Author: rmahmoud

Final Assignment – Podcast on Hair

Group Members: Rawan Mahmoud, Daria Mosley, Mariah Williams

Pitch

The alteration of hair used as an assimilation mechanism can be seen in the book Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Most of our inspiration comes from the scene where Ifemelu, straightens her natural hair for a job interview. When her boyfriend asks why she straightened it, she says, “My full and cool hair would work if I were interviewing to be a backup singer in a jazz band, but I need to look professional for this interview, and professional means straight is best, but if it’s going to be curly then it has to be the white kind of curly, loose curls or, at worst, spiral curls but never kinky. (Adichie 252)”. This scene among others in the novel depicts how natural hair is viewed in the workplace by America’s society.

“Ever notice makeover shows on TV, how the black woman has natural hair (coarse, coily, kinky, or curly) in the ugly “before” picture, and in the pretty “after” picture, somebody’s taken a hot piece of metal and singed her hair straight? (p 367).”

In the United States, afro, kinky, and dread textured hair have been viewed negatively for decades. The Eurocentric standard, long straight hair has become America’s standard of beauty(“Beauty Is Pain” 1). Natural hair discrimination has been an issue for over 50 years. In 1981, a black woman employed by American Airlines was told her cornrows violated the company’s grooming policy (Kanigiri and Reidy 2). In 2017 the United States army updated the regulation 670-1 which authorized black men and women to wear dreadlocks, and twist on the job (Dirshe par.7). Cornrows are currently still prohibited hairstyle in the military. High-level managers in corporations advise that women should straighten their hair for an interview to have a better chance of getting a job. Americans equate straightened hair in the workplace with intelligence, hard worker, and socially acceptable (Kanigiri and Reidy 2). In a survey conducted by Essence, many black women in various professions stated that they feel comfortable wearing their natural hair to work. However many women also mentioned not having representation in the workplace causes them to confirm by putting their natural hair in an updo style (Dirshe par.11-18).

The medium we plan to use to portray this scene is a podcast. With a podcast, we will be able to have an open dialogue using the book Americanah, personal experience, and research to further the conversation on natural hair in America.

Script

Interviewer: Rawan

Ifemelu: Daria

Wambui: Mariah

Introduction– Interviewer: Welcome back to our show! Thank you for tuning in on our “Immigrant Experience” podcast. Today we are joined by two Wellson alumni, Ifemelu who immigrated from Nigeria. Ifemelu has resided in America for the last 10 years until recently she decided to move back to her home country. We also have Wambui with us today, a friend of Ifemelu who also immigrated from Kenya. Today the topic we will be discussing is natural hair in the workplace. Recently, I saw an article in the New York Times titled “New York City to Ban Discrimination Based on Natural Hair.” The article the New York City Commission on Human Rights announced in quote “ the targeting of people based on their hair or hairstyle at work, school or in public spaces, will now be considered racial discrimination” Hence people who have hairstyles such as locks, cornrows, twist, braids, Bantu knots, fades, afros have the right to keep their hair in an uncut or untrimmed state. How do you both feel about this reform? (Stowe par. 1-2)

Ifemelu: I love the fact New York City has recognized that companies do discriminate against black men and woman over their natural hair. I know that in 2015 the Marines approved braid, twist, and lock hairstyles which before was banned. In addition, in 2017 the Army lifted its ban on dreadlocks which again, was previously banned. I have friends that I met in the states who served in both the Marines and the Army. I feel it’s unfortunate and unfair that these individuals have put their lives on the line for an occupation that discriminates against embracing natural hair (Stowe par.17).

Interviewer: Yes, that is how I felt when reading the article. I hope that more states will reciprocate the actions of New York City. It is unfortunate that this is still a problem in many corporations in 2019. Well speaking of natural hair in the workplace:  

Interviewer: Why do you feel it’s easier to get a job with non-natural hair?

Wambui: I think it is proven you can get a job with non-natural hair. In the academic journal by Bencosme, “Beauty is Pain: Black Women’s Identity and Their Struggle With Embracing Their Natural Hair.” Bencosme talks about how black women face societal pressures from a young age to become more eurocentric by altering their natural hair. Not to call Ifemelu out, but she had many people in her ear telling her to change her hair so that she would get the job. That’s not to say she isn’t qualified for the position, but the fact that everyone is telling her that her hair could potentially make or break whether she gets a job or not is beyond me.

Ifemelu: I completely agree with Wambui, and I would even go to the extent of saying that Americans do not like change. As a result of that, people are not willing to challenge traditional rules. For decades women have worn their hair straight in the workplace because straight hair is “labeled” as professional. However, when women of color finally want to embrace their natural hair, corporate America does not want to adjust to this change.  To answer your question, yes I believe it’s easier to get a job with non-natural hair because in America straight hair is the norm.

Interviewer: What products do you use?

Wambui: Products I currently use are Cantu, natural oils, JBCO, and banana shea butter conditioner. Finding the right products has always been a trial and error. It is hard to find a product that is going to moisturize, strengthen, and soften your hair all in one. There will be products that say they do, but they do not. I believe finding a good priced product for 4C hair is hard to find. For those who do not know, 4C hair is the most coiled and coarse texture of natural hair.

Ifemelu: I use many of the same products as Wambui, I currently use the Shea Moisture JBCO line. I also like OGX biotin and collagen conditioner. As of lately, I am mindful of the products that I use in my hair. I do not like products that contain sulfates, parabens, and other chemicals I cannot pronounce. In Nigeria, we use many American and Nigerian made products, however, I feel the most effective hair products are natural ingredients such as Apple Cider Vinegar for shampoo, eggs, and yogurt for protein treatments, chebe powder, rice water, and rhassoul clay. Many ingredients I use are household items that you can find in your pantry.

Interviewer: Did you feel as if you were forced to straighten your hair?

Ifemelu: When I first came to America,  I never realized that something as trivial as hair could have a huge impact on how people treat you and what type of job you get. I remember when my Aunty Uju passed her medical license examination test, she felt that she needed to take out her braids and relax her hair for the interview (Adichie 146). At the time it was hard for me to comprehend why my qualified aunt would need to prove to an employer through appearance why she’s qualified. However, throughout my life, I have felt the repercussions of wearing my natural hair. After college, it was hard for me to find a job, which I feel was due to my appearance. Therefore in order to provide for myself, I felt the need to straighten my hair.   

Interviewer: When did you first encounter the stigma that natural hair isn’t “good hair”

Ifemelu: I believe my first encounter with the “good hair” stigma was during my childhood. Growing up my mother had long black relaxed hair. My father would often call my mother’s hair her “crown of glory”(Adichie 49). I always believed that when he said that he was implying that straight hair is superior. People would always ask my mother if her hair was real or if she was was from Jamaica. People within the African community never could believe that my mother’s hair grew so luxurious without being mixed with another race. I remember feeling hopeful when I got older my coils would become looser and my hair would eventually resemble my mothers. As I got older, I encountered this stigma again in secondary school. My best friend Ginika was voted the prettiest girl in school. Do not get me wrong Ginka is gorgeous however, I believe she was voted prettiest due to her caramel skin, and wavy textured hair (Adichie 67). Therefore,  all my life I have witnessed the effect or advantage straighter hair has on others.

Wambui: I first encountered the good hair stigma through my own experience. When I first came to the states from Kenya I saw a lot of people around me with relaxers and blowouts. I use to hate the control my natural hair had over my actions.  I noticed this in my colleagues as well. I hate how natural hair can easily sweat out and too many products will make it look greasy. I couldn’t even go swimming without chemicals damaging my hair. I always never witnessed or heard women with straight hair experience these problems so as a result, I believed my hair wasn’t good hair.

Interviewer: How do you feel about protective styles in the workplace? Braids, weave, etc

Ifemelu: I feel protective styles like braids, weave, and twist are beneficial for my hair. I enjoy not having to spend time doing my hair in the morning before work. I personally wear protective styles because of their versatility and simplicity. However, I do not appreciate the stares I get from my coworkers when I change my protective style. In Nigeria, women wear faux locks, braids, yarn twist, and wigs to work interchangeably. In my country, hair is a form of self-expression. In America, hair is a form of self-expression as well, but the self-expression has to be limited in the workplace. Bosses and coworkers, particularly from caucasian descent, feel long braids, and colorful weaves are “urban.”  Often times, my coworkers question my hairstyles rather than ignore it or complement it. Although the stares bother me, I plan to continue to wear protective styles at work.

Conclusion- Interviewer: Well, that’s all the time that we have today. Thank you guys for being here today! We hope that this movement of women embracing their natural hair continues to grow and progress because it really is vital. Thank you guys for tuning in and make sure you tune in next week for our new podcast on immigration.

Annotated Bibliography

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Americanah (Ala Notable Books for Adults) (p. 250-367). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

The author of Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, discusses multiple topics, such as love immigration, and race. Essentially, this story follows Ifemelu and the struggles she faces in both Nigeria and when she moves to America. Before leaving for America, Ifemelu believed that by moving there, her problems would become non-existent. However, that was not the case. Ifemelu had a hard time adjusting to America and it’s culture. She faced multiple different obstacles, which includes racism, discrimination, and depression. When Ifemelu came to America, she had a very difficult time trying to obtain a job due to her skin color, her accent, and her hair. Because of the fact that she could not obtain a job for a long period of time, she had to resort to working for a man that took advantage of her for a simple one hundred dollars. Because of this Ifemelu was pressured to conform. She felt that if she had straight hair and practiced her accent then people would not discriminate or be racist towards her.

Dirshe, Siraad. “Black Women Speak Up About Their Struggles Wearing Natural Hair In the Workplace.” Essence, Essence, 7 Feb. 2018, www.essence.com/hair/black-women-natural-hair-discrimination-workplace/.

This article, written by Siraad Dirshe effectively discusses the natural hair movement and the struggles that black woman face to wear their natural hair in the workplace. This source is a reliable source. Siraad Dirshe served as beauty editor for Essence Magazine. Her educational background is in Digital Marketing. Dirshe has also written additional publications for Vogue, Allure, Elle, Refinery 29, Teen Vogue, and Man Repeller. The article began by identifying the start of the natural hair movement in the mid-2000s. The author credits natural hair YouTubers, and natural hair blogs as being the start of when black women started to embrace their natural hair. The author ended the article by asking seven women from various occupations on their feelings and experiences of wearing their natural hair in the workplace. This article is written for black women who are in the labor force. This article contains hair terms for women who are familiar with natural hair textures. The genre is an article published in Essence Magazine in the hair category. This source demonstrates the discrimination black women face in the workplace. This source also supports the thesis through primary interviews, and references from the military regulations. This source will provide information to create and inspire dialogue to create change.

Meher Kanigiri, and Steven Reidy. “How Are Ethnic Hairstyles Really Viewed in the Workplace?” Cornell University ILR School, 2016, digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=student.

This article, written by Kanigiri Meher and Steven Reidy examines the controversy of African American hair when worn in natural styles such as afros, braids, dreadlocks. The theme of this article is to expose the stigma that society believes natural hair is unprofessional, unacceptable, and ugly. The study analyzed the importance of natural hair in black culture and assessed natural hair discrimination in the United States since 1981.  The authors included the underlying theories of organizational culture and society’s desire to conform to an ethnic identity. The authors conducted secondary research on how job agencies feel about how appearance relates to intelligence. This source is a reliable source, implications are supported with case studies and percentages. This article is written to educate students at Cornell University. The genre is an academic journal published by Cornell University digital commons. This source supports our thesis that employers feel that individuals with straight hair are more preferable candidates. This source was created to provide information on the discrimination that black woman have faced in the workplace since the 1980s. This source will create dialogue for employers to evaluate the issue as an organizational problem.

Parke, Phoebe. “Heads up! Africa’s Billion Dollar Hair Care Industry.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Feb. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/02/05/africa/hair-care-africa-view-feat/index.html.

Phoebe Parke, author of “Heads up! Africa’s billion dollar hair care industry”, which was published on CNN, discusses the amount of money that is spent on hair in Africa. According to the data, it appears that Nigeria is the leading country in Africa, that spends the most on hair products. People in Nigeria spent approximately $440 million in hair products. The reasoning behind the increase in spending in Nigeria is due to the fact that they have an increase in their younger population and their usage of internet and cable TV has also increased, which is causing many of the consumers to become influenced on what they are viewing on the internet and TV. In the next couple of years, Euromonitor predicts that growth in the usage of hair product will continue to increase due to the rise of more natural hair and natural ingredients. While natural hair has become increasingly more popular, social media is still pushing the idea that black women with long and straight hair, are more attractive and have it easier when it comes to managing their hair. The article also happens to discuss the top leading hair brands in Africa. HACO Tiger Brands, L’Oreal East African, PZ Cussons East Africa, Procter & Gamble, and Amka Products, all happen to be the top leading hair product brands in Africa.

Stowe, Stacey. “New York City to Ban Discrimination Based on Hair.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/18/style/hair-discrimination-new-york-city.html.

This New York Times article written by Stacey Stowe discusses a new placed in New York by the Commission of Human Rights, that bans any form of discrimination against hair, whether it be at school, out in public, or in the workplace. The article dates information from today and all the way back to the 60s with examples of discrimination against natural hair and specific hairstyles. This article can be seen as biased to other races as the article states examples of discrimination specifically from people of color. Stowe includes examples on all levels while noting how hair is perceived. According to the article in the 1960s, wearing your natural hair in an afro was seen as a political statement rather than choosing to wear your hair in its natural state. The article features an informational video directly from the Marines, showing hair regulations which feature, and is directed towards people of color. According to the article, almost 18% of the United States soldiers are black. In 2015 the Marines approved of hairstyles such as braids, twists, and locks. In 2017 the Army finally allowed dreadlocks. The article even mentions how discrimination against hair can happen at any age. According to the article, an 11-year-old and a 6 – year-old were sent home from school due to having braids and dreadlocks respectively. This article shines a light on injustices against hair and how a state like New York is making a change to the issue at hand.

“Beauty Is Pain: Black Women’s Identity and Their Struggle with Embracing Their Natural Hair.” Perspectives (University of New Hampshire), Jan. 2017, pp. 1–13.

The academic journal “Beauty Is Pain: Black Women’s Identity and Their Struggle with Embracing Their Natural Hair.” touches on the modern topic of what equates to “good” or “bad” hair for black women.  The journal also discusses how natural hair is viewed and embraced in America. According to the journal, there is a culture of black women adapting to Eurocentric ways. Black women have resulted to mechanically and chemically straightening their hair to meet other’s standard of beauty while erasing their own. The journal mentions that straight hair is the norm in the workplace. According to the journal, a woman in West Virginia was fired from her job at a prison for having braids. The journal shows how hairstyles like braids, weaves, relaxed, and short hair are accepted, but it is taking longer for hairstyles such as locks, twists, and afros to be approved. The journal also notes the different textures of black hair that would be accepted in relation to America’s standard of beauty. The looser the coil, the more beautiful you are. According to the journal, black women have gained self-hate by altering their natural hair, and natural women are proving that the link between afros and the Black Power Movement is not always present. This journal breaks down the standard of beauty involving hair, and how society is restricting black women today because of it.

 

Final Proposal

Team Members: Daria Mosley, Rawan Mahmoud, Mariah Williams

“When she told Ruth about the interview in Baltimore, Ruth said, ‘My only advice? Lose the braids and straighten your hair. Nobody says this kind of stuff but it matters. We want you to get that job.’ Aunty Uju had said something similar in the past, and she had laughed then. Now, she knew enough not to laugh. ‘Thank you,’ she said to Ruth” (Adichie 250).

“Hair. Ever notice makeover shows on TV, how the black woman has natural hair (coarse, coily, kinky, or curly) in the ugly “before” picture, and in the pretty “after” picture, somebody’s taken a hot piece of metal and singed her hair straight? (p 367).”

The altercation of hair used as an assimilation mechanism can be seen in the book Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Most of our inspiration comes from the scene where Ifemelu, straightens her natural hair for a job interview. When her boyfriend asks why she straightened it, she says, “My full and cool hair would work if I were interviewing to be a backup singer in a jazz band, but I need to look professional for this interview, and professional means straight is best, but if it’s going to be curly then it has to be the white kind of curly, loose curls or, at worst, spiral curls but never kinky. (Adichie 252)”. This scene among others shows how natural hair and texture is viewed in America’s society.

In the United States, Afro, Kinky, and Dread textured hair have been viewed negatively for decades. The Eurocentric standard, long straight hair has become America’s standard of beauty(“Beauty Is Pain” 1). Natural hair discrimination has been an issue for over 50 years. In 1981, a black woman employed by American Airlines was told her cornrows violated the company’s grooming policy (Kanigiri and Reidy 2). In 2017 the United States army updated the regulation 670-1 which authorized black men and women to wear dreadlocks, and twist on the job (Dirshe par.7). Cornrows are currently still prohibited hairstyle in the military. High-level managers in corporations advise that women should straighten their hair for an interview to have a better chance of getting a job. Americans equate straightened hair in the workplace with intelligence, hard worker, and socially acceptable (Kanigiri and Reidy 2). In a survey conducted by Essence, many black women in various professions stated that they feel comfortable wearing their natural hair to work. However many women also mentioned not having representation in the workplace causes them to confirm by putting their natural hair in an updo style (Dirshe par.11-18).

The medium we plan to use is a podcast. With a podcast, we will be able to have an open dialogue using the book Americanah, personal experience, and research to further the conversation on natural hair in America.

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Americanah (Ala Notable Books for Adults) (p. 250-367). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“Beauty Is Pain: Black Women’s Identity and Their Struggle with Embracing Their Natural Hair.” Perspectives (University of New Hampshire), Jan. 2017, pp. 1–13. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=127094192&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Dirshe, Siraad. “Black Women Speak Up About Their Struggles Wearing Natural Hair In the Workplace.” Essence, Essence, 7 Feb. 2018, www.essence.com/hair/black-women-natural-hair-discrimination-workplace/.

Meher Kanigiri, and Steven Reidy. “How Are Ethnic Hairstyles Really Viewed in the Workplace?” Cornell University ILR School, 2016, digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=student.

 

 

Mental health outcomes among Arab refugees, immigrants, and U.S. born Arab Americans in Southeast Michigan: a cross-sectional study

This article discusses the mental health state of Arab immigrants, refugees, and U.S. born Arab Americans. Arab refugees and immigrants that are living in the United States may be exposed to political, economic, social, and environmental stressors that could very much affect their mental health. Researchers wanted to conduct research on this topic due to the lack of information on the mental health of Arab immigrants, refugees, and U.S. born Arab American. This study was conducted in Southeast Michigan and the purpose is to measure depression and anxiety levels. They also wanted to know if depression differed between the three resident status (immigrant, refugee, U.S. born).

The researchers were able to conduct a cross-sectional study in which they sampled 275 adults who identify as Arabs that are living in Southeast Michigan. They were able to collect data by administrating questionaries from August to November 2015. The questionnaire that was distributed had a series of questions that helped the researchers determine if any of the Arab participants had depression or anxiety.

Based on their research, all three groups (immigrants, refugees, and U.S. born) displayed high levels of depression and anxiety. Refugees ended up having higher levels of depression and anxiety than immigrants and U.S. born Arab. Refugees reported higher levels of depression and anxiety because of their situation. They were forced to leave their homes unexpectedly and to go to a completely different country, where they are not fully accepted as first-class citizens there. Not only does this make complete sense but the results for refugees were expected to be higher than the other two groups.

Pampati, Sanjana, et al. “Mental Health Outcomes among Arab Refugees, Immigrants, and US Born Arab Americans in Southeast Michigan: A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 18, Dec. 2018. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2018-62858-001&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Trump says he is considering a new family separation policy at U.S.-Mexico border

This article discusses the fact that Trump is considering a new family separation policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump believes that the administration’s earlier move to separate children from their families was necessary and effective in order to get the rise in immigration. Trump has stated that they are “looking at everything that you could look at when it comes to illegal immigration”. He has also stated that while separating children from their families is a “terrible situation”, he is persistent on it because he hopes that it will scare away undocumented migrants from trying to enter the United States, “If they feel there will be separation, they won’t come”.

In August of 2018, the Department of Homeland Securities states that the country saw a 38 percent increase in the number of migrants arrested and charged with illegally crossing the border. For that reason, Trump believes that the people coming in are only bad people, “You have really bad people coming in and using people. They’re not their children. They don’t even know the children. They haven’t known the children for 20 minutes. And they grab children and they use them to come into our country”.

One option that the administration’s is looking at for their new plan on separating the children from their families is for the government to detain asylum-seeking families together for up to 20 days, then give parents a choice, to either stay in family detention with their child for months or years as their immigration case proceeds, or allow children to be taken to a government shelter so other relatives or guardians can seek custody.

Rucker, Philip. “Trump Says He Is Considering a New Family Separation Policy at U.S.-Mexico Border.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13 Oct. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-he-is-considering-a-new-family-separation-policy-at-us-mexico-border/2018/10/13/ea2f256e-cf25-11e8-920f-dd52e1ae4570_story.html?utm_term=.285595715cf5.

 

It may take 2 years to identify thousands of migrant children separated from families

This article discusses the fact that it may take at least 2 years for the government to identify the thousands of migrant children who were sadly separated from their families. The apprehension of the children took place between July 1, 2017, to June 25, 2018. The filing on April 5, 2019, outlined the government’s plan to use data analysis and manual reviews in order to be able to look through all of the 47,000 cases of children that were taken by the U.S. immigration officials. This will help them allow which child was taken from which family.

In recent months, the number of families crossing the borders has increased. Before the only people crossing the border illegally would be single males but now, with the recent increase in crimes and violence, families feel as if they have no option but to flee their homes and cross the border by any means. These families are simply looking for someplace safe to be. For some of them, they don’t have the option to wait around and apply for a visa, for some, they need to leave now. With an increase in families crossing the border illegally, it has put a strain on the already overburdened immigration system. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, stated that the Democrats want to work with the president on this issue. He also states that separating children from their families is not the humane thing to do, it isn’t something that the U.S. should be doing but they are continuing to see the administration engage in this inhumane act of tearing families apart.

Cummings, William. “It May Take 2 Years to Identify Thousands of Migrant Children Separated from Families.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 7 Apr. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/07/immigration-family-separations-may-take-2-years-identify-children/3393536002/.

Carlos Hernandez

On February 27, 2018, we were given the chance to listen to writer, Carlos Hernandez. Majority of his work consists of science fiction, short stories, and poems. His most recent work happens to be Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, which is amazingly being published by Disney. Not only is he a writer but he also designed a video game called Meriwether. 

Hernandez started off his discussion about his experience as a first-generation American. He then proceeded to talk about two of his poem and the process that he went through to get the finished product. He also discussed the struggles he faces as a writer, such as writer’s block and figuring out his own creative writing place. I personally enjoyed hearing Hernandez speak because not only was he humble about his experiences and success but he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he had failures throughout his career. It was also a great experience for me to see that your career can be something that you truly love and enjoy.

Grant Proposal

For my grant proposal, I would like to hold a fundraising event at Stevenson. At this event, everyone is welcomed including Stevenson students and the people from AWE. During the event, we will have leaders from AWE speaking about the organization and providing any information to the audience. After the information panel, there will be raffles held in order to raise money. There will be food and drinks provided. The point of this event is to help raise awareness towards the organization and to help raise money, since the $1,500 won’t be enough. With the money that is raised, it can help the organization a lot more than $1,500, so it can go towards more than just the technology that AWE needs.

Entrepreneurship Career Panel

Stevenson University was able to host an entrepreneurship panel that consisted of 6 panelists who all happen to have different backgrounds. The panelists were John Dinkel, principal of Dinkel Business Development, LLC., Chris Daley, founder and principal of Whirlaway, LLC., Andrew Murphy, partner and owner of Flying Frog Publishing, Elizabeth Trim, branch manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Andy Brown, founder and CEO of Eat Pizza, and Garrett Pfeifer of Maryland Brand Management. They were all able to share their personal stories about the struggles that they faced when it came to starting and running their own business. All of the panelists were given various questions to answer and although they all have different backgrounds and stories, the answers and advice that they were providing us with, were very similar to one another. A piece of advice that stood out to me would be to know what my strength and weaknesses are and to focus on them. Something else that really resonated with me would be when Elizabeth Trimm mentioned that when it comes to succeeding in starting and running a business, you have to know what your “Why” is. That statement personally stood out to me because it made me realize that in order for me to truly succeed in my business, I have to love and have a passion for what I am doing.

This panel was able to relate to our course because when it comes to digital publishing, essentially we are learning about creating and designing online publications. During the panel, the discussion of branding ourselves and our business came up. In today’s world, having an online presence is a vital part when it comes to branding. So, I  feel that this course is providing me with the information and skills that are needed when it comes to branding online. This panel connects with my future career for several different reasons. I am a business administration major and I hope to start my own business one day. Attending this panel gave me the opportunity to listen to people that were once in my position. This panel also provided me with various tips and advice on how I can succeed when it comes to me starting my own business. The idea of starting my own business has always been daunting to me and most of the time I did not think that I had it in me to start a successful business, but going to the panel and listening to their stories has motivated me and helped put things into perspective for me.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Rhetorical Analysis

Rawan Mahmoud

Dr. Licastro

Eng 256 OM 1S

11 February 2019

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) work with refugees, migrants, and children to make sure that not only are they welcomed into their new communities throughout America, but to also ensure that they are protected, and have a safe transition into America. Their services and advocacy fall into four different categories: protection, stabilization, integration, and the long welcome. Protection provides them with access to legal and physical support and protection of human rights. Stabilization provides them with access to resources and information. Integration provides them with opportunities to engage in their new communities. The long welcome is a project that provides them with successful integration.

Audience: 

According to Writer/Designer, an audience is the intended reader of a text (Arola, Sheppard & Ball, 2018). The intended primary audience for LIRS would be donors, migrants, refugees, and children. The secondary intended audience would be volunteers, human rights advocates, Lutherans, and refugees or migrants that are seeking loans. Donors would be their primary intended audience because their donate button happens to be one of the main buttons that stands out, all throughout their website. Since the donate button happens to be highlighted, anyone that comes across this website, the first thing that will capture their attention would be the donate button. Refugee’s, migrants, and children also happen to be the primary audience because this website was made for the sole reason to reach out to any migrants, refugees or children that may need help. This author also happens to be reaching out to volunteers, human rights advocates, Lutherans, and loan seekers. Next to the donate button also happens to be a “take action” category, which has volunteers and advocates listed within it and on the right top corner is where migrants and refugees can find the loan button. Lutherans would be drawn to this website because they would want to provide help or bring awareness to their fellow Lutherans. People are drawn to this website because if they are looking for ways to help migrants or refugees, the author knows that the website provides them with everything they need to help out.

Purpose: 

The purpose is the intention of the text. The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services purpose is to make sure that refugees, migrants, and children have all the resources that they may need in order for them to transition into their new lives as seamless as possible. LIRS’ purpose is to also ensure their safety and protection. They provide viewers with this information on their home page. Their home page also includes how many volunteers they happen to have and how many migrants and refugees they have welcomed into their care.

Context:

Writer/Designer describes context as “where the text is located, how it is meant to be read, or what surrounds it” (Arola, Sheppard & Ball, 2018). This medium is considered a website and the author most likely chose this as their medium because they wanted to inform and to reach out to as many people as they can. If the author had simply posted an ad in the newspaper or written a report about it, not everyone would have access to it. But because this information was posted online, almost everyone would have access to it. Someone can argue that not every migrant, refugee, or child has internet access but almost every library provides people with free access to the internet. This text is meant to be read virtually anywhere that has internet. It can be read on a computer or it can be read on a phone. Within the website, there are links news reports that surround the text. The news that is linked within the website discuss topics that are related to migrants, refugees, and children.

Author: 

When it comes to a non-profit website, such as LIRS, the website tends to have more than one author because the role of running an organization like LIRS tends to be a lot for just one person. When it comes to websites, one of the first main thing that a person should do is to see if it is a credible source or not. Looking at the author will help determine if the source is credible or not. When it comes to the author/s for this website, the website itself provides a list of who is exactly on the board and the committee.

Genre: 

According to Writer/Designer, genre is to, “help us recognize how to group similar texts and understand their communicative purpose” (Arola, Sheppard & Ball, 2018). For this website, it is clear that the website is a non-profit website because all of the donations that they receive goes directly to the migrants, refugees, and children. This website also happens to be an informative yet religious website. The website provides information on who the organization is, who the leaders are, how someone can help, and much more. They also happen to be a religious website because they have several sources on their website that discusses religious events that they can attend.

Modes of Communication:

Throughout the website, there are multiple forms of linguistic modes, which happens to refer to the use of language.

The website provides multiple different linguistic modes, one of them being about information on how they can volunteer and help out.

With visual mode, the website has plenty of visual all throughout. The website includes various of different pictures and it even features a video. The color scheme of the website is generally the same, which is blue, white, and an orange almost red color. I believe that the author purposely made the donate button orange because it’s the color that stands out the most. It makes the reader’s eyes go straight to the donate button.

With aural mode, which focuses on sound. The website provides the viewer with two different videos that they can view. One of the videos discusses immigration detention, which is “the process of detaining non-citizens in prison-like settings while their immigration case is processed” (LIRS). The other video, which also happens to feature the  CEO of LIRS, discusses refugees, migrants, and children and the reasons why they flea their countries. 

Spatial mode, which is the arrangement of the website. When a person visits LIRS, the home page prompts the reader to scroll down. Although there isn’t an arrow that directly points down, the way that the author designed the layout is that they had a word the was cut off, which forces the viewer to scroll down to see the rest. The home page also prompts the viewer to click on their “read the stories” button, which allows the viewer to get more invested in the website.

 Gestural mode refers to facial expressions, hand gestures, body language, and interaction between people. Just by having the two videos up on their website, it is clear that there is a gestural mode throughout the website. Not only does the website include videos, but there are also plenty of pictures that depict emotion.

References:

Arola, K. L., Sheppard, J., & Ball, C. E. (2018). Writer/Designer: A guide to making multimodal projects.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. (2019, February 06). Retrieved February 10, 2019, from https://www.lirs.org/