My midterm paper topic

I think I've finally figured out what I want to research for my midterm paper. Orginally I had planned on global warming, but that was way too broad of a subject. After reading through some artcles in the Global Issues; Local Arguments book, specifically the chapter "Environmental Resources and Rights" I've decided that I want to write my paper over the water and how it is a limited resource. I think that there's a lot that I can say about this subject, even though you can easily fill pages and pages over environmental resources and how they are being threatened, I think that I can more easily manage to cover water in 5 pages rather than cover global warming in only 5 pages. Also, I can easily talk about the connection between globalization and water. Many say that big corporations that control water distribution can easily take advantage of the scarcity of environmental reserves, with the only goal of profit in mind, rather than people. While others say that privatizing water is the most effecient way to go.

My Midterm Topic Ideas

I would like to focus my midterm on some aspect of the Olympics, especially since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing took place not too long ago. Here are my ideas:

1. its impact on the globalization of broadcast media
2. the intermingling and display of many different cultures.

Maybe I could write about how the media presents the cultures? I don't know. I think that one of the hardest parts of writing a paper is just coming up with the topic. Even harder still is narrowing it down. Suggestions would be appreciated.

My midterm topic

Hey guys, I'm having trouble deciding what to write on...I have a couple suggestions, and maybe you could help? :D 

1. intellectual privacy and piracy of high-end fashion industries 

2. outsourcing more concerned with the unemployment aspect 

These topics seem very broad and I wasn't quite sure how to narrow them down into specifics. I was thinking of narrowing it down to just one company, but then i thought, what's a popular company that would affect everyone? Any suggestions?

Weekend Read- Immigration and mixed signals.

These weekend's readings were pretty interesting. I've never really ever noticed it. How although we say that they have to assimilate to our culture, our culture is doing quite the opposite. There are countless ways that we are assimilating to them. Almost inviting them to come in for we will make the transition easy for you. For instance there are countless bilingual classrooms and even bilingual ballots that are offered. Knowing this now has really given me a new perspective on the issue and has made me understand more.

Illegal Immigrants help?

Of course the illegal immigrants do not get all the goodies such as education and health care, and yet they pay their fair share of taxes in sales, property, municipal, payroll and even federal income tax. I have just learned that those unable to find jobs in their own countries just cross the border and come to the US, because work is plentiful and illegal wages are substantially higher than at home. I have heard that America won't run without all those illegal immigrants working in every part of the country. If they weren't illegal, they wouldn't be doing all the dirty jobs that Americans don't want to bother doing.

Just Trying to be American

Immigration has always been a topic that is close to my heart. Since I am from South Texas, I personally knew and had close encounters with illegal immigrants. I personally believe that illegal immigrants are some of the most hard working people in this country, but are never given the chance to actually fulfill their goals; trying to make a good life for themselves and their families.

In the readings it talks about how illegal immigrants take the jobs that americans won't take. I think this is a fair assessment to make.

Additionally, I feel that when illegal immigrants come into our nation they have no idea what they are getting themselves in to. Punishing illegal immigrants will not solve the problem, because they are not the problem. I personally feel that working with central and south American nations (a main source of our illegal population) is one effective step to take.

The readings offered an interesting perspective on immigration.

I specifically agree with the statement, "the worst thing is for a society to set up a new and separate economic class with a different set of rights."

That is the development of America right now. As a country we treat illegal immigrants like third class citizens. Now whether or not this is intentional or on purpose is up to the individual person, but the way we talk, joke, and just portray illegals are always in a negative light.

Immigration

These readings offer a lot of insight to the process of immigration. They explore the hardships and challenges that immigrants, specifically illegal immigrant, must face as they make their way into new nations. Is it really fair to offer them so much sympathy when they are in fact breaking laws? On the other hand, is it fair to deny them a chance to pursue success and a better life?
Immigrants are trying to find a better life for themselves. America, being such a rich country, is an ideal destination for many. In Annan's speech, he promotes the often overlooked benefits of immigration to the American culture and economy. Without the use of immigrant labor, the economy would be very different. These people who are willing to take whatever jobs necessary to earn a living are helping to support our economy.
Annan describes the United States as a "nation built by immigration." Can a nation that was formed by the coming together of different cultures actually hault immigration? While so many American citizens are opposed to legal and illegal immigration alike, would it actually be possible for the economy to continue to flourish if immigration was drastically decreased?

response to 9/30 readings

These readings are very sympathetic to illegal immigrants. One of the main points supporting this illegal immigration is that we need these workers to do jobs that we, as Americans, are unwilling to do. But as our unemployment rates rise, will this continue to be true? Also, why is the unemployment rate among illegal aliens historically higher than that of natural born American citizens if these immigrants are filling such a large void in our economy? This argument about these immigrants doing these dirty jobs just doesn't hold water. They do these jobs for lower wages than many Americans would, but I think someone would do them.

These articles also conveniently forget to mention the ridiculously high crime rate among these illegal immigrant populations.

when workers opt not to go home vs mexican migrant

What was interesting about these two articles from this weekend's readings was that in "Mexican Migrant" the author proposed the idea of enforcing a "properly constructed guest worker program that regulates flow of workers into the country, depending on economic conditions in the United States." She believes that it may not be the best solution but would be a good solution to the growing illegal immigration problem that we have now. As opposed to the "when workers opt not to go home" article, the author indicates that "the worst thing is for a society to set up a new and separate economic class with a different set of rights." Both cases were very similar in terms of the immigration problem but were presented with two solutions that contradicted one another.

Immigration - Weekend Readings

After reading this weekend’s readings, I have mixed feelings about immigration. I am not sure if it is our responsibility to help people assimilate. At times, I feel like we should encourage assimilation, so people can feel welcomed to our country and make a smooth transition. Other times, I feel like many people who immigrate should at least learn the language prior to coming to the country. It might sound harsh, but it must be extremely difficult for people to come to the country who do not know anything about the language. How are you able to get the basic necessities without learning the language? As far as it being the government’s responsibility, I do not think they should have complete control over immigration nor is it their duty to help people assimilate. I feel like people who want to assimilate will and people who do not, well, should not come to a country that they do not want to be a part of. As far as the whole coyote thing, I am not sure how people can be so desperate to leave the country and fall into such a trap. I would rather give up my unhappiness than risk my life. I cannot distinguish if the author was trying to be comical in that section of the book. “Do not trust those who offer to take you to ‘the other side’ and ask you to drive a car or to take or carry a package for them.”

Illegal Immigrants help

The Many Views of Immigration

This weekend's readings showed a number of different viewpoints regaurding immigration. It is easy to understand both sides of the immigration argument, but one article in particular, Lecture on International Flow of Humanity, had many different views than different views than I. The following statement stood out very strongly to me:
"The willingness of rich countries to welcome migrants, and the way that they treat them, will be a measure of their commitment to human equality and human dignity." (Annan 146)
This author turned immigration into an issue of racism and acceptance.The point was also made that this was a new concept of "global citizenship" ( Annan 146). This author acts as if people against immigration are ignorant to the positives of immigration. I agree with these statements, but at the same time I do not feel that they outweigh the many negatives that an abundance of immigration can have. America was built on immigration, but then again at one time or another, so were many other countires. Some places in the world, such as China, are so overpopulated that there are even laws regaurding the number of children they can have. If an economy cannot even support the amount of people it has in the present, then it is unlikely that it can support an abundance of illegal immigrants.

So I wonder how I would feel if I wanted to immigrate to a new country due to a crash in economy, or an unfair government? Deep down inside I know that I would want to find a better life for myself. It surprised me greatly that Mexico actually issued out a pamphlet on how to illegally immigrate across the border. I never knew that this was something that the Mexican government actually wanted. This pamphlet gives information such as the "dangers in crossing high risk zones" and how to "beware of human traffickers". This alone shows how common illegal immigration is in the United States. I agree in what Linda Chavez's point that the United States is actually the one being taken advantage of. Occurances such as this pamphlet make me see her point.

This Weekends Readings

I thought “America’s Mixed Messages to Foreigners at the Gate” and Guide for the Mexican Migrant were very interesting to read. In “America’s Mixed Messages to Foreigners at the Gate”, Ruben Navarrette, Jr. explains how illegal immigrants are getting mixed messages from the United States regarding illegal immigration. I, personally, did not realize so many hidden messages could be obtained from the actions and values of our country. The pamphlet, Guide for the Mexican Migrant, I feel is a step in the right direction to educate citizens that are considering migrating to the United States. Although this pamphlet was written for citizens in Mexico, I think Americans can also learn from the pamphlet. It is overwhelming to read about the risks and dangers these immigrants subject themselves to in order to come to the United States. Then, on top of that, they face discrimination and unfair working conditions here. I feel this is why immigration is such a difficult issue today.

Mixed Messages on Immigration

Of all that we were assigned to read over the weekend, Ruben Navarrette, Jr.'s article "America's Mixed Messages to Foreigners at the Gate" impacted me the most on pages 148-150. The article was basically dicussing the mixed signals we give illegal immigrants. It used the example, that English only laws say to immigrants, "In the United States we speak English and we demand the same of you. Don't expect us to cater to you in your native tongue." But then we turn right back around and have biligual classrooms, ballots, menus, and etc. We give the contradictory message of "dont bother learning English. Keep your native tongue." What I loved about this article is how true it was. The immigrants arent only being exploited and harrassed because they came into a country that didnt want them here in the first place. The come to a country that is sending contradictory signals. As much as we say, "down with illegal immigration", we are the ones holding on to it. We are not willing to turn down cheap labor and even cheaper goods if it means exploiting and mistreating a group of people. The honesty of Navarrette is what i loved the most...

To be for illegal immigration, or not to be.....that is the question.

I beleive that Ruben Navarrette is right. America sends so many mixed messgaes to immigrants. Many people are staunchly against illegal immigration yet their actions seem to support it. And like I've said many times before, I think that the American people are ignorant of the issues facing us today. Take for example immigration. People don't realize that the reason things are so cheap is because of illegal immigrants. Most immigrants are willing to take jobs that many Americans themselves will not take. And they're willing to take them at dirt -cheap pay. So the immigrants definately draw the short end of the stick here. Now a days, there is all this talk about ways to prevent illegal immigration by extending the wall along the border and increasing its security. (I don't know about you, but honestly....building a wall. I think it sounds a little medieval and majorly out-dated. It's not like we're in a Simpsons movie and by putting a wall infront of us we won't know how to get around it.) The truth of the matter is that the wall has proven to be innefective. Some say that the wall is working, and that places that used to be high traffic areas for crossing have decreased and are now under control. What's really happening is that the wall has just shifted everything. So now regions along the border that never used to be popular sites for crossing over have become the most popular site for crossing over. Overall the wall has done very little to stop immigration. If people want to cross they're going to find a way to cross. Putting a wall infront of them is not going to stop them. It's just like putting a fence in your yard to prevent people from climbing over. If people really believe in ending illegal immigration then they should find some self-discipline from within and restrain from buying cheap products and hiring cheap labor. But from what I've seen, greed seems to dominate over all the senses and impaires judgement. People are going to say they're opposed to illegal immigration as they buy their cheap fruit that illegal immigrants have picked.

Thoughts on this Weeks Readings

After going through the assigned readings for this weak, I honestly don't know how I feel about immigration. I'm definately not against them coming into our country, illegal or not they're contributing to our economy, and most likely they're native country's economy while taking up jobs that most American workers porbably wouldn't take.
I think it's sad that the Mexican Minitry of Foreign Relations felt the need to issue a pamphlet guiding their citizens to cross the Mexican-American border illegally. It's good that they're addressing the issue instead of looking the other way, but sad that fatality rates are so high and that pathways are so dangerous that the need for such a pamphlet exists. It may seem like these things are common sense to some, but it's not like everyone goes illegally crossing borders everyday now, and I'm sure there were many issues that come up that never previously occured to the immigrants.
After reading "When Guest Workers Opt Not to Go Home" I'm not sure how I feel about a guest worker plan. In a way I feel like we have no other choice if we want to have any control over the people coming in and out of the country but after observing the Germany/Turkish example it doesn't appear that this method was successful. It should be pointed out that Germany spent no money or any effort in assimilating the Turks and other immigrants into German society whereas in order to gain American citizenship immigrants must possess a thorough knowledge of American History and government. In the end I think this is our only option but whether the large influx of permanent immigrants benefits us overall is yet to be determined.

Mexican

The Guide for the Mexican Migrant was pretty exciting...at least compared to the other things we read. I think it's kind of funny but really weird that the Mexican Government feels the need to publish such a pamphlet. Is it really that hard to figure out how dangerous it is to cross rivers at night or two wander around in the desert during the super hot day? I think the pamphlet would have been more useful and way more exciting if it exaggerated everything enough to scare prospective migrants. Something like 'If you try to cross the river at night, alligators and hippopotamus will eat you and your children and during the day, mega-hawks in the desert will try to peck your eyes out.'

Advice for the Crossing Migrant

The excerpt from the Guide for the Mexican Migrant was almost comical. I kept smiling as I was reading it, because a lot of the advice seemed like common sense. For example, the parts about wet clothing weighing more and walking during less heat-intense times. In addition, there were those two cartoons that were supposed to illustrate some of the advice. However, I can see why Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Relations would issue such a pamphlet. The stream of illegal immigrants attempting to cross into U.S. borders is constantly increasing along with the number of fatalities. Many of them are making these very same mistakes the pamphlet is advising against. Then, there are the ones that are falling victim to the coyotes, human traffickers. If you want all the nitty gritty details, read The Devil's Highway. It's a great book and is truly eye-opening. There are several parts in the book that are so vividly disturbing. For example, the author describes how the migrants recycle their urine, because they do not have water. After so many times, the urine turns pitch black from all the toxins and whatever else! Can you imagine?