Author: shacker

Refugee Children’s Experience in England and Denmark

The article titled “How do refugee children experience their new situation in England and Denmark? Implications for educational policy and practice.” was  written by Sara Amalie O’Toole Thommessen and Brenda K.Todd.The article explains the research method they plan to use while interviewing children who were refugees in England and Denmark to find the psychosocial factors that they were faced with.

The study found that the main aspects that the refugee in England were challenged with and sought to overcome the transition to the English language and the challenges they faced because of their lack of English knowledge, motivation to succeed instead of letting the comments or actions of others bring them down, and to gain strength through social support and empowerment (O’Toole Thommessen & Todd 228-238).

O’Toole Thommessen & Todd conduced research from individuals who moved to Denmark as a child refugee, and learned that they struggled with the language barrier, gaining strength through social support, for adults to notice or understand the needs of the child and the integration of the two words into one (O’Toole Thommessen & Todd 228-238).

The researchers discovered that the refugee children in England were faced with more racism and stereotypes, which impacted the confidence and mental status of the children (O’Toole Thommessen & Todd 228-238). The biggest issue the researchers discovered for the refugee children who lived in Denmark was the merging of their two words, their home and their life in Denmark, which caused for identity issues and felt like a foreigner in their home country since they were viewed as part Danish (O’Toole Thommessen & Todd 228-238). The most interesting discovery from the research was that in both countries, the refugee children longed for social and educational support (O’Toole Thommessen & Todd 228-238).

The takeaway that was discovered from this study is the need for more support from the community the refugee children live in, as it is sometimes made difficult for them to adjust. The researchers suggested the need for more training on how to handle refugee children to help them better adjust and feel supported. The researchers believe that teachers should receive this training, as the most social interaction and support received is in school. If we took the initiative to support and be there for these children, their transition would be much smoother.

 

Sources:

O’Toole Thommessen, Sara Amalie, and Brenda K. Todd. “How Do Refugee Children Experience Their New Situation in England and Denmark? Implications for Educational Policy and Practice.” Children & Youth Services Review, vol. 85, Jan. 2018, pp. 228–238. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.12.025.

“Trump declares ‘country is still’ in Fox News interview, says US can no longer accept illegal immigrants”

On April 6, 2019 Fox News.com posted an article titled “Trump declares ‘country is still’ in Fox News interview, says US can no longer accept illegal immigrants.” The article was written by Lukas Mikelionis.

The article informs readers about the content revealed in a recent interview with President Donald Trump. President Trump believes that our country is full and that the U.S. is saving money by not letting so many immigrants in. President Trump did say that he praised Mexico for stopping border crossings after he threatened to shut down the U.S.- Mexico border.

The news source, Fox News, is known to bias their stories to Republic readers. Fox is known as a very Republican news agency, so they showed support for his declaration.

Compared to many other articles Fox News posts, this article does not have many examples of bias. Most of the article contained direct quotes from President Trump’s interview, which makes it difficult to show any bias. The only possible mentions that would show bias is the use of the world “illegal” or the subtitle “Border Slowdown Leaves Ports of Entry Vulnerable To Drug Trafficking, Critics Say.”

The only major way the story could be misconstrued is the readers view on President Trump and their beliefs about the current border crisis. Someone who agrees with President Trump will agree and believe everything he is saying is spot on. But those who disagree could probably say the way President Trump came off was demeaning, rude, etc.

While this article is from a Republican news site, I do feel that the writer did not write too much of his own opinions or thoughts, which I would prefer to read over opinionated articles.

Mikelionis, Lukas. “Trump Declares ‘Country Is Full’ in Fox News Interview, Says US Can No Longer Accept Illegal Immigrants.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 6 Apr. 2019, www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-declares-the-country-full-in-fox-news-interview-says-american-can-no-longer-accept-illegal-immigrants.

“Asylum-seekers forced to wait in Tijuana fear for their lives”

NBC News posted a news article on March 27, 2019. The article was written by Daniella Silva and focused on the topic of asylum-seekers who were sent back to Mexico while waiting to appear in court, are finally in front of a judge in San Diego.

The article’s title does not make sense or is missing a word, which greatly affects the article’s credibility. The title also uses words like “forced,” and “fear.” The title is trying to make readers have an emotional connection to the article. Right under the title, there is a picture of a girl and a daughter and the caption states that the girl in the picture has struggled to find a lawyer to represent her and she remains trapped in Tijuana.

Throughout the article, the story of a man named R.T.’s opportunity to speak to a judge who could grant him asylum in the United States is presented. RT says he had fled from Guatemala due to violence and death threats. The writer mentions that hundreds of migrants are stuck living in a dangerous border towns in Mexico between their court dates, and states that the migrants feel the towns they are currently placed in are just as dangerous as the place they fled from. This information can be easily manipulated or altered to appeal more emotion to the reader.

The article also speaks about the President’s recent decision to return some migrants to Mexico after they present their asylum claim at the border. The refugee program director of Al Otro Lado gave a comment saying “If the goal of the policy is to strike terror in the minds and hearts of asylum seekers and create a completely chaotic environment and obliterate due process rights, then the policy is wildly successful (Silva 2019).”

The writer clearly does not agree with the Trump Administration’s new policy that has asylum- seekers waiting for court in Mexico. The fact that they made notice to the policy negatively shows that the writer displays bias in the article. It seems that she uses emotions to make people feel bad hoping that they will change their opinion if it differs from hers.

While I generally am concerned about asylum seekers safety, the author has no proof other than the comments by R.T. that the border towns are just as dangerous as the places, which causes for speculation.

If the author wanted to present the information with very little bias, she could have said “While asylum seekers are waiting for their court date, they are living in border towns.” It makes it difficult to believe what is real or what it altered since so many news stores include bias to try to push their beliefs on you.The only acceptable time for the author to include their beliefs and bias is through blog posts, opinion pieces, etc.

 

Silva, Daniella. “Asylum-Seekers Forced to Wait in Tijuana Fear for Their Lives.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 27 Mar. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/asylum-seekers-forced-wait-tijuana-fear-their-lives-n988081.

Americanah Provocation

Provocation Assignment

In Chapter 11 of Americanah, Ifemelu is adjusting to her new life in America, and notices her Aunty Uju has changed to “fit in” in America. A section in the book that made me take a step back and think about how closed- minded Americans are is when Aunty Uju says:

“I have to take my braids out for my interviews and relax my hair… If you have braids, they will think you are unprofessional.” “So there are no doctors with braided hair in America?” Ifemelu asked. I have told you what they told me. You are in a country that is not your own. You do what you have to do if you want to succeed.” There it was again, the strange naivete with which Aunty Uju had covered herself like a blanket. Sometimes, while having a conversation, it would occur to Ifemelu that Aunty Uju had deliberately left behind something of herself, something essential, in a distant and forgotten place (Adichie 146).

Ifemelu has noticed that Aunty Uju has left behind some of her Nigerian roots to try to adapt to American culture, even by changing her hair. Aunty Uju believes that she must fit in with the American culture in order to find a job or success in America. Ifemelu seems annoyed by her aunt changing herself to fit in, but she is still new to America and she has not experienced as much pressure to fit in as her Aunty Uju does.

Americans are obsessed with their appearance, and they feel they have to change  to be happy or find success. Many employers openly admit to accounting for an applicants appearance (as in the clothes they are wearing, their hairstyle, if they are wearing makeup, etc.) during the hiring process. Do you think that during the hiring process someones appearance plays just as large of a role as their actual qualifications or abilities?

Sources

“Chapter 11.” Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Anchor Books, A Division of Random House LLC, New York, 2013, pp. 141–158.

 

 

Carlos Hernandez Reflection

Carlos Hernandez visited our class on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Carlos spoke about about his childhood experience being a first generation Cuban living in America, and then answered many of my classmates questions.

I wish I was able to hear him speak in the beginning of the class more, but unfortunately the person sitting next to me was eating a bag of chips so it was difficult to hear what he was saying and was very distracting. Then the person sitting next to me was playing on his computer, and left abruptly while Carlos was talking. (it was extremely rude and I hope it didn’t offend him)

Once I was able to pay attention and hear what Carlos was saying, I was very interested in his experiences. I liked how open he was about his struggles, disappointments, and how he was willing to be transparent about his contract. I really admire how humble he was, and spoke to us as if we were his friends. I feel that is what sets him apart than a lot of writers. He admits he’s not perfect, he says he needs an editor and will admit when something he writes doesn’t turn out. I really respect him for that.

I am a huge Disney fan and Disney is very wise with their selections of works, so I’m very excited to read his book. I hope to read more of his works in the future.

Business Administration and Publishing

On Wednesday, February 27, 2019 I spoke with Kelly Fewster from Career Services about my career goals, what my options are in terms to my major, and how digital publishing could relate to my career path.

We first spoke about what specific jobs relate to Business Administration majors, and how I could utilize digital publishing in my field. I told her that I currently work for my family’s HVAC Business and I helped design their website, I help create social media content, and I am in the process of starting a blog for the company.

Kelly said that what I am currently doing definitely relates to digital publishing, and if I stayed in my current position I would use the skills I am learning in class to better my publishing skills. She mentioned that if I worked for another organization, I could do the same type of thing depending on my position. She gave me many resources that will help show me what positions in my field will utilize digital publishing skills. I plan to look more into those resources to find possible positions that interest me.

Grant Proposal Pitch

Technology is changing constantly and in today’s society most job opportunity listings and resources are online. Asylee Women Enterprises (AWE) offers a program on Monday’s and Wednesday’s called “Employment and Education Program.” The program teaches asylum seekers how to write resume’s, teaches interview skills and assists them in online job applications. I would like to use the grant money to donate new computers that have Microsoft capabiltieis installed. I feel more computers will give AWE more opportunities to assist even more individuals and by doing so, will better assist the individuals in rebuilding their lives.

Career Goal

When I graduate, I hope to continue working for my family’s HVAC business. My family started the business 18 years ago and when I was little I would tell everyone that I was going to take over the business one day. I grew up around the HVAC industry by going on calls with my dad, answering phones, helping with paperwork, picking up parts, etc.

When I was a teenager I was not as interested in the business and had other career goals. When I graduated high school, they were in need of a temporary administrative assistant who could do the job until they were able to to find someone for the position. I was in between jobs and I was able to work around my school schedule, so it worked out perfectly. I eventually got good at my job and liked what I was doing, so I stayed permanently.

In the beginning I realized how cruel some men in the industry, and even outsiders, could be. They believe women do not belong in the industry, in the office or out in the field. In the past four years I’ve learned general knowledge and troubleshooting tools for the equipment we service, and once while helping a customer, they asked if they could talk to a man instead. I’ve walked into supply houses and waited a half hour for someone to help me while men were waited on immediately, and was only acknowledged because I asked if anyone was going to help me. They responded with “Oh, I thought you were here with your dad.” I’ve learned to just roll my eyes, shake it off and move on.

Although I have been faced with closed minded individuals, I’ve been blessed to be welcomed with open arms by others. Those individuals try to teach me basic knowledge of the equipment, they make sure I’m treated with the same respect everyone else gets, and they encourage diversity in the industry.

About a year and a half ago, I won a scholarship through an organization called, “Women in HVACR.” The organization chose the most promising applicant who works or plans to work in the HVAC industry, and is continuing their education in trade school or undergraduate programs. A requirement for the application was for 3 recommendation letters from at least 2 separate parts of the industry. I asked a technician, a local distributor’s district sales manager, and a salesman for another distributor, and all were men. I had become to know each of them very well and they each encouraged me to stay in the industry. The Board of Directors from Women in HVACR even commented on how well they spoke of me in their letters and how encouraging they were for women to be apart of the industry.

My family, Women in HVACR, and the open minded individuals who encourage diversity are the reason why I want to continue working for my family’s business. I am hoping to eventually take over the family business along with my sister. Our goal is to help women feel comfortable about joining the industry and eventually work towards making women present in the industry a norm. While we currently encourage and support woman in the industry, we feel we would be more effective if a woman actually owns and runs the business.

Since the business is small, we do not have different departments that many large organizations do. One day I could be working in payroll, the next I could be working on marketing, and sometimes I’m sent in the field to be an extra set of hands for the technicians. Because of my various roles, I am in charge of general marketing, our social media pages, and our website.

This course could teach me the necessary tools to analyze other HVAC websites, evaluate our audience, the color theme, the font, etc.and design our website accordingly. Blogs also are a current trend, so I’m hoping to create a blog for our company. The blog will inform readers of “Do’s and Dont’s” of using their equipment, teach readers how to change the filters in their unit, etc. I’m hoping by the end of this course I will be able to determine how to get my information across effectively.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Rhetorical Analysis 

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) provides a website that encourages the community to help advocate for the global refugee crisis that the world is currently facing (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). LIRS was founded in 1939 in the United States by Lutheran churches (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). The organization was first created to help those who were uprooted during World War II, and their mission has grown since (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). LIRS helps refugees, asylum seekers, migrants in detention, unaccompanied migrant families and other vulnerable individuals (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service’s website is an accessible resource for information that helps users understand the confusing global refugee crisis in a way many people can understand (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service).

The authors of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service are members of the organization (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). While many various members of the organization may have created the website, the main contributors may include Danielle Bernard, the Director for Marketing and Communications (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service).

The intended audience of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service’s website may include immigrants, refugees, vulnerable individuals, donors, political activists or other non-profits (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). The website provides information on how to receive help from the organization, which helps reiterate that the main intended audience is refugees, immigrants, or vulnerable individuals (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). The website allows for information on the overall crisis and provides information on how individuals can help advocate or volunteer for the organization or offers an option to donate to the organization which targets to their secondary audience: political activists and donors (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service).

The media’s context is a nonprofit’s online website that portrays a serious tone (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). An online website is the easiest way to display information (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). The genre of the content on the website is informative and persuasive (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). The website provides information to website users about the refugee and immigrant crisis and uses their platform to persuade others to help by donating or volunteering (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service).

The purpose of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service’s website is to inform readers of the global crisis and provide a resource for immigrants or refugees seeking help (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service). The second purpose of the website is to encourage people to advocate, take action or donate towards the cause (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service).

Mode Analysis 

Spatial:

The overall layout of the web page is user friendly, clear and accessible. The page has a menu on the top left, and provides menu options including “About Us,” “Our Work,” “Take Action,” etc. The top of the page has two columns of information, but changes into one column and the page ends with an address and menu options to visit their privacy policy, their financial information, their career site, etc. The page follows the same layout as most successful nonprofits. The layout may prove to draw people in, which is why it is used by many nonprofits.

An example of similar layouts used by non profits are shown in the picture above from LIRS and The Red Cross. Both websites have a menu across the top, a single column feature that includes picture icons and words underneath that either portray a message, or provides a link to the topic for more information.

Both The Red Cross and LIRS also have a specific column section on their page for donations. A section dedicated solely to donations may stand out and persuade viewers to donate to the organization.

 

Visual:

When first opening the web page, the dark theme colors stood out. The colors include: blue, white and dark orange. The dark orange is used for the “Donate” button for emphasis, which jumps out to the reader. Since the dark orange stands out and draws you in, the organization may hope that more people will recognize the donate option.

The website includes various of pictures including the hand of the Statue of Liberty, a sparkler and children. The picture that displays the hand from the Statue of Liberty may help remind viewers of our ancestors entrance into America or may reference American’s rights to freedom. The sparkler and children pictures are used to help draw viewers into the blog posts corresponding to the pictures.

White or blue font is used throughout the page. The font style differs throughout. For example, one section of the website includes thin, fancier lettering, while other sections of the website include thick lettering with a mixture of small and large font. The more critical information is bold faced. The difference in lettering may help reiterate the website’s call to action. The thick bold lettering may be more serious and informative, while the thin fancier lettering calls for individuals to use the hashtag on social media.

 

Aural:

The aural mode is silence, as there are no video or sounds played on the website.

Gestural:

There are no gestural modes displayed throughout the website

Linguistic:

The wording used throughout the website is formal, firm, yet simple. The website has both paragraphs and titles. The paragraphs are short enough to get the point across, which makes reading a lot of information easier for the viewer.

 

Works Cited:

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. History. n.d. 11 February 2019.

—Our Leadership. n.d. 11 February 2019.

—Resources. n.d. 11 February 2019.

—Take Action. n.d. 11 February 2019.