Culture

By Uyen Pham

With the recent rise of sensations such as BTS and Blackpink, K-pop has quickly become one of the biggest genres in the music industry. Short for Korean pop, K-pop represents South Korea’s popular musical background and has made a name for itself. Over the recent years, K-pop has gained more traction in the western scene, but why? 

Unlike western pop, K-Pop incorporates unique elements from bright and colorful costumes to perfectly choreographed dance moves, making it a genre like no other. K-pop songs cater to fans with different kinds of music tastes and usually incorporate several different languages in the same song. Languages such as English and Japanese are present in many songs along with Korean. 

The idols themselves also add to the attraction. Similar to Western-style groups, members of musical groups are given certain roles, like the main dancer and singer. Usually, K-pop groups participate in various variety shows to show their personalities, and that is how fans start to become attracted to the groups and the idols themselves. Furthermore, it isn’t uncommon to have a member fluent in English, which contributes to marketing in America. Aside from singing and dancing, members of musical groups use their platforms to promote messages of loving and being yourself, chasing your dreams, and having fun.

 "Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice, and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin color, gender identity: speak yourself.” - Kim Namjoon, RM of BTS.

The reason for the rise in popularity has much to do with social media. K-pop groups make use of social media to interact with their fans and spread their reach with live videos on an app called Vlive, funny behind-the-scenes shots on Youtube, selfies, and fashion shoots. This makes following groups a hobby itself, with endless content to explore.

In the end, K-pop is music and wants to connect everyone together. No matter who you are or what language you speak music is music and it’s made to be heard by everyone. 

By Jocelyn Galvez-Rodriguez

International superstar Selena Quintanilla Perez was an inspiration to many young women who loved her music. She became popular in the '90s and is known for catchy songs like "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" and "Como La Flor". In 1995 the artist was tragically shot by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of her fan club, at the height of her career. Although Selena is not here to see it, her music and spirit live on. Now her story will be introduced to younger generations in the new Selena: The Series on Netflix!

Selena: The Series is not the first on-screen depiction of the deceased Tejano’s career. In 1997, Selena, a movie starring Jennifer Lopez as the beloved Selena received positive reviews at the box-office and in all our hearts. More than 2 decades after Jennifer Lopez’s applauded portrayal of Selena's life, it left fans expecting a lot from the Series on Netflix. 

The Netflix show displays Selena’s journey to stardom and the obstacles she overcame throughout her young adult life. By portraying the inspiration behind Selena’s songs, the viewers gain a more profound sense of who she was and what she felt. 

To some Selena fans, the show was not as greatly portrayed as they had anticipated. Diamond Ranch Senior Emily Carillo says, "I just wish they could have picked someone more identical since she is the main character of the series."  To the fans, Christian Serratos, the actress who portrays Selena in the Netflix series, did not fully capture the essence of Selena, as Jennifer Lopez, did in the 1997 Selena. However, in 1997, Selena fans also complained that Lopez was Puerto Rican as Selena was Mexican-American. 

While the Selena movie only gives a brief background on Selena's life, the new Selena Series on Netflix introduces fans and a new generation more about her earlier years and the struggles she had to overcome. 

Diamond Ranch Junior, Caroline Ponce says, "I do believe that her legacy still lives on. She inspired me at a young age and taught me that no matter what background you came from, you can always impact the world with kindness and through a loving heart." With Selena: The Series on Netflix, fans will have a deeper understanding of what motivated her to become the international star we know today. From singing in their family restaurant and neighbor's parties to the Houston Astrodome, it covers milestones that helped lead to the artist's success and fame.  

By Guadalupe Loza

Remodeled in a digital format, Diamond Ranch High School’s annual culture appreciation week was hosted by ASB to address the inequality and racial injustices present in modern society. The theme of this year’s culture rally “Face It” was inspired by James Baldwin’s quote, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

Gaius Illupeju, Senior Class President of ASB, says, “in the midst of the current social atmosphere, it felt appropriate to discuss certain issues such as race relations.”  Each day, beginning Monday, October 19 and ending Thursday, October 22, an interactive activity was posted in the google classroom tackling a different topic.

The week started off with a didactic activity explaining the societal effects of implicit bias inspired by Saleem Reshawala, Peanut Butter and Jelly and Racism; the google form shared a link to the insightful video demonstrating the stark contrast between image searches of “three white teenagers” and “three black teenagers” where the white teenagers were portrayed as well-dressed and happy, whereas the images of the three black teenagers were police photographs. 

On Tuesday, a presentation about white privilege highlighted the socio-economic advantages many “white” American possess and how to allocate that privilege to benefit minorities and educate the public. 

Wednesday marked the highlight of the week, the culture rally! Michael Diaz, senior member of ASB, says “the goal of the culture rally was to show off the different cultures within Diamond Ranch’s student population…” As editor of the captivating rally video played on Wednesday, Michael Diaz feels proud, as “the culture rally is such a staple of DR and watching despite the conditions [we’re facing] really made me happy and proud of DR for coming together.” 

The culture rally is an accumulation of several performances submitted by different clubs and individuals to represent the diverse community Diamond Ranch students display. According to Gaius Illupeju, “many people from all the classes participated, especially on assembly day.” Sophomore Prachi Bodiwala, who has been dancing and performing Bollywood dance since age five, “wanted to perform in the event to show a piece of my culture through Bollywood dancing,” showcasing her Indian culture to all DRHS students. With performances from the Drama Club, the DRHS Hula Club, Hispanic Excellence, Dance, BSU, and two solo performers Prachi Bodiwala and Sophia Smalley, this year’s rally conveyed a powerful message of unity. 

Ending the week fighting for social injustice, Thursday’s google classroom page saw Ava Duernay’s 13th amendment documentary along with a powerpoint that displayed the reality of the 13th Amendment. The film shed light on the cruel loopholes made in the prison system to arrest Black and Latino people at a higher rate and reduce their congressional freedom. 

This year’s virtual culture week presents the diversity in cultures and traditions of Diamond Ranch’s student body. Through the interactive activities, students were able to learn about racial inequality and fight for change in social justice, deriving inspiration from James Baldwin. 

By Natalia Engdahl

 

 Social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok give online activists an outlet to share information concerning the injustices within our country and to express themselves to wide audiences. However, there has been growing controversy over what constitutes genuine support of a social justice movement and what is performative activism. 

 

Of the many social issues in our society, the Black Lives Matter movement — and anti-racism in general — has attracted a large online activist following. Many online activists' response to police brutality provides perhaps the clearest example of performative activism.

 

Performative activism is activism done with the purpose of elevating one's public appearance, rather than with the purpose of supporting the cause or work towards measurable change. In the case of anti-racism, performative activists post anti-racist content that is purely symbolic. Symbolism in social justice can be a nice sentiment, but it becomes problematic when “activists” don’t take further action to bring social change. When the Black Lives Matter movement began to make national news once again this year, performative activists treated the movement as a trend. Once enough people stopped speaking about it, many activists’ posts quickly disappeared. “Activists” like this will speak out against social injustice initially, but quickly stop as soon as the issue’s online presence dies down.

 

‘Blackout Tuesday’ was a social media event that was brought under scrutiny by some social media users for being performative. Following George Floyd’s murder, Instagram users participated in “Blackout Tuesday” by posting a black square on their accounts. 

 

On the surface, this may have seemed like an effective way to voice support for Black Lives Matter and promote awareness of police brutality. However, some argued the black squares drowned out informative news reports on George Floyd’s murder that were circulating via social media platforms. Others thought it was a lazy and shallow way to participate in the anti-racism movement since it did not bring actual change. 

 

More recently, protests have broken out across the country after none of the police officers responsible for Breonna Taylor’s death were charged with second-degree manslaughter. The injustice surrounding her death has similarly elicited an activist response on social media. As people continue to post about victims of police brutality, it is important to remember the ways you can speak out against racial injustice that are merely performative. 

 

Many young people accused of performative activism are doing so unintentionally. Those who are unable to attend protests or donate to Black Lives Matter may simply repost content when they first start to support social justice issues online. However, once they become educated on the ineffectiveness of such efforts, it is important to adopt more effective forms of activism. 

 

If the pandemic is preventing you from attending protests in person, there are still things you can do to voice your support. Generation Z has a massive online presence, and every one of us can take part in anti-racist activism by sharing articles from credible sources, informing our loved ones about these issues, and even by simply lending an ear to those affected by this. It is important to take the time to educate yourself with more than just simplified infographics in order to stay informed on what is happening in our country. News about Breonna Taylor’s court case, the protests taking place across the country, and the actions — lack thereof — that the government has taken to prevent police brutality should all be shared. 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html

The Role of the USPS in Elections

By Natalia Engdahl

 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented number of voters are expected to vote through mail-in ballots in the upcoming 2020 election. This places a greater responsibility on the United States Postal Service than ever before.

 

Voters have been advised to turn in their ballots at least a week before their state’s due date. The early voting period for California is Monday, October 5th, to Monday, November 2nd, so the recommended time to send a mail-in ballot is Monday, October 26th. This will reduce the chance of the USPS being overwhelmed and help to ensure the equity of the upcoming election. 

 

Mail-in voting is not a new concept, but has been projected to be used on a much larger scale this November. Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah are already experienced in conducting solely mail-in elections; other states, including California, have promised to send out ballots to all registered voters. 

 

The USPS will be transporting these ballots to election offices, but there is a growing concern that last-minute votes may not arrive before the polls close. If this were the case, last-minute votes that could potentially change the outcome of the election may not be counted. 

 

The USPS’s services are more crucial than ever. However, the agency has made changes to cut back on overtime, even though an estimated 40,000 workers are quarantined or out sick. This is a major cause of the delivery delays that have been complained about in recent months. 

 

 

In addition to delays, the USPS faces a potential financial crisis. The Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, has made attempts to slash funding before the end of the Postal Service’s fiscal year on September 30. President Trump himself has threatened to withhold additional funding, though it is unclear whether or not he will. Some have accused Dejoy, who is a major donor to Trump’s campaign, of cutting the USPS budget to intentionally tamper with the election. He denies these allegations. 

 

On a more positive note, the USPS has seen a surge of income from pandemic related shipping. The postal service was originally expected to run out of money by the end of September, but these predictions have been pushed forward to March of 2021. 

 

That said, mailing in ballots early is still crucial to help the integrity of the 2020 election. Purchasing stamps and sending your packages through the USPS instead of a private postal service is an additional way to financially support the agency that receives zero government tax dollars in funding. 

 

Sources:

https://facts.usps.com/top-facts/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/14/us-postal-service-election-q-and-a

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/08/how-postal-service-preparing-election/615271/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/us/politics/usps-vote-mail.html

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/where-and-how/