Week 2 Assignment Growing Up Poor in America Documentary Questions

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1. Shawn is one of the children who caught my attention. He is a 13 years old young boy who lives with his mother and little sister. He does have another brother but due to the house being small, he wasn't able to live with them. Although he wasn't in the future with the things he always wanted, he was happy to have what he had. But he knew his support system was small and very limited but he was grateful for them. He was also worried about his mother working knowing she was sick and was scared she might get sick. He seemed to help around the house in any way he could and did things as he was told. Another thing I noticed was him realizing all the things his mother did for him and his siblings even though she was limited to money and anything she was able to do. The way he expressed himself about one of his support systems Mrs. Matters, how he was aware she was sick but he was still happy he had her. When he found out she passed away he was divested, he showed exactly how he felt, the sadness he felt knowing he lost one of his support systems. The way he expressed his feelings about his teacher was an eye-opener as to him already knowing what is a good support system for you. He did have friends and he used his friends to support him. Especially during the time that Covid was just starting and he didn't have the same support as being in person. He didn't seem to be so mad at the fact that he couldn't have more, he walked to school to get the materials he needed for school with no complaints. His mother also describes him as a father figure to the little sister he has, that he takes over what she can do and steps up, he cares for his family as it seems and wants to be able to give them the best even though it might not be financially but with the best support, he can provide. 2. Shawns' mother seems to be like a great mother, one who makes sacrifices and wants to give kids what she can. Even though she is sick and can't work in order for her to keep the benefits she receives she has to work at the Salvation Army, it is the sacrifices she makes in order to give her kids what she can, the basic needs. Even though she might not have the transportation she wishes she could have, she still gets them to A and B destinations or what they need for food and school materials. She notices the type of kids she has and sees where Shawn helps her and the figures he plays in his sibling's life and her own. The stretches she makes in order for them to not fully become homeless or be in need of what others have is great. She has taught her son to be grateful for what she can give him. She knew Mrs. Matter was one of his supporters so seeing him devastated made her sad as well. During this time and moment, she offered him the resources she was able to provide for him or give him. She knew that he didn't want to speak with her and gave him options of where he could go whether it was with her or the counseling provided by the school. She made the perfect sacrifice that allowed herself to give her kids what they needed 3. One of the biggest parenting factors that caught my attention was giving her kids the space and the support they need. When Shawn's teacher passed away the mother knew maybe he didn't want my support and maybe it was easier for him to open up to someone else so she provided a different support system. Another parenting factor that caught my attention was the way she taught her kids to fight for what they wanted or to be who they were. She taught them that a multiracial family is okay, she showed them to be aware of how racial injustice does exist.
4. These two parental influences play a huge role in their lives. Kids should be able to understand and identify when they have and need a support system or when they need to speak with someone. They are being taught to be in touch with their emotions and react in a positive way. This creates a positive step and impact in our lives, where in life they are not second-guessing or confused with their thoughts and emotions. Being able to be okay with a multiracial family is also as important as standing up for what you believe in. Being a person of color or not being Caucasian is such a hazard, you face the racial acts when that is not okay. These kids should be aware that it is okay to have a multiracial family and to treat one another the same way. 5. These families rely on the foods that they give to get by and not starve of hunger. These families also rely on one another for shelter, while some are staying with friends, some are staying with their grandparents. In order to get the supplies that they are giving away they must need the people who volunteer or work to pass these things out. 6. Some of these people waited to get free food from the government's schools. They also relied on the government's help with the money whether it was health benefits, food benefits, or checks they received. 7. Sometimes people work but don't have enough due to the amount of kids they have or if they are sick. 8. Kids see they are limited to what they have which can cause them to see parents stressing financially, or stressing on what they can provide for them. 9. Some people live in homes that are in okay neighborhoods but are actually just crashing there and are living off a friend's home. 10. In 2020, the percentage of the total population that is in poverty was 11.4% 11. The racial group with the highest poverty rate is blacks and Hispanics 12. Women are more likely to be in poverty 13. The percentage difference in the poverty rate between men and women is about 4% - 5% 14. The age group that experiences the highest rate of poverty is 18 to 24 years 15. The percentage of the native-born population in poverty is 115 16. The region of the country that experiences the highest rate of poverty is the southern region 17. The other three regions in the nation are only at a 38% poverty rate while the lowest region has a 17% poverty rate. 18. The poverty rate among those without a high school diploma is 27.2 % 19. The poverty rate among those with a high school diploma but no college degree is 13.2% 20. During the phase of COVID-19, many people were facing many different obstacles. While some were facing financial difficulties, others were facing sickness difficulties. Even though some were sick in order to even keep the benefits they were receiving they had to work at the most unsanitary places to keep those jobs and benefits. During this time for one, I can relate to the fact that there were no in-person social gatherings. It began to feel lonely and it also began to feel as if everything was out of place. People were losing family members left and right whether it was because of Covid or it was because they were dealing with sickness. This time we were all fighting for the same
thing, the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement or other movements that were happening during these times.
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