Final Reflection

This class was a very special experience, because it was eye-opening and enjoyable. Through all of the projects and discussions, we were able to explore the cultures of people from other places, and start to understand their way of living through their own eyes. I think that before this class I was already relatively accepting of all people and cultures, but this class really solidified that mindset that I had. When I was talking in small groups, sometimes I could see people have revelations of their opinions of other people who are not like themselves. I'm not saying that I did not go through this too, it was just neat to actually see it happening within other people. 

My favorite project was the museum displays because we were able to see all of the different things that define each individual. No matter what everyone's background was, their families had a huge impact on how they live their lives. The border issues presentations were extremely eye-opening for me, because I had no idea that most of those issues are taking place. That was the project that showed me how sheltered our country is, and how much more attention we should pay to the rest of the world around us. We seem to be a very self-centered country, and say that things are happening in another place so we do not need be concerned about it. The book talks were a great way to show all of the different pieces of children’s literature that are out there to show children that all kinds of families exist, and that they are not alone. The graffiti wall was helpful to wrap up the course and bring all of the different things that we experienced together.

My favorite part of the class was the guest speakers. Each one of them were very helpful in bringing the stories that we read to life. I liked to hear about immigration issues from someone who deals with it every day. I really, really enjoyed hearing a first-hand story of the Chinese Revolution. It was amazing to hear that the book we read was very accurate, and that people actually lived through situations like that. Hearing stories about the military and how it affects people and their families was very helpful in understanding the section on war and peace.

Through discussions and readings, I have come to the realization that although problems may not be happening to me, they are out there, and I should try to help in some way. All people are people, and should be treated as such. I thought that Crossing the Border was a big factor in me coming to that idea, because it seemed that people don’t think of foreigners as people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. People think only about themselves, when they really need to treat people as people, and maybe be nicer about letting people into the country. That is how I have really changed through this class; I never really cared about people crossing into the country. If they got in, good for them, if not, I did not really care that much. Now, I will argue for people to be allowed into the country, because they are just trying for a better life.

That being said, my plan of action is to do something that I have wanted to do for a while. I will make care-packages for the homeless so that they can have some necessities. This seems pretty small, but I feel that it could make a difference in a few people’s lives, and that is more than I am doing now. These care packages would contain some food and water, along with hygiene products.

Graffiti Wall Author's Statement

In my graffiti wall, I put a fence around the outside edges to represent borders. Borders were an important part of this class because we learned about how big of an impact the place a person lives influences how they live their life. The sacrifices that people will make to move somewhere else to have a better life are amazing. People would rather risk their lives to cross borders and try to make a better life for themselves, even if it is an extremely dangerous feat.

            I also have pictures of many different families on my graffiti wall. We talked a lot about how families have a big impact on our personal identities. Families can come in many forms. Some people have two parents, some have one, and some have two of the same sex. Some families live with other generations or extended families. Families can also take on different forms in different situations. For example, in A Long Way Gone, the boy had many different families throughout the book. As his circumstances changed, so did the people who he considered family.

            There is a picture of a little boy having a great time, then a gun, then a sad man. This represents the hardships of war, and how it ages people. When children have to fight for their lives, it makes them grow up and mature very quickly. War changes people, and people do things that they would not do under other circumstances. I picked a picture of a sad man because it represents the memories that linger. The images and events that are lived through are hard to forget, and can weigh on a person.

            The last picture I have is of the world with people all around it holding hands. This represents the different cultures of the world. That was a big topic that we discussed, and was recurring. I have this picture in the center because it is made up of all of the other impacts. A person’s culture is influenced by their family, where they live and the limitations and barriers of that place. Whether a person is living is a peaceful time or a time filled with peace can also impact their culture. 

A Long Way Gone

This book tells another story of a child with a childhood that I cannot even begin to imagine. It is hard to imagine anyone living this hard of a life, especially someone who was so young. It was so sad to read about how he never even got to say goodbye to his family because he was just going to another village for a few days. I was relieved when Ishmael found his brother, Junior, and they traveled for a while together. Then, when he lost Junior and the rest of his friends I could not imagine his situation getting worse. He was a little boy living alone in the woods for months, not seeing a single human being. He had to find his own food, water, and shelter, all while fighting nature. I was glad when Ishmael finally found another group of boys travel with. When they walked on the hot sand without shoes and burned the skin off of their feet, I could not believe the strength the boys had. It made me angry that when Ishmael and the others would reach a new town, that they were not accepted, and were often ran out of town. They were just innocent children who needed help, but since the rebels had children fighting for them, even children were feared and left to fend for themselves.

Ishmael and the other young boys had to see so much destruction and deaths at such a young age, I do not know how they could ever recover from that. Seeing the rebels destroy villages, kill innocent people, and burn whole villages would be something that could not be removed from memory easily. Watching friends and companions die right in front of him is just so sad, and especially since he was so young.

I had a little hope when Ishmael was recruited to fight against the rebels because I figured if they were fighting against the “bad guys” then they must be the “good guys”. It is terrible that even the people fighting against the rebels were so nasty and brutal. The fact that they had children as young as seven years old fighting and shooting guns is just sad and disturbing. Nobody should fight battles like that, especially innocent children. Also, forcing children into battle by giving them drugs is not okay. Ishmael was so young, and he was addicted to harsh drugs like cocaine. This is so sad because when he was not drugged, Ishmael could think about what he was doing, and he was not comfortable with it; he would have nightmares. Giving these children drugs to make them fight brutal battles is sick because that is stripping them of their innocence, and they do not have a choice in the mater.

I am glad that Ishmael eventually got out of Sierra Leone, and into the US, but it is so sad to think of what he had to endure to get here. I appreciate that he took the time to write about his life, because I would not know of the Sierra Leone war without it. I especially appreciate that I have heard of a personal account of the war, so I can begin to understand what the effect was on the average person.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a country that is located in West Africa and is bordered by Guinea, Liberia, and the Atlantic Ocean. The most popular religion in Sierra Leone is Muslim with a little bit of a Christian influence. There are also about sixteen ethnic groups who each have their own language and customs. Religious violence is rare in the country; Muslims and Christians get along peacefully. Sierra Leone is one of the world's most religiously accepting countries in the world. English is the language that is taught in schools and is the official language of the government, but the primary language spoken is a mix between English and many African languages. 

Mining is the primary base for economics in Sierra Leone. Diamonds is the biggest exportation, but there is also titanium, bauxite, gold, and rutile. Even though there is so much natural wealth in the country, 70% of the country lives in poverty. 

The Civil War of 1991-2002 in Sierra Leone was because the Revolutionary United Front wanted to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government. The resources and lack of government in Sierra Leone made it easy for corruption. Diamonds were mined by government officials for personal use. These diamonds that were later sold were to become known as "blood diamonds". The Liberian Civil War also had a part in the Sierra Leone Civil War. Men and boys were promised money and shelter if they joined the ranks in Sierra Leone and fight for the government.

The Sierra Leone war was so brutal that a common punishment for not obeying was to have arms chopped off. Many thousands of people were left mutilated, dead, or missing. The civil war in Sierra Leone is known as one of the most brutal wars in African history. Diamonds was the main cause of the civil war. Different groups of people wanted control and power over the diamonds. Rape and forced labor were also forms of torture that the civilians of Sierra Leone had to endure. Being held captive and being forced into repeated sexual acts were more forms of torture. Even children were subject to these cruel acts.

The end of the war was official declared in January 2002. There were at least 50,000 deaths and 200,000 people displaced during the war. During the full years of the war, many different people and groups came to power in the country. Peace began to slowly happen in 2001 when the UN intervened in the country’s war. There were many moments of peace during the eleven year war, but they were short lived because the government was so corrupt and people were just trying to get power so that they could mine the diamonds for themselves. 

Book Talk

My Mom and Dad Don’t Live Together Anymore

A Drawing Book

For Children of Separated or Divorced Parents

This is a book that children can use to express their feeling about their parents not living together. Each page has a title, a space for the child to draw, and a sentence or two with blanks for the child to fill in. For example, one page is titled “How I Found out My Parents Were Separating”.  Under the title there is a space for the child to draw the scenario, and a couple of sentences that say “I did not know that my parents were going to separate until____. This picture shows how I found out, where I was, and who told me. In this picture____”. Another page is titled “When My Parents See Each Other Now”, and the paragraph says “Since they don’t live together anymore, my parents don’t see each other every day like they used to. In fact, when they see each other now, it’s often because of me, and I feel____ about that. When they do see each other, they act____. Here is a picture of how my parents act now when they see each other. In this picture____”.

This book would be great for children to express how they feel about the separation of their parents. Depending on the age of the child, parents could look at how he or she filled in the pages and see how he or she is feeling. This could help parents know what they need to do in order to make the change easier for the child. The back of the book says it is for children ages- 4-12, but I think that, depending on the individual, it could be used for an even older age. This book could also help children identify how they are feeling if they are having trouble sorting through their emotions. Children could also feel comforted to know that they are not alone; there is a book written about the situation, so they are not the only ones going through this hard time.

As a future teacher, I think this would be a great book to have in the classroom. Making photo copies of the pages that apply to students and letting them express their feelings would be a great idea. I would give them an envelope to put their pages in so they can decide whether or not they want to share their feelings with anyone else. I cannot see why parents would have a problem with their children filling out some of these pages, but just in case, sending home blank copies of some of the pages to parents and getting permission to give them to their children would be a good idea.  Children would probably respond positively to this text because it is a way for them to express their feeling on paper without having to think of what to write on their own.

Horton Hatches the Egg

In this story, Mayzie is a lazy bird who does not want to sit around and wait for her egg to hatch. She sees Horton the elephant near my and asks him if he will sit on her egg for a little while. Horton agrees and promises to sit on the egg until Mayzie returns. Mayzie is away for a very long time, but Horton stays true to his word and sits on the egg. Some hunters see Horton sitting in a tree and thought it was funny so they took him to a traveling circus where they eventually ran into Mayzie. When the egg cracked Mayzie tried to say that the baby was hers, but Horton said that he had done all the work so the baby was his. When the baby hatched, it turned out to be half elephant, half bird. Horton and the elephant-bird lived happily ever after.

This book would be a good book to read to a class or a group of kids because it is just a fun book that teaches about keeping promises, but underneath that there is another lesson. Some children might be able to relate to this book because they were abandoned by one parent, and are being raised by a single parent. Others may have been adopted by a single parent, and they can relate to the baby elephant-bird in the book. This book could be read to children of many ages, but the most effective would probably be from 4-8.

An obstacle to this text is that it might be a little difficult for children to see the underlying theme. This would not be so bad though, because the big theme of the book is responsibility and if the child needs something to relate to, they would probably achieve that with this book. I cannot see parents having a problem with this book because it is a classic Dr. Seuss that teaches an important lesson.

These are a couple of books that I looked at on the subject of single-parenting. I think these books are very important for teachers, parents, aunts and uncles to have for children who need support. Being raised by a single parent is by no means the worst way to grow up, but there are some definite hardships that go along with it. Books are a way for children to realize that they are not alone without them having to actually share their feelings. Books can be a support system for some children who do not have anyone to talk to. The first book that I reviewed, My Mom and Dad Don't Live Together Anymore, is an example of a book that can be an outlet for a child who needs to get his or her feelings out but doesn't know where to go. 

Reading books with characters that children can relate to is one way that adults can help children through difficult times, even if the child does not want to talk. Books can open the door to further discussion, and can have answers to questions that the child might not even know he or she has. Reading this kind of book to a group of children has the potential to help children who do not even know they need the support. Although we may choose a book that has a helpful message for one child, another child in the group might benefit from listening to the book too.  

Revolution is not a Dinner Party

I thought this book was actually a very good and enjoyable read. I honestly had never even heard of the Chinese Cultural Revolution before reading this book. I did my research on the revolution after I had already read the book, and I felt like I had already learned most of my research from reading the story. Revolution is not a Dinner Party is a very powerful story, and I think that is because it is written from the point of view of a child. When books are written from a child's perspective, everyone is able to relate to the character because we have all been that age before. I also think the perspective makes the book powerful because as a child, there is nothing that she could really do, she just had to live with what was happening to her. If the main character was an adult, we would probably still sympathize with them, but we would probably also think they should try standing up for themselves. 

I really could not believe when Mao's followers took Dr. and Mrs. Wong away, leaving Niu to fend for himself. How could a government just leave a boy alone without his parents. The whole thing was just so unjust, and it made me very grateful for the life that I was given. Then, when Ling's father was taken away I was so heartbroken for her. Knowing that her father was her biggest supporter and that she did not have the best relationship with her mother was so sad. I felt that after her father left, Ling had her childhood taken away from her. Ling had to help her mother with the shopping and other chores. She lost all of her friends, and was bullied at school. What is really terrible is that Ling's father was taken away because he saved someone's life. This seems that it is a heroic act that should be rewarded with honors. It must have been so hard for Ling to not know where her father was; living without him would be hard, but not knowing his fate would make it that much harder. 

The government rationing everything out made me angry because it was only the average citizens who were suffering. They were told to live without heat and starve for the Cultural Revolution, but the people enforcing the laws had plenty of food to eat, and probably lived in warm houses. Also, the fact that the markets did not have enough food for everyone, even though they had their ration tickets is terrible. The government should provide its people with what they need, not take it away from them. Ling was not even able to wear the clothes that she loved with the flower print. 

Lastly, I found it astonishing that the government could move someone into their house without permission. I also could not believe the power that Comrade Li and the red army had all of a sudden. It seemed that as soon as Comrade Li moved to town, everything changed and that he was in control. I also could not believe that toward the end their schooling changed to worshiping Mao, and that Gao and his gang were in charge of it.

Chinese Cultural Revolution

China is a country that is located in East Asia. China has the greatest population density in the world, with a population of over 1.35 billion people. China is the second largest country by land mass. China is a communist country that has jurisdiction over 22 Providences, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities, and two mostly self-governing regions. China has become one of the world’s fastest growing economies, has the world’s largest army, and has been recognized as a nuclear weapons state.

The Cultural Revolution in China started in 1966. Mao Zedong did not believe that the country’s communist leaders were taking China down the wrong path, and gathered some radical followers to help him attack current party leadership and reassert his authority. Mao wanted China to be a classless society where peasants and the working class were all equals. Mao started the revolution at a meeting of the Plenum of the Central Committee. He shut down schools so that he could use the country’s youth to help with the revolution. Students formed parliamentary groups called red guards, and they harassed China’s elderly and educated people who showed a lack of revolutionary spirit. The revolution was a very violent one, where people were bullied and harassed into having (or at least pretending to have) the same views as Mao.

The Cultural Revolution did not work out as well as Mao had hoped; it was not good for China’s economy, and the red guards got out of hand. The different groups of red guards would fight because they each thought they knew the best way to serve Mao. They turned on foreigners and foreign embassies, and even burned the British Embassy all the way down.

During the Cultural Revolution, Mao was forcing his beliefs on everyone by producing a book of his quotes and having them everywhere where everyone would read them. He also had flyers of his teachings all over China so that everyone would remember his ways. There was an estimated 1.5 million deaths due to the Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1969. People who were considered enemies of the Cultural Revolution were tortured in many ways, including public humiliation, beatings, imprisonment, rape, seizure of 

property, denial of medical attention, and much more.

Lu Shin Chi was given power back when Mao and another leader in the government both became chronically ill. There was still some strong Maoist believers who would not let Chi completely take over the government. Eventually, Lu Shin Chi resigned. This made Mao feel as though there was not another party opposing his beliefs, and he saw no need for the Cultural Revolution to Continue.

US Immigration Policy

There are many different classifications of immigrants in the United States; there is family based immigration, employment-based, and refugees and asylees. Immediate family of United States citizens have the easiest time getting granted citizenship and there is not a limit on how many can be permitted into the United States per year. Immediate relatives are spouses of US citizens, unmarried minor children of citizens of the US, and parents of citizens. Although there is not a limit on the number of immediate family members who can come to the United States, there are age and financial requirements that must be met. Immigrants who have special skills that will be beneficial to the country can be granted full or part-time residency. Visas for temporary nonimmigrant workers can be given for athletes, entertainers, performers, intracompany transfers, etc. These visas are usually sponsored by a company that wants to bring an individual into the United States.  Permanent employment-based immigration has a limit of 140,000 per year.  Immigrants who are in danger in their own country can apply for citizenship in the United States. Every year the president meets with congress to determine the number of refugees that are allowed from different regions. The refugee ceiling for 2013 was 70,000 immigrants.

I was interested in the number of immigrants in different parts of the country, so here just a few of my findings on the number of Asian and Latino immigrants:

·         North Dakota has 16,626 immigrants, 35.1% are naturalized citizens

·         Nebraska has 116,124 immigrants, 40.6% are naturalized citizens

·         Texas has 4,201,675 immigrants, 33.2% are naturalized citizens

I noticed that over all, states on the southern border of the US, especially those that contact Mexico, have an abundance of immigrants. I was not sure what a naturalized citizen was, but I found out that it is a person who has obtained US citizenship after fulfilling the requirements set by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Stepping onto my soapbox for a minute, it bothers me when people are passionately against all immigration. I understand that many people who are citizens of the United States do not have jobs, and that they feel it is unfair for others to come in and take jobs from them. In reality though, the jobs that the immigrants take are open because they are the jobs that Americans do not want to have. Also, this country was built by immigrants. There are so many different nationalities in this country because the United States is a country of immigrants and we are just lucky to have born here. There are many people who live in terrible situations who risk their lives to come here and work so that they can support their families. Of course I think there needs to be some regulation, but I also think people need to think of immigrants as people who are just trying to survive before they call them names and think poorly of them. 

Crossing the Wire

I have never shared the strong feelings that many have about border control. People are always spun up about all of the "illegal aliens" in our country, but I think this is an arrogant and rude way to approach the subject of immigration. We do need to help our own citizens find jobs, but the jobs that are done by the Mexican immigrants are jobs that most Americans would not do anyway.  These illegal immigrants are not thought of as people who are just trying to make a better living for themselves and their families. It seems that many think they are not people at all. 

I think the book did a great job of showing the problems and hardships that families in Mexico face, and why they come over here in the first place. It was important for us to see the situations that they live in, and why they are willing to make the dangerous journey to the US to work very hard jobs for very little money. It is also important to see that there are children who make this sacrifice for their families and that they are actually performing heroic acts and not just trying to "take jobs away from Americans". 

The struggle of traveling into the US was very hard to read. I could not imagine ever doing anything like Victor did. Just the distances that he walked alone are unbelievable, let alone the fact that he did not have any money or food. Victor's perseverance and the love he had for his family were admirable. I love my family very much, but I could never imagine being in a situation where I had to walk through unbearable conditions without food or water just to make sure that my family would have food to eat. I think it is important for us to be enlightened on the struggles that people go through just to get into the US. This makes it easier to sympathize with them and realize that they would not do this just for the fun journey and to say they have been to the States. If people struggle through those conditions, they have something that they are fighting for and are just doing the best they can.

I could not believe that after all of the hard work the two boys went through to finally make it to the States, Rico ended up leaving. He was able to persevere all the way from Mexico to Arizona, but did not want to stay around long enough to save up on some money before he went home.  I also could not believe how harsh the Mexican police were on their own people. They seemed to really not want to have people from other countries crossing into the US from Mexico. The police were so mean to Victor, and that kind of behavior from officials would have been recorded on someone’s phone and hit the media until something was done about it in the US.

Sold

Sold, by Patricia McCormick is an amazing, inspiring, and eye-opening book. This book brings light to a major problem that is happening In Nepal, India, and other countries in that area. Although this book is not told by an actual victim of sex-trafficking, I feel that it is an authentic story of actual events that take place. The author traveled to India and Nepal to interview girls who had been rescued from brothels.

From the very beginning, this book was hard-hitting and emotional to read. Just reading about the conditions that the families live under and the daily struggles to survive was heart-wrenching. Hearing about how Lakshmi has had many brothers and sisters who died due to weather or disease is very sad. Her step father gambles away the family’s money while Lakshmi and her mother work very hard to keep themselves, and Lakshmi’s baby brother alive. The family’s well-being depends greatly on the weather. In the dry season the family has a hard time staying hydrated, and many babies do not make it through this time. Then, when the monsoons hit the families are relieved to finally have water. This does not last long though because the floods quickly wipe away their crops and tear down their mud huts. This is so different than the world we live in because even if we have a dry spell there is always water for us to drink. Our crops might not grow very well, but we always survive. On the other hand, when it rains all we have to do is stay inside, and we don’t have any problems.

Although what I have already said is very sad, nothing even comes close to the real struggle that the book is about. It is absolutely terrible that a family can be so poor that they sell their child to go work in the city to make money. What is worse is that she ended up being taken to India to work as a sex-slave in a brothel. It is heartbreaking to hear about this little girl who thinks she is going somewhere to help her family, but then is forced into acts that are unmentionable for anyone to have to perform, especially a thirteen-year-old girl.

As I read this book I was thinking “how can they let this happen? Where are the police? Can’t someone help these little girls?” Then, I realized this is something that happens in our own country. If sex trafficking is able to occur in a country that has many laws and regulations, no wonder that it can happen over there. I do not mean that to sound like our country is better, but it seems that we have more laws that are enforced to help diminish this practice. It breaks my heart that even the police, the people who are supposed to help the people and stop these things from happening, can be paid enough money that they would ignore such a terribly criminal act. 

Nepal/India and Sex-Trafficking

Around 10,000 to 15,000 young girls from Nepal are estimated to cross the border into India each year and are forced into prostitution. These girls range from seven years to twenty-four years old. Usually they come from poor families who live in villages. The families sell their daughters so they can go work in the city, or are promised into fake marriages. Once the girls cross into India and reach the Brothels, the girls learn of their fate. Most of the girls are virgins. Virgins are considered valuable because having sex with a virgin is said to cure HIV.

Girls are brutally introduced to the brothel to intimidate them into submission. Many are gang-raped, beaten, and kept in cages. These young girls are forced into having sex with up to 40 clients a day to pay off their debt. They constantly live under threat of beatings and torture. Many extract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and then are left out on the streets. If the girls make it back to their village, they are often not allowed back because of what they have done. The girls are then back on the street and are forced back into prostitution to survive.

There have been a couple of laws passed that were supposed to help with the problem of sex-trafficking. One law was to help escaped girls find their homes and identities. Another law was supposed to help stop the travel of these girls and their “escorts” before they reach the brothels. Neither of these laws have had a noticeable effect, and many law enforcers are not even aware of the laws.

The border between India and Nepal is 1850 kilometers which makes it very difficult to control. When crossing the border into India, the Nepalese girls are not required to show passports or anything. Once they are in India, they either stay there or use forged passports to get into other countries. There was also a peace treaty signed in the 1950s that allows migration from India to Nepal and vice versa. This is another factor that makes it easy for the girls to be taken across the border. Nepalese women are found more attractive to Indians because of their lighter skin color.

Although sex-trafficking is the most recognized, girls and women from Nepal are also trafficked into other positions as well. The demand for cheap labor in India is a major reason that the women, and even men are brought here. Men are usually referred to as migrant workers even though they are paid very little. Lack of education and poverty in Nepal also play a major part in the girls being taken away from their villages. They hear that they will get to work in the city and earn lots of money, or that they will be married to a good husband. The families believe this because they are not aware of what really happens to these girls. It is thought that selling their daughters or wives will help make the whole family some money. 

Museum Display

I chose my phone as an artifact because it really represents the time in which I am living. American culture is not the same as it was thirty years ago, and this has greatly to do with technology. Social media and cell phones allow our generation to be constantly connected to one another. This shapes the way we communicate and the expectations we set. If someone does not answer his or her phone we get upset because they should always have their phone nearby. This idea of accessibility has become a big part of the ever-changing American Culture.

Books represent my culture because reading is a big part of my life. My family is big on reading and it is something that is done every day. Books also represent the importance of education to not only my family, but most of society too these days. An education is required in order to get most jobs these days, and I think this is a big part of our culture. It used to be that going to college was optional, not essential, but now it seems that most people go to college after high school and are looked down on if they don’t.

I chose a picture of me getting my black belt because this is a subculture that I belong to. The culture of martial artists is different than any other that I can think of. Tae Kwon Do has influenced my life greatly because it is really empowering. It makes me feel strong less vulnerable. This culture is important to me because it is not a very large one, and it takes a lot of work to become a part of it. This culture allows me to identify with people from all around the world. Even though I might not speak the same language, I can still have a lot in common with people from a bigger culture.

I chose a picture of my dad making light of a bad situation. When I was a freshman in high school my dad got sick and lost his left arm. Although this was a really hard time in my life, this event has helped shape me into the person I am today. I try to make light of situations even if it is very difficult. I see my dad struggle with daily tasks, and yet he has such a positive outlook on life. Any situation can be made better with a positive attitude. This has become my life motto and part of my culture.

I chose a picture of my family because without them I would not be who I am today. My family has had a great influence on my opinions and overall outlook on life. My family would drop anything to help each other and I would do the same for them. This attitude toward my family has transcended into how I view my friends as well as everyone around me. Like my family, I care about the people around me and try to help to the best of my ability. This is a subculture that I am proud to be a part of. 

Kampung Boy

Kampung Boy was a great book to read to learn about the culture in Malaysia. The fact that it is a story that someone wrote of their own experiences growing up there really helps to authenticate the experiences that are illustrated in the book. Reading about Malaysian culture on the internet like I did for my last blog does not even come close to exemplifying the actual way people live, the way a real-life story does.  Reading Lat’s story in the form of a graphic novel really helped to give me an understanding of the story he was portraying.  Although the words were helpful and important in this book, it’s like the saying says, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this book had many pictures.  

When reading Kampung Boy it was easy for me to see the differences between our cultures, but looking back there were also some similarities. I think I did not notice the similarities at first because it something is the same as my own culture I do not think anything of it because it is “normal”. For example, I noted that the circumcision ritual that Lat undergoes in his tenth year as being very different than what we do in America. I did not notice that Lat was adventurous and did things that he should not as a teenager. This is the same in American culture, but I did not even notice because I saw that as normal.  Also, Lat’s family wanted him to do well in his studies, but he did not take them seriously at first. When he finally listened to his family and started studying, he passed an important examination and was admitted to an impressive boarding school in the capitol. This also reminds me of American culture because we always study hard to be able to get in to colleges and move away from home.

When doing some more research on Kampung Boy, I discovered a couple of facts that interested me about this book. First, Lat wrote this book to remind himself, and many others of their lives in the Kampung. He, like many others was living in the city and wanted to refresh his memory of his roots.  Kampung Boy was such a hit that it was adapted into a cartoon series. The show aired in 1999, and was made up of 26 episodes.

Kampung Boy did not undergo very many changes to be published in the United States. There were page numbers added in a font based off of Lat’s handwriting. The language was also adapted from British English to American English. There are some Malaysian words that have been left in the book, but they are easy to figure out using the context clues of surrounding words and the pictures. 

Malaysia

Recently, there was an airplane that disappeared near Malaysia...Just kidding.

Before this assignment, I did not know anything about Malaysia. I did not even know what continent it was located on (although I did suspect Asia because the name says Asia). I especially found the government and politics, and culture of Malaysia to be interesting. 

Location

When researching Malaysia, I quickly realized that I should first find out where the country is located in the world. Malaysia is located in Asia, and is separated into two similarly-sized regions by the South China Sea. Thailand and Indonesia border Malaysia, which also has maritime boundaries with the Philippines and Vietnam. The capitol of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, and it is also the largest city in the country. 

History

In the first century AD settlers from China and India moved to Malaysia, and in the second and third centuries set up trading posts. Hinduism and Buddhism became popular religions in Malaysia, and there was a strong Chinese and Indian influence on the culture. The British arrived in Malaysia in 1787 and had a hand in the ruling of the country until they claimed their independence on September 16, 1963.

Government and Politics

The British rule of Malaysia explains the similarities between the two governments. I read about the government of Malaysia before I read about the history, and just from their system of government I could tell that there had been some sort of British rule in Malaysia at some point in time. Malaysia has a federal constitutional elective monarchy that closely resembles the Westminster parliamentary system (a result of British presence in Malaysia). The head of state is known as the king, and is elected to five year terms. Although there are 13 states in Malaysia, only the nine states with hereditary rulers vote for the king in the elections. Not only are these the only states to vote for the king, but the king is also selected from one of the rulers of these states. Although there is voting for the leader of the country, it is not like the United State's voting system. The people do not take part in voting and the nine rulers of the "important" states pretty much just rotate every five years. 

Culture

Malaysia is part of the United Nations along with other international organizations, such as the Asia-pacific Economic Cooperation, the Developing 8 Countries, and the Non-Aligned movement. The official language of Malaysia is Malaysian, and although the National Religion is Islam, the country experiences religious freedom. 61.3% of Malaysians practice Islam, 19.8% practice Buddhism, 9.3% Christianity, 6.3 Hinduism, and 1.3% practice other Chinese religions. An official Malaysian culture was established by the government in 1971, which said that "Malaysian culture must be based on the culture of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, that it may incorporate suitable elements from other cultures, and that Islam must play a part in it.". This law has made many non-Maylays feel as though their cultural freedom is inhibited.  

Fun Facts
Now for the most important piece of information about Malaysia...They drive on the left side of the road!