Refugees: In Search of A Good Life

Syrian refugees. Images of families, individuals, women, children, young men flooding into other countries, scared and afraid, seeking shelter. Injured physically, mentally, and emotionally, escaping their war-torn homeland, Syrians are turning to other countries for help in their time of need. But, who cares about the Syrians when there are so many more interesting topics to report about? New stations are supposed to report about global events, educate viewers on what is happening in the world around them. However,  covering popular celebrities, infamous politicians, and the economy in online articles and local news channels are guaranteed to generate more views and revenue than would a segment series on Syrian refugees. Social media, apart from activist websites and international news, are dominated by pop culture, heckling American politics, and how-to food videos.

Syrian civilians, at risk of kidnapping, torture, and death from their own government, are flooding into countries that hopefully will grant them refugee status. Arab countries such as Lebanon and Jordan, that border Syria, are the first place refugees think to go because they are so close; perhaps they have connections or family there. However, these small nations only have to much physical space and resources to distribute among the refugees. A more permanent country with better job opportunities, that are farther away from the conflict, would seem better long term options that Lebanon or Syria. European countries such as Germany and France are opening their door to Syrian refugees, despite the fact that there have already been acts of terrorism in France, realizing that these are also human beings who are in need of help. Perhaps the reason for Europe’s open arms is that this is not their first experience with war; during World Wars I and II, refugees were displaced from Poland, Prague, France, Germany, Yugoslavia, and other countries and were forced to seek shelter in neutral nations. The United States is debating whether or not to let large numbers of Syrian refugees inside its borders; to date, less than 2,000 Syrian refugees have been admitted into the United States since the Syrian conflict began. The reason? Fear of the unknown; fear of a repeat of what happened in New York fifteen years ago; fear of minority groups in general, especially those from the Middle East because they are subconsciously associated with the recent ISIS terrorist attacks around the world (ex. Paris, France in 2015).

Though is is a possible threat to America’s security to permit large numbers of refugees in (through which terrorists - who can be young or older - can slip in, posing as refugees), I believe America has forgotten what it means to be human and to be compassionate towards the peoples of other nations. If America is truly a superpower, should we not help set an example to the rest of the world what it means to help the less fortunate? In this discussion, I believe we have also forgotten the countless numbers of poor and underprivileged in other areas of the world that also need help: those in Africa, India, South America, that are suffering and dying from hunger and disease every single day. Why suddenly helping the Syrian refugees become such a big issue, when for years other nations have needed our help just as badly? Perhaps aiding the Syrians has become a popular topic that suddenly is a means by which to judge affluent nations on how successful they are.  News stations no longer stress the importance of or question America’s involvement about conflict in Africa or helping starving children in India; just because Syria’s refugees are a relatively new news topic, does that make them any more important than those in need on other parts of the world?

Immigrants as well as refugees face many of the same struggles: the challenge of moving to a new country and leaving everything behind, learning a new language, assimilating into a new culture, maintaining one’s cultural history in a different society, finding employment, etc. Immigrants seek a better life from the conditions they were living in before, and make a conscious choice to uproot and migrate to a new land. Refugees, on the other hand, don’t have  much of a choice in regards to moving out; either they move out and move on, or perish in their homeland. Whether or not the new country(s) they migrate to hold better opportunities for them is another matter.

America’s politicians personally may believe in supporting causes such as allowing refugees into the United States and permitting immigration, but they publicly do not state so because to say that would mean political suicide. It is up to us as individual Americans to take a stand for what we believe is right and moral. In our own faith communities, such as in my home parish, we can advocate and raise awareness for the starving children in Africa and India, abandoned baby girls in China, and Syrian refugees that are in need of a place to stay. All human beings are in search of a good life; by seeking security in other countries, refugees can reassert and begin to reconstruct their cultural identity within a new place, and create a living space in which to feel safe and secure. Their journey from across the Atlantic will not be in vain; united in faith with others that have come before them, and individuals who welcome them into the promise of a new life, the Syrian refugees can hopefully continue on their path to a ‘good life’ here in the United States.

Works Cited

Altman, Alex, and Dallas. "What It's Like To Be A Syrian Refugee In America." Time. Time. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://time.com/a-syrian-refugee-story/>.

Bosman, Julie. "A Chill Grips a Michigan Haven for Syrian Families." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/24/us/syrian-refugees-cling-to-a-longtime-haven-in-michigan.html?_r=2>.

Sullivan, Kevin. "Refuge: 18 Stories from the Syrian Exodus." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/syrian-refugees/story/refuge/>.

Latino Immigration: Peril or Promise

When I hear the word immigration, an image comes to mind of masses of people passing through customs at a security center, all holding baggage and identification papers and waiting for their turn in line to be checked. Numerous and diverse, the multitudes consist of men and women, elderly and children of all colors, ethnicities, and ages.

Immigration, especially Latino immigration, has always had a negative connotation, especially here in the South. Dr. Vilma Fuentes, in her presentation on the perils and promises Latinos face when they choose to emigrate to America, specifically  addressed the Latino Diaspora in the 1980s when hundreds of thousands of Central Americans (Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Nicaraguans) fleeing death squads and mass murders at home, came flooding into Miami, Florida, and neighboring cities. Though Latino influence had already become prevalent in pop culture, (such as Rita Moreno in the film West Side Story, starring as Anita), education (when Chicano and Latino studies were incorporated into school curriculum), and politics (formation of a Chicano political party in Texas), hostility was rampant in the South. Many whites advocated for the Spanish language to be banned, for the borders to be closed, and for all Latino immigrants to be deported back to their home country. However, to do so would deprive many corporate American manufacturers of their primary source of labor. Enticed by the possibility of a better life and the ability to earn more money than they could in their homelands, Latinos soon became an irreplaceable fixture of many factories, service industries, and hard labor jobs, such as fruit picking, lawn work, and construction. As Latinos continued to spread into the continental United States, the coalescence of a new phenomenon called Latino American culture began, as Latinos spread geographically and made their mark in music, sports, politics, business, and education.

Like many other immigrants who have come here to the United States, Latinos are seeking a better life than what they had in their homeland. The opportunities of security, financial stability, social mobility, and education enable Latinos to pursue their version of a ‘good life’ here in America, without the fear of being kidnapped or killed by the government. By journeying to a new land to pursue a good life, while recreating their cultural identity and constructing spaces in which to continue living out their ways of life, Latinos are better equipped to succeed in the United States and to find and live out their version of happiness.

As Americans, by educating ourselves and becoming aware of where Latinos and other immigrants are coming from (geographically and culturally), we can become more aware of Latino background and understanding their history. I have several Latino friends, and their reasons for being here are for escaping domestic and government violence, and for seeking better opportunities here in the U.S. By encouraging higher education of Latinos, all immigrants and Americans, and by providing the same opportunities of success for all, we will be better equipped for the future as a peaceful multicultural society.

Deconstructing the "Game of Life"

The Game of Life is a treacherous game to play. It's not like Candyland, where everyone reaches the end all happy and colorful within a half hour, and gets to claim bragging rights for reaching King Kandy. Life is a backstabbing mistress that will do with you as she pleases, and there is nothing you can do other than make the best of the cards she gives you, and hope you don't spontaneously perish or become broke in the process.

In all seriousness, Milton Bradley's Game of Life is a game based largely on chance. Players who make bank at the beginning of the game can lose their fortune in an instant, and others who began dirt poor can make a comeback as the wealthiest on the board. Though participants must all go through some of the same life events (such as getting married, having children, etc., though this differs in the various editions that have been released), you can choose whether or not to go to college, to invest in property, to buy a house, taking on additional schooling, and many other choices  that a majority of the population experiences or will experience later in life. Though not all individuals will really choose to get married or to buys  house, the game itself as a product must have some standard equilibrium for its players to be judged upon.

Just as one cannot control how the dice will roll during a board game, many things happen in life that are unexplainable and due purely to chance, despite the good or bad decisions we may have previously made. Just last week, upon coming home from school to my apartment, I discovered a massive leak in our fridge that had flooded the kitchen; it was no fault of mine, yet it happened.  Why? Perhaps the fridge was having a bad day and just needed to let loose some tears of sorrow. Whatever the cause, I sopped up the water and put in a request to plumbing maintenance to schedule a therapy session with the emotional appliance.

It is interesting to see the definition of success the various versions of Life in contrast to how everyday people define success. For some, gaining wealth and accumulating assets is the greatest and highest form of achievement one can earn, as is the criteria for winning the board game of Life. This was Josh's goal throughout the entire game, as he sought to increase our team's income and assets by all possible means,  However, many people during our game, including Heather and Devaki, viewed being successful in life as not the amount of money you have, but the amount of happiness you experience on your life journey. For Heather, this was having one or two children and living in a moderately nice home; to her, income and assets didn't matter.

Though one can make good choices in life that do have direct and foreseeable payoff, such as going to college or investing in a portfolio at an early age, there will unavoidably be occurrences along the way that no one expects but must be dealt with. Such is life- an unpredictable, volatile experience, but with the potential to find happiness along the way.