Youth Culture in the last 20

Introduction Youth culture has been described as the tendency by the youth to differ from their immediate and cultures. Youth culture sprang out as a reaction to the educational, political and economic changes after World War II in Western civilization (Helping youth conference, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Youth Culture in the last 20-30 years: New York, London and Tokyo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Also, pop culture is the short form of popular culture and can be categorized as the values, language, attitudes, music and entertainment of the masses. Today, popular culture is depicted in the major media which include movies, radio, television and the World Wide Web or the internet. However, different regions will have slightly different pop culture depending on the evolution that took place in time (Cooper, 2000). In the paragraphs that follow, are the descriptions of how youth culture with in the last 30 years influenced New York, London and Tokyo cities. New York City and Pop Culture The youth culture became an accepted form of life in several developed nations and was easily emulated by other nations. Changes in the youth culture manifested itself in strange behavior and lifestyle such as strange dress codes by the female youths and funny haircuts by the males. An example, Punk, used the â€Å"do it yourself† aesthetics with a message that any person can become a musician to attack to the previous generation of the hippie subculture (Faqs.org, 2008). Punk tried to negatively impact the society’s mass marketing, but surprisingly, it also turned into a style for shoppers around the globe. The availability of records and dressing styles was welcome among most of the youth who would adopt the lifestyle even without joining particular subcultures (Faqs.org, 2008). Youth culture has become younger and older at the same time by assuming new meanings. As such, some people take on their youth culture into their adulthood in a move that tries to explain the situation as a lifestyle (McRobbie, 1999).Advertising Looking for research paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is evident that youth cultures in the last 30 years have had a strong influence in the current lifestyle of people in New York City. Some of these influences are depicted in the media like film, popular music, television, and the internet. Alternatively, youth has been defined as post-adolescent and pre-adult groups, or as the 1.1 billion young people who are between the ages of 15 and 24 years according to the United Nations (Kett, 1977). It has been noted that the youth form the largest portion of the most media and technologically literate people of their society. As a matter of fact, the youth are considered as the primary engine for the growth of global media culture and are targeted as a co nsumer class by multinational corporations (Klein, 2000). As noted earlier, youth movements like punk from 1980s onwards led to the rise of the hip-hop culture, and the violent rap subculture styles called â€Å"gangsta†. Past youth culture has influenced most of the activities that currently takes place in New York City in several ways. This influences range from the type of music, movies, dressing styles, TV shows and languages among many more. For instance, most of the youths and adults in New York prefer certain music to others due to influence by culture. As such, rap and hip-hop music have taken the top like in most of the fan beyond the than other genres of music like country and R B (The Youth Popular Culture Institute, 2004). Movies that undermine religious values and the use of crude language on Television can also be associated with culture (Savage, 1988). Culture has also influenced the dressing style of most of the youths and adult due to the adoption of strange and unique designs. London and Pop Culture In the British society, Industrialization, urbanization and the development of an information-based society started in the late period of the 18th century.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Youth Culture in the last 20-30 years: New York, London and Tokyo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More After its establishment in the region, it spread to the United States and Europe. When most of the world nations achieved almost the same status of power in the 1980s, the rise of centers such as European, United States and Japan occurred. This is the same to the cultural values, political systems, and economic institutions that exist in different nations (Hebdige, 1979). In London, the influence of youth culture is mild considering that the adult culture is firmly established. As a result of this influential factor, there has been an associated maturity in character of the Lond on youth as compared to the same youth culture from Tokyo. In New York, the yuppies form new elite; therefore, they form part of a dominant class and a new setting. Tokyo and Pop Culture The youth culture in Tokyo naturally differs from that in London in various ways. The key difference, however, is that youth culture was established late in Tokyo as compared to the time it developed in London. In addition, it is inevitable to note that the youth in Tokyo received far less support from their population when compared to the same from the Western regions. A strong influence by Japan’s farming and military cultures existed and shaped the culture significantly (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994). Below are the generations of youth cultures that developed in the 1980s and helped to shape the existing cities. Characteristics of Contemporary Youth Culture The youth culture shall be analyzed using generational analysis starting with the comparison of Shinjirui and Yuppies â₠¬â€œ New Youth Culture in the 1980s. Shinjirui is defined as a new type of youth which had a vague social character (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994).Advertising Looking for research paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unlike the baby-boomer generation, the media had much more interest directed to this youth category. The group was also targeted by the consumer market due to its shown potential. This category of the youth was identified by strong individualism, expressionism, and predilection toward consumer behavior. The shinjirui were the first generation of the youth to be brought up in an affluent consumer society that was not crude but an advanced consumer culture (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994). On the other hand, the yuppie culture from the 1980s had high educational achievement, with high income and industrious. The second youth culture is the Baby-Boomer Junior Generation – New Youth Culture in the 1990s. During the 1990s, the youth culture underwent another change to the junior generation of baby boomers who has a more adaptive social character as compared to the shinjirui culture. The adaptability is considered in three situations as in fluid adaptability, flattering a daptability, and anticipatory and clear adaptability (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994). Flattering adaptability is where a one will try to adapt to the environment if there is a difference between the environment and the subject. On the other hand, fluid adaptability is one in which another choice is made when the individual does not match with the environment. Lastly, anticipatory and clear adaptability is where a different alternative is provided where an individual cannot select any of the above options. They are identified as a group which were natured in an in the information age world. Comparative Analysis From the early 1980s, there has been an increased resemblance of the youth cultures in Japan and America. For instance, mutual understanding which includes tourism and direct exchange, and consumer life has increased significantly making the two tendencies much clearer. Despite the similarities, there still exist many differences due to geographical conditions and h istorical differences. The class culture in New York has a similar function to the uniform culture – like it or not – in Tokyo. Western European and U.S culture are usually considered as the ideal culture for the Japanese and these reflects to Tokyo City. In the recent future, there has been a great influence on television gaming in the Asian youth culture. Conclusion In all the three cities, youth culture has had a significant influence in various dimensions. The most influence is on the music, movies, television programs, dressing styles among many others. Since the youth culture is targeted by consumer corporations, it has formed the basis for increased economic growth, industrialization and general development in these cities. Technological advancements and the internet has increasingly expanded due to the youth culture in social networking, online purchasing and gaming by the youth. In summary, youth culture can be taken as a vehicle that has stirred up positive s uccess in development in all the three cities. List of References Cooper, D. (2000) Period. New York: Grove Press. Faqs.org (2008). Youth Culture. [online] Faqs.org. Hebdige, D. (1979) Subculture. The Meaning of Style. London and New York:  Metheun. Helping youth conference (2005). Helping our youth. [online] Helping youth conference. Kett, J. (1977) Rites of Passage: Adolescence in America 1790 to the Present.  New York: Basic Books. Klein, Naomi (2000): No Logo, London: Flamingo. McRobbie, A. (1999) In the Culture Society: Art, Fashion and Popular Music.  London: Routeledge. Savage, J. (1988) ‘The Enemy Within: Sex, Rock, and Identity’, in Facing the Music:  Essays on Pop, Rock and Culture. London: Mandarin. The Youth Popular Culture Institute (2004). Understanding Youth Popular Culture (YPC)  and the Hip-Hop Influence. [online] The Youth Popular Culture Institute. UCLA Center for East Asian Studies (1994). Japanese Youth and Popular Culture.  [online] UCL A Center for East Asian Studies. This research paper on Youth Culture in the last 20-30 years: New York, London and Tokyo was written and submitted by user TheCall to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Building Your Statement With a Sample Reflection Essay

Building Your Statement With a Sample Reflection EssayA sample reflection essay can be a very powerful tool in influencing the admissions process. By giving yourself an assignment that you are responsible for, you'll be able to write your own personal statement, which will get read and considered by the school. You'll be creating a story that tells of your academic achievements, your interests, and your past experiences.One of the best things about your personal statement is that it can set you apart from your competition. If your statement isn't creative, then it won't stand out. You want people to think that you're applying for something that they don't have to worry about. Even if you've been rejected before, you don't want the same feeling again.Sample reflection essays are something that you can download and use to develop your own essay. This is a great way to go if you want to write your own essay but don't know where to start. You can add your own personal flair to your state ment by modifying it to fit with the school's expectations.Writing a statement for your school that relates to your past experiences on campus and other things, such as your family life, will help them understand what kind of student you are. Don't put a lot of information in your reflection if you don't need to. Your statement should be personal. Don't write a reflection that is meant to intimidate the school.Put a short sentence for the first paragraph and continue on into the second paragraph. Think about how you would tell a personal story in this way. Use as many examples as possible. Give your example a spin to make it unique and really set it apart from the rest of the essay.Be sure to expand on your personal statement by creating a personal statement for every school that you apply to. Give them examples of things that you've done throughout the years that reflect your true personality. If you've been accepted to each school, give them examples of your writing and your inter est in the subjects. You can even include a paragraph about yourself and how your interest in the subjects help you in school.Take the paragraph you just wrote and break it down into a summary paragraph. The summary will provide more information about yourself and what kind of impression you want to leave. You can change this to fit with your feelings about the admissions process. You can also add another paragraph about what school you would be interested in going to if you were admitted.Finally, review your personal statement and add some words to it. Once you've written down all of your comments and thoughts, it will become clearer to you what type of student you are. This is the most important part of the whole process.

buy custom Chronic Debilitating Diseases essay

buy custom Chronic Debilitating Diseases essay Chronic debilitating diseases refer to those diseases or disorders that affect individuals for a long time as they reduce the vitality, robustness, or strength of the body (Stone, 2011). Research has shown that aged people have a higher likelihood of developing chronic debilitating diseases or disorders than younger people do. Some of these diseases include stroke, heart disease, cancer, Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, pneumonia, diabetes, just to mention a few (Waters, 2008). This discussion will consider Parkinsons disease, its impacts on healthcare organizations, effects on the role of nurses and physicians, and prevention and treatment of Parkinsons disease. Parkinson Disease Parkinsons disease refers to a mental degeneration condition that takes place when the substantia niagra in the brain become impaired or die (Waters, 2008). These nerve cells produce dopamine, which is a crucial chemical for allowing coordinated and smooth function of the muscles in the body. Parkinson diseases symptoms appear when about 70 percent of the cells that produce dopamine undergo degeneration (Stone, 2011). Development of the symptoms is slow and progresses gradually over many years. However, the use of medication can considerably alleviate the symptoms. Parkinsons disease is common among the aged population because their central nervous system have become weaker than that of young people. It is necessary to consider the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and prevention and treatment of Parkinsons disease in order to have a better understanding regarding this disease. Causes of Parkinson Disease Parkinsons disease occurs because of deficiency of dopamine as the concerned brain cells die or degenerate (Stone, 2011). Therefore, a number of symptoms occur when the chemical messenger lacks or become deficient in the brain, which scientists have not yet discovered its causes. Research has shown that low levels of norepinephrine may also lead to the development of Parkinsons disease among the adult population (Stone, 2011). Researchers have found that Parkinsons disease may develop because of faulty genes and unfavorable environmental factors. In most people, Parkinson's disease arises in a sporadic manner without a clear cause, which means that the disease is idiopathic (Waters, 2008). However, quite a number of people have close relatives who are suffering from Parkinson's disease. Research has shown that this disease is hereditary and, thus, the progeny has a high likelihood of having Parkinsons disease once individuals are forty years or older (Stone, 2011). By carrying on research on families that have hereditary Parkinson's disease, researchers have identified a number of genes that have a close association with this disorder. Studies on these genes are extremely significant because they help individuals understand the causes of Parkinson's disease as well as the discovery of effective drugs to treat the diorder (Stone, 2011). Exposure to some viruses or toxins may lead to the emergency of Parkinson's symptoms and signs. Studies have shown that rural areas, domestic consumption of well water, and exposure to paper mills, pesticides, or herbicides may increase a persons likelihood of developing this disorder (Stone, 2011). Symptoms of Parkinson Disease Parkinsons disease has both primary and secondary symptoms. The primary symptoms have a close association with involuntary and voluntary motor function. At first symptoms are moderate, but may become complex over time (Factor Weiner, 2008). People experience symptoms differently with some experiencing severe symptoms when in other people the symptoms are mild. Research has shown that primary symptoms will appear when patients have lost about 60 percent or more of the cells that produce dopamine in the brain (Stone, 2011). The motor symptoms of Parkinsons disease include tremors, rigidity, Bradykinesia, postural instability, and parkinsonian gait. Some of the secondary symptoms of Parkinsons disease are anxiety, memory loss, depression, constipation, and increased sweating. Tremors include trembling in hands, fingers, arms, legs, feet, head, or jaw. Patients most often tremors experience while resting, but not when performing a task. When the patient is tired or excited, tremors may become worse (Stone, 2011). Another symptom that patients display is rigidity, which is the stiffness of the trunk and limbs. The stiffness may increase when the patient moves. Rigidity may lead to aches and pain in muscle especially when the muscles undergoes contraction and expansion due to movement (Stone, 2011). Bradykinesia is another symptom of Parkinsons disease in which the patients voluntary movement becomes extremely slow. Over time, the patient may not be ble to move efficiently because the muscular contraction and expansion may fail altogether. Bradykinesia and stiffness can have an effect on the facial muscles, resulting in an unexpressive appearance. Patients may also display postural instability, which is the inability to maintain balance due to impairment of reflexes (Stone, 2011). The patient may fall because of postural instability and, thus, people should assist them so that they do not obtain injuries. Over time, patients develop Parkinsonian gait, which is a shuffling walk in a stooping gait and absent or diminished arm swing. Some individuals experience secondary symptoms, which include anxiety, memory loss, depression, constipation, increased sweating, just to mention a few symptoms (Stone, 2011). Diagnosis of Parkinson Disease Diagnosis of Parkinsons disease depends on the physical examination and symptoms of the disorder (Factor Weiner, 2008. For instance, a symptom such as trembling is extremely significant for those people suffering from Parkinson's disease, which distinguishes the disorder from other diseases that lead to tremors as a symptom. Individuals with Parkinson's disease tend to in a shuffling and stooping gait without or with little self-generated arm swinging, which is odd. Sometimes, doctors order tests, such as blood tests, to determine whether the symptoms are of medical origin or they are hereditary (Factor Weiner, 2008. Treatment of Parkinson Disease Currently, there is no cure for Parkinsons disease, but scientists have discovered and made various therapies that can delay the appearance of motor symptoms and alleviate the symptoms (Factor Weiner, 2008. Such therapies are useful in increasing the level of dopamine either by mimicking dopamine, replacing dopamine, or inhibiting the breakdown of dopamine to prolong its effects. Research has shown that the use of therapy before the onset of motor symptoms can delay the onset and extend the patients quality life (Stone, 2011). Levodopa is among the most effective therapies, which undergoes conversion into dopamine. However, due to long-term treatment, levodopa can cause harmful side effects, such as involuntary movements and painful cramps (Stone, 2011). Another drug that is useful in the treatment of Parkinsons disease is a monoamine oxidase type B (Stone, 2011). This drug mimics dopamine and reduces its disintegration, and it relieves motor symptoms effectively. This medication, h owever, has side effects, including nausea, constipation, hallucinations, dizziness, and selling of body tissues. Impacts of Parkinson Disease on Healthcare Organizations Parkinson disease has affected health care organizations in a negative manner because of the diseases chronic nature. Patients spend a long time in hospitals and other healthcare institutions for continued support. Therefore, like other chronic debilitating diseases, Parkinsons disease requires the utilization of a lot of resources, including time, finances, and health personnel (Stone, 2011). Effects of Parkinson Disease on the Role of Nurses and Physicians Nurses and physicians take most of their time taking care of Parkinson disease patients because this disease is chronic and debilitating. This disease has challenged health personnel in finding the most appropriate medication, which they have not found yet (Waters, 2008). Therefore, Parkinsons disease is the disease that affects the central nervous system due to the degeneration of cells that are responsible in the production of dopamine. Body muscles fail to coordinate normally due to deficient dopamine. Parkinson disease is a chronic debilitating disease that commonly affects aged people because their central nervous system becomes weaker as compared to the central nervous system of young people. Various drugs such as levodopa and monoamine oxidase type B are effective in the treatment of this disorder, but they have unpleasant side effects because of long-term use (Stone, 2011). Parkinson disease affects both the health care organizations and health personnel, such as nurses and physicians because of the time and finances. Buy custom Chronic Debilitating Diseases essay

Essay Mills and Why to Avoid Them

Essay Mills and Why to Avoid Them Essay Mills and Why to Avoid Them Struggling with deadlines? College life feeling stressful? You might be tempted to take a shortcut, especially if someone points you toward an essay mill. But what are essay mills exactly? Wrong kind of mill. Sorry. To help out, we’re here to explain what they are and why you should NEVER use them. Essay Mills and Essay Banks Some online businesses offer essays to students at a price. These come in two main types: Essay mills provide custom essays based on a specified topic, word count and deadline Essay banks sell pre-written essays, which are cheaper but less tailored These businesses sometimes say that the essays they sell are just â€Å"templates† that students can use to generate ideas. However, using an essay mill is widely seen as cheating. The Problem Maybe you’ve read the descriptions above. But maybe you still think it sounds like an easy way to get a paper done without all the hard work of researching and writing it. Think again. If you use a paper from an essay mill or essay bank, you will regret it for several reasons: Using someone else’s words without citing them clearly is plagiarism If you are caught submitting a paper from an essay mill, it will count as academic fraud Colleges have software, such as Turnitin, designed to spot plagiarism Papers from essay mills can cost hundreds of dollars and there is no guarantee of quality As a result, using an essay mill could leave you poorer and get you kicked off your course! Essay Mills vs. Proofreading But what if you still need help on a paper? If essay mills are a bad idea, what is your alternative? Well, the good news is that we can help! Having your work proofread has many advantages. We can: Correct your spelling, grammar, and punctuation Make sure your vocabulary is academic and that terminology is consistent Check that all of your sources are referenced correctly Tighten up your writing to make sure it is clear and concise And all of this without making any major changes that could count as plagiarism. You will, of course, have to do the research and writing yourself. But that is how you learn things in the first place! The key is that we’re here to support you.

Maya And Spaniards In Yucatan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maya And Spaniards In Yucatan - Essay Example Through the accounts furnished by the Spanish chronicles and other texts of historical importance that the Historians have predominantly tried to judge the invasion of an acclaimed and great civilization in pre-Columbian America. There is no denying the fact these historical accounts ensuing from the Spanish adventurers, churchmen, and booty hunters were somewhat biased in their approach towards the Mexican history (Henderson 45). These historical accounts present only the Spanish side of the story, without caring much about the Mayan perspective regarding the Spanish invaders (Henderson 45). Many times the historians never cared to bother that perhaps the conquered Mexicans may have set their own versions of the Spanish invasion of America. So a great part of the Mayan side of the story is known through the works compiled by Mexicans in their native language, which managed to survive the ravages of the Spanish Invasion. Though it is a fact that both the Spanish and Mexican accounts tell the same story, yet, these two sets of historical text tend to differ immensely in what they decide to convey and how they try to convey it. Though the modern historians of the European origins tend to outline varied cultural, moral and religious motivations that supported the Spanish invasion of the Native American civilizations, still even a cursory perusal of the Spanish invaders brings to fore the fact that the Spanish invasion was predominantly ruled and guided by economic and pecuniary motives (Patch 22). Many accounts of the Spanish encounters with the Mayan diplomatic missions strongly unravel the fact that the Spaniards tried to evaluate the gifts extended by the Mayans in a profit to loss context, without delving specifically on the artistic and cultural relevance of those gifts.

Engaging Boys with SEN in Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Engaging Boys with SEN in Literacy - Essay Example The paper tells that since the last few decades, there has been a significant increment in the concern of educators and social scientists regarding educational processes of children with SEN or special education needs. Particularly, it has now become a debatable notion where educators and policy makers argue over the efficacy and applicability of ‘inclusion’ and ‘mainstreaming’ factors for children with special needs. It has been an observation that schools and teachers that offer inclusive packages for SEN students seem to be claiming their superiority over the schools that are educating SEN students with mainstream children. However, as the time go by and as research is being carried out, huge number of educators and teachers are now realizing the importance of mainstream education and the positive effects that mainstream education system leaves on students with special needs. The project under consideration was an attempt in the same context that allowed the researcher to explore his own teaching methodology, and more importantly, engage with male students having special educational needs to ensure their literacy in the classrooms that has been an imperative issue since many years. For this purpose, the project has been a milestone for the researcher’s teaching career, as it enabled him to look on other side of boat that is inclusive teacher-student experience while remaining a mainstream teacher. One of the major reasons of getting into this project was the understanding about different factors that exist in our education system, which do not allow a student to groom properly and sometimes, the child ends up being one with special educational needs. In this regard, I carried out this project as my responsibility to explore the issues that surround the problem of lack of literacy in students and that subsequently results in creation of SEN students. KNOWLEDGE BASE As mentioned earlier, topics surrounding children with special educational needs have received noteworthy amount of attention during the last few decades, especially in the European region where educators and policy makers have put enormous efforts in understanding the inclusion of students and the way with which mainstream schooling affects development and growth of students. Brief review of the literature has indicated that with the development of new educational policies, it has now become responsibility of local schools to ensure education of children with any disabilities or differences in the social, cultural, or emotional context. In the past, educators used to indicate the importance of an inclusive group of students with special needs, however, recent studies have indicated no need for any separate defined setting or grouping for such

Is Low Self Esteem Linked To Racism?

Is Low Self Esteem Linked To Racism? In the US, racism is a very familiar issue. Racism manifests itself in various ways including police brutality against minorities, racial profiling and affirmative action. Issue like the history of slavery and the rising resentment against immigrants are also quite well known. The truth is, racism is not a thing of the past. Perhaps it has reduced in the past century, but it is still quite alive today. Eradicating racism is one of those processes that cannot happen in an instant, but they happen over a long period of time. Slowly, but surely, we are moving in a positive direction. Low self-esteem has become a frequently repeated explanation for social and personal problems ranging from young peoples involvement in violent crimes to personal failures and racist behaviors. According to psychologists who have researched the topic, racism is about real power, it is not just something that people randomly think about. Social issues like racism are quite complex and multilayered. It partly has to do with issues of economics, political power, and domination. It is also based on how people perceive, interpret, and value differences. Basically, people act in ways that align with their perceptions. People define circumstances in ways that are real to them and also according to the values that they were raised with. It is true that racial groups have things that make them distinct; however people sometimes dwell on negative distinctions as opposed to the positive ones. We humans tend to emphasize stereotypes that relate to our most closely held values. For instance, a group that values intellect may be quick to see another group as inferior in intelligence. Similarly, if loyalty is valued by a group, then it may label others as disloyal. It seems that racism helps racists feel good about themselves and their racial group by focusing on comparisons with other groups. These issues are what give these groups an identity. There are many ways in which people try to feel better about themselves; as individuals and as a group. Seemingly, everyone likes to believe that their racial group is unique but people tend to overestimate the level of positive attributes present in the group. On the other hand, when it comes to negative qualities, people tend to underestimate those. Racism can develop because of limited information. As humans, we find ourselves putting people in categories like good versus bad and friend versus foe. Without these generalized concepts and categories, getting through the day would be highly demanding. Categorization helps us take shortcuts and helps us become more efficient in making decisions. Also, racism towards other groups often leads to feelings of anxiety when we encounter the members of other racial groups. When we are anxious, we tend to avoid what makes us anxious. We simply avoid contact with individuals by hiring someone else for a job, striking up friendships with someon e else we feel more comfortable with, and sitting down at the lunch table with those who seem to be more like us. Racism may help us feel better about ourselves, we avoid challenging our thinking. In other words, we become defensive and protective of our opinions and only reluctantly question our thought patterns. And these ways of thinking helps protect not only our self-esteem, but also privileges and benefits that we have as members of a racial group. For example, racist discrimination which in the past has limited slots available to minority groups at universities has benefitted the majority population by making more slots available to its members. So, maintaining our racist views of others allows us to feel better about our own group and to avoid challenging unfair social practices that benefit us. Furthermore, we as humans seem to put effort into maintaining our views of the world. For example, we may pay attention to information that supports our views. The more strongly we hold a stereotype, the more we tend to remember confirming information about that racial group. For instance, the more we believe that Asian people cannot drive, the more likely we will remember incidents which seem to support these views. We also discount or rationalize information that is contradictory to our belief system. People who do not act according to our stereotype of them stand out to us as different. For example the Black person who is intelligent articulate and the Asian man who is a good driver become exceptions to the rule, but the rule remains. It is almost like when we see someone from a different racial group, we look for those stereotypes that align with our thinking. Racism, Violence Immigrants in the workplace The U.S. legislative system is currently battling over the Immigration bill for workers. Resistance is fierce in the House of Congress to any plan to legalize the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants or to create a program of millions of guest workers who would in turn be put on a path to citizenship. No one accuses House leaders of acting out of racism, but some say they are responding to constituents who are. The House leadership needs to show some progress on the immigration issue to soothe angry anti-immigrant forces in the country. But the President and Senate want guest workers and a path to citizenship as part of any deal. The Democratic allegations of racism may sound like just another political strategy, but there certainly is a case to be made that racial fears are fueling some of the debate on the immigration policy. The political demand to seal the U.S.-Mexico border, and the Presidents new proposal to send 6,000 members of the Army to help, is supposed to be based on national security. But why then is no one proposing sending additional troops to secure the U.S.-Canada border? Most people want to know if the U.S. is trying to stop primarily undocumented Mexican workers rather than terrorists from crossing the border. Figuring out just how many immigrants, Hispanics or otherwise, to let into the country each year is exactly what lawmakers ought to be trying to do as they undertake immigration reform. Setting immigration targets that are in the countrys interest is, after all, the point of having an immigration policy to begin with. Policymakers should be asking questions like: what kinds of skills does America need to import? And how many of them do they need? What advantage is there is in allowing family members to join new citizens, as is currently the policy? Just as important, the debate could address the issue of race head-on: should ethnicity be a factor in granting citizenship? But until politicians define the goals of American immigration policy; who and how many do we want and for what reason, it will be impossible to eliminate the influence of ant i-immigrant forces who, whether racist or not, draw dubious conclusions and make misleading statements. In Canada, immigration reform needs to take place especially to protect long-term care facility workers who are immigrants. Long-term care facility workers include nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, administrators etc. Canadian long-term care facilities are violent and dangerous workplaces. This need not be the case, a study found that 43% of personal support workers endure physical violence at work on a daily basis, while another quarter face such violence every week. Most are women, and many are immigrants or from minority racial groups. Violence is a constant and ongoing part of their job. In contrast, they found that levels of violence are much lower in Nordic countries, indicating that the high level of violence in Canadian facilities is exceptional and not a necessary feature of work in long-term care. The study is part of a larger project comparing Canadian long-term care facilities with Nordic European countries. Violence in long-term care is not just a workers issue. It is an immigration issue. The vast majority of care-giving staff are women, many of whom are immigrants and women of color. Personal support workers are the ones who suffer the most. The fact is that much of the violence occurs during direct care activities. Because personal support workers provide the bulk of direct care, they are most frequently exposed to violence. This does not imply that violence does not have an impact on other workers. In fact, the researchers found that 16.8% of registered nurses and 24.6% of licensed practical nurses, and registered nursing assistants experience violence on a daily basis. These numbers are shocking, but they do not come close to the prevalence of daily violence for personal support workers (43%). Workers at 71 unionized long-term care facilities in Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia were surveyed about their experiences of physical violence, unwanted sexual attention and racial comments. They also took part in focus group discussions. The workers were nearly seven times more likely to experience daily violence than workers in Nordic European countries like Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Researchers also identified racism and structural violence. This stems from severe working conditions for caregivers who are committed to caring but robbed of the resources to do so. The researchers concluded that long-term caregivers work under conditions that not only foster violence but also render it invisible. Most violent incidents go unreported. Workers are afraid to report violent incidents, fearing that they will be blamed. Or they simply do not have the time to do so because of the paperwork involved. The verbal violence experienced by care workers often includes threats, screaming, cursing, racial insults, and demeaning remarks. The physical violence experienced by care workers typically includes being slapped or hit with an object. It frequently involves being pinched, bitten, having ones hair pulled, being poked or spit on. Having ones wrists painfully twisted is also common. Unwanted sexual attention was also frequently experienced by those surveyed. Approximately one third said they experienced unwanted sexual attention on a daily or weekly basis. Over 11% of the staff said they encountered racist comments on a daily or weekly basis. According to the research, this is likely an underestimation of workplace racism. A large number of workers from minority groups work in large urban centers with high likelihood of racism. Also, the questionnaires were available only in English and workers were required to fill them out alone, so workers with language barriers are underrepresented. In focus group discussions, many workers reported that they personally experienced or overheard racism at work. Long-term care workers link violence and racism with working conditions. Having too much to do, working with too little time and too few resources places workers in dangerous situations. Working short-staffed is a major contributor. Canadian personal support workers reported that they routinely work short-staffed. Almost half say they do so every day. And over one third felt that they are too often left alone to care for residents. When these working conditions were compared to those of the citizens of Nordic countries, they just could not match up. Immigrants and minorities are simply not treated the same as non-immigrants and non-minorities. What can one person do? I recently read the story of a lady who currently resides in Canada but was born in the Philippines. A few years ago, the woman had a very difficult decision to make. She gave birth to her son in Canada and had the impossible choice between an impoverished life for him in the Philippines, or leaving him with strangers in Canada. Now Salvador, a Filipino migrant domestic worker in Montreal, is campaigning against what she calls the systemic racism and sexism of the Canadian governments Live-in Caregiver program. Salvador entered Canada in 1995 as one of thousands of Filipino workers in the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). The LCP is an initiative of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, allowing foreign workers (almost always women) to enter Canada as domestic workers living in their employers home. Salvador earns $271 for a 49-hour week and after taxes takes home $221. After completing 24 months of work within 3 years of arriving, caregivers are allowed to apply for landed immigrant status. For Salvador, the choice to come to Canada was a matter of life and death for her family. She felt that she had no choice but to move to Canada. Even with the LCP, applicants pay fees to their own government, to the Canadian and Quebec governments, to the employment agency, and for their travel. For Salvador this amounted to over $4700 Canadian. This was such a large sum of money for Salvador and she struggled to gather the money. Colonialism and global capitalism have created a situation in the Philippines where its economy is dependent on transnational corporations, where low-wage contract work, poverty and unemployment are rampant, and where 2000 workers leave the country daily in search of a livelihood. It seems like the Canadian governments need for cheap labor and the Labor Export Policy of the Philippines makes the LCP a functional system. The government of the Philippines systematically pushes Filipinos out of the country, so that they can earn money abroad. Meanwhile, there are millions of dollars being sent back to the Philippines by these migrants. Salvador has been elected vice-chairperson of Pinay, a Filipino womens advocacy and support organization. Pinay gives caregivers information, advice, and guidance through the problems they may encounter with employers, agencies, and the government. Many of its members are current and former caregivers who call strongly for the LCP to be overhauled or abolished. The Canadian Filipino community in general also wants the program scrapped and campaigns across Canada on the issue. Critics of the LCP say that significant problems arise for migrant workers under the program. As caregivers live in the home, they often work unpaid overtime, including extra tasks such as cleaning, cooking and tutoring. Theoretically, live-in caregivers are granted basic rights such as access to employment insurance, pregnancy leave, overtime pay, vacations and paid holidays. The law states that people with complaints about their employers should file them with the appropriate Commissioner in Quebec. And if the caregiver is fired, they are still allowed to find another employer in the meantime. But there is a gap between the theory and the reality that caregivers face. One problem Salvador finds with this procedure is that if a caregiver is fired, whether or not she files a complaint, the 4-6 month waiting period for a new work permit is too long. In Salvadors case, when her employers learned she was pregnant, they fired her. She was not allowed to work between permits, eventually could not fulfill the 24-month requirement. She says some employers considered her to be unwanted. In contrast, a pregnant colleague heeded her employers suggestion to have an abortion, kept her job, and eventually became an immigrant. Salvador was unable to fulfill the immigration requirements because she was pregnant, gave birth and was fired. If she was a man, of course she would have no problem fulfilling the 24 months. Salvador did not comply with her first order to leave the country, as she has filed an appeal to remain in Canada on humanitarian grounds. She met with an immigration official, however, and was told to leave the country or be deported by force. According to Salvadors affidavit, the immigration officer found that the applicants volunteer work with three local community organizations did not show integration into Canadian society, because the organizations exist to help persons of Filipino origin. When a local member of the National Action Committee of the Status of Women found out about the situation, she was outraged. She could not believe that helping the Filipino Canadian community was not considered tangible. This is pure discrimination and racism. Furthermore, although an employer made known his willingness to hire her, the immigration officer expressed doubts that Salvador could find a job in Canada. But throughout her irregular employment, she had never let herself become a burden to the Canadian government. Neither was she ever a burden to the government of her country. Some of the caregivers were skilled workers such as nurses or accountants in the Philippines, but in Canada are confined to domestic care giving, jobs that Canadians do not want to do. Salvador was always willing to be a care giver, as long as she is able to obtain residency status. All she wants is a better life for her family. For example, when Canada brought in foreign nurses to fill demand, they were given status. In fact, the work of care givers allows both Canadian parents to work and contribute to Canadian society. Care givers also contribute taxes and fees to the Canadian government, which is if great benefit to them. Salvador points out that the Canadian government saves money importing the cheaper labor of women from developing countries, instead of instituting a national childcare program. Basically, the government is filling a public need with a private solution. Her affidavit states that the immigration officer suggested that her son should be left behind in Canada. It is believed that he would not suffer trauma due to separation from only one parent, as he has never seen his father. How outrageous this is. Salvadors lawyer argues that Salvador and her son should remain in Canada for humanitarian reasons. Her son is a Canadian citizen, and as a result he has all the rights accorded to a Canadian citizen, including the Constitutional right to live in Canada. If the mother is deported, his rights would be violated, either the right to live in Canada if deported along with his mother, or the right to security of the person if he stays in Canada because he would be separated from his mother, the only parent he has ever know. Salvador was refused an extension on her work permit. She should theoretically be granted all the rights and access to services of any other Canadian citizen, including access to health care. Salvador was not able, however, to renew her sons Medicare card when her employment authorization ran out. The Campaign to Stop the Exploitation of Melca Salvador has included many community members and students in research, letter-writing campaigns, media outreach, raising legal funds, organizing demonstrations, and distributing information. Petitions and letters of support have been received from migrant worker communities around the world. Their press release states that LCP critics insist deporting women live-in caregivers such as Salvador and others in several recent cases, is unjust on humanitarian grounds. These women are not disposable commodities that Canada can use and dump at will. Demands for the Canadian government include allowing Salvador to remain in Canada with her son Richard, recognizing the rights and contributions of foreign caregivers and nannies to Canada, granting Melca and all LCP workers residency now, and abolishing the LCP as it now exists. In many cases these women are overworked and underpaid but because they have to complete 24 months of work within 3 years just to apply for residency status, they put up with it. Campaign members are organizing a Canada-wide day of protest in support of Salvador, which is Thursday, October 19th. They hope to reverse her deportation order so that she can stay with her son. Unfortunately, the federal government does not seem ready to hear their critiques of the LCP. It does not seem like there are any changes planned for the LCP, not even a re-evaluation of the programs impact. Recently, several Canadian Filipino activists insisted on meeting Canadas Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, to discuss their co ncerns. Conclusion By changing our behavior, for example, putting ourselves in close situations with members of other racial groups, we increase our familiarity with these individuals. As we become more familiar with them, we naturally see that we are more alike than different. Not all contact will lead to positive attitude changes. It seems the contact is best if structured; encounters among equals who are cooperating to achieve a common goal. These kinds of behavioral activities are some of the most effective ways to change prejudice against people of other races.