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Politics
Living the American Nightmare
Jul 28th
Meet the millions of immigrants who travel each year to our land for a better life- or Public Enemy #1, according to the state of Arizona.
I’m pretty sure a lot of people have heard about what’s going on in Arizona. If you haven’t do a quick Google search and fill yourself in nicely, with arguments with both sides, please. (I have included a couple of links below-not enough, just a few)
Now, I’ll continue.
It was on a plane to Miami that I came across a story on CNN that brought me to tears. It’s story of one family’s struggle to establish themselves as hard-working Americans, who out of fear of deportation, threats, and bankruptcy; they must now leave their home of almost twenty years. Now I don’t usually cry watching cable news (although Larry King is scary looking and Nancy Grace looks like a deranged shark out for blood a la “Jaws” style), but this story brought a twenty-year-old in mid-flight to sniffles. There’s something precious about the American Dream-the idea that you can work your way to a better life for you and your family. Hard work=success.
To me, that Dream is sacred-it’s what TRULY founded this country. Colonist came here to work, not to vacation, own mansions, or blow their earnings in a consumerist culture gone rabid. They came to work the ground, fight the unknown, and set up shop for their culture and Crown. Hell, immigrants nowadays just want a driver’s license and health insurance-such underachievers. Did I mention those predecessors also brought other humans to do the work for them, against their will? This is the stuff employee of the month was made for. I’ll stop the sarcasm for a moment…
Fair point...
In short, my point #1: our country was founded by workers. Not monarchs, popes, or invading tribes of Visigoths-your average European bloke trying to earn a couple of coins to send back to the wife and kids or to save up for a hand in marriage. The American Dream is that you can work yourself to a better situation. I believe that should be open to anyone who makes that pilgrimage; Pilgrims of all eras included.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
But one coastal landmass wasn’t enough. We claimed (i.e. stole) this territory from sea to shiny sea. We stole from natives and yes, our neighbors to the south once claimed California and a few bordering states their home turf. Well, it must have driven map makers in the president’s cabinet crazy that there was such unevenness in an otherwise pristine, yet unique shape of land mass. So it was taken from under the inhabitants’ feet, faster and far more violent than any eviction notice.
Whoops-you got your country in my state line!
Point #2: This land isn’t our land. History has shown that lands can change owners time and time again, sometimes faster than the average person changes clothes. What brings Americans together is not land, its commonality. It can be over sports, religion, politics, or even TV shows. I am from one state, you another, and our friend yet some other, but we all share some experience alike. With that we relate to one another. State lines can change, but we are a part of a United States of America.
Cut to more modern days. Birth Control and refrigerators were all the rage, and many Americans went to the Drive Ins to catch the latest double feature. But wait, make sure you file to bathrooms that are not only separated by sex, but segregated by race. Feeling uncomfortable, yet? It’s not the big bouffant on your head, it’s Jim Crow laws. In case you forgot, because chances are you weren’t born yet, second class citizenship was legally protected by our government as late as the late-sixties. There’s a whole slew of laws that segregated races from each other, some include colorfully named ordinances like the Asian Exclusion Act and Japanese American Internment. This country already has a beautifully long list of race-driven declarations; let’s leave them there. Stop adding discriminating legislation that only serves to hurt people and leave scars of resentment for generations after. That’s right-human beings. Not Marvin the Martian, E.T., or Chewbacca under the guise of “illegal immigrants,” these are people with families we’re talking about here. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (name drop!) won votes over claiming it was a safety measure against the drug cartels. Wow, way to stereotype here, just like when Southern politicians scared white voters to vote Jim Crow laws into rule lest black men marry their daughters. The scandal: scare tactics haven’t changed much in over a hundred years.
Hospitality, an American specialty.
Point # 3: Racist is Racist is Racist. Call it by any other name: protection, nationalism, or state pride-it is still the same. Manure is poop is crap. The first is merely a polite way to describe a fertilizer preference. Protection from criminal drug cartels is merely a logical mean of self preservation. Poop is the layman’s term for excrement and stereotyping immigrants to drug dealers is propaganda. Crap is the more vulgar of terms for the last two synonyms, and isolating and persecuting a group of people based on unsound evidence or suspicion is unjust in EVERY sense of the word. Case in point: it’s all bullshit to me.
There are now millions of modern-day pilgrims who won’t get the chance to make the memories or dare to dream lest they risk deportation. This recent law has effectively exterminated that chance for millions in Arizona. In its place, something much more sinister nature has set in. Embitter and betrayed, hundreds of thousands of people have packed their belongings and headed for the border of anywhere that doesn’t look like it would be America’s next top racist state. The political leaders won’t represent you, and the entities sent to serve and protect are now your hunters. I wish these kinds of terrors only stayed in “The Twilight Zone.”
Picture: Inappropriate
What we’ve created in Arizona is the American nightmare. Stigmatized for being different, persecuted for speaking another language. No matter how hard these people work, they will never have the chance to work themselves out of poverty, have social security, earn an education, or even the chance to enter the white collar workspace. We are creating a new segregation, a new slavery system.
It’s already happening. Immigrants without papers are forced to look for illegitimate jobs. They are exploited in their position, and there is nothing they can do about it. They can’t sue, because they’ll be reported. They can’t take it to their boss, because they will get deported. They can’t unionize in order to demand fair wages, because the company will report on their own workers and their families at home and merely recruit fresh blood from the border once more.
I don’t know about you, but I’d like my children to be proud of their heritage. I’m paraphrasing a BU Alum here, but I’d like my kids to live in a society where color didn’t matter. I’d like to road trip with my friends one day and not be asked to step out of the car because the last name on my license reads “Castillo.” I would like to see my father not get pulled aside while going through airport security because he shares the same last name and happens to be carrying a laptop. I would like to know that my mother does not always have to carry her U.S. passport while driving home from work. I’d like to see my sister have the same chance at a non-segregated school district where she would get the chance to interact with all kinds of people, regardless of their race or economic background.
The Grim Reaper of Millions of Dreams, Gov. Jan Brewer
Shame on the country that stood by and watched millions of lives ruined. Shame on the people who think by white-washing their communities, they can eradicate crime. Shame on Jan Brewer for turning on her legally registered Latino voters only to send them to a foreign country or to force them to carry legal documents at all times. Shame on law enforcement if they actually pull over drivers for the color of their skin or for picking on non-English speakers.
This shouldn’t be the old days of yesteryear. We have come so far in appreciating the value of a human life. Better health care, better work environment, and better of quality of living has progressed enormously within the past forty years. For some reason, racism still exists. Oh, the target’s changed through the years, from Russian-Americans wrongfully accused of Communism during the Cold War years to the post-9/11 persecution of American Muslims. By hiding the facts behind the mask of an ethnic stereotype boogie man, politicians and war mongers hide the human side to their struggles. Again, immigrants didn’t come to a country that despises foreigners for rest and relaxation. They come to work for their Dream, provide better for their families or to restart their lives in the land of opportunity. They are doing what the first pilgrims did, showing up un-announced to work for money.
One Nation, for us all?
People have got to start seeing illegal immigrants for who they really are: people. Just like us, with hopes, dreams, and families too. Only when society begins to re-humanize the people they are persecuting, can acceptance begin.
Until then, stand back and watch yet another episode in the American shit show.
Links
Roger Ebert’s take on another case of racism in Arizona: lightening kid’s faces on a school mural. What better way to tell kids we are all equal by purposefully altering the appearance of classmates. Also at the bottom is possibly one of the worst Fox News interviews I’ve ever heard- folks, that’s saying A LOT.
The Fed Gov. vs. The State of Arizona. If we want to make sure this kind of legalized discrimination stopped with the Civil Rights struggle in the ’60s, it needs to be stopped at the National level. Let’s keep this country free of hate for all.
Arizona Sheriff tells CNN, “It’s opening jobs for U.S. Citizens.” Meet Arizona’s Miss Congeniality 2010!
GOP Remarks on Immigration. It’s not as negative as you think.
Oil Spill
Jun 9th
After being barraged and barraged with the terrible images from the Gulf Spill, my mind has begun to check out. There is only so much room in my brain for the pictures of pelicans covered to the beak with muck and dead fish floating to the shore. At some point I feel as if it is human nature to just shut off, wait it out to the end, and hope others fix it. Yet I think the worst part of this is the realization that we are part of this problem.
I drive to work in my Nissan Pathfinder, and I am on the grid like all the rest of Americans. I voted for Obama, who just a month before the spill endorsed offshore drilling. At some point, I have to believe that we are just fucking up, sending our planet down the shitter. Oceans are already at the breaking point, with big fish disappearing, over-fishing, and coral reef die offs, but the best our liberal, savior Obama can do is endorse offshore drilling a month before the worst environmental disaster of America.
Almost every summer I go down to Beaufort South Carolina, right in the low country. I go crabbing, watch the marsh dolphins herd fish to the shallowest part, and eat fresh shrimp right of the same Jenny boats that were used in Forest Gump. But this year there probably won’t be any fresh seafood, the crabs will taste like my exhaust pipe and southern hospitality will be replaced by the sad and unemployed sitting on their docks with nothing but tears and a bottle.
I got nothing. No solution to quell my guilt, no solution to save the ocean, no solution to truly become a clean America, because in the end the lobbyists got the money and they got the power. Some radical change needs to happen in the world and I don’t think it can come quick enough, so I’ll just sit here and throw punches at ocean waves waiting till the old old oil creeps onto my shores.
Jamaica!
May 20th
I was really impressed at the size of the coconut trees while I was in Jamaica. http://photos.cruisecritic.com/data/510/medium/Coconuts-0025.jpg
Jamaica is interesting because it is a very pluralistic society. While not free from racial strife, it aims to be an island where many cultures collide. Its motto is “Out of many, one people”. It has many different religions and cultures. While white Anglicans were once the dominant class, blacks of various faiths are making inroads. Likewise, the various cultures are becoming more prominent in the media.
Chinese and Indian people were brought in to the island as indentured servants and there is a significant Jewish population. However, racial strife and stratification is mostly built on a black / white divide.
Women are also making inroads. Jamaica elected its first female president in 2006, Portia Lucrecia Simpson Miller from the People’s National Party.
After a brief flirtation with Castro’s brand of socialism, Jamaica has largely re-privatized. Its economy rests on tourism, mining, and other raw materials. The drug trade is also extensive in Jamaica.
I have been to Jamaica; it is beautiful. However, in the interior rural parts of Jamaica and on the outskirts of urban areas there is rampant poverty. However, I found the people extremely friendly. We took a river tour that walked us up a long creek. Our tour guide (who had dreadlocks to his knees) walked my granny up the entire way. It was sweet.
I had fantastic food while I was there, which made my recipe very very sad. I attempted jerk chicken, and frankly I think my recipe wasn’t very good. I’ll give it to you anyway. If I were to make this recipe again I would mince everything (not chop). In addition, I replaced the cayenne with a scotch bonnet (habanero) pepper. I left the seeds out but it wasn’t as spicy as I wanted. If you’re interested in this recipe I would use a habanero pepper with the seeds. Instead of the hand blender, just whisk it by hand. Do not get the juices from the pepper in your eye. Trust me.
My guests didn’t complain; this is because they’re polite. I’ve made better dishes in this project. Final verdict: Make jerk chicken, but find a better recipe. I’ll keep looking and post a better one if I find it.
Next week stay tuned for the requested Bhutan. Other suggestions are welcome!
Countries completed: Iceland, Poland, Philippines, Jamaica
Updates: New York Times has an interesting article on the way prominent families influence Filipino politics.
Tree Monster: The Real World for the Kid Inside Us All
May 7th
by Nairika Murphy
There once was a tree – as big as can be:
55 thousand times the size of me.
In it chirped birds, fish swam, fairies flew,
fruits popped from its blossoms and people lived in it too.
It provided the shade from the hot scorching sun,
it kept around soil, so we all could run.
It gave the town sap to make halaloolagollap –
a delicious sweetening goop for bananas and wraps.
The tree was the center of town, it provided for all –
until one day something came threatening with a Pop-Ding-Ca-Brawl.
Mr. Old Hiccup from Palagado
drove in his pickup carrying a big ol’ you know who.
He drove in a tree monster that farted and hissed –
the air it stank up and in the water it kissed.
It kissed and it spit out slimy sludge,
no one could drink the water, take baths, or make fudge.
Then the worst happened, as you might expect –
the tree monster grew hungry and to the tree stomped unchecked!
It ate all the fruits, scared the birds right away.
There was a huge scramble to escape the dismay.
The poor tree grew weary as all of its ripe fruits were plucked,
on its branches spat the monster, making the tree’s limbs heavy and mucked.
The people decided right then and there,
to take their problem to the major, Mr. Fannypotpair.
“Mr. Fannypotpair” they yelled and they cried,
“the tree monster is ruining our water, killing our tree and our pride!
The meadow is brown and fruits are all gone,
and there are no more birds to sing us sweet songs.
“I know it! I know!” said Mr. Fannypotpair in dismay,
“But no one owns that tree, so by law I have no say.”
Well the people were dumbfounded, and went back to the tree.
Surrounding it in a circle they shouted up, “Tree monster – you LET US BE.
Sure the tree isn’t owned and the fruit is for all,
but when you eat it up there’s none left for us in the fall.”
Well, the monster just laughed and said, “You can’t make me leave!
By law I can ruin the tree, even though you might be peeved.”
So the townsfolk returned to the mayor and knew
that they had to change the law, to protect more than just me and you.
They realized right then how dependant they were
on the tree and its fruits whose ruin would cause quite a stir.
They changed the law that very day and wrote up a new proclamation –
which the mayor read aloud with perfect enunciation.
“There are things on this earth that belong to us all –
birds and humans, creatures big and those small.
Things such as trees, water and air,
provide for us all and for them we must care.
No person or beast has the right to destroy
that on which we all depend and that which we all enjoy.
So from here on out we’re making a change of great heights–
to future generations, other species and to TREES we give RIGHTS!”
Well, the monster was in awe – he didn’t know what to do –
so he left that fine town of Communalgaloo.
To this very day the townspeople never neglect
trees and other creatures, even to future generations they give respect.
Now here is the main lesson, to avoid a big fall:
Respect common resources for the health of us all.
And if you meet a tree monster, trying to cut a tree down,
remember that it takes each individual’s actions to save a whole town.
I would love to make this into a children’s book (with original illustrations), if anyone would like to publish it! 
The Philippines
May 7th
Manila
When the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, they realized it was unique. It was literate.
The Philippines became independently literate with its own written language known by everyone. You heard it – everyone. Writing in the Philippines wasn’t used to write laws or religious texts. Rather, it was a common language for common people to write to each other. There is no Hammurabi Code of the Philippines; the written language is in the heart of the people.
This changed with the arrival of the Spanish. Spanish missionaries quickly realized the potential of a literate population and translated the Bible into the indigenous language.
The Philippines remained a Spanish colony until 1898 during the Spanish-American war. The Philippines declared independence June 12, 1898 but it was not recognized by the imperial United States. Filipinos were not granted independence until the Manila Treaty on July 4, 1946.
Despite a 21 year dictatorship by Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippines is now a successful democracy. It has been voted into the security council of the United Nations multiple times and is active in peacekeeping missions.
Filipino culture is a mix of Asian, American, and Spanish heritage, which translates into awesome food.
I made chicken adobo,the national dish of the Philippines . Readers, if you ever do a “dishes of the world” series like me, do not make Icelandic crepes the first week. When I asked people if they liked the chicken adobo the answer I received was “Well they’re not crepes!” Nonetheless, I found the chicken awesome. I used boneless chicken thighs, which was fantastic because the chicken was so tender it was falling apart.
I also made pasta with creamy broccoli. It came out well. In this recipe, I have no idea what they actually mean by “cream, whipped”. I used regular cream and mixed it with vegetable broth to make the sauce. I recommend using double the number of vegetables if you ever make this dish.
Next week I’ll be looking at Morocco. Leave suggestions for countries!
Countries completed: Iceland, Poland, Philippines.
Capitalism has no Morals- Should you care?
Apr 30th
Even if business isn’t your thing, you should be aware of what is going this week. Government officials in Capitol Hill are grilling the boys from Goldman Sachs. For those of you that may not know, Goldman Sachs is an investment bank and arguably the most powerful company in the United States. They were Obama’s biggest benefactors during his election campaign, and you can definitely make the case that he would not have been elected without Goldman Sachs’ powerful influence and deep pockets. But, boy did they mess this one up. If the allegations are true, which seems to be the case, Goldman Sachs committed fraud on a HUGE, screw-the-economy-even-more kind of level.
Here’s the story. Goldman Sachs contracted a hedge fund to consult them in creating financial products that they could then turn around and sell to investors. In order to ensure these investors that they were buying a good product, Goldman Sachs hired a third party to review the quality of the products. This third party saw nothing wrong with these products and wrote a report saying that buying these products would be a good, low risk investment. The problem is that Goldman Sachs didn’t tell the third party that the hedge fund that helped them create these products was also betting against these products actually doing well. This scenario created a moral hazard. The hedge fund that created these financial products wants them to perform poorly while Goldman Sachs is selling them to investors that think they are buying into a smart investment.
Confused? If you are, it’s cool. Journalists, news anchors, politicians and financial experts are all having trouble explaining this issue. Here’s a simpler example. Neal and I are trying to hustle a little money during school. We are not trying to work too hard for it though. So we put this scheme together. Everyone knows Neal is an amazing poker player. So he enters a poker tournament and I convince the other Culture Shock writers to bet on him because we are sure that he’ll kick butt and make everyone money. Not all of them are convinced, so we convince Sandy, who has seen Neal play, to assure everyone that he has skills. But behind everyone’s backs, Neal uses the money to bet on the second best player winning. So, Neal throws the game and makes sure the other player wins. The other writers lose their money and Neal takes all the winnings from the backhand bet for himself. You’re a backstabber Neal; you could have at least let me in on the scheme. If Sandy had known about the plan, she would have told everyone and no one would have lost any money. Raul realizes what went on, so he sends Neal, Sandy and myself to be questioned by BU’s highest authority – Dean Elmore.
What’s going to happen to everyone’s favorite bloggers? Keep reading…
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