Overview of archive material

From some documents of archive,I chose an oral interview with Mr.Tony Avena,a long time Queens resident and Queens merchant and businessman. Interviewer asked the family background and origins and the beginnings of working life in America of interviewee's father. His father was an Italian emigrant and first went into business in Manhattan.Interviewer tried to figure out as an immigrant how to survive and success the businesses and raise his children in New York. As an immigrant, I am interested that oral interview because I came to America at 1998. So we could see and compare what were the differences of economy,education and transportation.On that time, people could do everything. It seemed finding a job was more easy.Interviewee' father worked hard and finally owned stores. If you worked hard,you could have everything. Interviewee liked his school. I thought public and private school was not much different at that time.Therefore, we can conclude that the possibilities are there, they exit, they are difficult to achieve, but not impossible.

post # 4 ESSAY #2

This is my first part of essay#2

According to "Confronting Inequality" Paul Krugman describe that the America I gerw up in was a relatively equal middle class society.Over the past thirty years, all economic benefits in America have been fallen into the rich families. Most lower and middle classes try to overcome the inequality even they have little progress of economic growth(Krugman 322).It makes more economic inequality and segregation of people between a society as a whole. Also a lot of reasons such as lack of universal health care, unequal education and opportunity continue to inequalize among the poor and rich people.It is leading to social inequality. Especially poor and middle classes have been suffered the effects of economic inequality.So, we have to concern about the negative consequences of economic inequality among different social classes.

Class and Identidy Question 2

At the beginning of his essay, "Confronting Inequality,"(They Say, I Say) Paul Krugman asks "Why should we care about high and rising inequality? In his answer is the matter of living standard in the United States. The economic growth in America over the past thirty years has gone down. All economic benefits have been fallen into the rich families. Latest data from Congressional Budget Office shows that lower- and middle- income families' annual income is 384% different from rich families.This is a big gap between social classes. Economic inequality affects our society and our democracy.I agree with his response because today people from most of lower and middle class have been suffered the effects of economic inequality.Such as most workers get minimum wages,work more hours and spend less time for their family. People cannot afford health care for them and family members. Also they cannot give the basic education for their children.There are unequal opportunities among the rich and poor families. Finally,unemployment rate is increasing among poor- and middle- income families.

Inequality in the United States ( Extra credit )

The effects of economic inequality is growing more than three decades ago in the United States. According to "In Health Bill, Obama Attacks Wealth Inequality"," most of three decades,government policy and market forces have been moving in the same direction, both increasing inequality.The pretax incomes of the wealthy have risen up,but their tax rates have fallen more than rates for the middle class and poor. However the health bill pushes in the other direction. Many people cannot afford their medical care.The health reform bill will reverse that trend and everybody should have some basic security. It will also reduce a different kind of inequality but health reform hardly solves all of the American economy's problems.However Obama administrations have tired to balance between the market and the government.We,all expect to become different on that trend. We will understand how's important of his health bill soon.

A Paragraph from my draft post #2

Here is the beginning of essay

According to "Up Against Wal-Mart" from Karen Olsson, Wal-Mart makes their shareholder richer and attracts their customers with some words like "We sell for less" or everyday low price". However, Wal-Mart does not share its wealth with its workers.Wal-Mart's employers want to keep more profits and expend their businesses. Employees still get low pay.Workers are not allow to have a union. Also, employees in some states especially female workers are discriminated by denying promotions and equal pay. Wal Mart treats badly to its employees by different ways.

But,"Progressive Wal-Mart. Really."by Mallaby Sebastian describes the different aspects. So, which is the real effects today's workers face to?

About me

One day I saw a poster of LaGuardia College in the train. In the poster, a lady said "Now I'm

confident to become a Pediatrician because of LaGuardia College". This poster encouraged me to

become a student at LaGuardia College.I believe this will lead to my career.If you have

perseverance, you will be crowned with success sooner or later. I should do my best to Master

English, it is spoken all over the world. While there is life, there is hope. My father said someone

who wants to get to the forefront in life needs to work harder than others. I always remember

these words in mind.

Thinking about work

My name is Khin Phu, and I’m a student a LaGuardia Community College. I come from Yangon, a city in Burma in South-East Asia.After I married to my husband, I came to the United States in May 1998. Then another story started when my new life began. After the age of forty, I started my first step towards a career in this college by majoring in Liberal Arts. Actually, my major is nursing, but my ACT score was not good enough to take nursing classes. English is my second language. As you know, I face a lot of troubles with the language. I’m not familiar with the use of computers either.

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in my country from a medical college eighteen years ago. Now I work part time at a Chinese Clinic in Chinatown. It is related to my medical field and I hope to get lot of experience and opportunities. I take my responsibilities very seriously. I am proud of myself for doing this job. I never thought about living in American, even in my dreams. In the United States, most students work their way through college.Sometimes, I am depressed because it takes several years to acquire a good command of English. After

two years, I am enjoying my life at LaGuardia Community College. I like studying English, learning about computers.

All my classmates come from different countries and careers. We have difference reasons to come to college, but

we walk the same way for the future.