US immigration policy

The U.S. immigration law is extremely complex. The Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), the body of law governing current immigration policy, provides for an annual worldwide limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants, with certain exceptions for close family members. The president and congress determine a separate number for refugees. The following determine how the U.S. immigration policy is set up; the reunification of families, admitting immigrants with skills that are valuable to the U.S. economy, protecting refugees, and promoting diversity. There is no limit on immediate relatives which include the spouse of the U.S. citizen, unmarried minor children of U.S. citizens, parents of U.S. citizen, you must be 21 to potation as a parent. There are more than 20 types of visas for temporary nonimmigrant workers. These include L visas for intracompany transfers, P visas for athletes, entertainers and skilled performers, R visas for religious workers, A visas for diplomatic employees, O visas for workers of extraordinary ability, and a variety of H visas for both highly-skilled and lesser-skilled employment. Many of the temporary worker categories are for highly skilled workers, and immigrants with a temporary work visa are normally sponsored by a specific employer for a specific job offer. The Diversity Visa lottery was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 as a dedicated channel for immigrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Each year 55,000 visas are allocated randomly to nationals from countries that have sent less than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous 5 years. Of the 55,000, up to 5,000 are made available for use under the NACARA program. This results in a reduction of the actual annual limit to 50,000. To be eligible for a diversity visa an immigrant must have a high-school education (or its equivalent) or have, within the past five years, a minimum of two years working in a profession requiring at least two years of training or experience. In order to qualify for U.S. citizenship through naturalization, an individual must have had LPR status (a green card) for at least 5 years. Applicants for U.S. citizenship must be at least 18 years old, demonstrate continuous residency, demonstrate “good moral character,” pass English and U.S. history and civics exams, and pay an application fee, among other requirements.

If I am comprehending this correctly, then if you marry a legal citizen of the U.S. then you automatically become a citizen yourself? The visas are based on what you want to do when you come to the United States such as work force or religious reasons. I wonder how hard it is to get a green card and how long those last and if they vary? How to they judge “good moral character” in someone? I have looked at a few of the questions they ask you in the English and U.S. history and civics exams and I didn’t know any of them and I was born in the United States. I am also curious how much the fee is that they have people pay. 

Crossing the Wire

I could never imagine going through what Victor went through ay any age let alone fifteen years old. I personally have never had to experience providing for my family or starving and dying of thirst. This book really gave me a whole new outlook on life and a new perspective. I am thankful to have been born in the United States and not have to go through all the trouble Victor did just to stay alive. One thing that took me by surprise was how strict border patrol is. I had no idea they had helicopters and night vision goggles and were so uptight on people crossing from Mexico into the United States. When Victor fell off the train and had to go to the hospital, I thought for sure he was going to be sent back to Mexico. It was sad that after all that effort, Miguel was captured by border patrol and had to start all over again. When Victor spotted Rico at the soup kitchen, I couldn’t be more excited for him to have his best friend back in his life and help each other through this hard journey. I had a feeling nobody would be at the brother’s house when they arrived; it just seemed too good to be true. Finally finding work and sending home money to his family had to be the best feeling in the world. This is what he had worked so hard for and suffered to do so. I am worried that the money is not going to get to Victor’s mom in Mexico. I don’t know how wiring money works from country to country, but I have a feeling some people who work at the post office where they wire the money might take advantage of it or somewhere along the way it could get lost. At least when Rico returns home he can let Victor’s mom know he is doing well and sending money in her direction. I hope he continues to keep his job and is able to send money to his family. I hope school turns out good for Rico and his family can survive on what they have there.

I have gotten to know people who are from Mexico and currently have family living in Mexico and heard about their journeys. They come here to make a better life for themselves and be a contributing citizen and yet our government treats them terrible. It is so hard to become a citizen here and I don’t even know most of the answers to the questions they ask when taking your citizenship test and I was born and raised here. To hear their stories about how family members have been deported is heart breaking and how they are handcuffed and legs tied together and treated like animals and dumped off in Mexico. They are treated like animals; it is not ok at all. I think it would change a lot of people’s views and perspectives if they read this book.

Sold

The first thing that caught my attention was when Lakshmi started her period for the first time and had to hide out for seven days till she had been purified. She was told never to look a man in the eye and to never be alone with another man besides her family. This is so different then what I am used to. For starters, there is no purifying done after girls start their period and in America we see that as being disrespectful if you do not look someone in the eye, man or women. Girls and boys are friends and so are men and women, they are treated equal. They must wait to eat till after their husbands have eaten and if he burps, that means you have satisfied him. Women have to have sex with them if he wants to and on his terms. That is not the case in a lot of situations in America. Lakshmi thinks she is doing her family good and working as a maid for a rich family, little does she know what is going to happen to her. Her own step father sells her off and doesn’t even seem guilty or feel bad about it. The mother is sad, but still lets it happen. I know that this is their culture but it still made me sick to my stomach to think about. Women are assigned temporary husbands and must obey to them or else they will get beaten to nearly death and their heads shaved so everyone is aware of the crime they have committed. I can’t imagine being assigned a husband and having to obey his orders, I would of tried to run away I think. I was so proud of Lakshmi when she bit the guys lip as hard as she could and ran off. I knew what was happening right when I read about the red cloth being hung from the door frame and the grunts happening in the rooms. Lakshmi takes beatings for days and even starves herself to protest when finally Mumtaz gives in. She has Ama feed Laksmi this drink that made her in a daze and not aware of what was going on entirely and unable to defend herself. I wanted to puke when reading about her first time with Habib. His nasty comments and how vulgar he was. Habib rapes Lakshmi while she is under this spell and sits there and cries. After Lakshmi had been with men she was no longer a virgin and her cost was lower. She now had to share a room with other women while they were victims of sex trafficking as well. The cost of a coco cola was the same price men paid for her. She had to pay Mumtaz back for everything you can think of an until then, she had to have sex with nasty men to earn this money to do so. Lakshmi finds out that this whole time, the money she made that she thought was going to her family, is going straight to Mumtaz and her family isn’t seeing a rupee. A nice American man comes in and shoes Likshma a bright future where she didn’t have to do these things. He comes back for her and turns out he is a policeman and arrests Mumtaz. I couldn’t feel more relieved for Lakshmi I was so happy for her I wanted to cry. I can’t believe she went through so much at the age of 13 and 14. 

human trafficking, Nepal, and India

Nepal is located in South Asia and is bordered by India and China. Nepal used to be known for their exporting of blankets and predominantly practices Hinduism. Nepal's economy continues to grow and agriculture plays a huge role in this, such as growing tea, rice, wheat, corn, sugarcane, milk, and root crops. The primary means of transportation is walking and the average walk to and from work is two hours each way. People hand make things such as satellite dishes and means of communication. The literacy rate has increased quite a bit in the past 15 years and the male literacy rate is higher than the female literacy rate by almost 20%. Education starts at age five and goes through eighth grade. Secondary education for grades 9-12 becomes hard. More than half of the primary students to not enter secondary schools, fewer girls than boys. Nepal has six universities. Public health services in Nepal are provided by the public and private sectors. It is not uncommon to not have a toilet in your household and your primary source of water is tap water. Disease prevalence is higher in Nepal than other Asian areas especially in rural areas. Some of these include; diarrhea, goiter, leprosy, gastrointestinal disorders, and intestinal parasites. There has been a lot of issues with hard drugs in Nepal and they are thinking there may be drug trafficking happening. Human trafficking is a major problem in Nepal. These victims are trafficked into India, the Middle East, and other areas such as Malaysia. They are forced to become prostitutes, domestic servants, beggars, factory workers, mine workers, circus performers, and child soldiers. As many as 10,000 women and girls are trafficked into India every year.

India too is in South Asia and is bordered by China, Nepal, Burma, and the Indian Ocean. The Indian economy is the eleventh largest by economy rates. The service sector makes up the most of the percentage, followed by the industrial sector and agricultural sector. Major agricultural products include; rice, wheat, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes. Major industries include; telecommunications, textiles, chemicals, biotechnology, steel, and mining. India is known for its religious diversity such as Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism, Islam, and Jainism. Family is very important in the Indian culture and often times parents will set up arranged marriages for their children. Child marriages are common, but the divorce rate is really low. There is quite a bit more males than females, but it is getting more even.

Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for sex and forced labor. Women and sometimes even girls, accept this as a better financial opportunity for herself and her family. Poverty and lack of education and economic opportunities may cause a women to get involved in human trafficking. Situations of those who are often victims of this are homeless, runaway teens, refugees, drug addicts, tourists, and drug victims.  Traffickers are known as pimps or madams and often promise their victims education, a better life, marriage, or employment and end up forcing them to become prostitutes and sex slaves.

narratives

Family is easily the most important thing in my life. I am an only child and am extremely close to my parents. They are my best friends and support me through everything I do in life. We spend a lot of time with each other and can always count on one another. I am also very close with my extended family members, but my parents are the two people I am closest to.

Antipasto has been passed down through my family on my mom’s side and is made every year around Christmas time. My grandpa is in charge of making it right now and it will continue to get passed down from generation to generation. Antipasto consists of way to many ingredients to list them all but some are; onions, tomatoes, green olives, garlic, cheese, and anchovies. It is red colored and we dip lays potato chips in it and use it as a dip every year.

I have been dancing as long as I can remember and it takes up a huge portion of my life even today. I was on a competitive dance team throughout middle school and high school and now am on Eastern’s Competition Dance Team. We compete in Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Contemporary and perform at school functions.

My mom’s side of the family is originally from Germany. My grandpa has told me stories growing up about what it was like to grow up in Germany and passed down stories his dad has told him. I like to hear about how he grew up and how different it is from how I grew up. He has passed down traditions he celebrated in Germany and I would like to continue these.

 Birthdays have always been such a big deal growing up. I can remember having a huge birthday party every year with all my friends and family and everyone was in such a great mood, enjoying themselves. We always had a cake and ice cream with as many candles as what age I was turning that year. Everyone sang happy birthday and since my birthday was usually in the summer, we usually had a pool party. 

Kampung boy

When Kampung Boy was born, his grandmother was the midwife and delivered him into this world. I thought it was interesting the father had to give the grandmother $15 for the delivery fee, even though they are family. On the 45 day after being born, it was tradition for the baby to have a shaving done by the grandmother, while neighbors and relatives gave the baby a bath then sang a traditional song. When young, mothers give their children baths in the kitchen and when they get of age, they bath in the river. I have heard of other countries doing this. Even at a young age of four, Kampung Boy was taking care of his baby sister, Maimuah, while his mom was busy. They seemed like they had a lot of responsibilities at such a young age, a four year old would never take care of an infant in America while the parents are away, it is illegal. Dad worked during the day then played with the children when he got home and before dinner, the children would wait patiently while their parents prayed. This reminds me of back in the day when the mothers would stay home and cook, clean, and take care of the children while the fathers are at work. They rode bicycles around, cars were only for people from other kampungs. At age six. learning became the task of the father. He took his son to a Koran reading class where it was a must for children to start learning Tajwid (the art of reading Arabic withe the correct enunciation). This is about the same age we start school here. Dad handed over the teacher glutenous rice and a fee of $1 and told the teacher that he was allowed to punish his child if needed. Tuan Syed was the name of the formal teacher. At the end of each month, Tuan would get paid for his services; either $1, 50 cents. or a plate of rice or sugar. This was shocking to me since we don't have to pay for our education in public schooling. The first time the boy stepped out of the Kampung was to attend a wedding of a relative of theirs, where they traveled in cars for the first time. It is tradition for bridegrooms to arrive late and only the groom was needed to sign the marriage papers. It cost $22.50 cash down to get married and that was handled right in the middle of the ceremony. After the wedding, the groom and his family would go to another house to rest and meet up later at the bride's place for a big feast, and a ceremony where the bride and groom sit on a platform. At 8:00 p.m. the bride and groom were ushered into their bedroom and left alone. It is frowned upon for people to dance unless they are bachelors. Women who danced were from another kampung and were called caberet girls. At the age of nine, children took classes to teach them how to pray and it is tradition to wash your face, hands, and feet before each prayer. At age 10 it was time to be circumcised. Here, if you are circumcised, it is usually done as an infant. I can't imagine being 10 and having that done. There was a family gathering and after the operation, they laid low for a few weeks. The boy went tin fetching, which was illegal if you were an outsider, and his dad was not happy to say the least. If you passed the examination, you could go to a boarding school. This is interesting, only the smart ones went on to school.

Malaysia

Malaysia is in Asia and has thirteen states. Land borders are tied with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunie. The capital is Kuala Lumpur and has a population of just over 28 million people. 50.4% are Malay, 23.7% are Chinese, 11% are Indigenous, 7.1% are Indian and 7.8% are other. The government is a federal constitutional monarchy, the Kind is Abdul Halin, Prime Minister is Najib Tun Razak, and the Deputy Prime Minister is Muhyidden Yassin. Since independence, Malaysia has one of the best economies is Asia and has expanded in tourism, science, commerce, and medical tourism. Interesting fact, they drive on the left side of the road instead of the right like we do here. Malaysia is the 67th largest country by total land area, and is separated into two parts. Malaysia citizenship is not automatically granted to those who are born in Malaysia, but it is granted to a child born of two Malaysian parents born outside of Malaysia. Every citizen is issues a biometric smart chip identity card that is issued to them when they turn 12 and they have to have it with them at all times. The education system consists of non-compulsory kindergarten and six more years of compulsory primary education, next is five years of optimal secondary education. Students sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education Examination and students who completed the 12 month program in matriculation colleges can enroll in universities. The Malaysian constitution guaruntees freedom of religion, making Islam the state religion. About 61% of the population practices Islam, about 20% Buddhism, 9% Christianity, and 6% Hinduism. The official language of Malaysia is Malaysian, and English is the second language. Malaysia has a very multi-ethnic, multi-culture society. Influences come from Chinese and Indian culture, back from when the foreign trade began. Indonesia and Malaysia have some disputes about Indonesia protecting their national heritage since Malaysia and Indonesia share so many traditions, heritage, and culture. The national drink of the country is Teh Tarik and the national dish is Nasi Lemak. The most observed national holiday is Hari Merdeka which is Independence day on August 31st. Malaysia day on September 16th commemorates federation in 1963. Traditional Malaysian art consists of crafts, art, and weaving, ranging from hand- woven baskets to silverworks. Malaysians are know for their wooden masks, and their arts have really expanded recently. Each ethnic group has a specific performing arts that is unique to them, some overlap though. Malay art shows some North Indian influence, called mak yong, incorporating dance and drama. Different tribes from West and East Malaysia have different dances, depending on what other cultures brought influence to them, such as the Chinese bringing lion dances and dragon dances with them. Like arts, music is influenced by India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand, and consists of percussion instruments, the most important is the gendang (drum). Music is traditionally used for storytelling, celebrations of life, and annual events such as harvest. Oral literature such as folktales is a huge tradition. Each family will have their own unique story, depending on their family experiences. Malay poetry is huge and used in many different forms. The first Malay literature was in Arabic script.