Reflections

Dear Friends and Family,

            I have come to the realization that I sincerely enjoy the study of people.  I take great pleasure in learning about the various ways of the world and in observing the various circumstances under which people live.  It fills me with a bittersweet awe, bitter because not all living circumstances are easy or ideal and sweet because people cope, survive, and keep moving forward.  It fills me with hope for humanity.  It is so interesting to see how the actions of a transnational company can affect the lives of people in various corners of the world.  On the other hand, it is frustrating to see that migrants are taken in by countries when they require hired hands and that they are disposed of when not.  For example, the Moroccan migrants that were sucked in to Europe because of job availability but still retain lowly social status. 

            Before this class, I believed I understood migration.  I believed that a person made the decision.  I now understand that this is not always the case.   A person can be displaced due to social and economic factors that are outside of their own consideration.  They can become moving pieces set on a course due to complex concepts like globalization.  There is something that still perplexes me.  I cannot pinpoint the cause for the stratification of China’s rural population.  It is a unique case; the country’s own citizens are subjugated and are considered second-class citizens. 

            I am always surprised by the lengths societies are willing to go to justify the deterrence of foreigners at their borders.  The happenings at the US/Mexican border are particularly chilling.  I am not sure if it is pessimistic or realistic of me to say that the law enforcement official that shot Jose Antonio is about to get away with the killing of an innocent boy.  Sadly, not many in the nation have casts their eyes to the dark and daily occurrences that take place at the US/Mexican border.  The border has become so militarized that migrants are pushed into the most desolate corners of the desert.  Their lives are in peril and it is likely many deaths are and will remain unaccounted for.