Remember in High School when you were applying for college and everyone and their mother would constantly berate you with the question, "Where are you going?". Well, telling people I'm in the GPP minor feels very reminiscent. After the initial "Where are you going?" (Peru), comes the "What are you doing?". I often receive positive reactions, with people saying things such as "Oh, you're going to love it", "Cusco will be wonderful", "This is going to be an adventure", etc, etc, etc.
However, I recently received an unprecedented reaction that served as a firm wake up call to me. Upon telling a complete stranger I was going to Peru, he warned me that Peru is home of the "world's scariest date rape drug" known as Devil's Breath. It is a derivative of the solanaceous plant family, and the active drug is called scopolamine. Devil's Breath is used to sedate victims, turning them into conscious docile zombies with bending wills. Furthermore, there is a hallucinogenic component to scopolamine and you cannot store memories while under the influence of the drug. It does not need to be orally ingested, and is often blown in the face or wiped on the skin.
Needless to say, this pretty much terrified me, especially after he added his own personal footnote of "primary targets of devil's breath are foreign college age females". Well thanks stranger, have a great day yourself.
After this encounter, I did some personal online research about Devil's Breath and found a short documentary on the drug by Vice. Turns out the drug is native to Columbia, but nearly everything else the stranger told me turned out to be true. After watching the documentary, I learned two clear lessons.
1. Although Devil's Breath is actually native to Columbia, this stranger reinforced the idea that I need to be extremely cautious on my Practice Experience. Having been previously met with reactions such as "Oh Peru? How nice" allowed me to romanticize my experience while the reality of the situation is that I am traveling alone to an unfamiliar country and need to use common sense and rationality while traveling. Not everyone is a predator lurking in the shadows ready to sedate me with Devil's Breath, but not everyone is a trusted friend.
2. While watching the documentary on Devil's Breath (I've included the link to part 2 in this post), they showed that most people using Devil's Breath were people in poverty. People in Columbia using Devil's Breath on unsuspecting victims were using the drug due to their dire circumstances. Most of the perpetrators were prostitutes robbing men. In an interview, a prostitute seducing victims with Devil's Breath since age 15 quoted "I look at my life and see that I have nothing to gain or lose". This prompts the notion that we cannot fully understand motives, and again reiterates the pernicious effects of poverty.
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/vice-news/colombian-devil-s-breath-2-of-2
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Friday, May 16, 2014
A reflection...
This year has been full of ups and downs for me, and I couldn't be more thankful for all that I've learnt from this. One of the biggest things I've learnt is that nothing is "perfect", and just that fact in and of itself has been a recurring theme.
One of the biggest areas in my life that this fact has continued to present itself in in my practice experience for a non-profit I work for, called 100 Strong, a leadership and mentorship program for young high school women, especially those from marginalised communities and historically disadvantaged backgrounds.. Currently, I'm in charge of all building and managing all the external relation for this organization, which extends from the relationships that we build with the schools that we partner with (which includes relationships with the principals, teachers, school counsellors and the high school students themselves) in addition to relationships with other organizations that work in similar fields or with a similar demographic of people.
Within 100 Strong, I've realised that even with the team that I'm working with and all the hard work and planning that goes into all the various aspects of our program, nothing has gone exactly to plan as we'd hoped. Whether it the DeCal within which we train all the female UC Berkeley mentors who will be working with the high school mentees in our program or the weekend intensives that we spent weeks planning for the mentees, there have been so many different things that have just come up out of the blue that we hadn't expected and couldn't have planned for until the issue itself came up.
Another example of things not going quite to plan this year has been my plan for my professional future. I came to Berkeley as a wide-eyed and (now looking back) relatively naïve freshman, I'd been looking to pursue a career in medical research. However, as time went on, I came to realise that not only was I not cut out to spend my life working a lab (minimal interactions, intense focus on a very minute aspect of science) but that I wanted my life's work to be in the field of development. the GPP minor has played a large role in this realization, and though it was not something that I had concretely known or planned to do with my time here at Cal, it has made all the difference.
This roller-coaster ride of a year has been nothing short of intense, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been such an eye-opening and mind-broadening experience, this year of anything but "perfect", has in its own way, been absolutely perfect.
One of the biggest areas in my life that this fact has continued to present itself in in my practice experience for a non-profit I work for, called 100 Strong, a leadership and mentorship program for young high school women, especially those from marginalised communities and historically disadvantaged backgrounds.. Currently, I'm in charge of all building and managing all the external relation for this organization, which extends from the relationships that we build with the schools that we partner with (which includes relationships with the principals, teachers, school counsellors and the high school students themselves) in addition to relationships with other organizations that work in similar fields or with a similar demographic of people.
Within 100 Strong, I've realised that even with the team that I'm working with and all the hard work and planning that goes into all the various aspects of our program, nothing has gone exactly to plan as we'd hoped. Whether it the DeCal within which we train all the female UC Berkeley mentors who will be working with the high school mentees in our program or the weekend intensives that we spent weeks planning for the mentees, there have been so many different things that have just come up out of the blue that we hadn't expected and couldn't have planned for until the issue itself came up.
Another example of things not going quite to plan this year has been my plan for my professional future. I came to Berkeley as a wide-eyed and (now looking back) relatively naïve freshman, I'd been looking to pursue a career in medical research. However, as time went on, I came to realise that not only was I not cut out to spend my life working a lab (minimal interactions, intense focus on a very minute aspect of science) but that I wanted my life's work to be in the field of development. the GPP minor has played a large role in this realization, and though it was not something that I had concretely known or planned to do with my time here at Cal, it has made all the difference.
This roller-coaster ride of a year has been nothing short of intense, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been such an eye-opening and mind-broadening experience, this year of anything but "perfect", has in its own way, been absolutely perfect.
Public Health and Development
After my last 3 years at Berkeley (how has it already been this long??! Where has all the time gone?!) pursuing a degree in Biochemistry, I've come to the realization that as much as I love, and will always love, the biological sciences (as much as it has continued to eat away at my GPA), my professional interests now lie in the realm of Public Health, especially with a focus on public health fieldwork in a developmental contexts.
I had the opportunity to talk with the Dean of the School of Public Health when he came and gave a guest lecture in one of my public health courses this semester, and had a really great conversation with him. What really interested me, however, was his view on public health:
"Public health is a way for folks to address health concerns in their communities, especially those that have been marginalised or have been historically disadvantaged. It's a way to do developmental work to improve one's community whilst simultaneously working to improve health conditions in the community"
What struck a cord with me was the fact that this field is multidisciplinary, integrating aspects of the biological and health sciences along with economics, ethnic studies, social welfare, political science and business administration to name but a few. In a world can sometimes work to define things as black and white, public health is a field that is the biggest and, to me, one of the most beautiful greys, where just about nothing is as clear cut as one could hope. This is so exciting and engaging for me, as someone who has always had many interests and the privilege to be exposed to many different cultures, people and their vast and varying experiences at a relatively young age. Public health is a field that combines so much of this for me, and having spent the last 3 years "figuring things out" at one of the best universities in the world, the idea of a career in public health feels like hug of a warm sweater.
This year, I've been working with an organization on campus, the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative (BPSHI), which holds health clinics in community centres such as temples and mosques. BPSHI specifically looks to serve the low-income South Asian population in the Bay Area and focuses on cardiovascular health in particular, as this is a common issue that plagues South Asians across the world. Furthermore, I've recently accepted a research position at the Stanford School of Medicine, looking at Hepatitis B in a public health context, specifically cost-effectiveness and decision-making models for health policies, which is what I hope to focus in on with further studies in the field of Public Health. I could honestly not be more excited for this opportunity and can't wait to get started and learn more about what public health field work looks like. I'm especially hoping to apply a lot of what I have learnt so far in the minor and to look at the data analysis and policy-making aspects of this internship through the lens of the GPP minor. This has been such an incredible year in terms of realizations and life-decisions for me and I just hope that it continues in the positive direction that it has been taking and to continue to apply all of the stuff I've learnt in GPP 115 and 105 to be the double agent of social change that we are all gearing up to be.
I had the opportunity to talk with the Dean of the School of Public Health when he came and gave a guest lecture in one of my public health courses this semester, and had a really great conversation with him. What really interested me, however, was his view on public health:
"Public health is a way for folks to address health concerns in their communities, especially those that have been marginalised or have been historically disadvantaged. It's a way to do developmental work to improve one's community whilst simultaneously working to improve health conditions in the community"
What struck a cord with me was the fact that this field is multidisciplinary, integrating aspects of the biological and health sciences along with economics, ethnic studies, social welfare, political science and business administration to name but a few. In a world can sometimes work to define things as black and white, public health is a field that is the biggest and, to me, one of the most beautiful greys, where just about nothing is as clear cut as one could hope. This is so exciting and engaging for me, as someone who has always had many interests and the privilege to be exposed to many different cultures, people and their vast and varying experiences at a relatively young age. Public health is a field that combines so much of this for me, and having spent the last 3 years "figuring things out" at one of the best universities in the world, the idea of a career in public health feels like hug of a warm sweater.
This year, I've been working with an organization on campus, the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative (BPSHI), which holds health clinics in community centres such as temples and mosques. BPSHI specifically looks to serve the low-income South Asian population in the Bay Area and focuses on cardiovascular health in particular, as this is a common issue that plagues South Asians across the world. Furthermore, I've recently accepted a research position at the Stanford School of Medicine, looking at Hepatitis B in a public health context, specifically cost-effectiveness and decision-making models for health policies, which is what I hope to focus in on with further studies in the field of Public Health. I could honestly not be more excited for this opportunity and can't wait to get started and learn more about what public health field work looks like. I'm especially hoping to apply a lot of what I have learnt so far in the minor and to look at the data analysis and policy-making aspects of this internship through the lens of the GPP minor. This has been such an incredible year in terms of realizations and life-decisions for me and I just hope that it continues in the positive direction that it has been taking and to continue to apply all of the stuff I've learnt in GPP 115 and 105 to be the double agent of social change that we are all gearing up to be.
Do they even go here?
This might not be quite related to Global Poverty and Practice, but here's something that's been on my mind lately.
I hear the comment, "Do they even go here?" in reference to black and hispanic people pretty regularly, sometimes on campus but especially in social settings. This comment bothers me for obvious reasons: just because someone is of color does that mean that they don't fit in at UC Berkeley, or even parties here? I don't think that people who say this type of comment really think about what they're saying, but it seems so outlandishly racist that it's hard for me to understand where they're coming from. When I hear it in party situations, usually it's people trying to make sure that there are only Berkeley students in the party, and they usually follow up that comment that asserts that the people in question are from Oakland. I grew up in the Bay Area and I know that while it is very diverse here, it is very segregated. Yes, there is a higher black population in Oakland. But does that mean that if someone of color in a party that they have to be presumed to not be a student, and further they must be from Oakland? It's so disappointing to me to hear people make these kinds of assumptions and only shows me that racism is incredibly, incredibly relevant today, and even in a university where I like to think that we strive for social equality and awareness.
I hear the comment, "Do they even go here?" in reference to black and hispanic people pretty regularly, sometimes on campus but especially in social settings. This comment bothers me for obvious reasons: just because someone is of color does that mean that they don't fit in at UC Berkeley, or even parties here? I don't think that people who say this type of comment really think about what they're saying, but it seems so outlandishly racist that it's hard for me to understand where they're coming from. When I hear it in party situations, usually it's people trying to make sure that there are only Berkeley students in the party, and they usually follow up that comment that asserts that the people in question are from Oakland. I grew up in the Bay Area and I know that while it is very diverse here, it is very segregated. Yes, there is a higher black population in Oakland. But does that mean that if someone of color in a party that they have to be presumed to not be a student, and further they must be from Oakland? It's so disappointing to me to hear people make these kinds of assumptions and only shows me that racism is incredibly, incredibly relevant today, and even in a university where I like to think that we strive for social equality and awareness.
How Real is "Slumdog Millionaire?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV912uiRM_A
The portrayal of street children is varied. As seen in this clip from “Slumdog Millionaire,” sometimes the lives of street children are portrayed as being glamorous, in a way. Though they are brilliant entrepreneurs, learning how to survive on the street with little support, street children face many challenges that are not glamorous in the least. Though accessibility to food is usually not the biggest issue, street children face abuse from adults in the cities they inhabit as a result of stigma towards them. It can be very difficult for them to access medical care and proper treatment from the police force, and because they usually find labor in the informal work sector, street children are at risk of mistreatment from their employers who may pay low wages and force them to work at night. So, although “Slumdog Millionaire” was successful in shining light upon street children’s lives, it doesn’t necessary present an accurate depiction of life as a street child. Either way, it’s difficult to depict a group such as street children without making them out as more glamorous than they really are, or without depicting them as struggling in all aspects of life. Whether it’s in the media or in movies, writers and producers tend to portray such marginalized groups as extremes.
The portrayal of street children is varied. As seen in this clip from “Slumdog Millionaire,” sometimes the lives of street children are portrayed as being glamorous, in a way. Though they are brilliant entrepreneurs, learning how to survive on the street with little support, street children face many challenges that are not glamorous in the least. Though accessibility to food is usually not the biggest issue, street children face abuse from adults in the cities they inhabit as a result of stigma towards them. It can be very difficult for them to access medical care and proper treatment from the police force, and because they usually find labor in the informal work sector, street children are at risk of mistreatment from their employers who may pay low wages and force them to work at night. So, although “Slumdog Millionaire” was successful in shining light upon street children’s lives, it doesn’t necessary present an accurate depiction of life as a street child. Either way, it’s difficult to depict a group such as street children without making them out as more glamorous than they really are, or without depicting them as struggling in all aspects of life. Whether it’s in the media or in movies, writers and producers tend to portray such marginalized groups as extremes.
Fusion for a new generation.
http://fusion.net/culture/entertainment/story/tv-networks-millenials-17754
Last year, the most viewed network was said to have been none other than UNIVISION. UNIVISION is a Spanish network located in the United States. While this came as a surprise to many, the facts show otherwise. In the 2010 census the Latino population appeared as one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States. Furthermore, Latinos still comprise the biggest group in terms of immigrants.
It is with these facts and with the success of the television network that a more recently a new network has been launched: FUSION. FUSION is a news channel whose target population are the next generation of Latinos, those who were born of immigrant parents. One of the unique characteristics of a network like fusion is that it caters to this population of immigrants by providing services like "immigration help" on their actual website and in their news. Moreover, this network highlights one way that the United States is helping assimilate the large influx of Latinos.
Travel Memories
Furthermore, after having had the opportunity to travel for service, family, pleasure and education, I encourage that all GPP minors, whether they are doing a local or international PE find some creative and personal way to document our experiences. We may travel many times in our lifetime, but each experience is new, beautiful and unique and deserves to be remembered.
Education is the Key- but to what door?
In December 2nd 2012, Suli Breaks posted a spoken word piece online about higher education. He speaks that society, teachers and our parents tell us: " Education is the Key". With education, we can become successful, we can make money and live a good life. But to what extent is institutional education helping us? Suli continues on to list a plethora of successful people who did not attend college or dropped out of college. These people did not need to have higher education, they were motivated and knew how to become successful without schooling. However, in this spoken word, he does not protest pursuing higher education, he warms us to be motivated and not absentmindedly go through college.
I write this on the Friday at the end of finals. I spent about 100+ hours studying for just 1 Final, and around 10-15 for 2 Finals. Everyday of the weekend before dead week and during, woke up everyday at 11am and studied in the same room until 2-3am. What would I do? I mindlessly stared at the same 100 page study guide over and over until I memorized that you use a Odds Ratio for a Case-Control Study but you can also use an Odds Ratio to calculate a measure of association for a cohort study, but that would be a disease Odds Ratio. When I took my exam, it was multiple choice and I would internally freak out knowing that regardless of how many hours I put into studying, only one choice, one bubble can be filled and would be correct. Maybe I am a genius at Epidemiology but due to the lack of sleep and the caffeine high, I misread one word and got the question wrong? On the exam score, this would show that I did not know that answer and my GPA would again drop.
I admit that I do not have the best GPA and from my standpoint, it might just sound like I am complaining. Sometimes I even have told myself: "You know what? Maybe its how school is ran, maybe its just me. I should just shut the fuck up and I just have to fucking deal with it". I wish I could say that I don't care out what grade I get and it does not matter. However, I feel like the reason why Berkeley is such a terrible place to learn is because of its competitive nature of its students. Sometimes I don't even know that I contribute to this system. Last summer in my Bio1B lab, a girl from another university approached me and introduced herself. I looked at her like is she was crazy. She told me that she went to another college and everything made sense. I wish Berkeley students would show their support for one another, but how can that happen? I do not know, but I wish I did.
CAUTION: I may have generalized about the general Berkeley student population. If you have different experiences, please enlighten me.www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI
I write this on the Friday at the end of finals. I spent about 100+ hours studying for just 1 Final, and around 10-15 for 2 Finals. Everyday of the weekend before dead week and during, woke up everyday at 11am and studied in the same room until 2-3am. What would I do? I mindlessly stared at the same 100 page study guide over and over until I memorized that you use a Odds Ratio for a Case-Control Study but you can also use an Odds Ratio to calculate a measure of association for a cohort study, but that would be a disease Odds Ratio. When I took my exam, it was multiple choice and I would internally freak out knowing that regardless of how many hours I put into studying, only one choice, one bubble can be filled and would be correct. Maybe I am a genius at Epidemiology but due to the lack of sleep and the caffeine high, I misread one word and got the question wrong? On the exam score, this would show that I did not know that answer and my GPA would again drop.
I admit that I do not have the best GPA and from my standpoint, it might just sound like I am complaining. Sometimes I even have told myself: "You know what? Maybe its how school is ran, maybe its just me. I should just shut the fuck up and I just have to fucking deal with it". I wish I could say that I don't care out what grade I get and it does not matter. However, I feel like the reason why Berkeley is such a terrible place to learn is because of its competitive nature of its students. Sometimes I don't even know that I contribute to this system. Last summer in my Bio1B lab, a girl from another university approached me and introduced herself. I looked at her like is she was crazy. She told me that she went to another college and everything made sense. I wish Berkeley students would show their support for one another, but how can that happen? I do not know, but I wish I did.
CAUTION: I may have generalized about the general Berkeley student population. If you have different experiences, please enlighten me.www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Mobile Health Clinic in TV Comedy Show
This is a behind the scenes photo of a scene of the Mindy Project. I could not find a video, but it shows a group of medical professionals providing a mobile health clinic to the largely Hispanic population in Harlem.
I do not know if any of you watch the Mindy Project (a comedy series that centers around the professional and social life of Dr. Mindy Lahiri), but I found a certain episode especially interesting. In this episode, the doctors had set up a mobile health clinic to go around to do health check ups at Harlem, a city with more people of low socioeconomic status. The doctors work in New York City and typically do not take patients without health insurance. In one of the scenes,the doctors except for Mindy who is not present at the time, are in an unfamiliar environment are then reprimanded by citizens in the town as they hand out flyers and ask passerby's if they want to come in for a health check up. It is interesting how the three white men phrase their question asking women passing by on the streets if "they want their breasts checked." As a result, they are seen as pedophiles and eventually the police comes. It isn't until Mindy Lahiri comes that she is able to clear up the situation and try to show that they as doctors are only trying to help by explaining what they are here to do and that no one is being forced to have a health check up.
Similar to mobile health clinics in the Bay today, it is evident that without community interaction or first gaining the trust of the community, it is impossible to help or give them the necessary resources.
I do not know if any of you watch the Mindy Project (a comedy series that centers around the professional and social life of Dr. Mindy Lahiri), but I found a certain episode especially interesting. In this episode, the doctors had set up a mobile health clinic to go around to do health check ups at Harlem, a city with more people of low socioeconomic status. The doctors work in New York City and typically do not take patients without health insurance. In one of the scenes,the doctors except for Mindy who is not present at the time, are in an unfamiliar environment are then reprimanded by citizens in the town as they hand out flyers and ask passerby's if they want to come in for a health check up. It is interesting how the three white men phrase their question asking women passing by on the streets if "they want their breasts checked." As a result, they are seen as pedophiles and eventually the police comes. It isn't until Mindy Lahiri comes that she is able to clear up the situation and try to show that they as doctors are only trying to help by explaining what they are here to do and that no one is being forced to have a health check up.
Similar to mobile health clinics in the Bay today, it is evident that without community interaction or first gaining the trust of the community, it is impossible to help or give them the necessary resources.
Education in Barbados is free, accessible and compulsory for children under the age of 16. While 90% of the population is literate, the remaining 10% remains uneducated for reasons of poverty or special needs.
Many families cannot afford the cost of books, uniforms and transport, or may need children to leave school and go to work in order to bring in income.
As for disabled children, no provision is made for their needs within the school environment, with the result that many are unable to attend school. This summer I am really excited because I will working with the children that frequent my organization and will also be a camp counselor with children who have AIDS. Although I will go through very strict trainings to be able to work with these children, I plan on really being of aid and coming into my practice experience with an open heart and an open mind.
Barbados makes me Nervous!
This summer I will be doing my practice experience in St. Michael, Barbados with the Center for Disease and Control (CDC), implementing an HIV/AIDS youth outreach program and volunteering in their summer camp program for children orphaned by AIDS. My organization works specifically to mobilize communities to carry out HIV prevention, AIDS care and education activities in three key populations: men who have sex with men, women sex workers and children living with AIDS.
Being that I have done numerous programs all dealing with this epidemic I want to discover and study the interconnecting problems that surround this epidemic in the States and elsewhere. By volunteering in their Ministry of Health sector, a sector that focuses on building a foundation of true peer outreach and bringing service to the people, I will be able to witness first hand the interconnecting problems of poverty that surround the HIV epidemic on the Island of Barbados.
Although I am really excited to go aboard and be on the Island of Barbados, this whole experience makes me really nervous! I have never traveled outside of the country by myself. Everyone in my organization has been really nice and really welcoming, even before my arrival, so that has help my nervous! I am just really excited to be of serve to this community and really learn and interact with the people of Barbados! Wish me luck!
HIV/AIDS in Barbados
Freedom from disease is closely related to freedom from ignorance and both lead to freedom from hunger. All three conditions – disease, ignorance and hunger – are the hallmarks of poverty, the alleviation and eradication of which have become ‘big questions’ on the global development agenda. Unlike other infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS does not respect social barriers. It affects rich and poor alike. This epidemic reduces life expectancy; increases child mortality, leaves large numbers of children without adult care and places intolerable strains on health care systems. Nevertheless, poverty facilitates the transmission of HIV and its more rapid development into full-blown AIDS. In Barbados one overarching issue is that poverty accentuates the vulnerability of the poor to HIV infection in a variety of interacting and accumulating ways. The urgency of responding to immediate short-term survival or satisfaction needs overrides concern about protecting conditions that lie several years in the future.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
The Culture of New Capitalism
I recently read the book Culture of New Capitalism, in which Richard Sennett
surveys the differences between an “old” industrial and bureaucratic capitalism
and a “new” form of capitalism that is more global and mutable. By exploring
the historical processes of both types of capitalism, he places each within
contexts of both institutional changes, power changes, and cultural changes.
Sennett’s main theories of the culture of “new” capitalism is how, now, our
culture’s ideal worker is one who is flexible and able to manage their time in
the short-term to toll with the changes; is a talented person of many traits,
giving them higher potential rather than merit for their past achievements; and
is someone who is able to “surrender” the past by letting go of failures or
even old processes, and only looks forward.
He places each
of these traits in opposition to culture traits of the “old” capitalism,
focusing mainly on bureaucracy. For instance, bureaucracy brought with it
rational, disciplined, and stable structures for work. A worker could,
therefore, plan for the long-term by knowing very clear and set steps of how to
gain wealth: go to college, get an entry-level job, work efficiently and
accordingly to the rules, and climb the company ladder through promotions.
However, now short-term feature of the new capitalism does not guarantee a
given path to wealth, or even job security. Older generations of professionals now
experience a “specter of uselessness” as they have to adjust to the new
knowledge and technology and compete with younger 20-something-year-olds.
Sennett’s main
argument is that even though these new methods seem to liberate workers from
the “iron cage” of bureaucracy, these changes have not set people free.
Further, the new cultural ideal of the new institutions actually damage many of
the people who inhabit them. A
quote I feel embodies this is:
“…a different, more passive mentality.
Americans of the middling sort…have tended to accept structural changes with
resignation, as though the loss of
security at work and in schools run like businesses are inevitable: you can do
little about such basic shifts, even if they hurt you” - page 10
In
Sennett’s voice, this new form of capitalism has radically broken down the
stable and disciplined institutions of bureaucracy, casting people adrift into
an uncertain, short-term and ever-changing system, and culture, of work ethics.
Rather than setting people free from the strict guidelines of bureaucracy, it
seems this “new” capitalism, as he describes it, has gone too far in that it no
longer guides and supports the majority of workers in America, especially those
who were raised through “old” capitalism. This quote also resonates with me
because Sennett specifically calls out Americans as the population who are now
passive, rather than aggressive businessmen, who seem to have lost their power
and agency. In other classes, I have read Thomas Friedman’s “The World Is
Flat,” in which he explains how the technology and telecommunications
revolution has essentially evened-out the playing field for other
“less-developed” countries, such as China and India. Now, that their
populations have access to the digital world, they have been able to greatly
take advantage of globalization of capital and businesses, and have seen a
rapid increase in growth and productivity. In this essay he, also, calls out
Americans, and urges America to wake up and work harder; to keep up with the
other nations that have started to surpass us in technology and
telecommunications, and thus in the World economy. I guess my point to bringing
up this quote is to spectate on who is
receiving the adverse effects of the new capitalist system. And further to look
at this as an almost ironic situation since America has been the epicenter of a
highly productive capitalist economy and also spread, and even forced,
capitalism as a model for other countries and the World economic system. Yet
now, as capitalism is changing in both the institutions and culture surrounding
workers, Americans are “cast adrift.”
Here's a video on a young American who I feel embodies the culture of new capitalism:
What happens at the NGOs after we leave?
Unlike so many of my peers, my practice experience is actually coming to an end this month.
However, even though I'm leaving, the organization continues.
UC Berkeley and Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), the org I have my PE with, have been partners for years but I'm wondering how sustainable this partnership is. Students by nature are transient and temporary but also theoretically replaceable since we have such a high turnover and endless interest. However, I'm finding difficulty securing a replacement for the next academic year.
I'd be disappointed and uncomfortable if I moved on without a worthy replacement. If you are interested in community organizing, participation, or direct interactions with the community, please explore this link for more information about the Community Organizing Team (COT) and this link for the application.
However, even though I'm leaving, the organization continues.
UC Berkeley and Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), the org I have my PE with, have been partners for years but I'm wondering how sustainable this partnership is. Students by nature are transient and temporary but also theoretically replaceable since we have such a high turnover and endless interest. However, I'm finding difficulty securing a replacement for the next academic year.
I'd be disappointed and uncomfortable if I moved on without a worthy replacement. If you are interested in community organizing, participation, or direct interactions with the community, please explore this link for more information about the Community Organizing Team (COT) and this link for the application.
'Favela Rising': a Type of Community Activism to Improve Lives in Favelas
If you haven't done it yet, I strongly recommend watching the documentary 'Favela Rising'. Other than depicting the social context and life in favelas, the documentary shows how community activism can be used as a powerful tool to improve lives within a favela. In the movie, in response to the high criminality and drug trafficking in favelas, a group of residents organizes to form social revolutionary in one of Rio's most dangerous slums.
Criminality is one of the main concerns that strongly impact the lives of the residents in favelas. To address this issue, many programs have recently tackle drug trafficking by implementing Pacific Police Units into favelas. By identifying and acting upon the major drug trafficking factions in Rio's favelas, and by promoting social and educational events for the whole community, the UPP aims at restoring pacification into the favelas, eventually improving the lives of the residents and decreasing the stigma placed upon those communities by the rest of the city.
Here's a link to the first part of the documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKSuaPxYU0s
Criminality is one of the main concerns that strongly impact the lives of the residents in favelas. To address this issue, many programs have recently tackle drug trafficking by implementing Pacific Police Units into favelas. By identifying and acting upon the major drug trafficking factions in Rio's favelas, and by promoting social and educational events for the whole community, the UPP aims at restoring pacification into the favelas, eventually improving the lives of the residents and decreasing the stigma placed upon those communities by the rest of the city.
Here's a link to the first part of the documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKSuaPxYU0s
Friday, May 9, 2014
Visa for India
Most country requires a visa for entry, that I understand.
Instead of having the service completed by the consulate, India has outsource
their visa process to a private company, BLS. Although the website is visually
appealing and colorful, don't be fooled. The process to obtain a visa for India
was the most stressful process I have experienced to date. For anyone that will
be doing their practice in India, brace yourself.
I think the most confusing part was filling out all the forms
online. Not only did I have to fill out a form for the visa, I also had to fill
out a form in order to make an appointment.
After I gathered all my documents, I headed to San Francisco.
This trip took around an hour and half (
I took the FS express bus and then the 38L to Geary). Once I got to the office, I had to get a number.
Although I made an appointment for 10am, that doesn't mean anything. It was
basically first come first serve. I thought this was funny because the website
made such a big deal about filling out forms and scheduling an appointment only
to have it be first come first serve.
Finally, 30 minutes after my scheduled appointment, I was
called to the window. I was really nervous because I just wanted to submit my
forms and be done this with this. However, it turns out I didn't have a letter
to prove that I was living at the address listed on my application. The lady
rejected my application and I had to scramble to get that. I decided to call my
co-op and asked them to email me a letter. Luckily I was able to get that and
submit it to the office.
The entire visit took about 6 hours...
Required documents:
1. Online India Visa Application Form
2. BLS Order form
3. Visa/IPO form
4. Proof of residency: I lived in a co-op so I had to request
a form that stated I lived in that space and the form had to be signed.
5. Photo copy of my student id: I am confused about this
because I was never asked for my student ID before
6. Passport photo
Link to get your: http://www.visa.blsindia-usa.com/visa.php
...Good luck!
Gratefulness leading to lasting Joy
Hey friends! I know this is a crazy stressful time during finals. I found this video a while ago and found it to be super encouraging. Whatever religion or practices you choose to do, I think that gratefulness in the midst of suffering or hardship changes our actions in crazy ways. I have been influenced by teachings of Paul, who went through immense suffering. He was beat close to death a multitude of times, shipwrecked, his friends turned against him, he lost friends, and suffered from a chronic pain. In the midst of this he says that he is grateful for all things that are given to him. For in times of suffering those are times to grow and learn. You guys are awesome! I hope this video is encouraging and a new perspective in crazy stressful times!
http://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful
http://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful
Native History and IFH - Interview with Betty Cooper
I have been working with the Intertribal Friendship House in Oakland this semester for another class. During this time I was stoked to meet multiple tribal leaders from the area and this excerpt is from my interview with Betty Cooper. Betty is a passionate woman who through the 70's and until now has changed policy and organized Indians from all tribes to fight for self-determination. She has made many things possible that previously were not for Indian communities starting at IFH and moving her model of work across the country. She was given multiple awards including "Woman of the Year" and an honorary award from Nelson Mandela for her work with indigenous communities. Here is a paper she gave to me while I interviewed her last Saturday.
Intertribal Friendship
House History and Impact
The
American Indian Center of the East bay, located in Oakland, California.
The Intertribal Friendship House was
founded in 1955 by the first Indian people. Many of were single, married with
families and were relocated from many states and tribal reservations across the
United States and Canada. Local California tribes were also involved, most
pointed were the Pomo tribes from Williams Lake, Ukiale, and Santa Rosa area.
Also the religious society of friend known as the Quakers who themselves faced
strong opposition and persecution, continued to expand across the British Isles
and then into the Americas and Africa. The Society of Friends had assisted the
first natives of Canada, together they founded seven friendship centers for
indigenous natives people across Canada. This model of community centers for
natives was brought to Oakland California by the Quakers and the early
identified Native American indigenous people of the Bay Area. The first
Intertribal Friendship House was located on Telegraph avenue near Oakland High
school, with a move to 5th avenue off east 14th. A
mortgage was acquired for the purchase of the building at 523 East 14th
(now called international Blvd.). The Intertribal Friendship House, IFH, became
a social center and moved into social service programs to meet the needs of a
great influx of American Indians into the San Francisco, Oakland, and Bay Area.
From 1940 on up to today 2014, has had 59 years of celebrating, 60 years in
2015.
Much research has been done through
the Intertribal Friendship House history project program. All the history
project archives are located in the UCB Bancroft Library on campus. Susan Lobo,
PHD of Kensington, California headed up the history project. There are
extensive taped and written interviews of the Native indigenous people’s
stories of relocation from their homes to the Bay Area where they established a
home, found employment, raised their families, plus organizing historical
American Indian service programs. All programs were spin offs from the
Intertribal Friendship House.
Betty Cooper Personal Story of IFH
I first used the services of the
Intertribal Friendship House in 1963. I came to the Intertribal Friendship
House Ladies Club that met once a week on Wednesdays. I brought my five
children, four daughters and one son with me.
IFH social worker Carol Baxter who was and MSW (Masters in Social Work)
provided outreach to my family and encouraged us to attend the Intertribal
Friendship House. I was a stay at home mom because of the age of my children.
My participation at IFH met my family’s needs. We established friendships and
now I know we came on the relocation program provided by the U.S Government,
Bureau of Internal Affairs and we left all our extended family behind on the
Blackfeet Indian reservation in Montana. We were so lonesome, especially for
the grandparents. We were overtime able to adopt grandparents, uncles, aunties,
sisters and brothers here among the Indian Community of the Bay Area. I stayed
for 31 years and I chose to return to my home in Montana. I have been home for
20 years. – It is really important that you know I have been gone for a long
time, I was here for a long time but I have also been gone 20 years. Today has
a lot of continuation of what I did, but now it is the new crew. When I left, I
was able to turn it over to the next generation.
Intertribal Friendship House Social
Service Program received a grant from the National Mental Health Government
office of Washington, D.C. The purpose was to identify American Indians who
have lived and adapted to living in an urban, metropolitan area. They would use
this experience coupled with a college degree to be the trained work force to
provide services to the Bay area Indian community.
In 1970, 11 candidates were
selected, 7 graduated from Merritt College with an associate of art degree in
Community Social Service, CSS. In 1973, 8 candidates were selected, 7 graduated
from Merritt College with an AA in CSS. I was one of the 8 candidates and I
benefited from IFH Mental Health Program. I could provide for my family better
and I have impacted all the service programs for American Indians.
Findings
No man is an Island. (you can’t do
anything by yourself).
No woman is an Island.
A person must develop their skills; gain
valuable experience by working through hard times and good times. A person must
bring their skills and knowledge to the team.
A person must be on the team with a purpose, goals, and objectives. Each of the team members brings their
strength, purpose and experience. The participation of each team is fertile
ground for the development of an event, program model, and accomplishment. Your
teamwork draws out great ideas and solutions. The breaking into committees with
agreed assignments then bringing back to the whole committees is team building
for accomplishment. In the year of 1975 American Indians in the Bay Area who
worked in different service programs formed the Bay area Indian
Representatives, BAIR, organization to meet once a month at rotating host
agencies with an agenda of Native concerns and move the concerns with teamwork.
Intertribal Friendship House is a place
where people can belong and be accepted.
It is ideal for the American Indian,
relocating to the Bay area to bring with them their tribal culture,
spirituality, beliefs, family values, ceremony rituals, their native tribal
language and love with respect for self, family and community: the essence of
their Indian Identity. This is what has promoted and kept intertribal
friendship house doing very well. Also bringing their Indian name given in
ceremony by their family and their belief in ceremonial spirituality through
the creator and all living life on our sacred Mother Earth and al living life
in the Universe. In our Blackfeet legends we include the star people, they were
here on earth with us then they chose to leave but said they would never
abandon us. There is whole life all over the Universe. Everything is living;
the grass is living, the birds, and the people. To speak their own language and
to know where they come from gives them the foundation to find their place in
urban area and this is strength they each bring to the Intertribal Friendship
House and other Indian service programs.
50th anniversary of War on Poverty! NPR
It's the 50th Anniversary of LBJ's War on Poverty.
So NPR did some 50th anniversary let's look at poverty now episodes...
1. One Family's Story Shows How The Cycle of Poverty is Hard to Break
This video explains what has happened to a single mother in her life of poverty. It's a sad personal story that shows how relentless poverty is. It feels very GPP 115—she can't get out of poverty because she has so many problems, and all of the institutions around her are working against her.
2. The Changing Picture Of Poverty: Hard Work Is 'Just Not Enough'
So NPR did some 50th anniversary let's look at poverty now episodes...
1. One Family's Story Shows How The Cycle of Poverty is Hard to Break
This video explains what has happened to a single mother in her life of poverty. It's a sad personal story that shows how relentless poverty is. It feels very GPP 115—she can't get out of poverty because she has so many problems, and all of the institutions around her are working against her.
2. The Changing Picture Of Poverty: Hard Work Is 'Just Not Enough'
This clip is more GPP 105, changing how we think about poverty...they talk about poverty as no longer just being a problem of resources. Poverty looks different today than it did 50 years ago. Poor people have gadgets, some resources, etc. but in addition to still lacking resources, support networks used to be a lot stronger. Folks could depend on their families, on their neighbors, etc. at least for emotional support.
This is also meant for people who probably haven't read Katz, so it does provide listeners with some of that vocabulary of qualifying poverty in different ways.
3. Struggling to Get Out Of Poverty: The 'Two Generation' Approach
This explains a story of trying to tackle poverty through educating single moms. It seems like this program is doing good work, but within the context of the other shows, how much good could they really be doing? How much change can they really affect?
Global Poverty has changed the way I feel about mainstream information on poverty. I mean NPR is pretty good, they rarely blame people, but I am still looking for deeper meaning. To what degree are they trying to explain and qualify poverty. How are they asking people these questions? Why aren't they studying up as a part of these shows?
Studying up recently popped into my head as a part of how Wolf of Wall Street was.
First off, I seriously hated that movie. However, I do believe that they were trying to make mainstream the extravagance, irresponsibility, and grotesqueness of the 1% on Wall Street. However, I still hated it because I feel like they made a spectacle of women's bodies and made it all look fun, not giving enough umph to the this sucks lets shut down wall street side of it. That movie needed a bit more studying "down".
Anyway... sorry for the tangent... enjoy the podcasts!
3. Struggling to Get Out Of Poverty: The 'Two Generation' Approach
This explains a story of trying to tackle poverty through educating single moms. It seems like this program is doing good work, but within the context of the other shows, how much good could they really be doing? How much change can they really affect?
Global Poverty has changed the way I feel about mainstream information on poverty. I mean NPR is pretty good, they rarely blame people, but I am still looking for deeper meaning. To what degree are they trying to explain and qualify poverty. How are they asking people these questions? Why aren't they studying up as a part of these shows?
Studying up recently popped into my head as a part of how Wolf of Wall Street was.
First off, I seriously hated that movie. However, I do believe that they were trying to make mainstream the extravagance, irresponsibility, and grotesqueness of the 1% on Wall Street. However, I still hated it because I feel like they made a spectacle of women's bodies and made it all look fun, not giving enough umph to the this sucks lets shut down wall street side of it. That movie needed a bit more studying "down".
Anyway... sorry for the tangent... enjoy the podcasts!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Food stamps
This video of Congressperson Jackie Speier popped back into my head after I saw an upsetting picture on my facebook newsfeed...
Here's the picture...
I immediately thought of two things I wanted to post in response: the first was a sort of definition of Fox News that I feel really applies to many more spheres...
Here's the picture...
And then this video of Rep. Speier that I initially mentioned.
In this video, Rep. Speier explains how other congresspeople who were trying to cut food stamps spend so much government money on their extravagant business trips. It's like Ananya says, "the rich have state help and the poor have self help".
I feel like conservatism thrives on the middle class hating the poor. I feel like the American Dream somehow excuses rich people for getting to benefit so much from the state—like oh, they've earned it.
Well on a more uplifting note, Rep. Speier really breaks inequality down publicly in Congress, so good for her. And she's from California, so holllllaaa
Still Not Sure About Voluntourism
Although I'm incredibly excited about my practice experience this summer, whenever I think or talk about it I still struggle with the concept of "voluntourism."
After taking GPP 115, I was keenly aware of the ethical dilemma of volunteering in place where you are not deeply connected to. Although volunteering abroad is a very valuable experience for the volunteer, who gets to travel and learn about a new culture while also intending to do good, it seems to not be as beneficial for the people the volunteer is trying to serve, or at least, unfair. Often times, students are volunteering abroad in a community where the people who live there do not have the opportunity to travel abroad. How powerful of an impact can a volunteer make if they are only there for 2 weeks, a month, 3 months, a year? How can people build trust in someone who is not deeply invested in their lives for the long term? Can someone really be an effective volunteer if they don't understand the culture they are working with?
Yet, I'm doing exactly that this summer. I'm going to be volunteering with an NGO that works with street children in Delhi, India, where I have absolutely no familial connections or really, any real connections at all. Through the GPP minor, I have had the opportunity to research the political and social factors to gain a deeper understanding of the background of the children and community I'll be engaging with. However, that doesn't mean that I am anywhere close to knowing what it's like to live there, and experience what they experience. I'm going to do my best to make as positive of an impact as I can while I'm there, and I know that I'm probably going to learn much more from the children I work with than they will from me. The bottom line is, I want to be as much of a support system and for them for the 3 months I will be there, but I know that I would be a much more effective volunteer if I were there for much longer. I chose to work with this particular NGO because they do a lot of work that I have a lot of experience with and believe I can contribute to in a meaningful way. I've always been interested by Indian culture and am so excited to completely immerse myself within it, and meet people and learn their stories. And I know that my ability to work with and connect with children does not depend on cultural similarities. However, I still feel somewhat guilty about going somewhere as a temporary volunteer where I can't even speak the native language.
Community Wisdom
Community wisdom is defined as "the aggregated base of knowledge, intuition, skills, and assets that residents bring to solving their collective challenge."
During your practice experiences, have you ever heard someone tell you, “We don’t need some outsider coming in and telling us what to do?" This phrase is heard a lot, especially when we, as outsiders, try to serve the community. Even when we dedicate our whole semester to identifying and understanding the problems in the communities that we will be serving, we will always be outsiders to the community members we strive to serve. That is because, no matter how much we study the problems, we do not know what if best for the community. On the other hand, it is the community members who know best what they want and need.
During your practice experiences, have you ever heard someone tell you, “We don’t need some outsider coming in and telling us what to do?" This phrase is heard a lot, especially when we, as outsiders, try to serve the community. Even when we dedicate our whole semester to identifying and understanding the problems in the communities that we will be serving, we will always be outsiders to the community members we strive to serve. That is because, no matter how much we study the problems, we do not know what if best for the community. On the other hand, it is the community members who know best what they want and need.
While volunteering for the Suitcase Clinic and East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), I constantly witness the power of community wisdom. My job at EBALDC is to facilitate the Resident Leadership Council, and while it is my job to provide trainings and workshops to the residents, the residents never cease to impress me. As members of the community, it is residents who know best what they're community needs, and I've come to realize that my job is only to give the resources that the residents want/need to accomplish their goals.
Because of this community wisdom, instead of following what my organization strives to achieve, I will instead observe what the community wants, because the community knows best.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
The First 20 Hours
As summer is inching closer, we will soon have more free time --kind of. And before our practice experience, learning a new skill could be useful to prepare ourselves for the unknown future.
I found this TedX talk interesting as it describes learning something new, which is what we do at Cal anyways, but learning about something you want to master is often forgotten as we become too busy balancing our academic and social lives during the school year.
The point is, learning a new skill can be difficult. But how long does it take to master a skill? According to Josh Kaufman, 20 hours of deliberate practice and learning to self correct is the key to learning a new skill. 20 hours is equivalent to 45 minutes a day for about a month. It seems doable when described in this context.
I found this TedX talk interesting as it describes learning something new, which is what we do at Cal anyways, but learning about something you want to master is often forgotten as we become too busy balancing our academic and social lives during the school year.
The point is, learning a new skill can be difficult. But how long does it take to master a skill? According to Josh Kaufman, 20 hours of deliberate practice and learning to self correct is the key to learning a new skill. 20 hours is equivalent to 45 minutes a day for about a month. It seems doable when described in this context.
Indian Development in the shadow of the 2014 Elections
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/what-development-for-whom/article5979241.ece
Currently in India there is a heated election for prime minister. On one hand is the BJP's candidate Narendra Modi the Chief Minister of Gujarat and on the other is the Congress Party's Candidate Rahul Gandhi. The Congress party that has been in power for more time has come to be seen as incompetent, corrupt, weak and focused on vote bank politics. The BJP has come to be seen as less corrupt and far more competent but also more polarizing especially amongst minorities particularly Muslims. A central topic in this debate is development particularly because of Modi's track record of economic growth in Gujrat. However, in this article the author points out how the debate on development lacks depth. He lists various aspects that have not been included in the debate like participation of local groups, inclusive policies and how development is viewed. The author claims because of this election cycles highly polarizing campaigns the divisions in India's societies along caste, gender and religion are coming to head. And all these divisions in society will translate to ultimately failed development policy because how can there be inclusive policies and enhanced participation of marginalized groups when people in these highly segmented groups see the government through such strongly held and divisive opinions. This article is so relevant to me because of the political and cultural climate into which I will enter when I go to Mumbai for my PE. It has also reminded me to take into consideration how inclusive and participatory my own PE is when approaching people along these divisions.
Currently in India there is a heated election for prime minister. On one hand is the BJP's candidate Narendra Modi the Chief Minister of Gujarat and on the other is the Congress Party's Candidate Rahul Gandhi. The Congress party that has been in power for more time has come to be seen as incompetent, corrupt, weak and focused on vote bank politics. The BJP has come to be seen as less corrupt and far more competent but also more polarizing especially amongst minorities particularly Muslims. A central topic in this debate is development particularly because of Modi's track record of economic growth in Gujrat. However, in this article the author points out how the debate on development lacks depth. He lists various aspects that have not been included in the debate like participation of local groups, inclusive policies and how development is viewed. The author claims because of this election cycles highly polarizing campaigns the divisions in India's societies along caste, gender and religion are coming to head. And all these divisions in society will translate to ultimately failed development policy because how can there be inclusive policies and enhanced participation of marginalized groups when people in these highly segmented groups see the government through such strongly held and divisive opinions. This article is so relevant to me because of the political and cultural climate into which I will enter when I go to Mumbai for my PE. It has also reminded me to take into consideration how inclusive and participatory my own PE is when approaching people along these divisions.
April 30, 1975
April 30, 1975. This
date has been engrained in my head since I was young. Why?
Because it was the day that Saigon fell.
Viet Cong forces took over the city, and the country became
communist. Vietnam was a domino that
fell. And I honestly can’t write this
blog without crying.
I remember that when I was young, I first learned about the
Vietnam War when I was in the first or second grade. Well, I’m pretty sure my parents told me
stories before, but my memory fails me.
Anyway, I was sitting on the floor and my teacher was teaching about the
war. I don’t remember what exactly what
she said, but I was left with the impression that Vietnam had “won.” The Vietnamese army was smart with their
tactics and used guerilla warfare to defeat the United States. In my head, at that time, the War was between
Vietnam and the United States, and I was proud that Vietnam had defeated the
US.
[I know this is wrong, and this is most likely not how my
teacher taught it to me, but this is just what I got out of it – I was still
speaking a lot of Vietnamese at this time.]
I only learned later that Vietnam didn’t win. It’s not that simple. The Vietnam War was a war between opposing
ideologies: communism and democracy. And
the United States had eventually withdrawn their support for anti-communism.
From a United States standpoint, the one I was taught in the
American education system, it seemed that President Richard Nixon had no choice
but to back out of the war. American
troops were dying and many citizens did not support the war. People felt that too much money was being
spent, lives were being sacrificed, and no progress was being made. In addition, the United States was only there
to train and support the South Vietnamese to fight their war on their own, so
the US pulled when they felt the South Vietnamese army was “ready”.
But growing up, I learned a different perspective. My parents were teenagers when the war was
occurring. My grandparents served in the
war as a doctor, a nurse, and a dignitary of the state (that’s what my dad told
me). This war is a large part of their
lives. So, I learned from them that the
US knew that they could not stand against the warfare of the Viet Cong,
essentially the US was in a war that they could not win. Therefore, Nixon decided that he just needed
to cut his losses. However, Nixon
promised “peace”, and the United States was the most powerful country in the
world, so this was easily thought as betrayal.
To this day, many people still feel this way.
Because when North Vietnam won and Vietnam was reunified,
there was an exodus of people. People left
everything. They had to. And leaving was not easy. Not under this new form of government.
My family members have their own stories, and they’re
scattered in many places in the world right now because of it. One of my uncles was caught on the shores of
Vietnam twice and brought back to the city by force before he was lucky to be
rescued by a Japanese ship on his third try.
He actually stayed in Japan for an entire year before making it to the
States. My aunt was pregnant with her
first child and she actually gave birth to my cousin on a refugee island, officially
a part of Malaysia or Indonesia (not quite sure which country it was). Another one of my uncles was rescued by the
United States, on a barge that looked like this:
I am not asking for anyone to feel sorry because countless
other people have had similar stories like these. I would just like to take a moment to
remember.
Many of my family members have escaped Vietnam, but I am
sure that there are people that want to leave but can’t.
On April 30th, 2014, it was the 39th
Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, a day that changed the lives of millions of
people. I was slightly peeved that many
people here were more concerned about the 10th Anniversary of the
release of Mean Girls, but that’s
okay.
But, on that day, my parents went to participate in a parade
that celebrated the soldiers that were in the war and are alive today. In addition, my dad went to protest against the
Vietnamese government and Chinese influence.
They chanted, “Freedom – for Vietnam”.
I am so inspired by my parents and other family members that are still
involved in things like this. Even
though they have been away from Vietnam for many decades and haven’t returned,
they still have a sense of belonging to the country.
Many people still don’t know that Vietnam is constantly
under pressures of imperialism. There is
constant worry and concern about whether Vietnam will be taken over by
China. This is why it is so important to
have a strong economy and strong military.
My dad says that Vietnam could go to war at any time against China.
As of now, I would take to take a moment to remember the day
that has been an integral part of my life (as it affected the people I love and I may not be here had it not happened), and the country I will traveling to
for my practice experience.
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