it and wanted to prove that just because I was a girl didn't mean I couldn't do the same stuff they did.  Not to toot my own horn, but I was a tough little shit and could stand my ground.  This Philadelphia girl reminds me of what it means to stand your own ground when it comes to tough situations.  The situation she went through not many girls go through.  Caroline was part of a Catholic Youth Organization football team and loved it.  She loved playing and being with her teammates (Donvan & Thorry, 2013).   After two years of playing for her team someone filed a complaint and wanted Caroline off the team simply because she was a girl.  A video of the story can be found here.  Caroline was allowed to finish the rest of the 2012 season but would not be able to play the 2013 season.  Caroline's parents didn't tell her until the end of the season and fought for her to be back on the team.  Caroline didn't understand why she couldn't play the game she loved just because she was a girl.  "My mom told me and I was just really mad, because I just really wanted to play and I wanted to be able to have other girls be able to play," Caroline said (Donvan & Thorry, 2013).

Determined to play again Caroline's parents encouraged her to try and change the rules.  And that's exactly what she did.  She set up her own public campaign giving interviews, appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres show," and she even started an online petition that collected over 100,000 signatures.  One of the reasons given to the "no girl rule" was that it was too dangerous for girls (Donvan & Thorry, 2013).  Given the fact that Caroline was the same size and had the same skills as the boys she played against she was fine to play.  When I played sports with the boys in my neighborhood I wasn't always the same size but I definitely had the same skills as them and I proved myself.  This is exactly what Caroline was doing.  She wanted people to know she deserved to play and COULD play even if she was a girl.  It's a shame this girl had to encounter sexism at such a young age.  Sexism is defined as "the oppression of individuals based on gender," (Erford & Hays, 2014, p. 108).  This negative message that girls can't play football simply because they are a girl could have had a big impact on Caroline.  She could have actually believed this crap, which is called internal sexism.  Caroline was tough though and did not want to believe it.  After campaigning and gathering many supporters the organization changed their mind and decided to let Caroline back on the team and will be able to play in the 2013 season.

Article:

Donvan, J., & Thorry, D. (2013, March 14). Girl, 11, allowed to play football, philadelphia archbishop rules. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/11-year-girl-allowed-play-football-archbishop-philadelphia/story?id=18732119

Reference:

Erford, B., & Hays, D. (2014). Developing multifulcutural counseling competence: A systems approach. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Multicul. post #2 - Villain or Hero?

Crystal Kelley, a single mom, has been called both a villain and a hero for a decision she made about a year ago.  A video of the story is here.  Kelley was chosen to be a surrogate for a couple who wanted a baby and each party was very excited about it.  About half way through Kelley's pregnancy an ultrasound showed the baby Kelley was carrying was going to have mental and physical disabilities (Wilson, 2013).  Upon finding this out Kelley and the parents were devastated.  The parents came to the conclusion they did not want the baby to be born and suffer due to these health problems.  They offered Kelley $10,000 to abort the baby.  Kelley did not agree with what the parents wanted, even though the baby was not of her genetic make-up, and did not comply.  She refused to get an abortion, but at one point during a "weak moment" she said she told the parents she would consider it if the pay was $15,000 (Wilson, 2013).  After the parents refused, Kelley felt terrible she even considered it and packed herself and her kids up and moved to Michigan where law made her the legal mother of the unborn child (Wilson, 2013).  Kelley stayed in Michigan during the last couple months of her pregnancy and gave birth to a baby girl.  She did not keep the little girl, but found a couple whom adopted her.  Kelley still visits the little girl.

The article goes more in depth about cost and who is responsible for the child's treatment.  It also talked about a man (Peter38j) who adopted a little boy who had complex health problems (Wilson, 2013).  "He still faces a number of surgeries going forward, but he is the joy of our lives," Peter38j wrote. "He attacks the world with energy and a joy that is infectious to those around him. It is a completely different challenge than our previous three kids, but he's our son and not for a second do we look at him as anything but our son" (Wilson, 2013).  I think what this man said is great.  Yes, individuals are born with challenges and certain disabilities, but what's wrong about individuals who aren't normal?  This baby was already dealing with ableism before it was even born.  She was facing negative consequences due to the disabilities she was going to have (Erford & Hays, 2014).  A disability is defined as "mental or physical impairment that affects at least one of an individual's daily activities," (Erford & Hays, 2014, p. 9).  The little girl did have mental and physical impairments, but that didn't stop her from growing and staying on track with the rest of the infants her age.  She was grabbing for things and babbling.  She was becoming her own little person.  As a society we shouldn't focus on letting the disability define the individual, but let the individual define the disability.

Article:

Wilson, J. (2013, March 05). Surrogate mother: A new wrinkle in the abortion debate. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/05/health/surrogacy-comments-roundup/index.html?hpt=op_bn1

Reference:

Erford, B., & Hays, D. (2014). Developing multifulcutural counseling competence: A systems approach. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVEweQr2KRA

Fall, Halloween, and a baby!

Fall and Halloween
It's slowly getting colder here in Iowa and I love it! Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. It involves football, volleyball, tailgating, bonfires, comfy sweatshirts, changing of the leaves, cool decorations, hay rack rides, picking out and carving pumpkins, spooky things, and last but not least....HALLOWEEN!! I fah-reaking love Halloween. My brother's birthday is in October and I am kind of jealous of him for it but having a birthday in April is pretty B.A. too. In a couple of days it will be October 1st which means I start putting my Halloween decorations up. Whoop whoop! I have orange lights, pumpkins, glowing eyes to put in the windows, window stickers, a skeleton, a ghost named Ghosty (Jared gave him that name because that is what they named the ghost at his house growing up) whom I put up in the second floor window that you can see from outside, and I even have those little toys that McDonald's used to give out in their happy meals during Halloween. Remember those? Yep, I still have 'em. They are cute decorations, why would I throw them away?!

One tradition that I do every October is watch the movie Hocus Pocus. "Boooooooooook." Who doesn't love Sarah, Mary, and Winnie Sanderson? I certainly do! In fact I think I may dress up like a witch this year if I end up having a party or going to a party. I think being a witch would be fun! Which reminds me....I always have dreams of riding a broom stick around this time of the year. I hate waking up after one of those dreams! Witches, ghosts, goblins, cemeteries, you name it, have always intrigued me and I don't know why. The paranormal has been an interest of mine for a long time. When I was a senior in high school I would tell people I wanted to be a Paranormal Psychologist. I just want to know how the after life works and why some spirits roam around while others don't. Or do they? I know there are a lot of skeptics out there and that's fine they can be skeptics, but look at all the evidence that has been caught or the number of people who have had experiences. Just sayin'. My point is....anything that has to do with magic, Halloween, and the paranormal is freaking awesome.

Baby Jetter!

My best friend is having a flipping baby y'all! I still can't believe there is a baby in there. She has wanted a baby ever since she was in high school. She wouldn't have actually had a kid in high school, though. She just really likes babies and being a mom was a dream of hers. She told me about it a couple weeks ago and let's just say it took some convincing me that she was actually pregnant. I freaked out. There was a lot of, "Are you serious?! Is this real life?!" Only me and a couple of other people knew and she wanted to find a way to tell the rest of our friends. Her birthday was this past weekend and her husband decided to throw her a fake surprise party. Meaning that she knew about the party and would use her birthday as an excuse to get all of our friends together to tell them she was having a baby! Cool idea huh? My friend Kenzie and I planned the party and it was SO hard to keep my mouth shut for two weeks while we planned this. Kenzie made them shirts to wear when they walked in to the "surprise". We got everyone to their house and when Hallie and Eric walked in there was a lot of surprising going on. I loved it! I couldn't be happier for my bestie and Eric. They will be great parents and I can't wait to babysit and continuously ask Hallie questions about what it's like being pregnant. Gross questions and all :)