Does Immigrant Mean Not Human?

   First, let’s cover the three categories of migration. Internal migration is the movement within country bounds. International migration is the movement across country boundaries and transnational movement is the movement in which a person regularly moves back and forth between two or more countries and forms a new cultural identity transcending a single geopolitical unit. 

    Rural to Urban migration is the most popular form of internal population movement. The availability of work is a main factor in why people move. International migration has grown. Around 100 million people, this including legal and undocumented immigrants in the world live outside of their home countries. Most of transnational immigrants are effected by economic factors. When immigrants choose the transnational route they take the chance of their identity, sense of citizenship, and entitlements of being hurt. 

     My reaction to the movie in class really brought my attention to why immigrants are treated so badly? Whether they are in their own homeland or are deported to another country they are still treated as a disease. Many say they have no problem with immigrants but illegal immigrants are who they find problems with. Illegal immigrants are thought to have the attitude of entitlement to benefits of citizenship without any obligations. 

     Citizens of America feel that immigrants should go through a legalization process or sent home. I agree with having them legalized but sending them back to worse abuse does not seem right to me. I am not saying immigrants or every person should have a red carpet rolled out but at least for them to be treated as humans with rights. On the video, the immigrants were living in holes and being beaten. No one deserves to live that way. Prisoners who murdered another human being live in better circumstances. I know America cannot help everyone but we can at least set an example of how to treat them the right way. 

    I hear so much talk about the health care and how immigrants are stupid. They are taking advantage of us and need to leave. I want to know if anyone has taught them how to live here correctly? Think of a teenager who lived in terrible circumstances and tried to live out his dream and by doing that he came here. He does not speak any English but is just finding his way barely through America. Maybe, all of the immigrants do no know they are doing wrong. What if it was you living in a country under oppression? Would you stay or try and find something better? Let’s try and put ourselves in their shoes. 

    “People look at us like ignorant and worthless. Let me tell you that we are hard working and very intelligent. We too have dreams, hopes, and ideas. You think we don’t want to go to school and learn and get degrees and make good money and be respected and feel *free*? Of course we do. Do you know how hard it is to get here legally? Did you know that you have to prove to your country that you are very wealthy in order to visit with a Visa? Did you know people in immigration offices have the applications in their hands and deny them without even looking at them? Nobody tells you this right? 

    It took me 12 years to get a work permit. It took me 13 years to become a resident. It took me 22 years to become a citizen. Do you think that’s fair? I hate all these people’s comments about how we need to get out of here and get back 
inside legally. It’s so hard. It takes for ever.”




Immigration Lawyer

Immigration Help

Chapter 3 and 8

   Reading Chapters 3 and 8 brought many topics to my attention. Simple things such as: private property, agriculture, the world within women work in, punishment, and the term nation. These few topics will be touched on to give a full idea of what chapters 3 and 8 consisted of. 

 First off, private property is a concept that is still prevalent today. From the mountains to the beach, private property signs are stuck in every bush or pile of sand. The words represent the privilege of owning somethings that can be sold to another. This concept does not exist in foraging societies. The term is “used rights”. This term is more appropriate and it means that socially it is accepted in access to particular resources, like gathering places, and fishing areas. 

    Moving on to agriculture, growing up, I took several tests that would predict what field, I would be in when I got older. Every time it turned out to be, agriculture. I thought it meant to be a farmer but it is a little more than that. Agriculture is a way of living that deals with growing crops on permanent plots by plowing, irrigation, and fertilizer. Farming is another term that can be used to describe this way of life. 

     Farming is an intense way of life that involves the same plot of land to be used repeatedly without losing it ability to grow things. Animals that are tamed such as: cows, horses, ox, and donkeys are used for plowing, transportation, and organic fertilizer in the form of manure or materials that are composed. Water sources that are artificial are very depended on by farmers. Irrigation channels or terracing the land are examples of this method. To be involved in agriculture it involves to be very knowledgeable about plants and the environment. 
    
      Soil types, precipitation patterns, plant varieties, and pest management are all other fields that a participant in agriculture has to be familiar with. Family farming is another branch off of agriculture that is a way to support a family and to produce goods for sales. More than one billion people choose this as a way of life. Developing countries are more apt for this concept more than industrialized countries. A cross-cultural variety is exhibited in family farming. Their days consist of harvesting crops, weeding, plowing, and terracing. 

 


Thinking about the families that are involved in farming, 
I just assume the men are the ring leaders in that field. So 
what do the women face or experience? In my personal experience I have observed that males make more than females. In the outside job world males make a significant amount more compared to women who work just as hard but discriminated because of their gender. Women are expected to work outside the home if required and also perform the duties of the home such as: cleaning, laundry, and taking care of the kids. 

     Single moms have it the hardest. They are discriminated against in the work force and then come home to work even harder. My mom for example works outside of the home to help provide for our family then comes home and takes care of our home and family. She cleans, cooks, takes care of my brother and I and keeps the house running. 

   Speaking about the different sexes in Papua New Guinea, specific foods are labeled as “men” and “women”.  The disease was named kuru. Men were allowed to eat the better food such as the meat from pigs while women were left with a scarce population of pigs. It was acceptable for women to cook and eat deceased people.Shirley Lindenbaum finally pinpointed the disease that women were the victims of poison by cannibalism. Researchers  discovered that kuru was a disease categorized as neurological.

      Subject change once again. If you were just wondering, the term "pure gift" means to give a gift with not one thing in return. I feel as if I should give any gift as a “pure gift”. I never try to expect anything in return from anyone. A pure gift is a generalized reciprocity. Donating money, giving blood, or giving to a food drive are all examples of a pure gift. Many debate this idea because they say the giver always gets something in return, even a good feeling. 


   For two of my friends birthdays, I gave them both a gift. I expect nothing from them in return. For my birthday only one out of the two friends gave me a present back and that is totally okay. I did not set my emotions on receiving anything in return. For Christmas I will do the same. I will give my friends a gift and not expect anything from them. I enjoy blessing them and letting them know they are loved. 

Chapter 8

    Moving to the next chapter, I found interesting the two systems that are in a political organization that is between tribal and cheifdom. This would be the big-man system or the big-woman system. Individuals can build a political base and gain prestige, influence, and authority through a system of redistribution based off of ties and grand feasts.  

    A law is a binding rule that is created through custom or official enactment that defines correct behavior and the punishment for misbehavior. The system of las are more likely to be known and are more elaborate in state-level societies. 

     When children are little they are punished when they do wrong. Punishment is administering something unpleasant to someone who has broken a law or rule. The most extreme form for punishment is the death penalty. For those in the Islamic culture, if them rob a family,they must pay compensation
back to them. 

     Prison is another form of punishment. It is a place for those who disobeyed to spend time, think about their mistakes, and restricted from doing certain things.  Castles and dungeons are examples of the power some individuals had and the pain the could inflict on a wrongdoer. The first prison was built in Philadelphia in the late 1700s. The United States holds the record for have the most people attained. The prison population, of 1.6 million has doubled since the year of 1985. In England the most race that is incarcerated are Muslims and Louisiana has the highest rate for incarceration.  

     Talking about the punishment that happens, what about the place this takes place in? The United States is one nation under God. The term nation specifically means a group of people who share a language, culture, or territorial base, political organization, and history. A nation is homogeneous, and which really means that the United States is not a nation but more of a political unit  that is made up of many nations. Nation-state is another term that refers to a state that compromises only one nation. Others think it compromises other nations. 

      I enjoyed learning and thinking about the variety of topics covered. So many thoughts were entertained that brought even more insight. The particular topics I went over, gave the proper induction to the two chapters, touching on what stuck out to me personally. I learned more than I was expecting to and the topic of new guinea came up in a conversation I had this week. I new exactly what my friend was referring to!

Intercultural- Year of Ireland

    I attended the seminar with Dr. Corrie who focused on conflict and peace that took place in Northern Ireland. Dr. Corrie talked about the East Belfast Mission. She worked at Emory University and traveled to Northern Ireland in 2011. Her trip was affiliated with Emory’s journeys of reconciliation program. She is extremely knowledgeable about the conflict that took place and then she covered how the mending went. I will discuss a few of the points she presented and what I found interesting.

• Dr. Corrie talked about the portion in 1921 in Northern Ireland and how it is still separate. 
• The Northern Ireland and the non-violent movement happened. The British Army then entered and in 1972, when Bloody Sunday happened. 
• The non-violent march happened to go wrong and twenty six people were killed. All of the civilians were shot in the back and were said to be innocent.
•  In 1998, the Good Friday Peace Agreement was signed. Everyone was pressured to vote. When the Peace Agreement was eventually signed a bombing ended up happening. 
• The Titanic was built in Northern Ireland, they were very proud. Everyone was very excited about the ship being built because 63% of those around the shipyard are now employed. A titanic quarter is now being made that is suppose to be for the future. 
• Inner East Belfast is the most impoverished neighborhood. 
• Skainos is a Irish word that means tent. It was very interesting to find out that you can go your whole life being segregated. 

Curt Lindquist signed my paper to prove I was there. 

My next event I attended was the Ghost Stories told by Betsy Doty. She told tales from Ireland that described the many superstitions they have.The one tale she told was about  two monsters named, Lunachar and Munachar. They would carefully pick berries and Lunachar use to eat all of them. Munachar had enough and decided to hang Lunachar. She was very animated in describing all of the different levels, Munachar had to go through to hang Lunachar. He needed an axe to cut the limb and a limb to make a gallow and a gallow to hang Muncahar is a small part of the list he needed to go through to finish his mission. After all he went through Lunachar ended up exploding from eating too many berries so he ended up not being hung. 

The next story is about a woman who looks for a lonely soul to take back with her to her land. She searched all of the world for a soul. She found a farmer whom she awoke and then took his soul.  

The Librarian signed my paper to prove I was there.

Chapters 9, 10, & 11

      Chapter 9

   Humans communicate with words that are communicated with hand gestures, body movements, facial expressions, and words. The clothes you wear to the way someone styles their hair sends a message to others. We can always communicate by face to face or through e-mail, text, and phone calls. Do most know what Communication is? The real definition is the process of sending and receiving messages. Humans that communicate always involves language that includes symbols and signs. Language creates expressions from a little set of rules and refers to events and issues. Human language such as: sounds, vocabulary, and grammar can be analyzed.

    Sign language that deals with only hand movements to communicate messages. Hearing impaired use this as their main way to communicate. When do people use the silent treatment? When they are mad or upset usually. Being silent is another way to communicate nonverbally. All cultures have their own way to communicate. Some focus on facial expressions more while others use their body. The color of one’s clothing can communicate their gender, class, and identity. Radio, television, music,  internet, print media, and film are all emerged together by anthropology. Language experiences a constant change because of human creativity and linguistic innovation. Historical linguistics involves language  that changes through history. Methods include comparing shifts over time and across space of language like meaning. European colonialism played a large part in language change. Colonial powers declared their own language as the main language for the government, business, and education. They took different steps to suppress indigenous languages and literatures. Language is so important and allows for everyone to be able to communicate. The exact origins of human language are not known but the discoveries of  language families gives insights about early human history and settlement. 

Chapter 10

     Everyone has religion and believes one way or another. The technical definition of religion is the belief and behavior related to supernatural beings and forces. Let me clarify that religion is not a worldview or a way to understand the world and how it came to exist. Myth and doctrine are two forms in which beliefs are expressed and transfered. Myths are stories about supernatural forces or beings. One myth that everyone knows about is the myth of Big Foot. This myth has been going around for ages and people still continue to belief ad look for the creature. Doctrine is the other form that deals with direct statements about religion beliefs. They are written, formal and close to the law. Rituals are another practice that is patterned and repetitive. It focuses on a supernatural realm. Communion is a ritual that Christians perform weekly or monthly. Sacred rituals are much different then secular rituals such as the initiation of a fraternity or sorority. Thanksgiving is a Christian holiday that happens yearly. It involves secular and sacred elements. On this particular holiday Christians give thanks to God for all of their blessings and the remembrance of the pilgrims. Football on Thanksgiving Day is a secular aspect that all of America looks forward to watching, along with the Macy’s Day Parade. These two things have been traditions for years! Every year my family always turns the parade on while we cook! We look forward to seeing all of the floats and singers. A pilgrimage is a round trip that many take to visit a sacred place for religious purposes of religious devotion. Hinduism is also brought up in this chapter. Over nine hundred million Hindus are in this world. About 97% of the Hindu population lives in India. Hinduism provides a opportunity to have a philosophical tradition that reduces the multiplicity of deities into oneness. Last semester, I had the opportunity to visit a Hindu temple. It was very interesting to see the many buildings and gods they built. I enjoyed seeing all of the outfits, sacred objects, and food. 

   Buddhism was created by the man we all know, Buddha. Many honor his teachings and follow all his suggestions for being able to reach nirvana. About 400 million Buddhists are in the world today. I visited a Buddhist temple where I was allowed to meditate and experience the many cultural differences.

Judaism is another belief that I was able to experience. I went to a Jewish synagogue where I was allowed to sit through a service and see the many traditions and rituals they have. I learned the names of the certain holy objects and saw the many acts they performed.

Now, Christianity I know all about. I grew up Christian all of my life and still to this day remain strong in my faith. Christianity is the largest of the world religions with about 2 million participants which is about one third of the world’s population. The Bible is the main source we have that we believe and practice. We believe it holds all of the teachings of our faith that God himself wants us to know.

 Islamic is the last culture I will be focusing on. It is based on Muhammad as the main god. It is the youngest of the religions and means submission to the will of one god. 1.4 billion Islams populate the world which makes it the second largest religion in the world. Not one religion is frozen but instead constantly changing and growing. All religions continue to populate and grow. 

Chapter 11

I have many friends that are Art majors. I always think of them as creative, and very imaginative. The true definition of art is the application of skill and style. These particular attributes can be applied to activities and substances. I was so surprised to read that Brazil uses country music to demonstrate gender relationships, intimacy, and the family.

 In my cultural world, cut followers are important at weddings! You cannot have a wedding without flowers. They are essential for decorating, the bride’s bouquet and the bridesmaids bouquets. The budget for a wedding is mostly spent on the flowers. They are expensive but essential for traditional wedding to be successful. 

One leisure activity that I can think of would be soccer. I have seen many injuries come along with this pleasure. My brother and boyfriend play this sport. They enjoy the intense battle and do not regret the hurt. 

A Speckled Boy

        Puzzle Pieces




  Culture is the background of who someone is. It helps the puzzle fit together and make one feel complete. Hugo struggled with his puzzle which led to his moving novel and the experiences he he had that were the root of pain and complications. Hugo Hamilton deeply desired a home of his own where he belonged and a “homeland” that he could call his own without restrictions and demands. It took a length of time for Hamilton but he sifted throughout the madness and found where his home truly was. 

  

                                                                                                        


Speckled


   Hugo struggles with confronting his past due to his father naming his children, “speckled people”. He understand he is more than just speckled with half-Irish and half-German descent but “we're marked. It means we're aliens and we'll never be Irish enough, even though we speak the Irish language and my father says we're more Irish than the Irish themselves”.

     Trying to fit into a culture that Hamilton’s family was not born into was a major struggle just like it would be with anyone. Everyone wants to hold onto their cultural roots but Hugo's father made it difficult and uncomfortable for his family. Hugo made a statement, “When I grow up I'll run away from my story, too. I have things I want to forget, so I'll change my name and never come back".

    No one like to be the odd man out or the black
sheep Everyone faces the chances of not fitting in. 
With Hugo he was bound to not fit in. His roots made his life more difficult than many are use to. If we 
are not forced to speak a language we usually do not or made to change ourselves for something else 
then we are to be very thankful.

It's In My Blood.

 Who Effects Me and Who I am Today?

  

     In the different branches throughout my family, many of my members choose to remain quiet about their childhood and past. I have never known how to go about asking questions and trying to put the pieces together. Hurt has been a huge factor in my family that has led to the closed off lives they live. By having this project as an excuse to pry, paved a way for me to ask in private the many questions I had been dying to know. “Who am I really?” has been a distinct question in my heart now that I am growing older.  I had never thought that my ancestors had an impact on who I am now but in reality they left many foot prints. 

 
 My grandfather is Thomas Marion Henderson Jr. born in 1937 and  grew up in Jefferson, Georgia. His mother and father were Frances Hale Henderson and Thomas Marion Henderson. Both of them managed to  pass away when my grandfather was in his early teens which left him with faint memories and not remembering the specific dates of when they were born nor when they died. They were hard working cotton farmers who also had managed to get an education. My great-grandfather went to Clemson for two years while my great-grandmother went to the University of Georgia. 

          















      It's Great to Be a Georgia Bulldog! 

If you have pulled in my driveway then you would know in an instant that my family are huge University of Georgia fans. We have always had season tickets and grew up tailgating four to six hours before the game even starts. My grandpa has kept the same seats in Stanford Stadium for the past thirty years. I did not know until talking with my grandpa that if I had gone to Georgia then I would have been the fifth generation. Since I was born I have always been a Georgia Bulldog. My car now that I have is bright red with all Georgia Bulldog accessories in tow. Being that many of my ancestors went to Georgia secures the fact that I am a Georgia Bulldog through and through. I have always wondered how my family became so obsessed and now the mystery is solved. 

 My great-grandfather’s father-in-law, John Hale was in highway construction which provided the opportunity for him to be the first to pave U.S 129, the road that leads from Gainesville to Athens, Ga. Another connection that my family never knew. We have traveled U.S 129 countless times going to football games, not knowing that our ancestor made it possible.

    A Woman's Place is on a Horse

        
      John also, was one of the largest land owners in Banks County that now has provided the land that my grandpa now lives on. I have grown up visiting and staying weekends at the farm. I am such a farm girl that loves the land and the adventure it provides. My grandpa had been around horses since he was seven years old. He decided to start showing horses in 1978 when my dad was around fifteen years old. He worked from sun up to sun down cleaning stalls, exercising the horses, working on their performance, and fixing fences. I now to this day am completely head over heels for horses. I have asked for a horse since I was two years old. I do not think there is a more beautiful creature! I have always ridden and tried my best to ride just like my dad. I hope to one day have my own land with my own horses. 

     Continuing with my love for animals and wide open spaces, brings me to see that another part of my family has influenced in me in who I am today. My mom’s dad’s Bob Turner and his mother, my great grandmother, Lucille Turner. They live in Cleveland, Georgia where the air is fresher and time is a little slower.  I grew up making the long drive from my city home to the mountains of Georgia. I was outside for hours climbing trees, exploring old buildings, running in the pastures with horses, and enjoying home cooked food.    

    I have loved seeing the things I love and care about so much are the same as my ancestors that have walked before me. I never realized the connections until now. I never knew why I was so drawn to these things but now I see it's just simply in my blood.

Wedding, Marriage, Rape, Drinking. How Do These Go Together??

     Going to the Chapel and We're Gonna Get Married...

    While reading Chapter 6 one of the things that stood out to me was the differences in marriage. One definition would be “Marriage is a union between a man and a woman.” Another definition is “ a more or less stable union, usually between two people, who may be but are not necessarily, co-residential, sexually involved with each other, and pro creative with each other. There are so many different views on what should and should not be allowed.  Many people go along with the idea of one woman and man being united and having kids with only each other while other women have sequential male partners with whom they bear children with. Other views can consist of a woman with a woman and a male with a male. Rules of exclusion and inclusion then come into play. The most popular rule of exclusion would be incest, sexual intercourse between kinship relations is prohibited. Although, cultures like Egypt are well know for brother, sister marriages. 

Exogamy is referring to marriage outside of a social group. In India marriage distance is a big ordeal in the North.  Here in America, we are happy to marry and have the option to live near or far from our family. Most American relationships are a two way street. The husband does not define how the marriage goes and big decisions like moving without the wife’s consent. 

Love marriage and arranged marriages, what a tough topic to think about. I was raised in the South so I immediately would go with love marriages. I love the fairy tale loves and hopeless romantic stories. I love for my prince charming to find me and rescue me. Not for my parents to find a man and say, “here is your prince!” I will go with the more romantic version. I have heard though of arranged marriages that ended in love. Many men and women who have arranged marriages have actually fallen in love with one another. Many times women in arranged marriages are treated better than the women who fall for the temporary, cheesy love story. My heart goes out to all those that live unhappy lives, especially the women that had fallen for a man but had to marry another for her family. How incredible the pain must be? The unbearable nights and holidays sitting beside a man that does not have your heart. I would have to be one of the rebels that runs away. I could not bear the heartache, I would have to be with my love. 

Wedding bells are ringing! Who is going to the chapel?? I love weddings so much!! The cake, punch, love in the air, decorations, bridesmaids, family. The whole celebration is so magical but magic takes money. Who pays for a big southern shindig like I am hoping for myself? In my microculture, the groom’s parents pay for the rehearsal dinner and the bride’s parents pay for the wedding ceremony. I will follow through with these traditions but I am hoping to contribute some myself and hope my groom will do the same. Wedding expenses can get way out of hand. From dresses, to cakes, to the food, a lot of money is required. Different cultures celebrate different ways but they all do make some type of celebration to make known and enjoy the commitment between two people. 

   Party All Night

    Moving on to social groups. College fraternities and sororities are certain groups that choose their member very selectively. They attend different, exclusive functions, while forming bonds and connections that could later help them down the road. Many terrible incidents happen in these tightly formed brother and sister hoods. One incident called the “train”. It takes place when a “party” girl is taken to a fraternity house and ends up passing out. A train of men then come along and have sex with her. Such situations are disquisting and shameful. The many girls that this happens to will lose a piece of themselves forever. 

Date Rape

   I'm Not Ashamed To Ask For Help

    Why would someone not take help when it is offered to them? The internet has become a popular way for individuals to create support systems and help each other out. Anthropologists, study these groups and why people become members. Alcoholic Anonymous is a perfect example. A report was done on Mexico City and the results showed that most of the participants were low-income, working class males. Most of them turn to this medicine because of their poverty level and the gender identity in Mexico. The success rate in Mexico is increasing and showing that member in Mexico city achieve a high sobriety rate. I hate that many Americans choose this type of mind numbness. Most people turn to alcohol because it is easier than to face their problems. Everyone has their battles but I am a firm believer in reaching out and getting help. 

Sweet Tea Please and No Mary Kay. Thank You.

Anthropology was not a word that I was familiar with but to make it brief and simple for people like me it means the study of humanity. Four fields are then broken off from this study: Biological anthropology which is the study of humans as biological organisms. Archaeology that deals with the study of past human cultures. Third would be Linguistic Anthropology which would involve the study of human communication. Lastly, Cultural anthropology is the study of living people and their cultures. These four fields are separate but are connected to humanity and culture. “Culture diverges from, and shapes, nature nature is to consider basic natural demands of life within different cultural contexts” (14).

May I Have Something to Drink Please? 

Different cultures have different views on appropriate substance to drink, when to drink and with whom. I drink all day, every day. Throughout the day I am mostly a ping pong ball so I am always thirsty. I am running here or running there most of the time so a water bottle is always in hand. Since, I am from the South I was raised drinking sweet tea. I drink sweet tea a great deal of the day. When I am away from home I try and drink water to purify my body but sweet tea is a staple in my life!! For special occasions, weekends, holidays or even weddings; sweet tea is my first choice of beverage. Being in Georgia what else could you possibly want? Whenever I meet a tourist I always ask, “did you try sweet tea yet?! McDonald’s is the best!!!” If I walk into class with a cup of tea no one would think a thing. If I walked in with a Bud Light then a few heads would turn. I choose not to drink alcohol but when others do then I know friends are the number one choice to be with. On Sundays alcohol is not served. It is understood in the South that on Sundays no one is to be out buying beer on the Lord’s day. A wider social implications in a bar or a club would be more open to drink at any time throughout the day unlike school or a public place.   

(haha notice the picture?)

Im In Shock

     Culture shock will not even begin to describe what I felt when I walked into a Mary Kay party. I was baffled by all of the screaming, cheering, and chitty-chat! The women that ran the meetings were makeup crazed robots. No one was safe from the persuasion to join their sisterhood. The feeling I felt was a complete fish out of water. The air felt different, and the light was brighter (almost blinding). I felt like I was being judged for not wearing the right clothes, my hair not being fixed right, and my makeup being the wrong brand. I felt as if every eye was running over every crease in my clothes. Women were running into me left and right acting as if I did not exist. One bump on my left, shoving me to the right. I was almost in tears. I could not take the pressure on my chest any longer so I headed for the door. I was finally out in the clear, dark night. I took a deep breath and walked home alone. I coped with the situation by just leaving. I did not know how to handle it or who to talk to. All of the women seemed to be the same, judgmental. From my Mary Kay tragedy, I learned to not ever make someone feel that way and anyone that does feel alone to make them feel like they are good enough. 

Drinking is a requirement for us to live while experiencing different cultures is apart of life. From either going to school, to getting a job or visiting church, a new culture is experienced. Everyone experiences drinking on a day to day basis and even feeling a little out of place.