Flinging dirt

Tragedy can either bring out the best of people or the worst. When all the dirt shakes loose it naturally distributes a bit of both. I’ve seen a lot of  dirt in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing. Years from now, when looking back at the tragedy I’m not sure whether the dirt left behind will nourish hope and understanding or whether it sullies the  nation’s  collective heart with fear, divisiveness and retributive zeal.

Some of the “dirt” I’m referring to is the intensity of the Islamophobia fervor I’ve witnessed recently. Reports of Muslims being singled out for angry rants and even physical violence have become commonplace. Apparently some citizens invoke the “guilty by association” paradigm, particularly when it applies to members of the “other” group(s) of people. The “other” referring to anyone who does not fall within the individual’s self identified group. In this particular case I am referring to the dominant group in America: White male Christians.

In  all fairness, any marginalized group in America can readily invoke the spirit of Islamophobia. All it takes is the willingness to participate in reductionism: : “a procedure or theory that reduces complex data and phenomena to simple terms.”(from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reductionism)

An illustration of reductionism can be found in the words of Fox News guest commentator Erik Rush; who-- before any official reports came out stating the bombers were Muslim, made the following rant  on Twitter ““Yes, they’re evil. (Muslims)  Let’s kill them all.”

According to Rush, and many individuals like him, all Muslims are evil because a small minority have done terrible things. This is the antithesis of rational thought because it discounts the majority of the world’s Muslim population that live peacefully. It also denies the reality that people of other religions; including Christianity, have committed violence. I trust that I don’t have to provide a  list of  historical atrocities perpetrated by Christians around the world to drive that point home.

What is significant here is not the particular words used. One can find similar words on the lips of various  people who  fear Muslims and blame them collectively for the Marathon bombings and other acts of terrorism. What I am addressing here is the fact that Rush mouthed the sentiments and is—himself--, an African American and member of a population that has historically been subjugated, stereotyped and scapegoated  in America.

Let’s not just spotlight African Americans because similar views prosper in many minority groups across the nation. I have heard disparaging comments about Muslims in various immigration reform groups on the internet. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard words such as “Why do immigrants get punished due to the actions of Muslims” or “Why can’t the government deport all the Muslims and leave the rest of the immigrant community alone. After all, we didn’t bomb anybody.” 

This divisiveness punishes us all who fight for immigration reform. If one individual from an “other” group does something bad then it taints us all because White Male America makes no distinctions. White Male America loves it when one minority group points the finger and blames the “other” because this divisiveness ensures that they remain in control.

If those of us who support immigration reform want to make any significant improvements in the lives of immigrants and their families we need to stop pointing the finger at each other. Collectively we are in the majority and White Male America knows this. They love the finger pointing. They even encourage it.

We are all interconnected. No amount of “dirt” flung at us will change that. We can choose to pick up the dirt flung at us and throw it at someone else or we can take that dirt and use it to nourish something beautiful. Let us choose wisely.

PRI: The World interview

The radio broadcast of my interview with PRI The World aired yesterday. If you would like to hear it just click on the link below. (Hopefully it will work...I don't always have luck with Blogger's linking tool). The article features two other extraordinary and lovely ladies going through a similar experience: Giselle Stern-Hernandez and Emily Cruz.

They basically did a very good job portraying the lives of American citizens dealing with deportation and separation. A few characterizations were flawed but with the complexities inherent in the U.S. immigration system this is to be expected.

So, give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Just copy and paste the following address in you browser..that should get you to the interview.


http://www.theworld.org/2011/09/deportees-wives-club/

Stomach aches and DHS anxiety

Sometimes I don't catch on to things too quickly. Although I love to read books, explore new ideas and am normally astute in analyzing human behavior, sometimes when it comes to the mundane practical situations of my own life I don't notice things as quickly as I should. In fact, I can be terminally dense.

My husband has been acting oddly for the last week. He's been quieter than usual, sullen and complaining of stomach and back problems. In fact, the last five days he has been getting up in the middle of the night and going over to the spare bedroom to sleep. I don't mind saying that I was feeling a bit rejected. Was I farting in bed? Bad breath? Do I exhibit Terets Syndrome when I sleep? What the heck was going on?? For some reason I just didn't catch on...until this morning...

Khalid rolled on his side in bed and groaned.

I asked: "What's the matter?"

"My stomach hurts."

"Again?" I asked incredulously (he's been complaining of a sour stomach for a few days now)

"Yeah."

Over the next few hours I was contemplating a whole host of scenarios that could explain Khalid's strange behavior over the last week. Was he sick? I asked myself. Was he having a hard time at work? Was he depressed? Sick of me????? (After almost five years of marriage it can happen to even the most loving of couples!) I had no idea what was wrong...

Now, Khalid is usually an early riser. He always gets up before me, but a curious thing happened today. He slept until 9:30 AM!!! He never sleeps that long.

Finally, it hit me! He's acting this way because we have to appear at the DHS office in Albany today and he's worried that something bad is going to happen. BINGO!

I knew that he usually gets nervous when we travel to Albany, but since we learned that India was not recognizing him as a citizen I thought the anxiety had abated a bit. At least he wasn't showing any major anxiety or concern. Usually he was very upbeat about the trip saying "I'm sure everything is status quo and there's nothing to worry about." while turning and smiling at me in a comforting manner."

I now recognize this as an effort to make me feel better. I was still vocal about my trepidation involving going to the DHS office for months after they proclaimed they were not going to deport Khalid. I was so afraid that the government would change their minds and detain and then deport Khalid to god-knows-where.

Apparently, I disregarded the other signs that indicated-- despite Khalid's stoicism--that he was still terrified of going to the DHS office. I ignored the back problems, the getting up in the middle of the night, the stomach ailments; not realizing that they all occurred in tandem a week before we had to visit the DHS office.

How could I be so blind??

And the worst thing about this whole mess is: I can't do anything about it other than holding his hand every time we walk into that damned DHS office in Albany.

An antidote to hate

Being an American citizen married to a “documented alien in removal” has its challenges, for sure. Between reporting to Homeland Security offices in Albany twice a year, constantly worrying about how the next batch of anti-immigration laws will affect your life, and dealing with the inevitable trolls who stalk the posts of pro-immigration bloggers and insinuate that only low class, stupid and desperate women/men would marry an “illegal” alien, can turn a person’s hair silver overnight.

Now, I’ve written about the error in using the term “illegal” in referring to immigrants in the past, but it bears repeating again. Most immigrants have not done anything illegal (i.e. crossing the border without inspection nor have most of them ever committed a crime.) In fact, a substantial number of immigrants have only committed a civil violation by overstaying-- not a criminal one; based on U.S. immigration law. To elaborate: overstay is a civil violation constituting an immigrant who has remained in the U.S. after a VISA has expired. Even the term “undocumented” does not accurately describe all immigrants. For instance, my husband has all his documents (i.e. worker’s permit, passport and a social security number) so he cannot be referred to as “undocumented”. Therefore, the characterization of all immigrants without a green card as “illegal” is inaccurate.

None of my friends who blog about deportation could be characterized as low class, desperate, and especially-- not stupid. The women (and men) I have known who are dealing with separation or deportations of a spouse are the smartest, bravest, strongest and most socially aware people I know. I am proud to call them friends and am thankful that they are a part of my life…even though many miles separate us all.

The wonderful connections I’ve made to people who are going through a similar experience are one of the bright spots in the everyday struggle of dealing with deportation. A fellow blogger remarked: “the whole process of dealing with the immigration system in the U.S. is so dehumanizing that the personal connections we foster online with people going through similar situations is mentally and spiritually healing.”

It can be easy to be consumed by anger and fear when you are dealing with the possible separation of you from your spouse. I remember when Khalid and I were going through the most precarious time in our marriage; just after the denial of his second circuit court case and the deportation mandate was issued. Whenever Khalid was late getting home from work, those minutes before he walked through the door were fraught with fear, anxiety and hopelessness. I was so afraid that ICE had apprehended him at work and sent him to detention. If this had happened I would not have been notified. I would not even know where they had taken him. Perhaps I would be one of the lucky spouses that would get a call from my husband or a lawyer days later telling me where he was being held. Otherwise, it is likely that I would not know any specifics until after the deportation process was completed and he arrived in the country of his birth.

Despite all of this turmoil there are positive aspects to this situation: besides making wonderful friendships. The whole immigration system is designed to tear the American citizen and deportee apart. However, a curious thing happens. Amidst all the negativity, barricades, hateful rhetoric and discriminatory policies the bonds between the couple entwine, grow thicker and become stronger. Love stubbornly grows where hate has wrought devastation. This seems to be a universal truth.

I am aware that since my husband and I have gone through this painful process that we do not easily take each other for granted. Many of the petty annoyances that plague my friends’ relationships do not affect us. When threatened with separation you treasure every moment you spend with the other person. Precious time cannot be wasted on insignificant disagreements you will likely forget a week later. You learn to love deeply, completely and forgive easily. Indeed, this seemingly fragile love becomes the strongest antidote to hate.

An alien with no name

Khalid is an immigrant who has no name. Seems strange to write that. All of you are probably thinking: "Well, of course he has a name. You just wrote it in the first sentence: K H A L I D.

Perhaps the semantics I used is confusing. What I meant to say that he has no label. You know, those humiliating, derogatory, inaccurate labels that get placed on immigrants in this country. Words such as "illegal", "border jumper", "undocumented", "unauthorized worker", etc.

I got to thinking about this curious fact when I was being interviewed for the radio program PRI's: The World. The interviewer referred to him as an "undocumented" immigrant--but that isn't a true characterization either. Of course--I was relieved that she didn't use the term "illegal". Luckily she understood that it was a derogatory term and did not apply to a substantial number of immigrants residing in this country.

However, despite recognizing the word "undocumented" as inaccurate, I didn't correct her because I had no idea what term would be appropriate in describing Khalid's immigration situation.

The term "undocumented" refers to a specific type of immigrant who does not have legal documentation in order to work in the United States. Khalid is "documented"; meaning that he has all his papers--a worker's permit, social security number and passports (well--until the DHS confiscated them and subsequently lost them.) and came here under a student VISA.

I suppose the most accurate designation that could be applied to Khalid is "alien" but even that doesn't quite fit. He has been in the United States so long now that he has lost all trace of a foreign accent and has completely acclimated to American culture: so much so that he loves American football,unhealthy native cuisine; high in fats, carbohydrates and sugar, and Hollywood movies filled with dizzying spectacle but low on content-- and like all American men who fear being emasculated, he hates the color pink. You can't get more American then that.(Surely I jest!)

However, this curious fact that I had no label to attach to my husband's situation bothered me. So, one night, while we were sitting in the living room watching "America's Got Talent" (a guilty pleasure!) I turned to him and asked "What are you called?"

He turned to look at me with a quizzical expression on his face and replied "what?" (This is not an unusual trajectory for our conversations.)

I re-framed the question..."you don't fall under the designation of illegal; and undocumented doesn't fit either-- so what term is officially used to describe your situation?

He thought for a moment and said "technically I am called "a documented alien under removal.'"

Wow, that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue! No wonder news people and pundits choose to use the words "illegal" and "undocumented". At least they are simple!

My point here is not to disparage those immigrants who fall under the term "undocumented". My point is to illustrate the myriad complexities inherent in being an immigrant in contemporary America and how they are simplified by misleading and oftentimes inaccurate labels that are woefully inaccurate in describing an immigrant's status.

There is a scientific principle called "Occam's Razor" which loosely has been summarized as "all things being equal the simplest explanation tends to be the right one." (My apologies to any scientists reading this post who are actually versed in this principle and recognize this is a simplified understanding.)

People who are caught up in this diabolic immigration system and the complex situations it engenders will never adhere to this notion of "Occam's Razor". There is never anything simple about the process of being an immigrant in this country. Nor should there be any simplifications in the language used to describe them. Terms such as "illegal", "undocumented", "alien" are ( as I stated earlier) "woefully inaccurate."

In this current era of compounded complexities perhaps the whole idea of "Occam's Razor" is misleading. There doesn't seem to be much simplicity--at least not in our little corner of the world.

London is Burning and Black Boys on Mopeds

I am sick of watching faux news on television. And no…I’m not just talking about Fox News. In this curious era of distracting spectacle, misleading rhetoric, censorship and smoke and mirror campaigns Fox News is not the only institution propagating innuendos and half-truths. For years the potent cocktail of raw and comprehensive news broadcasts has been slowly watered down by the media’s intentional use of superficial language designed to keep the public ignorant of the deeper significance of events in this increasingly precarious, globalized, and turbo-charged capitalistic world.

These simplifications belie the complexity and interconnected relationship between cause and effect and mask the root causes of human behavior played out upon the intricate backdrop of racism, poverty, increasing inequality and the systematic dismantling of social safety nets. As a result of politically sanctioned jargon, words are manipulated to downplay or exaggerate significance at the whim of policy makers. “Protestors” and “activists” become “reactionaries” or “fanatics”. Rich people are no longer referred to as “wealthy” but rather as “job creators”( an erroneous misnomer because it is actually small business owners that create the most jobs. The grotesquely rich are more apt to invest/hoard their money than use it to create jobs for the working or middle class.) Immigrants are often labeled “illegal” regardless of their actual status. Citizens who want to limit military intervention or who support gay marriage are labeled “bleeding heart liberals.” The concept of impartiality is completely alien to the moguls of mainstream, contemporary media. Everything has a spin: a spin that favors the law makers, the wealthiest citizens and the corporations; but simultaneously devalues or demonizes the interests of the working class.

The precipitous for this rant was a feature on NBC’s Nightly news about the riots in London. In particular I objected to the word “thugs” used in the description of the rioters/protesters which designated all those involved as engaging in “criminal activity.” Subsequent research illuminates the fact that that the night began with a peaceful demonstration of people protesting the violent and excessive force of police used against an unarmed man who was shot dead. In fact, the citizens of Tottenham ,for many years, organized peaceful protests, sit ins and other events to draw attention to their plight. Despite their efforts the media largely ignored them—that is—until they turned violent.

Tottenham has an impoverished history-- unknown to most of NBC’s viewers. Since the 1980’s—it has been a destination for immigrants from across the globe including African-Caribbean, Ghanaians, Colombians, Kurds, Turkish and Albanians to name a few. As most people know—or should know—immigrants are often segregated from native people in dilapidated urban areas. These centers become an inescapable geography of invisibility, vulnerability and hopelessness. People confined to these precarious geographies are marginalized in various ways because of their skin color and presupposition to poverty and simultaneously subjected to stringent scrutiny and police harassment.

According to Wikipedia “Tottenham has the highest unemployment rate in London and the 8th highest in the United Kingdom, and it has some of the highest poverty rates within the country”. Writer James Illingsworth states: “IT'S NO coincidence, of course, that these events are taking place in the poorest neighborhoods of London and other major cities. Youth in these areas have grown up in a climate of poverty and racism, facing regular police harassment, along with unemployment rates for youth that were already sky-high before the current economic crisis hit.” Of course, you won’t hear sentiments like this on American mainstream news. According to the press these people are “thugs” and “criminals”. According to Illingsworth the British media-- along with the ruling class-- has a similar message. He goes on to say: “The ruling class reaction to the unrest has been typically hypocritical and reactionary. Politicians, police commanders and media pundits alike have denounced the rebellion as "mindless criminality" .

Calling these individuals “thugs” without illuminating the back-story of the social, cultural and political catalysts that have caused the poor and working class to resort to violence is grievous at best, and journalistic negligence at its worst. People do not normally resort to violence and rioting unless nothing else has worked to alleviate their suffering. The world deserves to know what has caused this tragedy. Labeling these people as “thugs” and “criminals” does nothing to solve the problem—it only serves to cement their position as undesirables and therefore disposable.

I am reminded of a musician popular in the 1980’s: Sinead O’Connor, She wrote a song called Black Boys on Mopeds…which—interestingly enough deals with this very subject. She eloquently and distinctly characterizes this situation; one that has been going on for at least thirty years with the following phrase:

“England's not the mythical land of Madame George and roses
It's the home of police who kill black boys on mopeds
And I love my boy and that's why I'm leaving
I don't want him to be aware that there's
Any such thing as grieving.” ~Sinead O’Connor

I want to end this post by invoking James Illinsworth one last time”

“And when the tensions in people's lives--racism, increasing poverty, alienation and immiseration--reach a boiling point, those in power lecture about how "violence is wrong," without ever once acknowledging the daily violence in the lives of the poor and working-class people.”

An immigrant like me

I've been reading a lot this summer which, like everything else, has a positive and negative bent. The positive is that I've learned quite a bit--particularly about the history of immigration in America. The negative means that time devoted to artwork has diminished in favor of spending a majority of my time reading.

This reading–frenzy is the result of a challenge posed to me by one of my professors late spring semester. I was lamenting over the fact that I could not find sufficient information explaining why my husband's immigration situation has been so difficult.

My professor suggested that instead of asking "why" this has happened, I should try asking "how." What a difference one little word can make! "Why" is a question not always answerable because asking the question "why" denotes determining internal causes: and that can be nearly impossible. “Why” demands illuminating psychological and emotional responses of individuals and groups--no easy task. But restructuring the question and asking "how” changes the focus and inspires an investigation of root causes, history and significant events that have influenced the situation”. As a result, I've been reading a lot about American culture, immigration history, racism, and white nationalism.

There is one book; in particular, that has made a lasting impression on me this summer. The book is entitled: Black like Me by John Howard Griffin. Briefly, the book is about a white Southern man who found rampant discrimination of blacks in the Jim Crow era of the 1950's morally repugnant. He decided that to completely understand the trials blacks contend with on a daily basis he would need to become black himself. The book outlines the disparity, discrimination, naked hatred and humiliation he suffers as he travels across The South as a black man.

Despite this book being published in the 1960’s, the essence of the book continues to be relevant in today’s world. Not only to blacks who still face rampant institutionalized racism but also to Hispanics and other immigrants being demonized in the current incarnation of xenophobia. In an eerie prediction of future racial strife and increasing xenophobia—not only in The South but throughout contemporary American society, John Howard Griffin states:

“The Negro. The South. These are details. The real story is the universal one of men who destroy the souls and bodies of other men (and in the process destroy themselves) for reasons neither really understands. It is the story of the persecuted, the defrauded, the feared and detested. I could have been a Jew in Germany, a Mexican in a number of states, or a member of any “inferior” group. Only the details would have differed. The story would be the same.” – John Howard Griffin

I am particularly struck by the phrase “a Mexican in a number of states”. How poignant such a phrase is, for an era—a state; Arizona-- that is trying to sanction passing a law that clearly discriminates against a specific part of a marginalized population. Just like the Jim Crow laws did in the period of 1920’s-1960’s, the SB 1070 law mandates a different set of rules and expectations for certain groups and sets up the sanctioning of increased forms of dehumanization, exploitation and vulnerability.

It occurs to me, that it would be interesting if someone would follow John Howard Griffin’s moral example and attempt to walk in a Hispanic—or any undocumented immigrants shoes-- and experience the degradation, isolation and dehumanization for just one day. I surmise it would be very illuminating.

Honoring America's deportees

So here it is, a Facebook group called Honoring America's deportees which has been formed to enlist people into some pro-immigrant activism. Thanks to some word of mouth I have a good group forming.

I have added a description of the first project we will be involved in, which is a quilt with the names of 24 immigrants deported from America's shores. I will be uploading a picture of a sketch of the design of the quilt which incorporates traditional , crazy and patchwork quilting.

For further information, please check the link below. If you want to participate, have suggestions or just want to vicariously observe, please join the group. The more the merrier!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=143274455699956

For a change: good news coming from Arizona

Good news! Believe me, for pro-immigrant activists and people who support human rights, this is the kind of news we want and need to hear.

Federal Judge Sue Bolton of Phoenix Arizona has blocked key controversial items from going forward on July 29th: the date the controversial SB 1070 was to go into effect!

I won't go into all the details. You can read it in the link I will supply at the end of this post from the New York Times. I just want to say I am very proud to be an American today. I had a hard time believing that the judge would block SB 1070 because of all anti-immigrant hoopla being promoted in the media . Common sense and an allegiance to the principles in the Constitution apparently trumped hatred and fear.

For that I am grateful. Let's hope these principles stand firm in the midst of probable appeals.

When the hate hits close to home

I don't mind saying that I am worried. The recent explosion of anti-immigrant fervor running rampant through this country has resigned me to fear the worst. With Jan Brewer, governor of Arizona, trying to stoke the fire of moral panic against Hispanics by claiming law enforcement has found bodies with decapitated heads, and the rise of neo-nazi vigilantes wielding guns and searching for immigrants crossing the border, and more states looking to implement similar laws to SB 1070 I don't see how the situation can get much worse--well, other than the eruption of widespread violence. Honestly, (and I apologize for the pessimism) based on the level of hate that has risen to the surface, I don't think violence is out of the question.

But what has disheartened me the most is when the hate is spewed from people within my immediate circle. I'm not talking about family members. We are fortunate to have family who have been incredibly supportive. I'm referring to people that I have come to respect and consider friends. People who have expressed concern for Khalid's situation in the past. Individuals who have met Khalid and have commented on what a nice, respectful person he is.

And yet, even when they know Khalid, his story, how he has been mistreated, locked up, and dehumanized; they can still support a discriminatory law like SB 1070 and spew hateful rhetoric about Hispanics. And I wonder: what good has come from talking about my husband's situation? Why did I put our lives up for scrutiny? I was idealistic and actually thought sharing our story would help temper the hate. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe all the condolences, empathy and well wishes were all lies.

Personally, I cannot make a distinction between my husband and all the Hispanic immigrants in this country. There is no way I can compartmentalize his story and say he deserves to stay in America and yet deny that same privilege to Hispanics. That is exactly what my "friends" are doing when they express empathy for my husband and yet profess disdain for Hispanics. Whatever happens to Hispanics in Arizona can certainly happen to my husband.

The struggle against the SB1070 law is not just to secure human rights for Hispanics--although that is a moral enough cause; it is also to end the dehumanization and inferiority status for all immigrants-- whether they are legal or illegal. All people are sacred and no group-- whether they are white, black, brown, disabled, homosexual, transgendered, etc-- deserves to be singled out by discriminatory laws.

After all, dehumanization and keeping "undesirables" in their place were the reasons behind the statute in apartheid South Africa that made it mandatory for black people to keep documentation. Dehumanization and keeping "undesirables" in their place were the reasons for implementing the Jim Crow laws and certainly dehumanization and keeping "undesirables" in their place was the purpose behind the Holocaust. We can NEVER forget that! And how did all these things occur? How did ordinary people ignore the cruelty that was inflicted? By designating that these specific groups of people simply did not matter.

However, what is particularly terrifying to me is my emotional reaction to this recent phenomenon. I've never considered myself a hateful person and I don't believe anyone would characterize me as such. I've certainly disliked some people in my lifetime but never hated anyone. But now, sometimes I feel so disillusioned, so frustrated, so sick of the stereotypes, the ignorance that runs rampant and unchecked through the immigration debate that I feel hate. It's not a good feeling. And I'm ashamed.

But then I remember, it is just this kind of feeling--unadulterated hate-- that is fueling this anti-immigration fire in this country. A hate so fiery, irrational and uncontrollable that it threatens us all: whether we are citizens, legal or otherwise. We are all in danger.

At least I have acknowledged and named my hate. Now I can conquer it. By conquering hate I can ensure that it will not spill over and adversely affect anyone else. I wish we would all acknowledge and conquer our hate. If we did, our world would be a lot less volatile.

The Crisis of Western Civilization

Thom Hartmann is a genius! I don't say that lightly because geniuses seem to be in short supply these days. According to Hartman, all of Western society's; and by extension through globalization, the world's problems-- can be attributed to faulty and irrational thinking.

Since researching immigration, sexism, racism, homophobia, neo-liberal policies, environmental degradation and the prison industrial complex I have come to the conclusion that most--if not all--of these issues stem from the same fundamental problem. Hartmann eloquently gives a name to this root cause: "cultural dysfunction" and names the basis for this dysfunction as being the unbridled and illusory notion that economies should exponentially grow without barriers, restrictions or limitations. Hartman explains this notion is illusory and dangerous because there are not enough natural resources to sustain this type of growth.

Rather than looking at all things natural as being sacred and inherently valuable in its own right, Western civilization strives, through its fervent worship of growth economics, to turn everything into commodities. Utilizing patriarchy-- and what Hartmann terms; unnatural tools of hierarchies, Western civilization attempts to divvy out material goods to the most deserving populace.

I highly recommend watching the entire interview. It is a half an hour long but well worth the time invested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poMPeSx_WnY&feature=PlayList&p=40421D748A1E3E02&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=12

Cowards out of men

At the moment, we are still waiting for a determination on the waivers we have submitted to Homeland Security to adjust Khalid's status to that of legal permanent resident. It has been over a year since we first submitted it and we are still w...a...i...t...i...n...g... Additionally, we have also requested a pardon from the governor of New York and we are awaiting the outcome of that as well. Might as well leave no stone unturned.

I have no idea what is taking so long--other than to blame the delay on the well-known governmental presupposition towards bureaucratic inertia. The facts have been spelled out, our backgrounds have all been checked, re-checked and then checked again. No doubt, we have been subjected to various surveillance. I am sure the government is well aware of what kind of people we are, who we hang out with, our credit histories, opinions and affiliations. Obviously, there are no indications that we are violent or a threat to national security.

However, there is one possible cog in the wheel of securing Khalid's freedom-- That is this blog. Since this blog is publicly displayed on the web there is a good chance that it has been monitored by the government. Anyone who regularly reads my blog will attest to the fact that I am critical of aspects of the contemporary incarnation of our government, along with culture, capitalism, religion, and American exceptionalism.

In all honesty, this tendency towards criticism is a direct result of meeting Khalid and understanding his story. Before meeting my husband I did not find politics, law, culture or foreign policies the least bit interesting. I spent my time reading fiction, creating aesthetically pleasing artwork and remaining blissfully ignorant of how politics and world events can affect individual lives.

However, I will digress for a minute. For people who feel I am exaggerating the role of surveillance in our lives I recommend that they read the full expanse of The Patriot Act. Lovers of freedom, privacy and American ideals will, no doubt, find subsequent clauses quite objectionable.

The extent of surveillance for me, as a U.S. citizen, has likely been minimal and predominately limited to information found within the public sphere including credit scores, my education, addresses, my blog, etc. Despite this minimal intrusion it is still unsettling to think the government may still be monitoring my life. However, In addition to public information being monitored, I am confident that my banking records have been perused and even my phone has been tapped--particularly when we were first married.

Why? Well, when Khalid was first detained I'm sure he was tagged under the auspiciousness of being a possible Muslim terrorist. Therefore, his entire background was scrutinized in order to find evidence of misconduct. It is not a breach of logic to conclude, that I, as his wife, was also subject to a certain amount of surveillance. Exactly how much is debatable--and I have resigned myself to the reality of never knowing.

During this ordeal, I have occasionally doubted the prudence of maintaining this blog and being honest about my experiences and feelings. It has occurred to me that the things I say here have labeled me a "rogue" (in the real sense of the word, not the Palin-esque, misconstrued and sleight of hand invocation of the word recently implemented).

After the self-doubt seizure ends I can never deny my interpretations of the events that have swirled around us and how those events have impacted our lives. I could not sleep with a clear conscious if I remained silent and impotent. It is not in my DNA. And although I don't have enough disposable income to travel around the country actively protesting in pro-immigrant rallies..I can protest within my own small corner of the blogsphere-- always with the hope that I am educating someone about the current injustices perpetrated on minorities, immigrants and their families.

As Abraham Lincoln once said; "To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men."

Let me introduce you to......

….John Tanton. A retired, small town ophthalmologist, John Tanton’s appearance is not particularly extraordinary or noteworthy. His interests include botany, conservationism and environmentalism. No one would guess that he regularly fraternizes with white nativists, neo- Nazis and white supremacists.. Regardless of this innocuousness, John Tanton is an unapologetic white nationalist.

According to Wikipedia-“White nationalism advocates a racial definition of national identity, as opposed to multiculturalism. The contemporary movement is a reaction to a perceived decline in white demographics, politics and culture.” According to Samuel Francis, it is ‘a movement that rejects equality as an ideal and insists on an enduring core of human nature transmitted by heredity.’"

Samuel Huntington elaborates:, “Rather than espouse violence, they use statistics and social science data to argue for a self-conscious white identity.[ They say a natural hierarchy should triumph over the ‘false promise of egalitarianism’- and that the downfall of white dominance spells doom for representative government, the rule of law and freedom of speech.”

“Supporters say they stand for racial self-preservation and claim culture itself is a product of race. As a result, according to Huntington, they say the demographic shift in the U.S. towards non-whites brings a new culture that is intellectually and morally inferior. With it comes affirmative action, immigrant ghettos and declining educational standards. By challenging established policy on immigration, civil rights and racial integration, they seek to build bridges with moderately conservative white citizens.”

Now, I am not going to waste time identifying the inconsistencies, analytical errors and racist ideology of eugenics,” natural” hierarchy, and the illusion of a invariable white identity. Instead, I am concerned with illuminating John Tanton’s influence on anti-immigration rhetoric in this country. He has been an integral force for enacting the harsh and stringent immigration laws of the last fourteen years and has fuelled the conflated moral panic directed against legal and illegal immigrants in this country—and based his conclusions on unsubstantiated statistics.

Additionally, I won’t enlist the contemporary tendency to cloak the ugly face of racism with artificial, cosmetic concealment in order to make it palatable to the general public. Despite rants to the contrary, white nationalists are racist-- in every abhorrent characteristic of the term. A snake is a snake regardless of the semantics he may use to disguise his identity.

As a proponent of white nationalism, John Tanton established the largest and arguably most influential anti-immigrant group in the country called FAIR. The goal of FAIR is to restrict and significantly curtail immigration, particularly from those of the southern hemisphere. While their website seems innocuous enough, the underlying goal of FAIR is the banishment of all supposedly--unassimiable black and brown immigrants from this country, and the subsequent re-establishment of America as a predominately white nation.

In fact, the recently passed Arizona law SB 1070 was formed, written and implemented by John Tanton along with other well known white nationalist: including Arizona senator Russell Pearce and Kris Kobach. John Tanton also had a hand in shaping the Arizona law that prohibits ethnic studies from being taught in public schools.

So, the next time someone asks me if I think the Arizona law SB 1070 is racist, I can unequivocally, confidently and vehemently shout YES………absolutely yes!!

Practical, if not probable, solutions for immigration reform

Here it is, my feeble attempt to take on the mess that is our U.S. immigration system. However, I do not believe that a few simple fixes will fundamentally change the root cause of institutionalized immigrant discrimination. To end institutional immigrant discrimination you first need to eliminate institutionalized racism/sexism--and, unfortunately, I do not see that changing anytime soon.

Racism, sexism and classism will only abate when the social hierarchies of wealth and power structures in American capitalism are dismantled. Indeed, capitalism--especially late stage, unregulated capitalism, requires an ever-increasing number of hyper-exploitable, vulnerable workers to utilize against other workers in order to drive down wages for everyone.

Of course, race and sex are two favorite modes of classifying and segregating these workers: legal and illegal workers is another. It behooves capitalism to segregate workers in hierarchies in order to pit the various groups against each other. This ensures there is always a vulnerable group for capitalism to exploit (should one group get too demanding and uppity) and also keeps the working masses so busy fighting and blaming each other they will never unite together and fight their common oppressor: the elite capitalists.

Having said that, if I was the American President and had unlimited power (unrealistic--I know) I would do the following--listed in order of priority.

#1

The first thing I would do is ensure that The Family Unification Act and The Dream Act will pass. Two many wives, husbands, children, brothers and sisters are being needlessly torn apart with little prospect of reuniting. Additionally, many promising and intelligent young people are being deported before they can finish their degrees. The majority of them did not have a choice as to whether to stay in the US illegally. They came here as young children. Deporting any of these individuals-without a legal avenue to adjust their status-- is barbaric, ridiculous and goes against morality and commonsense.


#2

The second adjustment I would implement is changing our economic and foreign policies in order to foster cooperation with developing nations to strengthen their economies rather than plundering their raw materials, exploiting their labor force and undermining their autonomy. The stronger a nation becomes--and the more stable--the less likely people will move from their homelands. With that being said I will digress for a moment:

People don't like moving from their homeland, friends and families. In general, people prefer to remain in familiar surroundings with people of a similar language, customs and a shared history. Migrants don't like moving to foreign lands but they are compelled to do so for various reasons including extreme poverty, starvation, political/ethnic/religious violence and turmoil in their homelands. And although there has always been migration; the contemporary waves of immigrants from the southern hemisphere towards the epicenters of capitalism in the Northern hemisphere is unprecedented in history.

So, we need to ask ourselves, why is this mass exodus happening?

In a nutshell, these mass migrations are fueled by globalization and the unequal power dynamics between rich and developing countries that can be traced to colonialism, imperialism and the contemporary incarnation of unregulated turbo charged-capitalism. These policies of global de-regulation and unlimited free trade have been facilitated by IMF and WTO loan policies to control developing nations. The United States has significantly contributed to the financing of the IMF and WTO and therefore has undue influence in shaping these loan policies.

Jarrett S, Lovell, author and activist explains the history of the IMF specifically, and how it has metamorphosed into the neo-liberal institution it is today:

"In assessing the rise of corporate domination, many observers identify the aftermath of the Second World War as the era when corporate power became most pronounced. Indeed, the roots of contemporary discontent over corporate globalization can be found within the international trade institutions and policies that emerged at the end of the Second World War. Specifically after the war ended, the United Nations Monetary and financial Conference was assembled at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, where the International Monetary fund (IMF) was created to finance the construction of Europe and to prevent international financial crises. To be sure, the IMF is a public institution. It is financed by taxes provided by citizens from contributor nations. It was established to allow countries experiencing financial problems to continue with global trade uninterrupted. the IMF initially recognized that even so-called free markets require regulation to prevent economic and social catastrophe. By the 1980's, however, the IMF operated according to an ideology that viewed any regulation as a barrier to capital. Under a new doctrine of neoliberalism, officials from the IMF encouraged countries to "liberalize" their economies, that is, to reduce or do away with such barriers as tariffs and humanitarian or environmental regulations."

So, in order to pave the way for free trade in developing nations, the IMF and WTO will coerce a country to dismantle their social networks, eliminate environmental protections for their citizens, de-value their currency and implement any number of laws and conditions that favor commerce (aka "progress") over citizenry. Some countries have even been strong armed into altering their constitutions in order to placate transnational companies.

So, transnational companies move into an area, set up temporary factories and hire the indigenous people for a pittance. They exploit and mistreat their workers while simultaneously destroying and poisoning the communities and residential areas where their employees live.

Suddenly--they will close up shop, layoff their workers and move to another developing nation where they can pay the work force less and exploit the populace and environment further. Leaving all workers, the world over, vulnerable, subjugated and intimidated.

#3

If I was President, I would consider one of my most fundamental jobs would be to hold myself, and all other public people and institutions to a high standard of ethics, particularly paying close attention to how words can fuel hate and human rights violations.

Citizens in The United States are fearful and look to the future anxiously. When people are scared they tend to look for a scapegoat to blame their troubles on. As Bertrand Russell eloquently states: "Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd."
The President must be aware of this tendency and must not only choose his words wisely but must also publicly chastise those public individuals who use language unscrupulously to fuel hate and fear-mongering.

#4

As President I would completely overhaul the U.S. immigration court system. I would make sure that all judges sitting on the immigration court benches actually had a degree in immigration law. I would hire more immigration judges to take on the expanding load of immigration cases.

Additionally, I would expand the number of approved asylum quotas--based on need per each individual country.I would also implement some type of committee to oversee immigration lawyers. Any lawyers found misrepresenting themselves or exploiting immigrants would be fined and disbarred.

These are a few of the reforms I would put in place. There are more I could add but these are the most urgently needed.

Immigrant rights activism

As a result of connecting with other U.S. citizens whose significant other has been deported or detained, I have decided that I need to do something productive. There are far too many of us going through this tragedy. This needless suffering must come to an end! There are various ideas floating in my head, and I’m sure you have ideas too. We need to communicate with each other and brainstorm like crazy—and come up with ways to educate the public.

One idea I’ve been pondering involves borrowing an idea from our AIDS activist friends and creating a quilt that depicts the names of loved ones who have been deported or under deportation proceedings. This idea involves getting together a significant number of interested individuals willing to help create the quilt. Ideally, each person would agree to create a square of their loved one—or someone they know. Individuals who do not personally know anyone deported will still be welcome to participate. We can assign them a name. There is certainly not a shortage of people being deported and families being separated-- and the numbers increase every year.

Preferably, each quilt square would be created with materials that are durable. We want this quilt to be a testament to our determination to end these deportations—so it must be created to endure for decades. The idea is to send this quilt, upon completion, to various galleries and functions across the country to help raise awareness.

I have years of experience in needlework, sewing and designing so I am capable and willing to help coordinate the effort. If anyone else has similar experience, motivation or just passion please let me know. This group, unlike the contemporary functioning of our government-- will be a democratically organized community.
However, you don’t have to be an artist, designer or even be creative to make a quilt square. All that is needed is a willingness to learn and be spontaneous. I can help anyone who needs advice and can even design specific motifs. I’m sure there will be others willing to assist as well.

I do sincerely believe that art can change social consciousness. Art activists the world over are working diligently to help improve their communities. Right this minute there are thousands of activists, artists and performers who have congregated in Detroit to forge a different world. Change is not only possible, it is necessary.
Change begins with an idea—activists take those ideas and make them a reality. Let us be the immigrant rights activists who change the world for the better. If you are interested please contact me.

I can be reached on Facebook under the name Beth Brotherton, Hamilton College or at e-mail: silverwing6700@yahoo.com If you know of anyone else who may be interested please feel free to forward this message. Please, if you have any additional ideas let me know. I want to help forge a strong and unified community so we can help each other.

An American oubliette

It’s interesting to note how many times I’ve written about racism in this blog. When I started this blog a year ago I never thought the concept of race would become such an integral part of my writings. But as the months went by and I started to do more research and took more classes—I realized that the constructions and definitions of race has contributed significantly to my husband’s difficult immigration predicament. I also became aware of how racism operates in contemporary culture and how it has been wiped from the consciousness of white America.

It is not surprising that I have been confronted by people who deny that race is a “big deal” in contemporary American society. I have been asked, point blank, if I truly believe that race has had any influence on my husband’s case; oftentimes with an incredulousness tone in their voice that defies me to contradict what they perceive as the “racelessness” of American culture.

I am always taken aback by this question. First off, I am vocal about racial, ethnic and religious discrimination and how those factors have influenced and shaped the rising xenophobia that has gripped this nation since the 9/11 attacks. As a result, I wouldn’t think it necessary to ask this question. I fervently believe that racism, unrestrained capitalism and the resulting rise of poverty, along with white nationalism have contributed to this moral panic that has spread across this country like a biblical plaque of locusts. But I soon realized this question has little to do with interrogating my convictions and everything about the questioner reinforcing their own viewpoints. These particular questions always come from white people—and normally from those who mistakenly believe that racism is a relic carefully contained in the oubliette of America’s distant past.

After explaining my opinion I am usually confronted with the following: How do you explain previous generations of immigrants including the Poles, Italians and Irish who faced extreme prejudice and discrimination? I explain it in the same way I explain my husband’s situation. Discrimination of immigrants, whether in the past or present, is shaped by distinctions made between those who are considered “desirable’ and those that are labeled “undesirable.” One of the most influential factors determining the merit of an immigrant group attempting to assimilate into American society has always been race.

These designations are based on arbitrary definitions that include evaluations on race, ethnicity and religion. While all three factors have been used historically in this “sifting”—and continue to be utilized, I would argue that contemporary evaluations have a tendency to highlight race and religion. This makes sense in the light of the recent war on terror (aka war on Islam) and the current wave of black and brown immigrants.

Even in the historical case of the Poles, the Irish and the Italians, race was a determining factor. The definition of “whiteness”, and who could claim such a designation has altered over the centuries; shifting alongside changing social landscapes to begrudgingly include some and exclude others. Back “in the day”, it was acceptable to discriminate against the Poles, the Irish and the Italians—not only because of the perceived ethnic difference, but because they were not considered to be white; and therefore were designated as sub-human.

I recently read an article that explained this phenomenon. ( the link can be found below.) Although it’s a decent article, and deals with some of the issues I have brought up in this blog post, I do not condone the author’s proclamation that “whites”—despite losing their majority status in 2050, will still retain their privilege. Basically, the author postulates that despite all the fear mongering about whites becoming a minority, the assimilation of light-skinned Hispanics into the fold of “whiteness” will ensure that “white power” continues unabated.

What???

Absolutely-- fear mongering should abate because one group of the world’s citizens should not hold dominion over another and the retention of white privilege should cease. However, to chide fear mongers for perpetuating the myth that white privilege will end in the near future—is just ethically and morally corrupt.

Don’t mind me...I’m just trying to climb out of America’s oubliette of racism and hypocrisy.


http://www.alternet.org/immigration/147235/why_fearmongering_about_a_white_minority_in_america_is_wrong,_wrong,_wrong/

Minority entitlement vs. white privledge

Entitlement. I’ve been hearing that word quite a lot recently: the result of a variety of social factors including the failing economy, the moral panic over immigration, rising xenophobia and the novelty of the first African-American elected to the presidency. It’s curious because I’ve rarely heard that word used—presumably because in the past there was a certain amount of social compulsion to be politically correct—a desire apparently quenched by the antics of controversial personalities including Glen Beck, Pat Robinson and Sarah Palin. Political correctness is now passé.

What’s interesting, particularly to someone like me—a person who studies the social behavior of humans—is the way that word is being implemented. I am not convinced that the people who are utilizing the word “entitlement” really know what it means.

I hear this word uttered by the lips of white people who are accusing minorities of implementing entitlement in their day to day affairs. The unsettling part resides in the realization that this is an engagement in faulty logic and requires a perverse inversion of the actuality of power dynamics in contemporary American society. While this most often functions as a means to silence and reprimand minorities from claiming their rights as fully engaged and equal citizens (in much the same way the words “slut”, “bitch”, “whore” and “cunt” are used to reprimand and silence women who step outside patriarchal constructions of subservient femininity) it can easily be transferred to poor people and basically any group that appears outside the margins of dominant white/male society.

I’ll give you an idea of what precipitated this musing. I was perusing movie titles in a local video store. After a minority woman dropped off some past due DVD’s at the counter, I overheard a white employee exclaim: “why do minorities always return things late. They always feel entitled to keep things as long as they want.”

This proclamation in a public venue and in the midst of other patrons shocked me by the brazen nature of the outburst. But it’s not the only time I’ve heard similar sentiments expressed. You could substitute a myriad of scenarios for the late DVD’s including: a minority person muscling their way to the front of a line, illegitimately taking a handicapped parking space, or recklessly driving a cart through a crowded grocery store-- but if we look at each rationally we can surmise that these offenses are not exclusive to one particularly race or group of people. They are common breeches of etiquette and good manners that are committed by everyone at one time or another—simply because we are all human and therefore imperfect.

Bad manners and inconsiderate behavior, although impossible to accurately tally, can be understood as universal transgressions perpetrated by all races and groups of people. To characterize transgressions committed by minorities as examples of “entitlement”-- and to simultaneously ignore similar behavior committed by whites is illogical—and quite frankly, racist.

In my opinion, “entitlement”—and all the brutal, inhumane and violent actions that are implemented in its extreme forms are more commonly perpetrated by white elites against minorities. I’ll list a few examples:

• Indian Removal Act 1830
• Asian Exclusion Act of 1924
• Jim Crow laws
• Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment
• Dropping the atomic bombs on Japan during WWII
• Recent rise in white nationalism that influenced the recent Arizona laws SB170 and laws eliminating ethnic studies in Arizona schools
• Neo-liberal imperialistic policies
• Japanese internment during WWII
• Zoot suit Riots

I could go on, but you get my point. At the heart of this matter is a failure to enlist perspective. I do not think that returning DVD’s late is an example of minority entitlement. It may result in temporary annoyance and anger, but it does not drastically affect the quality of someone else’s life. However, white privilege has resulted in numerous atrocities that have not only affected the quality of life for many individuals —but has oftentimes taken away millions of people’s land, livelihoods, pride, identity, and even lives.

That’s what I have to say about entitlement.

Another unnecessary deportation: Saad Nabeel

Saad Nabeel is an American in every way. However, in November 2009, when he was taken into custody by U.S. immigration officials, he lacked the one thing that would have allowed him to stay in the only country he has ever known: an approved green card.

Ironically, Saad’s father had a green card approved when he and his family were arrested, detained and ultimately deported. Unfortunately, the green card was not expected to arrive until January 2010.

Please check out the links below to read Saad’s full story. There are links to videos, petitions and even a place where you can donate money to help ensure Saad and his family can return home to the United States.

If you feel, like I do: that these injustices must stop-- please help to further the cause of just and fair immigration reform. Immigrants are not disposable people, and many of them, like Saad and my husband, are American in every way. They just need a legal avenue to make it official; something that has so far been denied to them.

http://www.bringsaadhome.com/

Another trip to Albany

This past Monday we travelled once again to Albany New York and paid a visit to the office of Homeland Security. After being kept waiting for hours during some of our previous visits we decided that we weren't ever going to give them the opportunity to detain us for an entire day--so we now arrive around 2:00-3:00 PM. That gives Homeland Security only 1-2 hours of our time to waste before the office closes at 4 in the afternoon.

We were not left waiting very long on this particular visit. After only about 10 minutes Khalid's deportation officer came out. Curiously, she came right out and sat opposite us in the waiting room. She usually meets us in the waiting room, however, it was curious that she sat down. Normally she stands up when she speaks to us.

She seemed very relaxed and spoke in a casual manner. She told us that there were no new developments. They haven't procured the travel documents and it was unlikely that they would. She even added that the Indian consulate won't even return her phone calls. I thought it very curious that she divulged that bit of information.

She asked about Khalid's work permit and he mentioned that he had received it. Then she turned to me and started asking me about my work. I wasn't inclined to maintain a long conversation--why? Well..because conversing with a deportation officer is akin to speaking to a police officer while you are under arrest: "anything you say can and will be held against you..." It's best to keep answers short and sweet.

Another curious thing occurred at the end of the meeting. She told us that if it was necessary, to come back in six months. Then she warmly shook my husband's hand and then my hand and said take care.

We were both shocked because she had never shook our hands before but had always maintained a professional, assertive and detached demeanor. My husband and i spent a substantial portion of the drive back to Utica contemplating these strange happenings. We both agreed it felt as if she was saying goodbye--but why?

Was she planning on leaving Homeland Security? It is no secret that employees who work for Homeland Security have low job satisfaction.

Are they going to be transferring Khalid to a Syracuse office? She has mentioned that its a possibility that a DHS/ICE office may be opening up in Syracuse.

Or does she have an inclination that the waiver may be approved? She did mention that the excludability waiver has the best chance of being approved.

We will just have to wait to find out. In the meantime Khalid and I will look forward to the upcoming Summer season without having to fear separation. That is a blessing beyond measure!

Curiosity confused the cat

Ruby, the curious kitty-- on my chair

In May of this year, Khalid and I adopted a cat from a local humane society. When I looked around at the various animals at this humane society a particular cat singled me out for her attention and I found her enthusiasm and insistent purr to be impossible to resist--so I brought her home. The employees named her Ruby, and we kept the name because it suited her.

Ruby is a sleek black and white kitty who possesses an abnormally long tail with a tiny dollop of white on the end. She looks like she has a pencil flashlight attached to her and she perpetually swishes it around like adoring fans languidly waving their lighters during a rock concert. Additionally, Ruby is vocal--to put it mildly. If she wants food or attention she is not shy about proclaiming it for the entire apartment complex to hear. She obviously enjoys the sound of her own voice and constantly indulges in satisfying the craving. The only time Ruby is silent, is when she is napping.

In this way, having Ruby in the house is akin to having a 2 year old human running around. The only discernible difference being that I could-- theoretically-- control the frequency and duration of a toddler's nap time: I have no such power over a cat. I can't tell Ruby to take a nap, or close her eyes or stop throwing the toy mouse in the air...well I could, but Ruby would likely blink her green eyes in annoyance and ignore me.

Ruby is also very curious...and this highly developed trait has gotten her into some serious trouble. For instance, one time she noticed a large paper bag on the floor. She went to investigate and decided she liked it. She got inside and pawed around: she batted her favorite toy mouse into it a few times, but suddenly she made a kamikaze dive onto it.The resulting loud crinkling sound frightened her. In a panic she turned around to flee but the handles on the bag got wrapped around her neck. She ran furiously around the apartment, all the while with the large paper bag following her and making dreadful crinkling noises.

By the time she ran upstairs the bag was in tatters and Ruby was panting and lounging on the landing with eyes as big as dinner plates. Luckily, she was jittery but unharmed. Since that day, she has looked at any kind of bag with disdain.

Ruby and I share something in common: an acute and terminal curiosity. I've been told by many people this is one of my most conspicuous traits. Although I have never crawled into a bag, panicked and run like a dervish around the apartment --I have done similar impulsive things as a result of my enthusiastic curiosity. Curiosity, like any trait, is a double-edged sword. It can lead to many wonderful discoveries and enrich people's lives, but it can also lead to precarious situations and confusion.

I have always wanted to know how things worked. Well,-- not really "things"-- but people, society and culture. I want to know why some people are "popular" and some people are "maligned" and how culture and society shapes those things. I want to know how morality and customs change --or stay the same between cultures. I want to know why racism, sexism and classism exists and more importantly-- what can be done to alleviate them. (Notice I said "alleviate" not eliminate. We can certainly alleviate these things but I don't believe its possible to eliminate them all together: although eliminating should be the ultimate goal.)

Simultaneously, I've also wanted to know how to make things: draw, paint and master various crafts including embroidery, stamping, and quilling . These two pulls, one between how to "do" certain things, and how to "figure things out" have always duelled within my psyche. In my college career I've vacillated, between majoring in humanities and arts. I want to be an artist and yet at the same time I have a desire to be an academic as well. Previously, I have mislead myself into into believing that I had to choose between the two.

Although curiosity hasn't always killed the cat, it can certainly confuse her.