Stalk much?...

To find love, you must first endure pain. Minimize your defenses and permit yourself to live, truly.

[mrwinborn]

Chapter 13 Fieldwork - Migration

My interview was quite spontaneous, which I'm sure is to no one's surprise.  I spoke with an adult male immigrant from Mali, a West African country with a history of violence and crime akin to Baltimore. The gentleman claimed that he came to America after being granted an F-1 visa for educational purposes. His ambition is to earn a bachelor's degree in computer science from College Park and then explore what employment opportunities will occur from there.

I inquired about his impressions regarding his travel to America thus far, and he assured that he has no regrets. He arrived in Baltimore without a family or a significant scholarship offer. He arrived in America with nothing and was able to work his way into financial stability by landing two minimum wage jobs quickly after arriving in order to continue his schooling. He doesn't know anyone here, and his friends and family back home aren't able to help him financially. I asked him if his experience had been lonely, and he agreed it had, but he also added that he had benefited much from his solitary time by reading books and establishing a new level of dedication to his aspirations.

I then asked him if he is confident in his opportunity for advancement after earning his degree, and he answered that while this path here has helped him grow into a self-reliant and hardworking individual, he does not believe he will find many opportunities in America. He explains that as an African immigrant, he is aware of the social barriers that he faces in his everyday existence (i.e. language barriers, cultural barriers, racism, etc.). As a result, he intends to return home, where he perceives he will find both employment and happiness. Explaining that the best jobs in Mali don't care if you have the skills to perform your job; instead, they concentrate on where you acquired your education. Therefore, this man's travel to America is only a stepping stone to better work opportunities in his home country.

This man's story contains layers of mental slavery and degradation that are heartbreaking. To realize that he feels compelled to travel to a place that I sometimes take for granted in order to receive a fair chance in his own country reflects my privilege as an American. The fact that he believes the bloodshed in Baltimore City is no worse than the "Blood Diamond" equivalent of the civil war in his own country is also a frightening concept. Because many of them are traveling to America with little to no financial assistance and are yet bold enough to follow their aspirations while fully being conscious of their social barriers, the interview I gave this man has given me greater amount of respect and admiration for immigrants.

[mrwinborn]

Chapter 10 - Your Turn Fieldwork

https://scroll.in/latest/1000758/jeff-bezos-faces-backlash-after-he-thanks-amazon-workers-customers-for-paying-for-his-trip-to-space

My first entry is an example of Karl Marx’ proletariats versus the bourgeoisie. This article describes the backlash lobbed at Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, who decided to thank all of his Amazon employees along with all of his Amazon customers for his brief trip to space in 2021. The article references several politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, and Geoff Bennett, who express their disdain towards Bezos for being one of the richest men in America and being inconsiderate enough to focus on a space trip while most folk were more concerned with surviving the coronavirus pandemic. Using this case, Bezos would represent the bourgeoisie because he’s so rich that he was too disconnected from reality to recognize how insensitive his comment would be to the average person more focused on survival. Meanwhile Bezos’ employees and mostly likely all of his customers would represent the proletariats because they belong to the working class. People who likely couldn’t afford to stop working without unemployment, and had to figure out how their families were going to survive the pandemic while Jeff was looking for the big dipper.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/19/social-class-wealth-inequality-children-parenting

The second entry is an example of Max Weber’s views on society’s 3-4 social classes. The article speaks to how Maryland high school teenagers are experiencing bullying at school if the other students find out that they’re receiving free lunch from the cafeteria. Families whose households don’t make more than $45,000 a year usually qualify for their children to receive free school lunch, clearly defining and identifying the school’s students that belong to lower-classed families. Students who live in households that barely make more than $45,000 a year still struggle to pay for their lunches and have expressed feelings of jealousy or have begun to bully the lower-income students because the school system has favored them. Then there’s the upper-classed students who can pay for their lunches with ease and who don’t seem to respect the lower-classed or the middle-class students. The upper-classed students have reportedly begun to haze the others so badly that it reached a head during a high-school basketball game between and inner-city school and a suburban school. Where the suburban students and families alike began to chant hazing lines like “Lower average income! Lower average income!” or “That’s all right, that’s OK! You will work for us someday!”.

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/06/dave-chappelle-why-he-left-chappelle-show

The last entry is an example of Pierre Bourdieu’s views on social class. Bourdieu believed in 3-4 different types of capital defining our place in society. The three main types are social capital, economic capital, and cultural capital. This article describes how comedian Dave Chappelle left his highly successful tv show and a healthy paycheck in order to leave America and go to Africa. Chappelle explains that he wouldn’t have felt rich regardless of how much Comedy Central would’ve paid him because his self-dignity would’ve been lost after the way his white portion of his audience started to make him feel. Clearly, cultural capital meant far more to Dave than economic or social capital ever would. And looking at the way people seem to respect his decision nowadays, it seems that his choice to retain his cultural capital allowed him to sustain, and maybe even build his social capital. Which ironically provided him the opportunity to prove his talent and his worth during his Radio City tour upon his return to America, which led to his highly lucrative Netflix comedy stand-up special deal. Allowing Dave to build upon his capitals and regain everything and he had back and more. 

[mrwinborn]

Chapter 6 - What Is Your Relationship of Ethnicity to the Nation?

For almost 150 years, my ancestors have lived in the United States. Unfortunately, because of the Transatlantic slave trade, the true origins of most of my family are unknown. Our predecessors, on the other hand, are certain to be from West Africa. My family has come to terms with American nationalism to some level. Some of my family members embrace American sports and traditions, while others despise them and refuse to love a nation that they believe does not love them back. To the best of my knowledge, no members of my family have immigrated to America from other countries. This bothers me since I am a Black American who has no real knowledge of my heritage. Everything is shrouded in mystery. We've assimilated and adapted to an American culture in which we don't feel connected and aren't treated equally, making nationalism a difficult topic to address.

[mrwinborn]

Chapter 5 Fieldwork - Race Relations

No, this isn't a Dungeons & Dragons gathering. These balding, basement-dwelling ladies-men are members of the KKK's Loyal White Knights and will serve as today's White supremacy exhibit. These handsome devils are protesting against the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from public display in the photo given. Lee was the Confederacy's most powerful general, and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan makes it unmistakable that their protest was there in support of slavery. By definition, these idiots believe that because they are White, they are biologically superior to other races, but if you ask me, they're lying to themselves so that they don't have to look in the mirror at the losers they are.

This entry is a image of Oprah's exclusive interview with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. This image is an example of hypodescent because the royal family never fully accepted Meghan, and it was, sadly, owing to her racial heritage, as everyone anticipated. The royal family couldn't care less if Harry adored or trusted her, therefore this story was huge. They were never willing to give Meghan a chance just because her father was Black, and this could taint the royal family's pristine White bloodline. As a result, Meghan was asked what color she expected her baby to be. What a horrible world we live in.

The following image depicts the George Floyd 2020 protests. It shows people of various races marching together in protest against police brutality. In reality, I'm sure there are non-Black persons in the crowd who are members of other victimized communities. Regardless of whether they could connect to being discriminated against by police officers, the people demonstrating in this photo were definitely there to condemn police misconduct. As a result, people from all backgrounds were brought together for a common goal. Thus, this is a perfect example of intersectionality.

As a result of the abolition of slavery, Jim Crow laws were created. These regulations were enacted to keep Whites and Blacks apart while also letting Black people know who was still the superior race. This entry is a repulsive illustration of America's Jim Crow era. A notice in the photo says, Black individuals are not allowed to venture in town after dark unless they have a valid employment excuse. This is especially heinous because I predict that White folks felt justified in attacking or killing Black people in the evenings because the law stated that they weren't supposed to be out in the first place.

The photo of Puerto Rican demonstrators in the next entry is meant to symbolize colonialism. Puerto Rico is a colonized territory of the United States of America. This explains why you don't need a passport to visit Puerto Rico, and why the locals speak both English and Spanish. The region was formerly home to the indigenous Taino people, but no one discusses the island's native history before it was colonized. This land is your land, this land is my land, so they said.

My last entry is a photograph of Asian Americans protesting Harvard University. In 2018, Asian American college students sued Harvard, alleging that the university used discriminatory gatekeeping measures to prevent Asians from making up a significant portion of their success rate. There were also arguments made that suggested that the University was trying to limit the amount of Asian students that got into the school using tactics that benefited applicants with high-income backgrounds. In 2019, the Supreme Court decided in favor of Harvard. As a result, once again demonstrating that this is a privileged White man's country.

[mrwinborn]

Chapter 4 Fieldwork, I wouldn’t be me if...

Nine Inch Nails - Closer

“My whole existence is flawed, You get me closer to God You can have my isolation; you can have the hate that it brings You can have my absence of faith; you can have my everything                     Help me tear down my reason Help me; it's your sex I can smell Help me; you make me perfect Help me become somebody else“

I'm hoping that I don't blow this assignment by delivering more lyrics than were requested. Now, I'm well aware that this is easily one of the most perplexing songs out there, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't stir up some controversy! However, the song's surface lyrics are frequently misconstrued, leading listeners to believe it is about intense sex when it is not. Closer is a narrative about a shattered man who has surrendered to sexual intercourse as a type of harmful addiction. The lyrics above are essentially the words of an addict, comparable to an alcoholic or so-called "junkie," who utilizes their addiction to forget all of their sorrows and fears. Throughout his daily life, the man depicted feels helpless, faithless, incomplete, and insecure, but he has channeled all of his poisonous baggage into his sexual interactions with another woman. Thus, he is harming himself by delaying the resolution of his internal issues, as well as the woman, because he is using her body as a tool to momentarily escape himself, whether she is aware of it or not. Ultimately, this song is about a man who misunderstands sex as a kind of empowerment as he gradually finds that he requires assistance, similar to that which addicts receive. And yes, this is a very weird song...

[mrwinborn]

Chapter 3 Fieldwork

1.) The Dunbar football/track field was my choice because it is legally a park, which means it qualifies for this project. I was attracted to it for two reasons: one, it's close to my house, and two, it's always felt like the heart of my community to me. The Latrobe Projects, a couple of churches, a jail, senior residences, and the run-down Old Town Mall surround the Dunbar field. While the field itself is in excellent condition, the area in which it is located is not.

2.) This activity immediately became a symbolic ethnographic experience for me as a result of my meditative observation. This is because the neighborhood itself speaks volumes about the Black community's current mental health. The sports field is clean and well-protected, but the surrounding area is littered with trash, death vigils, drug vials, dilapidated houses, and abandoned businesses. When I glance up to the sky in search of a church's cross, what I see is a burned-out church with a hole in the roof where the cross has crumbled. Instead, as I raise my eyes, I see a penitentiary institution that towers over my community, higher than any crucifix I can see. It appears to me that all hope has vanished from this region.

3.) When it comes to absences, I wouldn't say anything that surprised me. Instead, what irritates me is that, because Dunbar closes the field most of the time, there are no people on the field or in the park for most of the week. It's only open during certain mornings throughout the week, which I presume is done on purpose so that only White people can jog on it. Despite this blatant tactic, no one visits the park, which is strange considering it's a nice spot to take children or a dog. Another disappointment is the absence of police presence in the community when it is clearly needed. If I went to Federal Hill, however, I would find a police car parked on every block and a cop stationed at every corner, America.

4.) The fact that 60% of the people roaming about are still wearing masks indicates that this area has been affected by the pandemic. Not to mention that visitation restrictions at senior residences have become incredibly strict, church attendance has decreased dramatically, and there are fewer people walking around outside. Also, I won't go into too much detail, but while unemployment has been beneficial to my community, I predict that it will ultimately destroy us.

[mrwinborn]

Chapter 1 Fieldwork: Acid Breath Be Clappin’

History: Listerine was created in 1879 by American chemist, Dr. Joseph Lawrence. Moreover, the more interesting story is that it was named after Dr. Joseph Lister, a British surgeon who’s credited for discovering that carbolic acid can kill germs. Thus, making Dr. Lister the first doctor to discover a method for treating infected wounds without resorting amputation. However, due to the fact that carbolic acid can be rough on human skin (causing irritation, burning, and numbness), the medical field soon switched to boracic acid as a suitable replacement. Subsequently, rendering carbolic acid to primary being used as oral antiseptic (i.e. mouthwash). Funny enough, Listerine was originally marketed as  

Manufacture Location: Listerine was originally developed in St. Louis, Missouri by the Warner-Lambert pharmaceutical company.

Impact: Listerine has impacted my life because having mouthwash keeps my mouth clean, my breath fresh, and my face kissable. I’ve also has multiple oral surgeries before. Meaning that if carbolic acid’s usefulness wasn’t discovered, those procedures could’ve been life-risking and I would’ve left my teeth crooked!

People Involved & Their Experience: To reiterate, Listerine was created by Dr. Joseph Lawrence, whose foundation was laid by Dr. Joseph Lister. Prior to the pioneering of carbolic acid’s antiseptic utility, medical professionals didn’t know how to stop infections without chopping your limb off in order to keep it from spreading. Meaning that there’s a possibly that folks could’ve lost a limb for every boo-boo that they’d ever received in their lives. Additionally, prior to Listerine, the death rate for amputation procedures was 40%, and that’s a scary thought! However, after the development of Listerine, those rates dropped to 3%. Lastly, just as a fun fact, before Dr. Lister discovered carbolic acid’s curing effects, Listerine’s original purpose was to serve as a cure for The Clap (gonorrhea)! 

[mrwinborn]

Here lies an example of Time-Space Compression using the evolution of human travel.

Here’s an example of Increased Migration using a Jewish family that just moved to America.