Journal #15 To what extent is fairness a reality in Border Patrol State?

Ms Silko, 
you have provided an excellent and vivid argument as to why Border Patrol State is a questionable and largely redundant rule, as it subverts the American Ideology of the rights and freedom of citizens.

It is indeed true that the imposition of the Border Patrol State has somewhat robbed Americans off their freedom in travelling inter-state. By implementing such borders and areas of checkpoint, it creates a sense of resentment in citizens, as things are no longer the same as before. Gone are the days in which one can drive freely across the highway, without the need to bring along all necessary documents and experience the phobia of possibly being stopped and interrogated.

However, though I agree that the imposition of such borders has led to a reduction of freedom, it is still a necessary act in light of present day situation, whereby illegal immigrants is a prevailing issue. I feel that such rules are acceptable in order to ensure the safety of citizens. But the limit of acceptance is stretched, when the simple act of  “asking a question is tantamount to resistance”.  In addition to the reduced freedom in terms of travelling, are Americans also stripped off their right to speak? It is thus an extremely scary thought to even think of the possibility that a certain handful of Patrol officers may have become “addicted to interrogation, torture, and the murder that follow[s]”.

This brings to play the question of how fair they are in their judgment of possible suspects. If everyone is judged fairly without taking into account the politics of their skin color, I will follow suit with whatever rules the government may choose to implement. But if such acts of restrictions are targeted towards minorities, it is indeed an extremely vicious act. Just because illegal immigrants are naturally foreigners and “alien” in terms of skin color, it does not negate the fact that many Mexicans, Native Americans and Asians are now full-fledged citizens of United States.

It is thereby only with the eradication of “racism [being] a trump card to be played again and again”, that I will concede to the implementation of Border Patrol State. Till that day comes, I will never be in total agreement with the standards in which they choose to stop a car and interrogate its occupants.

Journal #14 What I will arm myself with

In light of all the confusion and destruction of war, it is extremely crucial for one to always retain their sense of rationality and ability to make wise judgment.

Seeing that the soldiers in Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’s unit are all pretty young and inexperienced in age, I will first and foremost arm myself with a good supply of easy-to- use weapon, like a rifle or knife. In order to ensure the survival of the platoon, I’ll bring along a good supply of it, so as to distribute it should anyone in my platoon be inadequately armed.

Secondly, I will bring along photos of my family and loved ones that will provide me with a sense of calamity that is integral in the midst of the chaos that comes along with war. The photos will serve as a good reminder for me to always be alert of my surroundings and watch out for enemies, as I will definitely want to come home alive and be reunited with my loved ones.

Thirdly, in light of the absence of morals in people as a result of prolonged exposure to war, I will definitely bring a Cross along with me, to remind me of my roots and the basic morals and behavior in which I should always abide to. In addition, the Cross will serve as a good assurance during my period at war, as it will ease my mind and provide me with a sense of affirmation that God is watching over me.

Lastly, before embarking on the Vietnam war, I will try my very best to leave behind all the negative feelings of sadness and instead focus on winning the war (impossible as it may seem). It is inevitable that the deaths of fellow platoon mates will scar me for life, but in the face of war, I have to force myself to toughen up and accept the fact that deaths are a natural outcome of battles. 

Bonus Blog #3 (complexity of double-consciousness)

Double consciousness is a state of being whereby a person’s identity is divided into multiple facets. This is often brought about by migration over to another country with a whole new culture and lifestyle, or as a result of one’s mixed blood. It leads to a complexity of identity as an individual feels that he or she does not solely belong to any one fixed culture.

The works of Sui Sui Far, Mary Antin and Onoto Watanna all present this state of double consciousness in a relatively negative light, albeit a different manner. Far and Antin both presents the difficulties in assimilating into another country’s way of life. In The Land Of The Free highlights Far’s presentation of the struggle Lae Choo faces between her double consciousness of being Chinese, yet having to assimilate into America’s culture and accepting the fact that everything in America follows standard protocol of paper documents and evidence. Her mindset is one in which a child should naturally follow and stay with their parents, as opposed to America’s law, whereby proper documentation is deemed more important as opposed to keeping a family together. She thus endures sleepless nights, as there is nothing she can do in order to bridge the different forms of behavior that is expected from her in her dual identity.

From The Promised Land by Antin illustrates the manner in which the father faces difficulty in assimilating into the American culture. Despite being in the land of freedom and armed with the mindset that one can achieve success so long as they set their hearts out to it, his Chinese background hinders him. Being brought up with little education, it is not easy for him to adapt to the English language and ways of life, and he thus “never learned to write correctly, and his pronunciation remains extremely foreign to this day” (496). However, as opposed to Far’s work whereby the story ends on a bleak note with regards to whether her long separated child will acknowledge her, Antin’s story offers greater hope, as the early education made available to the later generations will allow them to be better able to cope with the notion of their double consciousness.

A Half Caste by Watanna on the other hand differs in the manner in which Okikusan does not in the slightest bit seeks to assimilate into her two different identities. Instead, she detests her double consciousness, as it only serves to remind her of the bad memories of how her mum was abandoned by her white father.

This element of double consciousness can thus be seen as a difficult reality for one to comprehend with. 

Journal 13# The illusion of progression

The American Dream advocates freedom and equality. It is an ideal that highlights the possibility of individuals being free to choose their own path of life, and in the process, attain success and prosperity. 

On the surface level, “The School Days Of An Indian Girl” by Zitkala-Sa can be seen as an affirmation of the American Dream, whereby colonization provided her with education and the possibility of a better future. The story highlights the manner in which “three years [of] school in the East, [enabled the Native Americans to] become civilized” (436). Such a sentence hints at the element of progression, whereby one is supposed to be climbing up the ranks in terms of economic and moral prosperity. However, a deeper analysis of the story illustrates that this is in fact not the case.  

Despite Zitkala-Sa assimilating into the western culture in terms of her ideals of wanting to go to parties and being dressed in Western fashion of “tight muslin dresses, with ribbons at [the] neck and waist” (436), her life does not show much signs of improvement or freedom. Instead, the readers are greeted with the level of difficulties that she has to come to terms with, in trying to adapt to the white man’s world that she is being thrown into. With her English education, she feels torn between life on the reservation and that among the white people. No longer does she hold the same ideals that will allow her to seek understanding and comfort from her mum, as both their mindsets are now drastically different. In addition, despite her appearing to have “progressed”, it is clear that in terms of her moral, she feels greatly repressed as she finds herself struggling to make sense of her present day situation.

A school is the body of entity that is supposed to be the path that allows one to attain liberation. However, in the description of the school, the readers’ find the students being confronted with the monotonous dull of the school life, whereby people function like robots, answering to the different bells.

This thus highlights how contrary to the colonizers’ belief, their actions may not necessarily be beneficial to the Native Americans. Instead of experiencing a sense of independence, the Native Americans are instead repressed and unable to find a place where they truly belong. It is thereby ironic that the American Dream seems much more attainable at the reservation.  

Bonus Blog #2

 

All along, my mindset towards imperialism has always been negative. I regard it as a brutal act, whereby subjugation is inevitable in the midst of a particular country seeking to impose its own culture, economics and way of life upon another.

But what surprises me the most, is the manner in which most colonist are deluded by the mindset that they are in fact doing the natives a “favor” by trying to “improve their lifestyle and help the people”. They paint a positive picture, of them aiding in the country’s economics and governance, when the real bare fact, is that they are trying to rip off and attain the country’s economic prosperity for their own benefit. In the case of the Americans, it is clear that their aim is to obtain the sugar cane present in Hawaii, so as to boost their economy and  supply of sugar without having to deal with trade and the need to pay tariffs. They were not acting with the native Hawaiians’ interest at heart. If it were the case, they would have known for a fact that the people were happy and did not in the slightest bit seek to have their monarchy overthrown and their Queen imprisoned. Also, if their act of imperialism is really for the greater good, why is there a need to have the Queen suppressed and confined?

This thus goes to show that regardless of which country, state or place is being colonized; colonizers will always seek to find a way to justify their wrong actions. They will present their misdeeds as a form of generosity and kindness; a gesture that they need not have to trouble themselves with, but the “goodness” of their heart makes it impossible for them to turn a blind eye towards the situation. The entire act of imperialism, whereby a country believes in their own superiority towards another, is basically just appalling to me. 

Journal 12# The sentence that strikes me

"While I had been no more than an interested observer, quietly awaiting the course of justice, and conscious of the strength derived from truth and right on my side, their commissioners, with such influences as their indomitable assurance could command, had been working very had to get the present rule in Hawaii out of its political and financial difficulties, by passing over to the United States a country whose hospitality they have betrayed, a land which they do not and never can own."


This sentence aptly highlights the unbreakable connection between a land and the people that resides in it. A stranger can never truly possess a land without having any of their own history or connection with it, and even in its acquisition, its a meaningless act, with no memories, as the land will always be a step away from real ownership. It is the people that that makes a land rich; their history and culture. Without it, a land is bare.