Chapter 13 Fieldwork: Migration

"Welcome is one of the most important words for an Immigrant"-Antonio

An immigrant is defined as a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. Have you ever thought about the hardships that immigrants face everyday? Have you ever heard any of their survival stories and realized how blessed you are to be considered a US citizen from birth? I had the opportunity of Interviewing my Professor Mr. Antonio , and this is his story.

Mr. Antonio was born and raised in a small part of Italy called Turin where his lived with both his parents , and his 6 older siblings. Being that he was the youngest of 6 and only one to immigrate to the US , he did not have anyone to help him.Unlike most immigrant stories , Mr. Antonio stated that he was privileged because he was not forced out of his country like many of his other friends. He attended a school in Italy and was able to obtain his bachelors degree in creative writing but wanted to further his education. Mr. Antonio's main reason for migrating was to further his education and studying. Mr. Antonio first migrated at the age of 21 to Italy and remained there for 10 years. While in Spain , a pull that brought and kept him there was the culture and job opportunities. Being that Spain was also a Spanish speaking country , he had no issues fitting in. It was not until the age of 31 that Mr. Antonio decided to come to the United States. He had no prior knowledge of the US Until a friend of his told him about the many opportunities that the United States offered. He did not know how to speak English and definitely did not know about the "American way". In finding out about all these new possibilities Professor Antonio decided that he would be able change his life in America. When he received an email from a job opportunity in Kentucky that allowed him to both work and study he accepted it but was not ready for the culture shock that was waiting. Unlike most immigrants Professor Antonio was able to get all his documentation to come to the Unites States with ease.

Although his road might have seemed easy and privileged , Mr. Antonio still faced some common Barriers. The main barrier was the unexpected culture shock that he faced. For example , Mr. Antonio spoke about how he realized that in America everything was about Gaines. If someone did something for you , it was always like they expected something back , which he was not used to. Growing up everyone around him had always been givers , and just did things for others out of the kindness of their hearts. He also learned fast that money was the route of everything. This caused Professor to feel like he did not fit in amongst the American species and never really felt like he belonged. Hearing his first impressions about his experiences with American people honestly made me feel sad and ashamed to be a US Citizen. I have seen first hand how immigrants are treated in America and wish that I could do something about it. I'ts sad to say that I was not shocked or surprised by his responses. Another barrier that Professor Antonio faced was the English Language. Due to the fact that he lived in Spanish speaking states for most of his life and never planned on settling in America , he had never really take the time out to learn English. It took him nearly three years to get it down pact but still faces issue with pronunciation of certain words.

Professor Antonio was also forced to watch some of his good friends deal with Racism. Although he was never racially profiled this caused him to always feel the need to watch his back and to not get in any trouble. For example whenever he is driving he always makes sure to go the speed limit while driving because who knows what could happen if he gets pulled over. The constant fear that immigrants face and live with every day is not talked about enough.

After talking with Professor Antonio it made me realize the privilege that I have as someone who was born and raised in the United States. I may never have to worry about my citizenship being questioned or have to deal with barriers that Immigrants are forced to go through. Professor Antonio is now living with his wife in Maryland and loves the diversity of it and being a Spanish teacher. However , he still feels like an outsider most days and would like to eventually move to Mexico.

Fun Fact

His favorite restaurant is his kitchen where he likes to make Paella for his family and friends

"Home is somewhere you should feel safe and welcome and many Immigrants do not find that "

Team 3 : Concept Map

Chapter 11 : Concept Map

Chapter 10: Fieldwork

Social Class

Karl Marx says that the most important part of a persons identity is their social class because it determines how they view the world around them. He also states that classes are defined and structured by the relations concerning work and labour and ownership or possession of property and the means of production.

In this article by Faith Karimi she basically states that she did not fully realize that she was black until she had her son. This forced her to think about the dangers of what it meat to be a Black man growing up in America. Karimi was originally born ad raised in Kenya where all she saw was people that looked like her and was of the same social class as her. Due to her social class and status of being an immigrant it was hard for her to find a good job causing her to live with the perspective of fighting for survival. This relates to Marx's theory of social class because it demonstrates that a persons social class gives them a different view of the world around them.

Max Weber's theory of social class states that how much wealth a person accumulates determines their social class. He believes that power , prestige , property , and wealth were major parts in determining someones social class. Those in charge of running large factories and corporations also added to a persons wealth.

In this news article it talks about how Stephanie Valencia and Jess Morales , two Latino women decided to purchase and become the new owners of several major Latino radio stations. Due to this purchase it can be said that these two women have now accumulated a lot of power and wealth. This caused an uproar from republicans because they were worried that these women would try to silence conservative voices, even though conservative media owners have been expanding into Spanish language media as well. Valencia and Morales's sole purpose for buying these stations were to harness Latino cultural touchstones in music, sports and entertainment to build trusted news and consumer information , sources , however due to their new source of power they were seen immediately as a threat. This relates to Max weber's theory of social class because it proves that those who take ownership of corporations and factories gain a certain level of power and prestige , thus allowing to the increase of social class.

Bourdieu's theory of social class basically states that capital and habitus are the two main elements of educational reproduction and social class. Capital includes participation in cultural activities and cultural material resources, and habitus focuses on subjective attitudes and dispositions. An example of habitus is the clothes that people wear. More often times than not we are able to decipher a rich person from a poor person based on their clothes.

This News article talks bout how those who have lower incomes and social status wait longer for everything.  This article examines inequity in the time cost of waiting which suggests clear implications of the waiting gap. Longer waits for medical services result in worse health outcomes, and long lines at the polls impact people's ability to cast their ballot. "The unconditional gap in waiting time suggests low income people spend at least six more hours per year waiting for services than high-income people," the article states. Those who have obtained cultural and social capital more likely than not do not have to experience waiting in any way , shape , or form. They have access to health care and could probably afford to order groceries instead of waiting on a line to get them. This supports Bourdieu's theory of social class because demonstrates how those with his social class status can afford to have certain habits and are able to obtain social and cultural capital which ultimately makes their life easier.

Chapter 9 : Fieldwork

1.) Why did you choose the questions that you chose ?

Our questions were 1.) If polygamy was legal would you practice it and why? 2.) Do you believe in gender roles and why? and 3.) If you lived in a toxic household and have not had a good representation of love , are you then fit to be considered a good partner? We choose these questions because we were interested in seeing what both men and women would say. When it came to the question of polygamy I was surprised to see that women also believed in this.

2.) What patterns do you see from the responses?

Based on our videos , I saw patterns in our question about gender roles. Both men and women believe that there are specific roles that men and women should do. For example men should do chores such as take our the garbage and women should cook and clean. We all had videos with boys and girls who were 19 years old or older so I definitely saw patterns in the way they thought. When it comes to gender roles I personally am on the fence about them , simply because a women can do anything that a man can.

3.) Is there anything that surprises you ?

The thing that surprised me the most was when I interviewed a girl and she stated that she believes in polygamy. to be honest I have never thought about being in a polygamous relationship let alone a marriage. She stated that she did not want to limit herself to one man. I was also surprised that one of my team members stated that he plans on having 3 wives simply because he wants to provide for them.

4.) If I were to do this again I would ask that we all get one male and female to answer these questions so that we could compare all the answers.

Chapter: 9

1.) If Polygamy was legal would you practice it and why ?

2.) Do you believe in a gender roles and why ?

3.) If you have lived in a toxic household and have not had a good representation of love , are you then fit to be considered a good partner?

Chapter 6 : Fieldwork

I was born and raised in Harlem , New York. Both my parents grew up all around the different boroughs of New York , the main one being Brooklyn. My ethnicity consists of African American , Haitian , and Portuguese Indian. Both my grandparents from my mothers side migrated from Haiti at different times. My Grandmother , Rosaire was born and raised in Port-au-Prince , Haiti which was the capital of Haiti. She was apart of a dance group in 1972 and was giving the opportunity to come to America in 1973. She ultimately migrated to America to achieve a better life and "the American dream". My grandfather , Meirmont was born and raised in Jacmel Haiti , which was more a more wealthy part of Haiti. He migrated to America in 1971 to also obtain the "American Dream". My grandparents saw each other in passing while in Haiti but did not get together until they both met in America again. My Great Grandparents are also from Haiti and although I have never met them , I continue to hear great stories about them. It saddens me to admit that I have never really learned as much about my Haitian heritage being that my mom does not speak Creole and she has only visited Haiti once. The closest I've felt to my Haitian side is the food that my grandmother cooks every year on Thanksgiving.

Port-au-Prince

Jacmel Haiti

My Grandparents , Mom and Aunt (#Twins)

As far as my Fathers side if the Family it was hard to dig deeper and find out more about their history. I did find out that my Fathers mother , Elloise was born and raised in Brooklyn New York and her mother was raised in Virginia. Both her parents were Portuguese Indian. Although her mother was in her life , she was raised by my Great grandmother , Hazel who I never got the pleasure of meeting.

My Father and I

Has Your Family embraced American Nationalism ?

Yes , I can say that both sides of my Family have adapted to the American way of life. We celebrate American holidays and have adopted American traditions. Down to the foods we eat , the way we dress , and even how we talk , and our beliefs of the world. Although my grandparents on my mothers side still have strong accents and prefer Haitian foods , they too have embraced American Nationalism. Overall in doing this research on my nationality it made me want to learn even more and try to embrace all sides of my nationality.

Chapter 5: Fieldwork

Micro - aggressions

"You have nice hair for a Black girl" This is an example of a micro aggression that black woman face everyday. The text book states that a micro aggression refers to common everyday verbal or behavioral indignities and slights that communicate hostile , derogatory , and negative messages about someone's race , sexual orientation , or religion. Race plan a major role in micro aggressions , in the sense that more often than not a Black person if offended by it. Micro aggressions are usually not meant to be offensive but often are because it takes a hidden shot at the other person. A racial micro aggression is includes subtle insults directed toward people of color , often by well - intentioned whites. An example of this would be "you speak English well for ... . In my opinion anyone who continuously uses micro aggressions toward a certain group of people should be immediately canceled.

2. Phenotypes

Phenotypes refer to the way a persons genes are expressed in an organisms physical form as a result of genotype interaction with environmental factors. This photo is an example of a phenotype. In this photo we see two identical twins with completely different characteristics. The most obvious phenotype Is the color of each of their skin , followed by eye color , hair , and lips. People are treated and judged based on how they look everyday. In the society the we live in the sister on the left would be able to pass for white essentially giving her the freedom to obtain white privilege and more opportunities. The sister that appears Black will be more likely to endure racism , and un equal treatment.

3. Hypo descent

This photo is an example of hypo descent or the "one drop rule". In this photo we see two black women , an older one standing over younger one who is holding a white baby in her arms while there is a white man sitting next to them. Just by looking at this photo we can assume that the young women and man are this boys parents. To the naked eye being that the baby took after his or her father's skin complexion anyone would think that both parents were white. If a person has a black and white parent they are technically considered mixed. Each race in this case is just as equally important as the other and only become unequal by the judgement and associations of others.

4. Colonialism

Colonialism is the practice by which a nations - state extends political , economic , and military power beyond its own borders over an extended amount of time to secure access to raw materials , cheap labor , and markets in other countries or regions. This picture demonstrates colonization because it is showing a view from two different points of view. One being African American and the other being the white point of view. We can see that black people are the more dominated group but also see few white people settling amongst them trying to assimilate.

5. White supremacy

White supremacy is defined as the belief that whites are biologically different from and superior to people of other races. In this picture we see a white man with a gun saying how much he loves America and how he would do anything for this country. In the same breath he gets asked to were his mask in public to protect others in this country that he loves so much and gets angry proving that he feels he's above everyone else. This caused me to think about how white people really view America and how the world would be if we were all equals amongst each other.

6. Institutional Racism

Institutional Racism are problems by which racial inequality is structured through key cultural institutions , policies , and systems. Some examples of these institutions would be education , health care , housing , and law enforcement. I am very passionate when it comes to the healthcare system which one of the reasons I would like to be a nurse. African Americans are dying everyday without equal resources one of the biggest ones being healthcare. This image is very powerful to me because although there is only one Black doctor , all the other doctors have the same goal which is to keep out racism.

AAA Code of Ethics

Do you agree with your groups rank and order ? Why or why not ?

In the end I do agree with how the ranks were ordered. I agreed because we were able to discuss why we each thought these ethics should be ordered the way they were.

Did your ideas change after watching the video?

Yes! I noticed that after watching the video on Henrietta Lacks my group and I considered Henrietta's story and then proceeded to make our list. I noticed that my groups ranking was different from my initial ranking.

Fieldwork Activity #1 : Making Telfars Unfamiliar

The history of Telfar

The first Telfar bag was created by self -taught queer black designer Telfar Clemens. Telfar was born and raised in Queens , New York and created his self -named fashion house in 2005. While in high school at New York's P.S. 206, Clemens's teacher wrote monograms for all of their students. The monogram the teacher gave to Clemens later became the brand's signature logo. Clemens won the Vogue Fashion Fund award which led him further into the spotlight.  It was very important for the Telfar bag to seen as completely unisex bag that any , and everybody could wear without the labels. In 2014 the first bag was introduced at the Autumn/Winter 2014 runway show , but did not receive a lot of recognition until 2018. For a long period of time queer black people in New York City were ubiquitous supporters of Telfar , that is until celebrities such as Solange, A$AP Ferg, and Kelsey Lu begin to wear the bag publicly. In August of 2020, Telfar introduced the Bag Security Program, a one-day-only online event in which allowed thousands of people to preorder guaranteed bags. During the New York Fashion week Telfar Clemens hosted his first pop-up shop in Brooklyn where thousands of people showed up shutting down traffic for hours. This caused Clemens to host another pop up except this time online. Since the Telfar bag has been launched there has often been conversations about whether it is considered a luxury item or not. Telfar bags typically retail for $200-$500, far less than other highly-desired handbags by the likes of Chanel, Prada. Telfar bags are now one of the most sought after bags in the world.

Manufacturing of Telfar Bags

Telfar bags like most luxury bags are manufactured in China. The logo featured on telfar bags are of a T inside a C, a form of his initials created by one of Telfar’s childhood teachers. Telfar's financial model is unique due to the fact that it is a self financed production. The massive increase in demand, has caused Clemens to have to double the size of the headquarters in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and have leased a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in New Jersey to manage their own fulfillment. To manufacture a Telfar bag factory workers use vegan leather and it features both cross-body straps and handles so it can be worn multiple ways. It contains a 45 degree sticking angle with two types of straps, double top handles and shoulder straps. Every bag contains an additional brand tag that reads "Telfar / EST . 2005, NYC". It comes in a variety of colors and blends fashion and function, and has a decent amount of carrying space.

Impact of Telfar on Me

In the past I would never be caught dead considering myself a purse kind of girl" that is until I discovered Telfar bags. Whenever it came to wearing purses or bags I would avoid it at all cost because it made me feel to girly. When I first ever saw someone with a Telfar bag my initial thought was that it was cute but I would never get one. Fast forward to today and I have now found myself being a collector of these bags. I grew up in a working /middle class household and was not always able to afford designer bags such as Chanel , or Luis Vuitton. As these Telfar bags became more popular I officially decided that I wanted one and once I saw that they were not as expensive as I thought , i never went back. Telfar bags have not only allowed me to express myself but make me feel good anytime I wear it.

Conditions of Factories

There is little to no information on the condition of the factory workers , however Telfar Clemson has stated that there is an exceptional quality of work and flexibility when working with manufacturers.

Citations

Parisi, D. (2022, September 28). How TELFAR captured luxury customers with a contemporary price point. Glossy. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.glossy.co/fashion/how-telfar-captured-luxury-customers-with-a-contemporary-price-point/ 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, January 25). Telfar Clemens. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telfar_Clemens 

TodayShow. (2022, September 23). Telfar is restocking all of its shopping bags today - how to get one before they sell out. TODAY.com. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.today.com/shop/best-selling-telfer-shopping-bag-t213233 

The key Dynamics of Globalization

Time Space Compression

This gif relates to Time - Space Compression because it signifies how fast information spreads through social Media.

Flexible Accumulation

This relates to Flexible accumulation because it shows that money is very easy to obtain. It also shows that there is an endless supply to money which is important in companies.

Increasing Migration

This relates to Increasing migration because it symbolizes a plane easily traveling around the world which is what is now more accessible than in the past.

Uneven Development

This shows uneven development because it shows a white man and a black man each having the same half of a globe , but the whit man has all the resources.