(Re)thinking about America

After completing my first week at Ladies College in Colombo and my first 3 weeks at Sujatha Vidyalaya in Matara, I have taken part in some interesting discussions with my students. Our conversations range from politics to culture to views regarding America and Sri Lanka to food to entertainment and more.

One question that Utsha and I often pose to our students: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of America? After asking several 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th graders at Ladies College this week, I received some interesting responses. The most common:

• Obama
•  Big
•  White 
• Powerful
• Too many restrictions
• Organized driving J

It’s interesting hearing their answers and think about what mine would be. Living in a foreign country and thinking about America from a distance has changed my perspective. I get asked questions about Obama, foreign policy, the current United States financial situation, the American education system, etc…  on a daily basis. I often feel strange answering these questions because I don’t think that I have enough knowledge to give a comprehensive answer. There is a lot of pressure being a representative of an entire country. Major props to President Obama, politicians, diplomats, celebrities, and others who do this with remarkable grace. It’s not easy. One thing that I always include in my answers, “…America is a huge and diverse place. This is just my opinion based on my personal experiences. Many have different views and have come from different backgrounds.” I hope that this translates across the ever-present conversational language and cultural barriers.

So, my personal response to the question I pose to my students? The list is far from static:

• Home
• Opportunities
• Diverse
•  Privileged 
• Education
• Self-serving
• Capable of great things

So, I’d like to pose the same question to you. Even if you don’t write a response, it’s something interesting to think about.

Colombo

When I came to Sri Lanka I did not expect to be living in a busy city, and it took me quite a while to adjust to the fast pace, the noise, the crazy driving, and the smoggy air. However, as time has passed I have realized how lucky I am to be living in the capital. Colombo represents all of Sri Lanka’s different religions, including the four most common: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Also, all of Sri Lanka’s racial/cultural/ethnic groups live in the city, including the 3 most prevalent; Singhalese, Tamils, and Muslims. Living in Matara and traveling through the south and central province has exposed to me that most cities and villages are predominantly Singhalese. Tamils mainly live in the northern and eastern provinces. There is relatively little racial diversity in most towns and cities, except Colombo.

Through conversations with friends I have made or with people that I meet on the street or in a restaurant, Colombo-ites (?) also express their diversity of thought. Obviously this is partially a result of people mixing together from so many different backgrounds. It is an outcome of differences in race, class, language, political, and religious beliefs (to name a few factors) among Colombo’s population. But it also has to do with the fact that people in the Colombo seem to speak their minds more freely than in other cities.

The elections really made this apparent to me. In Matara, everyone that I met was voting for Rajapaksa, his face was plastered on walls and buses all over town. I didn’t see a single image of Fonseka in the whole city. When I asked my students why they liked Rajapaksa, I often heard the response, “We just do. He ended the war.” However, when I presented political questions to my students in Colombo, many had a lot to say. Some voiced that politicians were corrupt here and that they wouldn’t have voted even if they could. Some voiced praise for Fonseka, and some for Rajapaksa. They presented likes and dislikes about each candidate. I am not suggesting that my students in Colombo are more intelligent than my students in Matara- both schools are filled with young, brilliant women. I think that diversity is the driving force behind the critical thinking expressed by my students in Colombo. It is certainly not my students’ fault that Matara is not a diverse place and that it is the only place that most have ever lived and known well.

Having the experience of living in several cities and countries, I can look back on memories and recall differences between my experiences based on the diversity of my location. I grow so much when living in a place where I am interacting with people of all different backgrounds. For this reason- I am thankful to be living in Colombo. During a pivotal period of time for this country- I am thankful to be located in a city where I can hear and see all different views. It was exciting to be here during the elections. It is exciting to be here during the first year of non-violence after 25+ years of civil war.  I am aware that many living in this city are in positions of privilege, myself included. This experience has been far different than I expected, it is certainly nothing close to the farm that I was expecting to be living on.  But, often the things that do not go as planned are the things that you learn from the most. 

That is how I feel about Colombo. It has been a pleasant/educational/growing/difficult/diverse surprise. 

Learning Between the Lines

When I arrived at Sujatha Vidyalaya last week to teach, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise: this month is the school’s sports meet, thus… practice and matches everyday at school! The school has 4 houses that compete against each other in each sport to become the year’s champions. Girls of all ages compete in a multitude of sports, including: volleyball, basketball, cricket, elé (kind of like softball J), net ball, squad (basically marching in lines), karate, and badminton. I went after school to lend a hand, and before I knew it, I was the head coach of basketball. 40 girls, 2 balls, one very old court. Go.

Like many challenging experiences, this one has been rewarding. Because there are only 2 girls out of 40 who speak English well, I have been practicing my Singhala a lot. Although each word I speak is followed by a procession of giggles, my players have become more comfortable around me after hearing me struggle with their language at such a basic level. Also, I have reverted to acting out most of my instructions, something that is also followed by giggles.

I have had a difficult time finding the right amount of intensity to enforce during drills. Because I have played competitive sports all my life, I am accustomed to working hard every practice and focusing all of my attention on the present drill. However, most of my players have never played organized sports competitively, and are just out to have fun, hang with their friends, and learn a little something. It is also difficult to keep the girls focused at practice because there are only 2 balls for so many girls. There is a lot of time for standing around and talking. Also, a lot of time is lost when I cannot explain my instructions in a way that they understand. Every day I see miscommunication at it’s finest.  

However, despite so many complications, in just 1 and a half short weeks I have seen girls who have never played basketball in their lives master the defensive position, make lay-ups, and score in a game situation. I feel like a proud mama.

Lastly, as with all of my teaching experiences, I find that I am learning just as much from my kids as they are learning from me. Every day at practice I am learning new Singhala words and phrases, I am learning about the intricacies of social life in a culture different than my own, and I have been reminded that the most talented are not always the most passionate. Despite our language barrier, we have managed to have conversations about religion, family, food, education, music, movies, and sports. Amen for intercultural exchange.

The basketball matches are all day Friday. GOOOOO SUJATHA!!

Netball Match

Basketball Practice

Puja playing in her temple clothes

The Big Picture

You may have heard in recent news about the 10 American missionaries who are being convicted for trying to adopt Haitian children and take them out of the country. This news is unsettling to say the least. 

The Facts:

• 10 American missionaries tried to smuggle 33 Haitian children out of Haiti through the border to the Dominican Republic.
• When the missionaries were stopped at the border, they said that they were taking the children to an orphanage.
•  Since then, investigators have discovered that some of the children still have parents living.
• “The children, who are from age two to 12, are now in the care of the Austrian-run SOS Children's Village in Port-au-Prince.” (BBC NEWS)
• “The missionaries have been charged with child abduction and criminal conspiracy.” (BBC NEWS) ~Damn straight.

The 10 missionaries have claimed to have done this out of the goodness of their hearts, only taking children who had either lost both of their parents or lost one and were abandoned by the other. When asked about the incident, one of the women missionaries commented, “I feel good. I trust in God.” Because so many lives have been lost (the most recent report is that 200,000 have died), it is true that there are going to be many children who have lost parents and will need to be cared for. However, you cannot just take children (or anyone for that matter) out of the country without any documentation! These missionaries are grown men and women. How did they not know something like this??!! 

Additionally, how could anyone take a child away from their home without getting their parents approval? Or at least doing research and discovering what has happened to their parents. Yes, the earthquake is a terrible disaster and many are in need, buy you cannot just take people away from their homeland and loved ones. Especially children! Children who have gone through hell and are so emotionally distraught and confused right now that they could not be expected to make a decision in whether or not to go with the missionaries. This is not the kind of help that Haiti needs right now.

Although this news is outrageously troubling, perhaps the most problematic aspect of it is that it is distracting American and global attention from focusing on helping Haiti during their time of need. Today, United States media is focusing almost all of its attention regarding Haiti to this case. It can be found in The New York Times, BBC News, Fox News, MSNBC (there are 7 articles on this case alone, all focused on the Americans in the story), and I’m sure many others. This is so not okay.

Now is the time for the world to come together and help Haiti in their time of need. There is no room for distractions. Every minute that people are focusing their attention on this case is precious time that is being lost for Haitians. I am not trying to say that this case is not important. The children who were involved deserve to have their stories told. But, the articles regarding this incident are not focused on the children- it’s all about what is going to happen to the Americans. Clearly, we are missing the big picture here. Instead of focusing our attention on what the media tells us, generally the more, shall I say, juicy information, let’s focus on what is really important here.

It is easy for people who are disconnected from disasters to not pay attention to them altogether. Out of sight out of mind, right? Wrong. Of course, not thinking about it all together is certainly the easiest way to avoid problems and sadness. Especially if you are not seeing them happen first hand. And we are all victims of this behavior, myself included. BUT, I challenge you to continue focusing on what is really important here:

• Helping Haitians during their time of need.
•  Doing so with compassion and with a humanitarian mindset.
•  Understanding that America is a country of privilege and we should use that privilege to help others.
•  Giving support and funds to help Haitians rebuild their nation, not to increase privatization or to make America look and feel good.
• And lastly, spreading awareness about Haiti’s history as well as it’s current events.

Awareness eliminates ignorance. And ignorance certainly is not bliss. At least I don’t think so. Do you?

Searching for Awareness...

I have been thinking a lot about the current situation in Haiti and felt the need to do something more than just donate money. First, I would like to say how deeply saddened I am by how many lives have been damaged and how many loved ones have been lost because of the earthquake. I cannot imagine going through yet another devastating disaster after an entire history of them. The nation has survived colonialism, patriarchy, racism, capitalism, and has had its resources preyed upon and stolen for years. In 2008 they endured Hurricane Gustav. And now this. If anything is for sure, it is that Haitians are a strong people. Against all odds, they continually battle back against whatever oppressor comes their way. Haiti, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Haiti’s story is one that needs to be heard and I am doing everything in my own power to learn more about the country’s history and thus, understand the reasons why the earthquake has affected Haiti so hard. Haiti is a country that has been suffering for years; this earthquake is not the first devastation that they have had to endure, even though it is the first to receive such great international attention. In fact, the US has been involved with Haiti for years, but the involvement is rarely publicized. Most likely because it is not a relationship to be proud of, at least I am not proud of it. While it does please me that so many around the world are giving to Haiti now, it is frustrating to hear news reports that ignore the reasons why the country is struggling so greatly.

The media continually tells us that Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and because of this they did not have the infrastructure to endure such an earthquake. Presenting the information in this way, without providing a historical background as to why, leads many viewers to assume that this unpreparedness must be at the fault of Haitians. But this is not so. Haiti’s history and relationship with the US as well as other countries has EVERYTHING to do with why they could not respond to this disaster.

I am certainly not an expert on Haitian history; in fact my education on Haiti has just begun. I just hope that the following information inspires you to increase your own awareness of Haiti and spread your knowledge with others.

This is what I do know:

After years of colonialism, Haiti gained independence in 1804, becoming the first Black country to gain its independence. In addition, Haiti was the only nation in the western hemisphere to abolish slavery when it gained independence. However, it came at a price, literally. France demanded that Haiti pay them a fine of 150 million francs plus interest for the land and for the slaves that they were losing. So, essentially Haiti had to pay for its independence. To do so they had to take out loans from France, the US and several other countries, causing Haiti to sink even further into poverty. The fee was finally paid to France in 1940, but Haiti still had loans to pay back at this point. In fact, because of loans and accruing interest, Haiti now owes the US millions of dollars. An unsettling amount of money considering that the US has been robbing Haiti of their resources for years. Haitians have been working in sweatshops making clothing for Walmart, Sears, JC Penney and others, as well as most of the baseballs used in the United States. Women working in these sweatshops suffer greatly; working under terrible conditions, working up to 70 hours a week, and receiving less than three dollars a day. When workers try and stand up for their rights, companies simply threaten to move, forcing the workers to continue without their voices being heard. This low-cost manufacturing has been pushing Haiti further into poverty for decades. Why hasn’t this injustice shown up in the media? In addition to apparel, the US buys Haiti’s resources (mainly coffee) for a cheap price, and then sells them at a large sum to make a huge profit. Haiti doesn’t receive any of these earnings and, like with low-cost apparel manufacturing, Haitians continue to work under poor conditions and receive incredibly low wages for their work.

Furthermore, the US, France, and other countries have been interfering with Haiti’s government for years. In relation to the recent earthquake, the US has told Haiti that they do not need emergency response units, something that would have saved possibly hundreds of lives after the earthquake.

This is only a small glimpse into Haiti’s history, but hopefully it has shed some light onto why the situation is so bad now. The injustice that has been inflicted upon Haiti throughout the country’s hisotry is something that should be known. To learn more about their history and the current situation, please check out the following websites and books:

http://www.democracynow.org/tags/haiti

http://www.creative-i.info/2010/01/21/the-real-looting-in-haiti-by-nicole-lee/

http://www.transafricaforum.org/

http://www.transafricaforum.blogspot.com/

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/haiti_three_weeks_later.html

http://video.pbs.org/video/1390712902/

Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer by Tracy Kidder

http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/best-recommended/haiti (a booklist for readers of all levels)

Also, I know that a lot of you have been eager to give to Haiti but are having trouble deciding which organizations to give to, not knowing which ones will honestly give the donated funds to support Haiti. Please check out Yele Haiti, an organization that has been helping Haiti long before the earthquake. It works to help Haitians work together to rebuild their country. It has programs that aid Haiti environmentally, educationally, economically, and recreationally. Please log on to http://yele.org/  or http://www.yele-haiti.org/ to read more about the organization and to donate. It is an inspiring organization and is giving all funds to Haitians in need.

Additionally, Wyclef Jean has a new single, “Hold On” featuring Movado. Wyclef’s dedication to Haiti in this song as well as his work through Yele Haiti is inspiring to say the least. The song can be purchased on ITunes and all proceeds go to Haiti.

Lastly, please contact events@yele.org if you are interested in hosting an official fundraiser to benefit Yéle Haiti.