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.