Immigration
Did you know there was a high possibility that bananas may become extinct within your lifetime? Don't believe me? I am serious . . . that is if the Cavendish version of banana is invaded by a fungus called the Panama disease, according to Dan Koeppel author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World.
You see, the banana we eat now is just "the fruit equivalent of a fast-food hamburger: efficient to produce, uniform in quality and universally affordable." Americans would eat a healthier and tastier version of the banana called Gros Michel before it was replaced by the Cavendish banana. Unfortunately, the Panama disease ravaged banana plantations and the Cavendish became the standard by 1960. It is of Chinese origins and is 'inferior in taste, easy to bruise (and therefore hard to ship) and too small to appeal to consumers." The only thing it had going for it was that it was able to survive the Panama disease.
Presently though, a new stronger version of the Panama disease has been causing trouble in the last ten years. This time, the Cavendish is not immune. It is expected that the fungus will "reach Latin America in 5 to 10 years, maybe 20," followed with a slow response by the banana companies to find a cure, the future of Cavendish and bananas altogether . . . looks rather blight.
What will the impact be on Americans though? That's hard to speculate because although banana consumption outnumbers apple and orange consumption put together, that trend is slowly changing as Americans become health conscious. The banana's deceptive role in the fruit family has turned of some folks from it. If it does become unavailable, it will not be greatly missed one never developed the sweet tooth that grapes or other fruits invoke. The greatest impact I believe it will have will be on the local economies that rely on the banana as an export in Central America. Those economies may be devastated if not properly prepared. In particular in the labor sector, as hundreds and thousands of workers become unemployed and with no other option but to migrate to the United States.
Which begs the question? How shall we solve this before it does become an issue? Every American problem does not need an American solution. Case in point . . . Spain. Jason DeParle of The New York Times wrote an intresting piece describing how Spain and Southern Europe have handed their illegal immigration issue.
The first step to solving the issue is to understand that you are not the only one with the issue. There are others in the world that have encountered the same or similar issues and applied their own solutions. DeParle claims, "With little domestic opposition, Spain legalized nearly 600,000 of the African, Latin American and eastern European workers who helped power its economy and brought this once insular land the strengths and strains of diversity."
It seems that legalization does not necessarily bring the negative assumptions that most assume it would, or at least in this case. It is intresting to see how other nations around the world are managing their domestic issues. It takes a proactive positive approach to achieve success in such sensitive matters. It will take Americans time to comprehend the true intentions of most immigrants that enter this country without the proper permission. Immigrants that enter the nation through a valid visa make up about 50% of the illegal immigration population. The other half did so by bypassing border security through Mexico and Canada. That is why we are building a wall to prevent half of the people from coming. It doesn't make sense when the other half are still entering and will continue to enter lawfully.
Congress should take time to truly understand the issue at hand before applying haphazardly the first solution that placates the small minority of vocal constituents that are against immigration.
Army Worried by Rising Stress of Return Tours to Iraq - Army leaders are expressing increased alarm about the mental health of soldiers who would be sent back to the front again and again under plans that call for troop numbers to be sustained at high levels in Iraq for this year and beyond. Among combat troops sent to Iraq for the third or fourth time, more than one in four show signs of anxiety, depression or acute stress, according to an official Army survey of soldiers’ mental health.
Administrative problems fuel drop in U.S. legal immigration - The number of people who legally immigrated to the U.S. dropped 17 percent last year, largely because of administrative problems, according to a Homeland Security Department report. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been under fire after processing times grew because immigrants flooded the agency with applications filed last year in advance of dramatic increases in filing fees. The delays will keep some people from becoming citizens in time to vote in November.
Skybus becomes third airline this week to close - Skybus Airlines announced Friday it is shutting down its passenger flights -- becoming the third airline this week to cease operations. The low-cost carrier couldn't overcome "the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment," the company said Friday.
Mugabe 'preparing for poll war' - Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has accused President Robert Mugabe of preparing to go to war against the country's people. He said Mr Mugabe was deploying troops and armed militias to intimidate voters ahead of a possible run-off poll. Mr Tsvangirai insisted he had won last weekend's presidential vote, the result of which has yet to be announced.
More experts now warn U.S. already in grip of recession - It's no longer a question of recession or not. Now it's how deep and how long. Workers' pink slips stacked ever higher in March as jittery employers slashed 80,000 jobs, the most in five years, and the national unemployment rate climbed to 5.1 percent. Job losses are nearing the staggering level of a quarter-million this year in just three months. For the third month in a row, total U.S. employment rolls shrank — often a telltale sign that the economy has jolted dangerously into reverse.
Lawsuit Challenges Immigration Raids in New Jersey - Immigration agents systematically entered homes and made arrests without proper warrants during raids to round up immigration fugitives in New Jersey, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday. The lawsuit, brought by lawyers at the Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, will provide a constitutional test of law enforcement methods often used by immigration agents since May 2006 when they began operations across the country to track down and deport immigrants who had been ordered to leave by the courts.
Olympics 'worsening China rights' - China's human rights record is getting worse, not better, because of the Beijing Olympics, a rights group says. According to Amnesty International, China is clamping down on dissent in a bid to portray a stable and harmonious image ahead of the Games in August.
80,000 Jobs Cut in March; Unemployment Rate Rises - The economy shed 80,000 jobs in March, the third consecutive month of rising unemployment, presenting a stark sign that the country may already be in a recession. Sharp downturns in the manufacturing and construction sectors led the decline, the biggest in five years. The Labor Department also said employers cut far more jobs in January and February than originally estimated.
Back to pencil and paper for 2010 census - Technology problems will force the government to count all of the nation's 300 million residents the old-fashioned way in the 2010 census -- with paper and pencil.
Gene links smokers and lung cancer - Three new studies analyzing the genetics of lung cancer have identified two inherited gene variations that raise white smokers' chances of getting the disease by as much as 80 percent compared to tobacco users without the genes. All smokers have a tenfold greater risk for lung cancer than nonsmokers, but less than 20 percent of smokers eventually develop the disease. Scientists believe heredity is why some smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer.
Today has been a busy day and I did not expect to make a post. I will most likely forgo my daily "Around the World" post for the day. I have personal projects that I have to attend to.
Nonetheless, I was forwarded a clip of the independent movie "The Job" which was created by Screaming Frog Productions. One their website they claim, "the immigration debate just got a little funnier," which I do not deny with this snippet. I have now become interested in the movie myself.
The Job offers a different view on the immigration debate. As one can tell from the trailer, that it provides its opinion about the immigration issue pretty well. Other than winning many awards and gaining great press, I have not been able to determine exactly what the film attempts to portray. I will surmise from the trailer that it juxtapose the stereotypical role of "careers" with those of "immigrants'" and entertains the stigma Americans have created about day laborers.
The Job has been showing at Film Festivals around the world. The next one shall be at the Florida Film Festival in Orlando today and they move onto Phoenix this weekend for the Phoenix Film Festival. There is no word about distribution on DVD or its future endevors.
Screaming Frogs Productions originated in Chicago but now call Los Angeles home. They have other films and projects in their portfolio. There genre of choice seems to be witty satire with a mix of social commentary on contemporary American culture. Enjoy!
This is the type of America that conservatives have created. A divided America is a bad America and unfortunately Bush has failed to unite it as he promised in 2000. The video covers what exactly happened so I will not dwell on that aspect. Instead, I shall offer my commentary as a Hispanic-American that speaks both English and Spanish fluently.
My country has made feel ashamed to speak Spanish in public and although it is my fault for letting those feelings overcome my dignity. I am slowly becoming more comfortable speaking in public without paying much attention to those small minded individuals that look in dismay. You see, this is my country as well and as a free country I can speak whatever language I wish to. The United States does not have and should not have an official language. That does not mean that I do not believe in cohesion and using one practical language for administrative purposes. It is quite obvious that English is the main stream tongue of choice so those nationalist that feel that it is imperative that we create a law dictating the official language should hold their horses.
First off, upon seeing that video . . . the owner claims to have been concerned about the problem of immigration so he asked the individuals for proof of citizenship based on the fact that they did not speak English well. Coincidentally, apparently he does not have a firm grasp of English or at least grammar when he stated "good English" but that is a side note.
What amazes me is that this type of rhetoric was practised by the Nazi in Germany against the Jews. When the economy was failing and jobs were lost the Nazi's scapegoated the Jews. It seems eerily familiar. What will it take for Americans to reject this culture war of scapgoating. Do Hispanics have to all be rounded up and placed in camps for their protection against ICE or radical groups before we become outraged. Perhaps, it will happen once all Hispanics have to wear identification that dictates their immigration status. If it happens though will you stand up against the injustice. Individuals are only shifting the problem to a minority that can not defend themselves. Those same individuals are the ones responsible for this actual mess we are currently in.
When I am in Austin I like to read John Klesko's column on the American-Statesman in the Metro/State section. He is like our version of Ken Hoffman (Houston Chronicle) yet much older but just as funny. This Sunday, he wrote a piece about his reflections on immigration. I loved the satire he used. If you are from Austin or have been here in the last few months you may have noticed all the new condos springing up near the downtown/78704 area. Well, Klesko has noticed and he gives his two cents.
Klesko claims, "I've come up with a more attractive way to keep the Mexicans out of
Texas. Instead of putting up an ugly wall, why not build a solid wall of really tall, expensive condominiums right next to one another all along the Texas-Mexico border?"
You may wonder why, right? Well he states that, "building beau coup condominiums would provide work for the potential immigrants. Instead of sneaking across the border and continuing on to, say, the day labor corner on Interstate 35 in North Austin, they'd stop at the border for condo construction jobs and stop driving some Americans crazy."
Just in case you thought he was a crazy right wing minuteman gun toting American he delivers the punchline. "As tense as the immigration situation is now, I can hardly get any sleep at night from worrying about Mexican immigrants sneaking into my neighborhood and trimming my hedges. Or mowing my lawn at a reasonable price."
Nonetheless, I am glad that some peope are getting tired of the fear that certain politicians attempt to engrain on people about immigration. Folks . . . there is no invasion from the South. About 1 million people immigrate "illegally" to the U.S. every year. 50% of those folks come here legally but overstay their work/student visa so they then become illegal immigrants. The other half come through the South. Quite an invasion huh? It's like we never saw it coming. If you wish to read the entire commentary then click here and you will be redirected the Austin American-Statesman.
