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Fieldwork: The Most Distant Places + Dead Mums don't cry

Fieldwork: The Most Distant Places

Why do you think it is important to include traditional medical practices in delivering health care to these rural areas of Ecuador?

It is important because the people in this area of Ecuador are not exposed to health care facilities as if you were living in a city. They are able to identify and treat smaller illnesses that may arise in the area and build off those illnesses. It allows for a sense of security and community. They are able to have a doctor or someone who is capable to help in a time of sickness,

Is health simply the absence of disease? What do you think of the Andean definition of health?

Health is not the only absence of disease because a person can have no illnesses and live a simple life but when they are faced with mental struggles things take a turn. For example, depression inhibits a person from eating, sleeping, and even having social interactions. This all has a stain on the body even if the person does not have a disease. Their definition connects their environment to the body which is good because that is what health really means.

Some traditional practices, such as "guinea pig diagnosis" may seem far fetched. How does the Western-trained doctor respond to these practices? What do you think she could learn from the traditional healer?

I think that the western doctor respects their practices and does not overstep boundaries but does check on the patients as well to share opinions. They come together and discuss their findings of the patient and probably come up with an agreement on the next steps towards treatment. The traditional healer can teach the western doctor about certain herbs that can help patients and have helped patients

Fieldwork: Dead Mums don't cry

What might be some of the reasons the UN is making such slow progress toward its millennium goal of lowering maternal mortality?

I think that many countries in the world face this exact same problem and some may get overlooked if the issue is not pressed enough. The doctor in Honduras pressed and advocated with people to get his voice heard with the community backing him up. In the doctor in Chad’s case, her voice is not being heard in the millions of others. The UN is probably focusing on the maybe larger and louder countries than the smaller quieter countries.

Chad is one of the poorest countries in Africa. Likewise, Honduras is one of the poorest in Latin America. Why do you think Honduras might be doing a better job at keeping mothers safe during childbirth than Chad?

The tools alone are enough to save the baby and mother’s life when giving birth, while Chad does not have access to these materials. Chad does not have the funds they need to provide clinics and institutions that can provide a safe environment for birth-giving.

The doctor from Chad felt "envy" at the resources available to the doctors in Honduras. How did that clinic differ from your own local clinic or hospital? What might account for the differences between your health care options and those of Honduras or even Chad?

The clinic seemed to have a system in which they record the women’s vitals during delivery and are able to revive a dying baby with a “cheap” tool. Being able to have things accessible, available, and ready at any given time is what is lacking in Chad. Healthcare in the USA is expensive and it is not even the best in the world. However, doctors and health professionals are giving funding and access to all the things available. Whereas those in Chad and Honduras have to fight for the protection of mothers giving birth.

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Fieldwork: Making the State Real

Food: In my daily life I do not see the way that the state regulates and shapes the food that I eat at a surface level. Also, I mostly eat at home and rarely order in or go out to dinner. The way the state regulates the restaurant and employees is now that there is a pandemic thing are contactless. All the employees wear a mask in and outside of the restaurant when serving outdoor seaters.

People: The employees that I encounter are always usually in uniform unless I go inside of a clothing store and they all have masks on. There are more employees than I am expecting most of the time because they are trying to limit the number of people indoors.

Transportation: When taking public transportation there is always a fee whether it be the bus, lightrail, or uber. There are always signs and announcements about wearing a mask to not only help yourself but the others around you.

School: Being that there is a pandemic many schools have chosen to do remote learning, meaning online school.

Environment/ Infrastructure/ Public Agencies: at a surface, these things in my community are regular and do not offer anything that is not expected or the minimum of what they can offer.

Social Life: Due to social distancing I cannot meet with friends very often or in their homes or my own house. Other than that my social life is fine because I am over the age of 18 and can do the things that matter like have a license and being able to drive alone.

Media/ Absence: at a surface, these things in my community are regular and do not offer anything that is not expected or the minimum of what they can offer.

In my daily life, I stay at home so that is why I decided to do the assignment this way. I generally wake up and attend classes and do homework for most days.

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Fieldwork: Laid to Waste + Red Hat, Where Are You Going?

Fieldwork: Laid to Waste

What does "environmental racism" mean? Why do facilities that handle hazardous waste end up in poor, often predominantly nonwhite, communities?

Environmental racism is injustice, and inequality toward a community's environment and a disregard for the effect it has towards its people. Because in the video the woman said many of the people there cannot get up and move to another place or the people there cannot fight. Or the companies have this notion that the people will not get up and fight the waste plants.

How have the people of Chester responded to this crisis? What would you do in their position?

The people of Chester come together to organize groups of people to fight the stop of waste plants in their community. They go to people in higher positions to help solve the situation of these harmful plants opening up their communities. There is not much more to do compared to what they are already doing because they are even willing to take physical force with these plants. Due to the fact that they are at their breaking point toward the situation.

Who has power, or "agency," in this situation? The state? The corporations behind the waste disposal facilities? The community residents? What is the source of that power?

The source of power is not with the people, or the state, the power is in the facilities behind the waste facilities and who allows it to happen. The state may want to or be able to deny the access to those who want to build these plants but in a low class community people can be put down. Money and power can cause people to do things that do not affect them directly.

Fieldwork: Red Hat, Where Are You Going?

The chieftaincy survived the hegemony of French colonialism, but seems subordinate to the new democratic government. Do the chiefs still have power? How do they use it?

They still have power over the people that they protect and “manage” that are a part of the village. They do meet with the state officials and discuss things even though they view certain situations differently they are able to converse. The village is able to share their thoughts and concerns with the state.

From local citizens to chiefs to government officials, how many levels of power do you notice in this short clip? Who has agency in this dynamic, and how effectively can they wield it? Do you notice a particular pattern regarding gender and power?

There seem to be five levels of power which are the King. Superior chiefs, Moogho, Naaba, and warrior princes. The agency seems to be held by the king and the superior chiefs and they hold it strongly. Many people respect the chain of kingdom and the people that get put into those positions. Yes there are no women in power but the women are doing household duties. Oftentimes the women are subject to be at the will of the men in their villages. If a woman wants to divorce they will not allow it because it will condemn her to suffering.

According to the village chief, Naaba Sigri, why do chiefs still exist at all under the new democratic system?

They exist to maintain their culture and not die out because they cannot stand against the new government. In order to keep their villages in tack and continue down this path they need to continue this way of life. And continue the chain of new people being put into those positions.

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Fieldwork: Who are Today’s Migrants?

Name: Marie

Age: 68

Migrated from: Haiti

Migrated to: United States

My grandmother was the first to come to the United States amongst her six other siblings. She migrated to the United States in search of a better life to build her family. Some push factors were just her family’s life and wanting to be able to bring money home to her family while also bettering her life. Since she is the oldest amongst her siblings it is “expected” that she works hard for her family. Two of the barriers that she faced was the fact that she was not well versed in the English language and somewhat struggled to find her footing for the next couple of year. The second is the fact that she was the first of a few people she knew that migrated from her home country. Once she was able to find her way in this new country she strived for success and after giving birth to her first daughter (my mother), she worked even harder. She became a nurse at a hospital and faced many challenges being that many felt she was not qualified enough to take care of them. People knew she was an immigrant because until this day she has an accent the proves she was not born in the US. Although it is not as heavy as it was when she first came it is still there. I have experienced this with her when we were ordering food and the worker acted like they did not understand what she was saying. She was clearly saying coffee and they tried to confuse her by saying other things until my sister and I stepped in. She was agitated, to say the least, but she says that is what she would experience a lot when she started making her way in a foreign country.

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Fieldwork: Dance Monkey + Brother Towns

Fieldwork: Monkey Dance

Linda was prepared to hate her trip to Cambodia. What were some of the challenges Linda faced in her travels to her "home" country? How does her perspective change?

The problems she faced were first when she was welcomed by her family she did not know anyone that knew her. They all said things like her name and how big she got but she did not really recognize anyone. Second, when she visited the village she said she could not get used to the mopeds, and the naked children running around. Also, she said she could not stay in the village because she needed to be able to wake up and take a shower. Toward the end of her stay, she stays in the village and even gets to know some of the kids in the dance studio.

Her father has trained Linda in traditional Cambodian dance since she was 3 years old. How does this skill help her orientation to Cambodia? What role does "tradition" play in maintaining cultural identity for second-generation immigrants?

The connection between her and Cambodian culture is stronger because she is able to connect with other kids her age and make new relationships. Maintaining tradition is good because when you do go back to your home country you are not completely out of the loop with how they do things and can adapt to the change.

Linda described the youth her age in Cambodia as "exactly the same" as the youth back in Lowell, Massachusetts. How is that possible?

They are the same in the way they act, meaning that they probably tell jokes and goof around just like the kids in America. They are completely different, but what may be different is the humor of the jokes that they tell.

Do you see any examples of transnationalism in Linda's experience? By the end of her trip, do you think Linda identifies as "American" or "Cambodian" or something in-between?

Yes, the fact that not only does she know the traditional dances but participants in the performance amongst other dancers. I think in the beginning she identified as somewhere in between Cambodia and American because she had never experienced Cambodian culture. However, at the end of her trip, she may identify as Cambodian when she goes home. Being that she says she enjoys the way they are together throughout the day and thinks her parents would enjoy living there.

Fieldwork: Brother Townes

Migrants from Jacaltenango must leave behind their families and make a treacherous and often life-threatening journey north through Mexico and across the border to reach the United States. What motivates this risky decision? What would you do in their situation?

The things that motivate migrants to make a risky and long journey to reach the United States is the lack of work and poverty. If I were in this situation I would take the risk because either you can die trying or die not trying at all. And all the things that can come after you complete the journey outway the risks faces. Being able to provide a better life for yourself, your family, and others back home.

What kinds of jobs do the new migrants to Jupiter, Florida, find once they arrive? How do you think that impacts the local economy in Jupiter? And what about the longer-term effects in Jacaltenango?

They often have day jobs or jobs that are gardening and working for other people through labor. All the people in the video say that without the immigrants their economy would collapse because they do that back-breaking labor. They do the jobs that no one wants to do.

The local government of Jupiter, Florida, seems to welcome the migrants from Guatemala. What is the responsibility of local government in meeting the needs of new, often undocumented immigrants? What is our responsibility as a community and as individuals?

The responsibility of the federal government is to figure out what to do with these immigrants that are undocumented. As a point in the video, they are not paying taxes for a country where everyone has to pay taxes. As a community most would welcome the new immigrants because they empathize with them and know they are here to better their lives.

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Fieldwork: The Biology of a chocolate bar

What are the ingredients? (perhaps start with cocoa, the primary ingredient)

sugar, cocoa butter, crisped cereals (15%) (rice flour, sugar, fat-reduced cocoa, salt), cocoa mass, whole MILK powder, skimmed MILK'' powder, WHEY powder, BUTTERFAT, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), natural vanilla flavor.

Where do the ingredients come from?

Sugar: Central America

Cocoa: Ivory Coast

Crisp cereal: USA

Milk powder: USA

Whey powder: China

How are the ingredients produced?

The ingredients are produced mostly on farms whereas the milk powder is just dehydrated milk.

What are the working conditions of the people who produce the cocoa?

The working conditions in the Ivory coast are what seems to be in both the interest of the employer and employee. Obviously they will be unethical companies that do not follow the laws made by Côte d'Ivoire. For example they have child labor laws which porhbit a child under the age of 16 to work and if the work is hazarodus the child has to be 18

How do the producers get the cocoa to the market?

They work and curate the cocoa in a factory and ship and sell the cocoa to larger companies like Nestle.

How are the prices set?

The price according to the world market price is 2,134 dollars per metric ton

Which international corporations dominate the chocolate trade?

The international companies the dominate the chocolate trade are <ars, Mondeles, Nestle, Ferrero Group and Hershey’s 8

Who regulates the trade?

The FDA regulates the trade of chocolate which is the Food and Drug Administration

How is chocolate marketed?

By using digital scales and then showing what the price computing scales read on the actual package label, some companies like to show their customers that their chocolate has the most weight. And marketing towards the ages five to ten.

Where did you buy your chocolate bar?

Walgreens

How much profit does a store owner make on one chocolate bar?

The profit that a storowner receives is about 55 to 75%

Are there hidden costs that are not included in the price you paid? (Consider underpayment of labor; environmental impact; government subsidies that are direct [to the company] and indirect [infrastructure such as roads, ports, bridges, and water systems]; and the healthcare costs created by the harvesting, transporting, processing, and eating of this food.)

Child labor and slavery

Rainforest deforestation

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Fieldwork: Birdsong anf Coffee

Fieldwork: Birdsong and Coffee

How does the global coffee market link producers and consumers?

The way that the global coffee market links producers and consumers through a commodity chain. Which is the process used by firms to gather resources, transform them into goods or commodities, and distribute them to consumers. Generally, the producers are paid less than what the consumers will pay for them.

How much do you spend on coffee per day? Per week? Per month? How much of that do you think is going back to the producers of that coffee?

I make my own coffee per day. Using the large container of Folgers coffee which was about twelve dollars. However, if I take you to a Starbucks and get coffee I generally pay about seven dollars per cup. I do not think a lot of the money going into the producers according to the film clip. Just knowing that they are paid only 40 cents for a pound a coffee while the large corporations are getting 60 dollars for that same pound of coffee.

At the height of the crisis in the 1990s, producers earned 40 cents for the same pound of coffee that sold for 60 dollars in coffee shops in the United States. Do you think that is fair? What role does "fairness" play in the global economy?

That is not fair because it is morally wrong to make people go through all this physical labor just to get paid less than a dollar. One of the men in the video said that the companies will take the cheapest methods necessary to lessen the production cost. The less they take to make the more they can profit off the product. Fairness is not usually taken into consideration when it comes to greedy companies and a third world country that may be desperate for work.

Four global companies control nearly half of the world's coffee market. How does that affect prices on the global market? How does it affect small farmers in coffee-producing regions?

The many other companies that are not as popular as the top four brands are putting their workers at risk. Because if there are not enough people buying the product it means the loss of jobs and other producers who help bring some of that product in. It may in fact be cute in checks for the workers who are already making less than a dollar.

Fieldwork: China Blue

Do you know where the clothes you are wearing were made? Check the tags and imagine how far each item had to travel to arrive at your local store.

I do not know exactly where many of my clothes come from but I know they are probably from China. I checked the tag on my sweater that is from Old Navy and the tag says it is made in China. The piece of clothing probably took someone a long time to make and is not getting paid for the labor they put in. it then comes from the sweatshop to a factory that boxes and ships the products.

The global economy makes enforcing universal labor practices difficult, if not impossible. Do you think this model is sustainable? What might help make fair labor practices possible? What can you do?

The model for a safe working environment is sustainable for a company that is willing to put in the effort of making sure their workers are safe. Many companies do not care how the clothes or products get made just as long as they get made. Laws need to be reevaluated because the law in China where they can not go on strike make it hard for workers to make a change. During the industrial revolution strikes and the forming of unions paved the way to fair labor practice in America. I am not sure what way I can help because my inisal tight was to stop bullion from these unethical brands. However, that would leave all the workers out of work, and although it is not right it is providing a job for people.

Do you notice a contrast between the perception of labor practices by outsiders, and the experience of the workers themselves? How is the nation-state involved in this disconnect?

The outsider perceived that the workers would enjoy their job because they are able to go home after work and eat in their homes for lunch. However, they live so close so they can work more often and for longer hours because there is hardly a commute to get to work. The workers are told to lie to media outlets and those who come to inspect the work and conditions that they are in. They put an act so the factory does not get shut down and they are still offered their jobs. They are disconnected because media outlets are restricted from entering the factories and interviewing workers. The only people that are exposed to the lifestyle are the workers and the country that allows these unfair actions to happen. They limit what they can and say and do, the companies also have leverage on their workers because where else will they go to work.

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Fieldwork: How Does the New Media Cover Social Class and Inequality

Illustrates Marx’s Theory of Social Class

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/25/karl-marx-relevant-21st-century

This story shows how after the Second World War which only added the fire under exploitation and oppression. Capitalism thrived as the gap between workers and owners began to grow.  The work that was needed to supply the military in the war created not only jobs but an opening for exploitation. Those who need jobs were now given a chance to change their lives however many of the opportunities were physically draining and not well paid. Until the working class came together to put a stop to the unfair pay and unfit conditions to work.

Illustrates Weber’s Theory of Social Class

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/science/social-class-confidence.html

This story talk about how the High Class can get away with ignorance just because of their wealth. The higher class is given advantages that the lower class could not even think about receiving. Through experiments, they were able to define social class. The frost experiment was conducted with 150,00 small business owners in Mexico applying for a loan. Those they were of upper class assumed they did better. The next experiment was about student association through their parent’s income. They were interviewed and videotaped than the video was shown to strangers. The strangers then guessed their social class via the video.

Illustrates Bourdieu’s Theory of Social Class

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/06/arts/the-intellectual-class-struggle.html

Of course, most individuals have no resources of any sort at their hands, except for the richest and best educated. And, Mr. Bourdieu says, the majority stand no chance of having any. Mr. Bourdieu's is in many respects a dark vision featuring endless class strife, increasingly futile power and prestige struggles, and a world divided between the powerful and the dominated. To explain habitus he uses a basketball analogy, the ability of a basketball player to sink a shot during a high-pressure game is not only a function of natural physical ability but also of habitus: the number of hours he has practiced, the help of his coach, his psychological expectation of success.

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Fieldwork: Homeless in Paradise

How visible is homelessness in your community? How has your community responded?

In my general neighborhood, the visible homelessness is not as visible to a five-minute drive away. Being that farther into the city is closer to the train station and where I see most homeless people in my city. I live closer to a different city that is known as the cleaner part so that could be a factor in why I do not see homeless people every day.

Aside from homelessness, how visible is poverty in your community?

Poverty is very visible in a way that many conner stores use EBT cards and the community has adapted to the community around it. Even after school centers and daycares have taken EBT cards as a form of payment.

What are some ways societies "criminalize poverty"? What effect do you think these measures have on the underlying causes of poverty?

The way that they criminalize poverty is by placing a threshold on the time a person can be at a place. Things like loitering regulation in parks make it hard for homeless people to find a safe place to sleep instead of sleeping directly on the streets. This pushing people to sleep in unsafe conditions that could lead to other health problems that they cannot get treatment for.

How would you approach the problem of homelessness? Do you see it as a pathology or a structural economic problem?

I would not know how to approach the problem of homelessness because it is such a bigger issue than is portrayed. Many homeless people who take refugee in homeless shelters are almost still in danger as sleeping on the streets. They often time cannot get comfortable because they are constantly new people coming in. Also some are turned away for shelter due to the limited resources they can provide to the people they take care of. Like in the video some people get comfortable with the idea of homelessness and do not want to go back to a “normal” life. They have no responsibilities to worry about and are free to go where they please when they please. I see it as both as pathological and a structual economic problem. The govement is not doing enough to advocate for the homeless comnnunity. And issuing tickets to homeless people is not going to get them in homes any faster.

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Fieldwork: How are We Related to One Another

My family shows the small family that I have outside of cousins that I cannot count and do not even know where they come from. This family tree is the “calm” or recognizable side of my family because as it goes farther down it only gets more complicated. No one has been cultivating the tree or pruning the tree. And one has records of the family beside picture that can date back to my Great Grandparents.

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Fieldwork: Marriages in Heaven + A Wife among Wives

Marriages in Heaven

How is the Sikh wedding similar or different from weddings you have attended in your community?

They are vastly different from weddings I have previously attended. That is probably because I am accustomed to the traditional American wedding where the bride walks down the aisle, vows are credited and then they are wedded. In this case, culture and religious aspects are always very prominent in weddings like these. Similar to a traditional African wedding things are very different compared to just walking down the aisle.

How is the family, or kinship system, involved in the ceremony?

When the hymns are received the wedded pair round the holy book four times and the bride is passed to different members of the family as they walk. This is the way that the union is represented and deemed accepted by both sides of the family. Also at the end of the ceremony, the couple is blessed with gifts and garlands by the family.

What might be some benefits of an arranged marriage? How would you feel about having your spouse chosen by a matchmaker?

According to the Matchmaker, she says that it allows parents to feel comfortable with who they are sending their children off with. As if they have a history with the family and they are not strangers to each other. I would not want my match chosen by a matchmaker because I would much rather prefer a companionate marriage.

Fieldwork: A Wife among Wives

How does Naingiro answer the anthropologist when she was asked about jealousy and fighting among co-wives?

She says that the question asked is based on our society where women do not have as much work to do for themselves. In this society, a second wife is a must in order for the housework to get done every day. I think she is saying that women do not have time to feel jealous of one another because they do not have the time to be. The first wife also goes to look for the other wives needed to maintain the household.

We might assume that polygyny, or multiple wives, is initiated and maintained by men, but it seems Turkana women are often encouraging their husbands to take new wives. Why might that be so?

They encourage their husbands to marry other women because the men do not help maintain the household as the women do. They are not affected if the work in a day does not get done but that piles up on the wife and tomorrow will be effect by today. They need the extra help that the husbands do not apply. They ask because what else can they do?

How do Turkana women describe the benefits of polygyny?

The load of housework can be done efficiently and effectively considering there are more than two hands helping. They can now focus and perfect certain tasks like building their homes can be done more diligently. When they do not have to worry about many things besides the task of building a stable home big enough to sleep in.

Much of the discussion of having multiple wives centers around labor and productivity. How does this compare to your concept of "family" and kinship? What role does labor have in your family?

The role of a family in our society is one husband and one wife who are faithful to one another. They have children that will follow in the footsteps of how they were raised and how they raise their children. In my family both my parents work and provide money for the household. They both clean and cook equally. My parents basically split what needed to be done in half in order to get things done. Much like what the wives say about labor however it is monogamous.

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Fieldwork: Cartoon Commercials and the Construction of Gender

How many commercials were aimed at boys?

There were 4 commercials aimed at boys.

How many girls?

There were 8 commercials aimed at girls.

Were any commercials not gendered?

There were 8 commercials not gendered.

What techniques did the ads use to attract boys or girls?

The techniques used to target boys were

Tain

Power Rangers

Swords

The techniques used to target girls were

Glitter

Sparkles

“Cute toys”

Bright colors

Teddy bear

Makeup

In what ways do these commercials teach gendered behavior?

The way the commercials teach gendered behavior is that many of the girl commercials are about dolls, hair, and makeup. They were generally more vibrantly colored with pinks, purples, and light blues. The boy commercials have many cars and monsters. The main colors were red, green, and black.  This proves that girls are “supposed” to play with dolls and from a young age, start to think about how their hair looks and what they should wear. As for boys that are taught in the same way that they are “supposed” to like race cars and play with legos. A while ago I saw this commercial which was about dolls and there was a boy also involved in the commercial. He was playing with the dolls alongside the girls. These are the right strides to make towards breaking the stereotype of what boys and girls should play with.

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Fieldwork: Community + Three Sisters

Fieldwork: Community 

Women, regardless of race, ethnicity, or class, have historically experienced discrimination and inequality. Do you see evidence of this today in your own community? In my community many of the women are independent and most have jobs and do not depend entirely on their husbands to “bring home the bacon.” However in today’s society, there are many ways in which women are unequal to men, one being women are supposed to be the ones taking precautions to avoid pregnancy. Many of the men do not want to wear condoms because it is “uncomfortable” however women are expected to take birth control. Taking birth control has side effects like weight gain, nausea, headaches. Also, the fact that many men feel they have a say in what women do to their bodies when it does not affect them.

The film suggests that greater investment in women leads to greater benefits for families and communities. Why do you think this is so? In the film, they start by stating facts in ways that women contribute to society and how little they receive. Women are the backbone of society, yet we are given no respect and are seen as unequal. This village is only as strong as the women being that they cook, clean, take care of the children, etc. So if the women were to suddenly stop these things the village would be in chaos being that the men were not supposed to do anything besides providing the money. So as the women begin to evolve and create better and easier ways to do things will only better their communities or in this case their village.

Why do you think local men were so resistant to women's participation in the collective? How did women and the collective persuade men to support their participation? Men are so resistant to women’s participation as a collective because when women come together they are a force that cannot be easily shot down. Women in groups can now find others who feel and experience the same things that they have and begin to talk about ways to change things. They will continue to question why they have to act a certain way when other women act differently and do not get judges. In the village, the women continued to talk to their husbands about the group after they were beaten. The collective used incentives to lure the men into the idea of letting the women into their own groups. Which essentially benefits both groups.

Fieldwork: Three sisters

What accounts for the disparity between women's rights in the urban capital versus the more rural areas of Eritrea? In urban capital, it makes steady strides toward the equality of women in the workplace, owning land, and everyday life. And is a model for Africa in their dedication to women’s rights. However, in the more rural area, the laws are not strictly enforced making it harder for women to be educated about their rights. They still hold onto old traditions like child marriage and having children early, as female genital mutilation (FGM). They continue this practice even though both are illegal and can be faced with prison time. The women who live in these areas are often uneducated due to dropping out of school as soon as the sixth grade to live the lives their mothers did. 

The practice of female genital mutilation is considered abhorrent in much of the world and is in fact illegal even in Eritrea. Why would Laila be so conflicted about the procedure for her own daughter? The fact that the procedure is a prominent part of their tradition and in her eyes is seen as to lead her daughter into being a good woman. With some other research, I also discovered that many mothers decide this for their children because it controls a female's sexuality to better prepare a woman for marriage. The procedure is very dangerous and being that they are not operating in a hospital can cause many complications. It is also not done by doctors but elders who do the procedure with non-sterile instruments which can cause infections. Being that they all may not be able to see it can cause heavy bleeding and they could even cut the wrong things.

What are the implications for women's rights in Eritrea beyond this particular practice? What might bring about change?

They have meetings that can provide women in rural areas the education they need to better themselves and get the rights they deserve. This could encourage these women to want to live better lives for the next generations to come. Seeing other women work on their own terms coils also push other women to voice their opinions.

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Fieldwork: What is the Relationship of the Ethnicity of the Nation?

To give a brief summary of my background and ethnicity I am African American and Haitian but identify more as African American. My father is African American and my mother is Haitian on both sides.

How long has your family lived in this country?

Mother’s side: Have lived here since my Grandmother moved to American from Haiti. My Grandmother is both Haitian and Dominican, however, my mom was born an American citizen

Father’s side: Lived in American as far as his family can remember and was born an American citizen

Where did they come from?

Both my parents were born in the United States and have lived here their entire lives.

Do you have a Native American background? Has your family embraced American Nationalism?

As far as both my parents know they do not have any Native American backgrounds. No, they do not embrace it more than the next person because American Nationalism means the somewhat support of a racist country.

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With my findings, I was able to find out that my Great Grandfather was Dominican that making my one-fourth Dominican. This is basically nothing but interesting to know considering there is strong discrimination towards Haiti from Dominican people. 

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Fieldwork: From Opium to Chrysanthemums

The Vietnam War was a troubling time for ethnic groups like the Hmong who were caught in the middle of a geopolitical conflict. How did the United States respond to the presence of Hmong in neighboring Laos? How does Laos respond to them thirty years later? Do the Hmong themselves have any agency in these relationships?

The United States responded to the Hmong in the easiest way possible which was to get the Hmong people on their side. The more people they had the better to fight in the war. The Hmong had already been seen as a separate group from Laos, who never accepted them into their village as people. So the United States used this to their advantage and spread propaganda making the Hmong people side with them. Laos still does not accept the Hmong and essentially send them to their deaths according to the video. The place they are sent to lacks water supply and the land is hard to work making it hard to make a living and support their families. No, they do not have agency, because they never have had their own way of wanting to live. Being in a place that did not accept them and one that only wanted to exploit them.

The Hmong are an ethnic group with no clear national loyalties. What might be the strategic benefits of that position, whether during war time or times of peace? What might be some of the disadvantages?

The Hmong people can weigh their options on who to help in what the opposing sides have to offer. In the case of the Vietnam War they sided with American and with that they were given rice from Japan. One disadvantage is that the things that they are being given will end at some point and stop being provided, just like the rice from Japan. In another case it could be the beginning of the end because once reinforcement of the side they fought for leaves they are left at the hand of the side they were against.

Why does the rice farmer and former soldier depicted in the selection worry that there will be no future for the Hmong? Do you agree with his pessimism? What might change that bleak perspective?

They were put onto land that does not provide the resources to survive or make a living. The lack of water is a prime example of the short future the Hmong people will have. Also the fact that the only way that they can work the land is during a rainy season and even though it is small they have no other choice but to use it. The death of their culture will come as well seeming that those that were able to flee will assimilate to that of the place they reside. I agree with this pessimism because the future does not look promising and considering the villagers are left to fend for themselves shows it. A way to break this bleak perspective is if they are given better resources or other ways of being able to sustain their lives and future generations. For one, water would be a good start to fix many of the problems they are dealing with.

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Scientific Racism

Also known as biological racism is the belief that there is evidence that exists to justify racism. The picture above shows how many Europeans justified their white superiority amongst African American people. By using phrenology, a pseudoscience which involves measuring the bumps on a person's head to predict their mental traits (Wikipedia). Allowed Europeans to come to the conclusion that by comparing skulls it created the ranking of races from least to most evolved.

Individual Racism

Is an individual's racist beliefs, and behavior that stem from conscious and unconscious, personal prejudice. In the image above I decided to use our current president Donald Trump as an example of individual racism. He consistently bans and criticizes cultures or people that do not conform to his beliefs of “MAGA.” Meaning “Make America Great Again” but when was it ever great for other races besides white people. So, to make America great again what America is he talking about?

Microaggression

Brief and commonplace verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities. The picture that is shown can be everyday verbiage that may not seem offensive to the speaker but extremely offensive to the person being spoken to. This can happen in everyday life as shown in the picture three doctors are holding up things that they have been asked. The black woman is holding a sign that asks if she can find a doctor meaning the person speaking assumes she is not a doctor because she is black. The Asian woman in the middle in the middle is asked if she speaks English just because she is Asian. Lastly, the man on the right is aked if there are doctors from American, assuming he was not born in America.

Institutional Racism

Defined as the systematic distribution of resources, power, and opportunity in our society to the benefit of people who are white and the exclusion of people of color. The picture depicts the many injustices that people of color face in the world based on skin color. For example, education is not easy to succeed if your family lives in a neighborhood that seems to have a staggering rate of high school graduates.

Racial Ideology

Allows discriminatory behaviors of individual and institutions to seem reasonable, rational, and normal. An example of this is Segregation which began in 1865 more specifically, Jim Crow segregation, in the 1880s. Allowing the stare of setting someone of a group of people apart from one another. In America laws like African Americans were not allowed to sit in front of the bus and could not be served at most restaurants that served white people.

Colonialism

Colonization was built on racism. The thought that colonizers would explore places that needed their “help” but they were already establishing a system that would put them on top. Feeling as though it is their job to show them the European or American way of life which was seen as civilized and the right way to live.

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Fieldwork: Multiracial Identity

What do you check on census forms or other surveys of racial identity? Do you check more than one, or even "other"?

For my racial identity, I check off Black or African American when I fill out forms. No, I do not check more than one or other because I identify as and pass as an African American female.

If "race" is based on a false biological distinction, why does it still matter in U.S. society?

It matters because it is used to the advantage of white people and the government so they can have something to look down upon. If race was not a thing what would people separate as and be able to judge other people? If race went away there would be another way white people would oppress skin tones darker than their own whether the person is black or not. Just like in black communities today have colorism toward darker skin tones and “prefer” or idolize light or brown skins. Even to fellow black people, darker skin tones are seen to be ugly and people would also be called “monkeys” by other black people.

How does the rule of hypodescent, or "one-drop rule," complicate the movement to establish a category for multiracial identity in the United States?

The way that is complicates that movement is because the person who has this one drop would be considered “more” of the minority half of themselves. For example, if a child is Black and White the child would be considered black because they have “negro blood” or that have African ancestry. Meaning that this child is considered to be entirely black even though they are biracial.

Does the idea of a multiracial identity destabilize the ideology of race, or does it further emphasize the notion of "race" as a biological category?

Personally, I do not think that the idea of multiracial identity stabilizes the ideology of race but I feel as though it feeds into the notion of race as a biological category. Due to the fact that it further separates other people by giving them more categories. Which can coincide within the black community they have categories such as light skin, brown skin, and dark skin. However, I do feel like they have no race to identify where they have to pick one or the other. One in which they pass as or one in which that they favor. Which can further complicate my opinion on the situation because who is to say that they have to pick a race over the other when they’re both races.