Walking down a street, one hears a foreigner gush about how wonderful America is and how grateful he is for his new found freedoms. The average, under-zealous American would chuckle to himself, maybe even criticize his so-called rights. Whether one agrees, American citizens are very fortunate compared to other parts of the world where the thought of freedom is just a mere dream versus the American reality. Recently, Ms. Taylor & Ms. Chen, two former Chinese citizens, visited the class to educate us on the horrors of the Chinese Communist Party & how the party uses its power to mistreat certain groups and strip citizens of natural rights. Our main discussion was centered around a spiritual practice, Falun Gong, which was banned in China on July 20, 1999.
Falun Gong is Chinese for "the great law wheel way of cultivation practice". This practice is based upon three principles: truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Along with these principles, followers read a book written by Li Hongzhi and follow five different sets of relaxing & energizing exercises. Falun Gong was not made public until the year 1992, and, by word-of-mouth, rapidly gained popularity throughout China reaching a number of nearly 100 million followers. China's central government, which banned the free practice of religion in the 1950s, felt threatened by the the spiritual group and began a national crackdown. Followers are forbidden to practice, those who fail to stop practicing are often times arrested and beaten despite their peaceful appeals. There have even been horror stories about Falun Gong followers being tortured, sent to labor camps, and even being used for organ harvesting. Since the Chinese Communist Party controls China's media, citizens have been misinformed & even unaware of what is occurring within their borders. Stories have been fabricated in which Falun Gong is accused of being some sort of political cult out to destroy the Chinese government.
In the United States Bill of Rights, under the first amendment, it states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". These very words explain why many Falun Gong members being persecuted by the Chinese government have fled China & started a new life in America. It is here that no matter race, gender, physical characteristics, one is guaranteed thousands of freedoms and rights that allow a human to live peacefully and without fear. Too often, Americans take these simple, yet so powerful freedoms for granted. If we were to live in China for a week, Ms. Chen told us that we would see great, futuristic technology, but realize that the mindset of the government is still in the "dark ages" when it comes to the treatment of humans. Although it is not in our power to tell China how to treat its citizens, we can and we should welcome all foreigners with open arms along with the promise of equal and fair treatment.
http://falundafa.org/ - Learn more about Falun Gong
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zt/ppflg/ - Chinese Communist Party view on Falun Gong
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Migrant Workers
A large part of our society's economic success is achieved by the number of exported and domestically produced goods. An essential contribution is made by the nation's agricultural department through the sale of food crops, plants, and animals. One might expect an industry that provides necessary nourishment as well as a source of economic cushioning to consist of a large working force, but, as stated by the USDA,"hired farm workers make up less than one-percent of all US wage and salary workers". At the start of the 20th century the US had about 3.4 million hired farm workers and since, has decreased to around 1 million. Why? More developed technology, lack of interest in the field, and higher education standards. To cope with the issue at hand, farms (as well as other industries) have taken a step towards the employment of migrant workers.
Migrant workers are often times seen as a threat to US citizens because these workers are more "affordable" for businesses, thus, they "steal" jobs from citizens. The truth is, with each new generation the agricultural interest seems to lessen due to hazards, labor-intensiveness, and low-wages. Without migrant workers (they constitute 42% of the farm labor force) farms and food crops would be unable to function and, most likely, would slack in the production of economically necessary goods. If there was a lack in locally produced goods, food in markets would be more costly & less fresh, local economies wouldn't be supported & would suffer, and businesses would be forced to close. We, as citizens, should be grateful for, and, respectful of the foreign-born people who seek better income and that hope for a better living situation for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, many migrant workers see job offers as an opportunity and are blind or afraid to speak up against the mistreatment and inequalities they experience.
Most migrant workers in the US come from Latin America where education standards are much lower resulting in 30% of workers having less than a 9th grade education. Also, many are fluent in their native tongue and have not yet learned English creating a tremendous language barrier. Employers often times see these two characteristics as a reason to lower the earnings of authorized migrant workers to minimum-wage while unauthorized (illegal) workers are paid even less. The issue of low wages, as well as seasonal unemployment, leave workers living below the poverty line which is not justified by their working environment. Recent statistics state that "agricultural work has a high fatality rate, with 21.3 deaths per 100,000 workers per year, compared with the overall worker rate of 3.9." With this work, there is also a higher rate of nonfatal injuries, chronic pain, heart disease, respiratory problems, and cancers. It is inhumane and unjust to take advantage of a worker's inability to comprehend.
The hard work and dedication of migrant workers should be recognized with better working conditions as well as increased wages. These people are doing our country a favor by helping farms maintain momentum which, in turn, help keep local economies booming!
Migrant workers are often times seen as a threat to US citizens because these workers are more "affordable" for businesses, thus, they "steal" jobs from citizens. The truth is, with each new generation the agricultural interest seems to lessen due to hazards, labor-intensiveness, and low-wages. Without migrant workers (they constitute 42% of the farm labor force) farms and food crops would be unable to function and, most likely, would slack in the production of economically necessary goods. If there was a lack in locally produced goods, food in markets would be more costly & less fresh, local economies wouldn't be supported & would suffer, and businesses would be forced to close. We, as citizens, should be grateful for, and, respectful of the foreign-born people who seek better income and that hope for a better living situation for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, many migrant workers see job offers as an opportunity and are blind or afraid to speak up against the mistreatment and inequalities they experience.
Most migrant workers in the US come from Latin America where education standards are much lower resulting in 30% of workers having less than a 9th grade education. Also, many are fluent in their native tongue and have not yet learned English creating a tremendous language barrier. Employers often times see these two characteristics as a reason to lower the earnings of authorized migrant workers to minimum-wage while unauthorized (illegal) workers are paid even less. The issue of low wages, as well as seasonal unemployment, leave workers living below the poverty line which is not justified by their working environment. Recent statistics state that "agricultural work has a high fatality rate, with 21.3 deaths per 100,000 workers per year, compared with the overall worker rate of 3.9." With this work, there is also a higher rate of nonfatal injuries, chronic pain, heart disease, respiratory problems, and cancers. It is inhumane and unjust to take advantage of a worker's inability to comprehend.
The hard work and dedication of migrant workers should be recognized with better working conditions as well as increased wages. These people are doing our country a favor by helping farms maintain momentum which, in turn, help keep local economies booming!
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