Sole Vegan

Even though this ol heathen Is a sole vegan No deceiving this evening What do yo folks believe in ? Was kissin chicks since My little pony No joke Stand up dude So no Rollie Pollie Holy Mackerel Actual Factuals I was raised next to Capital Punishment and a bunch of ish A spooky vibe the night Tookie died Hun ? What a raisin in the sun ? Um, it's a bake grape Even though this ol heathen Is a sole vegan No deceiving this evening What do yo folks believe in ? Better yet Its sun dried Don't get it twisted o Tongue tied Since 06` I lived mo than one life From flyer than a pheasant To a myre crum peasant It was a lesson I was steppin Blind still in a minefield Kins best friend was a pen Signed sealed A divine feel I convey My quotes got mo soul than Sundays Better yet the Sabbath My text is fresh to death, it's a habit You know my dope lines establish Trends my pen sends Hymns At all cost broke you off like Slim Jim Even though this ol heathen Is a sole vegan No deceiving this evening What do yo folks believe in ?

CRGS Assignment 2

Ken Camell ll September 2, 2021 CRGS Assignment 2 Prof Tireste While listening to The Ezra Klein Podcast with featured guests Eve L Ewing I was amazed at how Eve maintains a Critical Race Theory framework in her poetry , books, comic books and essays. I concluded that Eve expressed how academia (schools), language (tests) and accessibility (access to better opportunities) is often only afforded by wealthy people and people who do well on tests (and grades). Eve highlighted how society punishes poor people (low wages) and punishes children with bad test scores and grades under funded school). At the 10:00 mark of the podcast Eve captures this concept by stating "schools getting closed in low income neighborhoods has a profound impact on students,teachers and communities". Eve mentioned how the voice of the disenfranchised frequently goes unheard so she feels the duty to provide stories which reflect the lives of the voiceless and I truly appreciate Eve's dedication. Eve noted sociology illuminates invisible dynamics and also reveals hidden truths within society. She is attracted to sociology for how it makes plain invisible ties that bind us (humans). The language of Critical Race Theory can be misunderstood by those who are unfamiliar with the framework. So CRT often does not reach mainstream academia. The basic structure of CRT is how the U.S has historically functioned with systematic practices of action based on race (White Supremacy). Eve mentioned how she has been inspired by architects of Harlem Renaissance such as; James Baldwin and Lorraine Hainesberry especially since authors of the Harlem Renaissance era utilized whatever media outlet was available to ask vital questions. It is also worth mentioning that these authors were not monolithic writers, since they covered various subject matters ranging from race to economics to sociology. Eve summed up her purpose is to make sense of observations and reflections of everyday people's lives. Regardless of the medium she is using, Eve does not compartmentalize the topics in her writings so you can observe the Race ,Gender and Socio Economical themes.

CRGS Forum Response Assignment 2

Eve proclaimed that "political movements must provide more than a rebuttal". Eve also noted that we must practice today for the future, practice through our ways of action. I believe this is how people can manifest change if we want to live in a truly equal society. In my daily life I strive to let my actions speak louder than words so I understand Eve's sentiments in regard to people becoming the change they want to see. There were several examples of strong communities Eve mentioned like the performance community, residential community and school community which highlights Eve understanding how important it is for people to support each other. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s this was known as People Power. Even though I am not a comic book reader I appreciate the imagination they bestow upon its readers. I am also excited to learn that diverse authors are writing some of today's comic books which is the antithesis of the early years when most comic books were written by non melanated dudes. Comic books are a powerful medium and some of my favorite recording artists have been heavily influenced by them i.e. Ghostface from Wu Tang has several alter egos and one of them is Tony Starks. Another Wu Tang member is Inspecta Deck and he often refers to himself as Peter Parker or Spider Man.

CRGS Assignment 1

Ken Camell ll August 26, 2021 CRGS Assignment 1 Professor Tessa Pirte A. My interpretation of the guidelines to maximize learning of social justice content are ; 1) Keep it mental and not emotional. 2) Informed knowledge is based on evidence and opinions are based on emotion. 3) Allow yourself to tap into empathy and humanity; this will enable a wider range of understanding. You will hopefully see life is full of various shades as opposed to black and white. 4) Stay aware of your own social fears and recall how you developed them. That same fear can be re-trained and converted to comfort. Especially since a lot of fear is based on lack of information.ignorance, isms and prejudice then proceed to adjust your perspective 5) Acknowledge your social space (ethnicity, your income and your lover) then attempt to stay aware of it since your outlook is heavily influenced by your social space (positionality). B. According to Sensoy and Diangelo (Is Everyone Equal pg 2- 3 ) "many are unprepared to engage in critical thinking course content due to structural inequities like political pressure and standardized testing which does not require critical thoughts. Another hindrance to developing a strong critical perspective are strong convictions and opinions in regard to subjects covered in social justice courses i.e. racism, sexism and homophobia. This segment reinstated with me since I always performed poorly on standardized tests. C. I recently had a conversation with one of my Fam in Anchorage Ak via text in regard to what is a legacy. We debated back and forth for about 3 messages before I realized that I wasn't basing my responses on the webster dictionary's definition of what a legacy is. So I was attempting to justify my opinion as opposed to utilizing informed knowledge to base my claim. I must remember that opinions are not the same as informed knowledge. So, opinions are subjective while informed knowledge is objective. Words 325

Intro to International Studies Assignment 1

1. The example I chose was one of my blog posts from blogger.com 2. This blog is published on the world wide web so as long as blogger.com and the internet exist, then so will my blog post. My audience is myself ,all my classmates and anyone who googles Kin Camell. 3. In the blog post entitled "A Future like Martin Luther's", I empathize with the aspirations of Martin Luther (from Germany). I understand how easy it is for humans to fall prey to temptation, so I strive for a simple and humble life. 4. Well according to Harrison "the moral and social passion for doing good; it is the study and pursuit of perfection, and this perfection is the growth and predominance of our humanity proper, as distinguished from our animality", (Harrison, 1971). And I definitely meet the definition of being in the pursuit of perfection and even if I don't obtain perfection I am not making the same mistakes I made 8 years ago. I stopped drinking alcohol on August 18 2013. The link for my blog post : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://kincamell.blogspot.com/2020/12/kin-camells-future-like-martin-luthers.html&ved=2ahUKEwiUwfeI1s_yAhUuHzQIHcBdA8UQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3q3vC1nGHesfE5LrleJSHZ

Kins Pen is getting kind of hectic

My pen is getting kind of hectic.

In the nickel dime

Til the end 

live yo grind

Even people

Livin legal

Be leavin 

Victims of crime

And i do care

Fams vibes too rare

No sushi

flow dookie

like green day

So many trees on me

My temples resembes

Greenbay

Uniforms

When reggie white stormed

Image vivid

A smith

Like emmit

kenneth's

too splendid

For a gimic

Kins a man

in a land

Of pandemics

Protest prostitutes

And peace to posdnuos

Kin Camell Coo Coo in the Noodle

 Right

No joke

Like
momo
kufu
im coo coo
In the noodle
product packaged with a perfect pitch
Got ya all stuck thats it
And tha purpose
Of this verse is
for fam to bubble
like i burped this
Over waves of sound
I surf swift
Im black aqau man
My tracks got my fam
Like all state
hun chuck luck
i brung uncut
White raw weight
My line divine
plus the times
Sublime
The upclimb
to reach the high road
is deep i know 

Geog 100 Summer Final

 Kenneth Camell ll

July 13 2021

Are the machines supreme ? 

It hurts me

To see humans at the mercy 

Of a digital thing.

Before we go bragging

and Geotagging

Can we please 

Demonstrate the

Best respect for Nature ?

Stay prepared and aware

In the age of 

Information

The weight of conversations

May eliminate your occupation

Know the rule of Gold

So you hold

Your tongue

If allured

To some dumb 

Content which is daunted

Are the machines supreme ? 

It hurts me

To see humans at the mercy 

Of a digital thing.

Im so lost with stress and death on me

In a land of Zombies

And Robots God forgive them 

they know not

Or maybe they do

Back 1982

Teddy Ruxpin 

was the heavy  seduction

Of your children's feelings

Its wild how they're being reeled in

For consumption

Its something twisted and wicked

They call it capitalism, 

And I'm just a misfit

Trapped in this dimension

Life's a deadly game with few rules

If you snooze,you lose 

And the news gives me the blues

With the evil smearing

We need Geoengineering

Before we're all disappearing

Like Dinos

I know 

Most folks

Pout in the drought

Until they get swarmed by storms

And these days heat eaves

Melt glaciers 

Camell was safer

In Alaska

Despite the earthquakes

I might have ta

Return

Before we burn

Are the machines supreme ? 

It hurts me

To see humans at the mercy 

Of a digital thing.

That was my way of expressing how digital devices have taken over and humans are often unaware of the privacy and power we have relinquished to modern technology. I also addressed how the climate is suffering as a direct result of humans over consuming energy and devices. Outside of Laney and Humboldt State University I've developed communication skills to properly assist people from various socioeconomic groups .Within my thirty-eight years I have seen great things and met some wonderful people. While working for the County of Marin Landscaping and Utilities Department I had the privilege to provide maintenance to The Marin County Civic Center which is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces . Some of my other work experiences include being employed by the County of Alameda Social Services Department for several years. These experiences properly communicate and assist people from various socioeconomic groups. I will be a valuable asset to society regardless of my college degree status. Through choosing to walk as opposed to driving, volunteering at The Emeryville Shoreline and picking up trash in my neighborhood weekly I strive to do my part in cleaning some of the Earth's pollution. Plus I practice random acts of kindness which is an underrated community service. From living in Oakland Ca to living in Anchorage Ak I'm learning  what happened yesterday makes us who we are today, that's if you are able to learn from previous trial and error. I am grateful for all the positive memories (family and friends eating together) and negative memories (family getting killed) influences, they all enabled me to be who I am today ! And I truly am proof that one person can make a difference. 

The media is powerful ! Everyday I am bombarded with empty alcohol bottles on the ground, alcohol advertisements in billboards,tv, the radio and youtube. And it doesn't help that countless entertainers endorse liquid poison. And of course every cop sitcom ends at the neighborhood pub. I see the negative cigarette advertisements however I don't see the same negative publicity. Alcohol Corporations are masters of false information; they destroy millions of lives, I guess since it is a billion dollar industry and unfortunately it doesn't matter how many casualties are attributed to alcoholism. I have endured a few obstacles such as; ,a heavy battle with alcohol addiction from 1997 to 2013, my father was shot and killed in 2006. After I detoxed I ended up surviving a suicide attempt in 2014 and being diagnosed with manic depression in 2015. There is also a small bowel obstruction I've been dealing with since 1999 so I know how easy it is to self medicate. I also know how difficult it is to detox and abstain from toxic behavior however I am striving everyday to continue on my path as a non active alcoholic despite all the deceptive and alluring commercials and famous endorsers of alcoholic beverages.

Ps I used to wonder why I always heard attractive music in alcohol commercials. Now I know Universal Music owns Seagrams which produces various alcoholic beverages.

Bragging and Geotagging (A Digital Thing)

 Are the machines supreme ? 

It hurts me

To see humans at the mercy 

Of a digital thing.

Before we go bragging

and Geotagging

Can we please 

Demonstrate the

Best respect for Nature

Stay prepared and aware

in the age of 

information

the weight of conversations

May eliminate your occupation

Know the rule of Gold

So you hold

Your tongue

If allured

To some dumb 

content which is daunted

Are the machines supreme ? 

It hurts me

To see humans at the mercy 

Of a digital thing.

Im so lost with stress and death on me

In a land of Zombies

And Robots God forgive them 

they know not

Or maybe they do

Back 1982

Teddy Ruxpin 

was the heavy  seduction

Of your children's feelings

Its wild how they're being reeled in

For consumption

Its something twisted and wicked

They call it capitalism, 

And I'm just a misfit

Trapped in this dimension

Life's a deadly game with few rules

If you snooze,you lose 

And the news gives me the blues

With the evil smearing

We need Geoengineering

Before we're all disappearing

Like Dinos

I know 

Most folks

Pout in the drought

Until they get swarmed by storms

And these days heat eaves

Melt glaciers 

Camell was safer

In Alaska

Despite the earthquakes

I might have ta

Return

Before we burn

Are the machines supreme ? 

It hurts me

To see humans at the mercy 

Of a digital thing.

Bragging and Geotagging

Before we go bragging

and Geotagging

Can we please 

Demonstrate the

Best respect for Nature

Stay prepared and aware

in the age of information

the weight of conversations

May eliminate your occupation

Know the rule of Gold

So you hold

Your tongue

If allured

To some dumb 

content which is daunted

Im so lost with stress and death on me

In a land of Zombies

And Robots God forgive them 

they know not

Or maybe they do back 1982

Teddy Ruxpin 

was the heavy  seduction

Of your children's feelings

Now it's like they're being reeled in

For consumption

Its something twisted and wicked

They call it capitalism, 

And I'm just a misfit

Life's a deadly game with few rules

If you snooze,you lose 

And the news gives me the blues

With the evil smearing

We need Geoengineering

Before we're all disappearing

Like Dinos

I know 

Most folks

Pout in the drought

Until they get swarmed by storms

And these days heat eaves

Melt glaciers 

Camell was safer

In Alaska

Despite the earthquakes

I might have ta

Return

Kin Camell The Robots Know Not

 

Ebony and Heavenly

 By far

Bar per bar

From the bassline 

Im a King

Like Bernard

Dont waste time

I redeemed a large part

Of my obscene things 

So my heart is charged

And not with hatred

Love does feel better than hate

Why not face it ?

And when the aim of ya claim 

Is baseless

No proof ,no use

Its basic

And the bay is sick

So I operate 

Like Dr J

I gotta make

83 special 

and bless you

Kin is 38

So the pearly gates

Aint ever faraway 

Or maybe they're Ebony

And Heavenly. 

Love Feels Better Than Hate

According to Kin Camell

Kin Camell Heavy Weight Heavenly Tape

Shift heavy weight

With every state, 

Mint Condition

Kin's rthyhm 

Listen 

To the Heavenly Tapes 

No petty stakes

The stakes is high

I just raised the vibe

Kin's in a rush to stay high

As the cost of livin

Its odd gist found God

And lost my religion

Heavenly Tapes & Ebony Gates

 In private and public

Kin's Tribe gets Love quick

Thy friends lyin if they dont bump this

(Potent)  Heavenly Tapes 

(Got ya open) like Ebony Gates

(Im in Oakland) no Pearly Gates

They say 

Im ol and thirty eight

And past midlife

Its brash , shits right

Im not shocked 

My pops didnt make it to 50

Kenneth cant escape this sticky

Risky bunnies 

No jokeI dwiftly send hits

In private and public

Kin's Tribe gets love quick

My pens' lines is published

Kin

Quotes So Dope

Since

Hope dont float

The Bay Stay Chilly

And the way they play is illy

My folks got smoked like potes and Phillies

Deep in these streets 

Is a crash course

Eat then retreat

Mash forth 

From the Bottoms

Ta Compton

Ta Harmem

Ta Holland

Im Haulin

In private and public

The pen writes swift subjects

And adjusted

Lifes a path with bunches

Of crisis

Most folks fiend for green

Somethin mean

Whos the nicest ?

With No Henny

No Remi

Gist A few vices

Like tattoos of Isis.

In private and public...

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Raised by Hella Women + Television

 Growing up I was raised by hella women and television so MTV had a heavy influence on my perception of what beauty is and what success is. I wasnt shocked to find out that MTV refused to play Micheal Jackson and Prince music videos until artists like Rick James threatened to organize a boycott. I thought Madonna was the prettiest woman and Van Halen were the coolest band. This was my first battle with White Supremacy manifesting itself in an institution (entertainment industry). Fortunately I went to elementary school in Berkeley where I learned to love people and cultures from Vietnamese to Nigerian to French (multicultral education). I learned antiracist education by learning that The Civil Rights Movement was a fight for Human Rights not just Black (Highly Melanted) people's rights.

As I mentioned before I was the only Melanated/Black guy at a private school in Larkspur (Marin County) however I didn't mention my classmates used to touch my hair out of lack of knowledge and I wasn't accustomed to this reaction from my classmates  since I had only lived in Berkeley Ca, and North Oakland ,Ca. I didn't get angry when I was confronted with these awkward culture shock moments since I aspired to be the anti stereotypical Black dude. With that being said I learned to adjust my vernacular (code switch) as I navigated between the paradoxes of Oakland and Marin County which enabled me to navigate through a county of Whiteness.

My cultural authenticity (born in the land of The Black Panther Party For Self Defense + Oakland Raiders) was and still plays a major role in my identity. And as I previously shared  "in order to reduce racial tension or the ignorance and fear that racism breeds I admit to treading on the line of being the racquet ball club side of myself and an Oakland version of Bryant Gumble " however I did not compromise my integrity and neither did Bryant Gumble .

 Based on professor Boza's research I concluded income /wage disparity is the most convincing explanation for the U.S educational gap which is a byproduct of White Supremacy disguised as Classism. The U.S federal minimum wage is $ 15 / hour and depending on which state you live in  and which industry you work in you will not make $15 / hour. therefore your quality of life suffers and the probability increases that the educational gap widens for all people in this demographic . I was surprised by some of the statistics professor Boza shared such as the U.S average GPA (grade point average) for college students based on race. The GPA data was relatively close; Asian 3.26, White 3.09, Hispanic/Latino 2.84, Black 2.69 .

Thanks to previous Ethnic Studies courses I had some familiarity with property taxes funding local schools which often results in low income areas ending up with substandard (unequal) schools. So I was refreshed to encounter an insightful article discussing the U.S educational achievement gap. The Center For American Progress is dedicated to bridging the equality and achievement gaps to counter the "growing levels of income and wealth inequality which are contributing to long standing racial and ethnic gaps in education outcomes , occupation outcomes etc.- "Robert Lynch and Patrick Oakford" 

I love how professor Boza concisely explained "social capital is who you know whereas cultural capital is what you know".  Due to my love of sports music and drugs my social capital was always wealthy although my cultural capital status was tested. In the 8th grade my English teacher (Mr Kuilty) took my rhymes/poem I was writing and threw it in the trash. He said I don't know why people waste their time on this stuff... I lost respect for him as a teacher ,fortunately I passed his class . I guess my Pidgin was to difficult for him to decipher. 

According to sociologists Prudence Carter "it's possible for a non dominant group to possess cultural capital".Prudence used music as an example of cultural capital noting that "African American/ Melanated youth whose direct access to underground hip hop music" provides a sense of value exclusivity due to mainstream America being too far removed from independent/underground music (non corporate). Therefore contrary to Mr Kilty's perspective and  french sociologist Peierre Bourieu's definition of cultural capital, non dominant groups can also dictate cultural capital.

                                              Work Cited

Golash-Boza, Tanya Maria. Race and Racism a critical approach New York : Oxford University Press 2015.https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2014/11/10/100577/the-economic-benefits-of-closing-educational-achievement-gaps/

KiN Camell Lifes a Witch

Face it 

This is

The Matrix 

Find ya glitch

Life's a witch

She likes my bic

And my pen she guides

Fam its been every night

Jam like the fly band with Barry White

Kenneth's 

gift is 

Unlimited Love but,

She's on a mission ery day

So Cheef's stickin 

to hittin Mary J

In a land of lust

Grim and damned 

Is the trust

Holy Moly

The globe is cold

Liks 5 goalies

Im from 

Where some 

Wanna be like Goldie

In the Mack

When in fact

Uncle Sam

Scams and pimps us all

Mam, my pens just raw

(No LOL

In a land of lust)

Kin Camell Observation of Ultimate Entitlement

 In a direct display of what I call "Ultimate Entitlement" aka Darwin’s natural selection Countries have yet to recover from the U.S’s and Europe's exploitation of foreign natural resources. These depleted foreign economies  force people  to immigrate to European countries, or the U.S as a means of survival. Consider the pillaging of King Leopold (Belgium) in the Congo, Cecil Rhodes (England) in South Africa, Hernan Cortes (Spain) in Mexico, Columbus (Spain) in the Caribbean ,John Watts (England) in India and King Louis XlV in the Southern U.S.

The French Colonists aka European invaders built Canada while destroying the Indigenous population and in an attempt to make amends the Canadian government has attempted to reform immigration policy. The Canadian government has allocated land and funds for Indegenous people. Canada has also instituted programs for immigrants to receive sponsorship  from residents to assist in the transition from immigrant to citizen.Sweden has a progressive and humane immigration policy  while the U.S detains immigrants for nonviolent crimes such as; trespassing. The U.S economy relies on the services and labor of illegal and legal immigrants so immigrants are an asset as opposed to  liabilities. The Department of Justice and The Library of Congress provide overwhelming statistics that show just how absurd the previous U.S President (Trump'') border wall aspirations are. A day without  “illegal Latinos'' will cause the U.S economy to collapse. The agricultural,restaurant, construction and hospitality industries will not be able to survive without “illegal immigrants''. Until living conditions are improved in 3rd world countries then people will continue to migrate and “ caravan” in search of the warmth of other suns.

Actions will always speak louder than words and Canada realizes the nightmares they inflicted upon the Indigenous tribes so  humane immigration policies are necessary since every human deserves the opportunity to thrive and live their dreams.

Kins Pen is Zen

 Heart sharp

As six steeples

And since The Bay gets

Mid-evil

Its survival

Of the sickest

The plague hits people

With a vengeance

So go

And come witness

And feel my ill

Sentence

Contagious

Pages

For days it

Amazes

The masses

Like Catholics

Play this

Like Ninten

Why pretend

Kin's pen

Isn't Zen ?  

Heart sharp

As six steeples

And since The Bay gets

Mid-evil

Kin Camell "So Ill Social Constructs"

 Between living in Oakland Ca, Marin County and Anchorage Ak I've observed that privilege akin to entitlement . Privileges are often inherited as opposed to being worked for therefore entitlement is a common symptom  possessed by socio-economic privilege societies.

Due to social constructs often evolving around image and consumerism the American Dream is an allusion frequently resulting in debt, depression and divorce. Mass media projects the allusion that The American Dream (American Idol,Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,  The Voice etc) is highly attainable if you can entertain.

Other popular mass syndicated mainstream shows such as ; The Big Bang Theory,  Seinfield and Friends reinforce hegemonic ideologies and generally emphasize happiness (The American Dream) is not available to the average working class person (only wealthy Caucasian men)

American Dream being a farce or unattainable like the horse with the carrot. History has clearly demonstrated that the U.S has a tendency to discriminate against melanated people and women .

I used to peacefully protest against police brutality until I felt it wasn't being effective so I began a one man revolution using my pen as a weapon. I often feel that mainstream media has concluded that critical race theory is a conspiracy as opposed to being an objective perspective supporting credible reliable sources. White Supremacy has been normalized and those brave enough to act out or speak out against it like Haiti, Paul Robeson, Assata Shskur, Dr Huey P Newton, Malcom X, Billie Holiday,  Abbey Lincoln, Peter Tosh, Dr Angela Davis and Nipsey Hussle you get neutralized .

White Supremacy includes ; colonialism, convict leasing system, the 13 amendment, The Tuskegee Experiment and the mass prison industrial complex. These organized institutions keep a few greedy blood suckers in power and the domestic terrorism i.e  The Capital Riot, The 8 Asian spa workers who were shot and killed yesterday, Dylan Roof killing church goers , The Shooting in Kenosha, George Floiyd, Oscar Grant, .Sean Bell, Sandra Bland, Mike Brown, Orlando Castille and Breanna Taylor.

Social constructs specifically in the workplace (wage gaps) are a byproduct of Capitalism which fuels narrow minded perceptions (ignorance) and neglects to acknowledge how unjust the labor sector is being treated. Unfortunately these factors lead to false stereotypes such as immigrants are taking jobs or spreading viruses.

Kin Camell "Migrants Can Live Vibrant"

Kenneth D Camell ll
Prof Marsden
Intro to Ethnic Studies
March 17, 2021


                       

            Migrants Can Live Vibrant

Immigration isn't a Mexican, American or European issue, it's a human issue. Beyond the fantasies of the American Dream an undeniable lack of empathy and humanity allow poverty and war to decimate communities around the world. Immigration is a global issue shrouded in political chaos, so I will attempt to simply define and explain what immigration is. I will also use statistics to prove how humanity suffers due to lack of empathy.

There isn't an international definition of a migrant although Amnesty International defines a refugee as; a person who has fled their own country because they are at risk of serious human rights violations and persecution there. The risks to their safety and life were so great that they felt they had no choice but to leave and seek safety outside their country because their own government cannot or will not protect them from those dangers. Refugees have a right to international protection. Whereas an asylum-seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Seeking asylum is a human right. This means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum. Too bad it isn't a universal law !

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) defines U.S immigrants as; (also known as the foreign born) refers to people residing in the United States who were not U.S. citizens at birth. This population includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), certain legal nonimmigrants (people on student or work visas), those admitted under refugee or asylee(asylum) status, and persons illegally residing in the United States.

My initial thesis was to highlight how the Canadian Dream was actually attainable as opposed to the ever elusive American Dream. Unfortunately I had a rude awakening while conducting research for this essay specifically finding out how small Canada's population is. Based on 2017 statistics The Migration Policy Institute reported Canada's population is 37,000,000. The U.S population is 325,000,000 with California having a population of 39,000,000 ! It's difficult to compare countries with such stark populations despite Canada having a larger immigration population per capita (22 % of its population are immigrants while  14% of the U.S population is composed of immigrants).

In 2017 Tal Kopan reported that the U.S accepted 45,000 immigrants. That same year The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 155,000 immigrants in the U.S. and 30 % of those immigrants were not criminals. That same year 215,000 immigrants were deported and 40% were not criminals. The previous year in 2016 The US accepted 85,000 refugees and ICE arrested 110,000 immigrants. 15% of those immigrants were not criminals. That same year 250,000 immigrants were deported and 40% were not criminals.I previously mentioned how immigration is political chaos and here is one recent example: Department Of Justice(DOJ) and the Attorney General prevented an immigration judge from rendering just verdicts. “By interfering with the legal immigration process and removing Judge Morley’s cases. The DOJ actions violate the independence of the judges decision making. “ - Judge Ashley Tabbodor (President of the Immigration Judges Association). And how can I forget about the "Migrant Caravan" which is another example of politics preventing asylum seekers from reaching The American Dream.

Before Donald Trump and his American Dream of building the wall,  the United States border issues with Mexico date back to 1882. The Exclusion Act of  1882 was aimed at prohibiting Chinese people from entering the U.S (Harmon Leon) .By 1960, Asians represented 5 percent of the U.S. foreign-born population; by 2014, their share grew to 30 percent of the nation’s 42.4 million immigrants. (Jie Zong Spotlight Jan 6, 2016) In the U.S  between 2016 and 2017 the Mexican immigrant population shrunk by about 300,000, from 11.6 million to 11.3 million. Despite that the statistic, Mexicans are still the largest foreign-born group in the country (U.S) accounting for 25 percent of the 44.5 million .In 2015 the US had 46 million foreign residents and Germany had 15 million foreign residents.(MPI)

To give a clear picture of how dire living conditions are for the majority of the world I gathered some bone chilling statistics. There are currently 258 million people living outside of their native country. 66 million people are displaced by violence or persecution resulting in 25 million asylum seekers. In the western world the media highlights immigrants from African, Middle Eastern, Latin and Asian countries however 9 million U.S citizens choose to live overseas and 5 million Brits choose to live outside of Britain. These immigrants are called expatriates ,anyone living outside their native country by choice or a migrant from a rich country.(UNHCR)

How can the the United Nations even exist when wars have left 6 million Syrian refugees , 6 million Palestinian refugees and 2 million South Sudanese refugees without any hope ? And how can 3 million children starve to death every year ?(UNICEF, 2018a). War and poverty contribute to a form of modern slavery commonly known as human trafficking. Greed and lack of empathy has fueled human trafficking to an estimated $150 Billion a year industry. It's worth noting that Jordan, Lebanon, and Uganda are the host of the largest refugee communities however a global effort is very necessary. The Western World (The U.S and Europe) have the power to allocate resources and balance the inequities that plague this planet. If that call for humanity continues to go unheard then nothing will change except increases in the amount of poverty and war torn countries resulting in more asylum seekers and refugees.




              

                              Works Cited

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“Center for Comparative Immigration Studies.” Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, ccis.ucsd.edu/.

“Crossroads: Comparative Immigration Regimes in a World of Demographic Change.” Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, www.belfercenter.org/publication/crossroads- comparative- immigration - regimes-world demographic-change

Data from U.S. Census Bureau 2010 and 2017 American Community Surveys (ACS); Campbell J. Gibson and Kay Jung, "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 1850–2000" (Working Paper no. 81, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, February 2006

Jie Zong.” Migrationpolicy.org, 15 Nov. 2018, www.migrationpolicy.org/about/staff/jie-zong.

Leon, Harmon. “The First Mexican Border Wall Was Actually to Keep out Chinese People.” Timeline, Timeline, 4 Apr. 2017, timeline.com/mexican-border-chinese-wall-62bda038c29a.

“Migration Policy Institute.” Migrationpolicy.org, 1 Nov. 2018, www.migrationpolicy.org/.

Spracklin, Pat. “Top 10 Immigration Friendly Countries.” Immigroup, www.immigroup.com/news/top-10-immigration-friendly-countries.

“What Is a Refugee? Definition and Meaning | USA for UNHCR.” Definition and Meaning | USA for UNHCR, www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugeeWorld Child Hunger Facts - World Hunger Education.” World Hunger News.

World Child Hunger Facts - World Hunger Education.” World Hunger News, www.worldhunger.org/world-child-hunger-facts/.