The First-Wave Immigrants and the Post-1965 Essay Example for Free

The First-Wave Immigrants and the Post-1965 Essay Migration has been a fact of life since the beginning of time due to economic, religious, and social factors. This paper examines and the lives and experiences of the First-Wave Filipino immigrants and the Post-1965 Filipino immigrants. It compares and contrasts the immigrants’ way of life at the time and seeks to uncover their struggles and triumphs in a foreign land. The Filipino American The Filipino Americans are immigrants from the Philippines. Filipinos are considered as Asian Americans and they have the largest population in the group. Currently, there is an estimated 4 million Filipino American comprised by naturalized citizens or American-born citizens. The largest concentration of Filipino Americans can be found in California, Guam, Hawaii, and New York, New Jersey, Washington and Texas as well as other neighboring states (US Census Bureau, 2007). Cultural Background The Filipino culture is a fusion of Spanish and American culture. There are also influences by the Chinese and the Malays (Bautista, 2002). The Philippines was colonized by Spain for three hundred years and by the United States for fifty years. Western culture is evident in the people’s way of life. Most Filipinos are given Spanish names and most of them practice Catholicism (Bautista, 2002). The First-Wave of Filipino Immigrants in the United States The first waves of Filipino migration were the Manilamen or Filipino seamen found in Louisiana in 1763. They sailed from the Philippines to Acapulco, Mexico and then to Barataria Bay (Crisostomo, 1996, p. 5 ). They lived in a fishing village and started the dried shrimp business in the United States. (p. 5 ). The Spanish government made arrangements for the Filipino, Antonio Miranda Rodriguez and his family established themselves in Pueblo de Nuestra de Senora Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula. The Second Wave of Filipino Immigrants in the United States (1906-1935) The second wave of Filipino migration consisted of students, scholars and laborers. About 125,000 Filipino laborers worked in sugar plantations in Hawaii. Over the years, the Filipino American population has grown in numbers and strength. Some of the Filipino laborers from Hawaii went to work in California farms and sardine factories in Alaska (Bautista, 2000) The Third Wave of Filipino Immigrants in the United States (1939-1965) The third wave of Filipino immigrants continued after World War II until 1965. They comprise mostly of military soldiers and their family who fought with the Americans during the war (Crisostomo, 1996, p. 35) The Fourth Wave of Filipino Immigrants in the United States (1965-Present) The fourth wave of Filipino immigrants mostly include professionals such as doctors, nurses, engineers, lawyers and business men (p. 42). They continue to increase in number because of the better employment opportunities in the US. Racial Discrimination Then and Now The Filipinos experienced discrimination in the early 20th century. The Filipino men were forbidden to wed white women as enacted by the anti-miscegenation laws. However, historical accounts present that many Filipino men married or lived with White women particularly in the Western and Southern areas in the 1920s and 1930s. They were often ostracized by society and they lived in settlements and were not allowed to move to other states. The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair and the Philippine-American War brought â€Å"negative stereotypes including the racist idea of ‘The Little Brown Brother’ as described by Rudyard Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden† (Bautista, 2002). It was just in the 1960s where the issue of racial discrimination was put to the core. Like other minorities in the US, the Filipinos are protected under the anti-discrimination law. Sadly, racial discrimination still exists today. Hate crimes against Filipinos pervade like in the case of Joseph Ileto who was murdered in 1999 by Budford Furrow, a white supremacist; and most recently in the early part of 2007, where a young Filipino-American girl was mobbed by black teenagers in New York. Up until now, there are cases of unfair treatment of Filipinos with regards to acquiring visas and those who are deported back to the Philippines. After the September 11 terrorist attack, the US immigration made tougher rules on foreigners visiting the US which included the Filipinos. The fight for the rights and benefits of the World War II Filipino veterans, who fought along with the American soldiers, is still going on. These veterans were promised to get compensation and benefits after serving in the US military. The enactment of the Rescission Act in 1946 by the US Congress, removed all the benefits that was rightfully due for these Filipino war veterans. Where is the justice here? These people dedicated their lives in serving the US military and they get nothing in return? They tried to lobby for their benefits and their rights as American citizens. In the early1990s, a number of bills were presented in Congress to grant the benefits to the Filipino war veterans and up to now there is still no resolution. Many of these Filipino war veterans have died waiting for the benefits that they were hoping for. In citing the differences of the times lived by the Filipinos in America. In conclusion, racial discrimination has not left the country. It continues to evolve in different aspects. The only good thing is the passage of the anti-discrimination law which seeks to prosecute those who are racists. Democracy is alive in the US to a certain extent; and minorities like the Filipinos enjoy the freedom to vote, participate and air their grievances. In terms of equality, I believe that equal rights and equal opportunity is still a work and progress. References Bautista, Veltisezar. (2002). The Filipino Americans Yesterday and Today. http://www. filipinoamericans. net. Retrieved on August 30, 2007. Crisostomo, Isabelo, T. (1996). Filipino Achievers in the USA and Canada: Profiles in Excellence. Michigan: Bookhaus Publishers.

Where Does The Truth Lie in Rashomon? :: essays research papers

Where Does The Truth Lie? Rashomon is a film which allows you to come up with your own ending. You are told four stories, all completely different from one another, but about the same thing. As the viewer, you are to come up with your own truth. Also you are then forced to see why people may lie or embellish. Whether it be to keep themselves out of trouble or make themselves seem as if they are a better person then they really are. The reality is that we are no better then what people think we are. This is because we are unable to judge ourselves. We are unable be honest with ourselves. We are unable to see ourselves in a bad light without having made up some excuse. We try to justify everything that it is that we may do, so not to damage our egos. It is our egos which keep us like this. It is our egos which make us feel good, so we are going to do anything to keep our ego at a high point. Why is it that we are willing to lie so that we don’t have to see who we really are? What is it about ourselves th at we wish not to see? Maybe it is the fact that we all want to be viewed as this perfect person that can do no wrong and make no mistakes. So we embellish on our own behalf in order to hide our imperfections, our mistakes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All four of these stories have one thing in common; they are told in such a way that the teller is justified in whatever he or she may have done. In each story, except for the last, the teller was the murderer. Admitting to the murder they all did and blaming someone else for their own actions, they did too. As for the last storyteller, he did not kill anyone, but he stole the dagger and lied to the police. Unable to allow their egos to drop to low, they all told a riveting story of how they were not at fault. The only question here is before asking where the truth lies, is how is it possible for four people to come up with such extremely different tales to tell? People will say anything in order to cover up the truth if they are at fault in some way or another.

Alienation in the 21st Century Is Rife

Alienation in the 21st century is rife. Discuss For| Against| Social networking sites such as facebook, MSN etcSocial networking sites have a profound ability to easily exclude people by specifically targeting certain groups within a community or society. People can at times feel left out or easily targeted when others make unnecessary comments and many friendships or relationships can deteriorate as a result of the great influence it has on people’s social lives. People are also losing basic social skills as a result, and are becoming heavily reliant on the simple services provided by the internet to communicate basic messages. People are also lacking sympathy and empathy, slowly becoming more and more self- absorbed. This is also reiterated through the rise of commercial happiness (found through materialistic objects)Cultural alienation Alienation between people of different cultures can lead to terrorism, racial and cultural prejudice and pre-determined assumptions and stereotypes of a particular ethnic group. People can also form groups in a community which, although may bring some together, can alienate people who don’t belong to a particular culture or ethnicity. Alienation between generations Newer generations and older generations differ greatly from one another in many ways including language, values and societal morals. As a result many people may feel alienated when communicating or interacting with other people. Eg: baby boomers vs. generation YAlienation by languageAustralian colloquialism and vernacular can often exclude and alienate people of different ethnic backgrounds. Language used within different suburbs, states and age groups can alienate people. (eg: eshayz, tomozza)Religious alienationAlienation among people of different religious beliefs can lead to terrorism, prejudice, violence and feelings of exclusion. Religious gatherings such as youth groups at institutions like churches can lead to people feeling alienated. | MulticulturalismAwareness and acceptance of other cultures is more apparent within our own society, cultural relativism (not judging another culture by the standards of your own). The integration of cultures within our society through holidays, festivals, art, language, music, film, entertainment, etc has an immense impact on the community as a whole. Social networking sites such as facebook, MSN etcSocial networking sites can also bring people closer together in the way that everybody is connected to another person somehow. It is, in a sense, a virtual community. ————————————————- ————————————————- Different social classes/ statusPeople of different social classes can often be prejudiced and discriminated against which can often lead to changing values and treatment among people. FamilyDue to the prominence of work and technology, family life is often strained and relationships between members can be challenged and constricted. There is no longer a sense of belonging in families and not many people feel ‘together’ as a result. Instead technological objects seem to be consistent within family life and many seem connected to these as opposed to their fellow family members. This is largely due to the shifting times in our community. |

The Apartheid Of South Africa - 1608 Words

From 1948 to 1994, South Africa functioned under the policy of apartheid, a system of racial segregation and white supremacy in which nonwhite racial groups were deprived of their South African citizenship and forced to live separately from whites. Stripped of their rights and marginalized in a country where they were in fact the majority, nonwhites launched strikes and campaigns of passive resistance against the all-white South African government. One freedom fighter stood out amongst the rest: Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid revolutionary, who would stand with others at the forefront of the nonwhites’ fight for their rights. Presently, Mandela is regarded as an international hero in the struggle for black liberation who dedicated his life to the abolition of racial oppression in South Africa and to correcting the injustices of the apartheid, using his political power and moral authority over the people. Despite the controversy he faced and the sanctions placed against apar theid opposition, Mandela has managed to leave a legacy of harmony in South Africa today. Although Mandela grew up before the apartheid policy was officially put into place, he was exposed to the grievances of the people at a young age. He was born in the village of Mvezo in Transkei, South Africa, on July 18, 1918. After the death of his father, his mother later relocated Mandela to the â€Å"Great Place† of Mqhekezweni, the capital of Thembuland, where Mandela would live under the guardianship of ChiefShow MoreRelatedApartheid in South Africa1118 Words   |  5 PagesApartheid In South Africa APARTHEID Apartheid is the political policy of racial segregation. In Afrikaans, it means apartness, and it was pioneered in 1948 by the South African National Party when it came to power. Not only did apartheid separate whites from non-whites, it also segregated the Blacks (Africans) from the Coloureds (Indians, Asians). All things such as jobs, schools, railway stations, beaches, park benches, public toilets and even parliament. Apartheid alsoRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1159 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the year of 1948, the lives of south Africans changed forever. The National Party, which was an all-white government, gained power and created hell for non-white citizens, their goal was to have white people continue to dominate the country and to keep each race separated from each other; even though at the time whites were only 20% of the population. The apartheid, which literally means â€Å"apartness† lasted until 1991, and during this time many acts were passed. One being that â€Å"non-white AfricansRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesNelson Mandela and protesters during South Africa s journey away from apartheid. It’s a curious ponder, in fact, that America’s and South Africa’s ascents from racial discrimination were possibly involved with each other. However, while the world may be convinced the nation is out of racist dep ths, evidence displays the rise from discrimination in South Africa is undeniably incomplete. There is a dangerous and unresolved influence of apartheid in South Africa today. After World War 2 was won byRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1333 Words   |  6 Pageshistory of South Africa all we could see is racial discrimination. Africa was all in control of Whites till 1994. South Africa got free from racial discrimination when Nelson Mandela took a step became the first black prime minister of South Africa. Contemporary South Africa is now economically strong and it is completely a racial free state. The contemporary South Africa is now in race with every state in every field. Before 1994 South Africa was completely under control of Apartheid. WHO IS APARTHEIDRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1108 Words   |  5 PagesApartheid in South Africa Every country has a story to how it made a name for itself regardless if it was good or bad. Today the beautiful South Africa is known as the rainbow nation, for it’s diversity in culture. However, that name was earned after many blood rivers and broken homes.These â€Å"blood rivers and broken homes† I speak of occurred during an era called Apartheid. The name â€Å"Apartheid† is an afrikaans name which means segregation. It took fifty years for South Africa to redeem itself fromRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1510 Words   |  7 PagesFrom 1948 to 1994, South Africa encountered segregation and ill treatment of its own people deriving from its own national party also known as apartheid, an all-white government. They sought to move the South African people to make way for an all-white South Africa. In their stride to achieve this, the laws they imposed on them made their lives harder; despite this, the persecuted sought freedom. Through all this some belie ve that the apartheid was easily ended. It can be argued this from the factRead MoreApartheid in South Africa711 Words   |  3 PagesRacial discrimination dominated South Africa in 1948, and this was further witnessed when the ruling party made the discriminatory apartheid policy into law, in the same year (Pfister, 2005). The Afrikaans word, which literally translates to racial discrimination ‘apartheid’, was legislated and it started with the Dutch and the British rulers. The initiators of apartheid applied it to all social nature of the South African people. For instance, the majority of the population who were Africans wasRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa Essay788 Words   |  4 PagesSouth Africa, after experiencing the apartheid, is trying their best to overcome the apartheid. Now, the country even has its own leader. He is Jacob Zuma. It is already his second term as a president.( News, B. (2016, August 5)) The country went over a lot of things, and the h istory of democratic political system is not very long for them. English and Dutch colonized South Africa in the seventeenth century. After South Africa got its independence from England, Afrikaner National Party became a majorityRead MoreThe Apartheid Of South Africa1750 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst black President of South Africa. Referred to as the living embodiment of black liberation, Mandela specifically fought against the government system of South Africa known as apartheid (Lacayo, Washington, Monroe, Simpson). Apartheid is an Afrikaan word meaning apartness and was a system of racial segregation for the South African people from 1948 until F.W. de Klerk became president in 1991. Although Nelson Mandela was both literally and metaphorically imprisoned by South Africa’s racist ideologiesRead MoreApartheid in South Africa1154 Words   |  5 Pagesbring an end to Apartheid in South Africa because he was a believer in basic human rights, leading both peaceful and violent protests against the white South African Government. His beliefs landed him in prison for twenty-seven years, almost three decades. In doing so, he became the face of the apartheid movement both in his country and around the world. When released from prison in 1990, he continued to honor his commitment to fight for justice and equality for all people in South Africa. In 1994, Nelson