Wednesday, August 26, 2009

 

Autobiographical Notes Cyber Assignment2

Post your homework, your Autobiographical Notes, based on that of James Baldwin here. You should also post your group paraphrase. There should be one post per group. List the names of the group and your group name in the signature or heading.

Respond to each other's writing: content and style.

Comments:
Tomasita Ponce
August 26, 2009
English 201A
1-2:50p.m. A-200

I don’t quite remember when or where I was born, who does? However, from what I learned, my mom gave birth to me at Highland Hospital , Oakland , California August 10, 1990 . All my 19 years of life I been living different parts of Oakland, and yet I feel like my eyes haven’t seen the other side of the bay. I want to see different malls, better college opportunities, peaceful neighborhoods, outgoing people who I can relate to. I’m sure anything is better than to live by Seminary, where I worry for my brother’s life every time he hangs out with his friends.

I wasn’t born alone, nor was the first, but I was the last and only girl so far. Sometimes I wish I had more than one brother, maybe a sister who I can talk about anything in the world, from problems, to fears, even sex. My brother can be cool but not that understanding. My relationship with my mom is great, she’s like my best friend I never had. Sometimes there are things that you simply shouldn’t say. Who wants to see someone they love so much get hurt? That’s right I haven’t met them either. Not to mention my dad is the best! He can always make me laugh even if my heart broke into a million pieces. He fixes it, in a blink of an eye....Basically he fixes everything in the house, no need to call some exterminator whatever that is. In a joking way my brother and I were suppose to get kicked out a year ago, two for my brother. It is known at age 18, when the clock hits 12 you’re an adult and as an adult you must live like one. Then you realize you don’t make enough money. How did my parents do it? They came here at a very young age. Got “married” at age 16, 20 for my dad in 1989 when my brother was born. You do the math!

Well back to me. I don’t feel I have accomplished what I was born for. I want to be a nurse some day. Not sure what kind, I realized there’s more than one. I want to make a difference in someone’s life, help them in any way, if I can. I got so many years to work and travel and visit random places on earth, get married, have kids, move out of Oakland . I don’t plan to work in Safeway all my life. Starbucks department is not as bad compared to other departments. Besides my crew is great, we all get along, but I want to move up not to the side. The people I’ve encountered have made me learn more than I expected and I thank them for letting me taste a piece of their lives. I’m grateful to live another day and I thank God for that.
 
I was born Renelle Cullors in Oakland Seventeen years ago. Since I was young I wanted to learn everything and meet everybody. I plan to be a successful woman. My immediate family isn't that big it contains me my mom, dad, sister, and brother. But my dad doesn’t live with me. He and my mom separated when I was eight years old and it didn't affect me at all. As a child I always wanted to be a nurse and I still do to this day. I strive to be a good honest person that a lot of people look up to. I am already a role model to a lot of younger girls in my family but I want to be more to other young girls in my community. I would have to say the person I look up to is my 24 year old cousin, she's more like a big sister and she helps me with everything and is always there when I need something. I feel everyone should have someone like her in their life. In my life I have had a few struggles but none of them could hold me back. Some of them would have to be reading, writing, and spelling, those would have to be my weak points in life but that is actually something I believe I can fix. I feel my transaction from a child to an adult was not that big or hard for me. As I grew older I grew wiser and learned how to make smart choices on my own and even though I really don’t have a large strong or supportive family I believe the few people I call my family is so helpful, and without them I wouldn’t be here today.

Renelle Cullors
English 201 a 1:00pm-2:50
 
Julianne
English 201B 1-2:50

My name is Julianne Bauer. I recently graduated from College of Alameda on May 29, 2009, when I received my A.A. degree in social science. I have only three more classes left to take before I can transfer to Cal State Hayward. I will be transferring there in the fall of 2010, where I will be majoring in psychology before I enter one of the university’s graduate programs.
I was born at Berkeley Hospital on May 6, 1982, and I have lived in San Leandro for all of my life. I have a large family with three sisters and two brothers. My two older sisters and my older brother don’t live at the house anymore, so only my parents, my younger sister, my younger brother, and I live there. We have two pug dogs living with us at the house. I graduated from San Leandro High School in 2000. I then came to College of Alameda, even though I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue or where I wanted to transfer into a university. Around this time, my friend Frank invited me go to the college group at neighborhood church, so I went there and I really liked it. I started going there every week, and in 2002, I met my boyfriend there who would later become my fiancé. Three years after we met, we became engaged when he proposed to me in his car while we were parked in the church parking lot. We have now been together for seven years. After we met, my fiancé and I continued to attend the college group, and I became a Christian in 2004. We attended the college group until 2006, which was when we had to leave in order to make room for the new freshmen college students. I was very sad when I had to leave the college group. However, I am still able to attend the young adult church service on Sunday nights called 6:13. I was baptized at this service during April of this year. This service actually starts at 6:13, so I am able to attend this service after finishing my day shift at work. Speaking of my work, I have been working for a company called Warehouse Demo Services (WDS) since 2003. We work inside Costco and our job is to hand out samples of products, like food items or cleaning products, to Costco members. Sometimes I like working there, but other times I don’t. It really all depends on what day of the week it is and what product I am demonstrating. One thing that I like about my job is that my shifts are only six hours long. Whenever I have a day off from work, I like to go places with my fiancé. We like to go to different places like the movies or the driving range. Other times we will go hiking or go for a long drive. Another activity that I enjoy when I am not working is reading. I especially like to read the books written by Nicholas Sparks. I like his books because he is such a great storyteller. This summer, I made a whole list of Nicholas Sparks’ books that I wanted to read, and so far I have read all of his books except for Nights in Rodanthe, Three Weeks with my Brother, and a new book called The Last Song. I like his books so much that I have read some of them multiple times. For example, I have read A Walk to Remember four times, and I have read Dear John twice. I will probably also read at least some of his other books multiple times.
 
Hi Tomasita Ponce

I liked how you started yours off. Well anyways I can understand where you are coming from when you say you want to get away it would be nice just to get away from Oakland sometimes. I stay close to seminary to and even though my brother is only 13 I try to keep him from hanging out cause any ages is getting shot now a day. I wish the best life for you.

Renelle Cullors
English 201a 1:00-2:50
 
Denice Satchell
English 201A 1-3 P.M.
Group: A+ All-stars
Group Paraphrase
James Baldwin began his autobiography by talking about his childhood and obstacles he had to overcome in his life. As his progressed Baldwin found different ways to work towards his interest that he became very successful at. He found most of his problems came after he decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps of becoming a preacher, soon after he left home and started waiting tables and writing reviews. Books and plays played a large part in his influence, it was through; Bach, Shakespeare etc. that he found a social acceptance or special attitude to his heritage (for a lack of better words) because otherwise he felt he would have no place to fit in.
Denice Satchell
Julianne Bauer
James Hicks
Kelley Yuen
 
Jimmy Sengthavilay
August 26, 2009
English 201A
1-2:50pmm
Autobiography

My name is Jimmy Sengthavilay. I was born November 26, 1990 in Oakland, California. I am a currently 18 years old. My nationality is Lao American. Most of my life is spent in East Oakland, where I live and learn knowledge that I hopefully will benefit my future career path. I have two other siblings, one older brother name Simon and one little sister name Cara. During my High school year at Oakland Senior High School, my life was a mess, from bad grades to cutting classes from 1st period to 4th or even the whole day. But I had gotten a second chance and transfer to another school to fix my self up and pursue an education toward a better future. I made up over 120+ credit in 1 year and finally graduated in 2009 from Sojourner Truth Academy and received an Oakland Technical Diploma. After receiving my diploma I did some research and ended up enrolling for college and College of Alameda to get my G.E and my AA degree, which is still unknown. I am glad that I made it this far in life and survived life roller coaster, which led me up and down. All of these are very understanding because life is not perfect, maybe in the mind of other but not mine. My point of view of my life is plain and simple because I am happy I can make it alive to see the next day living in a highly active neighborhood of violence and drug.
 
Hi Tomasita Ponce

I personally know what you mean when you feel that you haven’t seen the other side of the bay. Most people living in Oakland worry about love one when they go out and just kick back because of these entire violence thing that is just around the corner waiting to happen, that why we always have to hope for the best! I hope you become a nurse one day because everyone should be able to be where they want to be one day.

Jimmy Sengthavilay
August 26, 2009
English 201A
1-2:50pm
 
My Autobiographical Notes
I was born in Saint Louis, Mo. many many years ago. I was ready for the world, but was the world ready for me. Singing and dancing the day of arrival, the doctor explains to my mother you have your hands full with this little two and half pound baby girl. Around the age of ten, I began to notice the dark and wickedness of the people in the world not the world itself. This made me want to crawl back into the ineradicable and joyous thing called a vagina and never to emerge again. I lived a very sheltered life always in church from Sunday to Saturday. I was an avid reader back then, books took me to a whole new world.
Sometimes I never wanted to stop reading. Everywhere I went to the restroom, kitchen, living room and my porch. Now I know where all these characters came from, never knowing who I am on a daily basis. I wrote my first song at age twelve called "Melody" based on a crush with this man that would be my man when I became an adult. My sisters and I always talked about marring these brothers, but it never worked out like that. I did end up with my first only after the first marriage failed. I was a great six years of my life that I will never forget. I never wrote after that. 1997 I can't breathe, feel, or talk.
My mother has died and left me all alone. Was this the plan? Leave me now when I need her the most? I was pregnant and did not know it; I felt I could no longer live. Life goes on; I had this beautiful baby girl that needed me, with wisdom just like my mother. I back on track it's time to clean house, the husband has to go! I found peace within myself again and have been enjoying my life doing what inspires me the most.
K.Adams 201-A 1-2:50p.m.
 
My Autobiographical Notes
I was born in Saint Louis, Mo. many many years ago. I was ready for the world, but was the world ready for me. Singing and dancing the day of arrival, the doctor explains to my mother you have your hands full with this little two and half pound baby girl. Around the age of ten, I began to notice the dark and wickedness of the people in the world not the world itself. This made me want to crawl back into the ineradicable and joyous thing called a vagina and never to emerge again. I lived a very sheltered life always in church from Sunday to Saturday. I was an avid reader back then, books took me to a whole new world.
Sometimes I never wanted to stop reading. Everywhere I went to the restroom, kitchen, living room and my porch. Now I know where all these characters came from, never knowing who I am on a daily basis. I wrote my first song at age twelve called "Melody" based on a crush with this man that would be my man when I became an adult. My sisters and I always talked about marring these brothers, but it never worked out like that. I did end up with my first only after the first marriage failed. I was a great six years of my life that I will never forget. I never wrote after that. 1997 I can't breathe, feel, or talk.
My mother has died and left me all alone. Was this the plan? Leave me now when I need her the most? I was pregnant and did not know it; I felt I could no longer live. Life goes on; I had this beautiful baby girl that needed me, with wisdom just like my mother. I back on track it's time to clean house, the husband has to go! I found peace within myself again and have been enjoying my life doing what inspires me the most.
K.Adams 201-A 1-2:50p.m.
 
The Beautiful people of 201A 1:00pm-2:00pm Cast:FatimaLopez,KyshanMeyers,ManyPerez and natalieHopkins

James Baldwin was a black leader who stimulated the mind of people of his era and as late as today. As a well respected author in the black community. he was targeted and disturbed by the American government. the condition of his people, willingness to remain in that position and calabaer of his thinking all played a role in a decision to leave the country he loved the most. th natural love for his people caused him to move to europe in search of better relations with his people on a different continent his work is described best in his Quote on page 8
 
Denice Satchell
English 201A 1- 3 P.M
Autobiographical Notes
I was born twenty-two years ago in Oakland, CA. I was the first child to my mother and father who were teenagers at the time and the first grandchild. All though the idea of a teenagers having a child was not well looked upon at first my mother’s family welcomed me with open arms and love to spare, however my father’ s family I’m not sure if they have warmed up to the idea yet, with the exception of my aunt. After I was born my mother and I stayed with my great-grandparents for a few weeks allowing my mother to learn how to care for a baby from my great- grandmother, later in my adolescence I would spend countless number of days and nights with my great-grandparents along with other cousins. As years passed I grew to be very spoiled, my grandma would bring me home a small gift every day after work and if I wanted anything else all I had to do was ask, that went on for years until my uncle came back home from the army and put an end to my spoiled years. My uncle turned me into quite the little tom-boy, soon as he got back from the army I was his test dummy; I did push-up’s, pull up’s you name it he had me learning how to do so, he would say he had to toughen me up because he felt I was to girly. Many family members labeled me as a “girly tom-boy”. Until this day if you ask why I am such of a “girly tom-boy” I will tell you I got the girly from my mom and the tom-boy from my uncle. Shortly after my uncle arrived back home my mother and I moved down to San Diego because her job moved down that way, I loved San Diego; the warm beaches, malls, and friendly people so its needless to say I was devastated when we had to move back this way.
Once my mother and I got settled back in the bay area she met my step-father, they were together for about fourteen years until he passed away July of 2008. He took very good care of me, my mother and younger brother they had together three years after the met. Together the four of us resided in Alameda where I attended Encinal high school; here I found my love of sports mainly volleyball and softball. High school was a roller coaster for me, I never kept great grades but I was pretty good at maintaining a 2.0 grade point average in order to be eligible for sports. My senior year grades stared to catch up to me but with the help of my mother I was able to pull through and graduate. The same story held true in college as well only this time added to my list of things to do was parties and the infamous boys.
 
cont....

Denice Satchell
English 201A 1-3 P.M.


Towards the end of my first year of college I met the now father of my beautiful two year old daughter. The two of us together have had our ups and downs but seemingly found ways to work through them each time; we had separated in February of 2007 but soon after reunited after discovering I was pregnant. I made up my mind to find a job I could make a career out of, which I did a short three months later with Wells Fargo & CO. this was very promising for the next year and a half. In January of 2009 I was let go from the company, at the time I saw this as a blessing because I was becoming overwhelmed with my job at hand, I had hardly any time with my young daughter and they only allowed me fifteen minutes to get from Albany to North Oakland to pick my child up from daycare. It was two days later that I found a job I thought would be perfect for me at a massage clinic as a receptionist; the only thing that flawed that job was the owner was very idiotic. After losing two jobs in one year, losing my step-father, losing my great-grandmother and learning how to be a good mother all what seemed like at once, in such a small time frame, I felt like I had no other choice but to throw in my towel and called it quits. I stopped looking for work and what scared me most was I had stopped caring for things I was very passionate about. All of this put a significant strain of my relationship not only with my partner but with other members of my family. I was very hurt by the reactions of my family, they would joke that I was a “B” or that I was just rude for no reason and that I liked being that way, they would often ask where the nice caring Denice was, which often left me wondering where she was hiding. I cannot say what sparked a change in my attitude towards life recently, maybe it was the prayer in my worst moments but I decided I was going back to school and I was going to get a job, once I put my mind to the task I achieve both within a timely manner.
I am now at a point in my life where I am putting me first in order to better care for those who surround me and beyond that my main focuses are now my family, school and work . I once got caught up in a world where I had to fit in and conform to what I thought was right. I feel I am more mature now and ready to take on things that I was not ready to in the years past; I realize the importance of education and family and their value. There is no greater feeling than coming home for a day of work or school and having my daughter fun into my arms. They say “responsibility makes you responsible”, my daughter in now my responsibility and my motivation and I will do whatever it takes to provide the best for her and anyone who should rely on me.
 
Mary Perez
English 201
Ms. Sabir
Coming to this country I didn’t have but a single vote as to be my establishing place was going to be. I came to the U.S when I was 10 months old. Mexico is my original place of birth was I have not had the pleasure to visit. My parents immigrated here in the late 1990s. They’re relationship would still be decent for four years more. My father would drink every time he finished washing his hands and spent several minute rinsing out his oiled hands. Sometimes, he over layered some ointment on his minor wounds if the work was ruff that day. Drinking was a way of compensating his day of work. However his drinking habits weren’t always a good thing. Stuck in his own world of cars, drinking was an everyday thing to him no matter what, no matter where. My mom of course was around but it almost seemed as if she wasn’t. I remember from time to times my younger brother and I had to survive on our own when my aunts weren’t there to rescue us.

In retrospect, the first time my parents separated wasn’t much of a deal because they were back together in no time. Now the second time I wasn’t so lucky. To me this day still plays back in my head. We were left alone for a good four to five hours. Not knowing what to do at the time I carefully whispered to my younger brother, “Everything will be good again”. When my dad left there was still light. When he came back everything was dark. From that moment I knew things were going to change. Not knowing I would have to face several things on my own.

I was six at the time. Ever since the separation I’ve lived with all four of my aunts. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t live a good life because I did. Even though it wasn’t the life I sought for and that I envied from most kids at that age. I was isolated from some things but found joy in another way. I blame my aunts for who I am now; Independent, strong, caring, and other great values I was taught. At first I my beliefs were that it was a lot about you and your person. That it was all that mattered, but along the way I have come to realized that it is not true.
 
James Baldwin was born in Harlem.He loved to read and write. At age twelve he wrote his first story about the Spanish Revolution, in which he received an award. He wrote poems poetry and plays. At 14 he became a preacher , because that's what his father wanted, not his choice. It did not last no more than three years. After that preacher thing not working he left home and started waiting tables to make money.Soon that even became too boring or just not putting food into his mouth.Age 24 he moved to France, then Africa. He eventually found himself and was happy with who he was, which was a great writer that will live forever.
K. Adams
201-A 1-2:50 M-W
 
Rhonda Washingto
English 201A #43505 1-2:50p
August 24, 2009

Autobiographical
Notes

I was born in Berkeley thirty-seven years ago. I believe that’s when my love for dance arose. The story of my childhood was complex. I was born the third child of four and the second daughter. I had a pretty stable home with two parents present. My mother was a homemaker and my father a steel factory worker. Until the age of six years old, that’s when all the chaos began.
It was a warm Spring afternoon day. I remember our front door was open and so were the windows that had a nice cool breeze flowing through our house. My brother, sister and I were playing in the family room when we heard a big thump. Only to go into my parents room to find my baby sister playing in her crib and my mother lying on the floor. My brother immediately ran to her but no response. As my sister and I stood in the doorway he yelled out to us to call 911 and go get our neighbor. On the arrival of us returning back to our home our lives would never be the same. My mother was thirty-one years old and deceased.
Very shortly thereafter I found the only way I would deal with the pain of losing my mother was the comfort I received through dance.It could have been any forms of dance whether Ballet, Jazz,Tap, Breakin, or Hip-Hop. Sometimes I would just close my eyes and let the rhythm of the music and my body flow with such enthusiasm. At the age of seven my grandmother enrolled me into Townsend Dance Studio in Richmond where I began to learn the proper techniques and skills to enhance my abilities. By the time I was nine years old I was doing dance concerts all over the Bay Area. At the tender age of thirteen I began to dance with an independent dancer by the name of DeeDee. Almost any young girl who grew up in North Oakland and had a passion for dance wanted to dance in one of DeeDee’s four groups. She was young ,beautiful ,and brilliant in her profession of dance and was highly sought after by performers. A lot of girls auditioned with DeeDee to join on of her groups but not all made it. I was one of the fortunate girls who did make it with her group. We did a lot of performances all over California until about the age of fifteen.That is when I began to dance at my High School until the age of eighteen.
After I graduated from high school I began taking more dance classes such as African and Hip-Hop just for fun. But, my passion for dance never burned out. At the age of thirty-one I began an Spiritual Journey which led me to dancing for the Lord. Yes, we call this “Praise Dance”and I have been in love with it ever since.I believe God has given me the gift to praise him through dance. And for that I am eternally grateful for this passion he has placed in my spirit from the first day I arrived in the world I feel in love with dance.
 
Murphy Duong
August 27, 2009
English 201B
8:00AM - 8:50AM

I was born 18 years ago at Merrit Hospital. For the first 18 years of my life, i thought/assumed that i was born at Highland Hospital, because that was the closest hospital around. I never bothered to ask my mother, because i never really cared. I found about by looking at my birth certificate. All my life, I've live around this neightborhood. I moved once only, and it was just a block down. We didn't want to move so far away, because most of our cousins/family lives around here. i actually live right next door to my grand parents. If anything goes wrong, i can always go next door to ask for help.
I currently live with my mother, father, and two brothers. I was born with two older brothers, and sadly no sisters. Since i am the youngest of them all, i always get the most attention from my parents. You know what they say... "The youngest is always most loved"
I find that really true. I won't say i am spoiled, but i mostly get what i want. Brothers are the best, they're always there for me when i need them. Since they're older, they're much more experienced than i am. They have been through the path that i am currently going through. when we talk about stuff, they'd always understand. I love my mother to death, but i don't always tell her everything. Sometimes you just can't tell them stuff that will hurt them, even though you really want them to know, because you don't want to hide anything from them. I tell her everything thats good/happy in my life, but nothing thats bad. My father is always busy working, so i barely get to see him, or talk to him, so we don't really conversate.
I am a very lazy person. If i'm not told to do something, i won't do it. I'd sit in front of the computer, and play games all day; that or watch television. Once in a while, i'd go out with friends to at least talk a bit, so we won't lose the relationship. I never traveled out the country. I always wanted to go to Japan, because of all the cool stuff there. I am still really lost right now. No goal/idea of where i am going in life. I really want to be successful, but i'm just so lazy. I can't help it. i want to make lots of money to help my family. I want my parents to retire as soon as possible, so that they can live their life. I've never worked once in my life, so i won't expect anything soon.
 
Download the original attachment
Grant Thomas

English 201A

8/26/09

Autobiographical Notes


I was born on January 6, 1990 in San Francisco. African American full blood. My history growing up with no father and mother was hard for me because I couldn’t get much attention as the other did from there parents. My mother was full off that white crystal rock. My mother never told me let’s go over your homework son. I was born and raised in Bernal heights in San Francisco. That was the rich part of San Francisco. My grandmother and grandfather owned that house. My grandmother was like my mother because she took me in and held me when my mother wasn’t there, but she couldn’t for that long because she was dying. She had passed away September 1, 1994 when I was four years old. My talent kills wasn’t the best because I would always have anger and didn’t care about nothing. One day I had to come to ma sense and get involved into acting and poetry/drama classes. I had acted out Romeo in my high school English class. I was also creative in my art projects that I had to deal with in the real world. I love to write about my problem that was going on in my life because it would make me clam and not think about it. I had to learn how to read on my own because my father and mother weren’t there to walk me through. My older brother Antoine Perry was my motivation to becoming a man and being successful. I and he would fight sometimes during high school I never readied out loud or shared my writings. I had a bad speech problem. I can’t words that clear with S’s. I had to grow out of hiding in my shell because people wanted to help me achieve my goals in life.

The things that got me through high school were playing sports. I am very good in basketball and football, but football didn’t work out. When I graduated from high school I was too small for football in college. These sports took my mind off my problems and not going to the street life. I played football since I was ten year old. My passion and love is basketball. Basketball was like a class for me. I also wanted to get my business degree in landscaping because I use to cut lawns when I was living in Elk Grove, Ca. I was very good at that. It took me a while to figure out what major I wanted. I came decision and it was child development. Kids our just so sweet and could tech them a lot. I feel that I could give the foster kids my support because I know it and grow up in the system. Its not fun saying your parents isn’t around. How I got to Alameda is that my brother attended here in 99 and was playing basketball, and had a good relationship with Coach Jordan. So now I’m in good hands and hope to get to my next goal. That is graduating and going off to a four year college.
 
English201B 8-850
My name is Sha’Kita I was born November 7,1989 at Alta Bates hospital. I’m the youngest of two siblings, one on my moms side and the other on my dads. My childhood story was no more mysterious as the next person. It seems as if history just stared to repeat itself. Now days there are a lot of single independent women holding down a household. When my dad was incarcerated my mom became just another statistic. A black women who had no choice but to take care of her responsibilities and raise a family the best way she knew how. My life changed gradually when I was three when my dad went to prison. I felt lonely I was typically a daddies girl, but when he left I held a grudge for almost ten years. After having an extremely heart to heart talk with him I decided I couldn’t be mad anymore everyone makes mistakes. But I could never changed the fact that he’s still in prison and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I know it sounds kind of self fish but if he was out I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. I probably wouldn’t have went to the middle school that I attended where I meet my two most reliable and trust worthy best friends in the whole world.
 
By: Arely Razo
To: Professor Sabir 8-9
Date: 24 August 2009
Re: Autobiographical Notes

I was born in San Francisco California twenty years ago. As a young child my mother always taught me how to read and write. She thought that growing up, it was something that I had to know. Since, I am Mexican-American my mother believed that I should also know how to read and write in Spanish. So at a young age she began reading to me and would pick books that she thought would interest me.
As I began to get older and received an education my mom would make me read to her, instead of her to me. Then there would be days that we would each sit on a couch and read. Reading became something that I liked to do and did often. Instead of watching television I would read a book. It became to the point that I would read a book a day and my mom would buy them for me because she was happy that I was reading. It became so many books that she took me to the library, rather than to buy them for me.
My mother began teaching me how to spell easy words as cat, dog, etc. I thought it was fun to spell words. It even became to the point that I would spell words as I would say them and was made fun of by my cousins so I stopped. I liked to make up stories or write about things that I would dream about. It was just a way for me to say the things that I was thinking.
Once I was in elementary school I began taking Spanish classes at a church, in San Francisco and that is how I became better at reading and writing. Thos was because I wasn’t that good at writing and reading Spanish. My family would also give me classes so that I could learn. My family always believed that me knowing these things were important because they would remind me of where I come from. I was always better at speaking it than I was at anything else. I also took classes during high school, as well as. College. Now I am able to write in Spanish as well as read it. Sometimes I don’t know what all Spanish words mean but that’s why I have a dictionary at hand. I also believe that it is important for me to know how to do things in Spanish.
I like to write a lot, but I am not that good at writing. I make many mistakes when it comes to punctuation. I can write well when I take my time. During high school I took advance placement English classes. I would always pass with an A but it wasn’t because of my writing, because I would always get C‘s on my essays. As I started getting lower grades on my writing, I stopped liking to write. Before I would always write poems, notes, and letters. Now I just write when I have to or feel like I have to get something off my chest that I do not want to tell others.
To this day I still love to read books. I can read big books in a day or two at times, depending how interested I am in them. When I read it is as if I am having a movie in mind. Sometimes I am so interested in a book that it is hard for me to put it down. It is something that I like to do during my free time. I like to read about different things such as fantasies, biographies, history, science fiction and so on. I plan to read as many books as I can. I even volunteered at the Alameda library to help children learn to read, I teach my little cousins. Reading and writing is something that I think is important and all should do.
 
My Autobiographical Notes
Casey Henneman
English 1A 8:00-8:50 a.m.

I was born May 18th, 1989. I started throwing a baseball from the ago of when I could stand and walk around. I was raised with three brothers; two older and one younger. Let me tell you that things weren't always peaceful like they are now. We used to scream and fight and almost purposely drive my mother completely crazy.

I started playing organized sports when I was extremely young, 5 maybe 6 years old. I started with soccer which is the universal sport that every child begins to play at a young age. It was always a sport I did well in but never really got into it so much. Next I got into baseball, at ten years old, and loved the game but never really played much until I turned 13 when my skills sharpened a great deal. From then on I was always known as a threat on the field.

When I hit high school, I was already pretty well known because of baseball and the fact that my older brother Seppi was a hot shot senior. People around school didn't call me by my name but I went by "little Seppi." Only because I was an exact duplicate of him just a lot smaller. During my tenure at Encinal High School, I also played a few other sports including Varsity Football and Varsity Cross Country. Even though I was a bit above average, those sports still didn't do it for me.

Another Aspect of my life that played a big role was nothing other than the ladies. That was a big part of my downfall as well. As my buddies and girlfriends increased, my grades and G.P.A. declined greatly for a 3.3 to barely getting a 2.0.

I fought a lot with my parents about my habits and how I was throwing my baseball career away by forgetting about school. I look back on it all the time and wish I would of done the school thing more often because instead of College of Alameda I might still be playing ball at a higher division baseball school. If you ask me heaven couldn't be much farther than that. The only thing closer would have to be playing in the major leagues. Since I chose this path of mine, it has lead me to move out of home to Pleasant Hill where I shared an apartment with 3 other ball players. We attended and played for Diablo Valley College, the Vikings. During my tenure there, my grandfather had passed away and I couldn't really recover from that so my grades put me right back home.

I have no regrets having to move back home with mom and dad to finish up school. I miss it a lot out there yet I believe coming to the College of Alameda was a great choice and I am really happy to be back in my home town of Alameda.
 
ENG 210A 8:00 TO 8:50AM
I'M A 22 YEAR OLD MAN, BORN AND RAISED IN OAKLAND CA. IM THE MIDDLE CHILD OUT OF 7. GROWING UP IN MY HOUSE WAS LIKE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY, ALWAYS TRAFFIC "IN AND OUT IN AND OUT". SOMETIMES I WOULDNT GET NO SLEEP, EVEN IN MY DREAMS I WOULD HEAR THE DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING ALL SHADES OF THE NITE.WHAT TOP IT OFF THE VOICE OF MY MOM " YOU MUTHER BLEEP STOP OPENING AND CLOSING MY DOOR". AND I WOULD JUST SIT THERE SAYIN " I CANT WAIT TO I GET OLDER AND MOVE THE HELL OUT THIS HOUSE. BUT MY CHILDHOOD WAS FUN AND I WOULD DO IT OVER IN A HEARTBEAT
 
Matthew Fella Young-201A 8-8:50

I was born in Oakland, a September 26, 1991. 5 months later after I was born my father died form alcohol use. I moved around a lot originally from California to Texas. My mother was a big part of my life, because she kept me on track in school and in sports. My favorite sport is Basketball though my dad played baseball. Many people in my family members thought I should’ve played baseball instead of basketball because of my dad’s success. When I was 12 I moved to Texas where I spent 4 ½ years their before moving back to Oakland and attending Emery High. If I was to have one wish I wouldn’t use it because I always earned everything I accomplished and imp proud of it.
 
August 26, 09 8a-9a Jeffrey Sami Eng201a

Jeffrey Sami
Ms. Sabir/Eng 1A
August 22, 2009

Autobiographical Notes

If there was anything that I could say about my life thus far, it would be that it seems just as random and diverse now, as it was since it began. Born of parents of two different races and immediately put up for adoption once and re-adopted a second time, into a loving family, only now serves as a fitting pre-cursor for the present. I was born and raised in both San Francisco and Oakland combined. I say combined because the two environments are so different, as were their respective aspects. In San Francisco, where I lived, my life was reasonably adventurous, filled with fun and ever-occuring diversity. Most of everywhere I turned, there was something to do; whether it was playing stick ball with neigborhood kids or witnessing the characters who frequented my father’s store.
On the contrary, in Oakland, where I went to school, my environment was nurturing, solemn, and divine. I was raised in orthodox Al-Islam; and in my educational evironment, that was of life was prevailent. We sang, prayed, and treated eachother with love and respect. Brother and sisterhood were a given. And God was the always the focus. Looking back now I don’t know where I would have been now, if it weren’t for these two environments. Each one complimented the other to create the much needed balance. The “city” was my impression of life and living, as so Oakland was my impression of the way to go about them.
I grew up the only the only child, though my outside influences from my environments, friends and distant relatives definitely provided me with a healthy social feel. At the same time, I am known to be able to be comfortably quiet and/or alone. Whether or not this has helped or hindered my life, I would have to say both. My “talent” for solitude has definitely hindered my life with confrontations are concerned; some of which I would like to relive again, and some, I have chosen to dismiss to basic personal nature. Only my random influences from older cousins, many childhood friends/ neighbors, and home environment would contribute to the balancing act of my being socially rounded.
I write of balance in my autobiographical notes because with all that was positive and graceful of my life, the one factor that was the dark cloud in my life, would have to be substance abuse. From my parents, to my outside environment, to my own use, drugs and alcohol was a silent fact of life. I believe it has definitely altered my life on different levels. I am grateful though, that the range of destruction capable from substances in one’s life has not reached or my family or my own to such an extent. Though haven slowly pulled away from it, it has slowed my desired pace. Ever since about middle school, I have been playing “catch up”. I have been trying to keep up and catch up with the well-to-do of my generation. And its safe to say that I have done a marvelous job at it; an efficient job; a balanced job.
Through the carefree living of drugs and fooling around, and dropping out of school, I have quit using drugs, earned my high school diploma, established a solid career, traveled to 7 different countries, and met many interesting people. I am currently pursuing my medical career as a registered nurse and hope to raise a family in Florida or abroad the continental US.
 
Adriana Jones
8-850
201 A
August 24, 2009


Eighteen years ago I was born in Oakland California to my wonderful parents. From the first day of preschool on until now I loved to learn new things. I was also a good student in elementary and middle school. Life hasn’t always been great for me. My mom and dad broke up when I was in the seventh grade. That took a toll on all of us because we were so used to having both our mother and father around. While all that was going on our house caught on fire and I almost drowned. The day that I almost drowned was the best day ever. It started out on a beautiful sunny day. My brother had a mentor who sometimes took me out with them, this particular time his mentor took us to the Chabot science center and then we got something to eat. There he told us that we could meet some of his friends and go swimming in their pool. When we got there we changed into our swimsuits and got in the water. For the most part I was walking around in three and four feet of water, I then saw a floatation device and got on it soon I started floating towards the deep end that’s when I lost hold of the device. With my feet I tried to feel for the bottom of the pool but couldn’t. So while I was trying to feel for the bottom it felt as if I was being pulled up and down. I also felt as if I was being suffocated. Just as I was about to black out I felt somebody pull me out the water and take me to safety. This experience brought me closer to my family, having their support made me able to get back into water after the incident. With everything that happens in my life I learn something new. I learned that my family is always there for me.
 
Lornna Taylor
English 201A
8-8:50

Lornna Taylor
201 A
8-8:50



I was born in Indiana, twenty three years ago. From the time of my conceivement, life was destined to be a struggle for me. I’ve never really had the chance to enjoy my childhood. Even as a child, my young eyes had already seen too much. My mother, a fourteen year old, strived to give me an efficient life, not wanting me to follow in her footsteps. Growing up together, She and I, abused, only having each other. In the later eighties, we relocated to California, with just the few articles of clothing that she could carry. Not knowing what was God’s plan for us, my mother has always tried to make the best of any situation. I was raised to do my best and to be the best. My mother’s love made me strive to do my best, but the fear of my step father made me struggle to be the best. I struggled in school, and as a child, I became an angered product of my environment. Listening to my step father beat my mother, knowing that he’d come after me next. Or to constantly hear him scream at my young mother for things, that were ludicrous. I began to take out my PAIN in fighting other children, and rebelling. I had yet to realize that my past, if I allowed it, would haunt me forever.
 
Autobiographical Notes
(James Baldwin)
Paraphrasing Paragraph One
Casey Henneman English 1A 8:00-8:50

James Baldwin was conceived in Harlem a little over three decades ago. I had started to map out novels the second I became literate. When I was a boy, I had a pretty ordinary life, and we all will forget about it with the restrained observation that I don't want to ever look back upon it. Back in the day, my mother was given to the surprising and strange ways of having children. As they were conceived, I did a poor job of looking after them because I spent so much time reading. I could have done a better job raising them better, even though they tell me that I actually did a good job. I read so much that I read "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "A Tale of Two Cities" again and again. Honestly, I read pretty much everything I could see-- of course not God's book because mother wanted me to read it. I can admit that I wrote a lot and I had a great accomplishment. The first attempt to be looked at on paper, happened right before my teens or just around then when I created a small piece on the Spanish Evolution which defeated the competition and I was awarded in God's holy newspaper. I recall the piece was bleeped out by a lady. Though I can't remember why she said she did but I do remember that I was very angry.
 
Amin Ahmed
English 201B
8-9
I completely blieve that Hurricane Katrina is a kind of a natural disaster that could be happened anywhere globbalwise, but how the authorities have been dealing with it!is what we can say is a real discrimination and a huge disaster that should be assess widly.
 
Elizabeth Garcia
Eng 201A 8-8:50
Autobiographical Notes

I was born in Oakland, California eighteen years ago. Now I am the oldest out of three sisters. I felt that I had the hardest role to be the oldest sibiling because if I do something wrong, no matter how small I would always get in trouble because i would be setting a bad example. As a child I always wanted to be cosmetologists it really was interesting to me when I thought of me being a cosmetologists. Even though when I was little I didn’t refer to it as cosmetology but as “making girls pretty”. Now that I am older I actually thought about pursuing that, but I wasn’t too convinced. Once in my senior year in high school I was thinking hard about what I am truly interested and what I can see myself pursuing in life. Nothing never came to mind I was unsure of what I wanted. I tired to imagine myself in my future but I couldn’t, I just thought that nothing was for me. Maybe I was too scared of realizing I am growing up and as we grow life just gets more and more serious.
 
My name is sha'kita and i am replying to Grant Thomas autobiographical notes

it seems like you had a rough childhood but you did what you needed to do to get by. Your brother was your motivation which is good you must have seen him doing what he needed to and wanted to follow in his foot steps
 
Matthew Fella Young- 8-850-201A

James Baldwin
Literal Paraphrase-2nd Paragraph pg.5-6


Baldwin wrote various things such as songs and plays, which attracted a lot of people. One in particular was Mayor La Guardia. Mayor La Guardia wrote him a letter of congratulations which he was very proud of. His mother appreciated all the going-ones and complements that’s been taking place. On the other side, his father was pretty much on the opposite end. His father influenced him to become a preacher, and at the early age of 14, Baldwin did. But it wouldn’t last too long after stopping 3 years later. He would leave a place a considered home the night after. He struggled with the world as he would say, and at 21 he got enough done to complete a novel to get a sexton fellowship. It was over when he was 22, because it didn’t attract too many people and didn’t really sale. The color of his skin he believed made him automatically an expert which was concerning. It was an African-American problem back then. He did a book with photographer Theodore Pelatowski about his old neighborhood churches in Harlem. The summary of the book was mostly about fellowships, but no sale. It was a Rosenwald Fellowship. At 24 he stopped analyzing and reviewing books about the problem which consisted with Negros. With so many things happening in his life, he would later go to France and make history by completing the novel, “Go tell it on the mountain”.
 
Cynthia Phan
English 201A
August 26, 2009
Professor Sabir
Autobiographical Note

My name is Cynthia Phan. I am 19 years old and always get mistaken for a Chinese girl because apparently all people say Asian are Chinese and that I look like I’m Chinese. I am Mien, a hill tribe that is from Laos and Thailand. My parents are from Laos, I was born here in Oakland, California on January 6, 1990. I lived here in Oakland for all my life with both of my parents, siblings, and relatives all around the bay. I have a very big family where I am the youngest of seven children, four brothers and two sisters. I am very close to my family. Being the youngest of the family meant that I was spoil and get what I want, but that was not the case I would always have to help my parents with translation, filling out forms, and more. In a way they depended on me to help them, but I depend on them the most to provide for me to be where I am today. I have graduated from Oakland Senior high school in the school of 2008 and attended University of California for a year, but now I am here at College of Alameda. I’m proud of myself for getting this far and I know that my parents are too.

As I was growing up I wasn’t always the smart or perfect daughter, sister or student because I’m from a low income family where I have to share things with my older siblings and cousins because I was not privilege like other families that are high class or middle class that gets what they want. I have always had work my hardest on everything to be successful and get a higher education so that I would not have to struggle as much as while I was growing up. Many of my family members including myself had gone through some kind of hardship to get to where we are now. I grew up not getting help from my parents on school assignments or anything else that involves English. Both of my parents weren’t as lucky as I was because back in the days they had to do farm work to survive and get through life making it harder for them to be educated. Even though, they weren’t educated, but they are still very supportive and is always there for me and my siblings.
 
Kevin Munson
English 201a
8:00-8:50
Professor Sabir
Autobiographical Notes
James Baldwin
1st paragraph

My life began three decades and a year ago in Harlem. It was almost as soon as I learned to read that I began to write books. If I had the chance to live my childhood over again, I wouldn't because of the fact that it was harsh. As a young boy I was very frustrated with the fact that my mother was constantly having kids. I was always reading while my siblings persistently needed my care. While I didn't do the best job as their care taker, they don't blame me today. For me not taking very good care of my mothers other children I was able to read two classic books one by Harriet Beecher Stowe and one by Charles Dickens continuously and I was able to read what ever books I could find. The only book I didn't want to read was the bible and this was because I was pushed. All the reading I did lead me to write a lot. When I was twelve my first success came with a short story about the revolution in Spain, and was published in the church newspaper. I was angry when the female editor cut parts of my short story out and today I'm not sure why she did.
 
ANTHONY ENG 201A 8:00 TO 8:50AM
BALDWIN'S NOTES.

JAMES BALDWIN TO ME SEEMED LIKE HIS CHILDHOOD WAS ROUGH BUT FAST PACED HE SEEM TO ACOMPLISHED THINGS THAT A NORMAL CHILD GROWING UP HASNT.I ALSO RESPECT BALDWIN FOR HELPING HIS FERTILE MOTHER WITH ALL OF HER OFFSPRINGS.HE SEEMED TO ME KINDA REBELIOUS BUT NOT IN A WAY WHERE YOU CALL HIM A TROBLE MAKER. BALDWIN WAS TALENTED HE WROTE SONGS PLAYS AND ONE OF HIS SONGS RECIEVED A LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS FROM MAYOR La GUARDIA.HIS FATHRER A REAL RELIGOUS PERSON WASNT TO PROUD OF THE CARRER HIS SON HAVE CHOOSEN HE WANTED BALDWIN TO FOOLOW IS HIS FOOTSTEPS. AT THE AGE OF 14 BALDWIN GAVE IN TO HIS FATHER AND BECAME A PREACHER,HE HAD A SHORT CARRER HE STOP AT 17 LEFT HOME AND STARTED HIS OWN LIFE.
 
Matthew Fella Young-201A-8-850

James Baldwin
Literal Paraphrase-Paragraph 1 pg.5


In 1978 James Baldwin was born in Harlem. He had to learn how to read and write at an early age, and would later on begin plotting novels. It was never clear during his childhood, which he regretted living, they could forget the pain he went through. Mysteriously his mother had a lot of kids while growing up in his childhood days. He had time to read and still take care of his siblings while growing up. Him and his siblings had a tough time growing up, but were usually in denial about it. Books like “Uncle Toms Cabin” and “Tale of two Cities” kept Baldwin influenced in reading and writing. He would never read the bible, because it was usually a lot of pressure set on him to read. He wrote a lot. He wrote his first professional triumph, at the age of twelve about the Spanish Revolution, and would win a prize in an extremely short-lived church newspaper. At times in his career he would get upset. One incident were he got upset was at the time when the story he wrote was reportedly censored by the lady editor.
 
Matthew Fella Young-201A-8-850

Improving the most crucial time came at a time when Baldwin was forced to recognize that other individuals in other races put disrespectful names on his image because of his race. Africa was where he found himself and not other places such as Europe. He brought stones of Paris to places such as the Cathedral at Chartres and also to the Empire State Building for people like Shakespeare, Bach, and Rembrandt, and would also have a special influence and attitude to carry him on even further. This wasn’t attended to be done on purpose, his history wasn’t contained. To figure out his reflection and background Baldwin planned to search them in vain by himself. Baldwin didn’t feel confident about his heritage. But there was no other heritage he could claim. He would have to claim in his mind white countries, and accept his personality in order for him to be comfortable and fit in any scheme. The toughest task was when he was forced to confess something that was always a secret to him and others, which most African-Americans hid as well from themselves and also publicly in other races such as whites. But he disliked and feared the white race, and made them his enemies. That didn’t mean that he particularly loved African-Americans, he actually thought low of the heritage as well simply because the failure to produce Rembrandt. He basically disliked the world. Meaning, he felt many had power over him that shouldn’t have that power, as well as also downgrading and self-destroying limbo which he would never hope to write.
 
Matthew Fella YOung-201A-8-850

James Baldwin
Literal paraphrase-Paragraph 2 Pg.7


Improving the most crucial time came at a time when Baldwin was forced to recognize that other individuals in other races put disrespectful names on his image because of his race. Africa was where he found himself and not other places such as Europe. He brought stones of Paris to places such as the Cathedral at Chartres and also to the Empire State Building for people like Shakespeare, Bach, and Rembrandt, and would also have a special influence and attitude to carry him on even further. This wasn’t attended to be done on purpose, his history wasn’t contained. To figure out his reflection and background Baldwin planned to search them in vain by himself. Baldwin didn’t feel confident about his heritage. But there was no other heritage he could claim. He would have to claim in his mind white countries, and accept his personality in order for him to be comfortable and fit in any scheme. The toughest task was when he was forced to confess something that was always a secret to him and others, which most African-Americans hid as well from themselves and also publicly in other races such as whites. But he disliked and feared the white race, and made them his enemies. That didn’t mean that he particularly loved African-Americans, he actually thought low of the heritage as well simply because the failure to produce Rembrandt. He basically disliked the world. Meaning, he felt many had power over him that shouldn’t have that power, as well as also downgrading and self-destroying limbo which he would never hope to write.
 
Arely Razo Eng. 201 B.

I am responding to Julianne
English 201B 1-2:50. I think that it is great that you graduated COA. congratulations. I heard that Cal State Hayward is a good school. I am surprised that you did not attend a school that was closer to school. Myself I am not from a big family. I would like to have brothers and sisters. It is great that you found someone that makes you happy and that you both made a life together. What type oif church college group was the one that you attended? I myself like to read books a lot. the interest me. Your autobiographical notes was very personal and i liked reading it. Many people like to go out. Your life seems very interesting. Hope that you have a great year and are able top accomplish all that you want. I wish you and your soon to be husband the best.
 
Margaret Coleman Eng 201A


I am the sixth of seven children born to Mildred and Robert Coleman, whom divorced when I was five. I had four brothers and have two sisters. My oldest brother and my youngest brother are no longer with us. My siblings and I are reasonably close. As close as can be due to the age difference. My oldest brother was 21 when I was born and my two sisters were 13 and 14 years old when I arrived. Actually, my younger brother and I looked at them as more of authority figures than siblings.
I was born on a rainy day in June on the twenty- eighth. I have an older brother Michael who is six years older than I, who birthday is June 23. The story goes, months before my arrival, Michael was asked by my parents if he wanted a bicycle, a baby brother or a baby sister for his birthday. Surprisingly he chose a baby sister. But that was short lived. Within weeks of me being here he had changed his mind, stating, “she cries too much, she gets all the attention and she aint even pretty.” The more humorous part of this is that Michael and I have an older brother David who is six years older than Michael and 12 years older than me. As Michael went on his rant about his dislike of me being here, David looked at him and said” ha..ha…ha.. You’re getting what I’ve been getting for years.
My name is Margaret Arlina Coleman. I attended Oakland Public schools from the age of 5 all the way through high school. In elementary I was known as a skillful dancer and athlete. It was exciting when there was a talent show or dance contest to be the first chosen for a partner. When a kickball game, baseball game even football game was struck up it was esteem lifting to be the first chosen for the team by both the girls and boys. I guess growing up with older brother and sisters kind of balanced out. I was between a prissy little girl and a rugged tomboy. I went from climbing trees and fences with my brothers to holding brushes as microphones, dancing and singing with my sisters.
Then came junior high school at which time I dropped the tomboy image entirely and stuck with the dance. In my ninth grade my brother and I won the school talent show boogaluing, which was a very popular dance at that time. In high school I joined the dance club and remained a member until my senior year. It was my junior year when I had made my decision to become a choreographer. But life brings a bout changes and different mind sets.
After high school my intent was to continue my education and begin my journey to becoming a choreographer. But my mothers’ mentality was a little of fashioned. Once you finished school it was time to work. So I discontinued school and got a job. My first job was at a fast food restaurant. After a year of working fast food I found that face- to- face customer relations was not for me. I went on to become a file- clerk, this was a better fitting for me, as in high school I worked in the counselors office during my first and second periods. (To be continued)
 
Margaret Coleman Eng 201A

(Autobiography cont.)

I worked as a file clerk for 3 years before becoming pregnant with my son Gregory. Four months after returning from maternity leave I decided I wanted to spend more time at home with my child. At this time me and my son were living at home with my mom. It was a blessing to have my son at home with
my mom as I worked. I returned to the work force after 5 months due to financial constraints.
From that point on I had a host of jobs. I was an actuarial assistant for 5 years, a collector for 5 years and an A/R analyst for the past 11 years. I attempted going back to school several times. I recall one day when I was at home doing my homework, sitting down at the kitchen table across from my then fourth grader as he did his homework. I remember feeling so proud of us both.
Gregory is, has always been and will always be my heart, a gift from GOD. I could not have asked for a better son. He is now 22 years old, has a good job in which he takes pride in and he also has a three year old gift from GOD name Nyla, which he also takes pride in. I wish that he would go back to school and trust me I am planting the seed on a daily basis. I stay on him about school not only because it’s something in life that he needs to accomplish, but also because I don’t want him to duplicate what I did and wait so long to return.
My plan is to continue my education this time and go as far as I can. If that means not obtaining my Masters until I’m almost fifty years of age, so be it. I have always set goals for myself. Some I met, most I didn’t and others I’m still working on. Besides obtaining my Masters one of my ultimate goals is to create joyous memories for my two heartbeats, to instill a prominent steadfast within them and to encourage them to believe in themselves. Last but not least to teach them how to become strong in their faith and belief in GOD.
 
Mai Bee Lor
English 1A
Autobiographical Notes

I was born twenty-two years ago in Thailand. My family immigrated to the United States
that following September after I was born. I am the sixth child of ten. My parents were
introduced to the religion of Mormonism shortly thereafter. I have resided in Sacramento for twenty-one years. I moved out with a friend when I was nineteen. I am now living in Oakland since October of last year.
In grammar school I was known to be one of the best artists in my class. Teachers recommended to my parents that I should be in the art program after school. I enjoyed drawing and had fun, but I remember objecting to the idea and was actually crying begging my parents not to put me in the program. Now I look back and how I regret I should have taken the
opportunity to better my skill. Going on to junior high school, I was enrolled in gate classes. I
didn’t understand why I made it into that category. I was just a basic normal kid who’d prefer to
run around and play instead of watching the news or grabbing a book to read. I made it through
the two years and actually won third place in the Spelling Bee Contest out of the local schools. Entering into high school, I attended seminary in the early mornings before heading to school. My freshmen year, my older brother
(who was a senior) and I were in the exact geometry honors class. My sophomore year, my older
sister (who was a junior) and I were in the exact chemistry class. This was both fun and
challenging. Every year I would receive the letter block award and the perfect attendance award.
I graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and was ranked 19 in my class. That following fall I attended California State University of Sacramento. I
was there for almost two semesters when I dropped out. I’m here to earn my certificate for dental assisting. I hope to continue
with my education and get my certificate for dental hygienist.
After receiving my dental hygienist certificate I then will
pursue in school to earn my cosmetologist license. I want to own a salon one day and I’m not
giving up on that one. I like being in a hand on working environment. I enjoy making girls feel better and boosting up their self confidence. I’ve been there and felt that way before. It’s good to have someone to gossip with that would listen to you. It makes me happy to know that I’m able to help others to be happy.
My interests are fishing, crabbing, cooking, reading, watch movies especially scary ones,
styling hair and make-up in general, and spending time with friends and my lover. I don’t like
disrespectful people who are loud and obnoxious. I also don’t like people who are too quiet it
frustrates me to squeeze a word out of them. I love exploring in different cultures. I’m very interested in paranormal/ghost related situations and love hearing scary stories. I love vampires and would be on if I could. I like taking chances. I hate abiding by rules for I feel like I’m being crammed in and suffocated. I love to prove people wrong if they don’t agree. I love and believe the gospel with all my heart. I hate the feeling of fear. It seizes my throat and only a dried voice is allowed to project. My favorite books are the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series. In conclusion, a quote I often use in my daily life from Helen Keller, “when one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long
and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” I want
never to live in the past but learn from it and forever moving onward.
 
Mai Bee Lor
English 1A
Summary of James Baldwin’s Autobiographical Notes

James Baldwin was born in Harlem. He's an avid reader and an artist. His mother was the only one who supported his dreams. His first few novels didn’t sell, so he began waiting tables and critiquing books that were about the Negro problem. Everyone based him on his skin color that he was an expert in that topic. During this time period the suffering of
the Negro problems were worse than what was being written. He quit and left for a more
peaceful place, France. He then finished writing Go Tell It on the Mountain.
Succeeding in writing wasn’t easy for him. He forced himself to be heard and known for
his writings. He is happy he was born black. He is an artist of literature and proud to bring that into his culture. He lived up
to the standards of the white men. He is brave enough to confess that he fears white people. Pressured about writing he feels that he could never meet his fullest potential until he
writes about his experience of being a Negro. James is an honest and hard working man who enjoys expressing himself, his thoughts into writings.
 
Commenting on ANTHONY ENG 201A 8:00 TO 8:50AM
BALDWIN'S NOTES.

JAMES BALDWIN TO ME SEEMED LIKE HIS CHILDHOOD WAS ROUGH BUT FAST PACED HE SEEM TO ACOMPLISHED THINGS THAT A NORMAL CHILD GROWING UP HASNT.I ALSO RESPECT BALDWIN FOR HELPING HIS FERTILE MOTHER WITH ALL OF HER OFFSPRINGS.HE SEEMED TO ME KINDA REBELIOUS BUT NOT IN A WAY WHERE YOU CALL HIM A TROBLE MAKER. BALDWIN WAS TALENTED HE WROTE SONGS PLAYS AND ONE OF HIS SONGS RECIEVED A LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS FROM MAYOR La GUARDIA.HIS FATHRER A REAL RELIGOUS PERSON WASNT TO PROUD OF THE CARRER HIS SON HAVE CHOOSEN HE WANTED BALDWIN TO FOOLOW IS HIS FOOTSTEPS. AT THE AGE OF 14 BALDWIN GAVE IN TO HIS FATHER AND BECAME A PREACHER,HE HAD A SHORT CARRER HE STOP AT 17 LEFT HOME AND STARTED HIS OWN LIFE.

-I like how your context sounds. It's really brief but at the same time you did a good job at covering all the important details of James Baldwin. The piece of writing sounded really relaxed, I hope that sort of make sense.

From Mai Bee Lor, English 201A 8-8:50 am
 
Commenting on Murphy Duong
August 27, 2009
English 201B
8:00AM - 8:50AM

I was born 18 years ago at Merrit Hospital. For the first 18 years of my life, i thought/assumed that i was born at Highland Hospital, because that was the closest hospital around. I never bothered to ask my mother, because i never really cared. I found about by looking at my birth certificate. All my life, I've live around this neightborhood. I moved once only, and it was just a block down. We didn't want to move so far away, because most of our cousins/family lives around here. i actually live right next door to my grand parents. If anything goes wrong, i can always go next door to ask for help.
I currently live with my mother, father, and two brothers. I was born with two older brothers, and sadly no sisters. Since i am the youngest of them all, i always get the most attention from my parents. You know what they say... "The youngest is always most loved"
I find that really true. I won't say i am spoiled, but i mostly get what i want. Brothers are the best, they're always there for me when i need them. Since they're older, they're much more experienced than i am. They have been through the path that i am currently going through. when we talk about stuff, they'd always understand. I love my mother to death, but i don't always tell her everything. Sometimes you just can't tell them stuff that will hurt them, even though you really want them to know, because you don't want to hide anything from them. I tell her everything thats good/happy in my life, but nothing thats bad. My father is always busy working, so i barely get to see him, or talk to him, so we don't really conversate.
I am a very lazy person. If i'm not told to do something, i won't do it. I'd sit in front of the computer, and play games all day; that or watch television. Once in a while, i'd go out with friends to at least talk a bit, so we won't lose the relationship. I never traveled out the country. I always wanted to go to Japan, because of all the cool stuff there. I am still really lost right now. No goal/idea of where i am going in life. I really want to be successful, but i'm just so lazy. I can't help it. i want to make lots of money to help my family. I want my parents to retire as soon as possible, so that they can live their life. I've never worked once in my life, so i won't expect anything soon.

-Wow! That's quite funny that you didn't know the correct hospital you were born in. I'll say that you are very lucky to have your family. They are everything. Trust me I know. Family will always be there after your friends and some lovers has come and go. I covet that you never had to work your whole life. I wish life was easy and simple.

From Mai Bee Lor, English 201A 8-8:50 am
 
Mai Bee Lor
English 201A 8-8:50 am
Literal Paraphrase paragraph 1

James Baldwin was born thirty-one years ago in Harlem when he wrote his autobiography. He began having ideas to write long fictional books when he first was able to read. Growing up was the normal illusion that we can set aside with the limited remark that he would not relive it. Back then his mother produced the habit of having babies. As they were born he helped watched them, but he cared more about reading. The children likely endured the pain, thought they have been nice enough to say it is untrue. He read Harriet Beecher Stowe and Charles Dickonson's novels numerous times. The truth is he'd read anything except the Bible because it's the only book they hoped he would read. His first paid success was about the Spanish revolution. His story was edited and he was deeply insulted.
 
Mai Bee Lor
English 201A
Literal Paraphrase paragraph 2 on pg.7

The weirdest of all time, he found the most important time on his road to becoming a good writer is that he had to face the truth that he cannot abandon that his roots came from Africa. Although it is unclear and not obvious, this to hem meant that he had brought literature and art to France. He's no expert at those, but sure hope to learn a way to express his self through them. If he had no respect he would not have these traditions. Aside from this he doesn't really have anything to call it his own, he cannot be illiterate. he has to live like these white men and make their culture his. He has to accept his place in this whole system or else he can't be part of anything. They hardest was when he confessed that he was afraid and disliked white people during his newly career and publicity. He doesn't mean that black people are his only source of comfort; it's quite the opposite, he refused them and was unwilling to them because they had no interest in any form of art. In the end he was just a lone, terrified and despised the world. Having this fear he could never write to his fullest potential.
 
Cynthia Phan
english 201a
8-8:50am
James Baldwin's paraphrasing of paragraph 1.

Thirty one years ago, James Baldwin was born in Harlem. He read many book at a young age. His life growing up was like living in a unreal dream that he did not like. His mother had a lot of children, where he had to look after them while he is studying. During this time he like reading and he read many books that were an easy access for him. When he was young he liked do reading and writing where he one day publish his own and he was getting known by others. Being young he really did not know what was going on
 
Tonny Mai
English 201A 8:00-8:50am
8/27/09

Autobiographical Notes

Living up to high expectations is my model. I want to achieve the best at what I’m able to do. Born in Providence R.I. and raised in Oakland, I’ve been through a lot of family and financial problems in my life. With an older brother who is a U.S. marines, and two younger siblings in high school, I’ve always been the responsible and dependable one. My mom and dad were both born and raised in Vietnam. They came to America to live a better life style, but it seems that ever since coming here, they got into a lot of relationship problem. Things got so bad that my mother left my dad several times for months at a time, and leaving all the kids with my dad to take care of himself. They finally ended up getting divorced when I was at the age of 7. I never saw my mother ever again since that day. I was upset and scared but I just kept my head up.
About my schools history, I went to Sobrante Park Elementary School, and after that I went to Roosevelt Middle School. In high school I attended Oakland High School. My freshmen year I ran cross country in which we won our league and made it to the California State Championship. I also ran track, the events of the 400m, 800m, and 1600m races. But my best moments in high school is playing on Oakland High Baseball team. I played second base, which is my favorite position, outfield, and some pitching. Playing sports is my love and joy, nothing makes me happier. I play all sports out there including basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, tennis and etc… My goal in life is to first be happy. You can’t live life if you are not happy, even if you’re making millions and millions of dollar, you have to be happy. Secondly, I want to be successful in my career. I’m planning to major in Electrical Engineering. My plan is to take two years here in Alameda, then hopefully with help of my counselors and of course myself, then I want to transfer to UC Berkeley and finish my major there. It will be a very tough and challenging journey for me, but I’m here and up for the challenge ahead.
 
Rikkia Sledge
Eng. 201A.
08/24/09


Autobiographical Notes-
James Baldwin

Literal Paragraph-


James Baldwin was born in Harlem thirty-one years ago. He began outlining novels at about the time he learned to read. The story of his childhood was the usual desolate fantasy; he would rather expel it with the conservative observation that he certainly wouldn’t consider living it again. In those days his mother was accustomed to the enrage and mysterious habit of having babies. As they were born, he took them with one hand and held a book with the other children probably agonized, though they have since been gracious enough to deny it, and in this way he read Uncle Tom’s Cabin and A Tale of Two Cities repeatedly; in this way, in fact, he read just about everything he could get his hands on-other than the Bible, probably because it was the only book he was optimistic to read. He must also acknowledge that he wrote-a great deal-and his first professional exultance, in any case, the first aspiration of his to be seen in print, appeared at the age of twelve or thereabouts, when a short story he had written about the Spanish Revolution won some sort of honor in an acutely short-lived sanctuary newspaper. He remembered the story was suppressed by the lady editor, though he didn’t remember why, and he was desecrated.
 
Rikkia Sledge
Eng. 201A
08.27.09


Autobiographical Notes-
James Baldwin

Literal Paragraph 2-


James Baldwin wrote plays and songs, for one of which he receives a letter of salute from Mayor La Guardia and poetry about which the less said the better. His mother was ecstatic by all these goings-on, but his father wasn’t; his father wanted him to become a preacher. When James was fourteen he became a preacher and when Baldwin was seventeen he stopped. There shortly after he left home. For the lord knows how long James bent over backwards with the world of economics and production-Baldwin guessed that they would say they suffered with him. When James was about twenty-one he had a bellyful done with a novel to get a Saxton Fellowship. Baldwin was about twenty-two when the fellowship was over, the novel turned out to be good-for-nothing and he began to wait tables in a Village restaurant and writing book reviews-almost entirely, as it turned out, about the Negro dispute, in regard to which the color of his skin made Baldwin consequently an expert. James Baldwin wrote another book, in company with photographer Theodore Pelatowski, about the store-front churches in Harlem. This book met exactly the same Nemesis as his first-companionship, but no sale. By the time Baldwin was twenty-four he had cinched to stop reviewing books about the Negro complication-which, by this time, was only less noticeable in print than it was in life-and he packed all his bags and went to France, where Baldwin accomplished, God knows how, Go Tell It on the Mountain.
 
Rikkia Sledge
Eng. 201 A.
08/24/09


Autobiographical Notes


I was born in Oakland, Ca twenty years ago. I began singing at the age of 6 when I joined my church choir. Singing has always been a passion of mine I just never took the time to make it a priority. Mostly because I was too shy to really sing for anyone. As I became older I became more shy I would even be shy in front of family and friends. I would really only sing if I was alone. Singing is still one of my passions, but a personal one that I don’t care to share with anyone unless I’m in the mood to do so. So as time went by I finally moved on to something else which is writing, I enjoy writing for the simple fact that I can express myself loudly, but yet quiet at the same time if you know what I mean. Writing is like a breath of fresh air especially when someone else can relate to what your writing it makes you feel good to know that you’re not alone. I don’t know much about the background of my family, but I would love to find out. I believe it’s always good to know where you came from because if you don’t then how can you get to where you’re going. My parents have never really mentioned anything about my ancestors because their parents never told them and I think that just set the tone for them not to really think much of it, but me on the other hand thinks about it all the time so I need to stop thinking about it and actually find out. Hopefully the African American Studies class that I’m taking can somehow help me have a better understanding. I know a few things about African culture, but I know there’s plenty more that I have yet to learn. My interests: reading, writing, poetry, arts and crafts and just enjoying life with the people I love and at the same rate adding more to my list. After I finish with college and graduate Summa Cum Laude of my class with a BSN Degree I plan to do my best to my ability and help as many people that the lord sends my way and I pray that I have a prosperous life.
 
Lou Saechao
Eng. 201A
1 - 2:50pm

Hi, my name is Lou Saechao and i was bored in Oakland, California. I'm 19 years of age and I am currently in school working on a transfer to UC or State college. AT the beginning of the school year, i was working on a major and it was an automotive class but I suddenly changed it because I didn't feel like continuing it. So I just went on and work on my general classes.don't know what i wanna major right now but hopefully I'll figured it out. Ha! So far, I have completed most of my general classes and expecting to graduate by the end of spring 2010. That's what my counselor have said to me. Lol! But in order to do that, i have to pass all my class so that's what I'm going to do.
 
Tonny Mai
English 201A 8:00-8:50am
8/29/09

James Baldwin was born in Harlem thirty-one years ago. He began planning novels at the time he learned to read. His childhood story was a harsh dream, and they can forget it and not consider living there again. In those days, his mother was given to the irratating and strange habit of having baby. As they were born, he took them over with one hand and held a book in the other. The kids were probably in distress, though they have since been kind enough to deny it, and in this way James would read Uncle Tom's Cabin and A Tale of Two Cities over and over again, in this way, in fact, he just read everything he gets his hands on, except the bible, probably because it was the only book he was told to read. James confess that he wrote a bunch, and his first professional win, inany case, the first attempt of his to be seenin print, take place at the edge of twelve or thereabouts, when a short story he had written about the spanish revolution, and won some sort of reward in a very short-lived church newspaper. He remember the story was corrected by the lady editor, though he don't remember why, and James was angry about it.
 
Demel Bullock
Aug, 22 2009
Ms. Sabir
8:8:50am


On the fourteenth day of October some 23 years ago a 7lb 7ounce 21 inch long baby entered the world, and was given the name Demel Deon Bullock. Residing in california before birth and moving to a rural area of el dorado, Arkansas to be born. Im soon to be 23 years old and have no vivid memories of my life in arkansas. I've been told that the land is what most people consider to be "country", and that a lot of the property has not been kept up since past down from my moms generation to my generation.
Until recent discussions of my family linage, who my people are and what kind of life they lead , I would of believed that my time-line began in San Francisco,Ca at the sunrise of the 90's. I remember living in the VG's, Valencia's Gardens which where the apartment buildings aka the projects on valencia street.
I can still picture this one day in my head. I was riding a little red tricycle and some one started shooting, people started running and someone picked me up and put me down on the stairs out of the line of fire and kept running. I can remember playing in the water at the car wash. My mom had a big blue Cadillac. I don't remember a lot between the lines of my dad being taking to jail, and my mom being killed less than a year after, 8 days after I turedn 6 years old
Next I knew I was living in Suisun city, Ca a small little town between vallejo and vacaville. I lived with a lady I grew to know and love as my grandmother. Later to find she was a foster parent and neither one of my parents mom, this discovery wasn't a hardship to handle I still call her my granny to this day. I'd say I had a pretty good up bringing there in suisun. I played football my first year in high school and had plans of enrolling in the CHP cadet program to become a CHP officer after high school.
Then my world shifted and I moved to live with my dad when I was about to turn 16, after being apart for so long with only a few visits here and there it took some getting use too. Today I would have to say my dad is my best friend. Soon after I started attending oakland high school, then started job corps, that didn't work out that well either so I started independent study and attending a GED program. I finished the GED program first so I didn't see a need for the independent study courses anymore. I just couldn't drop out As I got more familiar with oakland and started make "friends" I ran into some trouble, or maybe trouble ran into me, but thats either here nor there point is, me and trouble meet up.
After serving my debt, I was giving a fresh start. I found a job as a telemarketer, which lead to another job, that lead to another job, that lead me to thinking about a career and developing skills that would allow me to work for my self or for someone else and make a decent dollar. In addition to working as an Auto technician I started to take class at CoA in there automotive program. Ive recently finished my area of interest within the ATECH program and received a certificate of completion I am now finishing up my general education requirements for my degree. Im undecided if ill transfer to a four year just yet due to my wife and I expecting a new edition to our family soon and my wife attends a private 4 year liberal arts school in which I want her to remain full time and finish successfully.
To be continued..
 
Mike Saepharn
English 201A

There is not much to tell about myself as of right now. I was born and raised, January 14, 1990, in Oakland CA. Growing up as a child, my family and I were very close. We used to do everything together, go fishing, go camping, play sports, and even eat together at the dinner table; but as time went by, the closeness of my family dissipated. We would begin to go out less as a family and the dinner table would be empty. Throughout my family’s’ slow separation, my brothers and I kept up with our “family time” some would call it, “brotherly bonding.” We kept our brotherly bond up with America’s favorite past time, which is the sport of baseball, but along the way, as time grew, we grew apart along with it. This is how baseball became a big role in my life.
 
Kholood Gaid
English 201A 1-3pm
Auguest 30, 2009

After reading James Baldwin autobiography, i was really sad. I stayed for few seconds rethinking of all what i read about his life, he really had a hard childhood and many obstacles that he passed them. At the same time, i didnt like when he said he also hates black people. To me, that was kind off harsh to hate people from the same root as you are, in general, i think its wrong to hate anyone no matter what color or race or religion they are. Baldwin refused to follow his father's footsteps of being a preacher, I think if he had follow what he wanted to do only for who he are and not to change himself of anyone or anything it would be less harder on him. I know back then in Baldwin's life it would be hard but at least he would have done something good for himself and not to feel that no one would have to force him to change himself for anyone. but what made me think of him of a good writer is when he wrote, " I want to be an honest man and a good writer." Being honest is the most valuable treasure that people have in their personality, its very important to be honest no matter what.
 
Lornna Taylor
8/26/2009
8-8:50am


August 2, 1924, in what soon was to be called the Black Capital of the World, James Baldwin was born. By the time he had learned to read, he began to design stories. The tale of his youth, is the regular, miserable illusory, and we can discharge the idea with a self-possessed scrutiny that James Baldwin would not reflect on living over. His mother was notorious for the tedious and baffling pattern of having a lot of children. James Baldwin felt as if his passion for reading, overpowered the want of being with his siblings. Spending most of his time repeatedly reading a novel about Anti-Slavery, by a fellow African American author by the name of Harriet Beecher Stowe, and a Charles Dickens novel about French Aristocracy. Excluding the Bible, James Baldwin read everything that was accessible. That being the one book that he was heartened to read, his father being a preacher. Admitting his first qualified piece was published when James Baldwin was just twelve years old. He had written a short narrative about the Spanish Revolution. He won a reward in a really brief church newsletter, however became livid when the editor had changed his story.

A letter of admiration from Mayor La Guardia was rewarded to James Baldwin for one of his many plays and songs. Although his mother was amused due to his accomplishments, his father desired him to follow in his path. At the age of fourteen, he granted his father’s wishes, three years later, James Baldwin was no longer a messenger of God. Knowing the heap of trade and production would soon want some kind of acknowledgements, James Baldwin besieged them. At the age of 21, he earned access to a Saxton Fellowship. Completing a story, he finished the Saxton Fellowship a year later. The novel was nonprofit, causing James Baldwin to wait tables at a restaurant, and write novel evaluations, mainly about “Racial Issues”. During this time, James Baldwin, unconsciously, became an professional. In tow with a Photographer, by the name of Theodore Pelatowski, James completed another novel, based around the store-front churches in Harlem. Having the same result as his former--solidarity, but with no money. James Baldwin unquestionably stopped novel critiquing altogether about Racial Issues, only less unpleasant in reproduction than in its existence. James Baldwin relocated, and finished Go Tell It On The Mountain, in France.

James Baldwin realized that the most fundamental time in his career, was when he was forced to realize that he did not like the white race. He did not fit in with them, but yet, he did not like black people either. He disliked his own race because they did not give off Rembrandt. He struggled to find the person that he was within. He found himself searching in the creations of Shakespeare, and Rembrandt. Eventually he found himself in Africa. He decided that he could no longer be search of himself, and decided to accept himself as is. He would never fit in with his own people, no other culture. This is what made James Baldwin such a unique individual.
 
Raymond Mai
8/30/09
English 201A
8-8:50

My name is Raymond, I took my first gasp of air on July 26, 1990. I am currently 19 year old. I was born in Oakland, then move to Alameda at the age of 4. I am the youngest child in my family. I have two older sister one name Kathleen and the other name Tina. I am currently attending College of Alameda for school. My major are business and art. My goal is to transfer to a UC after two year of community college.
 
Kelley Yuen
English 201B
1-250pm MW

My Autobiographical Notes

My name is Kelley Yuen. I was born and rise in Oakland, California. Growing up in a low-income family was difficult, especially when I’m the middle child of my siblings. My parents would give more attention to my siblings than to me. I have an older brother. He is still trying to finish school to get a GED. I am the first to graduated from high school, and going to college. My younger sister just graduated from high school, and now starting college as a freshman. Within these couple of years, I have learned how to become independent, and let my parents know that they don’t have to worry about me.
Everyone sees me as a quite girl, but really I talk a lot when I’m comfortable around the people I know for a long time. I love to listen to people talking about their problems. I am patient when it comes to listening to other people problems. I would tell them my opinion, and would always consider their feelings first before saying anything that can hurt their feelings.
I like to see all my family and friends living and growing up in a healthy environment. Sometime my cousins would come over and visit me. I would teach them how to do there homework. They would ask me questions when they don’t understand the problems, and I would try to help them as much as possible. What makes me happy is seeing everyone growing up safe, healthy and happy.
My life is really simple and plain. Seeing everyone living through each day is all I want.
 
Kevin Munson
August 26,2009
english 201A
8:00-8:50

I got a letter congratulating me from mayor la Guardia for writing scripts and music, and poems, I think it would be better if I didn't say about what. My dad wasn't too proud of me but my mother was, my dad wanted me to teach the word of god. At a decade and 4 years I began teaching the word of god, and 3 years later I quit. A short time after that I went out on my own. I don't know how long I had a hard time with the job world or you can say they had a hard time with me. I was two decades and a year old when I wrote enough to receive honors. A year later it was done. It turned out that I couldn't sell the novel. I started working at restaurants and wrote summaries for books. Me being black made me an automatic expert on Negro problems. Wrote my second piece with a famous photographer about the place where African Americans held their worship services. The book received the same consequence as the last one. Potential but wasn't bought. I received an award for it. At Two decades and 4 years in my life I made the decision to stop writing book summaries about black problems. At this time it was only a little less bad on paper than it was in reality. I got my luggage and moved to Europe, and got done writing, how I did it who knows, Go Tell It on the Mountain.




I was pushed to see that I was irritating and stupid at a real important time of me growing up, this was clear to me. When I traced my roots, I found myself to be from Africa not Europe. In a way that was difficult to detect and really emotional I took some famous artist to the streets of France to a church and New York a construct that represents an individuals degree of like or dislike. I didn't really make these, they weren't part of my past, I may look for this art to find a image of me. I was one to interfere with others relationships, I hadn't encountered this before. There was nothing I went through before that I could plan on using. I defiantly didn't fit in the tropical rain Forrest or the social group. I would have to make sure that I would be the one who let the whites know that they are no better then anyone else. My individual degree on like or dislike, my specific place in this plan would have to be accepted by me. Cause other then that I'd have no place in my plan. The hardest truth I was pushed to accept an existents I kept from me. I disliked and was scared of white people and this is what kept the blacks from success. Not saying that is meant I love African Americans, strongly dissimilar, maybe because they didn't meet the intended objective to make a Dutch art influence I disliked them intensely. Because of this I hated and was scared of the earth, the meaning of this, didn’t only give the earth a complete killer strength that covered me, it gave me the self destructing feeling of disregard I could not ever look forward to jotting down.
 
Kholood Gaid
English 201A 1-3pm
August 31, 2009
Autobiography

I was born in Sanna, Yemen; that’s in the Middle East. I’m the baby girl of my five sisters, and I have 3 brothers. I was born on October 11, 1986. I came to the United States when I was almost six years old. I went to school and finish my high school education. My dad was always proud of me and what I was doing. I even though had a sister older than me and 2 younger brothers who were attending the same high school, but I was always earned the high grades of all my years. My dad never attended school, but he wanted to educate his kids. For me, I love to learned everything, I was a shy quite child from the family.
I attend a private college and study medical Assistant. After one year, I graduated from Western Career College as a certified medical assistant. After that I worked in a small clinic at Summit Street. Then I got married to the man of my dreams. Then that’s when everything changed, a new life... I love my husband and so does he, but when all of a sudden one think of something the other one at least should understand. I decided to continue to work in the clinic, but the problem was that he refused to let me work. Well then I decide to stay at home and try to understand him and convince him my way, but nothing seemed to be going the way I wanted. After few months of my marriage, I found out I was pregnant, even though I was using so many kinds of birth controls.
Knowing that I was pregnant made me so happy. First I thought I would change my whole life routine and start a new life with a baby. My pregnancy was going well until the beginning of my six month of pregnancy. One day I felt a very horrible pain in my stomach, I told my sisters that I’m in pain, they laugh and tell me, ‘ohh maybe its contractions.’ I was worried. That day I waited till midnight suffering from the pain, then I told my husband to take me to the hospital. As soon as I got to the hospital, the nurse told me I have a very high blood pressure. The doctors gave me so many medications to reduce the pain but it was no change. My family wanted me to do the surgery to take the baby out. But the doctor was telling me your baby is so extremely small and if you decide to do the surgery I would lose him. I cried and prayed so much, and decide to suffer till the last breath I take, just for my baby to grow and live. I stayed 2 weeks suffering from high blood pressure. My whole body was swollen. Then One day, I could not take the pain anymore, the doctors decided to do the surgery for me because my liver and kidneys were not functioning their jobs because of the high blood pressure.

On October 20, 2007, I did the surgery and felt every kind of pain while doing the surgery. Then Thank God, I was blessed with a tiny little boy, who was 1 pound and 7 ounces. After four days, I saw my little boy; he was smaller than a small can of soda. I couldn’t hold him in my hands. One hand of my hand was bigger than his whole body. It was sooo scary. The doctors told me he is so small and might not make it, but I always prayed and went to the hospital every day to see him and stay with him for hours. I didn’t care what all of them were saying, all I cared was me spending time with my son no matter what. Then after 6 months, my baby boy was 5 pounds and 6 ounces, and then I was able to take him home, finally…I suffered so much while I was in the hospital, I don’t think anyone could imagine the pain I was in. But I got through it because I was praying and hoping every single day. Now Thanks to God, if anyone sees my son he looks normal, it was a miracle from God, even when I take my son to the doctors, they couldn’t believe their eyes. After he was born I only cared and concentrated on him only, till he is now he is 23 months age. Seeing my son grow healthy and tall, I decided to go finish my education.
 
Mai Bee Lor
English 201A 8-8:50am
Autobiographical Notes

I was born twenty-two years ago in Thailand. My family immigrated to the United States
that following September after I was born. I am the sixth child of ten. My parents were
introduced to the religion of Mormonism shortly thereafter. I have resided in Sacramento for twenty-one years. I moved out with a friend when I was nineteen. I am now living in Oakland since October of last year.
In grammar school I was known to be one of the best artists in my class. Teachers recommended to my parents that I should be in the art program after school. I enjoyed drawing and had fun, but I remember objecting to the idea and was actually crying begging my parents not to put me in the program. Now I look back and how I regret I should have taken the
opportunity to better my skill. Going on to junior high school, I was enrolled in gate classes. I
didn’t understand why I made it into that category. I was just a basic normal kid who’d prefer to
run around and play instead of watching the news or grabbing a book to read. I made it through
the two years and actually won third place in the Spelling Bee Contest out of the local schools. Entering into high school, I attended seminary in the early mornings before heading to school. My freshmen year, my older brother
(who was a senior) and I were in the exact geometry honors class. My sophomore year, my older
sister (who was a junior) and I were in the exact chemistry class. This was both fun and
challenging. Every year I would receive the letter block award and the perfect attendance award.
I graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and was ranked 19 in my class. That following fall I attended California State University of Sacramento. I
was there for almost two semesters when I dropped out. I’m here to earn my certificate for dental assisting. I hope to continue
with my education and get my certificate for dental hygienist.
After receiving my dental hygienist certificate I then will
pursue in school to earn my cosmetologist license. I want to own a salon one day and I’m not
giving up on that one. I like being in a hand on working environment. I enjoy making girls feel better and boosting up their self confidence. I’ve been there and felt that way before. It’s good to have someone to gossip with that would listen to you. It makes me happy to know that I’m able to help others to be happy.
My interests are fishing, crabbing, cooking, reading, watch movies especially scary ones,
styling hair and make-up in general, and spending time with friends and my lover. I don’t like
disrespectful people who are loud and obnoxious. I also don’t like people who are too quiet it
frustrates me to squeeze a word out of them. I love exploring in different cultures. I’m very interested in paranormal/ghost related situations and love hearing scary stories. I love vampires and would be on if I could. I like taking chances. I hate abiding by rules for I feel like I’m being crammed in and suffocated. I love to prove people wrong if they don’t agree. I love and believe the gospel with all my heart. I hate the feeling of fear. It seizes my throat and only a dried voice is allowed to project. My favorite books are the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series. In conclusion, a quote I often use in my daily life from Helen Keller, “when one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long
and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” I want
never to live in the past but learn from it and forever moving onward.
 
Mai Bee Lor
English 201A 8-8:50am
Summary of James Baldwin’s Autobiographical Notes

James Baldwin was born in Harlem. He's an avid reader and an artist. His mother was the only one who supported his dreams. His first few novels didn’t sell, so he began waiting tables and critiquing books that were about the Negro problem. Everyone based him on his skin color that he was an expert in that topic. During this time period the suffering of
the Negro problems were worse than what was being written. He quit and left for a more
peaceful place, France. He then finished writing Go Tell It on the Mountain.
Succeeding in writing wasn’t easy for him. He forced himself to be heard and known for
his writings. He is happy he was born black. He is an artist of literature and proud to bring that into his culture. He lived up
to the standards of the white men. He is brave enough to confess that he fears white people. Pressured about writing he feels that he could never meet his fullest potential until he
writes about his experience of being a Negro. James is an honest and hard working man who enjoys expressing himself, his thoughts into writings.
 
Earnest Davis
English 201A
8-8:50am
My Autobiography
I was born in Pittsburg, California twenty- three years ago. Growing up during the slums, some people may of thought that I wouldn’t amount to anything. Sports has always been may way of keeping my-self out of trouble. Of course, in order for me to participate in any athletic sport’s such as; football, basketball, and track and field, I had to do well in school. In my adolescences school was always fun, so there wasn’t no problem with me getting up and going. I would meet new people even though I was a very shy and quiet person, learning not only in-class but out-side activities also.
School has always my first priority, football was my second. I became known for a great football, by the time I reached high school. I played threw Jr. high school for the JFL (Junior Football League) 49er’s big league for 3 years, and learned everything I needed to know about the sport and rules. As a Freshman at Pittsburg High School, all classes, events I took place in, and athletics went by smooth. I continued to get good grades until I changed my academics to a rival high school which is Deer Valley High, for my senior year. I was getting into fights, stopped going class, and messing up purposely because I felt at that time, no one really cared about nothing I did. In foster care, I didn’t know my Father, didn’t meet him till I was twenty-two and I didn’t stay with my mother but we kept in contact.
My dream, even now, is I want to be successful. There is no doubt in my mind, I know I am going make it. I never had parents that would buy me anything or celebrate my birthday like my 4 sister’s would have gotten, but I am thankful I had food to eat and a roof over my head. Honestly, I had to get what I wanted on my own and Praise my lord Jesus that I’m here and still standing. All I have to do now is be consistent and stay focused.
 
Yolanda Brewer
Sept 1, 2009
English 201a

I was born some twenty three years ago in West Palm Beach Florida as Yolanda Jean Romes. I was born into a bad situation... A crack head mother. But In my life that would be the least of my worries for at the young age of three I was adopted and brought out to sunny Southern California where I got some of the privileges and woes of being and only child. I was granted the proud honor of being a big sister. But as so as the sister came I was shipped away to Oakland to live with my Grand mother. Now this was a totally different atmosphere for me. Turns out my grandmother was going to be my First Grade teacher. Now you would think that would make school a breeze but in turn it was the beginning of a very shaky school career that I would not break from until starting college myself!

Now what was shaky in my academics was strong in my performing arts. I was a dancer, from my first class at the age of three to my last performance at 21, dance was my life. Now my mother and father looked at dance as a sissy sport but I look at it as expression. I loved dance and I didn’t not stop dancing until I was grown. But because of our difference in opinion I drifted away from the family nets of unity and drifted off into the real world.

I fell in love and I let worldly things consume me and I at the tender age of 20 became a mother. Now this is the best thing and the worst thing that could happen to me. I felt like my world was shatter but I was forced to make a new beginning not only for myself but for my son, So now I have taken the inciative to get a education the improve the quality of life of my son and myself. so here I am today!
 
Amin Ahmed
English 201B
08/29/09
8:00-8:50 AM

I was the first son born to my parents over thirty years passed. I was born in that neck of the wood where the longest river in the world runs to water over two thousand miles. In east Africa, in Sudan, I spent most of my childhood joyous years. When I was eleven years old, I moved with my parents to Lebanon where I finished my secondary education. After my dad had had his PHD in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, he decided to move to Saltant of Oman to work for one of their academic institutions, so we did. Three years later, and by the time I was done with my high school in Oman, we returned to Sudan where I entered the Faculty of Science in Khartoum University. As many college student in Sudan, I had joind one of the political parties, and I started to be active member till I reached a leadership position at the end of my second year in the university. A year later, I had dismissed from the university for my political activities. With the help of my party, I left to Nashik, Indea where I had my Batchlor degee in the Microbiology and I came back to Sudan. When I was back, everything was miserable to me; therefore, I restarted my activities against the corrupted authority again trying to do what I could. According to that, I had been accused and abused by the rolling regime egances many times, beside that, their internal security had did his pest to shut me down, they closed all the door that I knocked, and they made it very difficult to me to live on as any Sudanese citizen; Therefore, I made up my mind and went to Eygpt to file my asylum case to the United Nations Office in Cairo. Afer my case approved, I came to the United States to begin with a new hope for myself, and good wishes to my people.
Honestly, when I had made my momentous of coming to the USA, I was anxious and engaged by many feelings. I felt disappointed by closing my rebellious record such easy, God knows till when. I felt the sadness of getting far away from my family, relatives, and friends and also God Knows when I‘m going to meat them again. Moreover, I was fascinated and nervous about what I would faced in the new world that I’m hitting to with the all difference that I knew. Uh, those were most tough days I have ever been through. Few days later when the plain was landed at the JFK airport in New York, all my fears were disappeared, and I didn’t like the New York city where everything was very fast to me at that time. I decided to come to Oakland, California to begin seeking away to stand up on my feet again. I tried almost all kinds of jobs. I worked as a dishwasher in small and big restaurants, I delivered pizza, I drove a taxi during the day and sometimes night shifts, and I worked in a grocery stores filling the shelves with merchandises. In addition, I worked as a cashier in a coffee shop when my English was little bit improved and before I had my won business. When, I had figured out my lack in English I resoled to go back to school to learn the English language and be able to communicate and better off my live. So, I registered at this college as an ESL student.
 
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