Here's a great website sent in by Olisa:
Border Film Project is an art collaborative that distributed 400+
disposable cameras to two groups on different sides of the U.S.-Mexico
border - undocumented migrants crossing the desert and American
Minutemen trying to stop them.
The photographs have now been published in a book and on their
website.
It reminds me of something I mentioned in the old blog about homeless kids in Guatemala that were given disposable cameras and told to document their lives. Well, they came back with a ton of great pictures, but a lot of the kids were robbed or harassed, as people thought they had stolen the cameras.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Terrorism at the Border?
Here's a really interesting article trying to prove (successfully, I think) that terrorists are actively trying to enter the United States via the Mexican border, something that has been dismissed by people supporting an open border.
This is one of those debates rooted in politics, and so it's hard to read the article without feeling like it's politically motivated instead of a straight piece of investigative journalism.
What do you think?
This is one of those debates rooted in politics, and so it's hard to read the article without feeling like it's politically motivated instead of a straight piece of investigative journalism.
What do you think?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Hate in America
When I was a freshman in college, this is in Boston, and I was fresh off the boat (as my friends kept reminding me), I had to take a writing class meant to get everyone on the same page in terms of writing papers and essays. Here is an excerpt of the first piece I wrote for that class:
America thinks it’s so great but all it takes is one person and a couple of bombs in NY and Washington, DC. The war would be lost, but the point would be made. It would wake people up to the reality of anti-American sentiment.
I found this in an old box a few years ago and it creeped me out. I wrote in 1999 as a know-it-all teenager filled with a lot of angst and anger.
I still haven’t heard from the CIA, but it was a pretty shocking thing to find. I remember my writing class back then was a small group—five or six people. I read the story out loud and a girl from Venezuela really liked it. Later she told me that it was interesting to her because it embodied feelings that are so prevalent in her country. The other kids in my class enjoyed it too, although in a different way. They thought it novel that I would write something so negative about America. They didn’t harbor me any ill will, they were intrigued by what I was saying. At the time, it was something new to them.
Part of it may have been that, even at the age of 17, my writing was already incredible. But the reality was that they had never heard someone so much like them express these negative thoughts. Here was someone just like them, at an American university, apparently hating on America in perfect English in a very detached, casual way. Before 9/11. They had never heard this before.
It was and still is a matter-of-fact subject. This is the way the world has felt for a very long time and continues to feel today. It’s not important to debate whether the world is right or wrong to feel this way, it is what it is. It is real and it will not go away even if the world is wrong.
After class, the girl from Venezuela caught up to me and told me she liked my essay. She too felt moved by it, not so much because of the content—it was something that the both of us had grown up into. To her it was old news. The reason I was getting such positive feedback was because of who I was, what I looked like, and how these ideas sounded coming out of my mouth.
The whole experience left me feeling a certain sense of responsibility that I still have today. I’m in a position to rise above the noise of these ideas to come off as something more than a jaded foreigner on another anti-American rant. I don’t see myself that way. Then again, no one does.
I’m half American. I look and sound 100% American. I came to the states for college and still live here today. It’s the place I’ve chosen to live my life in.
But I grew up in a different country, where the prevalence of certain ideas, feelings, and historic events formed my opinions and philosophies on life.
All those thoughts and ideologies are a part of me that I can’t ignore. Through my writing, and this blog specifically, I hope more and more Americans can understand the complex emotions that, more often than not, come off as hate.
It isn’t hate, it’s the reality of the world we live in.
America thinks it’s so great but all it takes is one person and a couple of bombs in NY and Washington, DC. The war would be lost, but the point would be made. It would wake people up to the reality of anti-American sentiment.
I found this in an old box a few years ago and it creeped me out. I wrote in 1999 as a know-it-all teenager filled with a lot of angst and anger.
I still haven’t heard from the CIA, but it was a pretty shocking thing to find. I remember my writing class back then was a small group—five or six people. I read the story out loud and a girl from Venezuela really liked it. Later she told me that it was interesting to her because it embodied feelings that are so prevalent in her country. The other kids in my class enjoyed it too, although in a different way. They thought it novel that I would write something so negative about America. They didn’t harbor me any ill will, they were intrigued by what I was saying. At the time, it was something new to them.
Part of it may have been that, even at the age of 17, my writing was already incredible. But the reality was that they had never heard someone so much like them express these negative thoughts. Here was someone just like them, at an American university, apparently hating on America in perfect English in a very detached, casual way. Before 9/11. They had never heard this before.
It was and still is a matter-of-fact subject. This is the way the world has felt for a very long time and continues to feel today. It’s not important to debate whether the world is right or wrong to feel this way, it is what it is. It is real and it will not go away even if the world is wrong.
After class, the girl from Venezuela caught up to me and told me she liked my essay. She too felt moved by it, not so much because of the content—it was something that the both of us had grown up into. To her it was old news. The reason I was getting such positive feedback was because of who I was, what I looked like, and how these ideas sounded coming out of my mouth.
The whole experience left me feeling a certain sense of responsibility that I still have today. I’m in a position to rise above the noise of these ideas to come off as something more than a jaded foreigner on another anti-American rant. I don’t see myself that way. Then again, no one does.
I’m half American. I look and sound 100% American. I came to the states for college and still live here today. It’s the place I’ve chosen to live my life in.
But I grew up in a different country, where the prevalence of certain ideas, feelings, and historic events formed my opinions and philosophies on life.
All those thoughts and ideologies are a part of me that I can’t ignore. Through my writing, and this blog specifically, I hope more and more Americans can understand the complex emotions that, more often than not, come off as hate.
It isn’t hate, it’s the reality of the world we live in.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Pizza Patron
Here's a smart way to boost your business and get a boatload of publicity all at the same time.
The guy that runs this pizza place decided to accept Mexican pesos after a post-Christmas promotion went so well. Sure he got some hate mail from some racist people, but he got a whole lot of good press and some huge cachet with the nation's fastest growing population.
Smart move.
The guy that runs this pizza place decided to accept Mexican pesos after a post-Christmas promotion went so well. Sure he got some hate mail from some racist people, but he got a whole lot of good press and some huge cachet with the nation's fastest growing population.
Smart move.
Baby Boomers and Immigrants
Here’s a good article on the importance of the link between baby boomers and immigrants. Since so much of the population growth in the country comes from Hispanics, boomers need them to be in a position to basically pay for the services they will need as they retire and get older. Some interesting quotes from the article:
One of the challenges is that Americans don't seem to be aware of the vital role the next generation will play. The predominantly white senior citizens and boomers, who account for the majority of the nation's decision makers, often vote against measures to boost services or raise taxes for schools increasingly populated by Hispanics. That's a problem, because better education is the ticket to prosperity for those on whose tax dollars boomers will rely.
A less-advantaged younger generation is less likely to be able to afford to pay top dollar for retirees' homes. "We need to cultivate new home buyers; it requires moving more Latino kids through high school and college," says Prof. Myers. "It's not for the good of Latinos. It's for the good of the nation."
This is a good way of making an argument—with hard facts and no sentimentalism. Relying on stuff like “give us your poor, your destitute . . .” isn’t really a way of convincing people to change the way they look at things.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Kyle deBeausset
An old friend from Guatemala sent me this link to the story of Kyle deBeausset, an alumni of the American school I attended in Guatemala until I was around 11 years old. My old friend also went to this school and ended up transferring to the school I ended up transferring to. His is a very interesting story and I hope to do a piece on him at a later date.
Anyway, the link doesn't say much about the story in English, only providing scans to the Spanish newspaper stories. The gist is that this American-looking guy, Kyle, made the trip that so many migrants make in trying to get to the States. He did it even though he looks completely American (his Taiwanese heritage may have helped him blend in a little bit).
Check out his blog, it's pretty interesting and deals with all kids of immigration-related material.
As I went through all of it and thought more about his story, I started to feel incredible guilty. I had the same experiences as he did growing up, but what am I doing about it? He's made it his whole cause in life to attain equal rights and a better life for Guatemalan people. I write stories and talk about movies and books.
The fundamental difference between Kyle and me is that he is the type of person that thinks of smuggling himself up north into the US (he has a US passport by the way) and I'm the type of person that thinks about it and ends up writing a fictional story about it.
Anyway, I hope to get in touch with him at some point and get to know him a little better and maybe interview him for the blog.
Anyway, the link doesn't say much about the story in English, only providing scans to the Spanish newspaper stories. The gist is that this American-looking guy, Kyle, made the trip that so many migrants make in trying to get to the States. He did it even though he looks completely American (his Taiwanese heritage may have helped him blend in a little bit).
Check out his blog, it's pretty interesting and deals with all kids of immigration-related material.
As I went through all of it and thought more about his story, I started to feel incredible guilty. I had the same experiences as he did growing up, but what am I doing about it? He's made it his whole cause in life to attain equal rights and a better life for Guatemalan people. I write stories and talk about movies and books.
The fundamental difference between Kyle and me is that he is the type of person that thinks of smuggling himself up north into the US (he has a US passport by the way) and I'm the type of person that thinks about it and ends up writing a fictional story about it.
Anyway, I hope to get in touch with him at some point and get to know him a little better and maybe interview him for the blog.
Friday, May 11, 2007
FYI
Just a quick note to anyone interested in this blog, the last two posts before this one aren't indicative of the "meat" of what this blog will cover. I'll post links and observations about relevant topics when I see something worth discussing, but otherwise it will be mostly about the articles I'll post. I haven't decided if it will be a once-a-week thing or what, but I'll figure that out next week.
Look for the first article early next week and keep the comments coming!
Look for the first article early next week and keep the comments coming!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Deported gang members in Guatemala
This article (in Spanish) tells of a community in Guatemala where gangsters that have been sent back to Guatemala from the US for illegally crossing or trying to cross the border.
Problem is they have taken over the community and are charging a tax per house for "not killing any members of the family" that live inside each house. Two-story houses pay slightly more than single-story ones.
The clincher is the quote at the end by a cop, who is like "citizens need to denounce these criminals or else they too are criminals."
Real nice, you don't have to live in a place where gangsters demand a tax to let you live. Real nice.
By the way, take a look at the comments section, I'll have a post on this later because it's very entertaining and very revealing about guatemalan culture and the mentality that exists there.
Problem is they have taken over the community and are charging a tax per house for "not killing any members of the family" that live inside each house. Two-story houses pay slightly more than single-story ones.
The clincher is the quote at the end by a cop, who is like "citizens need to denounce these criminals or else they too are criminals."
Real nice, you don't have to live in a place where gangsters demand a tax to let you live. Real nice.
By the way, take a look at the comments section, I'll have a post on this later because it's very entertaining and very revealing about guatemalan culture and the mentality that exists there.
Churches as sanctuaries for immigrants
Here is another classic example of two opposing ideologies on polar opposites of an issue. As usual with these cases, both are skewed, wrong, and incomplete.
One side:
"We want to put a human face to very complex immigration laws and awaken the consciousness of the human spirit."
And the other:
"We are talking about illegal immigrants taking someone else's job, filling up the classroom of someone else's child."
Neither leaves any room for the inclusion of the other's perspective, which is what makes me dismiss the both of them. But I guess in the end it's all about getting your crusade in the paper.
One side:
"We want to put a human face to very complex immigration laws and awaken the consciousness of the human spirit."
And the other:
"We are talking about illegal immigrants taking someone else's job, filling up the classroom of someone else's child."
Neither leaves any room for the inclusion of the other's perspective, which is what makes me dismiss the both of them. But I guess in the end it's all about getting your crusade in the paper.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Am I REALLY a foreigner?
For those of you that are keeping track, I posted something a while back (on my other blog) about possibly starting a new blog with some articles I've been writing about my experiences as a foreigner that doesn't look like a foreigner living in the US. And all the hilarity that ensues.
I got a couple of comments about it, one of which was the following:
Here is my full response to the issue of "truly" being a foreigner:
First I think it's a good idea to start with the definition of the word disingenuous:
I pride myself on telling the whole story, so here it is:
- I was born and raised in Guatemala.
- My mother is American and my father is Guatemalan
- The rest of my family in Guatemala is Guatemalan.
- I went to an "American" school until fourth grade, the rest of the time I was in a bilingual, "Guatemalan" school.
- When I was 17 I went to Boston for school (college).
- I now live in Chicago.
Now, the crux of this new blog is the following: After trying to find some unique perspective or idea that I could bring to the world (in terms of writing about it), I figured this would be it: I am a foreigner in a country that does not know or see me as a foreigner. Before I tell you why I'm a foreigner, let me show you the main reason why I started this new blog:
That is me. On the left I'm a little tan, but I still don't look anything but American. In case you're not familiar, that is NOT what a Guatemalan looks like.
That is what a Guatemalan looks like. Plus, you can't see it but I'm 6'3 and those guys at the bottom are not anywhere near that. I stand out like a sore thumb down there.
Why am I foreign?
- Whoever the mysterious poster is, I'm guessing it's someone I know (no one else reads my stuff), says it him/herself:
". . . and were schooled in institutions following US culture-based currricula, esp. your early childhood schooling when those things are easiest to learn and get hard-wired."
The "institutions" I was in matter a little here, especially the American school I went to. But unless you've lived, grown up, and basically lived your whole life in a place like Guatemala (third world, poor, beautiful, violent, corrupt, inefficient, warm, beautiful again), it's very hard to explain. I was hard wired in Guatemalan, surrounded by a country of Guatemalans and, more importantly, NOT in the US, which is important to note.
And I'll be honest, it's very weird having my "foreign-ness" questioned. But here is what I want to say:
I don't look foreign.
I am foreign.
As Olisa, another poster commented, it can be very amusing and interesting, and that's what I'm going to write about.
Topics I'll be covering include: Spying in public places, terrorism, immigration, politics, getting drunk, health care, racism, business, investing, current events, etc.
Phew! That's it.
I know this was a long, rambling post, but that's not going to be the standard post around here. I thought the discussion about the topics the Anonymous poster commented on were an interesting way to get this blog started. And, lets be honest, I got overexcited when I saw someone had posted something mildly controversial on my other blog, the first time that's ever happened to me.
I got a couple of comments about it, one of which was the following:
- Carlos P said...
-
Perhaps a bit disingenuous, but the way I see it I was raised somewhere that is NOT the US. No matter what kind of situation you are in while living in a place like Guatemala, it is NOT the US. It is, like any other place in the world, completely unique. So moving to the US afterwards, while being much easier for me than some other people (i.e. those that don't know english, have darker skin, etc.), was still an adjustment. An adjustment that was not easy at all.
The blog would focus on those adjustments and the new life that comes with being someone who carries a culture and experience in his heart and mind while living in an entirely different place that knows very little about the experience.
Maybe I'll post more on this later. I'm in a bit of a rush but it's a good question to discuss.
More on this later.
Here is my full response to the issue of "truly" being a foreigner:
First I think it's a good idea to start with the definition of the word disingenuous:
| Definition: |
| 1. withholding information: withholding or not taking account of known information |
| 2. not genuinely sincere: giving a false impression of sincerity or simplicity |
I pride myself on telling the whole story, so here it is:
- I was born and raised in Guatemala.
- My mother is American and my father is Guatemalan
- The rest of my family in Guatemala is Guatemalan.
- I went to an "American" school until fourth grade, the rest of the time I was in a bilingual, "Guatemalan" school.
- When I was 17 I went to Boston for school (college).
- I now live in Chicago.
Now, the crux of this new blog is the following: After trying to find some unique perspective or idea that I could bring to the world (in terms of writing about it), I figured this would be it: I am a foreigner in a country that does not know or see me as a foreigner. Before I tell you why I'm a foreigner, let me show you the main reason why I started this new blog:
That is me. On the left I'm a little tan, but I still don't look anything but American. In case you're not familiar, that is NOT what a Guatemalan looks like.
That is what a Guatemalan looks like. Plus, you can't see it but I'm 6'3 and those guys at the bottom are not anywhere near that. I stand out like a sore thumb down there.
Why am I foreign?
- Whoever the mysterious poster is, I'm guessing it's someone I know (no one else reads my stuff), says it him/herself:
". . . and were schooled in institutions following US culture-based currricula, esp. your early childhood schooling when those things are easiest to learn and get hard-wired."
The "institutions" I was in matter a little here, especially the American school I went to. But unless you've lived, grown up, and basically lived your whole life in a place like Guatemala (third world, poor, beautiful, violent, corrupt, inefficient, warm, beautiful again), it's very hard to explain. I was hard wired in Guatemalan, surrounded by a country of Guatemalans and, more importantly, NOT in the US, which is important to note.
And I'll be honest, it's very weird having my "foreign-ness" questioned. But here is what I want to say:
I don't look foreign.
I am foreign.
As Olisa, another poster commented, it can be very amusing and interesting, and that's what I'm going to write about.
Topics I'll be covering include: Spying in public places, terrorism, immigration, politics, getting drunk, health care, racism, business, investing, current events, etc.
Phew! That's it.
I know this was a long, rambling post, but that's not going to be the standard post around here. I thought the discussion about the topics the Anonymous poster commented on were an interesting way to get this blog started. And, lets be honest, I got overexcited when I saw someone had posted something mildly controversial on my other blog, the first time that's ever happened to me.
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Aren't you being just a bit disingenuous in characterizing yourself as a "foreigner" in the US? You are, after all, 50% US American by birth and were schooled in institutions following US culture-based currricula, esp. your early childhood schooling when those things are easiest to learn and get hard-wired.