Prayer

And now we come to the end... It's been quite the semester. I have learned quite a lot about our society, and have formed relationships with some of its newest members. I am now about to step out of the bubble of my private Christian liberal arts school, and into the world of the rich and the poor, the homeless and the mansion-dwellers, the hungry and the over-fed, the successful, the hopeful, the well-established... and the failures, the hopeless, and the immigrants. I will graduate from a hugely expensive university with little but a tiny scrap of paper to show for it (which society tells me that I need), and the learning which that paper represents (which is of much more value. Priceless, in fact).
America, to me, means consumerism, a house in the suburbs, and a life in the rat race. It also means exploitation of the 3rd world, atrocities carried out in the name of democracy, and a military force larger than that of the rest of the world combined. Sorry for the judgment and cynicism. I realize that other countries would probably be no better if they had as much power as we... All of that to say; I think the best way to end this series of blogs is with a prayer.

May God lead us away from arrogance and hypocrisy and towards humility. May God give us the strength to give up our greed and spread the wealth to those who truly need it. May America give up the idolatry of Nationalism and instead seek the God of Truth who shows up in the faces of our brothers and sisters all over the world. May we move away from individualism and toward community, building relationships of love with those we used to ignore or despise. May we pull away from our television sets long enough to recognize and respond to the ill-effects of the non-committal sex and mindless violence with which our culture is unhealthily saturated. May we be a people who seek justice for the poor and helpless. May we learn to love laughter and peace. May we lead the way in laying down our weapons (or turning them into farm equipment). May my skepticism be proven wrong.
Amen.

Complications

Where do your clothes come from? Do you know who made them? Do you know in what country they were made? Do you know how much each seamstress, each weaver, each spinner was paid? Do you know what their working conditions were like? Do you know how old these workers were? Were they children or adults? Were they getting enough to eat? Were their basic needs being met?

What computer are you using to view this blog? Do you know where each of the parts came from? Do you know where the plastics were made? Where the metals were mined? Where the minerals were extracted? Do you know who the miners were? The ore-smelterers? The factory-workers? Were they paid fairly? Was the ore obtained legally? Was it mined in a war-zone? Were the profits used to pay for weapons? Drugs? Where is your computer going to end up after you are done with it?

Consumerism is Complicated.

Self-Made

I just finished reading Up From Slavery, an autobiography by Booker T. Washington. As an ex-slave, the thing that Washington repeats over and over in this book is that any man - if he proves to society that the work he does is indispensable, and if he lives for the betterment of others - that man will be judged by his merits and not by the color of his skin. Mr. Washington honestly believed this, and by his life's work he proved it to be at least partially true. One of the greatest things about the United States of America is that it generally does allow people who work hard to advance. The self-made man/woman is the symbol of this country. That is, in fact, the very reason why so many immigrants have been attracted here. Let us not forget, however, that some people have a lot farther to climb than others. Booker T. Washington is an exception, not the rule. In this country, as in the rest of the world, racism and prejudice still exist. Most people do not live for the "betterment of others" as Washington urges, but for the betterment of themselves. The driving force of today's America is money. We make a profit by whatever means necessary, and turn a blind eye to sweatshop labor, exploited farmers, toxic waste, etc. Perhaps we need to remember that we are, in fact, not at all self-made. We are God-made. And it is to God that we will have to answer for the people we have stepped on during our upward climb.

A Hard Knock Life for the Undocumented

I have interviewed about 4 undocumented immigrants now, as well as several other people who have connections with them. They all have pretty similar stories. They all came to America in search of a better life, they all attempted to cross the border several times before actually succeeding, and they all agree that life actually is better here, even though it contains racism, fear of the immigration police, and trouble finding work (you can find excerpts of these interviews on my journalism class's website, which I will post soon).

Our immigration policies, instead of welcoming immigrants into our country with open arms, make it nearly impossible for most people to become naturalized citizens. In order to become a citizen of the US, you have to either be a genius, or very very lucky. So, naturally, many people come illegally. Instead of having fear of those who we label as "illegal," I propose that we build relationships with them and welcome them as guests. They are real people, created in God's image, with feelings, hopes and dreams. We must petition our government to make it easier for people to become naturalized, and simultaneously we must help build up other countries so that their citizens won't have as much motivation to leave. Let us be a part of the solution to illegal immigration, not part of the problem.

Broken Mirrors

One of the reasons that it is so important for people of different cultures to interact with one another is that different cultures capture different pieces of truth. When you learn to see yourself and your own culture through the eyes of someone from another culture, it's like looking in a broken mirror. The other culture reflects certain fragments of truth back to you that you wouldn't see otherwise. Meanwhile, you hold other pieces of the mirror, and you reflect your own truth back to them. Together, the two cultures hold a much more complete reflection of the true picture than they do apart. For example, in Latino culture, a huge emphasis is placed on family, or community. In White America, our old people get carted away to nursing homes while our kids are raised on television and our adults are sucked up into the rat-race. Latinos are much less likely to let that happen. They sacrifice a heck of a lot to make sure that the family stays intact, which is why you see huge extended families living together much of the time. Kids don't worry too much about getting out of the house. Instead, they stay home and take care of their parents and grandparents. However, American Individualism does have it's merits. In White America, a kid can be whatever they want to be without worrying about family honor or anything like that. That level of freedom is not found as much in more community-oriented societies. So... community is important, but so is the individual. Truth is a very nuanced sort of thing, and is seldom a matter of "either-or." It is almost always a matter of "both-and." Which is why we need each other... all of us hold a different piece of the mirror.

Butterflies in My Stomach

Ever eaten snails? Guinea pig? Llama? Chicken feet? If you haven't, you are missing out. For some reason, we Americans have problems with certain foods that other people find delicious. Some animals are too cute for us to eat, like rabbits. Others are too much like family members (dogs, cats, etc). Others gross us out (bugs). Then of course, there's the ones we don't have the heart to eat, like sheep. All in all, we have a pretty limited diet.

Then there's the vegetarians..... I like vegetarians, don't get me wrong. I'm practically one myself, but vegetarians are just about unheard of in other countries (India being a major exception). Meat is just too big a part of hospitality in most of the world for it to be let go. Truth is, it would be a lot easier to feed the global population if we were all vegetarians (raising meat is a very inefficient use of land), but there would also be a lot of yummy dishes we wouldn't be able to eat. Like guinea pig. MmmmMm.

Immigration Myths

Many people get upset at undocumented immigrants because they supposedly mooch off of tax money that should rightfully go to the rest of us. The truth is, undocumented immigrants often own their own houses or rent their own apartments, and so they end up paying a lot in property taxes. Additionally, those who work under false identities, with false social security numbers, are paying a lot of money for unemployment benefits that they will never be able to collect. So in reality, they are subsidizing the system, not stealing from it. So why do we get so worked up about illegal immigrants? Often it is because we are afraid that they are stealing our jobs. However, in an economy like the one we've got right now, it is the most vulnerable who suffer, and right now, undocumented immigrants are the most vulnerable. They are the ones losing their jobs, and are getting cheated by employers who take advantage of their undocumented status. We are also ignoring the fact that we are the ones who put them out of jobs in the first place. We created thousands of unemployed Mexican farmers by flooding Mexican markets with cheap US corn. We subsidize our exported corn so much that there is no way Mexican farmers can compete. So, since there is no point in growing crops at home, they come across the border and help us harvest our crops here. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Yet we make it nearly impossible for them to come legally, and when they attempt to come illegally, we build big walls which force them to go through the often lethal desert in order to get around. The border between the US and Mexico has claimed thousands of lives. All because of greed and fear.

Soccer Therapy

So I've decided that I need to develop my soccer skills. Most of the world is crazy about soccer, and the US seems to be one of the only countries that somehow missed the bug. Soccer builds bridges. When you are in a foreign country and have no idea what to talk to people about, soccer is a pretty safe bet. An even better bet would be to find a ball and start kicking it around. Soccer transcends language, culture, and even race.

The other day I was reading in a park on the "wrong side" of town. I don't know who labeled that side of town the "wrong side," but I rather enjoy it over there. There were about 12 Hispanic guys in their 30s and 40s who were kicking a soccer ball nearby. I decided to set my book down and watch them play for awhile. After a few minutes they finished warming up and started setting up goalposts. One of the guys kept looking in my direction. Finally he turned to one of his friends and asked "Invitamos este? Pienso que quiere jugar." His friend shrugged. A few seconds later the guy turned to me and yelled "Hey you! Wanna play?"

It was a great game. And probably the most fun I've had in a long time. I really suck at soccer, but I tried hard, and the guys were forgiving. At the end of the match, we parted ways with smiles on our hearts, and I walked off in the bright sunshine laughing to myself. Maybe I can be a part of healing the racial divide.... one soccer game at a time.

Roots of Racism

Remember your high school cafeteria? Most of the kids who didn't speak English very well sat together, away from everyone else. It was probably the easiest thing for them to do. It takes a lot of courage to interact with people in a language other than your own. Sometimes it's nice to just hang out with people who understand you for awhile.

It was also very easy for the rest of us, who were born into this culture, to let those kids be isolated. It takes a lot of effort to try to understand someone who is so different from you.

So... both groups failed to initiate interactions with the "other," and continued to perpetuate segregation. We all knew in our heads that racism is wrong. In fact, we most likely never thought of ourselves as racist. We were just taking the easy road of non-interaction.

Thinking back, I wish we had done things differently. You see, it is that innocent separation that allows the fear of the "other" to sprout. Why is it so easy to create stereotypes? Why is it so easy to blame the "other" for societal problems that we are all responsible for? If we were to make an effort to engage; if we were to learn to care, we would soon see that all our fears are unfounded. People are people, no matter what the differences. Dare we be different? Dare we step outside of ourselves and extend our hands toward the "other?"

A Land of Immigrants

Today's USA has been shaped primarily by Immigrants from Europe. The country's government, constitution, and economic structure all stem from European ideas and ideals. The previous inhabitants of the land had absolutely no say in the country's foundational decisions. Instead, they were systematically killed, or forced to leave. The treatment of Native Americans by European settlers fully conforms to the current UN definition of genocide. They were not given citizenship and voting rights until 1924, and those rights were not fully enforced until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

With this history of immigration in mind, today's immigration issues take on a rather different light. As kids we were taught to be proud of our immigrant past, and the atrocities that our forefathers committed were not dwelt on. We were told that we live in a land of opportunity, where anybody can make it big... especially poor penniless immigrants. We were told that we live in a melting pot of cultures (though many today prefer to call it a salad or a stew), with all the world represented by our one single nation. We were told we live in the greatest country on earth. So... what's with all the hysteria these days about immigration? In recent years, this has become one of the most heated debates in the nation. There is a lot of anger surrounding this issue, particularly towards Mexican immigrants. Why are we who are so proud to be the descendants of pioneers so adamant about refusing to allow any more people in to our country? Isn't our stance a tiny bit hypocritical?

Over the next few weeks I will be exploring the issue of immigration a little more in depth, examining questions about racism, fear, nationalism, etc. I will also be interviewing several people with differing points of view on the subject.

America

by: Forrest

Perhaps I should begin by admitting to the fact that I fully benefit from all of the good things America has to offer its citizens (especially its white citizens). I have received a quality education, a drivers license, health benefits, food stamps, police protection, etc. etc. I will not deny that there are some awesome things about this country, and that I am glad to live it. It is a place where people can believe pretty much whatever they want to. I can go to my little Quaker church as much as I want with no fear of being arrested. I can criticize the government with no fear of losing my head. Since I am a white male from a comfortable family, I can be pretty much whatever I want to be in this country.

However, I cannot and will not claim that America is a country without fault, or that it is better than other countries, or even that it is better than most. There is no arguing the fact that America is the dominant superpower in today's world, both economically and militarily. What is arguable, is whether or not that is a positive thing. Our concept of Manifest Destiny has allowed us to justify our current status of world domination, but the truth is, we are no better than anybody else.

There are two ways of being an American. You can be patriotic, or you can be nationalistic. Patriotism is the love of one's country and the people in it. Nationalism is the concept that one's own country is the best in the world and that everyone else should either bow to it, join it, or get out of the way. I am a patriot. I am not a nationalist. Nationalism has been the cause of way too much bloodshed to be a good thing. This blog is about challenging it.