Week Five

Welcome to this week's topic - Diversity and Inclusion I - Which Way Home & International Migration

Lonestar Concert!

Lakeside Views

This week has been amazing! I can barely recount all of the events that took place. But for the sake of this post, I will try. On Sunday, I played in an ultimate frisbee game. On Wednesday, I went to the Finances Success Series event with my friends. Thursday was the best day that I have had in awhile - after class, my roommates and I went to Sweetheart Circle and did homework while we sat on the grass for about four hours. We went to dinner at Lakeside, and then we watched the ducks and the turtles in the lake. On Friday, my roommate (Riley), my friend (Kaylee), and I went to the Lonestar concert at the performing arts center. The three of us made a spur of the moment decision to spend the night at Riley's house and to go to the lake the
next morning. On Saturday, we rode jet skis, and we went tubing. I had so much fun with my friends this week, and I am excited for more memories to come! On top of all the fun I had, I managed to do well on three tests that I had this week. I feel very accomplished and very happy!

Before I reflect on this week's class topic, I would like to briefly talk about the Finances Success

With my Roommates at FYE Event!

Finances Success Series Event

Series event I attended on Wednesday. I was very surprised at how much fun this event was! To be honest, I expected to learn helpful information about different aspects of the financial world so that I will be able to better prepare for my future. The event was more of an inspirational speech about saving money. Speaker Pete Bielagus gave a very interactive and enjoyable presentation. Even though the event was not what I expected, I am glad that I went because I had a great time! My roommates also went with me, and I think that is one reason why I enjoyed this event so much. I was surrounded by great people in a great environment listening to a great speaker.

The big class discussion that we had in FYE this week was over the film Which Way Home. I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to watch this documentary - I never even knew that it existed. Immigration is definitely a touchy subject when it comes to a debate/discussion. I am very proud of my FYE classmates for expressing their opinions and their feelings in a way that was not forceful - but informative. During a group discussion, I was paired with Garret and Will to discuss various viewpoints on the film. All of us agreed on most topics, but both of them were able to provide me with information about which I had not previously thought. I enjoy having meaningful and important discussions with my classmates because I get to learn about their views, and I gain more hope for the future.

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Which Way Home was a very emotional film for me to watch. I still do not have a solution as to where I stand on the entire issue of immigration. There are so many factors to consider when discussing the topic that you cannot place the whole issue into a single category. I feel the most sympathy for the children whose parents left them behind and for the children who were brought to America illegally by their parents without having a choice because they were so young. However, I do support some type of legal system available for immigrants who wish to live in the United States. I do not think that every single person, no matter what, should be able to freely cross the border without first being approved. The topic is definitely touchy, and I do not wish to comment further on my beliefs until I do more research. People should never believe the first thing they see on the news or online; they should always do their own research. No matter who you are, do not let the world try to fool you. Be smart enough to make your own decisions.

In the Youtube Video titled "The Price of Immigration (1)," the filmmakers emphasize the importance of migrant workers in the community. The immigrants keep the economy on its feet. One important factor that I noticed listed in the article "Does migration change life for the better for people from poor countries (2)?" is that all migrants are more likely to experience sadness. I can definitely see how this fact may be true. Those who move to another country in search of economic opportunity often leave their families behind. They are exposed to a completely new world, and that world is not always what they expected to encounter. The "International Migrant Day (3)" chart shows that each year migrants send home roughly 440 billion US dollars to their families and their communities. "Global Migration: A World Ever More on the Move (4)" notes that even those who study migration for a living are unable to fully grasp its effects. The topic is so vast and so complicated.

Whenever we discussed the Media Literacy Activity (5) in class, I began to realize how important it is for you to research the history behind each article you read. You need to learn about the views and the opinions of the creators of whatever you are reading/watching, and you need to keep an open mind about the possibility of bias. As Enysa pointed out in class, relatively everything contains some type of bias. I agree with her point. After reading all of these articles about migration and after watching Which Way Home, I am even more thankful to have been born a citizen of the United States. Even though I am not an expert on immigration, I now know how to go about an effective conversation with someone about the issue.

Thanks for reading this week's post!

Resources:
(1) The Price of Immigration: http://tiny.cc/y1ip4x
(2) Does migration change life...: http://tiny.cc/migrationchangelife
(3) International Migrant Day: http://tiny.cc/Inter_migrant_day
(4) Global Migration: http://tiny.cc/globalmigration
(5) Media Literacy Activity: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19LxhBJaMB4CGUV4k4Aa6qb6SSL52dtUV15SJ22U9BJ8/edit?usp=sharing
(6) Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/h5yJGB65swVJUGX59