Ethnic Studies 2

War and the Figure of the Refugee

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REFLECTION

Morgan Reitano

Omar Padilla

Wednesdays 12:00

March 2017    

Notebook 5… Final Reflection

        In today’s world we hear a lot about the problems, struggles and differences among peoples. The hardships and the pain that peoples endure. After this class I can see how resistance and fight is not lost in todays world. Solidarity, fight and survival are all involved in uprisings against political, social and economic injustices. As I completed my Zine project, I learned about how the refugees of the Afghanistan war were able to transform their traditional rugs into propaganda pieces, spreading the word about the devastation and violence they were being forced into through pictures and woven stories on rugs. They were able to survive by selling these pieces and depict a picture of what was happening to their peoples, land and culture. Resistance in survivance, in the middle of war and terror. The ability to resist violence and move forward in the face of uncertainty and war is such a powerful ability that is seen around the globe.

          I think the best things about Ethnic Studies classes, here at UCSD is that we get immersed in the real world. We get taught new information in these classes to learn about history, politics, and people in a more open and raw way than a normal history class. The fact that I can learn about globalization, immigration, nationalisms and circulations of topics I once honestly knew nothing about shows how much learning can be gained with open communication and teachings. Black praxis and the book, In the Wake was a flood of profound learning moments for me to soak up. This book has made me more aware. More aware about other peoples struggles and abilities to adapt and survive in a world that is not accepting of them. The book pushed me to think deeper, think in a more feminist, intersectional way. Incorporating not just one element but also many different categories in order to start to understand the true big picture of many circumstances.

            This course did well to challenge us. To make us think and create in a not normal academic kind of way. By being able to use creativity in art, photos and words, I think we all got a chance to be better global citizens. We got to teach each other about subjects we would never have though about. We got to introduce us to family histories and overall we got to understand a little deeper about what society is truly like.

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PRAYER IN PAIN

A transformation of culture and tradition as violence and displacement plague a people.

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#ethn2a13  (via An animated GIF)

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Resettlement » Feelings of isolation. » Feelings of loss of home, family and other connections. » A sense of disconnection living in a country with different customs and expectations. The rug is i...

Link to my ZINE Project Images and Designs : DRAFT******* NOT FINAL

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Notebook 4 Review: ESTHERSOL Tumblr

Morgan Reitano

Omar Padilla

Wednesday 12:00pm

February 20, 2017

Notebook 4: Peer Review – Tumblr Name ESTHERSOL

A.     This Zine is about the idea of the “American Dream” and the migration and labor that goes into what it truly means to seek and obtain this so called American Dream. What it means to migrate into a new place in order to live in a utopian world and the hidden complexities in this migration. The labors that must be put in and the questionable tactics that become steps in the process to getting to the dream aren’t always as simple and easy as once perceived. This Zine could be intended for people who are looking to migrate, who may be blinded by the ideals of the dream and are not aware of the injustices and work that is going to be forced upon them.

B.     Quotes:

“…national essence of pride and greed for material things.”

“The philosophy of the term has morphed and changed depending on time and space and it will be interesting to explore the meaning of the dream.”

You could use the first quote to header an article or out it as a caption to a picture! It has a lot of meaning to help describe what the American dream has changed into. Not ideals and prosperity but more material things and wealth.

C.     I look forward to reading through the interviews you conduct with people who have migrated in search of the American Dream. I think those interviews will give much depth and insight into the actual work and situations that go into searching for this American dream.

I also think looking into the entrepreneurship comparison in the show Shark Tank will also show how labors into the American dream are different among latinx communities. Shows a theme of investment in whiteness.

The layout for the interviews, little blurbs might be useful. Instead of the whole interview, maybe specific parts that have meaning towards you topic. That way you can also layout pictures around them too. Or what the typical American dream looked like to each of the interviewees.

D.    For the images, I like the video, though I know that will be hard to incorporate into a physical zine.

I also enjoyed the cover you made with canva! Looks really good, compelling and draws you in to each of the individual images and it as a whole.

(I liked both of these posts on tumblr)

E.     You have a lot of really solid ideas to support the themes for:  Globalization and Labor Circulations (Im)migration and Citizenship.

Since the meaning of the American Dream is so complex in purpose and ideology I would format the analysis in almost a chronological format. So starting with the interviews as a precursor for what the American dream was thought of initially.

Slowly begin to add in other experiences throughout the journey into America. I would then end with the Shark Tank as the relational analysis to kind of bring the whole thing full circle on what the American dream actually turns out to be and how it affects different peoples. How the stability on economic means, citizenship and safety are all-different in regards to different people when they arrive by using Shark tank stories as examples.  Just make sure you don’t go too off track with these stories. Make sure they can always tie back or support something from one of the interviews you got. I think this is a solid topic, I think you have good analysis to support your themes. Just make sure to always tie back each individual piece you have back into your overarching theme and I think you will be golden.

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Definitions

Refugee/asylum seeker - this often gets conflated with “undocumented”, but these category of residents are usually defined by the fact that they’re usually fleeing significant danger in their home countries, such as war or persecution over their identity. Some do end up undocumented; others are granted temporary humanitarian visas and eventually transition into permanent residency and/or citizenship. The differences between the two terms seem to differ by country. 

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Relational Traditions

Morgan Reitano

Omar Padilla

12:00-12:50

Notebook 3

Relational Tradition

           In earlier articles I have discussed the prayer rug as an object that has transnationally migrated between Afghanistan into Refugee camps in Pakistan. This religious item has been altered due to war and the imminent creation of the refugee as the Afghanistan war displaced many peoples from their homes and traditions. The idea of identity, gender, race, citizenship and the creation of new social structures completely turned a religious and peaceful item into a propaganda tool creating a sense of “permanent war” among these fleeing peoples. The ideals of tradition and culture become tested as the idea of “blackness” in the sense of otherness becomes highly apparent among the Afghani refugees and Pakistani citizens.

           Within these refugee camps a nation of refugees live under the rule of a host country. Ideologies butt heads, social conceptions of race, gender and citizenship becoming even more deeply constructed as the idea of place within a society lessens the status of refugee’s in the eyes of their hosts as they lose their title of a nation. With this loss of the word nation supporting this group of people, gender, race, property and citizenship all influence your identity and all slowly but surely get taken and altered from what you previously thought it to be so.

           As a relational analysis standpoint the idea of power and forced assimilation of the refugees can be seen in the way Pakistani peoples are living versus the way in which Afghanistan refugees are living within the same country. Though two different nations the analysis between the two, the breakdown of rights and abilities is seen throughout every experience. The fear of loss in job opportunities, to other social stigmas, to the inability to practice certain traditions is seen as these two populations of peoples are thrown together. power over the refugee because of war creates a hostile relationship between two nations of peoples. The Idea is also similar to how in the US people are hesitant about Latino immigrants because people feel like they will take away job opportunities and cause problems and increase crime. The introduction of a “new” person or group of peoples can cause a relational shift in power and identity.

           As war creates the figure of the refugee and migration to new places changes the way in which tradition, identity and citizenship are actually affecting people’s lives, we see the underlying prominence of race, gender and nation continually separate and intensify the differences among groups of people.

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Changes

Morgan Reitano

Wednesday 12:00-12:50

Omar Padilla

Notebook 2

Traditions Change… Identity Alters

           I chose to talk about Afghan prayer rugs because I used to sit on one at my afterschool program when I was growing up. At that time I used to trace over the seams of the intricate palace design never truly knowing the meaning, the culture and the tradition that was slowly fading away in a far off land. During the war times in Afghanistan, here on 9/11 and there in country in the year 2001 I was 6 years old and was taught by the most wonderful woman, Ms. Khatara. She was a beautiful woman who shared with me the traditions of her culture. She would bring in woven clothes for us to try on, fill the classroom with music and most of all brought rugs for us to sit and play on. I remember how comfortable and happy that classroom made me feel. I remember how the materials around me enacted a sense of serenity around me. Little did I know that these feelings I was having were being destroyed in many families lives across oceans in and around Kabul, Afghanistan.

           As the Soviet war destroyed lands in Afghanistan and the Taliban began to take rule, Afghan people began their descent into neighboring lands to seek refuge from the turmoil within their homeland. Many of which sought safety in Pakistani refugee camps set up by the government of Pakistan. “As they attempt to rebuild their lives in other locales, their own cultural traditions are challenged and identities are re-negotiated within new religious and cultural settings. Still, others struggle to maintain the traditions and values of the Afghan culture. The complex negotiation between the struggle for maintaining cultural identity and assimilating to the host culture has a dramatic impact on cultural communities” (Tober 133).

           Little did I know the migration families were taking to a new land meant sacrificing their ideals of happiness, comfort and serenity. Well over six million peoples became seen as refugees in the eyes of the world… and with this, the binds of property and citizenship became forever altered.

The ideals of citizenship and property become distorted and altered as basic traditions like prayer rugs lose their meaning the same way the identity of the refugee falls silently away. The lose of tradition is the loss of culture and identity.

Personally, I can’t begin to understand what that must feel like. To leave home, to leave identity behind in the hopes of survival.

           Citizenship as a refugee is an unknown label. To ask for it, is to be denied. To be looked down upon as lesser in the eyes of the host. To be considered greedy and burdensome. Citizenship in and after war is a dream that is dreamt about, a familiar identity that now has lost its meaning.

As displacement from homes due to war forces refugees into Pakistan, the ideas around race become exceptionally strengthened. War and the creation of the “refugee” have crossed religion, status, and race to transform Afghani refugees into a gendered lesser group of peoples in the eyes of many Pakistani peoples. By entering refugee camps, socially constructed facilities inevitably create the idea of burden among these peoples. These three social categorizations have led to the overlapping and interdependent system of discrimination and disadvantage for the Afghani peoples fleeing their homes to refugee camps. Citizenship is no longer available and property is a thing of the past.

Class, Religion, Race.

 Refugee. Islam. Afghani

Labeled. Displaced. Lessened.

Sources;

Diane Tober. “Introduction: Afghan Refugees and Returnees.” Iranian Studies, vol. 40, no. 2, 2007, pp. 133–135. www.jstor.org/stable/4311886.

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Resettlement in a new country

iteration#6

Resettlement provides refugees with the opportunity to start a new life in a country where they will be safe. However, it also brings with it several challenges and adversities that may impact on children and families. These include:

» Difficulties associated with language, customs and knowledge of services in a new country.

» Financial hardship, difficulties with finding em- ployment and in some cases, suitable housing. » Difficulties in accessing help and assistance when unfamiliar with the way communities and services work.

» Feelings of isolation. » Feelings of loss of home, family and other connections. » A sense of disconnection living in a country with different customs and expectations. 

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Evidence to support the refugee displacement

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Portraits of Afghan refugees in Pakistan by Hassan Tanwir 

(Hassan Tanwir on IG)

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Children face some of the biggest struggles when being displaced due to war. 

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PAKISTAN. December 1987. Afghan refugees displaced by the Soviet-Afghan War in Munda camp, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Photograph: Erwin Franzen via Flickr

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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the northwestern region of the country. 

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[homesteadseattle]

📶 new rugs on the site. Open till 6!

[npr]

Refugees are by definition the most vulnerable people among us. Families don’t choose to sacrifice everything they have and leave their homes unless their homes become like the mouth of a shark. Scapegoating people who are fleeing for their lives is an inhumanity that no person with a heart should be able to defend.

Commentary by Bilal Askaryar, who helps manage the Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries. He holds a master’s degree from the American University School of International Service. He arrived in the United States as a refugee fleeing the war in Afghanistan when he was 5 years old. (via npr)

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Two separate rugs.

The Bottom one is a traditional prayer rug. The top is a newer War rug. This comparison shows the stark difference between the rugs and how changed they became. 

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After war the prayer rugs turned into War Rugs. They began to depict different scenarios than the previous landscapes.