Mixed Blood

“Mixed Blood”, written by Jeffrey Fish, is a great article that seeks to tackle the persistent myth that there is such a thing as “race” among the human species.  This was a fascinating article to read because it is a very methodical and logical look at what we as humans incorrectly think race is.  Race is nothing more than the average persons’ way of making sense of all the biological differences between different groups of people, whether that pertains to skin color or eyelid form, for example.  Fish makes a point of noting that we (mostly referring to Americans in this article) overlook other obvious giveaways that race is nothing but a misconception like the fact that different people have different body shapes, whether they are round in cold climates to allow for less surface area for heat to radiate off of, or long bodies in the much hotter climates.  The best substitute that Fish presented, in my mind, to replace “race” would by the Portuguese word tipo, meaning “type” in Englsih.  After reading what Fish had to say on the matter, I feel that although we as humans are without a doubt the same species, and that race is nonexistent, there are different “types” of humans due to inevitable factors such as natural selection, mutation, and genetic drift, as cited by Fish early on in the article.  This use of tipo should not be taken negatively or as a derogatory word at all, but rather as a description of the small differences between humans.

Federally Sponsored Immigrant Workers

“Federally Sponsored Mexican Migrants” is an article written by Sandy Smith-Nonini about the use of migrant workers, in this case from Mexico, coming to work in the US legally.  The most important element of this concept is that legal does not translate into ideal or fair whatsoever.  Although these workers are able to make a better living by working in the United States (this article focuses on North Carolina in particular), they are often taken advantage of by those who control the labor and the money involved.  Even the H2A program that is set up to assist with these “federally sponsored” workers from Mexico is not without its fair share of faults.  Leroy Dunn’s H2A program is quite deceiving in the fact that the brochures show West Coast crops, not crops from the East Coast like North Carolina.  Also, the wording of the brochures is not in layman’s terms, it is worded above the level that the immigrant workers could easily understand.

Just Another Job?

“Just Another Job? The Commodification of Domestic Labor” is an article written by Bridget Anderson detailing the ins-and-outs of domestic labor, particularly in Europe.  It is noted that the popularity of domestic labor has been rising in Europe, and in the case of this article, Athens, Greece is of importance because many of the women interviewed worked there.  I was shocked to learn of the horrors that migrant workers still apparently face in this day and age, when all they are trying to do is make money to help their families survive.  To me, the most horrific statistic was this: “In 1996-1997, 84 percent (of workers) reported psychological abuse, 34 percent (of workers) physical abuse, and 10 percent (of workers) sexual abuse.”  This comes from the employers perceived racial and ethnic superiority over the foreign, and often colored, workers that they hire.  I couldn’t believe that these conditions were still present to this extent anywhere that we consider to be a Western, industrialized country today.

Why Tourism Matters

“Why Tourism Matters” is a very informative article that deals with, quite obviously, tourism.  I was amazed to learn that tourism, in the general sense of the term, is not a recent phenomenon.  The article reveals that even back in Imperial Rome, tourism was a part of people’s lives that were able to afford it.  Although the reasons have changed, back then it was for trade or pilgrimage while today it is for the experience and leisure, tourism still applies the same basic elements.  It is something that people strive for, and it is something that benefits the locations where tourists flock.  Not surprisingly, tourism creates a positive economic impact in the region visited, so it is beneficial for tourist destinations to do all they can to promote their country are region to those potential tourists.  Along with the money and jobs that tourism help to create, tourism can also benefit a place culturally.  Because tourists want the “full experience”, those hosting the tourists find a strong sense of cultural pride and awareness in order to give the tourists what they want.

Heading Home

“Heading Home: Women, Work, and Identity in America” was one of the most interesting articles I have had the chance to read in this class to date.  It focuses on the issues that women, especially well-educated women, have with trying to pursue a successful professional career, while also balancing being a mother.  As is sadly too often the case, many women have to give up their careers in the best interests of their kids and family, and that is not something that seems particularly fair.  Although most of the women interviewed all said that basically when it came down to it, they placed their family and children above their own personal ambitions.  A promising point in the article is the fact that the “stay at home dad” is an increasingly growing role, yet still only accounts for 3 out of every 100 cases.  In order for women to continue to make advancements in the labor force in terms of opportunities for secure jobs and better wages, we (the United States) must make strides to help these women out as well.

Symbolizing Roles: Behind the Veil

“Symbolizing Roles: Behind the Veil” is a very interesting article that focuses on an issue that has become a major focal point in the past decade or so: that is the laws requiring Islamic women to wear veils, or a hijab, that covers most, or sometimes all of their body.  The West overwhelmingly feels that this is a huge impingement on women’s rights in that society.  The veil to Westerners symbolizes oppression on a personal level, as well as symbolizing oppression in other aspects of their lives including laws that make it more difficult for them to acquire the same education as men, being able to divorce as easily, and in same cases forbidding them to even drive.  In all reality, the hijab is not necessarily something that the average Muslim woman despises.  They are very practical for a number of reasons ranging from easily hiding their identity and symbolizing they are not free to be had by any man who may desire them, especially for all the wrong reasons, to providing easy protection from the sun, dust, and mud from getting on their clothing.  After reading this article, it seems that Muslim women are not entirely against wearing the hijab, because it is in many cases a very practical and religiously significant article of clothing, and that is something that Westerners are too lazy or naïve to research.