summary due on October 20, 2011

Miles talks about how immigrants come to the USA for not only safety and financial issues but also for their families back home. Miles illustrates this through the story of an Ecuadorian. She talks about the challenges the immigrants face and the "questions of identity they struggle with." Even thought the Vicente works longs hours he is unable to pay his debts and can hardly send money back to his family. His family back home worries about him and fear that he might become too American. It was hard for Vicente to adjust to the US. He had to learn English, which is very difficult is you have spoken a different language through out your life. He had buy a car since he got harassed in the subway.

This article is interesting but not surprising to me. My parents left their country so we can have a better life and education in the states. They miss their family a lot and I have seen them hurt when they couldn't go home to meet a sick family person. However, now my parents go to India 2-3 times a year. My brother and I hardly go because we don't like the environment there.

Shandy talks about the way immigrants send money back to their country. According to Shandy people that receive money in their home country are moving to cities, where it is easier to get the transfer. She also thinks remittance are not just the transfer of wealth between people, but also serves to maintain ties of reciprocity within families separated by warfare and emigrants.

Zenner talks about how it is hard to distinguish between rural and urban since telecommunications are found throughout the world. Zenner explores what distinction meant in the recent past and what it may mean today.

summary due october 13 2011

Sokolovsky talks about how community and gardens are urban partners. In NYC older citizens grow food in gardens and spend time there and talk to other people. They also share their experiences and knowledge. Gardens are places where young adults learn their culture and about food. He also talks about how people come together to take care of these gardens and everything.

Witso talks about how democratic politics affects everyday life in Indian. He also talks about the Indian caste system. He says that politicians from upper-caste backgrounds dominate political life in Bihar for most of the post-Independence period. Many politicians are in the upper-caste system. People in Patna were scared. Wisto looks at the crime, politics and the caste system of Patna and relates them to each other and shows how each of them effect the other.

Kemper followed the migration of people from the Mexico village of Tzintzuntzan. He studies the people for 40 years. These people were able to spend years and years at distance without losing their sense of membership. Once Kemper went into research he only had 20 migrants names and 2 addresses, however after 6 months he had gathered information on nearly 500 people. These people face many issues like whether to leave their community or not. Then they face survival issues and finally learn new ways of thinking about the world and understanding their place in it.

Summary due October 6, 2011

Goode talks about how poor people are not responsible for the conditions they are in. They try to make the most out of it and adjust within the circumstances. She also says that the poor people are as realistic as any other social class. They try finding solutions to their problems like any other human would. The poor people are very rational. They want to work, but might have no skills. She also says in order to live in these circumstances people have to have family structure and sometimes need help from networks, friends, family and neighbors.

I agree with Goode completely, no one want to be poor! People want or need money to feed themselves and their kids. Everyone wants to live in the best situations with the best house and other modes of living. Blaming poor people for their condition doesn't make sense to me. No one asks to be unsafe, everyone always wants the best. However, not everyone gets the best. There are people out there that want to get out of these poor conditions and are trying. Poor people are not "..flawed individuals who need to be reformed by letting experts repair their damaged psych and values."

Bourgois talks about the drug dealers in Spanish Harlem. He says there are many reasons people choose to drug deal. Most drug dealer used to have appropriate jobs but they didn't like the superiority or felt uncomfortable because of the cultural difference. Most drug dealers wanted to keep their cultural, not feel inferior and make a reputation with in their communities. He also interviewed drug dealers and found for them it was easier and more attractive to drop out of school and earn money. Especially if they come from poor backgrounds. People also brought street culture in factory and working settings, which the higher authorities didn't like. They often tried to change to these behaviors. Drug dealers didn't want to change. So they took up illegal activities so they can be their own boss, keep the street culture and have a reputation.

According to Vigil, poverty is the "central" reason for the street gangs. Vigil says gangs form then there are less family support, bad education system and the laws towards poor. Gangs make people feel more safe. They are usually made up of males who grew up together in low-income neighborhoods.