For my visual representation post, I found two video games that show what it’s like to experience being in a refugee or asylum seeker’s shoes.
The first is Against All Odds which allows the user to start their experience as a refugee/ asylum seeker that is escaping their country. As you move throughout the game you have to make tough choices about abandoning friends or family, where to stay, who to trust, etc.
The second game is The Waiting Game. This game allows you to pick your narrative. There are a few stories to choose from including escaping an abusive gang member marriage, being student protestors, facing religious prosecution, and experiencing racial discrimination. All of these experiences are based on people’s real-life stories and you get to witness what they went through first hand.
Tuberculosis is an airborne, bacterial disease that effects the lungs that spreads when people cough and sneeze. The scary part about this disease is that people who are infected may not show any symptoms. Treatment for TB is a lengthy process that requires multiple antibiotics.
This journal analyses the TB outbreak among Italian immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. They looked at three interventions of the outbreak in Italy during a four-year period at five sites (primary centers and mobile clinics) in Rome and one in Milan.
TB cases have significantly increased in occurrence over the past few years. However, with the adaptation of a new prevention method in 2014, TB cases have seen lower levels and can, if treated correctly, be eliminated before the disease spreads.
Italy has no TB national screening policy for new entrants, which allows more cases to enter the country. So, this study was conducted to introduce interventions during 2009 and 2010 in Italian refugee areas and compare results of those same intervention methods being used in 2013 and 2014.
According to the research in this study, the interventions conducted helped to slow the spread of TB in Italy and surrounding countries. Refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants are the most suspetable to the disease and are considered more likely to be caring it. The interventions put in place require this group of people to get screenings for the disease before entering Italy.
Worked Cited:
Monica Sañé Schepisi, et al. “Active Tuberculosis Case Finding Interventions among Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Italy.” Infectious Disease Reports, no. 2, 2016. EBSCOhost, doi:10.4081/idr.2016.6594.
This article analyses the immigration issue at the US and Mexico border from a rightist perspective. Similarly to the previous article I’ve analyzed, this piece showcases its bias within the title. The interview that is mentioned in this piece is heavily relied on for information and quotes. So much so, that the “country is full” quote is the sole basis of the article.
In comparison to the other article, this piece refers to the immigration and border debate as an “escalating crisis” rather than unauthorized immigration. Not to say one phrase is more correct than the other, but they are both emotionally driven phrases from different perspectives.
This article recalls Trump’s visit to the California border this past week. During his interview with Fox, the president stated that immigrants are “gaming the system” and it is because of the “Democrats and what they’ve done in terms of Congress.” This quote in and of itself is emotionally driven; however, it is how the author uses it that showcases the bias. The quote is in plain text amidst the body of the text and is spotlighted in bold directly beneath that. The bias comes from the author showcasing an abhorrently lambasted quote.
This article was biased and had very little contextual value aside from a single interview between a reporter and the president. There was little to know proven, factual information, aside from quotes, in this piece.
This article analyses the immigration issue at the US and Mexico border from a leftist perspective. Before even reading the content of the article, you get a hint of the bias from the title. The emotion-driven statement of “Trump struggles to curb unauthorized immigration” that then leads into a furtive explanation of how making changes of this scale are not quick and easy.
Immigration in the United States has been a topic of debate within the government and this article uses biased rhetoric to describe the current state of it. The wordage of this article may be biased, but its delivery isn’t obvious. The diction is subtle in this way by not directly saying what the overall message implies.
For example, the first paragraph introduces the subject matter: increased levels of unauthorized immigration. However, it states that halfway through Trump’s first term he is “searching for quick-fix solutions” that he and his administration has previously “promised to solve.” This implies that the president is taking a long time to deliver a promise while also looking for an effortless, easy-out fix too.
Another emotionally driven rhetoric would include the author’s depiction of the signing of a discord. The White House revoked the nomination of Ronald Vitiello for a lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement position. However, the author wrote that the White House yanked the nomination from the “longtime federal immigration official.” The author then added that Trump’s actions were “emblematic of the failures of a president whose policies have exacerbated the migration surge” and that his methods are “largely ineffective in keeping out the asylum-seeking families.”
This article features biases remarks and emotionally driven phrases.
As many of you may know, the Esperanza Center’s headquarters recently suffered extensive damage from a neighboring fire accident. The Center had to relocate down the street and they are unaware of how long this building will act as a temporary solution. In the meantime, the center is in the process of redesigning the space to adequately provide their various services including a primary care health clinic, English as second language classes, translation services, employment, and food assistance and more. The center could function more efficiently if they had to proper tools available. If selected, this proposal could greatly benefit the Esperanza Center get back on their feet and provide optimal services for the Baltimore community.
This event put a spotlight on entrepreneurship and how to get involved. The panelists included John Dinkel, principal of Dinkel Business Development, Chris Daley, founder and principal of Whirlaway, Andrew Murphy, partner and owner of Flying Frog Publishing, Elizabeth Trimm, branch manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Andy Brown, founder and CEO of Eat Pizza, and Garrett Pfeifer of Maryland brand Management. Each of these people got started because they thought they could do things better than their bosses could. Entrepreneurship isn’t a secure field. It is a field that requires you to carve your own way. Andy Brown recommended to always have two sources of income and to “never put all your eggs in one basket.” As a sprouting entrepreneur, you need to start building your network and discover they “why” behind your decisions. In order to be successful you need to “wear a lot of hats” and function as a one-man show. One panelist said that no one person or team of people can do a job as well as you can. Essentially, an entrepreneur has a unique vision and sees only themselves accomplishing the goal the most efficiently. Other people can help along the way, but entrepreneurs are very self-sufficient in that way. Along with this, one of the panelists recommended to chose what limits you put on yourself. You decide what is reasonable to accomplish and then achieve that. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you must work hard and be humble.
In my future career, I hope to work in either marketing or digital marketing. I am currently employed at a full-service marketing agency and working on website development and SEO for our company. This was not originally my career path of choice but it is slowly becoming a integral part of my life. This job has given me the opportunity to broaden my horizons in ways I had never previously believed I was capable of achieving. My future career goal is to continue growing and learning in the marketing field. The entrepreneurship panel relates to our class because in order to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to establish an online presence. With digital publishing, you can utilize these resources to create an online brand. Website design, content creation, and more all play into your branding. As an entrepreneur, these are all factors you must consider. Your brand is your image and you want it to be an accurate and positive representation.
A Comprehensive Rhetorical Analysis of the Esperanza Center
Introduction
The Esperanza Center is an extension of the Catholic Charities of Baltimore. Their mission is to uphold the visions of humility, dignity, compassion, and integrity in collaboration with the city of Baltimore. The Esperanza Center is a resource center for immigrants trying to navigate life in a new country. This paper will analyze the components of the Esperanza Center’s website and how they work together.
Audience
In a rhetorical analysis, you have to pay attention to who the text will be received by (Arola, Sheppard, Ball 23). The intended audience of the Esperanza Center is volunteers, donors, and immigrants. Volunteers and donors are the primary target for the website because they are the main supporters of the charity. There are many opportunities for these people to get involved, including donate and volunteer now buttons. Immigrants are the people who can most benefits from their services. There are many outlets for immigrants to reach out to the center including contact us buttons, addresses, and phone numbers. The secondary audience is Catholics. As the Esperanza Center is a function under the Catholic Charities of Baltimore, it is suiting that this would be a secondary audience. The values each audience holds are humanitarianism, well-being of others, dignity of others, treat people with compassion, act with integrity. The website appeals to these values by providing an opportunity for people to reach out in collaboration and serve the community.
Screenshot of the Esperanza Center’s website
Purpose
A purpose can be communicated in many ways; one of the most commonly used methods is a call to action (Arola, Sheppard, Ball 22). The Esperanza Center’s website utilizes this call to action method with opportunities to get involved. This center considers their purpose to be bringing the community together by offering “English as a second language and other classes, primary medical and dental care, immigration legal services, and general assistance with resources and referrals, family reunification and support immigrant victims of human trafficking.” Their mission is easily accessible through their homepage and throughout their written text. The Esperanza Center shows the amount of people who are and are involved in this organization. They make sure their resources are available for the people who need it. The website serves as an outlet for people to get involved with this organization through donations, volunteer work, and testimonials.
Screenshot of the Esperanza Center’s website
Context
There are many things to consider when analyzing the context of text. The main things you need to consider are the where, how, what of the text, and the social, cultural, and historical connotations within the text (Arola, Sheppard, Ball 24). In this particular case, the Esperanza Center’s website is being analyzed. So, the medium would be the web and this would be chosen because it reaches the broadest audience. By having this information available on the Internet, more people will be reached whether they be the volunteers, donors, or immigrants in need. This site is also mobile-friendly; ultimately, this means that the audience is not restricted to one form or usage of the Internet and it can be accessed at the user’s discretion. This website also reflects on the sociocultural influences in Baltimore. There are more immigrants and people in need in our streets and this websites serves as a service for them and their families. The websites utilizes pictures, colors, and phrases to represent this.
Screenshot of the Esperanza Center’s website
Author
In some rhetorical analyses, finding the author of a piece of text is simple. In this case of the Esperanza Center, the answer is not so clear. A general author of this text would be the Catholic Charities of Baltimore. The Esperanza Center is an extension of this larger organization, the Catholic Charities of Baltimore would be an implied author of the text. If specifics had to be made, Bill McCarthy would be a credible choice. According to the about us section of the Esperanza Center’s website, Bill McCarthy is the executive director. He may not be in charge of writing all the copy for the website, but he is an overseer and would at least have a say in what is used. He is also listed as having his own blog. Under this link there are many articles that he publishes based on current events and personal editorials. His pieces and that of the Esperanza Center are reliable and trust worthy. The reader gets a sense of the reputation the center holds after its many years of service.
Screenshot of the Esperanza Center’s website
Genre
A genre can help people “recognize how to group similar texts and understand their communicative purposes” (Arola, Sheppard, Ball 27). Genres can be broad but they can also be specific. They can also be influenced by the culture, history, and audience surrounding the text. When analyzing the Esperanza Center’s website, the reader can easily identify that it is a non-profit, charity organization. It is also known that religion plays a factor in the organization. However, what makes this a universal non-profit website is the design and layout of the page. Most non-profits use the same template for website creation. For example, compare the homepage of the Catholic Charities of Baltimore to that of the Behavioral Health System Baltimore. These two non-profits have very similar homepages.
Screenshot of the Esperanza Center’s homepage
Screenshot of the Behavioral Health System Baltimore’s homepage
As seen above, the Esperanza Center’s homepage features an about us and learn more option just as the Behavioral Health System Baltimore’s page has done. There are a few differences, but both websites utilize the varying featured photo and content with tabs above and below for more access to the page.
Modes
The Esperanza Center’s website is multimodal. This means it includes visual, spatial, and linguistic modes of communication. Each mode plays a role in the overall message, but the multimodality is what creates the full piece of communication (Arola, Sheppard, Ball 4).
The visual mode looks at the color, layout, and style of the text. The Esperanza Center uses a green, blue, and orange color theme with a sans serif font. This style choice reflects a lot about the personality of the organization. Each of these choices reflect on the culture within the center. They also include pictures of people volunteering and the immigrants utilizing their services. This gives a unique outlook of the charity.
Screenshot of the Esperanza Center’s website
Spatial mode is a unique mode. It focuses on the placement, arrangement, and organization of the text. The proximity of the text and the placement of the visuals all take place in this mode. For example, on the Esperanza Center’s website, is organized so that the reader knows where to direct their eye to obtain vital information.
Screenshot of Esperanza Center’s website
The linguistic mode serves to analyze the word choice and delivery of the text. Essentially, the way the text is written. The Esperanza Center’s website uses this mode to communicate simply and effectively to it’s audience. They even include text written in Spanish for their audience.
Screenshot of the Esperanza Center’s website
Conclusion
The Esperanza Center’s website features multiple modes of communication including color, organization, and linguistics that adequately reflect that of a non-profit, Catholic, charity. This rhetorical analysis reviews how the site executed it call to action with audience, purpose, context, author, and genre. The site could be made more efficient with better visuals and organization. What the site has is a good start that needs to be refined. The sit could benefit from updating their Esperanza Center landing page. The Catholic Charities of Baltimore has a more refined design and layout whereas the Esperanza Center feels more like a blog post. This Center is a major organization and should be represented as such. Overall the message the Center is trying to convey is received, it could just be done more effectively with these tips.
References
Arola, Kristin L., et al. Writer-Designer: a Guide to Making Multimodal Projects. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014.
