Untitled

Reflection

The Dominican Republic and Haiti has benefited one another in the unhealthiest ways. For years, their rivalry has created many feuds and wars between the two. Haiti was depicted to be the poorest city with the most crime between the two countries. The Dominican Republic had garnished western acceptance due to being one of the popular vacation spots for European and American travelers during the Winter season. The Dominican Republic proudly discriminated against the Haitian people and often were the aggressors.

In this film, Christopher Hartley, a popular priest, has taken his investigation of Los Llanos’ controversial working arrangements. The Dominican Republic is known for being the biggest sugar exports for the US market. However, the price of Haitian worker’s was less valuable than a Dominican. The Dominican Republic is essentially ruled by the Vicini family, who holds ties and eyes in all areas of the DR. They have the power due to money and fame. The Vicini family owns many companies across the Dominican Republic. They are feared by many for their silent by deadly approaches to people and communities. The family has rarely been captured in public and even declined to be interviewed for this film. The Vicini family took advantage of the Haitian people’s desperation for livable wages and support. The Vicini family were examples of (Politics and Power). Haiti viewed the Dominican Republic to be a safe space for them to make an earnest living.

Once they cross over the border, the Haitian people are stripped from their previous identities and are subjected to terrible living conditions. The Vicini family essentially conducted an ethnic cleansing of their workers by removing their previous identities as Haitian people. Their migration to the Dominican Republic is an example of pushes and pulls. Haiti’s poverty and crime pushed their people to leave to find better work They were “pulled” by the incentives of receiving high wages once they start working. With years of immigration, it is natural to assume the level of multiculturalism are high. Families are multiplying and the culture of Dominican the Republic and Haiti merges. Children are developing two identities and are often forced to choose.  The Haitian immigrants can be classified as refugees because of the ongoing natural disasters and crimes on their national turf.

The sugar plantations were their permanent homes. Haitians were arrested if seen roaming the streets of the Dominican Republic. They are only “free’ on the plantations they worked on. Christopher Hartley visited these plantations and noticed the abundant number of children and older workers working harsh labor. They were never paid real money and were rarely paid vouchers for food. Their drinking water were contaminated which left most children dead or parasitic. These workers were without gloves, shoes, and food. It was normal for children to be malnourished because of the lack of resources.

The Vicini family did not respect the lives of their workers. The patches of dirt in the plantations were burial grounds for workers who did not follow their demands. The Haitian people were stripped of their heritage and forced to work grueling hours without any sanctity. Mr. Hartley dedicated his time as a priest to help them. He provided these workers the courage to demand their rights. Multiple workers went on strike and were given pay raises and general pay. He developed communities in hopes for them to regain their culture and confidence as human beings. In these communities, they had the opportunity for enculturation as the priest and others teach culture and arts.

Nevertheless, the Dominicans practiced extreme nationalism and the crimes against the Haitian people and the priest were intensified. This form of nationalism is an example of hegemony because the Vicini family had the power and position to create consent and agreement with the Dominicans. Members of this family held prestige according to Max Weber’s philosophy. They had the authority to behave freely because of the family’s notoriety. After the news of the Vicini family’s treatment of their Haitian workers, they amped the nationalistic approach by promoting their intense hatred of the Haitian people and the priest. Homes were burned down and the safety of the Haitians were jeopardized. The Vicini family had the power to force change among the people. Vicini family were also examples of stratification due to their power position. They had the opportunity for clean water, food, shelter, and privilege.

1.) Karl Marx

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/politics/capitalism-in-crisis-us-billionaires-worry-about-the-survival-of-the-system-that-made-them-rich/2019/04/20/3e06ef90-5ed8-11e9-bfad-36a7eb36cb60_story.html%3foutputType=amp

In this article, the billionaire class are worried about their wealth and power in position. Capitalism has built the United States’ current motif; however, it has also been the cause of inequality. Governors and senators have been discussing the issue with the billionaire class and their distinct differences from the middle and lower class. Democrat and Republicans have been debating the need for capitalism and it affects on the economy. The United States have allowed the upper class to make decisions that are not necessarily for the benefit of all Americans. Khanna describes his experiences in congress and his opinion on the state of the economy.

2.) Max Weber

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/01/coronavirus-covid-19-working-class

In this article, Covid 19 has granted the higher class luxury to remain quarantined and practice effective social distancing. Some working class citizens are unable to work from home and are require to work on site granting them more exposure in the process. Max weber’s theory essentially describes the perks that are associated with being in the wealthier class. The working class has a difficult time during events like a pandemic because they still have to make a living. Some workers have to continue working to keep the economy functioning. The upper classs families are able to receive treatment because they have the income to do so. The working class are left to survive during these times despite needing the most assistance.

3.) Pierre Bourdeu

https://classism.org/covid-19-and-class-inequalities/

Chapter 10 Kinship & Family

White Privilege - Rachel Dolezal is a white woman who chose to identify as a black woman. It is white privilege in that she could do that for personal reasons, but even if a black person could pass as white, one would do so only for the need to survive.  

Miscegenation - the mixing of races, in the above photo is Mississippi’s first interracial couple. Interracial relations were illegal until 1967 when anti-miscegenation laws were deemed unconstitutional. Today it is not uncommon to have interracial relationships.

Racism - Mass media’s portrayal of individuals of color and white individuals when it relates to crimes of equal gravity, seem purposeful as it continues to marginalize  the fair treatment of minority groups. Media outlets in general are controlled by white influenced groups.

White Supremacy - The KKK, Anti-Black and White Supremacy groups are still active in America. The United States most recently identified “white supremacy” as a domestic terrorist threat, similar to that of ISIS. 

Institutional Racism - The Unites States correctional system is fueled by the disproportionate rates of incarceration of African American people. A system that has proven to jail people of color for longer and at a much higher rate than Whites.

I know when you were little girls You dreamt of being in my world Don't forget it, don’t forget it Respect that, bow down bitches

The message of this line is targeted towards women and girls, she is asking them to remember a time when they dreamed of being her and having a life like her. She then goes on to remind them that they are in fact not her and should show respect by bowing down.

I took some time to live my life But don't think I'm just his little wife Don't get it twisted, get it twisted This my shit, bow down bitches

This line highlights power in that she has it on her own.  She reassures listeners that she is not just Jay-Z’s wife. She has her own life and her own power. She also reiterates to the listener to bow down, which as a command had tremendous amount of power. Bowing down is used to show respect for someone stature.  

I'm out that H-town Coming, coming down I'm coming down dripping candy on the ground H, H-town, town, I'm coming down Coming down dripping candy on the ground

This line has dialect, an example would be her reference to Houston Texas as H-Town. H-Town is an informal title for the city and yet is widely recognized and understood. Dripping Candy of the ground refers to style and the swag of fashion. Someone given a general geographic likeness to the south would understand  these phrases.

For this field work assignment, I chose to sit and observe the Bun Shop a coffee shop that has a diverse group of patrons and a very interesting vibe. What drew me to this establishment is that fact that it is on the same block as a bar that I frequent, and I was interested in comparing the two. As I sat at 3pm on a Thursday, I observed a lot of things. I took note that there were tons of students there studying and doing work. The shop naturally segregated itself, the students in one area and the people doing other things like eating or having conversations in another. I also noticed that people seemed to be familiar with the shop, upon entering they immediately went to the counter and bought something before sitting down to do anything. Although there were conversations going on it was very quiet. So quite in fact I couldn’t help but mind that there was a bell on the back of the door that rung every time someone entered or exited. Because of the bell, I have a sort of respect for the amount of people this establishment services. One thing I observed that I never noticed before was how welcoming the place was to the wandering community, many of them would come in to use the bathroom or get some water and the staff were nice to provide. Beyond my visual observation - my nose flooded with the smell of fresh pastries from sweet to savory and coffee brewing. I felt the chill of the cold air every time someone opened the door. I was attentive to a few conversations and wasn’t surprised to hear that these people have the same problems almost. Something that I expected to find however was absent from this observation was people actually drinking coffee, it is a coffee shop after all. A lot of people ordered something other than coffee they instead got water, tea, lemonade and milk. Because this shop stays open until 4am I decided to return and do a secondary observation around 1am. I found the same amount of people pretty much doing the same things. Studying, talking, chilling. The only thing that I noticed changed was there was much less people eating.

1. Quinoa is a flowering plant native to Peru and Bolivia. Quinoa is grown for its edible seeds which are rich in protein and dietary fiber. Quinoa is most closely related to spinach. Although quinoa production has been adopted by over 70 countries almost all of it is produced by small farms is the Andean region.

2. Quinoa farmers have had a rollercoaster of time in last decade because of global demand and small farmers in Peru benefited by making major exports to surrounding areas. During that period the price of quinoa has inflated by 500% however the majority of quinoa farmers remain poor. Individuals that have formed co-ops have benefited from the growing demand of quinoa.

3. Because of the skyrocketing prices of quinoa traditional consumers have been forced to rely on heavily processed western food items because they simply cannot afford it. The Quinoa boom has presented many local people the ability to return to working for the land it also presents major concerns of sustainability due to over farming.

4. Locals which include quinoa farmers and their families at one time had a quinoa-based diet- a main staple. Now because of affordability many people do not have access to it, however local governments are making provisions to provide quinoa to pregnant and nursing women due to its nutritional value.

5. In 2011 the average price was US $3,115 per ton compared to the price of wheat per ton at $340. In 2000 the average price for quinoa was $450 per ton. The production of quinoa is low in pollution and waste as farmers recycle many of its off products.