Cultural Survival and Change

Describe the conflicts discussed in the two articles: (1) between biodiversity conservation efforts and human rights and (2) between tourism-based development and cultural continuity. Using each of the author's works combined with your own creative reflection, discuss: (1) how biodiveristy conservation could actually be related to cultural survival and empowerment of local peoples and (2) how the tourism industry could be changed in ways that would facilitate cultural survival of indigenous peoples.

 

In the article African Wildlife: Conservation and Conflicts, by Robert K. Hitchcock, it discusses the conflicts that arise from biodiversity conservation of the wildlife in Africa and the effect it has on the native Africans. The Government almost seems to view the conservation for the wildlife more important than the lives and sustainability of the people. Their human rights are not given much thought. Hitchcock mentions in this article the conflict that people come across in regard to their lives. Many times, Hitchcock explains, " Local peope were subjected to imposition of restictive wildlife laws and periodic search-and- seizure operations" showing no regard to human rights whatsoever. The government trying to prevent the extinctions of their wildlife, which occurs through poachin, has created antipoaching operations to " reduce the rate of destruction of such endangered or threatened species as rhinoceros and elephant. " ( Hitchcock 83). I belive that it is important to preserve wild life, especially when it is endangered, but like Dr. Kirner pointed out this is the view of an outsider. Which I am, because I don't have encounters with that wildlife to the point of which they stampeed through my front yard. Therefor no inconviniece to me but it is to the natives of Africa that have to deal with it almost on a daily basis. Many times when a wildlife consevation is created the inhabitants don't receive a warning to find another place to live but are forced out of their homes with nothing to carry at times. This is another major conflict that arises from the biodiversity conservation efforts. Although some organizations have been created to fight for human rights many time the people are left with no home and no resources to be able to feed their families because the official don't honor their word to provide for them a promised. The human rights organization are trying to work with the government to reach an equilibrium on how to best benefit the biodiversity wildlife conservation efforts but at the same time provide for the African people. Therefore they can still have their land for resources and hunt certain animals wich are part or the way they sustain their families. There should be an median in where the African government can reach with the people to either compensate them so they can relocate without suffering the hardships they encounter when they use the resettlement programs. People should still be able to keep their land or have the government buy it from them. That way they will still be able to maintain some of their resources needed to maintian their families.

In the article Mass Tourism on the Mexican Caribbean: Pervasive Changes, Profound Consequences, by Oriol Pi-Sunyer and R. Brooke Thomas, it discusses the affects of toursim in Quinta Roo located on the Yucatan peninsula and Mexico and the effects it has on cultural continuity of Mayan Villages. The large influx of tourism is able to bring in a lot of money but unfourtunately the economic gain that tourist would normally generate does not stay within their local businesses but it goes to help the national economy outside of Quinta Roo. The Mayans face forced social change for the tourism that is occuring around in their homeland but at the same time the tourist want to observe the Maya's traditional way of life, as if no time has passed by. Unfourtunately this is not the case, due to the large influx of tourist many of their forest have been taken down and builings have come up to accommodate the tourist coming to their land. I believe their culture would be hard to maintain because with the deforestation occuring in their home land, which is vital to their traditional way of life for hunting, gathering plants, and herbs that would also be helpful for their curanderas (healers or witch doctors) which rely heavily on them. This is hard to imagine and to react to as a native to their land, because your own society is telling you to assimilate to the changes that are brought forth due to tourism, but at the same time to maintain you tru culture to amuse the tourist ( who what to view Mayan Culture, as a tourist attaction).

Freedom Riders of 1961:

The Freedom Rides are organized to gain the equal rights of African Americans. They are organized through many of the activist who happen to be college students at the time. At the time of the Freedom Rides, Martin Luther King was one of the Leaders who was on board supporting the freedom rides. But he unfortunately got bad information in regard to the reputation of the freedom rides and was not as sure wether to keep giving them his support. This all happened before the two buses leaving Atlanta to Burmingham. From these two buses only one made it. The one bus that made it to its destination was surrounded by The Anistion Ku Kux Klan to prevent it from leaving the station. The KKK broke the windows, blew out the tires, and threw gas in the bus, while at the same time sealing the doors of the bus preventing the escape. Among the riders where many white riders and also innocent riders that suffered the attack. The riders barely made it out of the bus alive, gasping for air and coffing up blood. At the same time there was this 12 year old girl who was watching the whole incident and decided she was going to help the riders. She was handing out water for them and cleaning their faces one by one.

Another Freedome Ride was also made up of students from Fisk University. This organization was led by Diane Nash and was responsible for the safety and lives of the people in the freedom ride. The freedom ride bus was to leave Nashville and arrive at Burmingham. This was during the time finals were taken and the students made the decision to drop out of school and continue on with the freedom ride. Along for this freedom ride was Zwerg, he is a white student supporting the freedom riders. Considered a traitor to his "people". The organization chose seven men and three women for the freedom ride to Burmingham. One of the representative for John F. Kennedy was trying to persuade Diana Nash to call of the Freedom ride but was shut dowm and impress on how a young women like her can have such an amizing calm and mature way of thinking. Diana said to him, "Cannot let Violence overcome NonVIolence." When the freedom riders arrived at Burmingham, Bull Conner arrested the students and said it was for their safety. After that the students were taken to the border of Alabama and told them to find their way back home. The freedome riders did not give up and found shelter and returned to Burmingham. This time they were met with assault and even the Government Official that represented JFK was beaten up for helping one of the freedom rider women that was being beat up.

Unfortunatley I was unable to finish the film because the panel of discussion took place with some of the Freedom Riders form the 1961. So it was not such a bad trade off. The discussion was started with Reverand Lausson( Not sure of the Spelling) on how he uses much of what he teaches from Ghandi to demostrate nonviolence. As Rev. Lausson stated " Nonviolence is learning to fight but with the deep roots of humanity.". which is very different than just not reacting or fighting for what you strongly believe. We should fight for what we are passionate about. Any issues that affect us and issues that hit closer to home are what most likely will bring out what we are passionatly active for. Many of the speakers recounted on their personal experiences on how they were active with in their univesity and what united them in their cause. The movement that began was through a discussion with another classmate, where they found many similarities and they wanted to become activist. This led to their three man movement, which to the school seemed to include more than three students because of the mass reproduction of flyers that were distributed through out the campus. One of the panelist enlisted in the army for the GI bill and another to the Navy. Their freedom ride allowed the Texas organization to gain more publicity( which was being shut down) in order to succed in obtaining equal rights.

What I have learned through this is that many times one has to go out there and stay informed. Because we may not believe that what happens in our society will affect us so close to home, it often time does. We have to become activist for ourselves, and that is the only way we will be able to make a change. May not be a huge change but small changes allow room for bigger ones in the future. There are many OCCUPY movement all around the LA area and to be involve does not take much, just show up and give your support. Become active in your community.

Transnationalism, Identity, and Community:

Consider the different patterns represented in two readings regarding the interaction of people and culture in the modern process of globalization and transnationalism. What would the advantages and disadvantages be to experiencing different types of migration trends as an individual moving from one homeland to another: (1) ethnic enclaves; (2) diaspora; (3) transnationalism (or, as Kearney describes, trans-statism)? How are these patterns different? What are the effects of globalization and transnationalism, according to Kearney, on "core" nations and the services and products they distribute globally? What are the effects of the modern media and migration on how people experience their identity and community?

In the article, Ethnic Enclaves and Cultural Diversity by Guest and Kwong, it discusses the contradictory research that follows the ethnic enclave model applications of the publication on Latin Journey: Cuban and Mexican Immigrants in the United States by Portes and Bach in 1985. Portes and Bach define an ethnic enclave as any immigrant society that may or may not fit with the general population but can succeed internally. According to Portes and Bach's Model of an ethnic enclave has a positive influence in the growth of immigrants that come from Cuba, in the migration of the 1980's. There are four major advantages an individual from Cuba faces when moving from one homeland to another, in this case Miami. The advantages are better paying job opportunities, no language barrier, employment diversity, and upward mobility with the option of being self-employed (Porter and Bach). The opportunity of better paying jobs within the enclave is only possible with the first wave of immigrants from Cuba, who have social and economic capital to succeed in Miami, unlike the poor immigrants from Cuba that come to Miami with nothing. This is a contradicting point that Gilbertson and Gurak encounter in their analysis when comparing the wages of the enclave workers with the primary and secondary workers in Dominican and Columbians in New York City. The disadvantage of an individual to be part of an ethnic enclave is that better paying job opportunities are not always better when working within your own ethnic enclave. Although, there are job opportunities within an enclave that would normally be denied to the immigrants it doesn't always mean that immigrants will find better paying job opportunities. It simply means an individual will find job opportunities when migrating to the US within an enclave. Another disadvantage which Gilbertson and Gurek pointed out is that Dominican and Columbian migrant workers were not able to obtaing health insurance and retirement plans that secondary market workers were eligible for. Zhou and Logan's analysis of the ethnic enclave on Chinese immigrant men does have advantages on their earning potential due to the labor market it creates, the education, and English language ability. Chinese immigrant women in the enclave are at a disadvantage because they don't have the earning potential that men do. In their culture Chinese women are willingly exploited for the benefit of the family. The ideology the men have of women to cook, clean, maintain the house, take care of the children, and at the same time work is what interferes with the success of women in the workforce. The exploitation of women in the labor force and in their own culture maintains the constant struggle that women face even today when dealing with gender discrimination. In the analysis of Zhou and Logan when it relates to wage difference between the enclave and primary and secondary work force is drastically different. In the enclave Chinese immigrants are paid very little as opposed to labor markets outside of enclave. And to this day we have modern ethnic enclives here in California, like Chinatown. Where we see a concentration of immigrants that due to the segragation they endured were able to form based on their wealth and "patron/client relationship" (Guest and Kwong 261). Ethnic enclaves often times resulted from diaspora.

To show the connections between the diaspora and the ethnic enclave I will use the Cuban migration to Miami. The Cuban diaspora was a direct result of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The first wave of immigrants to the United states were the rich and socially connected. Because to leave Cuba legally it required a lot of money, therefor, only the wealthy were able to migrate to the US, Mexico, and other part of world. The Cuban diaspora connects to the ethnic enclave that began in Miami. Since the first wave of immigrants had capital and often times had entrepreneural ambitions they were able to open the doors for the second wave of Cuban immigrants that were subsequently poor and had nothing. The second wave of immigrants was often times undocumented or a refugee of Cuba. For example, the Cuban immigrants residing in Miami view their "Little Havana" (Guest nd Kwong 263) as a nation in their new homeland. The disadvantage is that it results in "internsification of world-wide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring miles away and vice versa" (Keaarney 548). What this really means is that the social relations of the nations are magnified to the extent that it will effect the cultures within them. For example, the relationship between the US and Cuba was intesified with the Cuban Revolution of 1959; and the flow of Cuban immigrants impacted the local cultures of Miami. The transnationalism of the flow of immigrants, whether they be Cuban, Mexican, Chinese, or Domincan transcends the boundries of their nations; while at the same time the Immigrants maintiain their home nation. This form of transnationalism in nations-state is focused on the cultural and political projects as opposed to the centralized view of globalization which is more abstract, less institutionalized(Kearney 548). This often times creates a form of cultural baggage for the immigrant when they are effected by the US culture change when they first arrive in the US. It's widely understanable when there is a mixture of cultures, since they are trying to assimilate to their new found homeland. The mixture of cultures then creates a debate within the immigrants ethnic communities of a sense of what is good and what is a bad in their culture and in their new found culture. We can see this with the segregations of comminities, like the Chinee for example. The Chinese were segregated from the American communities and forced to live in a form of ghetto, which is now known as Chinatown( Guest and Kwong). This type of segregation led the immigrants to decide what part of their culture they want to have survive and what they want to incorporate with the American culture.

The difference between the ethnic enclaves, diaspora, and transnationalism patterns of migration to the US are that in an ethnic enclave the results will vary depending on the locations, the Immigrants enthnicity, and their social and economic wealth. Also in an ethnic enclave the immigrants are recognizing their new homeland as their nation and not their homeland of origing. For example, Cubans in Miami and their "Lil Havana" As oppsed to the diaspora trend of immigrants which were immigrants who are refugees and migrating illegaly to other nations but staying true to their home nation. A great example of this are the Jews, who were stripped of their homeland, and although they have immigrated through out the world, they all stand together and recognisze their original home nation as their nationality not their new found home land.