Another Movie on Immigration

After our last class discussion I thought it would be good to have a list of good books and movies on immigration. In addition to what we shared, I would like to add the 2002 documentary, Daughter from Danang as an enlightening film.Three years ago I watched this documentary with a Vietnamese friend whose parents are immigrants. It was insightful to hear her explanation of cultural expectations on both sides and why things turned out the way they did at the end of the documentary.

The film's website, http://www.daughterfromdanang.com describes this film as: "A heartbreaking documentary that upsets your expectations of happily-ever-afters...To all outward appearances, Heidi is the proverbial “all-American girl”, hailing from small town Pulaski, Tenn. But her birth name was Mai Thi Hiep. Born in Danang, Vietnam in 1968, she’s the mixed-race daughter of an American serviceman and a Vietnamese woman... Mother and daughter would know nothing about each other for 22 years. Now, as if by a miracle, they are reunited in Danang."

 
 

"Illegal" Immigration in France

Below is a link to an article (by North Devon Journal) written earlier this month about Britain's fear over a quadrupled number of "illegal" immigrants coming in from the Calais, Northern France Border. A camp set up in Calais is estimated to have about 1500 people. France is giving these residents the opportunity to apply for asylum or be repatriated.

According to information from the Associated Press and Telegraph, both France and Britain are looking toward working together for a solution. Bernard Cazeneuve, France's interior minister, told the BBC when asked if he believed British police should be sent to Calais: "It would be very useful to have more policemen here and we try to find a way of being in a common system here concerning police, in order to explain to all the immigrants in Calais that it's impossible to cross the Channel.”

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Fears-fold-increse-illgeal-immigrants-entering-UK/story-24025205-detail/story.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11209753/France-wants-British-police-in-Calais-to-solve-tremendous-problem-with-illegal-immigration.html

Naturalization Civics Test

Part of the naturalization process is being able to pass an English test and a civics test. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service(USCIS),"To become a naturalized U.S. citizen, you must pass the naturalization test. At your naturalization interview, you will be required to answer questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver."

The website has sample questions for the civics test. There is a list of 100 questions from which 10 are asked during the interview. A person must answer 6 out of 10 questions correctly to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test. Booklets and CDs with sample test questions are also provided for the applicant to study months before the interview. Test your knowledge of U.S history and civics. Below is the link to the 100 questions and answers from the Department of Homeland Security's USCIS website.

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/100q.pdf
 

Is world peace a dream?

Is world peace a dream? How important are national borders? What does the native land mean to citizens? Was there ever a time when there was peace between Israel and Palestine? We wonder but there are people whose lives actively seek answer and solutions to these questions. There are places in the world where war is the norm and temporary cease-fires are the only taste of any kind of peace.

 

Elias Chacour, is a Melkite Catholic priest. He was born into Palestinian Christian family and lived in the village of Biram in Upper Galilee in 1939. Following the footsteps of his saintly parents, he has made peace and reconciliation between Israel and Palestine his life’s mission.

 

An Amazon review of his book Blood Brothers summarizes, "As a child, Elias Chacour lived in a small Palestinian village in Galilee. When tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed and nearly one million forced into refugee camps in 1948, Elias began a long struggle with how to respond. In his book Blood Brothers, he blends his riveting life story with historical research to reveal a little-known side of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It offers hope and insight that can help each of us learn to live at peace in a world of tension and terror."

How Ethiopians in the U.S Cling to their Heritage

It is not always easy or possible to maintain one's cultural heritage in a new country. Sometimes ethnic communities come together in a more organized way to collectively take on the role of making sure that their traditions and language are passed on to the next generation. In the U.S, summer cultural camps take place for this purpose.In a BBC article by Damian Zane we learn about the summer camps to help Ethiopian children keep their cultural heritage. Dances are performed during this camp.

Hermela Kebede, who runs Washington's Ethiopian Community Center explains, "They still have to keep their heritage - that's who they are, and it will make them proud”. About 35 children attend this camp in Washington DC. The article says, "Estimates vary, but there are thought to be more than 200,000 Ethiopians in the Washington metropolitan area, by far the city's largest and most visible African diaspora group...Most Ethiopian immigrants arrived in America in the 1990s after the Eritrean-Ethiopian war."The article has brief interviews with some of the kids about their dual identity. One of the camp counselors says she immigrated to the U.S when she was 9. Her parents especially through native foods helped her keep the connection with her homeland. She concludes, "So culture helps me identify with who I am as an Ethiopian-American and stand out from the crowd." Please see the link below for the full article.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28643349

How much are we willing to risk?

                                        
How much are we willing to risk in search for greener pastures? The documentary Kingsley's Crossing tells the compelling story of a 23 year old who left Cameroon in 2004 with the hope of finding a better life for himself and his family. Before leaving Cameroon he worked as a lifeguard in one of Cameroon's upscale hotels and earned about 50 euros a month. His view is, “Most families in my country want their children to go to Europe.” He says, in Europe African migrants can find a better life for themselves that will also help them provide for their families back home.

Kobre Channel's blog summarized this documentary aptly. "Kingsley left Cameroon on what he calls “his mission.” What followed was an excruciating six-month journey across half of Africa. Kingsley’s Crossing is the story of one man’s willingness to abandon everything – his family, his country, and his friends – in the hopes of finding a better life abroad...This tale of one person’s dream to escape from Africa to provide a better life for his family by working in Europe shows the aspirations of thousands condensed into one impactful story." Kinsley and the photo journalists nearly lost their lives in making this documentary. Their small boat began sinking and fortunately was rescued. This fact speaks of the risk of the journey and the courage of the young man.  http://kobreguide.com/kingsleys_crossing/#sthash.FdumH3tz.dpuf

Intercultural Enrichment

Faith shapes the way we think and live. Faith has different expressions from culture to culture. Last year I attended a lecture at NDNU by Fr. Eduardo Fernandez, SJ on Hispanic spirituality in the U.S. He listed some important characteristics that this spirituality --diverse, communal, festive, relational and transcendent. He explained that they are a people who are close to God and to each other. This colors their faith expressions and celebrations. The Marian feast days like Our Lady of Guadalupe are colorful and festive. They involve the whole community. People travel on pilgrimages together.

This sense of communion and celebration is enriching. Here is a link to a blog post in which Fr. Eduardo dialogues with Br. Jeremy Sabugo, SSCC, a Filipino American from Hawaii about his first experience of Las Posadas and the celebration of our Lady of Guadalupe. They both see the Spanish influence on their cultural expressions of faith. http://www.ushispanicministry.com/archives/3782

When worlds of taste collide and form a whole new cusine

Here is an interesting article from PRI--Public Radio International about unlikely blends of cuisine--Peruvian  Chinese and Peruvian Japanese. The resulting new cuisines even have new names! chifa is the Peruvian and Chinese blend and nikkei is the Peruvian Japanese mix. This would have surprised me a lot more had I not taken US Ethnic History class and read the chapter about Chinese and Japanese immigration. The article says that Chinese started immigrating to Peru in the late 1850s and early 1860s. Food writer Steve  Dolinsky comments, "The Chinese came here to work the plantations, build railroads, tap rubber trees, and they stayed, and they created their own cuisine based on what was available locally."

Japanese immigrants who came to Peru to work in the 1890s created nikkei. "Many of those immigrants stayed, married Peruvians, and longed for the tastes of home."
Mitsuhara Tsumura, owner of a top 10 ranked restaurant in Latin America said to Dolinsky, "Peru is like a sponge, instead of rejecting other cultures, we have made them ours." It is amazing how cultures influence each other. It is almost impossible to be unchanged by contact with other cultures. Even our taste buds change!

http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-09-05/immigration-fuels-hot-asian-fusion-food-scene-lima

Outstanding Americans by Choice

The United States recognizes the achievements of naturalized citizens who have made great contributions to the their communities and to the United States. These citizens are often asked to speak at naturalization oath ceremonies. They inspire other immigrants to believe that it is possible to achieve the "American Dream". This dream differs from person to person. Judging from the variety of fields of expertise and service represented, it is obvious that the sky is the limit when hard work, discipline, responsibility and the support of others are all combined. According to the USCIS website, "Through civic participation, professional achievement, and responsible citizenship, recipients of this honor have demonstrated their commitment to this country and to the common civic values that unite us as Americans." Here is a link to the website. http://www.uscis.gov/news/outstanding-americans-choice/2014-outstanding-american-choice-recipients

 
 

Define American

Last month I first heard of Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented immigrant who came to the U.S from the Philippines when he was 12. His story is moving and inspiring. Vargas produced and directed the CNN film "Documented". When I first saw him on TV it was hard to believe his predicament. He came across right away as a bright, articulate, sincere and responsible young man with a lot of potential --potential for not just himself but the United States as well.

He may not look like an undocumented person but he speaks on behalf of all the undocumented. In an interview with CNN entitle, "What it's like to be Undocumented" Vargas asks,  "What do you want to do with me?" What do you want to do with us? How do you define American?" On behalf of 11 million undocumented immigrants like me -- many of us Americans in all but papers -- I asked those questions to the Senate Judiciary Committee in February 2013, nearly two years after I publicly outed myself as an undocumented immigrant in The New York Times Magazine."

In July he posted a tweet showing his passport from the Philippines and his pocket copy of the US Constitutions as the only security identification he has. He considers himself one of the most privileged undocumented people. Vargas unselfishly traveled to Texas earlier in the summer to visit those who had recently crossed the border. Today he a Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist and uses his influence to raise awareness of the plight of undocumented immigrants in the US. In the earlier mentioned interview, speaking of Vargas' documentary, the CNN host rightly validates his contribution to America in concluding, "It is an American Story!" Below is a 5min video of Vargas' story.

 



 

 

 

The Best of all Worlds

Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes, for the place we are approaching is holy. Else we may find ourselves treading on another’s dreams; more serious still, we may forget that God was there before our arrival, and will continue to be there after we are gone. The first time I saw this anonymous quote was on a beautiful poster hanging on the wall of a high school class. I tried to memorize and unpack it because I knew it was a gold mine of wisdom which if lived could bring about greater peace, respect, justice and freedom between peoples. Over the years I have encountered these words again both on paper and within the context of reality of everyday encounters—life. This truth has often guided my journey of discovery, understanding and acceptance of the different peoples and cultures I encounter. They have also challenged me to open my mind and heart to receive the unique beauty and wonder of each.

I imagine the same challenge of understanding and accepting the different peoples with whom we share this great land must have made the early settlers feel threatened to some extent by anyone who was not like them or who did not vote according to their criteria. Diversity can be a threat but it is also a gift. I was reminded of this last week when I ran into a lady who came to the U.S from Italy decades ago with her family. She was only a little girl when she got here. Referring to English she said, "I hated the language at first!" She did eventually learn English and today speaks it very well. I wonder if her resistance was prompted by the expectation to speak English in school and other places. Though not the official language of the U.S, it is hard to be successful in the U.S without knowing English. After being assimilated into the culture and ways of the United States, the lady was able to conclude with much thoughtfulness," Everyone has something to offer us. Maybe this is why we were made so different--that we can learn from each other and depend on each other." Each migrant group brought along distinct traits --industriousness, efficiency, drive for success and the rich cultural heritage of the native land. By allowing ourselves to be enriched by this breathtaking wealth of cultures, we can get the best of all worlds!

Melting Pot vs Mosaic

It's been years since I first heard the comparison but I have often reflected on the sharp contrast. In the United States we commonly refer to the blend of different ethnic groups as "melting pot". In Canada, the appreciation of the value of each culture and migrant groups can be seen in the description,"mosaic". Preserving one's cultural uniqueness or being assimilated into the new culture are two possibilities for immigrants. 

Recently I came across an article--Diverse Societies Face Change: Case Study. It takes a look at this subject. The link can be found below.
 The questions posed at the end of the article are thought provoking.

• Can many nations form a single culture?
• Must a unified nation have a single culture?

There are no easy answers but I believe that asking the right questions is a step forward.
http://whsrclark2.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/8/3/22833572/180-183.pdf