#topic: change

[trisestry-blog]

Azzahra S: Journal Entry #01

‘I will dedicate my life for the welfare of humanity’. That is the five-year-old Sofie speaking. It is all started back in 2004 when the Tsunami hit Aceh. I was watching some cartoon when suddenly my father changed the channel. The news showed the recent situation and condition in Aceh after Tsunami occurred. Blank stares from the refugee, vehicles being carried by the strong current, animals running by only depending on their instinct, and one that stains the most in my mind was this boy, not much younger than me, crying in confusion all by himself. I remember completely what I felt back then when I saw that. I thought it was only sadness but now I realized that sad was not enough to picture how I felt. I was devastated. That boy was crying all alone and nobody cared while there was people around him. They just watched, while others busy doing their stuff. Some was searching for their belongings, and some was looking for their family. It crossed my mind, even they are not related by blood, are not they also a family if we were talking on behalf of human being, religion status and even ethnicity?

Just like what is happening in Afghanistan, the war that have been going on for more than 10 years started with the overthrow of King Zahir Shah by his distant cousin Mohammed Daoud Khan, then intervened by the Soviets which triggered USA to also intervene. This war, which took over 31,000 innocent civilian’s lives, should not have happened if the sense of humanity is planted within each party. Not only the Afghanistan War, the wars in other parts of East Asia like Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria have one thing in similar, which is the absence of humanity. This results in civilians losing their homes, kids losing their parents, and also their dreams at night taken away by the sound of the non-stop bombings. Also, the absence of education for kids in refugees is as if blinding them of what is going on in the world. These effects of war are what make me want to be a volunteer. Even though I am not paid, I will do anything to return the rainbow that once can be seen in these children eyes.

So, if I were given the ability to change one thing in this world, I would change people’s mind and raise awareness of humanity. We are one, we live in the same planet and we breath the same air. We are in one level and there are no advantages of killing each other.

[trisestry-blog]

Vania C: Journal Entry #01

I became familiar with issues about racism ever since I watched The Help and Hairspray. These movies have story-lines that are set in 1960′s America. I was ten when I watched both movies and developed an interest in the issue. Last year, I discovered how the world held Muslims responsible for tragedies and crimes. I felt like it was utterly unfair and unjust. As a Muslim, I felt like I should sound my voice. Nowadays, issues of racism and hate crimes are surfacing in the United States. Earlier this year, an innocent 15-year-old African American boy was shot by a former police officer in Dallas, Texas. Moreover, the number of hate crimes against Muslims in 2016 have been spiking up until now. Therefore, I would change perspectives in society if I was given the ability to change one thing in this world. Why? Because I believe perspectives are deeply connected to the issues we face today.

The connection between society’s perspectives and issues regarding racism and hate crimes is how it pushes certain people to carry out radical acts that discriminate a certain group. It may be 2017, but racism still exists. I do think that the very reason racism exists is because those who have lighter skin view themselves as a higher being compared to those who are darker. Not all who are light-skinned have this kind of perspective, but some still do. When I heard about the Jordan Edwards case, I was heartbroken. The poor teen was innocent and was loved by his family, friends, and teachers. There was a 15-year-old boy out there who loved life, loved by many, and had a bright future. Can you imagine that his life was taken away by a former police officer who fired a gun to this boy’s head? Any sentence filed against this man would not replace what was lost. I remember how horrible I felt about this case, and to think that there are more cases like this in the United States.

Other than racism, cases of hate crimes concern me. Hate crimes against Muslims are skyrocketing in number ever since Trump won the election. Anti-Muslims view Muslims as these heartless people who kill and terrorize other people, so they orchestrate crimes against Muslims based on hatred. Innocent Muslims are victimized, and these crimes involve physical violence or property damage. Are you kidding me, America? I thought America was the ideal depiction of a liberal country that upholds human rights and would embrace diversity. Apparently, I thought wrong.

These perspectives are the very root of the issues that we face, and this is what I would change. I would make them see that the victims of their radical and discriminating acts are humans. These humans have the same rights. Every human is equal, no matter their color, race, or religion. I would like to live in a world where we can systematically cooperate. I am not saying I am this righteous person, but I would like to change said perspectives to avoid issues mentioned above from surfacing again.

[trisestry-blog]

Kayla J: Journal Entry #01

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

The first time I truly learned about immigration systems was two or three years ago. It was a video on YouTube that consisted of an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a late-night show embellished with political satire. The video was only 16 minutes long, but by the end of it, I found myself considerably speechless and just a little bit less confident in humanity. It’s not uncommon to hear, “the immigration system is broken,” specifically in America. I could talk for hours about everything wrong in this system, but for now, let’s focus on a more specific pool of people to better understand just how problematic the immigration system is: wartime interpreters.

With America sending troops to countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, often these troops have had to rely on local interpreters, who can be the one thing that keeps these men from landing horrible deaths. Unfortunately, by aiding the American troops, these interpreters are essentially drawing a target on their own backs, either during combat or even back at home. Wartime interpreters receive death threats targeted at them and their family members, and a staggering number of them have already been hunt down and killed. It’s only common sense for them to seek asylum in America. Thankfully, there’s this thing called an SIV or a Special Immigrant Visa, but wait— because this is where it gets really complicated.

When I watched this episode of the John Oliver show, he rambled on about how the application for an SIV itself consisted of ridiculously complicated forms. These forms serve for the government to verify that these interpreters really have worked to help the military and to make sure that they are not coming there to bring harm to the citizens of the states. If these interpreters can’t provide some of the required things, they’re just chucked with even more forms to fill out. Completing these forms can take a considerably long time; waiting for approval after submitting can take even longer (up to years!). And even if you get approved, there were still other steps to complete before you get to actually come to the United States. It’s almost as if the government wanted only the fewest amount of people to successfully get a visa to live in their country!

Personally, I would be at the brink of giving up if I had to go through all that. Not to mention that even if you manage to complete all those steps, there are still possibilities for error. I have read of cases where an interpreter merely received a letter saying that he would receive a visa in a few weeks; at the time it was reported, it had been nine months since the letter arrived. In another particularly heart-breaking case, one interpreter managed to immigrate to the states, with one exception: the system had failed to provide visas for his family members. What a mess. This unavoidably flawed system is harmful to the point of threatening the lives of the very people who were selfless enough to think, “these men are here to help us, and if what I know about this country can help them stay safe, it would be worth it.” If I could change one thing in this world, I would use that opportunity to bring peace to the lives of these unsung heroes.