Hello all...here is the link to the CNN.com site where Colleen and I got information for our presentation. The clip is broken up into three different parts so just know that when you're done the first one that you still have two more parts to get through.
Have a good day!
http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/untoldstories/blog/
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
What's The Name Of Your Freedom?
Our discussion of freedom of speech was great. I take the first amendment very seriously since it’s the reason why I go to school. I am a broadcast journalism major here at Quinnipiac. As a communication student I learned the ins and outs of the first amendment. I can analyze the different forms of expression, and what scrutiny is assigned to each. What is interesting is the fact speech is a freedom awarded to us its not entirely free. Our government puts a lit of restriction on speech although the general presumption that prior restraint on speech is unconstitutional.
Our government makes certain speech illegal. Including matters of national security, false advertising, and special protection to children. There are administrative legal agencies, and commercial agencies that over see matters of communication as well. Specifically having free speech and press will benefit the country. Free press feeds into democracy. Having a free press will facilitate the free world, and contribute to the marketplace of ideas. Freedom of speech and press will hold our countries leaders accountable for their actions, and allow normal people to be involved in government decision-making.
It’s nice to live in a world that allows people to fight for what they believe in. If an American disagrees with a political action he or she can band together. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about Cuba. In communist Cuba citizens can certainly have feelings, however when they voice their opinion their government will stop them.
The New York Times has written an article depicting the high hopes of Obama’s relations with the communist island. A lot of Cubans are happy. They cannot express their happiness because although a democratic nation is coming within Cuban reach it still is not a sure bet. “Mr. Obama also said he would make it possible for American companies to vastly increase cell phone service in Cuba, enabling Cubans whom Raúl Castro allowed to buy cell phones to actually get to use them.” Communism seems to never complete the action. Here is a perfect example of how tricky it can be when here is prior restraint on speech in a country like Cuba.
This directly relates to my thesis. It is simple. America sets the example for the rest of the country, and we utilize freedom of speech as far as we can. Here is an interesting case where America’s freedoms can directly help a country who does not award such freedoms to it’s own citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/weekinreview/19depalma.html?_r=1&ref=americas
Our government makes certain speech illegal. Including matters of national security, false advertising, and special protection to children. There are administrative legal agencies, and commercial agencies that over see matters of communication as well. Specifically having free speech and press will benefit the country. Free press feeds into democracy. Having a free press will facilitate the free world, and contribute to the marketplace of ideas. Freedom of speech and press will hold our countries leaders accountable for their actions, and allow normal people to be involved in government decision-making.
It’s nice to live in a world that allows people to fight for what they believe in. If an American disagrees with a political action he or she can band together. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about Cuba. In communist Cuba citizens can certainly have feelings, however when they voice their opinion their government will stop them.
The New York Times has written an article depicting the high hopes of Obama’s relations with the communist island. A lot of Cubans are happy. They cannot express their happiness because although a democratic nation is coming within Cuban reach it still is not a sure bet. “Mr. Obama also said he would make it possible for American companies to vastly increase cell phone service in Cuba, enabling Cubans whom Raúl Castro allowed to buy cell phones to actually get to use them.” Communism seems to never complete the action. Here is a perfect example of how tricky it can be when here is prior restraint on speech in a country like Cuba.
This directly relates to my thesis. It is simple. America sets the example for the rest of the country, and we utilize freedom of speech as far as we can. Here is an interesting case where America’s freedoms can directly help a country who does not award such freedoms to it’s own citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/weekinreview/19depalma.html?_r=1&ref=americas
Family Background
My family history is rather complex. I lack a relationship with my biological father, so pretty much half of my heritage is a mystery. Although he may be gone, I still have a good handle on where he came from also. He was of Italian decent, but had Israeli citizenship. My mother is all Italian. We stem from Ionnica, and Palermo, and also al little bit from Naples. My great grandparents, and my grandparents came to America for a better life. They came right into to ellis island much like the movie we watched in class.
When they came to New York they had nothing physical. Their assets was their hope for a better life. Back in Italy life was very hard. My family worked endlessly and still was not able to be where they wanted to be in life. Their dreams were in America. It was America where many other people took refuge, and were able to take advantage of the widespread land and opportunity. Mussolini, and the fascist regime took a lot of freedom away from my family. Although it was anti communism, Italian fascism still used propaganda and censorship of its citizens.
When my relatives arrived here they split up. Like 90% of Italians half went to Brooklyn, and the other half when all the way to Massachusetts. They lived in the ghetto and learned English. I spoke a little bit of Italian but not enough to say I am fluent. When my relatives came here they wanted the future generations to be American, and not Italian. Therefore non of us were formally taught Italian.
Watching the Ellis Island video I was proud to be where I am. It took 3 generations in my family to go to college, and watching the video made me proud to be an Italian American. They struggled on a boat, and decided to move their entire lives all for me. Like masons, my family laid the brickwork for my generation, and I am very thankful.
When they came to New York they had nothing physical. Their assets was their hope for a better life. Back in Italy life was very hard. My family worked endlessly and still was not able to be where they wanted to be in life. Their dreams were in America. It was America where many other people took refuge, and were able to take advantage of the widespread land and opportunity. Mussolini, and the fascist regime took a lot of freedom away from my family. Although it was anti communism, Italian fascism still used propaganda and censorship of its citizens.
When my relatives arrived here they split up. Like 90% of Italians half went to Brooklyn, and the other half when all the way to Massachusetts. They lived in the ghetto and learned English. I spoke a little bit of Italian but not enough to say I am fluent. When my relatives came here they wanted the future generations to be American, and not Italian. Therefore non of us were formally taught Italian.
Watching the Ellis Island video I was proud to be where I am. It took 3 generations in my family to go to college, and watching the video made me proud to be an Italian American. They struggled on a boat, and decided to move their entire lives all for me. Like masons, my family laid the brickwork for my generation, and I am very thankful.
Real Freedom of Speech
In out last class discussion on freedom of speech, we defined the freedom. While I had a brief knowledge of the freedom as we as U.S. citizens are entitled to, there were a couple points I was not so familiar with. For instance, the different categories of speech that there are restrictions on. The focus of the discussion was of the types of “speech” which are not protected by the First Amendment. These include obscenity, fighting words, defamation, perjury, child pornography, etc. I believe that when individuals find out that our freedom of speech isn’t entirely “free”, the attitude that accompanies this revelation is negative. The individual most likely feels betrayed by the government. I have come across a number of people like this. They believe that we are living in the illusion of freedom, and the freedom does not actually exist.
My thoughts on the topic kind of go along with some of the things mentioned in our class discussion. Whatever restrictions that are placed on our freedoms are for our own safety and well-being, as well as for our nation. I personally would not want to be the victim of hate speech or defamation. Such assaults could potentially alter my life path, and therefore my mental health.
Unfortunately, my opinions about other countries are not the same. For instance, in Singapore, even though the jurisdiction has granted freedom of speech to the people, but is not completely implemented. The people cannot talk about political issues, along with the media. This is clearly just a government tool in keeping the people from influencing governmental issues. If controversial policies are brought to the attention of the people, the government would have a large oppression on their power. This somewhat coincides with the chapter we read for the discussion. There are many countries which have restrictions on a number of freedoms, and it is pretty clear that it will be a long, if ever, the people of the world will be as fortunate as we are today.
http://www.helium.com/items/1129763-freedom-of-speech-in-singapore
My thoughts on the topic kind of go along with some of the things mentioned in our class discussion. Whatever restrictions that are placed on our freedoms are for our own safety and well-being, as well as for our nation. I personally would not want to be the victim of hate speech or defamation. Such assaults could potentially alter my life path, and therefore my mental health.
Unfortunately, my opinions about other countries are not the same. For instance, in Singapore, even though the jurisdiction has granted freedom of speech to the people, but is not completely implemented. The people cannot talk about political issues, along with the media. This is clearly just a government tool in keeping the people from influencing governmental issues. If controversial policies are brought to the attention of the people, the government would have a large oppression on their power. This somewhat coincides with the chapter we read for the discussion. There are many countries which have restrictions on a number of freedoms, and it is pretty clear that it will be a long, if ever, the people of the world will be as fortunate as we are today.
http://www.helium.com/items/1129763-freedom-of-speech-in-singapore
The US government is stepping on our freedom of speech
The first amendment guarantees states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This is one of the founding principals of America and the reason is stands as a symbol of freedom. The first amendment allows US citizens to express themselves through speech, clothing, art, or demonstrations without risk of being prosecuted. There are several exceptions to this amendment, which were created to protect the human rights of all Americans. A couple of these exceptions are hate speech, threats, and incitement to crime. One exception that does not exist but is highly debated concerns the American flag. Many people believe that individuals should not be allowed to burn or deface the American flag. Currently, any person is legally allowed to engage in these acts with the flag without the risk of criminal charges. I believe that it would be un-American and unconstitutional for the American government to ban acts that deface the flag. I do not agree with individual’s publicly soiling the flag and believe it is unpatriotic and un-American, but because we live in the freest country in the world we are allowed to engage in these acts. It would be hypocritical of the US to rob individuals the right to freely express themselves even if they are expressing their hatred for America.
Over the past decades freedom of speech in the media has become a controversial topic. Individuals from Eminem, Marilyn Manson, and Howard Stern have been ostracized and murdered in the press because they use explicit language and speak about adult themes. These individuals are protected under the first amendment and should not be condemned or have their careers hurt because they portray offensive material. Howard Stern concurred the largest markets in terrestrial radio with his off the wall humor that appealed to millions. He abided by FCC rules and utilized a delay button to block out offensive language but was still murdered by the press. The pressure from sponsors and fines from the FCC forced Clear Channel to drop Howard from all of his syndicated radio stations. Theirer explains; “the threat of regulation led some broadcasters to dump popular radio personalities, including Stern when Clear Channel dropped him from their stations” (Theirer). The FCC is still not satisfied with current media restrictions and “have been pushing for increased regulation of media business practices and ownership patterns (Theirer). Its movements and policy makers like that that keep creeping in and slowly remove the rights of US citizens. Some believe that these groups and the government are passing tougher restrictions for the media because it is getting too big and powerful due to technological advances.
Anyone who cares about the First Amendment and press freedom should find this chilling. Apparently, “Congress shall make no law” abridging press freedom now has several caveats. Congress shall make no law unless they think media is “too big,” or unless they don’t like some of the content they see or hear, or unless they want to investigate newsgathering practices by a major news anchor many congressmen have long despised.
This seems like a slippery slope that the US government is sliding down that could destroy the freedoms that America Prides itself on. Howard Stern is just one example of the thousands that show that the US government is not standing by the first amendment. It is not up to the government to tell me what is indecent and what are appropriate forms of entertainment for myself. It is imperative that the US government and public remain cognizant of the regulations made by groups like the FCC that impede on our freedoms.
http://techliberation.com/2004/10/11/howard-stern-and-the-future-of-media-censorship/
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Freedom of Speech blog
Freedom of Speech is one of the fundamental virtues of the American Constitution as well as the American way of life. In this country we are all free to say what we want (as long as it does not threaten or offend anyone) and express our true beliefs. This ability and freedom to speak our minds and share our ideals and opinions has been both a good and bad thing among American history. It has opened the door and opened people’s eyes to the ideas of equality and sharing new thoughts and opinions. It has also been used as a mask by some people to spread hate and share unjust and biased views. This has made the idea of freedom of speech one of the one of the most controversial parts of American society and it often raises the issue of what can and cannot be said, and on a deeper level, what is censorship?
The idea of what can and cannot be said in American society appears to trace its roots back to another issue regarding the Constitution and that is what does it mean to be free and have freedoms? There is a certain sense of responsibility that comes along with freedom and how we use it and define it. While the idea of freedom of speech may seem simple and too many people means just what it says, we have to be mindful that not everyone will agree with what we say and that some of what people say can be pretty threatening and offensive. While it is true that not all people will agree with what each other says, we still have to be careful that what we say is not truly intended to be hurtful or offensive. Many times in American society we see and hear people who believe that they can say offensive, racist words and hide behind the idea of freedom of speech. This is just an example of people who do not understand the idea of the responsibility that goes along with certain freedoms. This freedom of speech is also another controversial part of the Constitution that the forefathers seem to have left open to much debate. Maybe it was because the place and time they lived in was so different? Were there as many outspoken people or did people in that time seem to keep to themselves? It is hard to tell and this amendment further falls in with another controversial amendment, the right to bear arms. Both are somewhat vague and are constantly pushed as to what they truly mean and how far they can be enforced or allowed to be free.
While the idea of freedom of speech may be controversial in America, it can be even more controversial and difficult to understand in other countries around the world. In a recent article in the New York Times I read about a South Korean blogger who was recently freed from prison after he was acquitted by a court in South Korea from the charges of “maliciously spreading false information on the internet”. This struck me as an interesting article because South Korea is often considered an American ally and is a democratic country that is not known for its violations of human rights. I also thought this article interesting because it involved the internet which gives people the ability to share their thoughts and ideas, whether they are good or bad, with millions of people. Eventually though, the blogger was found not guilty because he did not intend to disturb the public and this appeared to be an attempt by the South Korean government to censor some of the people whose ideas and words they felt offended their government and caused confusion amongst their people. This was a blatant violation of that blogger’s right to share his thoughts on the government and the economy. This type of censorship probably would not happen in America because people many times share their opinions regarding the government and economy and regularly, even on television, critique the government and financial state of America. It is what makes our government run and helps to make sure we are as efficient as possible. It is clear that while America tries to be responsible with its freedom of speech, not all countries can clearly do the same.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/southkorea/index.html?inline=nyt-geo
The idea of what can and cannot be said in American society appears to trace its roots back to another issue regarding the Constitution and that is what does it mean to be free and have freedoms? There is a certain sense of responsibility that comes along with freedom and how we use it and define it. While the idea of freedom of speech may seem simple and too many people means just what it says, we have to be mindful that not everyone will agree with what we say and that some of what people say can be pretty threatening and offensive. While it is true that not all people will agree with what each other says, we still have to be careful that what we say is not truly intended to be hurtful or offensive. Many times in American society we see and hear people who believe that they can say offensive, racist words and hide behind the idea of freedom of speech. This is just an example of people who do not understand the idea of the responsibility that goes along with certain freedoms. This freedom of speech is also another controversial part of the Constitution that the forefathers seem to have left open to much debate. Maybe it was because the place and time they lived in was so different? Were there as many outspoken people or did people in that time seem to keep to themselves? It is hard to tell and this amendment further falls in with another controversial amendment, the right to bear arms. Both are somewhat vague and are constantly pushed as to what they truly mean and how far they can be enforced or allowed to be free.
While the idea of freedom of speech may be controversial in America, it can be even more controversial and difficult to understand in other countries around the world. In a recent article in the New York Times I read about a South Korean blogger who was recently freed from prison after he was acquitted by a court in South Korea from the charges of “maliciously spreading false information on the internet”. This struck me as an interesting article because South Korea is often considered an American ally and is a democratic country that is not known for its violations of human rights. I also thought this article interesting because it involved the internet which gives people the ability to share their thoughts and ideas, whether they are good or bad, with millions of people. Eventually though, the blogger was found not guilty because he did not intend to disturb the public and this appeared to be an attempt by the South Korean government to censor some of the people whose ideas and words they felt offended their government and caused confusion amongst their people. This was a blatant violation of that blogger’s right to share his thoughts on the government and the economy. This type of censorship probably would not happen in America because people many times share their opinions regarding the government and economy and regularly, even on television, critique the government and financial state of America. It is what makes our government run and helps to make sure we are as efficient as possible. It is clear that while America tries to be responsible with its freedom of speech, not all countries can clearly do the same.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/southkorea/index.html?inline=nyt-geo
Freedom of Speech in America and China
Freedom of Speech in America represents one of the fundamental rights that Americans are granted. This freedom ensures that every American can voice their opinion with out fear of reprisals from the government. In other countries such as China, their citizens can be arrested for voicing their opposition to the government or its policies. However in America, Freedom of Speech is not boundless but has restrictions. For example in America during the 20th Century the Ku Klux Klan, once powerful and popular, was being fought by the government who charged many of its members for violating the civil rights of their victims. Today individuals and organizations can voice their opinions but are restricted from threatening or hate speech. However while America grants these rights to their citizens it is not so else where in the world. In China the Communist government has implemented censorship only allowing news stations to advertise what news the government allows. In the news article Chinese Authorities Block Online Articles About June 4th Massacre the Chinese government recently blocked online sources that discussed the June 4th Massacre. After the death of Hu Yaobang, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, in April 15, 1989 mass protests erupted, the most famous occurring at Tiananmen Square. These protests were a student led democracy movement. The Chinese Communist Party then viciously squashed the protesters, killing according to the Chinese government 200 to 300 people. However the Chinese Red Cross estimates that 2,000 to 3,000 were killed. As in 1989, Chinese citizens are still subjected to censorship and their activities and views monitored. In this news article, Chinese citizens are prohibited to search these and other articles. The Communist government has censored such sites to ensure public knowledge is only what the government wants so that appraisals are kept to a minimum. However such censorship continues to spark anger among Chinese citizens who call for democracy. Those of us who are fortunate to live in America should value these rights that have been granted to us. Sometimes we forget how good we have it here in America and we forget that many are suffering from things that we take for granted. Freedom of Speech is very important and impacts our lives everyday. With out Freedom of Speech our lives and America would have turned out very differently.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15651/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15651/
Freedom of Speech in Nazi Germany
People around the world have a common theory about Americans: how lazy, arrogant and ungrateful we are. They have one thing right; we take our freedom of speech for granted. We never have to think about what were going to say or how something is going to sound. We can support whoever we want in political elections. We can protest, assemble and appeal.
It is a tough subject to think about, but freedom of speech is what built the fabric of America. In my opinion, freedom of speech is much more than just the right to say what you want (as long as it does not threaten anyone etc….); it is the right to have intellect. Americans can go to school, and apply the knowledge they learn there to their everyday lives, therefore giving them more controversial ideas that they can voice. We have this luxury and don’t even think about what it would be like without it. Well there is one place I can think of that is the antithesis of my thoughts. Nazi Germany. When people think of this regime, they mostly think of world domination, Adolf Hitler, and the holocaust; however, the Nazis are just as famous for being oppressors of the educated. An article from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum explains that there was a good amount of opposition towards the Nazi party from within Germany. Democratic liberal parties as well as communist parties all opposed Hitler, some went as far as to plotting his assassination, unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. Apparently, these intellectuals who opposed the Nazis were very against this “new Germany”, so against it in fact that German secret police and Gestapo actually had special missions geared towards taking these organizations out by force.
Similarly, the Nazis did not just target Jews as the only religious group they persecuted. The third Reich was very much against the Catholic Church, there were even advertisements out there to defame Catholics and the church. Opposition from youth came from universities around Germany; one interesting story comes from Munich University in 1942. A professor and two students formed the white rose resistance group, as they did not want to join the Hitler Youth. They passed around anti-Nazi leaflets and as a result were executed.
Nazi Germany was a period of time that created a tremendous amount of political and social unrest. We never think about these people who stood against Hitler, maybe because we do not know about them, but it is interesting to find out how much more there was to the Third Reich’s agenda. Any intellectuals opposing the party were either deported or murdered alongside the Jews, Homosexuals and disabled. We really are lucky to live in a country that not only tolerates free speech and thought, but encourages it. The American government goes as far as to let the KKK march in the streets of New York City. We should all take some time to appreciate the rights we have here in America.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005208
It is a tough subject to think about, but freedom of speech is what built the fabric of America. In my opinion, freedom of speech is much more than just the right to say what you want (as long as it does not threaten anyone etc….); it is the right to have intellect. Americans can go to school, and apply the knowledge they learn there to their everyday lives, therefore giving them more controversial ideas that they can voice. We have this luxury and don’t even think about what it would be like without it. Well there is one place I can think of that is the antithesis of my thoughts. Nazi Germany. When people think of this regime, they mostly think of world domination, Adolf Hitler, and the holocaust; however, the Nazis are just as famous for being oppressors of the educated. An article from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum explains that there was a good amount of opposition towards the Nazi party from within Germany. Democratic liberal parties as well as communist parties all opposed Hitler, some went as far as to plotting his assassination, unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. Apparently, these intellectuals who opposed the Nazis were very against this “new Germany”, so against it in fact that German secret police and Gestapo actually had special missions geared towards taking these organizations out by force.
Similarly, the Nazis did not just target Jews as the only religious group they persecuted. The third Reich was very much against the Catholic Church, there were even advertisements out there to defame Catholics and the church. Opposition from youth came from universities around Germany; one interesting story comes from Munich University in 1942. A professor and two students formed the white rose resistance group, as they did not want to join the Hitler Youth. They passed around anti-Nazi leaflets and as a result were executed.
Nazi Germany was a period of time that created a tremendous amount of political and social unrest. We never think about these people who stood against Hitler, maybe because we do not know about them, but it is interesting to find out how much more there was to the Third Reich’s agenda. Any intellectuals opposing the party were either deported or murdered alongside the Jews, Homosexuals and disabled. We really are lucky to live in a country that not only tolerates free speech and thought, but encourages it. The American government goes as far as to let the KKK march in the streets of New York City. We should all take some time to appreciate the rights we have here in America.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005208
Super City and Restrictions on Freedoms
In Dubai, the United Arab Emirates was recently frowned apon for proposing its new media law. This law restricts free speech and strengthens self censorship among journalists. The rights group called “Human Rights Watch” are very afraid that the government will have too much control over media sources.
The government can charge fines of about $136,000, “for carrying misleading news that harms the national economy.” This draft media law can also charge media sources up to $1,350,000 for insulting a member of the government or someone else of power.
Despite criticisms this law passed in January of 2009 and is waiting approval from the president.
United States citizens are lucky to have the right to express their opinion in a publically printed newspaper. I am shocked at the fines the government is proposing to stop the journalists from expressing their true feelings. It must be incredibly frustrating to write in a paper where you can’t say what you really think. The only reason I could guess they are doing this is because Dubai is being built up so much and they only want positive attention on the new super city. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/13/ap/middleeast/main4940622.shtml
I did alittle more research into Dubai and found out that 15 million annual tourists are estimated to travel here by the year 2015. "Dubai will become the tourism and vacation ownership capital of the world in the years to come, as the numerous incredible projects, such as Dubailand, Bawadi and those by Emaar and Nakheel, continue to unfold before our eyes," This article also mentions how Dubai could lead in timeshare sales over Florida. I guess since Dubai is putting so much hope into the super city and expect the economy to sky rocket they want no bad media attention!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Melting Pot Causes Controversy for Freedom of Speech
Globalization has had and continues to have a huge impact on a wide variety of aspects of life. The corporate world has grown exponentially, trade continues to flourish, leisurely travel is a way of peoples lives, technology is world wide, and the list continues. While there are endless benefits to this there are also areas of life that are problematic because of globalization. One example is the controversial rights of freedom of speech. It would be easy to make a set of rights for a population that was entirely the same. Unfortunately that isn't realistic today. Some might say that freedom of speech is an easy concept and people should be free to say what they want. Because America is a melting pot of differently races, ethnicity, religions, and sexes it is understandable that the rights of freedom of speech need to carefully thought out and presented.
My understanding of the freedom of speech is that we do have freedom to express our opinions but there are restrictions. According to the definition of freedom of speech, some of the more obvious restrictions are the freedom to say just what one likes where ones likes are laws regulating incitement, sedition, defamation, slander and libel, blasphemy, the expression of racial hatred, and conspiracy. I agree with these situations. The problem here is that not all citizens keep these restrictions in their minds when they begin to talk to act out. There are obviously situations when one knows to keep their opinions to themselves but then there also situations when people may not realize they are speaking against these restrictions. In the article, "The International War on Free Speech," Brett Joshpe talks about the problems with what is considered free and what may result in a violation of free speech.
Geert Wilders is a member of the Dutch Parliament and a documentary film producer. He produced a controversal cartoon and short film when trying to portray terrosism. He quoted radical Imams and Koranic Suras which were used to justify terrorism. There was an angry responce from the Muslims to the film. An investitgation came about to see whether Wilders violated any hate speech laws. While the Muslims declined to prosecute him, 12 European countries are prosecuting him for blasphemy against Islam. This is one of those situations where one might not realize the extent of their restrictions to freedome of speech. If Wilders produced the film knowing he was going to be prosecuted by 12 countries I don't believe he would have said and presented what he did. There are some blury lines when figuring out whether somebody abuses their freedom of speech and violates rights or if they just didnt know. Clearly the rights of freedom of speech vary and using the word "freedom" may not be the proper term. They aren't freedoms, they are guidelines to speech. It is clearly a controversal set of rights around the world and in the melting pot of America.
http://spectator.org/archives/2008/11/06/the-international-war-on-free
http://www.answers.com/topic/freedom-of-speech
My understanding of the freedom of speech is that we do have freedom to express our opinions but there are restrictions. According to the definition of freedom of speech, some of the more obvious restrictions are the freedom to say just what one likes where ones likes are laws regulating incitement, sedition, defamation, slander and libel, blasphemy, the expression of racial hatred, and conspiracy. I agree with these situations. The problem here is that not all citizens keep these restrictions in their minds when they begin to talk to act out. There are obviously situations when one knows to keep their opinions to themselves but then there also situations when people may not realize they are speaking against these restrictions. In the article, "The International War on Free Speech," Brett Joshpe talks about the problems with what is considered free and what may result in a violation of free speech.
Geert Wilders is a member of the Dutch Parliament and a documentary film producer. He produced a controversal cartoon and short film when trying to portray terrosism. He quoted radical Imams and Koranic Suras which were used to justify terrorism. There was an angry responce from the Muslims to the film. An investitgation came about to see whether Wilders violated any hate speech laws. While the Muslims declined to prosecute him, 12 European countries are prosecuting him for blasphemy against Islam. This is one of those situations where one might not realize the extent of their restrictions to freedome of speech. If Wilders produced the film knowing he was going to be prosecuted by 12 countries I don't believe he would have said and presented what he did. There are some blury lines when figuring out whether somebody abuses their freedom of speech and violates rights or if they just didnt know. Clearly the rights of freedom of speech vary and using the word "freedom" may not be the proper term. They aren't freedoms, they are guidelines to speech. It is clearly a controversal set of rights around the world and in the melting pot of America.
http://spectator.org/archives/2008/11/06/the-international-war-on-free
http://www.answers.com/topic/freedom-of-speech
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Has freedom of speech made our history?
Most people are aware that the freedom of speech doesn't necessarily mean you are 100% free to say anything you want to any person or group without consequences. We know that our freedom of speech in the United States is limited; we cannot say things that will hurt, threaten, or discriminate against others in any way.
I found a really interesting article about the effects that freedom of speech had on Hilter and the times during the Holocaust, which I also found extremely relevant since we will be traveling to Poland in less than a month. The article states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, but the government can restrict free speech in the interests of national security, preserving public safety, and for the prevention of disorder of crime. I can relate that to our situation in the United States today where if any single person mentioned bombs or killing someone, even if it was as a joke, serious action would be taken thinking that the person was linked to terrorism.
But the part I really couldn't believe was how the article asked the question "Do fascists have a right to free speech?" Obviously everyone has a right, it doesn't matter who you are. Yet the controversial issue here is, what if Hilter and the Nazi Party didn't have free speech? Would the Holocaust still have happened? Did the Holocaust occur because these people in political power had unlimited freedom of speech? And would Hilter and the Nazi Party have grown in strength and influence if they were restricted to the things they said? I just find this amazing, because I never actually thought of things that way. I always thought that Hilter and the Nazis just had power, never that they gained this power because they had the right to say whatever they wanted without fear of consequences. Then once getting power, the Nazis restricted the freedom of speech of all other who were not part of the Nazi party.
A quote from the article read "Tens of millions of lives may have been saved if the free speech of Nazis had been suppressed early on." Some people today in our society criticize or complain that we don't have the freedom to say anything we want at any time, but just look at the Holocaust and think how lucky we are. Our country was smart enough to restrict the things people could say for our own safety, so people couldn't come into power who would destroy the nation and create one of the biggest genocides in history. We are lucky that our freedom of speech isn't unlimited.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7113186.stm
I found a really interesting article about the effects that freedom of speech had on Hilter and the times during the Holocaust, which I also found extremely relevant since we will be traveling to Poland in less than a month. The article states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, but the government can restrict free speech in the interests of national security, preserving public safety, and for the prevention of disorder of crime. I can relate that to our situation in the United States today where if any single person mentioned bombs or killing someone, even if it was as a joke, serious action would be taken thinking that the person was linked to terrorism.
But the part I really couldn't believe was how the article asked the question "Do fascists have a right to free speech?" Obviously everyone has a right, it doesn't matter who you are. Yet the controversial issue here is, what if Hilter and the Nazi Party didn't have free speech? Would the Holocaust still have happened? Did the Holocaust occur because these people in political power had unlimited freedom of speech? And would Hilter and the Nazi Party have grown in strength and influence if they were restricted to the things they said? I just find this amazing, because I never actually thought of things that way. I always thought that Hilter and the Nazis just had power, never that they gained this power because they had the right to say whatever they wanted without fear of consequences. Then once getting power, the Nazis restricted the freedom of speech of all other who were not part of the Nazi party.
A quote from the article read "Tens of millions of lives may have been saved if the free speech of Nazis had been suppressed early on." Some people today in our society criticize or complain that we don't have the freedom to say anything we want at any time, but just look at the Holocaust and think how lucky we are. Our country was smart enough to restrict the things people could say for our own safety, so people couldn't come into power who would destroy the nation and create one of the biggest genocides in history. We are lucky that our freedom of speech isn't unlimited.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7113186.stm
First Amendment, how much are we protected?
The United States of America, known as the “land of the free, and the home of the brave,” while the latter part may be true in some instances, is the first part? Is the US really the land of the free? When I think of the word “free” in terms of people’s rights, I automatically think freedom of speech, freedom of religion, basically the freedom for one to safely live their life the way that they want to. Freedom of speech is often considered to be one of the most basic tenets of democracy. In America, we do live ‘freely’ but only to an extent. Under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Freedom of speech under the First Amendment is not necessarily giving us the right to have full ‘freedom’ there are certain restrictions and regulations. For example- you can’t yell “fire” in crowded places, you can’t say false things about specific people whether on TV or newspapers because it is deemed slander, all of these regulations seem to make sense because, when you think about it, the government is instilling all of these to protect us, to help keep us safe. However, upon researching this I found an article in which I learned something else about the US First Amendment.
In the article it says that under the First Amendment, newspapers and magazines can say what they like about minorities and religions — even false, provocative or hateful things — without legal consequence. This just does not seem right to me, this seems exactly like slander and libel to me, however instead of targeting a specific person, they are targeting a specific group. “The First Amendment is not, of course, absolute. The Supreme Court has said that the government may ban fighting words or threats. Punishments may be enhanced for violent crimes prompted by racial hatred. And private institutions, including universities and employers, are not subject to the First Amendment, which restricts only government activities. But merely saying hateful things about minorities, even with the intent to cause their members distress and to generate contempt and loathing, is protected by the First Amendment.” This seems absolutely absurd to me. How is making it ok to give magazines and newspapers the ability to say false things that are harmful protected by the First Amendment? That does not make me feel safe in fact it kind of confuses me. While the First Amendment gives us the Freedom of Speech and with it comes regulations and rules to protect us, with an article like this that sheds light on a different side of the First Amendment, I feel somewhat not protected. I plan on researching more on this to find out other instances where this topic is raised and confronted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/12hate.html?pagewanted=2&sq=freedom%20of%20speech%20&st=cse&scp=5
In the article it says that under the First Amendment, newspapers and magazines can say what they like about minorities and religions — even false, provocative or hateful things — without legal consequence. This just does not seem right to me, this seems exactly like slander and libel to me, however instead of targeting a specific person, they are targeting a specific group. “The First Amendment is not, of course, absolute. The Supreme Court has said that the government may ban fighting words or threats. Punishments may be enhanced for violent crimes prompted by racial hatred. And private institutions, including universities and employers, are not subject to the First Amendment, which restricts only government activities. But merely saying hateful things about minorities, even with the intent to cause their members distress and to generate contempt and loathing, is protected by the First Amendment.” This seems absolutely absurd to me. How is making it ok to give magazines and newspapers the ability to say false things that are harmful protected by the First Amendment? That does not make me feel safe in fact it kind of confuses me. While the First Amendment gives us the Freedom of Speech and with it comes regulations and rules to protect us, with an article like this that sheds light on a different side of the First Amendment, I feel somewhat not protected. I plan on researching more on this to find out other instances where this topic is raised and confronted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/12hate.html?pagewanted=2&sq=freedom%20of%20speech%20&st=cse&scp=5
The real price of free speech
In the United States Free Speech is defined as “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Freedom of speech is a highly discussed issue as many Americans feel as if there really is no freedom of speech and you can’t just “ say whatever you want.” In reality, yes, you can say whatever you want in the United States- yet depending on what it may be, there are consequences. For the most part, the rules in the United States are, what I perceive to be, for the purposes of protecting its citizens and to ensure safety and comfort for all. In comparison, China claims to have “free speech”, yet the government has shown numerous examples of controlling and restricting speech past what they have stated is acceptable. The Chinese law regarding free speech states, “Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution states that Chinese citizens enjoy freedom of speech and freedom of the press.” China's Publishing Regulations, specify that groups and individuals may not interfere in the lawful exercise of these rights.
According to http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/exp/, Chinese government has gone as far as to put journalist who bring news to foreigners in jail and even blocks broadcasts of certain foreign television shows, websites and radio stations. Chinese government even controls and regulates religious materials in the country and will only allow government-licensed printing enterprises to produce religious materials Perhaps this is for additional revenue to the government? Or the Chinese government is simply that restrictive and truly has a strong, communist-like hold on their citizens. I feel it is a little bit of both. The arrests of both Wang Zaiqing and Cai Zhuohua, pastors of the Christian faith, were arrested because they printed and gave away Bibles and other Christian literature. This clearly is a violation of the International Human Rights regarding the freedom of speech. How can a government imprison a man of “faith” because he GAVE away some literature regarding a religion? It’s not like the men even made profits off of these prints. That is what seems ridiculous to me. Just from this simple article about how there are crazy restrictions in China on speech makes me appreciate even more what I have in the United States. China has always notably been restrictive and "protective" of its citizens- ex: great wall of China- huge wall to seclude themselves and ignore and abolish the idea of foreign interaction or influence. Although I do not have an extensive learning about China, I do feel that a great deal of their history was changed and the culture of the country was developed because of the time in history when China was cold and shut off from the world.
I am anxious to go to Poland and Prague next month because I am beginning to think about how differently people live, have grown up and think of restrictions as " normal" and " average." I feel this may evoke some passion in me to encourage change in these countries, yet I must realize even those that are restricted may even like the idea of being restricted, yet I believe the freedom of speech is something that in some way or another every person in the world yearns for in some way or another. Everyone has an opinion and at some point, wants to share.
According to http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/exp/, Chinese government has gone as far as to put journalist who bring news to foreigners in jail and even blocks broadcasts of certain foreign television shows, websites and radio stations. Chinese government even controls and regulates religious materials in the country and will only allow government-licensed printing enterprises to produce religious materials Perhaps this is for additional revenue to the government? Or the Chinese government is simply that restrictive and truly has a strong, communist-like hold on their citizens. I feel it is a little bit of both. The arrests of both Wang Zaiqing and Cai Zhuohua, pastors of the Christian faith, were arrested because they printed and gave away Bibles and other Christian literature. This clearly is a violation of the International Human Rights regarding the freedom of speech. How can a government imprison a man of “faith” because he GAVE away some literature regarding a religion? It’s not like the men even made profits off of these prints. That is what seems ridiculous to me. Just from this simple article about how there are crazy restrictions in China on speech makes me appreciate even more what I have in the United States. China has always notably been restrictive and "protective" of its citizens- ex: great wall of China- huge wall to seclude themselves and ignore and abolish the idea of foreign interaction or influence. Although I do not have an extensive learning about China, I do feel that a great deal of their history was changed and the culture of the country was developed because of the time in history when China was cold and shut off from the world.
I am anxious to go to Poland and Prague next month because I am beginning to think about how differently people live, have grown up and think of restrictions as " normal" and " average." I feel this may evoke some passion in me to encourage change in these countries, yet I must realize even those that are restricted may even like the idea of being restricted, yet I believe the freedom of speech is something that in some way or another every person in the world yearns for in some way or another. Everyone has an opinion and at some point, wants to share.
MAUS
Maus evoked many feelings. The holocaust themes are striking and it is great to see the perspectives of a survivor, and the perspective of the many who did not. The one segment that sparked particular interest was when Vladek had the dream involving his grandfather. In the dream the grandfather came to him telling him that he would soon leave the camp. That is so powerful. It is powerful to imagine something that actually occurs. Vladek indeed leave the camp to return to his wife and kid. In his mind he fabricated his departure. This is reminiscent of the self-fulfilling prophecy.
I believe greatly in the self-fulfilling prophecy. It is the belief that the energy you exert can be positive, or negative and that positive/negative energy will dictate the world around you. This is very powerful stuff I am talking about. In terms of religion I can be a skeptic. If the self-fulfilling prophecy winds up to be true then it allows people to control their own lives and achieve any goal they desire.
Vladek employed this method. At least I feel that he did it subconsciously. The point at which he had a dream he emitted that energy to the universe. He dreamed is grandfather told him that he would escape from the German work camp. This is an element of the story that is very cool because it can really connect with the audience. If you believe in something, you can achieve whatever you want. That’s a very powerful message.
Restrictions on Speech
Freedom of speech is a prominent characteristic of the American way of life. Even though as Americans our speech is not completely free of all restrictions it is significantly unrestricted compared to citizens of other countries. While complete freedom may seem like an ideal, the restrictions this country has placed on freedom of speech are in place for good reasons. For example, to restrict child pornography protects children from exposure they likely did not agree to. One cannot threaten to kill or cause any bodily harm to another. Also one is not allowed to slander or defame another to protect the reputations of individuals within society. While researching the first amendment and more specifically the freedom of speech, I realized the complexity of the laws we have surrounding speech. Freedom of speech in America is not black and white as some may believe, yet the extent to which our speech is free is a liberty that I feel fortunate to have.
An article published in February of 2008 on Russia by BBC titled “Free speech shrinking in Russia,” provides a glimpse at life under a government that restricts speech. The article discusses incidents of unsolved murders of outspoken journalists, police attacking oppositional protestors, and independent media outlets being shut down. Under President Vladimir Putin, this was the atmosphere in Russia. Kate Allen, the director of Amnesty International UK at the time this article was published explained, “The space for freedom of speech is shrinking alarmingly in Russia and it's now imperative that the Russian authorities reverse this trend. She said dissent could be a matter of life or death in the case of outspoken journalists like Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead in Moscow two years ago.” Russia now has a new president, Dmitry Medvedev; however, Putin though he abdicated his position as chief of state to Medvedev, his current title is head of the government according to the CIA World Fact Book. Putin’s influence in still strong in Russia.
An article such as the one described above depicting incidents where speech is severely and even violently restricted makes me appreciate the opportunities available in America even more. In my everyday life as I listen to the news, watch television, read books, and even participate in class discussions I am not concerned about getting in trouble for my views or beliefs. I grew up with this privilege and may take it for granted since I have known nothing else. This is a topic I am interested in exploring further to be able truly appreciate it.
http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?scope=all&edition=i&q=russia+freedom+of+speech
An article published in February of 2008 on Russia by BBC titled “Free speech shrinking in Russia,” provides a glimpse at life under a government that restricts speech. The article discusses incidents of unsolved murders of outspoken journalists, police attacking oppositional protestors, and independent media outlets being shut down. Under President Vladimir Putin, this was the atmosphere in Russia. Kate Allen, the director of Amnesty International UK at the time this article was published explained, “The space for freedom of speech is shrinking alarmingly in Russia and it's now imperative that the Russian authorities reverse this trend. She said dissent could be a matter of life or death in the case of outspoken journalists like Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead in Moscow two years ago.” Russia now has a new president, Dmitry Medvedev; however, Putin though he abdicated his position as chief of state to Medvedev, his current title is head of the government according to the CIA World Fact Book. Putin’s influence in still strong in Russia.
An article such as the one described above depicting incidents where speech is severely and even violently restricted makes me appreciate the opportunities available in America even more. In my everyday life as I listen to the news, watch television, read books, and even participate in class discussions I am not concerned about getting in trouble for my views or beliefs. I grew up with this privilege and may take it for granted since I have known nothing else. This is a topic I am interested in exploring further to be able truly appreciate it.
http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?scope=all&edition=i&q=russia+freedom+of+speech
Our First Amendment Rights
Our right to Freedom of Speech is something that I think we as Americans take for granted. Because we have been brought up with the understanding that we are allowed to speak our minds and if there is something that we want to protest that we can do so I think this right is usually overlooked. If you think about it, it’s quite an amazing thing to be able to criticize our government and not be afraid of being persecuted for doing so. Of course everything has exceptions. One cannot speak in a threatening manner towards another person, threatening to kill them or do anyone bodily harm. It also restricts obscenity and pornography from the general public. Something very interesting that I learned while looking up the first Amendment and what it justifies was that when distributing a pamphlet to the general public it’s a federal case to have the pamphlet be anonymous and to distribute it. The spreading of slander or lies about a person, place, or establishment is also prohibited in the First Amendment. I guess our freedom of speech isn’t completely free, but it’s still a lot better than what some countries have to live under.
Looking at an article on BBC.com dealing with the Olympics in Bejing this past summer was very interesting and dealt with the issue of freedom of speech. Hong Kong officials were supposed to ensure China had a seamless and very smooth opening-ceremony, while also allowing their people to speak their minds about things. However, when it came to protesting particular areas of the Chinese way of life, the Hong Kong officials were caught in a Catch-22, “they were required to allow for protests, yet were also under a heavy obligation to Beijing to ensure a smooth event” (“Asia”). This freedom of assembly and freedom to speak what is on their minds seems like a fundamental ‘no-brainer’ for us in the states. We have to remember though that we are very fortunate to be allowed this right to speak our minds. The Chinese government pretty much doesn’t allow Chinese citizens to get away with anything that goes against the government. If there were to be some demonstrations against the government, you could bet that they would be stopped quickly after they began. And the same was true for this particular situation. The protest was stopped and event went relatively smoothly after the officials detained a few people during the opening ceremonies and other public events. Is this right? To infringe on people’s rights just to uphold a better public image? I guess the argument could go both ways.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7378193.stm
Looking at an article on BBC.com dealing with the Olympics in Bejing this past summer was very interesting and dealt with the issue of freedom of speech. Hong Kong officials were supposed to ensure China had a seamless and very smooth opening-ceremony, while also allowing their people to speak their minds about things. However, when it came to protesting particular areas of the Chinese way of life, the Hong Kong officials were caught in a Catch-22, “they were required to allow for protests, yet were also under a heavy obligation to Beijing to ensure a smooth event” (“Asia”). This freedom of assembly and freedom to speak what is on their minds seems like a fundamental ‘no-brainer’ for us in the states. We have to remember though that we are very fortunate to be allowed this right to speak our minds. The Chinese government pretty much doesn’t allow Chinese citizens to get away with anything that goes against the government. If there were to be some demonstrations against the government, you could bet that they would be stopped quickly after they began. And the same was true for this particular situation. The protest was stopped and event went relatively smoothly after the officials detained a few people during the opening ceremonies and other public events. Is this right? To infringe on people’s rights just to uphold a better public image? I guess the argument could go both ways.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7378193.stm
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
My Family Histoy
My ancestry is made up of me being mainly Irish almost fully, and a small amount of English, Austrian, and French Canadian. On my mothers side I have Irish, Austrian and English. On my fathers side I have Irish, French Canadian and German. Like I stated before I am mainly Irish with a small percentage of the other four.
My mother’s family immigration story is one like many others. My great grandmothers father was a full-blooded Irish man lived in Ireland with his wife who was English and also Irish with their first child. He knows that to have a better life he had to come to America. He left his wife and child and went to catch the boat to New York. He was not able to get on the boat because it was full and they said that he was not allowed. But because he like many other immigrants knew that if he came to America he and his family would have a better life he “illegally” boarded that boat and he was on his way.
When he arrived in New York, he knew that it was going to be hard to get a job because of all the other immigrants. He came ahead to start a life so that he could eventually save enough money and send for his wife and child. So he decided that he would make his way out of the city to New Jersey. For many months he struggled, not many businesses were hiring Irish men and women. After a 6 month of working a small factory job, he picked up other small jobs like farming, and working in a factory putting together car parts etc. He was a hard worker and his employers recognized that. This opened many more doors for his; he now has manager positions open to him.
Before my great great great grandmother and he son came over my great great great grandfather made sure that he had a stable living area, and enough money for them to survive on. He worked for 3 years to have a place to live and to send for his wife and child. After his wife and child were with him, my great great great grandmother also started working small jobs to help. They later had eight more children, they stayed in New Jersey and to this day my mothers family still lives in New Jersey in the same areas.
Unfortunately I do not know that full historical version of my father’s side immigration but I know that on my father’s side they came from Canada, Ireland. I wish that I did know more about my father’s side. The only part of me that is French Canadian is truthfully my last name as my grandmother would say, the rest is all Irish. But I do know very well the story of my mother’s side.
My mother’s family immigration story is one like many others. My great grandmothers father was a full-blooded Irish man lived in Ireland with his wife who was English and also Irish with their first child. He knows that to have a better life he had to come to America. He left his wife and child and went to catch the boat to New York. He was not able to get on the boat because it was full and they said that he was not allowed. But because he like many other immigrants knew that if he came to America he and his family would have a better life he “illegally” boarded that boat and he was on his way.
When he arrived in New York, he knew that it was going to be hard to get a job because of all the other immigrants. He came ahead to start a life so that he could eventually save enough money and send for his wife and child. So he decided that he would make his way out of the city to New Jersey. For many months he struggled, not many businesses were hiring Irish men and women. After a 6 month of working a small factory job, he picked up other small jobs like farming, and working in a factory putting together car parts etc. He was a hard worker and his employers recognized that. This opened many more doors for his; he now has manager positions open to him.
Before my great great great grandmother and he son came over my great great great grandfather made sure that he had a stable living area, and enough money for them to survive on. He worked for 3 years to have a place to live and to send for his wife and child. After his wife and child were with him, my great great great grandmother also started working small jobs to help. They later had eight more children, they stayed in New Jersey and to this day my mothers family still lives in New Jersey in the same areas.
Unfortunately I do not know that full historical version of my father’s side immigration but I know that on my father’s side they came from Canada, Ireland. I wish that I did know more about my father’s side. The only part of me that is French Canadian is truthfully my last name as my grandmother would say, the rest is all Irish. But I do know very well the story of my mother’s side.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Ireland/Germany/Hungary
Hey everyone, hope you had a good holiday. I apologize for posting this so late, I had planned on posting it when I got home Thursday night but the internet in my house was not working properly all weekend so I had to wait until I got back to school now to post it, my apologies.
My ancestry is made up of me being 50% Irish (my mother is 100%) and 25% German/25% Hungarian (my father being half and half.) To be quite honest, I don’t know much about my family history, both of my grandparents died when I was very young so I never really had an opportunity to sit down with them and learn in depth about their family history, etc, however my parents did tell me a little bit about them and their families stories.
My grandparents on my Mother’s side are both one hundred percent Irish. My grandmothers parents migrated from Ireland to the United States mainly because of the poor conditions that were hitting Ireland at that time. The potato famine was widespread and causing starvation across the country, jobs were becoming scarce and sickness and disease were taking over the country, forcing my family to come to America. In fifth grade we took a school trip to Ellis Island and my mother pointed out that my family on her side actually did come through Ellis Island, however when I looked online I was unable to find any records of this. Upon arriving in the states they settled up in Boston, Massachusetts where my grandmother was born and that is where she lived her entire life until she met my grandfather. My grandfather’s story is pretty similar to my grandmothers, his family left Ireland for the same reasons (widespread famine and diseases sweeping the country) however his family settled in Trenton, New Jersey where he was born and lived his entire life. My grandfather was a pilot in the air force during the First World War and got injured and was sent home, and while he was home he went on a vacation to Florida where my grandmother was also vacationing at the time and that is how they met, they fell in love and the rest is history. They got married and settled in Trenton, New Jersey where they had my uncle and then my mother and where they lived the remainder of their lives together.
My grandparents on my Father’s side are a little different. My grandmother is from Hungary, she emigrated here when she was a little girl with her family, the reason I’m not really sure. I remember her having a slight accent, and my father told me that she did not know a word of English when she got here. I did some research online about Hungarian immigrants and on one website I found that “Many went to America to escape the policy of Magyarization imposed by the Hungarian government. Other came to improve their economic circumstances while some young men emigrated in order to avoid military service.” Perhaps that is the reason why my grandmothers family came here, I’m not sure if they also came through Ellis Island but they settled in Philadelphia where my grandmother grew up and lived her life until she met my grandfather. My grandfather was born in America in the early 1990s, however his family came from Germany. They came over here in hopes of economic prosperity and a better life over all. They got into the Horse racing business and at a race is where my grandmother and grandfather met. They married and moved to Freehold, New Jersey where my grandfather raised racing horses and had a family of six kids, one of which being my father. I found an article on the New York Times website regarding Irish immigrants in the US. According to the article, “from 1990 to 2000, the number of Irish in New York fell from about 390,000 to just over 300,000, according to census data. And while the booming Irish economy of the 1990s has started to skid, the reversal has yet to staunch the number of Irish returning home.” Learning about immigration and Ellis Island really is something that interests me. I plan on talking to my parents again soon to see what else they can tell me about my family history.
My ancestry is made up of me being 50% Irish (my mother is 100%) and 25% German/25% Hungarian (my father being half and half.) To be quite honest, I don’t know much about my family history, both of my grandparents died when I was very young so I never really had an opportunity to sit down with them and learn in depth about their family history, etc, however my parents did tell me a little bit about them and their families stories.
My grandparents on my Mother’s side are both one hundred percent Irish. My grandmothers parents migrated from Ireland to the United States mainly because of the poor conditions that were hitting Ireland at that time. The potato famine was widespread and causing starvation across the country, jobs were becoming scarce and sickness and disease were taking over the country, forcing my family to come to America. In fifth grade we took a school trip to Ellis Island and my mother pointed out that my family on her side actually did come through Ellis Island, however when I looked online I was unable to find any records of this. Upon arriving in the states they settled up in Boston, Massachusetts where my grandmother was born and that is where she lived her entire life until she met my grandfather. My grandfather’s story is pretty similar to my grandmothers, his family left Ireland for the same reasons (widespread famine and diseases sweeping the country) however his family settled in Trenton, New Jersey where he was born and lived his entire life. My grandfather was a pilot in the air force during the First World War and got injured and was sent home, and while he was home he went on a vacation to Florida where my grandmother was also vacationing at the time and that is how they met, they fell in love and the rest is history. They got married and settled in Trenton, New Jersey where they had my uncle and then my mother and where they lived the remainder of their lives together.
My grandparents on my Father’s side are a little different. My grandmother is from Hungary, she emigrated here when she was a little girl with her family, the reason I’m not really sure. I remember her having a slight accent, and my father told me that she did not know a word of English when she got here. I did some research online about Hungarian immigrants and on one website I found that “Many went to America to escape the policy of Magyarization imposed by the Hungarian government. Other came to improve their economic circumstances while some young men emigrated in order to avoid military service.” Perhaps that is the reason why my grandmothers family came here, I’m not sure if they also came through Ellis Island but they settled in Philadelphia where my grandmother grew up and lived her life until she met my grandfather. My grandfather was born in America in the early 1990s, however his family came from Germany. They came over here in hopes of economic prosperity and a better life over all. They got into the Horse racing business and at a race is where my grandmother and grandfather met. They married and moved to Freehold, New Jersey where my grandfather raised racing horses and had a family of six kids, one of which being my father. I found an article on the New York Times website regarding Irish immigrants in the US. According to the article, “from 1990 to 2000, the number of Irish in New York fell from about 390,000 to just over 300,000, according to census data. And while the booming Irish economy of the 1990s has started to skid, the reversal has yet to staunch the number of Irish returning home.” Learning about immigration and Ellis Island really is something that interests me. I plan on talking to my parents again soon to see what else they can tell me about my family history.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
No Place to Call Home
One of the most important practices in the Jewish faith is making "aliyah", or pilgrimage to the holy land of Israel. The trouble with this however, is that Israel only became an official Jewish state again in 1948 after roughly 2,000 years of foreign occupation. Jews were forced to move away to Europe, or like my ancestors, to the deserts of the middle east. It is widespread theory in my family that my ancestors were probably nomadic for hundreds of years to escape persecution in Roman and Muslim controlled lands. However, sometime in the mid 1800's my family settled in Baghdad, Iraq. They lived there until 1948 when Israel was reinstated as a Jewish country, they left what little they had behind and moved a day after they heard the news.
Growing up in a young Israel, my parent's generation was faced with a bittersweet childhood, on one hand they had a land to call home, but constantly dealt with foreign powers attempting to destroy Israel, forcing them to want a different life. For many Israeli's born from 1948-1975, America was seen as the only place that they could live in freedom and in peace. This triggered one of the most massive migrations of the era, and for a while, America alloted Israel one of the highest quotas for immigrants out of any country.
As my parents and their fellow Israelis started to move to the United States, Israel became a more developed country economically, militarily and culturally. This improvement in living conditions and identity prompted many Israeli Americans to move back to Israel. In fact, in 2008, for the first time ever, more Jews moved from America to Israel than the opposite. Amid all the violence that goes on in Israel, Jews finally stood up and made their "Aliyah's". This shows how badly some Jews yearn to live in the 'promised land' and how much they will risk to go there. Apparently all they needed to be able to move there is a sense of identity and culture.
Sorry this came late, I forgot about the assignment during the holidays.
http://www.ujc.org/page.aspx?id=78046
Growing up in a young Israel, my parent's generation was faced with a bittersweet childhood, on one hand they had a land to call home, but constantly dealt with foreign powers attempting to destroy Israel, forcing them to want a different life. For many Israeli's born from 1948-1975, America was seen as the only place that they could live in freedom and in peace. This triggered one of the most massive migrations of the era, and for a while, America alloted Israel one of the highest quotas for immigrants out of any country.
As my parents and their fellow Israelis started to move to the United States, Israel became a more developed country economically, militarily and culturally. This improvement in living conditions and identity prompted many Israeli Americans to move back to Israel. In fact, in 2008, for the first time ever, more Jews moved from America to Israel than the opposite. Amid all the violence that goes on in Israel, Jews finally stood up and made their "Aliyah's". This shows how badly some Jews yearn to live in the 'promised land' and how much they will risk to go there. Apparently all they needed to be able to move there is a sense of identity and culture.
Sorry this came late, I forgot about the assignment during the holidays.
http://www.ujc.org/page.aspx?id=78046
Friday, April 10, 2009
Family History Blog
Over the past few years I have tried to do some research about the origins of my family both through some information I have found at home in my house and through online sources. I have been intrigued in my ancestry since I was in high school and began to learn, through my parents and relatives, some of the stories and history of my family. I personally have a wide background ancestrally and I have come to learn bits and pieces about the people who came before me. I have learned that I have at least two sets of grandparents who came through Ellis Island (I have not had much luck actually confirming this through online sources) and I have learned about what some of my grandparents did for their jobs. It has been interesting learning further about how my ancestors are and I hope to one day be able to further research my family.
I am a quarter Polish, Irish, Ukrainian, and Swedish. I have some information about relatives on my Polish, Irish, and Ukrainian sides, but some of the information I have found seems to contradict that. One of the more interesting aspects of my family history seems to be on my Ukrainian side. About a year and a half ago I was cleaning out the basement of my house and I came across some information about one of my great grandfathers. I had been told by my dad that my great grandfather, John Rimetz, was from the Ukraine and that therefore the origin on my last name (Rimetz) was Ukrainian. According to the U.S. Passport that belonged to my great grandfather, though, it said that his country of origin was Austria. This information seemed to contradict the information that I had been given over the past few years. So far I have been unable to figure out why the passport lists him as Austrian. One possibility I have thought of is that my great grandfather did not truly know where he was from and thought that he was Austrian. According to his death certificate, my great grandfather served the U.S. Army during World War I, so therefore he had to have immigrated to America while he was still somewhat young, as he would have been 21 when the war started in Europe. This is one of the more interesting story involving my ancestry.
Another interesting story involving my ancestors is on my Irish side. I also came across the death certificate for my other great grandfather who was from Ireland. I had always been told that he had been mugged and killed in New York City, but according to the death certificate, it is said that he claimed it was a fall in the street and that he was in the hospital in the three days before he died. The medical examiner even ruled it an accident and had homicide was not a possibility. This completely contradicts what I had previously been told and that since there was no investigation into his death it is impossible to tell how he really died and who may have murdered him. I have always been interested in that story, but am unsure of how to further go about it.
According to my father, both of his grandparents (my Irish and Ukrainian side) both passed through Ellis Island and that he is able to traced his Irish family back to County Mayo in Ireland. Other than that he does not know much else about the Irish or Ukrainian side of the family. As for my mother’s side of the family, her cousins have visited Poland and can be traced back the Polish side of their family. I have been unable to speak to this side of my family since their trip to Poland about a year ago. I would like to learn more about their journey and my mother has said they know a lot about the Polish side of my family. I find it interesting that I will be visiting Poland soon and who knows, maybe I will end up running into some family out there (although I don’t really know any of their names or anything). I have always found my ancestry interesting and I will definitely look to better define it as time goes on. I am always interested in learning about my relatives and maybe even getting into contact with members of my family tree who still live in their native countries. Who knows what the future will hold regarding that.
I am a quarter Polish, Irish, Ukrainian, and Swedish. I have some information about relatives on my Polish, Irish, and Ukrainian sides, but some of the information I have found seems to contradict that. One of the more interesting aspects of my family history seems to be on my Ukrainian side. About a year and a half ago I was cleaning out the basement of my house and I came across some information about one of my great grandfathers. I had been told by my dad that my great grandfather, John Rimetz, was from the Ukraine and that therefore the origin on my last name (Rimetz) was Ukrainian. According to the U.S. Passport that belonged to my great grandfather, though, it said that his country of origin was Austria. This information seemed to contradict the information that I had been given over the past few years. So far I have been unable to figure out why the passport lists him as Austrian. One possibility I have thought of is that my great grandfather did not truly know where he was from and thought that he was Austrian. According to his death certificate, my great grandfather served the U.S. Army during World War I, so therefore he had to have immigrated to America while he was still somewhat young, as he would have been 21 when the war started in Europe. This is one of the more interesting story involving my ancestry.
Another interesting story involving my ancestors is on my Irish side. I also came across the death certificate for my other great grandfather who was from Ireland. I had always been told that he had been mugged and killed in New York City, but according to the death certificate, it is said that he claimed it was a fall in the street and that he was in the hospital in the three days before he died. The medical examiner even ruled it an accident and had homicide was not a possibility. This completely contradicts what I had previously been told and that since there was no investigation into his death it is impossible to tell how he really died and who may have murdered him. I have always been interested in that story, but am unsure of how to further go about it.
According to my father, both of his grandparents (my Irish and Ukrainian side) both passed through Ellis Island and that he is able to traced his Irish family back to County Mayo in Ireland. Other than that he does not know much else about the Irish or Ukrainian side of the family. As for my mother’s side of the family, her cousins have visited Poland and can be traced back the Polish side of their family. I have been unable to speak to this side of my family since their trip to Poland about a year ago. I would like to learn more about their journey and my mother has said they know a lot about the Polish side of my family. I find it interesting that I will be visiting Poland soon and who knows, maybe I will end up running into some family out there (although I don’t really know any of their names or anything). I have always found my ancestry interesting and I will definitely look to better define it as time goes on. I am always interested in learning about my relatives and maybe even getting into contact with members of my family tree who still live in their native countries. Who knows what the future will hold regarding that.
Meanings of America
My family history is one filled with exciting yet depressing stories. As you may have seen or guessed from my red hair, freckles, and blue eyes, I am Irish, but only 50% (though I’ve seemed to have received all the Irish genes!). During a project to create a family tree I began to search and discover things about my ancient relatives that I never knew. My great great ect grandparents on my mothers side came from Ireland during the Potato Famine, fleeing from starvation and death. While I am told they came through Elis Island, this was before the Island started taking records of their immigrants. Like all Irish immigrants entering the US at this time, they had it tough with the discrimination they faced from Americans who thought the Irish were diseased and taking all their jobs. In an article from the Daily News a mass grave was recently discovered where 57 Irish Immigrants perished soon after arriving in Pennsylvania. Update: Bones may reveal Pa. grave of Irish immigrants in Chesco by Jennifer Miller helps describe and confirm my ancestor’s experiences of being shunned by communities. In this article it is believed that the Irish men died from cholera ingested from water, yet they were shunned by the local community because of their Irish Catholic religion. These men, like my family struggled to prove their devotion to America and some even died for it.
On my father’s side I have a little more information. My grandmother’s father traveled from France to NYC to escape WWI. Thankfully I have been able to discover his records in the Elis Island database. My great grandfather moved to PA, married, had 3 children, and started a logging business. However, my great grandmother was none too fond of the wilderness and while my grandmother was a baby, left and never returned. My Great grandfather tried to raise the children himself but couldn’t (not to mention his brother blew up the house by storing dynamite there, thankfully no one was hurt!). My grandmother and her brother and sister moved in with their aunt, however hard times hit and the family was forced to send my grandmother’s sister to live on a farm to work. My Grandmother never saw her sister again and it is a mystery what became of her.
America and Americans are strange and different from other nations because the term does not represent an ethnic group that is connected to citizenship. Instead America is made up of multiple cultures and ethnicities none of which is seen as “more American.” Instead being American comes from the love for this nation and a willingness to help it. My ancestors, while they were Irish and French, they became Americans by loving this nation and helping it prosper. I believe people need to get over what your skin color is or you native language, we need to see beyond this into each others hearts and come to the conclusion that we are equal. Today many see people from Muslim countries as dangerous and treat them with animosity, just like people did to my ancestors in the past. America is beautiful and loved, not just by Americans but by people all over the world. We can not hoard America and what it stands for for ourselves, it would not be America if it was not a dream and an opportunity open and hoped for by all.
On my father’s side I have a little more information. My grandmother’s father traveled from France to NYC to escape WWI. Thankfully I have been able to discover his records in the Elis Island database. My great grandfather moved to PA, married, had 3 children, and started a logging business. However, my great grandmother was none too fond of the wilderness and while my grandmother was a baby, left and never returned. My Great grandfather tried to raise the children himself but couldn’t (not to mention his brother blew up the house by storing dynamite there, thankfully no one was hurt!). My grandmother and her brother and sister moved in with their aunt, however hard times hit and the family was forced to send my grandmother’s sister to live on a farm to work. My Grandmother never saw her sister again and it is a mystery what became of her.
America and Americans are strange and different from other nations because the term does not represent an ethnic group that is connected to citizenship. Instead America is made up of multiple cultures and ethnicities none of which is seen as “more American.” Instead being American comes from the love for this nation and a willingness to help it. My ancestors, while they were Irish and French, they became Americans by loving this nation and helping it prosper. I believe people need to get over what your skin color is or you native language, we need to see beyond this into each others hearts and come to the conclusion that we are equal. Today many see people from Muslim countries as dangerous and treat them with animosity, just like people did to my ancestors in the past. America is beautiful and loved, not just by Americans but by people all over the world. We can not hoard America and what it stands for for ourselves, it would not be America if it was not a dream and an opportunity open and hoped for by all.
Norwegian, Irish, French-Canadian and Dutch....got a bit of it all.
My mother’s side of the family is broken up into French-Canadians and Irish immigrants. My father’s side is more Scandinavian descent, namely Dutch and Norwegian. I know that my grandfather’s (on my mom’s side) parents were from Canada and immigrated down to settle in Adams, Massachusetts. Their family name is Vincelette. My grandmother’s (also on my mom’s side) family was from Ireland. I’m not sure which generation exactly were the immigrants directly from Ireland, but I do know that their family name was Turner. Going to my father’s parents, my grandmother’s maiden name was Anderson and I’m pretty sure her parents were from Norway. I’m not too sure which generation of my grandfather’s family came from the Netherlands with the last name Van Nostrand.
I think I would blend in with the people of Norway and the Netherlands because I am a blonde with blue eyes and exceptionally high-structured cheek bones, which my dad always tells me is my Norwegian roots showing through. My mom tells me that I tan like my grandfather and always have pretty dark skin so it’s my French-Canadian blood coming through. I don’t know how true that statement is, but we’ll go with it.
My grandmother’s, whose maiden name was Anderson, father’s original name was Isaacson. When he came over from Norway he thought the name was a bit too Scandinavian-sounding, so he changed it to Anderson.
In an article I found on FOXNews.com that was dated back in March of 2007, it talks about how President Bush wanted Congress to pass some kind of law, or approval of the 50,000-70,000 illegal Irish immigrants that are living in the United States at the time. I’m pretty torn about what to do in this situation, because we are all immigrants to this land, and to turn anyone away I feel is quite unfair. If my ancestors were torn away from this country, then I wouldn’t be here today. But then again there is only so many jobs that can be offered in our country. It’s a Catch-22.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,259144,00.html
I think I would blend in with the people of Norway and the Netherlands because I am a blonde with blue eyes and exceptionally high-structured cheek bones, which my dad always tells me is my Norwegian roots showing through. My mom tells me that I tan like my grandfather and always have pretty dark skin so it’s my French-Canadian blood coming through. I don’t know how true that statement is, but we’ll go with it.
My grandmother’s, whose maiden name was Anderson, father’s original name was Isaacson. When he came over from Norway he thought the name was a bit too Scandinavian-sounding, so he changed it to Anderson.
In an article I found on FOXNews.com that was dated back in March of 2007, it talks about how President Bush wanted Congress to pass some kind of law, or approval of the 50,000-70,000 illegal Irish immigrants that are living in the United States at the time. I’m pretty torn about what to do in this situation, because we are all immigrants to this land, and to turn anyone away I feel is quite unfair. If my ancestors were torn away from this country, then I wouldn’t be here today. But then again there is only so many jobs that can be offered in our country. It’s a Catch-22.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,259144,00.html
Immigration Yesterday and Today
My cultural history is a unique combination of Italian, Irish, and Lithuanian. On my mother’s side of the family my ancestors are primarily from Italy while on my father’s side of the family my ancestors are from Lithuania. My great grandmother on my father’s side came over from Lithuania in 1910 arriving by way of Ellis Island in New York. My great grandfather arrived through Ellis Island as well but at that time by great grandmother and grandfather did not know each other. My great grandfather had his named changed to Smith when he arrived in America. After proceeding through Ellis Island, he settled in South Boston where he met my great grandmother. They married and relocated to Charlestown, near Boston where many Polish and Lithuanian immigrants settled. Great Grandpa Smith worked in a bakery in North Station that made dog biscuits while Nana Smith was a housemaid. Nana Smith lived to be 98 years old. Most of my family still resides around Boston today, not leaving the place where my ancestors first experienced the American life.
While I was unable to find articles solely on immigrants from Lithuania, immigration as a whole is a controversial topic in current news. President Obama faces several issues concerning immigration in the United States and he plans to address the immigration system this coming year which will include looking for a way for illegal immigrants to become legal. With the economy ailing, many people believe Mr. Obama has other more pressing issues such as health care and energy proposals that need to take priority before immigration. Opponents to Mr. Obama, mainly Republicans are going to rally opposition focusing on Obama’s efforts to legalize unauthorized immigrant workers when so many American workers are unemployed. Roy Beck an executive director of NumbersUSA which is a group that favors reduced immigration states, “It just doesn’t seem rational that any political leader would say, let’s give millions of foreign workers permanent access to U.S. jobs when we have millions of Americans looking for jobs.” According Beck, Mr. Obama is going to face an explosion of opposition if he precedes with his immigration plans this year with the economy the way it is. Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, a Democrat from Chicago, has been on the roads most weekends since December speaking in places such as Hispanic churches to rally up support for Mr. Obama’s immigration plans. The article elaborates, “Mr. Gutierrez was in Philadelphia on Saturday at the Iglesia Internacional, a big Hispanic evangelical church in a former warehouse, the 17th meeting in a tour that has included cities as far flung as Providence, R.I.; Atlanta; Miami; and San Francisco. Greeted with cheers and amens by a full house of about 350 people, Mr. Gutierrez, shifting fluidly between Spanish and English, called for immigration policies to preserve family unity, the strategic theme of his campaign.” Hispanic immigrants are the most vulnerable because many illegal immigrants can easily gain access to the United States through the country’s border with Mexico if they have the money to be smuggled across. Immigration does need to be address. I believe that it is a good idea for Mr. Obama to deal with immigration because it as well impacts the economy. I am still divided on whether illegal immigrants should be legalized. Immigrants once legal would be able to participate in the economy by purchasing houses and paying taxes through legal paychecks; however, many immigrants are uneducated and could potentially drain programs that are designed to help struggling, out of work American citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html?_r=1&hp
While I was unable to find articles solely on immigrants from Lithuania, immigration as a whole is a controversial topic in current news. President Obama faces several issues concerning immigration in the United States and he plans to address the immigration system this coming year which will include looking for a way for illegal immigrants to become legal. With the economy ailing, many people believe Mr. Obama has other more pressing issues such as health care and energy proposals that need to take priority before immigration. Opponents to Mr. Obama, mainly Republicans are going to rally opposition focusing on Obama’s efforts to legalize unauthorized immigrant workers when so many American workers are unemployed. Roy Beck an executive director of NumbersUSA which is a group that favors reduced immigration states, “It just doesn’t seem rational that any political leader would say, let’s give millions of foreign workers permanent access to U.S. jobs when we have millions of Americans looking for jobs.” According Beck, Mr. Obama is going to face an explosion of opposition if he precedes with his immigration plans this year with the economy the way it is. Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, a Democrat from Chicago, has been on the roads most weekends since December speaking in places such as Hispanic churches to rally up support for Mr. Obama’s immigration plans. The article elaborates, “Mr. Gutierrez was in Philadelphia on Saturday at the Iglesia Internacional, a big Hispanic evangelical church in a former warehouse, the 17th meeting in a tour that has included cities as far flung as Providence, R.I.; Atlanta; Miami; and San Francisco. Greeted with cheers and amens by a full house of about 350 people, Mr. Gutierrez, shifting fluidly between Spanish and English, called for immigration policies to preserve family unity, the strategic theme of his campaign.” Hispanic immigrants are the most vulnerable because many illegal immigrants can easily gain access to the United States through the country’s border with Mexico if they have the money to be smuggled across. Immigration does need to be address. I believe that it is a good idea for Mr. Obama to deal with immigration because it as well impacts the economy. I am still divided on whether illegal immigrants should be legalized. Immigrants once legal would be able to participate in the economy by purchasing houses and paying taxes through legal paychecks; however, many immigrants are uneducated and could potentially drain programs that are designed to help struggling, out of work American citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html?_r=1&hp
Journey to America
You wouldn't know it just by looking at me but my Dad is a little Italian man, curly black hair althought its getting grey now, short and fat. He was born and raised in Italy, moved to Venezuela with his family when he was a teenager and then evenetually made it to America. This is his story.
My Grandfather was a prisoner of War during WWII. He was fighting for Italy and was a prisoner to the Americans. After four years he was finally realeased. That was when he decided that there was really nothing for his family is Italy. They were dirt poor and the only money they had was the money they made that day. My grandfathers sister was an American citizen because she had married an American man. My grandfather thought that if he got to America and started working that it would be easier and faster to become a citizen instead of waiting in Italy with nothing. He traveled down to Naples, Italy where American ships were at port. He sneaked on the boat and hid for entire trip to America. When he got close to America he found clothes of the workers and put them on. With the outfit and the attitude he smiled and walked off the boat with the rest of the crew. His sister knew that he was coming. They found each other and for the next 5 years my grandfather worked in America. He sold ice and coal. Eventually the word got out that he was illegal and the FBI found him. Becuase he had nothing, no passport, no visa, so licence or social security card he was sent to Ellis Island. After a few days they sent him back to Italy.
After being in America for so long my Grandfather knew he had to get his family there if they wanted a better life. At this time Venezuela and Italy were allies so people from Italy could travel back and forth without paperwork or visas. My Grandfather took a boat to Venezuela, bought a little piece of land to farm. The land came with a house although better described as a shack. It was made of wood planks and corigated metal. There were dirt floors, no running water, and no electricty. Yet he believed this was getting him closer to America. He called his family and told them to come over. My Grandmother, dad and his sister and brother all left everything behind in Italy and went to venezuela. At this time, becuase my Grandfathers sister was an American citizen it made it easier to get my dads family paperwork to get there. There was a program set up where an American citizen, my Grandfathers sister, could ask for her family members to come over. At this time my Grandfather and his sister got all of the paperwork in order. Then they waited. As soon as my Dads family got to call that they could go to America they had to be ready to leave the next day. They had nothing but the clothes on their back and a small bag of stuff. They took what they had and were sent to a quarantine in Venezeula where they stayed for about a week and a half. During that time they had to have all their medical testing done. On March 31, 1960 they got their green cards and were cleared to go to America. They got on a plane and flew into JFK airport. As soon as they got off the plane they walk through immigration to check the paper work and then they were free to go. Welcome to America!
My Grandfather was a prisoner of War during WWII. He was fighting for Italy and was a prisoner to the Americans. After four years he was finally realeased. That was when he decided that there was really nothing for his family is Italy. They were dirt poor and the only money they had was the money they made that day. My grandfathers sister was an American citizen because she had married an American man. My grandfather thought that if he got to America and started working that it would be easier and faster to become a citizen instead of waiting in Italy with nothing. He traveled down to Naples, Italy where American ships were at port. He sneaked on the boat and hid for entire trip to America. When he got close to America he found clothes of the workers and put them on. With the outfit and the attitude he smiled and walked off the boat with the rest of the crew. His sister knew that he was coming. They found each other and for the next 5 years my grandfather worked in America. He sold ice and coal. Eventually the word got out that he was illegal and the FBI found him. Becuase he had nothing, no passport, no visa, so licence or social security card he was sent to Ellis Island. After a few days they sent him back to Italy.
After being in America for so long my Grandfather knew he had to get his family there if they wanted a better life. At this time Venezuela and Italy were allies so people from Italy could travel back and forth without paperwork or visas. My Grandfather took a boat to Venezuela, bought a little piece of land to farm. The land came with a house although better described as a shack. It was made of wood planks and corigated metal. There were dirt floors, no running water, and no electricty. Yet he believed this was getting him closer to America. He called his family and told them to come over. My Grandmother, dad and his sister and brother all left everything behind in Italy and went to venezuela. At this time, becuase my Grandfathers sister was an American citizen it made it easier to get my dads family paperwork to get there. There was a program set up where an American citizen, my Grandfathers sister, could ask for her family members to come over. At this time my Grandfather and his sister got all of the paperwork in order. Then they waited. As soon as my Dads family got to call that they could go to America they had to be ready to leave the next day. They had nothing but the clothes on their back and a small bag of stuff. They took what they had and were sent to a quarantine in Venezeula where they stayed for about a week and a half. During that time they had to have all their medical testing done. On March 31, 1960 they got their green cards and were cleared to go to America. They got on a plane and flew into JFK airport. As soon as they got off the plane they walk through immigration to check the paper work and then they were free to go. Welcome to America!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Immigration then and today. Written by an American
Immigration has made America the melting pot it is today. Beginning as early as the 1600’s the first immigrants settled in the United States looking for various things amongst most were freedom. Immigration has continued to present day, legal and illegal, and it is still continuing to shape the social climate of America today. Many immigrants were met with hostility from being different and each group shares a unique story of their experience in the new world. Even today, most individuals in America connect with their homeland and are proud of their heritage. It is commonplace to see Puerto Rican and Italian flags on people’s cars and t-shirts, or a Mexican flag flying on a flagpole. These individuals are proud and because they are in America have the right to share that pride with the rest of the country. My family does not identify with our heritage too much and consider ourselves Americans. My parent’s parents were born in American and they consider themselves American. We have all grown up here and believe this is our home. We are respectful of our earlier heritage but identify with America the most. Instead of speaking about a personal immigration story in this blog I am going to discuss the experiences that my family, Italians, experienced when immigrating to America, and an issue Obama is dealing with right now concerning immigration.
Most Italians who migrated to America had agricultural skills, which were rendered useless because the cheap land in America had been bought up by the time Italians landed. These individuals were forced to move to more urban areas and take on lower level jobs such as shoe shining, rag picking, and sewer cleaning. Italians would accept any job that anyone else wouldn’t do. Most Italians would settled all over the US based on where they originated from and did not hesitate to mix in with non-Italians descendents. Italians are very proud of their homeland and have kept much of their culture in tact while in America; included their food, drink, art, and family values. Most Italians came to America with the idea of staying briefly only to earn money and then return to Italy, but only 1 in 4 ended up leaving due to the war or personal preference.
Currently, President Obama is facing several issues concerning immigration in the United States. “There are roughly 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. In addition to making a way for some of them to stay in the country legally, CNN has learned the Obama administration wants to remove incentives to enter the U.S. illegally, beef up border security and work with Mexico to cut down on illegal immigration.” (Lothian and Hornick) Many argue that Obama is taking on too much, too soon in his presidency and that he should be focusing on the economic climate in America. Obama supporters believe that “this actually is a good time to bring it up because immigration is tied so closely with our economy and what drives economic growth is economic development." (Lothian and Hornick) It is said that if these illegal immigrants were given rights that they would be able to come out from the dark and purchase homes, and goods that would in return stimulate the economy. After watching the video in class and learning of the strict rules we had for immigrants in the beginning I cannot believe we could go form that to allowing illegal immigrants to live in America. Many of these immigrants are uneducated and will drain government funding through social security and other benefits. America is also becoming too crowded and this would only promote more illegal immigration. I do believe it’s a good thing that Obama is tackling the issue of immigration because it is pertinent given our current economy.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/09/obama.immigration/index.html
Most Italians who migrated to America had agricultural skills, which were rendered useless because the cheap land in America had been bought up by the time Italians landed. These individuals were forced to move to more urban areas and take on lower level jobs such as shoe shining, rag picking, and sewer cleaning. Italians would accept any job that anyone else wouldn’t do. Most Italians would settled all over the US based on where they originated from and did not hesitate to mix in with non-Italians descendents. Italians are very proud of their homeland and have kept much of their culture in tact while in America; included their food, drink, art, and family values. Most Italians came to America with the idea of staying briefly only to earn money and then return to Italy, but only 1 in 4 ended up leaving due to the war or personal preference.
Currently, President Obama is facing several issues concerning immigration in the United States. “There are roughly 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. In addition to making a way for some of them to stay in the country legally, CNN has learned the Obama administration wants to remove incentives to enter the U.S. illegally, beef up border security and work with Mexico to cut down on illegal immigration.” (Lothian and Hornick) Many argue that Obama is taking on too much, too soon in his presidency and that he should be focusing on the economic climate in America. Obama supporters believe that “this actually is a good time to bring it up because immigration is tied so closely with our economy and what drives economic growth is economic development." (Lothian and Hornick) It is said that if these illegal immigrants were given rights that they would be able to come out from the dark and purchase homes, and goods that would in return stimulate the economy. After watching the video in class and learning of the strict rules we had for immigrants in the beginning I cannot believe we could go form that to allowing illegal immigrants to live in America. Many of these immigrants are uneducated and will drain government funding through social security and other benefits. America is also becoming too crowded and this would only promote more illegal immigration. I do believe it’s a good thing that Obama is tackling the issue of immigration because it is pertinent given our current economy.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/09/obama.immigration/index.html
Polish Immigration
It has always been said that America is land of opportunity, where everyone is free. Many of our ancestors immigrated from other countries to find a better life in the United States. The Polish had two significant waves of people who came to the new world. The majority of Polish immigrants came in between the 1800’s and World War II. The Poles were one of the groups that came to America for a better opportunity and escape religious and political persecution.
The first major wave of Poles traveling to America totaled in at 2,000 people. In the early 1800’s the vast majority of this number were among the middle and lower class. They typically held positions such as nobles and intellectuals. The reason these people wanted to come to the US was to escape political revolts. (Polish Immigration into America)
The second boat of immigrants came in after WWII. The majority of these people were farmers who had lost there land and had nothing else. They came in search for a better life for them and their families.
This second wave was the biggest of the waves of immigration for the Poles. About 2.5 million Polish civilians came to Ellis island for a better life and to escape religious persecution. Some Poles wanted to make money in the US and send it back to their home land. Others wanted to start fresh in America and make it their home.
These immigrants either went through Castle Island or Ellis Island. Here there were many inspection processes. Doctors checked each individual for disease that could infect the American people. Only 2 percent of Poles got shipped back home.
After going through procedure at Ellis or Castle Island, Poles were thrown into a new world and a new life. Most of them stuck together and lived in a community. They had very close ties with their religion and established small Roman Catholic churches. The Polish finally assimilated into the typical American life.
Polish Immigration into America. Reisner, Lenny. http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/cur/kane98/kane_p3_immig/Poland/Polish.html
(I will find out more on my families story from my Grandmother over the holiday) =D
Immigrating from China
In discussing the immigration history of my ancestors, I do not have to look too far back. My father came to the United States from China in 1980, and his journey is quite an interesting story. Throughout my father’s childhood, the Communist Chinese government had interfered in his life, all occurring during the Cultural Revolution. I do not know the specifics, but his family consisted of landlords and they were at one point considered wealthy. This could not be tolerated and the land and property was taken away from my family. My father’s father and brother were brainwashed, tortured, and killed by communism. When my father was younger, his father told him that the only way to succeed and leave China was to study hard and be the best. So from an early age, my father spent all of his time studying. He entered Beijing University at the age of 16. All though he was at the top of his class, he was continually ostracized because of his family’s stance against the communist government. After finalizing his medical studies at the university, he was required to take a national test on his knowledge. His top scores qualified him to continue his studies in the United States, at the expense of the government. The plan was to send him to the hospital/university at Harvard, and he would return to China to be one of the first to perform the newly learned coronary bypass surgery.
So, he had no problems coming to the U.S., as the plan was to study here and then return. While in the U.S., my father had to consistently report back to a group which would watch him while he continued his studies. After his long and horrible history with the Chinese government, my father never planned on returning to China. Even though his journey to the U.S. was easy, the process to defect and stay was quite difficult. It took many months, lawyers, and expenses in order for my father to earn his freedom from the communist suppression.
I found an article, entitled Coming to America: The Story of Chinese Immigrants, which correlates with my father’s history. The article discusses the history of Chinese immigration to the U.S. In the early 1980s, the same time period my father came to the U.S., the number of Chinese students coming to the U.S. to study had skyrocketed. Also during this time period, “the Chinese government promised jobs in China to all students it sent to study in the U.S. and who received degrees from U.S. universities”. This is the same situation my father was in. Even though the promise sounds positive, from what my father tells me, it was not at all. The article also talks about a woman named Joyce Zhao, an English professor while in China, had limited choices in place of residence and where she taught. Even though the government had promised jobs and to some extent life security, these career choices and advancements were very restricted. Zhao had come to the U.S. in seek for more challenges and independence.
http://uschina.usc.edu/ShowFeature.aspx?articleID=890&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
So, he had no problems coming to the U.S., as the plan was to study here and then return. While in the U.S., my father had to consistently report back to a group which would watch him while he continued his studies. After his long and horrible history with the Chinese government, my father never planned on returning to China. Even though his journey to the U.S. was easy, the process to defect and stay was quite difficult. It took many months, lawyers, and expenses in order for my father to earn his freedom from the communist suppression.
I found an article, entitled Coming to America: The Story of Chinese Immigrants, which correlates with my father’s history. The article discusses the history of Chinese immigration to the U.S. In the early 1980s, the same time period my father came to the U.S., the number of Chinese students coming to the U.S. to study had skyrocketed. Also during this time period, “the Chinese government promised jobs in China to all students it sent to study in the U.S. and who received degrees from U.S. universities”. This is the same situation my father was in. Even though the promise sounds positive, from what my father tells me, it was not at all. The article also talks about a woman named Joyce Zhao, an English professor while in China, had limited choices in place of residence and where she taught. Even though the government had promised jobs and to some extent life security, these career choices and advancements were very restricted. Zhao had come to the U.S. in seek for more challenges and independence.
http://uschina.usc.edu/ShowFeature.aspx?articleID=890&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Irishtalian
I come from a very mixed ancestry. To me, it is really quite nice to have a blend of backgrounds because it makes me appreciate the differences in culture more than if I was only of one descent. Both of my parents have diverse ancestries leaving me to inherit an array of cultures and backgrounds spanning from the Middle East to Western Europe. On my father’s side, I am Italian and Turkish. His mother is completely Italian having ancestors from regions in southern Italy. His father was half Italian half Turkish. My father’s father [ my grandfather] died when my father was only 7, leaving him to be curious about much of his ancestry and past as it was never something discussed in great detail with his mother after the death of his father. As far as my father knows, a set of his great grandparents on his father’s side were from Turkey. My mother also has a variety of culture in her background. My mother’s father [ my grandfather] had relatives directly from Italy. My mother’s mother ( my grandmother) has relatives from Ireland, Scotland and Germany. As you can see, I am a mix of all types of ancestry and descents. I have a mix of physical characteristics that can be placed in several of these countries. One ancestry in particular that I know a little about is my Irish ancestry. I am closest with my mother’s mother [ my grandmother] and know that her Irish ancestry fought the hard battle that the majority of other Irish immigrants had to face when entering the United States. From the ride over on the disgusting often referred to as “ coffin ships,” the Irish fled Ireland because they did not want to die in poverty, oppressed by the British and fighting off the potato blight. Yet, when reaching the “ golden door” they thought of as America, the land of opportunity and of welcome, they were greeted with scouring faces and prejudice. After moving into America, towns of Irishmen and Irishwomen developed into “ Irish towns” or ‘ Shantys.” Irish could not find work in America and were often told “ NO IRISH NEED APPLY.” It was estimated that 80% of all newborns of Irish ancestry in the NYC area died because they lived in illness bred cellars and basements. This is something that definitely affected my ancestors as I know that my grandmother has often spoke of her grandparents and relatives living in NYC growing up and having to endure rough conditions.
http://www.kinsella.org/history/histira.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/27/navarette.may.27/index.html?iref=newssearch
I found this to be an interesting blog comment on how Hispanic immigration is similar to that of past-day Irish immigration : http://www.politicsincolor.com/blogs/marissa-trevi%C3%B1o/599/the-hispanic-immigrant-struggle-reflects-spirit-irish.html
http://www.kinsella.org/history/histira.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/27/navarette.may.27/index.html?iref=newssearch
I found this to be an interesting blog comment on how Hispanic immigration is similar to that of past-day Irish immigration : http://www.politicsincolor.com/blogs/marissa-trevi%C3%B1o/599/the-hispanic-immigrant-struggle-reflects-spirit-irish.html
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Italians in America
My ancestors are most from Southern Italy, particularly Abruzzi and Campobasso. I don't really have any stories of my ancestors because most of them I never met. I know that there are some of my family members left in Italy, but our family is unsure where they are living.
But I did some research on the mass emigration from Italy between 1876 to 1976, mostly to the United States. In 1850, less than 4,000 Italians were reported to be living in the United States, and then in 1880 the Italian population skyrocketed to 44,000 people and then 484,027 Italians by 1900. Throughout the mass migration southern Italian immigrants were the dominate group of Italians coming over to America. Despite the increased number of immigrants, the Italians were actually not the largest foreign group in U.S. cities; Italians made up 1.5% of the U.S. population at its peak.
Italians started working in jobs such as shoe shining, sewer cleaning, ragpicking, or whatever dirty, hard, and dangerous jobs that other people didn't want. Even children started work at a young age, at the expense of their educations. And something I found really interesting was that the Italians were one of the few ethnic groups known for NOT resorting to accepting charity, or turning to prostitution for money; I feel sort of proud that the Italians had some morals and beliefs they stood for.
Like other ethnic groups, the Italians clustered in groups all around America. More specifically, Neapolitans and Sicilians particularly settled around New York, and people from Sicily settled on certain streets, etc. But despite all the clustering of Italians, another interesting point was that there were never all-Italian neighborhoods; there would be some areas or streets with a large number of Italians from a certain part of Italy, but never towns or cities where everyone was an Italian.
A final thing I found while researching was that Italians tended to have horrible living conditions. Most of the places they lived were overcrowded and filthy; the laborers also had a tendency to not eat a lot of food in order to conserve what little food they did have and in order to save money. But then as more and more generations of Italians came over from Italy, their homes started to become less dirty and more home-like. Italians were noted to be very diligent workmen; in later years they obtained jobs as: shoemakers, fruit sellers, fishermen, waiters, and tradesmen.
http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Italian.html
But I did some research on the mass emigration from Italy between 1876 to 1976, mostly to the United States. In 1850, less than 4,000 Italians were reported to be living in the United States, and then in 1880 the Italian population skyrocketed to 44,000 people and then 484,027 Italians by 1900. Throughout the mass migration southern Italian immigrants were the dominate group of Italians coming over to America. Despite the increased number of immigrants, the Italians were actually not the largest foreign group in U.S. cities; Italians made up 1.5% of the U.S. population at its peak.
Italians started working in jobs such as shoe shining, sewer cleaning, ragpicking, or whatever dirty, hard, and dangerous jobs that other people didn't want. Even children started work at a young age, at the expense of their educations. And something I found really interesting was that the Italians were one of the few ethnic groups known for NOT resorting to accepting charity, or turning to prostitution for money; I feel sort of proud that the Italians had some morals and beliefs they stood for.
Like other ethnic groups, the Italians clustered in groups all around America. More specifically, Neapolitans and Sicilians particularly settled around New York, and people from Sicily settled on certain streets, etc. But despite all the clustering of Italians, another interesting point was that there were never all-Italian neighborhoods; there would be some areas or streets with a large number of Italians from a certain part of Italy, but never towns or cities where everyone was an Italian.
A final thing I found while researching was that Italians tended to have horrible living conditions. Most of the places they lived were overcrowded and filthy; the laborers also had a tendency to not eat a lot of food in order to conserve what little food they did have and in order to save money. But then as more and more generations of Italians came over from Italy, their homes started to become less dirty and more home-like. Italians were noted to be very diligent workmen; in later years they obtained jobs as: shoemakers, fruit sellers, fishermen, waiters, and tradesmen.
http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Italian.html
Thursday, April 2, 2009
You Do What You Have To Do.
After reading Maus, there were a few parts in the comic book that I felt were so emotional and passionate. The story of Vladek and Anja and their son Richieu. On page 66, the Vladek is returning from war to Anja and there is just a moment where they embrace each other and it is finally a permanent reunion for him with his family. This moment in the book struck me because I, as well as many other people I’m sure, have had those moments in their life where they haven’t seen a loved one in a long time and that immense relief of just ‘ ok, I’m here, we’re together,’ just floods every muscle in your body. The excitement building up to seeing a long lost love again is strenuous and nerve-racking so that relief, that release of hope is finally successful when you embrace that loved one. It is a powerful moment in the book when he picks up Richieu, his now 2.5 year old son and he is screaming because his Dad’s buttons on his jacket are cold. Vladek is taken aback and thinks that he doesn’t know who he is, but it’s just because his buttons are cold on his jacket. I feel this just shows how life can continue while there is a loved one missing and the son is just taking in each moment as they come and not worrying or stressing over his father not being there. This is due to the son’s age, however it’s a lesson that every age can learn from. On page 109, I was really moved by this passage where Tosha decides to commit suicide and the three children she has with her instead of die in a gas chamber. She always carried around a bottle of poison and decided to commit not only murder but suicide. This is a powerful thought and point in time as it is representing how the Jews were resilient in their beliefs and if everything else was taken away from them, if they could control at least how they died, they would. I can comprehend was Tosha decided to do, I do not necessarily agree with it, because it is such a morbid and hurtful task to accomplish. This section represents to me the idea of when a person has all their freedoms stripped from them and all they have left is the choice of how to die. This brings to light how many freedoms I live with today and take for granted. The “problems” I feel I have in my life are significantly diminished if not completely erased by the thought of how the Jews were treated back in Poland during Hitler’s reign.
It's incredible all of the sacrifices that not only Vladek makes throughout his story, but all of his family members and friends. His friends who were hung, that was a point were the story started to finally show and foreshadow the horrific events that will happen to the rest of the Jewish community. I truly felt bad and upset when there were the drawings of Vladek's friends hung and he kept playing the image of it in his head he sat and thought about what his next move would be. He was always planning his next " move" his next escape and way to keep himself and his family safe and out of harms away. Thinking he could save Richieu's life, he sent him away with Tosha only to have his son posioned by Tosha right before he would have been gassed in Auschwitz. Anja is constantly upset and is heart broken about Bibi ,Tosha and her baby Richieu. She flings herself to the ground on page 122 and is desperate to die and give up. Vladek will not let her. He makes the point of being together and they must struggle to live. Vladek did everything he had to in order to keep the family, Anja, he did have together and safe.
Hiding in bunkers, barely being able to eat and try to provide for his wife, Vladek proved that even in the worst of times you can keep going and you can survive. His hope and efforts to stay alive made him succeed.
After reading this book it makes me realize more about what Auschwitz means to people even today. I feel that when we go to visit Auschwitz I will appreciate the historical factors of it more and be able to understand and visualize what happened there years and years ago. It is not a place of happy memories, but right now in my thoughts it stands for a place where innocent people were killed and others survived and escaped from. It is a place that separated and divided families, devastated millions and was the physical representation of evil.
I appreciated the ‘ cat and mouse’ aspect of the book and how the author tried to create this little world animals drawings to represent what was happening in such a horrible time. I feel that it makes it easier to connect to the characters because you are truly reading their feelings and thoughts and regardless if they’re human or mouse it’s in front of you, moving your thoughts around into patterns and ways that maybe aren’t pleasant, but the author got me to feel what each character did at certain points.
I can relate Maus to my own life in that I have overcome some particularly gruesome and truly empty moments in my life, not nearly to the extent of the holocaust, but I still have had similar feelings to Vladek. I have never given up even when there was another horrible thing coming my way, I plan and I figure out a way to get around it. Survival is key when bad things begin to happen and they are out of your control.
It's incredible all of the sacrifices that not only Vladek makes throughout his story, but all of his family members and friends. His friends who were hung, that was a point were the story started to finally show and foreshadow the horrific events that will happen to the rest of the Jewish community. I truly felt bad and upset when there were the drawings of Vladek's friends hung and he kept playing the image of it in his head he sat and thought about what his next move would be. He was always planning his next " move" his next escape and way to keep himself and his family safe and out of harms away. Thinking he could save Richieu's life, he sent him away with Tosha only to have his son posioned by Tosha right before he would have been gassed in Auschwitz. Anja is constantly upset and is heart broken about Bibi ,Tosha and her baby Richieu. She flings herself to the ground on page 122 and is desperate to die and give up. Vladek will not let her. He makes the point of being together and they must struggle to live. Vladek did everything he had to in order to keep the family, Anja, he did have together and safe.
Hiding in bunkers, barely being able to eat and try to provide for his wife, Vladek proved that even in the worst of times you can keep going and you can survive. His hope and efforts to stay alive made him succeed.
After reading this book it makes me realize more about what Auschwitz means to people even today. I feel that when we go to visit Auschwitz I will appreciate the historical factors of it more and be able to understand and visualize what happened there years and years ago. It is not a place of happy memories, but right now in my thoughts it stands for a place where innocent people were killed and others survived and escaped from. It is a place that separated and divided families, devastated millions and was the physical representation of evil.
I appreciated the ‘ cat and mouse’ aspect of the book and how the author tried to create this little world animals drawings to represent what was happening in such a horrible time. I feel that it makes it easier to connect to the characters because you are truly reading their feelings and thoughts and regardless if they’re human or mouse it’s in front of you, moving your thoughts around into patterns and ways that maybe aren’t pleasant, but the author got me to feel what each character did at certain points.
I can relate Maus to my own life in that I have overcome some particularly gruesome and truly empty moments in my life, not nearly to the extent of the holocaust, but I still have had similar feelings to Vladek. I have never given up even when there was another horrible thing coming my way, I plan and I figure out a way to get around it. Survival is key when bad things begin to happen and they are out of your control.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
"You have to struggle for life"
A particular moving part of the “Maus,” story is in chapter 5 on page 122. At this point Vladek and Anja have just heard of Richieu's death and Anja cannot handle the immense emotions it evokes. She is so overwhelmed by the situation that she tells Vladek that she wants to die. Vladek holds Anja and tells her “to die, its easy… but you have to struggle for life.” Even though this story is told as ac artoon, the visual that accompanies this scene is powerful. Anja breaks down and falls to the ground once she hears the news about Richieu. The next image shows her screaming that she doesn’t want to live and Vladek is embracing her attempting to comfort her.
This scene is gut wrenching and makes you appreciate the bonds of family. Vladek and Anja had been through so much devastation and seen vast amounts of torture but still the one thing that made Anja want to die was the death of her child. Seeing the Nazis take over their country and ruin lives was nothing compared to their child being exterminated? I cannot image the strength it took Vladek to remain a pillar of support for Anja at this time and embrace her. The death of Richieu broke Anja down to the point when she didn’t feel human. How could Vladek find the strength to keep his composure and be there for Anja? Its amazing that Vladek was able to console her and literally pick her up off the groun and save her life. They both knew that the future was bleak but still were able to move on through the strength of being together. Without Vladek, Anja would have given up and not moved from the ground. This illustrates the importance of love and family in everyday life.
I thought it was very fitting that Vladek said dying is easy but you have to struggle for life. This scene stands out to me because I think every reader of this story can take something away from this specific part. No matter how much I my schedule is busy, or my homework assignments are meaningless, or issues I have with girls, it is what makes life worth living. We wouldn’t be living if we weren’t struggling. I think what Vladek said can be applied to everyone’s lives. If everything in life is handed to you and you never have to struggle then are you really living? Strength, knowledge, and creativity stems from struggles and obstacles. How can someone who never faces obstacles truly grow as a person and fully mature? If you asked me throughout the day if I would like everything handed to me, I like everyone else, would probably say “yes please, just give me the answer!” But after analyzing this scene in the story I think what Vladek said is relevant to my daily life. My situations are not on the same scale as this story but they definitely apply and prove that I must encounter and overcome struggle sin my life by leaning on support of my personal and professional networks.
This scene is gut wrenching and makes you appreciate the bonds of family. Vladek and Anja had been through so much devastation and seen vast amounts of torture but still the one thing that made Anja want to die was the death of her child. Seeing the Nazis take over their country and ruin lives was nothing compared to their child being exterminated? I cannot image the strength it took Vladek to remain a pillar of support for Anja at this time and embrace her. The death of Richieu broke Anja down to the point when she didn’t feel human. How could Vladek find the strength to keep his composure and be there for Anja? Its amazing that Vladek was able to console her and literally pick her up off the groun and save her life. They both knew that the future was bleak but still were able to move on through the strength of being together. Without Vladek, Anja would have given up and not moved from the ground. This illustrates the importance of love and family in everyday life.
I thought it was very fitting that Vladek said dying is easy but you have to struggle for life. This scene stands out to me because I think every reader of this story can take something away from this specific part. No matter how much I my schedule is busy, or my homework assignments are meaningless, or issues I have with girls, it is what makes life worth living. We wouldn’t be living if we weren’t struggling. I think what Vladek said can be applied to everyone’s lives. If everything in life is handed to you and you never have to struggle then are you really living? Strength, knowledge, and creativity stems from struggles and obstacles. How can someone who never faces obstacles truly grow as a person and fully mature? If you asked me throughout the day if I would like everything handed to me, I like everyone else, would probably say “yes please, just give me the answer!” But after analyzing this scene in the story I think what Vladek said is relevant to my daily life. My situations are not on the same scale as this story but they definitely apply and prove that I must encounter and overcome struggle sin my life by leaning on support of my personal and professional networks.
Maus and reunions
When reading Maus, I was pleasantly surprised as it was much different than the typical Holocaust story. As a Jew, I have pretty much read and watched every holocaust book or movie that I have ever come across, it was beaten into my brain since I can remember.....
My favorite part of any Holocaust story is not the violence, betrayal, hatred etc. It is the stories of family reunions. This is what drew me immediately to the end of the story, when Anja and Vladek are reunited.
Anja and Vladek defied all odds when they met again. Countless numbers of families simply could not find their relatives after the war was over, they did not have homes to go back to. Vladek going back to Poland to look for Anja exemplofies the way that love and family are the things that got the Jews through this ordeal. Vladek thought about Anja everyday, and would not agree to live without her. In the end, he found her in Poland, and they lived out their lives.
This reminds me of stories my granparents used to tell me. I am lucky enough to not come from European descent, as most of my family would certainly have been killed if they did live in Europe at the time. My family comes from the Middle East, and lived in Iraq during the time of World War II, it was not the best place for Jews, but certainly better than Europe at the time.
My Father's Father was jailed in 1941 for teaching neighborhood kids how to read and write Hebrew. He was sent hundreds of miles away to what was then Palestine. He didnt do anything wrong, just bad luck and discrimination he used to say. During his time in prison, middle east politics became a volatile issue. My grandmother spent every day wondering if she would see my grandfather, and the thought of her and his children kept him strong in prison. When his year was complete, he had no way to get back to Baghdad. He ended up having to walk most of the way through the desert, and humorously enough, rode camels. eventually he made it and got back to his family. My father was not alive yet at the time, so I credit my existence to my grandparents strength and perseverence through a period of time in history where Jews were nothing more than a nuisance and a parasite.
My favorite part of any Holocaust story is not the violence, betrayal, hatred etc. It is the stories of family reunions. This is what drew me immediately to the end of the story, when Anja and Vladek are reunited.
Anja and Vladek defied all odds when they met again. Countless numbers of families simply could not find their relatives after the war was over, they did not have homes to go back to. Vladek going back to Poland to look for Anja exemplofies the way that love and family are the things that got the Jews through this ordeal. Vladek thought about Anja everyday, and would not agree to live without her. In the end, he found her in Poland, and they lived out their lives.
This reminds me of stories my granparents used to tell me. I am lucky enough to not come from European descent, as most of my family would certainly have been killed if they did live in Europe at the time. My family comes from the Middle East, and lived in Iraq during the time of World War II, it was not the best place for Jews, but certainly better than Europe at the time.
My Father's Father was jailed in 1941 for teaching neighborhood kids how to read and write Hebrew. He was sent hundreds of miles away to what was then Palestine. He didnt do anything wrong, just bad luck and discrimination he used to say. During his time in prison, middle east politics became a volatile issue. My grandmother spent every day wondering if she would see my grandfather, and the thought of her and his children kept him strong in prison. When his year was complete, he had no way to get back to Baghdad. He ended up having to walk most of the way through the desert, and humorously enough, rode camels. eventually he made it and got back to his family. My father was not alive yet at the time, so I credit my existence to my grandparents strength and perseverence through a period of time in history where Jews were nothing more than a nuisance and a parasite.
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