Learning Letter and Plan of Action

I really enjoyed this course of Global View of Children’s Literature. I loved that everything was project-based rather than writing essays or having tests because I learned more out of my peers and myself than I would have putting everything on paper. Another thing that I found insightful was the blog. If I wouldn’t have taken this course I probably would have never created a blog, but now that I have it I would definitely keep it mind and try to post blogs on my future readings and new global issues. It’s a place where I can express myself and my thoughts as well as be creative because my blog background and pictures really illustrate a little bit about myself. 

Each project in this class had a purpose and meaning behind it. There wasn’t a single project we had in which I didn’t learn anything from. These projects opened up my eyes more on the world we live in and the people around us. However despite this, there were projects that I enjoyed the most and were relatable to my life. The museum display was one of my favorites because as far as my culture goes I am very prideful. I love being Mexican and I love how Mexican culture has been a huge part of my life despite being born in the United States and living my whole life here. But I never really thought about it until we had this project. With this museum display I was able to see how my family really does try to keep our culture a part of who I am for example, the dresses I used to wear for our celebrations as a child, the candy, the music, and the artifacts. In the museum display I was also able to learn a little bit about my classmates and it was very eye opening because I was able to see the culture of others, the different families, and traditions. This was very insightful because usually you don’t get to know your classmates in every course the way we were able to here. We are so caught up in our busy schedules, our own bubble, and our lives to take the time to get to know the people we sit next to. It’s actually sad to have noticed how distant we are as a society. 

The other two projects I enjoyed were the book project and the graffiti wall. The book project was very informational. We covered so many issues within the topic of family and due to that I was able to have a well rounded collection of books that can be used with my students in the nearer future. I was surprised that there were books on single parenting and gender roles because they can be quite controversial and different from what is considered “the norm.” My group chose the topic of extended families and the books I presented on were about an aunt and a grandpa. The aunt book was bilingual and to my surprise it didn’t just touch on aunts, but also on how the two children in the book had divorced parents and were trying to cope with that in their own ways. Therefore many of these books touched on multiple issues and not just specific issues. The graffiti wall was also another project I enjoyed because it was an opportunity for me to be creative. I really wanted to incorporate graffiti somehow into my project so I painted some on there. Usually when I think of graffiti I think of a splash of colors and a collage of artwork. So in my project I just threw pictures on there all over the place of what I feel war and peace is. All the topics we discussed in class like human trafficking, revolution, and boy soldiers are things that I would consider war. Perhaps not army against army, but definitely people against people and after I heard Sean say the same thing it really confirmed by belief. Not only did I make a collage of all of these topics to represent the chaos within war, but also to represent how I feel about all of these topics and how it was information all thrown at us in one quarter. It was a lot to take in. 

All the topics and discussions we had in class were very overwhelming. Some of these topics are really hard to talk about. Partially I think that was because it was about children and seeing the world through their lenses. Children were depicted as hopeless human beings that were very easy to manipulate, hurt, and exploit. This stirred a lot of mixed emotions within me because you wish you can fix these problems in an instant, but when you realize that you are just one person and that it might take years to make an huge dramatic changes in the world you are left feeling hopeless as well. It would probably be just as rewarding making a difference in one child’s life, but I wish I can help everyone. Of course the topic I most related to was immigration and the book “Crossing the Border”. It’s difficult because sometimes with all of these issues I always find myself having a hard time understanding the reasoning behind people’s acts. I don’t understand how us humans can be capable of such heinous crimes and I don’t understand how we can’t just get along. Why can’t we share the world, why can’t we be there to help each other out, why is everything based on ownership, power, and money? And, why do we fear people who are different than us?

With all this in mind I would love to make a huge difference on the entire world, but I think I might have to start small and hopefully work my way up. My plan of action after this quarter would be to sponsor a child somewhere in a third world country. After hearing Sean say that the commercials we see about starving children is true and that there are places in the world where children really do look like that, I feel that desire to help out. I know that many people say that we have problems of our own here in the United States and that we should help out our country before we try to help out other countries, but to me that’s a selfish thought. I’m not saying that there aren’t people in need here and its wonderful that we have people who do want to help out locally, but our country compared to other countries is very privileged and we probably have more organizations and resources for people who need that help than other countries. I love helping out my local community, but I feel that I can have a bigger impact on someone who doesn’t have 1/3 of what I have in this country. I think we need to stop thinking about what we can do to benefit ourselves, our country, and help out others who need it even more.

Graffiti Wall Artist Statement

The topics of War and Peace are never easy to talk about, but the images that first come to my mind when I hear those words are destruction, children, and suffering. I think of blood and children being torn apart from their families and being forced to do heinous acts and crimes. I think of innocence being robbed away and what was once pure now being stained with darkness. This topic brings up many mixed emotions especially anger. Partially because its hard for me to be able to wrap my mind around how humans can be capable of such things. I don’t understand how there are people and even nations out there that can exploit children not just physically but psychologically and not feel compassion. These people have become so desensitized to these kinds of things that it is as if they had no heart. 

When I think of War I don’t just think about soldiers and armies fighting against one another. I think about war in terms of conflict or struggle. Such things for me would be immigration, human trafficking, gang violence, drug wars, and poverty. My graffiti wall isn’t something necessarily cohesive it’s more of a splatter of issues, feelings, and a combination of the themes we have touched in class. I have included pictures that illustrate reasons for war, pictures that show who it affects—deaths, families, children, pictures that show destruction, and the need for peace. I drew a picture that spoke out to me, it’s a young boy around the age of nine or ten and he has a shirt on that says “Don’t Deport My Mom.” I drew it because I can relate to it, but instead with my husband. I consider this war because it’s a conflict and many people are suffering because of this. It’s an issue between the United States and other countries, whether or not to let people in and there is tension on both sides. But we forget that this isn’t just a political issue, it’s affecting families and children are being left in foster care.

 I also drew a picture of cage with commodities inside that represents our world and those that are privileged and how we are sheltered from the rest of the world not only because we don’t hear about it, but because we tend to think that war happens to the rest of the world and not to us. If you take time to analyze, many wars today can all be traced back to poverty and the need to survive. People are sometimes seen obligated to sell drugs, their children, and even cross borders “people who don’t have much get ugly about giving up the little they have left”—Andrew Vachss.

There are quotes that sum up my view on war and that describe some of my pictures. The first one is “As long as there is profit in war the world will never know peace”—Guy Fawkes Mask. This quote is perfect for the types of wars we have today. Many of the conflicts that exist today have to with money, profit, and power. It’s the drug wars, human trafficking, politics, resources and so much more. Many wars are no longer for rights or freedom and a lot of money made is on the cost of others and its dirty. This ties in perfectly with another quote I included, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone; it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists and the hopes of its children”—Dwight D. Eisenhower.   

 To conclude my graffiti wall I have quote from Mother Theresa that really says what I feel about where war has led us and why we even start them. “If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other” in the end we are all human and we should be there to support each other and share this world. But unfortunately because we are human we make mistakes and sometimes are acts are driven by ambition and the need for power. So to make a difference we would have to start with ourselves and reeducating our children.

Review of A Long Way Gone

When I began reading the book I had realized that I had seen a movie similar to this. I am not sure if it was a movie based on this book or just a movie that was about boy soldiers. I have always been kind of in shock when it comes to reading or watching things on this topic because you can just imagine what all those children must be going through at such a young age. At a very young age they are torn apart from their families either because they are killed, taken away, or even worse because they themselves killed their parents and siblings. I wonder how much fear, frustration, and hopelessness these children must feel to be put in such a position where their lives depend on killing their own parents. Now, I have always thought that these kinds of Rebels that recruit children are heartless evil human beings because of all the corruption and suffering that they are causing to all these villages and families. But whenI listened to an interview with Ishmael Beah on an African radio station I found out something that I never really thought about and that was why these rebels recruit children. They recruit children because they can be psychologically manipulated more easily than an adult and since most of these children have been left as orphans they know that they have nothing else to live for so they eventually become these killing machines. Children will do things that sometimes adults don't have the guts to do themselves. Eventually these children didn't even know what it was to actually kill someone because it became a routine and as common as drinking a glass of water. This story is very inspirational because Ishmael having experienced all this was able to survive and better his life whether by destiny or luck. Unfortunately, I am sure there were children that didn't survive this and children possibly still experiencing this and these are the children that we need to save from that. Every child had the right to be a kid and not have to be a boy soldier or be exploited.

Research on Sierra Leone

*English is Sierra Leones official lanaguage but only the educated can speak it
*Portuguese explorers named it Sierra Leone for the crashing noise the waves made against the peninsular mountains.
*People usually hiss to get people's attention and say Ah Sey! ( I say).
* O holidays children usually go door-to-door, sing, or dance asking for money.

Their flag consists of three horizontal stripes and the colors are green, white, and blue. The green represents the resources of the land/earth, the white peace, and the blue the coastal waters.

Religion
Muslims make up 60 percent of the population. Most adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam. Today, 10 percent of Sierra Leoneans are Christian. Religious affiliation crosses ethnic and family lines. Sierra Leoneans of different faiths live in harmony because of their willingness to accept various beliefs as part of their eclectic (rather than exclusive) approach to religion. Most people believe in a supreme being, lesser deities, and a spirit world. Approximately 30 percent of the population practices traditional beliefs exclusively. Those who convert to a formal religion also usually retain traditional animist beliefs, especially because animism (the belief that spirits inhabit both living things and inanimate objects) is tied to daily life. Participation in secret societies, where socio-religious activities take place, is high—even among Christians and Muslims. For example, nearly all women participate in the secret Bondo society, where they dance, initiate new members, and share lessons about womanhood.

General attitudes
Sierra Leoneans identify first with their ethnic group and then with Sierra Leone, which residents often refer to as Salone.People tend to be realistic and practical about their circumstances, which enables them to bear difficult situations. Two common Krio expressions are Na so God say (It is God's will) andOw fo do? (What can you do?), to which the response is Na fo biah (You must bear it).Education is valued as the key to a better way of life. Urban people strive for material wealth because it is a sign of security. There isn't much of a hierarchy, but people of wealth are usually respected more. 

Personal Appearance
Men and boys usually wear Western-style clothing. Rural women wear lappas, two yards of ankle-length cloth tied about the waist and topped with an African or Western blouse. The women's heads are often covered, wrapped with fabric that matches the lappa. The fabric is typically brightly colored cotton cloth imported from Europe and Asia. Urban women may wear trousers or skirts. Outside of urban areas, shorts are rarely worn by anyone except young boys. A growing number of urban teenage girls wear shorts. Young urban professionals typically wear Western clothing in addition to more traditional attire. A young man may wear a Western-style suit one day and a traditional kaftan (a long-sleeved shift that extends past the knee) the next.Maintaining a good appearance, regardless of the weather or one's wealth, is a priority. On special occasions, people wear traditional clothing, often made from gara (locally dyed cotton brocade) and batik (fabric printed by coating with wax the areas not to be dyed).

Gestures
Woman can't whistle because it is considered disrespectful. To express displeasure in a ride way people may suck teeth. Members of the same sex usually stay close together holding hands or maintaining close body contact when talking ( it is rare for members of the opposite sex to do this).

Eating
Traditional meals usually are served on a large platter with a bed of rice and a smallamount of sauce 
in the center. The sauce is not mixed with the rice. Bones are left in thefood; soft ones are eaten and harder ones are put aside. In many homes, the husband may be served separately, while thewife and children eat together. When visitors are present, adults eat from the commonplatter; children may be given spoonfuls of rice in their hands or a separate bowl. Invillages, people eat with the right hand 
while squatting on the ground. In towns, spoonsand chairs are more common. People drink only after the meal. At the end of a meal, abowl of water is passed around for washing the face and hands. Restaurants aregenerally found only in cities. Roadside vendors sell foods such as bread and margarine,grilled meat and fish, fried potatoes, fried plantains, fruit, and roasted groundnuts(peanuts).

Marriage
pregnancy among young girls is common. Most rural marriages are arranged. In urban areas, the majority of young people choose their spouses, though certain ethnic groups (such as Fullahs, Madingos, and Susus) practice arranged marriage regardless of the area. Those who choose their own spouses still seek approval from their parents. Courtship is nearly always initiated by the man. 
Women do not generally approach men directly. Dating without intending to marry is accepted in urban areas but not in villages.Men wait to marry until they are financially able to support a wife. In villages, a marriage may be arranged at any age, but it does not formally take place until the girl reaches puberty. The prospective husband agrees to pay the bride's parents a marriage payment after a great deal of negotiating and, sometimes, input from the whole village. In recent years, the bride price has become less important as parents are more concerned with finding a good match for their daughter and ensuring that the man is able to support a wife. Engagements are 
important ceremonies in which the two families gather and the bride price is paid. The prospective groom usually does not attend the engagement ceremony because this is a chance for the older members of his family to meet and assess the girl's family without being swayed by the man's feelings.
Polygamy is common among Muslims and traditional rulers but is not practiced by Christians. Infidelity in men is both widespread and tolerated. Women are generally seen as more committed in 
relationships, and it would be shameful for a woman to have an extra-marital affair. Divorce is 
extremely rare in rural areas but happens occasionally in the cities. There is considerable stigma associated with divorce, and many people find it difficult to remarry after a divorce.

Education
Primary school begins at age six. Entrance to secondary school is determined by students' scores on the National Primary School Certificate (NPSC). Secondary school is divided into two levels: lower (which students begin at age 11 or 12) and upper (which begins at age 14 or 15 and ends at age 18 or 19). Students take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in order to proceed from 
lower to upper secondary school. In upper secondary school, students may choose certain electives 
while still studying the basic subjects.

When family resources are limited, parents usually choose to send boys to school rather than girls. Boys may also be more encouraged to study, while girls usually are expected to help with a greater share of the household chores. Many children must earn their own school fees because their families cannot afford to pay them. About 70 percent of girls and nearly 80 percent of boys complete primary school. About one-third of students enroll in secondary schooling, where the completion rate is quite low.

Local education, “bush schools,” or secret societies teach children skills and customs perceived as necessary by village elders. Such training prepares children to join society as adults.
Few students go on to higher education. In order to enter university, students must pass the West African Senior School Certificate Exam, which is taken by students in English-speaking countries throughout West Africa. Sierra Leone has several teacher-training colleges and universities.

Review of Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party

"Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party" was a very interesting book to read. It was different than other books I have read. I knew that at some point in time China had been communist, but I had no idea about the communist revolution, how it took place and what exactly happened until I did some research and read the book.

Along with Ling I was confused when Comrade Li began to do some heinous acts against all these innocent people. I wasn't surprised that he turned out to be part of the Red Guards, but instead I was surprised at what looked like his two-faced character. The moment people came in to search Ling's house I knew something was wrong and whatever or whoever was coming was not going to be very nice.

The reasons behind the revolution that they seem to give in the book, like "building a better China" I thought were ridiculous considering the acts of these revolutionaries. They did horrible things to high class people because according to them they were bourgeois, I had never heard of that word before. but once I looked it up I found out that it means that they are middle/high class people who are seen as materialistic and that exploit the working class. This to me made me angry; just because people have degrees and are able to live well because of their hard work and education doesn't mean that they are mean people that exploit the working class. And it definitely doesn't mean that they should be tortured.

The Red Guards and Chairman Mao are people who don't have a heart. They tried to brainwash people into thinking that he would bring China a better future. They are people who are selfish and dominating. The communist revolution wasn't because they wanted to give China a better future by balancing out the social classes and rationing everything to achieve that, the reason behind these kinds of acts only have one explanation. They try to make it seem as if what they want is everyone to be equal and for no one to be above anyone, but in reality all they want it power. They want to ration and control what people do and how much they earn so that they can benefit from it all.

Like in the book when Ling went to the market with her mother, there were boxes with names on them and all of them had meat and other necessities that the rest of the population needed, but couldn't have. And what names were on those boxes? They had names of Comrades and Chairman Mao. They tortured people considered "high class" for being materialistic, selfish, and exploiting the lower class, yet they started to do the same by having privileges they were taking away from others. Their words and their actions didn't connect.

Although most of the books we have read in class have stirred up some mixed feelings of anger, melancholy, and hatred I really enjoyed reading this book. Reading these books have showed me of all the things that have happened or are currently happening in our world that we have been to ignorant to know. It not only has opened up my mind to read of such things, but because they are written behind the lens of someone who has experienced it, it has made me connect on a much more personal level. Most of the time you can read or hear about it on the news, but you don't hear much of the personal stories  of people who experienced these tragedies. To conclude my review, I know that the book ends happily with Ling reunited with both her parents, but I wonder what were the odds of that happening and how many happy endings there actually were during the revolution?

Research on China and the Chinese Revolution

Interesting Facts
1. Even though China is smaller than the United States it has about four times as many people.
2. Out of about 50,000 Chinese characters only 8,000 are used and 1,500 are needed for basic literacy.
3. Standard Chinese or Mandarin are based of a Beijing dialect and it is the national language.

History
China is one of the oldest civilizations going back as far as 4,000 years. It has been mostly ruled by Dynasties. The first one, Xia Dynasty was established around 2,000 BC. So, in about 4,000 years it has had around 28 dynasties and around 400 emperors. The Qin Dynasty ( 221-206 BC) was the first that unified China and built he Great Wall. The Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD)  is considered the first Golden Age of China and the trade route and the Silk Road between Asia and Europe flourished. The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)a woman emperor appointed appointed foreign scholars as senior officials in the royal court.

Education
Nine years of school are compulsory. A selection Exam is given before entering high school to be placed in the most prestigious high schools with a better chance of moving onto a better university. High schools and universities are not free and require a tuition, usually paid by parents or a sponsor whom the student signs a contract with and has to work for for a couple of years after graduation. The literacy is 90% for people 15 years and up. They go to school for five to six days a week and hours spent on homework depend on how good he school is.

The Chinese Communist Revolution
It was in 1949 and it was was the culmination of the Chinese Communist Party's drive to power since its founding in 1921 and the second part of Chinese Civil War (1946–1949). In the official media, this period is known as the War of Liberation.On the eve of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, theKuomintang or Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), and theCommunist Party of China(CPC) joined in a United Frontagainst Japan. After the entrance of the United States into the war after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the two sides maintained the formal alliance, but fought each other on several occasions. In 1945, Stalin's troops invaded from Soviet Outer Manchuria as part of its declaration of war against Japan. After the Japanese surrender in August, the Americans attempted to broker a coalition government in China, but an all-out war between these two forces soon resumed.

Research on US Immigration Policy

I don't know much on the US Immigration Policy, but I do know that it has become even more difficult for people to come in this country legally and in a timely manner. Most of the paperwork that it takes to come in legally has become very expensive,unaffordable for people, and difficult because in many cases you need to have a legit reason for coming into the country. In which case people would rather cross illegally into the country. Paying a coyote may be expensive as well, but the process most of the time is much quicker and you don't really need a legit and authorized reason to come in.

The US Immigration policy is very complex and difficult to understand. According to the INA (Immigrant and Naturalization Act) only a limit of 675,000 permanent residents can be allowed with exceptions to close family members. Immigration is based on the following principles: reunification of families, admitting those valuable to the US economy, protecting refugees, and promoting diversity. (This part I find ironic because certain acts and laws being passed in certain states don't seem to apply well to this because many Americans seem intimidated by diversity and it almost seems as if the US wants to push that away rather than accept it).

 Family-Based Immigration allows US Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents to bring certain family members into the United States. There are 480,000 family visas available each year. Family members must be either immediate or fit under the category of the family preference system. There is no limit on the number of visas given out for immediate members. Some immediate family members would include spouses, unmarried minor children of US Citizens, and parents of US Citizens. For family members under the Family Preference system the limit of visas must not be below 23,400 by law.

I can personally relate to this because me and my husband are currently in this process. I am petitioning for him to receive legal permanent resident status and citizenship. This process is difficult on so many levels, the only relief I feel is that he is here on a work permit and that he is considered an immediate family member. But as a student you can just imagine how difficult it must be to afford this. My husband is the only one that works while I go to school. We struggled to get him on a work permit and differed action ($465 dollars) so imagine how much more difficult it is going to be for us to afford this process. Currently to petition for him it is $420 then the visa process is a little over $500 and the waiver is another $300-$400 dollars and if you get a lawyer then it is roughly another $4000 dollars.

This nice thing now about this process is that family members can now apply for the waiver inside the United States, but you still have to leave the country and wait for a court date and this can take anywhere from one month to years depending on your case (This is what I am afraid of because I don't think I can sustain myself here alone without my husband). The waiver is basically a pardon you ask for for coming into the country illegally and all you can do is hope that they grant you that pardon. If they don't you are basically kicked out of the country for 10 years. In my case my husband was brought here as a minor so you would think that this wouldn't apply to him because a minor can't really consent to crossing the border, but what most people don't know is that once that child turns 18 from that point and on they begin to accumulate unlawful presence. When it becomes really difficult is when you have more than one year of unlawful presence anything before that eases the process and the 10 year punishment. My husband is going to be 23 so technically he has accrued 5 years of unlawful presence.

Now you may ask, but why didn't he just go back to his country when he turned 18? Well, it is not that easy. First of all you need money to travel back and we can barely afford ourselves traveling back would be a burden on us financially. When you are raised most of your life in one country, speak the language, graduate, and make a life here this country suddenly becomes your home and any family members that you may have in your native country may not know you and vice versa. Like the book Crossing the Wire, you get lost because your native country is strange and new. You were never raised there and life is different than what it was in the United States. Just imagine being sent back to a country your ancestors are from, but that you never visited or lived for a sufficient amount of time. Like Britain, Ireland, Asia, Africa etc.? I was born in Lynwood, California and my whole family is Mexican, but the last time I went to Mexico I was 10 years old if I remember correctly. Even if my family has tried to keep our Mexican culture alive after so many years of having been over there I guess you could argue that I would do just fine in Mexico and maybe I would, but my life is here. I was born here, this US culture is part of my life, I am used to living here, so if I were sent back to Mexico I would have a difficult time adjusting. Not so much on the culture aspect of it, but on the currency, perhaps a bit on the language, the school system and so much more because I was never raised there. Nevertheless, the US Immigration policy is a complicated process and I am praying that we can make the process easier and much smoother in the nearer future.

Review of crossing the wire

When I first knew we were going to read this book I couldn't wait because I knew it was something that I could relate to. Perhaps not personally because I was born in Los Angeles, California but my parents, husband, in-laws all went through something similar to this. A lot of the stuff I read about in this book I was already familiar with like the journey, the desert, and the struggle. What I didn't know was exactly how bad the corn business was over in Mexico. It was sad to hear how Mexico's corn was worth basically nothing because Mexico was instead buying Corn from the States because it was cheaper and how the maquiladoras were closing to move to China because people work for less. Its not understandable how countries are doing international business and moving their business across seas while leaving people without jobs in their own country. I feel very strongly about this topic because I am Mexican and I very well could have been born into this situation because I am part if the first generation of my family to have been in the States. I feel that sometimes people take this topic the wrong way they see as a 'what's mine and what's yours' for example sayings such as "go back to your own country", " you are not American", " We are in America speak English" or my absolute favorite " they are taking away our jobs." None of these make sense to me because the States was built on immigrants if any one has the right to say something ig is the Native Americans who were already here before anyone else. Because if many of us has the privilege of living in the states it is because our ancestors migrated here seeking opportunities and a better life so why what the Mexicans doing any different. I know that if the States was a poor country with no jobs or ways to make money I would do anything to help my family out even crossing into countries illegaly. Not everyone can get a visa either because there is no money or chances of getting approved are slim. Also, one us taking away jobs if anything they are jobs that most people don't want. I know for sure I am not cut out to work in factories or the fields.
In the book I also noticed how a young man basically raised in the United States was deported to Mexico, but being there he was completely lost. He hardly spoke Spanish and didn't know anyone or currency system. Just imagine you don't have documentation (even if generations of your family has been here, think about where your ancestors are from) now what if you were sent back to that country that you have never been to, how would you feel? I don't think we should be seperating families or making it hard for people who just want to work and survive to come here, the people we should be focusing on are smugglers etc. Isn't the States the Land of Opportunity, isn't that what it is known as, so why now all of a sudden we want to take that away from others. If thanks to our ancestors we are here. If other groups of people had that privilege to come here why shouldn't another group be able to benefit from that as well.

Review of SOLD

This was probably one of the most saddest stories I have read in a very long time. The moment I started reading this book I was surprised at so many things. Not only were the living conditions in which Lakshmi lived surprising, but the family structure and roles. The stepfather was a no good, lazy, not worth anything, drunk, gambling kind of guy who didn't care about anyone, but himself. The mother on the other hand not only supported her family and took care of them, but she would basically bow and kneel at the feet of her husband and yet he was ungrateful dumb-ass (for lack of a better word). I still couldn't understand how the mother would tell her daughter Lakshmi that having a man in the house despite his behavior is better than no man at all.

There was a point in the story that I felt like slapping the stepfather when he talked about the difference between a son and a daughter. He basically compared a girl to a goat saying that basically all they were good for was for providing and nothing else. This idea was also confirmed by the mother when she said that a son is breastfed for four years while a daughter is only breastfed for a season in hopes of trying to conceive a boy. With this you can see that women aren't valued as much as men and there is a gender inequity.

As I continued reading the book I highlighted so many things because Lakshmi was so good at describing her surroundings and feelings once she was sold by her stepfather and brought into this human trafficking business under deception. I was literally able to feel what she was feeling and put myself in her shoes. All I remember thinking is that I wanted her to escape and be freed as soon as possible. I wanted police or some sort of help to come to stop that lowlife of Mumtaz. How could a woman do this to another girl or woman? I just didn't understand.  Of course Lakshmi made friends with some of the girls there which made it a bit easier to bear this cruelty, but as they started to disappear you can see how Lakshmi was starting to feel even more and more alone.

It was also disappointing to hear that Monica--one of the girls at the Happiness House who had returned home-- was rejected by her family. She thought that after helping them so much with medicine and surgeries etc. that they would be grateful and take her back, but instead they begged her not to because she would shame their family and her father beat her with a cane. And to top it all of they told her daughter that she was dead. That right there was heartless and cruel especially when the family are the ones that sell these children in the first place. I wish I could strangle them all, it makes me so angry that there are people out in this world doing these things to other people. There are no words to describe this sort of act. 

I saw how after everything she experienced trust became an issue for her. When the American men came and asked her questions and would leave and pay just to talk, she was wondering whether to believe them or not since she already did that once and this is where it led her to. Eventually, she believed and waited for their return. Once the American men came back she was saved and hopefully taken to a much better place.

The only two things that I probably enjoyed in the book were her rescue at the end of the book and her relationship with her pet goat at the beginning of the book. Those were the only times where I felt she was truly happy.

Human Trafficking in Nepal and India

The Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) compiled by the US State Department rates Nepal as Tier 2, the explanation of which is that the government does not meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Human trafficking is basically exploitation of people in multiple ways. Either for sexual purposes or forced labor through the use of abduction or deception.

Nepali victims are trafficked within Nepal, to India, the Middle East, and other areas such as Malaysia and forced to become prostitutes, domestic servants, beggars, factory workers, mine workers, circus performers, child soldiers, and others. With as many as 5,000-10,000 women and girls trafficked to India alone each year.

 Mainly young girls and women are trafficked for sexual exploitation in places such as cabin/dance restaurants, other places within tourism sector, or massage parlors. Some women at these places entered to do sex-work voluntarily and some began that way but were forced to stay.

An estimated 100,000-200,000 Nepali trafficked persons are in India so it is one of the busiest routes of human trafficking. Nepali girls are especially desirable as prostitutes in India because they are considered more attractive due to their lighter skin color, and because Nepali virgins are believed to be able to cure AIDS. The border is pretty wide making it easy for this to happen and both Nepali and Indians can come and go as they please because of the peace treaty. Experts believe China is also becoming an emerging hub for Nepali victims.

After finding out all this research on human trafficking I am appalled. I can't believe how this is happening right this moment and in this century. What is even more shocking is that this is happening right here in the United States and many other developed countries. Being a female myself I can't imagine what it would be like to be born into that or to be in that kind of situation. I would probably feel hopeless, frustrated, and screaming at the top of my lungs preferring to die than to live. I know that drug cartels and human trafficking is sometimes the only source some people have to survive and being human we are probably willing to do anything in order to make that happen, but what confuses me and I can't wrap my head around is how can someone do something like this to someone else. If we put aside all circumstances we are still all human so how can you not feel compassion towards someone else on a human level. To do something like this is to have a cold heart and it's not being human, but a monster.

Please let's all work together to make this stop. It may not be something we want to hear, but we have to hear it and do something about it. 

Research on Nepal

 The People
I would like to start off with a few interesting facts about Nepal. Nepal has it's own calendar and their new year is around the middle of April. They also consider cows to be sacred so you can not touch them or point a foot at them. Also, personal privacy is not common so to spend time alone is unheard of.
Language
Their official language is an Indo-Aryan tongue related to Hindi, almost 48 percent speak Nepali, but most prefer to speak in their native language. There are about 20 to 100 different languages spoken in Nepal. Some of  those include Maithili and Newar. English is also spoken in urban areas and considered the language of instruction and represents better education and status.
Religion 
 81 percent are Hindu, 11 percent Buddhists (Buddhism was abolished), 4 percent is Kirant, 4 percent is Muslim, and less then 1 percent are Christians.
Population
Nepal is comprised of Tibeto-burmese groups who migrated from the north or east. They are Gurung, Magar, Rai, Limbu, Thakali, and Sherpa, among others. Also, Newar and Tharu as well as Indians and Tibetans. Kathmandu has more than one million residents with half of the population lives in the Terai. Most like to live near water sources with some groups shifting from place to place to take advantage of varying climates. Others travel to India for jobs, supplies, and to trade. More than 800,000 Nepalese live abroad.

In Nepal there was a caste system that first was introduced by Hinduism and became law. The different castes are determined by religion and ethnicity. The first caste were the Khas people (Hindu religion and Indo-Aryan ethnicity). The next two castes were people of other ethnicities and religions. And the last caste were Hindus which are viewed as untouchable which was partly determined by occupation. In the 1900's it was abolished, but the upper caste dominate the political system.
General Attitudes 
Nepalese are very religious, family oriented, and modest any rebellion from tradition or caste are frowned upon. Incidents are fate or Karma. They believe that ghosts, evil spirits, witches, and a bad positions of the planets are bad luck and can cause disease, crop failures, and accidents so flowers and and food is offered to pacify the spirits and sometimes a rooster or male goat is sacrificed.
 Attire
 Men wear Western clothing and only on special occasions do they dress traditionally. Traditional clothing is comprised of daura surwal (tight, thin cotton pants and a flowing knee-length cotton tunic). Women wear a sari (long, colorful wraparound dress) and cholo (blouse). Most women wear gold jewelry; some wear nose rings. Married women of Tibetan background wear a bhaku (wraparound jumper) and a colorful apron. Unmarried women wear kurta surwal (colorful pants, tight from the calves down, with a matching knee-length tunic), also called punjabi. Married Hindu women wear a red tika (made from vermilion powder) on their foreheads and vermilion powder in the part of their hair to signify their husbands are alive. Widows do not wear the tika, powder, jewelry, or colorful clothing.

Customs and Courtesies 
Namaste is the most common greeting and parting gesture. A person places the palms together (fingers up) in front of the chest or chin and says Namaste or Namaskar for elders. Men then grasp (not shake) right hands and then clasp it in the left. You also don't Namaste a child unless they do it first. In urban areas you address people by their titles otherwise you address by using terms such as dai (older brother), didi (older sister), bhai (younger brother), and bahini (younger sister).

 It is rude to touch another person's head or shoulders. Men do not touch women in public. But, members of the same sex may publicly express friendship by walking arm in arm or holding hands. One never points the bottom of the foot at another person or uses it to move objects.Pointing with a finger is impolite. Only the right hand is used in gestures, eating, or handling objects.Nepalese do not whistle inside a home or at night, as it is thought to attract spirits. Winking at someone of the opposite sex is vulgar.When passing a temple, a stupa (Buddhist shrine), or a banyan tree, a person will walk around it (if necessary) to keep it on one's right.

Education
Primary school begins at age three. Students are roughly 16 years old when they enter grade 10. At the end of grade 10, students take an exam called the School Leaving Certification (SLC). Grades 11 and 12 are available and are considered upper-secondary levels. After grade 12, students can choose to continue their education or begin a career. Rural areas often do not have enough schools or teachers, and students may have to walk miles to school. Rural girls generally leave school before age 12 to care for younger siblings or to work on the family farm and marriage is considered more important. Education is free, but students must purchase their won books, supplies, and uniforms. English is the language of instruction, technology is rare, and teaching authoritative and instruction is largely memorization. Teachers also have the ability to use physical punishments.