Author: Ruka

I am the oldest of the 5. I work really hard. I was born in Nigeria, yet many wouldn't know this unless the heard me speak to my mom. Took me a long time to really like this part of myself and to love my my name. I am older then most of my classmates will be, but I am just so happy to finally have the opportunity to go to school, so if you see me smiling all the time, know that I just feel quite blessed!
05/16/11

Free Trade? Cheap Labor.

There was a lot of controversy with the NAFTA agreement.  NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement, an agreement that was to eliminate  barriers for trade and provide a fluid flow of trade and investment between Canada, US, and Mexico.  It was a hard debate that spanned through two presidencies, through Bush senior to Clintons Administration. Mexico belive they would benifit the most, and that it would help boost their economy, and immigration from Mexico to the US

In the New York Time article by By Elisabeth Malkin, “After 15 Years, Nafta’s promise, unfulfilled”   Even though Mexico’s exports have exploded in recent years, there is still a surge of Mexican crossing the boarder for a better life in the US.  Many Mexicans abandon their home and land and head North.  Things were even harder when China enter the World Trader Orgaization, enabling many companies to take their factories to China and pay even lower wages.  In my opinion, Nafta almost seemed like a legal way for companes to go into poor countries, and legal exploit these people for cheap labor.

It was important for free trade to work because many hoped it would curb migration over the southern border, but free trade is just not enough.

 

05/11/11

Racial Discrimination

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/17033-1

After many decades of fighting for civil right, many black still suffered from discrimination.  I believe that Foner did not discuss the issue of racial discrimination enough. As many of my classmates stated blacks still suffered with unequal pay, and job opportunities, but it is important to know that in 1991 congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1991, this protected individual od intentional discrimination at work.

Brenda Patterson an African American woman was laid off from a bank that she worked at as a teller.  She sued the bank because they refused to promote her because of her race.  Taking this to trial sparked a change in the US… yes I know that Foner discussed black struggle a lot but this Act plays a role to all minorities.

05/1/11

What’s going on in the World today?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7qBq7cJg_s

 

 

Marvin Gaye “What’s going on” was release in 1971 by subsidiary label of Motown records,  while the events of Vietnam was going on, and the few decades of the civil rights movement, music like Marvin Gaye, and many others music artist describe din the last few blogs post shows that many people, were aware of many of the things that were going on, and wanted to share there feelings and opinions through there music.  This allowed there fans to take a moment to really think about what was going on in the world.

The All Star tribute shows that much have not really change as far as some of the lyrics are concern, this collaboration was done right after Sept 11 2001 even though they contributed the precedes to the Red Cross to help with the cure of Aids.. So War is still an issue in both era.  I guess a difference is that the world has issues, but people trty to use music as a way of spreading a message, hoping people can hear and may make people better.

 

 

04/25/11

At least we are moving, trying to Integrate

There have been many events after the signing of the emancipation proclamation that freed slaves that moved the country towards equality for slaves.   It was a slow process, but after world war 2 and during the 1950’s the civil right movement moved with great force.  This movement finally took off in the 1960’s and became a full fledge movement.  There was a need to get blacks out of poverty, many feeling that it was one of the ways that freedom can be acquired, alone with equality.  The fights for better education, access to public accommodations, and voting that evolved in the 50’s allowed blacks to start fighting for better economic issues pushing for more government action.

Black Power movement at the Chicago Freedom Movement Rally, Soldier Field (Freedom Sunday)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDNV8dxYe-g

04/9/11

I am on your TV…vote for me

War hero President Ike Eisenhower campaign for presidency was the first time presidential commercials were use.  This helped the republicans win win the election, after 20 years of democrats being in office.  This along with Eisenhower promise to clean up the white house. This showed how presidents can not only show the themselves to the people, but how if marketed well, you can become president if you attract voter with advertisement.

04/3/11

Rebuilding to cover Scars

After World War 2 was won by the United States, making US to be one of the most powerful Countries in the world, Japan not only lost the war, but they were in a devastating situation after the US bombed them.  It would have taken a long time for Japan to rebuild there country without help.  Leaving many of them over time eventually bitter.

What stopped end the war with a bang!

Honestly, in my opinion I believe that if Japan would have had to rebuild their country alone, the results would have been similar to Germany anger after WW1.  A new generation of individuals would try to seek revenge.  We knew that without the US bombing Japan, they would have not stopped the war.  Leading me to believe that they would have rebuilt their country alone and stopped at nothing to avenge the lose of their home.   We would not have the current trade, and business opportunities that we have with Japan now.

I mean, Baruch College itself has Japanese students, and most of them wouldn’t be here  learning and interacting with us if the rebuilding never occurred.  Honestly what would I do without Anime.  Our involvement in rebuilding Japan lead to future economic growth, foreign trade, social and cultural enlightment and a better outlook towards the US, helping to remove scars of the war against the US and Japan.

After math of Nuclear Bomb
03/19/11

Don’t re-shuffle them cards! I like this hand.

It IS a New Deal

It IS a New Deal, 3/11/33 By Talburt in thePittsburgh Press

The public’s response to Roosevelt’s programs were viewed in high favor.  It seemed like he was handling things very quickly and efficiently.  It was with the ending of prohibition and the handling of the bank emergencies, that gave the American people faith in him.  It also helped him that many people viewed him as a trusted figure.  People needed faith with dealing with the Depression, and the economic turmoil that the United States was in.

Roosevelt was able to enter almost every American who owned a radios home, in a way that no other president before him could.  I believe the artist, after hearing him like so many other, believed that with the changes that have been made so far and so quickly, Roosevelt New Deals were worth believing in.This image was drawn days after the Bank Holiday was proposed by Roosevelt when he first came into office.

03/14/11

Whose fault is it!

blame game by Nate Collier (ca. 1931 – 1932)

Many say it all started with the stock market crash of 1929, but there were so many other factor that contributed to the Greatest Depression the world has seen.  Was it the bank, lack of international trade, was it capitalism.  Something was definitely unbalanced, and led to extreme poverty.

Dorothea Lange‘s Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California, centering on Florence Owens Thompson, age 32, a mother of seven children, in Nipomo, California, March 1936.

When ever I think about the depression, and even during my research of photographs, the picture above seems to carry the greatest effect on me. This woman is carrying her two small children, and a look of pure sadness and lost that one just can’t fake.  She looks poor, and while doing some research found that she had 7 children traveling and looking for work. That’s a lot of mouths to feed.  I can’t imagine how hard that was.  At least now, there are government supports and aids for some of the poor.

I close these two photographs to show how on the large scale of things, that many things may have been responsible for the Great depression, but at the end of the day, many families suffered for it.  The hardship was real even if the real reason isn’t quite clear.

03/8/11

No not my lips!

After the world war, with an increase in drink.  Temperance organizations were formed to dissuade people from intoxication. to there was a period in the 1920’s where the sale manufacturing, and transportation of liquor was prohibited.  This era was call Prohibition.  From 1920-1933, alcohol was blamed for many of societies problems.  From drunk husbands, and murder.
The 18th amendment ratified this, but was repealed by the 21st amendment 13 years later during the great depression.
03/6/11

Stop Sunking pur ships!

Most of us know that The sinking of the Lusitania was one of the factors to the United States entering the Great War, The sinking was due to  the German U-boat campaign, where Germany declared that all Allied and neutral ship were to be sunk on sight.  They wanted to cut off Britain supplies from America.  By March 1917, Germany U-boat seven American vessels.Woodrow Wilson realized that staying neutral and out of the war could not be avoided, and Declared war on Germany.  I honestly believe that staying out of the war so long is what helped the United stated win.  They entered a war that opposing side and the allies were both decreasing in the number of soldier.  The United states lost over 100,000 soldiers, which sad as it may be was only 1 % of the soldiers that were lost in this Great War!

03/2/11

Give us Money! Buy a Bond!

During WW1, War bonds were sold, These bonds were called Liberty bonds. These bonds were to help finance the war.

The first issue of these bonds was not all sold, which did not make Treasury Department look very good.  This eventually involved a launched of a massive campaigns using posters, and  movie stars to make it popular .  This was a major movement in American history during world war one, that helped make investment public.    It was an important way to raise funding for the war.

02/28/11

Preserve and Reserve…We might appreciate it later!

John Muir was a naturalist whose love of nature, led to the conservation of national resources.  His organization of the Sierra Club, was formed to help preseve forest.  His camping trip with Theodore Roosevelt was an important for the Progressive Era.  He convinced the president to preserve Yosemite, Grand Canyon,  Sequoia, and Mt. Rainier as National Parks.

02/21/11

“This can not be what I signed up for!” Where are the Paved Streets of Gold!

Italian woman immigrant, Ellis Island, New York : Sherman, Augustus F. (Augustus Francis), 1865-1925 -- Photographer

Differing very little from their ancestors, many European immigrants came to the US seeking  a better life with a hope of economic relief.  The freedom of religion; escape from racial and/or political persecution.  Many did not dream that with the hard journey across the world, life in America would be full of extreme hardship.  Many of them had to endure low wages, poor work conditions and overcrowded living situations.  Yes it was better then there place of origin. Yet if life was too hard many immigrants went back home.

A tenement gleaner, New York City (1900-1937) Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940 -- Photographer

The two photograph above were taken in the early 1900s.  Both picture are similar in the aspect that both women seem as if they are very unhappy.  The woman sitting appears to be quite sad.  She seems like a well bred woman from Italy.  Whom may have came for all that America had to offer.  The woman carrying the large bag, by her dingy clothes seems  to be working or living in hard conditions.  She is an example of what America was offering.  I chose these photographs because of the differences and to show that many of the woman that came into the US during that time, had to work to survive, no matter what they believed the America was suppose to be like.

Anonymous Quote:  Recollections of 1900’s immigrant

“I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, found out three things: First, the streets weren’t paved with gold; second, they weren’t paved at all: and third, I was expected to pave them.”

02/13/11

Making it right for everyone!

Women's rights leaders

Letter written by Susan B Anthony

Susan B. Anthony  was a great civil rights activist.   She was one of the founders of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association.  An organization fighting for the rights of women to vote and hold office. When looking through some of the primary documents, I was pleased to find the letter attached to this post.  Susan was well educated, as many of the men in that time period, but believed that blacks were humans and were just like whites.

Susan B. Anthony with the help of Elizabeth Cady Stanton stood up for women and lead a campaign that she did not live to see, but 14 years after her death, the 19th Amendment was passed giving women the rights to vote!