Conclusion

I have learned so much throughout the time I spent taking this course. It taught me so much about the issues going on in different parts of the world, and my teacher was very knowledgeable of these things (which was definitely helpful). Each unit covered different struggles that migrants face. Whether it be in South Africa, Guantanamo Bay, or even here in Canada.

The clip that stuck out to me the most was the "Sorplusi Principles" by D'bi Young. I think this one stuck out to me because she was Jamaican, and she had the ability to captivate her audience. She spoke with such passion and pride. She is very intelligent and unique, and I thought that these were rare qualities to find in people these days. The other clip that stuck out to me was a trailer for the film "Incendies". It was about two siblings whose mother died, and they had to go find their father and brother (who they did not know about). It looked interesting because it seemed to have a lot of twists, especially because their mother did not tell them about their father and brother; this is what my teacher referred to as intergenerational trauma.

I think it was a good idea for each of us to write our own blogs because we were able to learn from one another. As we all know, nobody is the same. So, it was interesting to gain insight on everyone's personal story, and see what they thought about each unit covered in class. When I did my own research, I mainly found information on Turkish culture. I learned things about the evil eye, different traditions and rituals, food, and other things related to their culture.

Lastly, I think migration is becoming very popular in the world. Many people migrate to the United States, and to Canada. But, I also learned that many Africans are migrating to South Africa as well. Even when I was in Jamaica, I noticed some Indians there (who were not from there). I think that every country will have a wide variety of people in the future, especially Canada. Canada is known for accepting all people, and I do not see this changing anytime soon. Therefore, I think Canada will be the country with the largest immigrant population in the world. Some people do not mind the idea of migration, but some people are not very accepting. Therefore, I think that migration can have both a positive and negative effect on culture.

Photo Documentary

One of the final assignments in this class was to create a photo documentary essay. The topic of my essay was "Objects that migrants bring from back home that reveals their attachment to their homelands". I have a friend who is from Turkey and I asked her if i could use some of her items for this assignment. She could only find 3, and they were the evil eye, her flag, and a necklace her parents gave her that has a prayer on it. In Turkey, the evil eye is normally a bead that can be carried around with a person. It can be on a string, a necklace, a key chain, etc. My friend's was on a bracelet, and in Turkey, they often refer to it as "Nazar Boncugu". The purpose of the evil eye is to warn off negative thoughts. The Turkish flag is meaningful to her because it reminds her of where she came from. Not that she necessarily needs a flag to tell her that, but it is like a token of her country. Lastly, the necklace that her parents gave her has a prayer on it called "Ayat Al-Kursi". The purpose of this prayer is similar to the evil eye; it keeps one safe from bad things. The prayer is written in Arabic. She does not speak Arabic, but the meaning of the prayer is comforting. And because her parents gave it to her, she cherishes it.


I found the two other items from my mom. The items were her birth certificate, and her immigration papers. She had the original version of her birth certificate (which was really "cool" to see). I could tell the paper was old, but it was interesting to see the format, and what was written on it. My mom and her twin were born on the 26th of November, but they were registered on the 28th. So, it's like they have two birthdays. The immigration paper I found basically stated that someone from her immediate family filed for her to live in Canada permanently. It also instructed her not to make any sudden decisions regarding that news (like quitting her job, getting rid of any belongings, start packing, etc). I didn't even know that my mom had these documents stored in our house. I'm glad she does because they were interesting to see, and each one told a story. 

Unit 5 - Returns and Reflections

In class, we watched a short clip called  "Sorplusi Principles" featuring a lady by the name of D'bi Young/Anita Afrika. In this clip, she discusses why she is in South Africa, and she also discusses her 8 "sorplusi principles". D'Bi Young seems to be a very intelligent and intellectual person. She can immediately captivate an audience because of the passion in her voice when she speaks. She also appears to be very spiritual, and eccentric. We were told in class that she normally wears clothes with kitenge print, and does not care what other people think of her.

D'bi says that she is in South Africa for the people and their stories. She asserts that people make culture; and by doing so, the possibility for change comes alive. She believes that people need to relearn themselves as a collective society; they need to learn to love themselves and each other. She feels so strongly about these things because of the migrants who go to South Africa; they are being treated poorly because they are nor originally from there. Because of this, D'bi has developed 8 principles which she plans to implement on her journey to change the people of South Africa's  negative thoughts. These 8 "sorplusi principles" are:

• Language
• Self-Knowledge
• Morality
• Rhythm
• Political Content and Context
• Urgency
• Sacredness
• Integrity

She will use these 8 principles to overcome barriers, and expand the minds of others.

I found her to be quite interesting because she has a drive that is rare to find in a person. She is truly passionate about life, and making the world a better place. She has plenty of knowledge to spread among people both young and old. And at the rate she is going, I see her journey becoming a success.

Unit 4 - Arrested Movements

The topic I have chosen to write about is Poems by Guantanamo Bay Prisoners. The poem that stuck out to me is called “To my Father” by Abdullah Thani Faris al Anazi. While listening to this poem, I began to understand what the writer was feeling; it opened my eyes to what was happening in Guantanamo. In this poem, Abdullah basically says that he is being punished for something he has not done; he has done no wrong, yet he is being held captive at one of the camps. After hearing this poem, my understanding of what is happening in Guantanamo Bay, is that Muslims are being held captive just for being Muslim. These prisoners have been captured after the 9/11 attack, so I think that has something to do with the way people perceive them.

I don't think that this is fair because they are people just like us. Whether they are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc.; they deserve to be treated fairly. Abdullah also mentions inequity at the beginning of his poem. While he is in Guantanamo, it seems as if he has no self-worth; as if his existence no longer matters. It seems to me that he wants people to know about the injustice that is happening at those camps, and he wants people to open their eyes and see how he and the other prisoners are being treated.

If those prisoners have done no wrong, why were they captured? Wasn't there someone there who did not think unjustly? I think that there was someone there who could have said something, but chose not to because they were scared.

Unit 3: Arrival

The third unit we discussed in class is called “Arrival”. This unit basically talks about the challenges that immigrants may face when they migrate to Canada. I think a migrant truly “arrives” to Canada when they settle, join a community, and know some English (because they need to know how to communicate). When they come to Canada, they may experience some forms of welcome and rejection. Having agencies or organizations that support newcomers to the country, can be considered a welcome because their aim is to make them feel comfortable and “at home”. There are also people who are very kind and open to change; these people could also be considered a form of welcome because they are accepting the people who are new to the country. Although there are some people who are nice and welcoming, there are some people who are not so accepting of other people. Some people do not like the idea of having immigrants come to Canada. Maybe they do not like the thought of change, and accommodating them. Some people are ignorant, or just not used to having “other” people around.

To form new identities, immigrants need to get a passport or some sort of citizenship card. They may also need some legal papers stating that they are allowed to be a resident of the country. Immigrants should be proactive in learning to adapt to their new environment. That may include getting a job, learning to speak English (if they do not already know), meeting people in the community, becoming familiar with areas of their community, etc.

The community provides ESL courses, so that is a way for immigrants to learn to speak English. Kim Thuy wrote a book called “Ru” and we had to read an excerpt from it for class. One of the topics she covered was language. When she came to Canada she met a lady named Marie-France. When she introduced herself to Kim, she said, “My name is Marie-France; what is yours?” Kim would repeat this phrase over and over. She did not understand what the lady said, but because she seemed very pleasant, Kim was very intrigued by this woman. When Kim repeated this phrase to her parents, they asked her if she changed her name. I guess at that point she realized what the phrase meant. Kim’s parents were able to speak French when they lived in Quebec; so, they wanted Kim to “speak French too, as well as English since her mother tongue had become, not ridiculous, but useless”. Because she was living in Quebec, she had to conform to their customs, rules, and standards. Therefore, she could not be speaking Vietnamese anymore because no one else spoke that language. In order to fit in she had to speak the language of the country she was living in.     

Interview Assignment

I was looking forward to doing this assignment on my friend who is from Turkey. But her schedule was very busy, so I did not get a chance to interview her. I resorted to interviewing my mother. I already know my mother's story, but by doing this assignment, I can share her story with others. Overall, I think the assignment was a good way to help us open our minds, and give us the opportunity to hear some really interesting stories. The assignment was very engaging and insightful. I even drew some conclusions of my own while listening to the answers my mother gave me. Although her story may not be viewed as "cool" or interesting to others, it definitely contributes to my family history.

Unit Two - Border

I thought that this unit was very interesting; I enjoyed the quotes by Gloria Anzaldua. One of her quotes that stuck out to me the most, was one describing borders as a hemorrhage that flows before a scab can actually form; one can always feel the pain it caused. When my professor explained the quote to us, then related it to some areas in Toronto, I found it really interesting and true. My professor also mentioned third world areas and first world areas in Toronto. She said that some third world areas have first worlds in them, and some first world areas have third worlds. She gave us two examples:

Third World Country with a First World Area

• There are places in Africa that are really bad; people are living in poverty and suffering. They have no food, money, or education. But, right beside those areas, there are people living as if those issues do not exist. The have big houses, nice cars, and a lot of money. This is an example of a third world country with a first world area because the environment that she is speaking of is typically bad, and a lot of people live in poverty. But, there are a few people who live there and have a ton of money, and do not have to endure the suffering that the poor people have to.

First World Country with a Third World Area

• Canada is considered to be a first world country, but it does have some "bad" areas. Toronto is Ontario's capital, and some areas there would be considered "ghetto" or "bad". Like Regent Park for example. Canada is a nice place to live, but Regent Park is an area that has a lot of poverty; even generations of poverty. There are poor Blacks, poor Whites, poor Orientals, etc. There are people who used to have middle to high class socio-economic statuses while in their other countries, but come to Canada, and end up living in a place like Regent Park.

Also, there is a place called Cabbage Town right beside Regent Park, and it had plenty of nice Victorian style houses that are all side by side. So it is interesting to see that a "ghetto" area can be right beside an upscale area, and still have people struggling and suffering.