My Ramblings on US Immigration Policy.

Trying to converse about immigration is incredibly difficult for me. I shy from the subject for several reasons. First, American policy has a history of being inherently racist. From the 3/5 compromise all the way to the internment of Japanese  Americans during World War Two, America has a bad track record for discrimination. At the same time, I see policies in place that give federal student financial aid money to illegal immigrants while I receive exactly zero dollars from my lovely friends on Capitol Hill. I know these two things don’t exactly mesh, but the fact still stands that though I scowl at seeing money allocated away from upstanding citizens such as myself, I struggle to trust any policy against a minority.

Lots of “reverse racism” has happened in the last few years. Meaning white men in power have been overly scrutinized in their positions due to their skin color. Though I consider this line of thinking unfair, the fact remains that elderly white men in power have very little perspective on immigration and the struggle of immigrants from small countries. George W. Bush proposed what I believe to be the most fair proposal on the issue. He wanted to offer enough green cards to fill the American labor need. This would have more than doubled the number of green cards issued and for this reason the bill was shot down.  So where do we get enough labor? I don’t work on a farm or at a factory, nor does anyone I know. So why should I be upset that someone from another country wants this job?

My oversimplification of the issue is intentional. The media presents it to me this way so that it is nearly impossible for me to form a fully coherent opinion. However, I stand by the statement that due to America’s track record with minorities, it should be highly scrutinized every time a law passes to take away rights from someone with another skin color. I know how hard it will be to graduate from college without financial aid. I don’t know how hard that would be were my parents not US citizens. Without that knowledge readily available, I don’t make a fuss about money, because I can get any job I want. I have my papers and I always will.

Through all of my incoherent babble on the subject I hope you take away a few things. I support anyone who will work hard for bettering America. Anyone who will work in a factory or a field fits that category in my mind. I also denounce any law or policy that prevents immigrants from bettering America. I want the “American dream” to continue. Just 3 generations ago my great grandfather worked to move his family here from Ukraine. If he had been turned away My grandfather Reverend Doctor Blasko would never have served his country. America was born of immigrants and should continue to be the melting pot of the world. Closing our borders is the death of our roots and the withering of our proud nation.

Crossing the Wire Review

Something I have worked on substantially in my artistic life as well as my home life is the idea of what makes a boy into a man. The idea that you provide for someone selflessly continues to come up every time I search for answers. Crossing The Wire by Will Hobbs discusses the issue in exactly that way. Though the book has many political implications and commentary, at its core Crossing The Wire is about becoming a man. The main character, Victor Flores, as a teenager is faced with being the primary food bringer and man of the house for his mother and sisters. As a man of 22 I am astounded by the relationship Victor has with his family and the understanding he has of the burden he has to support his family. Hobbs writes in a way that paints Victor as an example of hope for the youth in Mexico.

At no point in the book does Victor even question the idea that he has to provide for his family. At times he struggles with how he will do it, and he often remarks on how unfair his predicament is, but he does not question why he has to provide for his family. He never considers abandoning them. This is what distinguishes him from his best friend, who is running from his family to try to get rich. Throughout the novel it is clear Victor is becoming a man.

One moment that stands out as climactic for Victor’s journey is when he could risk getting onto an inner-tube and trying to float through a tunnel into America. He knows it’s risky and says he would do it if it were just him. Victor’s journey however, is a selfless one. He is not trying to get to America for riches and he realizes the danger is too great for his family should he die in the tunnel.

The book sends a strong message about manhood and does not shy away from making other strong statements. Hobbs writes a majority of the dialogue as radically anti-American. It’s possible that this does not reflect on Hobbs himself since he visited Mexico and probably overheard a large amount of anti-American sentiment. It’s hard to ignore the overwhelming tone of hatred toward the way migrant workers are treated as they try to cross the border.

The most surprising antagonists in the book however, were not Americans. The “coyotes” who accept thousands of dollars to guide Mexicans across the border seemed to be the most evil characters portrayed in the novel. I commonly complain that universities make college students into cash cows by nickel and diming us to everlasting debt, but these “coyotes” make money even if no one survives. It is a brutal world that is being taken advantage of. Despite its dark aspects, Crossing the Wire offered substantial hope for all of the characters. It’s unclear exactly what happens to everyone, but Victor is hopeful and so is the tone of the book.

Nepal and India Slave Trade

Here in Spokane we see our fair share of homelessness. We see hunger and suffering and even abuse. Rarely however, do we see starvation, abuse of workers, and never do we hear of any type of slavery. Just because these things are not in our small culture does not mean that they don’t exist. The small country of Nepal is a target for all of these things. Nepal has such a high level of poverty that those who cannot put food on the table either starve or turn to human trafficking to survive.

            The country of Nepal is a small country that borders India. This mountainous country relies on agriculture for its economic success. However, according to Wikipedia, only 20% of the area of Nepal is cultivable. This makes agriculture a difficult trade for a majority of the population, causing mass poverty and hunger.  This problem causes even more severe problems for impoverished families trying to make ends meet. Some families turn to labor contract from wealthier families who pay for workers and maids. From many accounts these contracts are near slave labor and many of the workers are beaten, overworked, and mistreated.

            Worse than the fate of those who are signed on as laborers and maids however are those who are duped into or forced to sell their children into sex slavery. Faced with the starvation of themselves and their children, some parents are offered money to take their children away as slaves. Some of these children are taken to India to be sold to brothels. According to CNN many of the slave girls arrive in India due to the Indian Red-Light District customers favoring their lighter and fairer skin. Children from ages 6 to 16 face the horrible reality of sex slavery and risk of disease, pregnancy and beatings.

This terrifying reality is brought to light by projects such as the CNN Freedom Project which saves as many as five girls a day from sex slavery as they try to cross borders. This is nothing however, compared to the tens of thousands being sold each year. IT is uplifting to hear about these small victories over the sex trade and to hear stories of former slaves who have gone on to help free more and more girls from this horrible sub-culture.

No easy solution exists to Nepal’s problem. In Malaysia, the issue of the economy was similar, but instead of turning their own workers out, the government brought in factories and created a slave trade for workers to come into the country. It seems that impoverished nations are stuck in a vicious cycle of either not enough labor or too many mouths to feed. Donation organizations, relief workers, and philanthropists can help enlighten and to a certain extent protect individuals from the dangers involved in dealing with human trafficking. Most of the Nepalese workers are desperate and hungry though and that makes safety not the highest concern, especially when offered money that could feed or protect them.

Review of Sold by Patricia McCormick

Sold by Patricia McCormick is a story told in short chapters, sometimes as few as three sentences per page. Often it reads like verse. Time and location are abstract concepts in the limited narration of the book, giving it a chilling feel due to the dark nature of the book. The book revolves entirely around a girl’s life in a brothel. This subject matter is not easy to read, but somehow the book flew by in what seemed like no time at all.

 I read it in two sittings and found myself completely engulfed by the language. Each moment written had unique importance to the character’s life. Some lines were so shocking that it was painful to imagine, but the perspective gave joy to the smallest things and underplayed the evil inherent to the world of sex trade.

When I finished reading Sold I got on Goodreads to add it to my list of books I have read. I was frankly surprised by the negative feedback the book had received. Reviewers were often shocked by the content and uncomfortable with the minimalist writing style. One review I did not consider was a discussion over the portrayal of Americans. ***spoiler alert*** The book ends with Americans raiding the brothel where the main character is captive. She comes out of hiding and it is insinuated that she is rescued by them. Despite the warm hearted feeling this gave me when I read it, it does beg the question, would this really happen? A reviewer on Goodreads said, “oh great, another ‘America saves the day’ story.” This may be a tad cynical but they do have a point. Many of the girls in the sex trade die of diseases or end up destitute and homeless. Some even enter the trade at a higher level and begin trading in girls themselves. This is not how the book ended however. The book ended with the tall handsome American hero saving the day.

Is it right for an American to write this story? Does this book do any good? It’s very hard to know the answers to these questions. The book draws considerable attention to a brutal topic of world importance, however the book ends by saying, “everything is fine though, America fixed it.” I thought long and hard about how I would feel if the book had ended in death or something darker in the main character and ultimately I agree with the author’s decision to write a book that offered a modicum of hope to an incredibly dark topic. It deserves to be noted though that Americans are far from faultless when it comes to sex trade and the organizations that do help, barely scratch the surface of the problem. As Americans books like this help us compartmentalize the brutality and evil of the world and make us believe that we are the faultless heroes of the world. I hope beyond hope that American heroes do save children from the slave trade around the world, but I will also never forget the thousands of children who are not saved and never will be. 

Museum of Ross

The Hawk Mirror

Of the many representations of Seahawk fandom in Ross’s life, the Hawk mirror is unique.  Not only does it shine the light of Seahawk domination over Ross’s room but also allows him to exercise his vanity as he can stare at the hawk and at himself simultaneously. Few fans rival Ross’s knowledge and passion for both football and the Seahawks.

Home Library

As a literature major and fanatic Ross has collected a vast majority of books. Though he reads enough books a year to fill his small room, the books he owns are unique. Books such as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce are books he peruses again and again. His eclectic taste makes him a good source for friends looking for a good read and he commonly has many books out on loan.

Lend Me a Tenor Collage

Considered one of his crowning achievements, Ross played the role of “Saunders” in EWU’s production of lend me a tenor. With his freshman co-star Christopher Kelly, Ross wowed audiences and the show sold out for the entire run. Since then Ross’s acting career has quieted, but he has performed in 7 of EWU’s shows including Ode and The Things They Carried.

Anchorage Poster

Few things influences Ross’s life more than the town of Anchorage, AK. He was born there and spent 19 years living amongst its people. By age sixteen he knew every street and every mountain pass by heart. He has flown its skies, bikes its trails, hiked its mountains, and driven its streets.

The 1993 Honda Accord

This car has been in Ross’s life since he was 15 years old. He was forced to watch his brother trash and mistreat it for a year before the keys were presented to him on his 16^th birthday.  He has driven thousands of miles including the Alaska/Canada Highway and packed as many as 9 friends inside. The car is old dented and has many electrical issues, but Ross is fully devoted to keeping it alive. Though he does not technically own the car, he is closer with his Honda than he is with most humans.