Three points of interest
2. "All examples show interventions in public spaces to sensitize for and resist against social exclusion" Graffiti is also a way of bringing attention to a problem that may not be commonly recognized I takes over a public space to force people to look at a problem and understand that it exists and should be paid attention to. It allows for their to be a space for these issue to come to light where mainstream media may not allow it to. 3. Immigrant fictional writers are often portrayed as being the same Saša Stanišiç writes about the three myths of Immigrant writing, and talks about how characterizing immigrant literature in one category is not doing the writing justice, as every migrant story has different experiences that foster different view points and different stories. As she says, "To speak of a single "immigrant literature" is simply wrong, because it is wrongly simple."
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Throughout this seminar and the past two quarters I have found that my interests lie in culture, and how stories and art that are told and created about a people effect how the world reacts to them, how politics reacts to them, and how they react to themselves and others. In my political science class last quarter, we spent the last few weeks talking about ethnic conflict, and how the stories leaders told about people fueled the conflict, rather than actual ethic hatred. This quarter I am taking an Honors class titled Speculative Fiction, which uses socionarratology to explore how stories make up the basis of life, and how the stories effect how we live our lives and perceive others. In this seminar, this idea is expanded as we have talked a bit about the differences in narrative between how Angela Merkel and Donald Trump talk about migrants, and how their rhetoric squeues the way the public reacts. Trump has spouted very negative and hateful speech toward migrants, casting them as criminals, terrorists, and drug lords that need to be kept out for the safety of the United States. Angela Merkel, as far as we know, is portraying migrants in a more forgiving way: as people who need help, and who should not be punished for the acts of a few. I personally would like to study how the reaction of the German people is effected by this kind of speech. I would also like to see the reaction of the migrant community.
I would also like to see how the role of nationalism interacts with the stories of migrants. The entire world has seen a rise in nationalism over the past few years. I would love to explore and learn more about what constitutes the nationalist beliefs in Germany and how that effects how residents see migrants, and how it effects the ability of migrants to assimilate. In general, all these topics connect through the idea of narrative and story. I would like to be put in a place that allows me to gather these stories and beliefs and also see the effects these stories have on the attitudes of both the migrant and German population. Three ideas:
"Some degree of residential segregation is to be found in many immigration countries, though nowhere is it as extreme as in the USA..."
Five Key points to remember going forward
The first chapter of The Age of Migration grants us an introductory look at the issue of immigration and migration in the past and modern day. It seems as though migration has increased in the recent decades. This may be due to conflict in the home land or a desire to find better opportunity in a time of economic distress. I found it interesting the correlation made that an increase in migration usually coincides with economic issues on the global scale. People try to look for better jobs elsewhere, which is an understandable need, yet those in the countries they migrate to already are worried about the uncertainty of the economic sphere and tend to blame immigrants or want to keep them out as they could "Take our jobs." It seems to be a common theme all over the world. It is definitely one I see in the US as often times the major argument for keeping people out in the past has been a strain on resources and a fear that jobs will be taken away by these migrant workers.
I also found it interesting how it discussed the fear the some countries have of losing a national identity, In a sense, that is not so present here in the United States. People more say things along the line of "protecting those who are already here" but we are a country of immigrants so our national cultural identity has always been mixed. I think only recently, with the induction of our new president, has there been an idea of keeping a sort of identity and certain ethnicities out. Truthfully, that idea may have always been there, but now its more prominent then ever. Still, it seems like in other countries that are more homogenous, the idea of cultural identity seems to be very strong, and that European cultures specifically push for integration. I can definitely see how in homogenous countries, the entry of a different culture can threaten what was held as an identity and unity within the country. This chapter poses an interesting question of the state of global migration There seems to be more movement between countries than ever. Nation State do maintain their identity but will it maintain that identity in the same way in the future. I believe that more places are becoming more and more mixed as people venture outside their homeland in search of safety or opportunity. True, as the chapter pointed, the large majority of people stay in the country they were born in, but things are changing, and I'm wondering now how national councils like the UN and other organizations will now factor in as a more global identification. My name is Laurette Hanna. I am the daughter of immigrants, both of whom came from Lebanon when they were fourteen years old to escape a civil war. My mother came with her family, my father with his two brothers. They were, in a sense, refugees. I am 100% Lebanese, and identify very strongly with my Middle Eastern culture. Because of this, I have a strong attachment to the rights of refugees and immigrants, specifically those from the Middle East who are being kept out of countries around the world due to fear.
I am the first born and an older sister to one brother. I was lucky enough to go to high school in a well-to-do town that had many resources and classes for me to explore my interests and gain experiences that are crucial to how well I have been doing in college. I have also been lucky enough to go to University of Washington, which opens up many opportunities and allows me to live in a city setting. Not only did it expose me to new opportunities but it allowed me to meet people who had had different experiences and backgrounds. I am very open to change and challenges. Come from a long line of very independent women who have encouraged me to go fearlessly into any change and challenge that lies before me with and open mind and the humility to acknowledge that I may not know everything but the willingness to learn. I also come from a family who encourages travel as a hands on way to learn about those people and cultures that are different to you. I’m hoping that when we arrive that Berliners see that I am there to genuinely learn and do what I can to help, I’m sure that you have noticed that I’ve said the word “lucky” a few times in this reflection. This is because I understand I come from a place of privilege. My parents were able to provide for me and provide the chance to engage in an amazing education. I try to be mindful of the privilege I have and use it to do good. I’m currently working at a nonprofit called Citizen University. The founder, Eric Liu, said once (and I’m paraphrasing here) that he was lucky enough to be born into the family he was born into and to have the experiences he had, and his life’s goal in to earn the privilege he had the dumb luck of being born into. I deeply identify with this statement. This is one way I am trying to live up to this goal, and to try to help people in need. Laurette Hanna will be a sophomore at the University of Washington with intended majors in psychology and political science. She is hoping to pursue a career in law with a focus in social justice and civil litigation, with goals to work for the ACLU. In high school, she joined a competitive debate team called We the People and spent a year intensively studying the United States Bill of Rights and Supreme Court, which began her interest in civil rights and constitutional law. In college, she spent six months as an intern at Citizen University, a nonprofit focused on teaching the art of powerful, where she helped put together the annual national conference focused on Reckoning and Repair in America – an event who’s goal was to show that in order to move forward we must come to terms and learn from the United States’ complicated past.
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An eye-opening tripI believe this trip truly gave me an opportunity to see how the stories that are told in political areans have (or don't have) an affect on ouublic perception and actions... this was something I was eager to expand on going forward Archives
August 2017
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