Artist Statement.

All of my life, all I have ever know are expectations. They come full force no matter from who or for what. The reality of expectations is the possibility of being disappointed and even when it’s unfortunate for someone else, there is no way that one person can please themselves as well as everyone else. The most pressure comes from Faith, family, love and religion. Faith and religion are separated because even with someone considering themselves to be a specific “religion” it is quite common that they lean and have their own faith. Furthermore, what someone can perceive as someone else’s religion can be different than where their faith stands. In the midst of both of these regarding a higher power, there are always things that are expected of you, but there is always a gap between those expectations and reality. And that is the point of my graffiti poster. All these things that are depicted in such ways, really aren’t all that they seem to be. Love is written in purple for loyalty, family in pink for perfection, reality in yellow for transparency, faith in blue for the correspondence of the blue sky and heaven, doubt in green for the sake of insecurities and looking down, last but not least, expectations is in black. I wrote that word in black so that it would stand out the most and cause the most attention because expectations are seen as the mountain to every valley, but it is often hidden that there will be times in reality that will not be as expected because some people have to climb up that mountain and hit some rough patches. In less words, my statement is that there is a huge gap between expectations and reality, no matter what is being expected, and who is expecting it.

“Introduction” (11-27) & “Salvation” (65-75) Reflections/ Response:

I enjoyed reading through the Introduction because it pretty much gave a summary of each story and explained the key points. It gave me a sense of security. When I go to read the short stories for myself, there is a chance that I will need to reference the introduction for context or understanding. I noticed an overall theme of subversion, irony and humor. It seemed to come up in almost every, if not all of the story summaries. If it was not the protagonist, then it was another character that would choose to assimilate to the new culture of where they immigrated. And even when it was self-deprecating, humor made it’s way into the literature. There seemed to be a lot of mockery and imitation of integration as well as the paradox of identity and what it means to be defined by what you once were and who may be trying to become. Pages 25 and 26 were my favorite because they concluded it well, reminding us, the readers of the goal and purpose of these narratives. In the first paragraph on page 25, there is a quote that says, “Man is the lord of the word he stores in his belly, but he is slave to the words that he lets out of his mouth WHAT AM I? I am a heap of words that speaks and always keeps some truth in silence.” This makes me think of the control that we have over our abilities and ourselves. One can only go as far as they want and allow themselves to go. Even with telling the truth and saying what needs to be said, sometimes maturing and knowing what you want and how to get it means to know what to say, when to say and when to be silent. There is so much power in that quote alone. Then throughout the last two paragraphs of the Introduction it says what this anthology is and how it is about how “new writers confront the issues of otherness, difference, marginality and integration.” Then it furthers to say whom it is for and how it is “an invitation for scholars of Italian and migration studies to explore the complex shifts occurring in contemporary Italy. This anthology highlights the testimonies that migrants make visible and therefore they add their voices to the political sphere that devotes so much space to debates on who and what migrants are.” Though we have spoken in class or even individually about what this book can do for us and what we will find in it, the fact that it is laid out clearly in the introduction means a lot to me and I appreciate how well written and thoughtful the Introduction was. 

            The short story “Salvation” was really interesting to me because though he mentioned his salvation, I looked at him as the savior. People were counting on him to be able to make it to their dreams, and up until the end, he had the heart to do so. He helped his cousin for an amount of time until he was deported and in a way, that was “salvation” for his cousin because he was rescued of whatever circumstances he left in his host country. I suspect that he is from India because I know that he is Muslim, but I do not recall a specific reference to a place in the text. However he did not assimilate himself completely to Italian culture. He mentioned not knowing how to make a certain ethnic food but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he had intentionally forgotten or didn’t care to know. I found it interesting that he was against cell phones and the new time of depending on technology. That was enough proof to me that he has not forgotten where has come from, because even with something as prevalent as technology, he has his own opinions on them. The story was a nice and easy read overall.

Writing Assignment #5

Not only with Naples, but with any new city I have an uncomfortable feeling. Even with the prep of the readings, you still don’t know what to fully expect. New places give me a sense of risk. I feel as though I am literally risking all that I have because I don’t know exactly what I’m getting myself into. Some can say that everyday living is that way, even places that you don’t know, anything can happen. But it’s a comfort issue. I give “the cold shoulder” to new places in general. It’s my way of having my guard up. My biggest fear was the thought of now being sure of what would happen, the possibilities of anything, but being in a new city. I had the same uncomfortable feeling when initially coming to Rome.  Not to mention not knowing anyone, it was never anything personal, I just question my surroundings a lot for the sake of feeling like I’m keeping myself safe. Another thing that made me nervous was the fact that he trip was with everyone. We have all made a few trips here and there but they were always in our divided “cliques” and I thought that when we would be forced to be together that there would be some tension. Fortunately, we all managed to get along and the trip actually made a lot of us more comfortable with one another. Before the trip we seemed to always be divided by houses and mixing up the rooms in Naples really did make a difference in the relationships we came back to in Rome.

            If anything my fear of Naples has done nothing but increased. Before it was a defense mechanism and now because of Jenny being mugged, I just don’t know how to feel about the place, personally. I understand that it can happen anywhere and I won’t say that I will never go again, but that entire situation freaked me out. Also, Alex blatantly talked to us about how often robbery happens and no one around you does anything about it. I know that this is not America but I feel like people in America would at least try to help. I’ve never been in that type of situation before, or even that close to being with someone who has experienced it so the thought alone makes me nervous. Don’t get me wrong, the program should continue to go to Naples and have Alex’s tour, just with more structure and warning. Though I feel as though I have seen a lot of Naples, I wasn’t there quite long enough to get that comfort of “home” or anything. It took me a couple of weeks to feel that way with Rome so I’m actually not surprised that Naples is just another city to me. The people seem different than the ones in Rome. Romans are a bit more up tight, or uppity for lack of a better word. If Italy was California, Naples would be Los Angeles and Rome would be Hollywood. Where we live in Rome is very elegant and charming, and the people of Rome know that to be true. Naples is just not up to the par of Rome. Though they both have great museums and nice places to visit, Naples needs to be cleaned up. That can go as far as the crime to the garbage on the streets; they both are ridiculous if you ask me. But as I said before, I know that it can happen anywhere and not every city cleans as often as Rome does. It must cost some money for the garbage men to come through everyday with their trucks and truck-brooms, but they make it happen and Rome looks ten times better than Naples.

            Aside from all of that, I love that we traveled there; I love to see new things and learn new things. Being in a different city always begins as refreshing; it just didn’t end as refreshing as it started. And life is not always what it is expected to be, it’s often about what and how you make it. So in spite of our situations, we made the best out of Naples that could have possibly become of it.

Assignment #4

Assignment #4

Open doors are like opportunities. The difference is that an opportunity is “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something” so often times an opportunity can be controlled, while the doors open to immigrants are out of their hands and they can only take what is given to them. Though a question on the prompt mentions that their also might be doors that are open but not recognized or acknowledged by those who don’t know how to access them, I would take that as though the doors do not exist in their life. Not taking away from what they have or will ever have, but some people are too pitiful to become motivated to actually find those doors. It takes knowing or getting to know the right people in order to get to where you need to go. It was said in a lecture that many immigrants go to their new country with other people and often times have some kind of network set up; for those who start completely from scratch will struggle a lot more than others because they won’t have a network.

Education, while to some is considered to be a privilege, I would say that it is a right. No one should ever be in a position where they are prohibited to learn either by their own means or within a facility. Schooling in America has not always been what I would call fair but after Brown versus The Board of Education, both Blacks and Whites are now able to learn equally. Before, not only were they separated, but also even the quality of their books and teachers differed. Now in America, it is required that children go to school. If they do not, parents are held accountable and possibly convicted for their absence. Though everyone has the option to go to school, there are special circumstances in some people’s lives that cause them to struggle more than others. Too often, socioeconomic status keeps those at the bottom of the totem pole discouraged and unable to really apply themselves because of the lack of knowledge and resources. These ‘doors” that exist to better and higher education are often invisible or simply down a hallway that does not exist in one’s present life.  Opportunity is a set of possibilities formed by a circumstance, but when they are unfamiliar or even depicted in a way that is unappealing, it can be difficult for one to take advantage of them. I’ve heard many people say that going onto higher education is pointless because no one is guaranteed a job in their expected field. Well if there was someone for everyone who needed encouragement about going to school or even simply applying themselves to something greater, no one would be left behind. As great as education in America is depicted to be, there are so many children, so many adults who have been left by the waste side. These “doors” that allow people to be smart, and innovative are placed in certain areas of every city and it’s almost like you’re checked for a name tag or badge when trying to even approach a hallway. In other words, it’s set up to where people usually finsish they way that they started. The school system has been set up to where certain people are at the bottom because of what they learned previously, making it harder for them to get anywhere further than where they came from. Don’t get me wrong, people make it out sometimes, but it’s true when they say that it’s not always what you know, but whom you know. But then the question is how do you get to know someone who has the knowledge to get you somewhere you’ve never been or where no one in your family has been. In my case, I am a first generation student, which means that I am the first in my family to go to college. If I did not have the determination I did to branch out, take risks, build a network and make something more of myself, then I would have been perpetuating a cycle of uncomfortable contentment. Although that can be seen as an oxymoron because they contradict each other, it’s true. Though my family has gotten by and is content with where we are, what we have and where we have come from, financially and mentally it is uncomfortable to know that we could be and do better. Unfortunately, everyone does not have that drive, everyone does not have those resources, and if they are put in a position where they do not have them, where do they find them? In actuality, they probably don’t find them. I’ve watched teachers and mentors literally pick kids that need the help, just based off of what is seen and if they did not take the initiative, not much would have come of their future. America has so much to offer with its education but it is so limited and it is not teaching on one accord. Coasts have different curriculums and children are learning faster in certain areas and if they happen to go to college or even transfer before then, there is a chance that they will either be behind or too advanced. Either way this creates a divide in education and may even be helping some opportunities impossible for some people.

            In Italy, the school system seems to be a bit more effective, for their country. I know that some people come from other countries and are unable to be recognized for their degrees but Italy has a smooth transition of schooling within the country. Kids are in primary school for five years, middle school for three and high school for five. After high school they then take a test based off of their interest and then go to a college that is based off what they took the test on. Since they are subject driven and go where they know they are best, this makes school more effective in general. With the cost of education being expensive, there are many dropouts, not many people can afford to put themselves or children through college. Then there are immigrants who don’t put their children in school because they don’t find it beneficial or they have some other adversities that don’t allow them to do so. The average time to move out of their parent’s house is 35. When it comes to immigrants, they are at a complete disadvantage. They are integrated into schools that are taught in Italian and when they go home they speak their native language. Eventually some learn to speak Italian and they may do well later, but they could be missing something, simply through a barrier of language. In 1994 the Con Viserra   was a law passed that all children, no matter the ethnicity or language or documentation, held the right to be in school. And in 1998 the immigration law was that their language and culture be protected. As great as that is, why not go the extra mile and make sure that the children are able to learn. I intern at Iqbal Masih, and while there are children who are observant and can watch body language and pick up on different things, there are also the ones who can’t. A little girl who is of the Roma community is in one of my classes and she stares in silence for most of the day and is often yelled at because she doesn’t understand. I know that, that isn’t anyone’s fault and no one knows what language she speaks at home, but there has to be a way around that. Immigrants in Italy have these “doors” to education but who leads them to those doors? They say they are available but what happens to the Roma community who is being placed outside of all the neighborhoods with the schools in them? As it is in America, it’s about whom you know and what they know, not always about what you know yourself. But even then, a lot of immigrants don’t always have a network to go to and build resources to get where they want.  Not to mention the discrimination in general, for even coming from another country. Italy seems quite biased against people from other countries, or even those who are not “Italian.” Then we go into “What is Italian?” “What does it look like?” And often times those questions are answered with questions, what does it mean to be an Italian? When talking about his friend, Amedeo, Amara Lakhous said, “He’s like a poem by Omar Khayyam: you need a lifetime to understand its meaning, and only then will your heart open to the world and tears warm your cheeks,” and the same thing can be said about the school system and identity of Italians. It may take lifetime to understand or to establish what it means to be Italian, and it won’t be until then that a surface is scratched.

As far apart as Italy is from America, they both have pros and cons to their education systems and these “doors” of opportunities only get slimmer by the lack of advocacy. No one seems to listen or realize the real problem, which is that the people, who are progressing, leave those who aren’t. And the progression will end all together if people don’t take the time to give back.