I cannot believe this is the last blog reflection of the semester. So much has happened, yet so little time has elapsed. Honestly, I am going to miss posting on this blog. Although sometimes the weekly reflections were hard to elaborate, overall it was fun to share my opinion and arguments with my fellow GloSchos. As I prepare to write my final essay for the class, it is very rewarding to see the progression on my posts every week.
As to the class, it was a great experience, and managed to introduced me smoothly into the world and how it works. Through different theoretical and practical situations, such as readings, movies, simulations, I experienced new knowledge. Yet, every time we learnt something new I realized that I had more questions than answers. If I may add a final thought about the class, it should be how much it has expanded my perspective of the world. I want to thank my companions on this 15-week journey, my fellow GloSchos, for allowing me to challenge myself through their knowledgeable and profound posts. Last but not least, thank you Professor PTJ for an amazing semester, full of original and thought-provoking classes.
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On p. 245 of the novel _Horizons_, Ahni Huang declares: "The only way to keep them safe is to be separate. A nation with the power to protect its own." Do you agree with her? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary "Horizon" refers to the line where the earth seems to meet the sky. Also, the word can be used to describe the range of perception or experience of a person. The book written by Mary Rosenblum relies heavily on the limited horizons people can have when they enter the conversation on a simple "us" vs "them" mentality.
The story introduces the reader into a complicated world set in the distant future. In this post-apocalyptic world the earth is divided into states that participate as members of a central forum called the World Council while orbiting platforms act as colonies. The Council is where all the decisions about the Earth and the orbiting platforms are made, enforced by the Council Security Forces (CSF). It is important to mention the little say members of the orbiting colonies have over the matters disputed on the World Council. The story revolves around Ahni Huang, member of the Huang family (although she is actually daughter of a Zhen), and Dane Nilsson, who lives in NYUp and seeks independence from Earth. Other secondary characters such as Koi (the evolved kid), Laif, Li Zhen and Noah support the main characters on their quest to unravel complex political intrigues and ultimately gain peaceful independence for the orbiting colony. A radical group named Gaiists attempts to cause an open conflict between Earth and the platform by dropping a massive rock on the World Council Island. These environmentalist group desires a clean Earth and to stop the "stealing" of resources by the Upsiders. In addition, Ahni's Mother crafts a carefully planned web of levers to regain power from her husband, further complicating the political intrigues. In the end, NYUp gains independence through peaceful means while keeping trade and tourism between Upsiders and Downsiders alive. The direct context involving the quote said by Ahni on page 245 takes us back to the beginning, when she meets Dane for the first time. There she is surprised by the weirdness of the genetically manipulated boy named Koi. Later, Dane explains to her that he is not a "creature" made in some lab, but a result of low-gravity and evolution. Back to page 245, Ahni is talking with Li Zhen, after Aliya has already been killed, in order to get him to join her. Li Zhen also has a son who has evolved due to the low-gravity conditions, and is afraid his son will be seen as a monster and killed by the CSF. This leaves Li Zhen with no other option than to join Dane, Laif and Ahni in their movement for independence. The most important "us" vs "them" conflict is present between the opinion of Upsiders and Downsiders with regards to the evolved humans. On page 44 Dane tells Koi that Downsiders are afraid of him because he is different. He also mentions that while Upsiders will get used to weird humans, Downsiders would never accept them. This statement is confirmed later on when Aliya is killed by CSF forces and the media is not made aware of it. Judging from history, colonizers are not open-minded when they encounter "different" humans. Instead, they regard them as "creatures" and either subjigate them or eliminate them. Before his trail Dane feels the same when he thinks of the "millennia of xenophobia and genocide" that weighed on Earth. Downsiders lacked the ability to realize that the evolved kids were still human despite their differences in language and appearance. This behavior resonates with Todorov's interpretation of the Spaniards reaction to the Indigenous populations. There is a tendency of "Othering" the different to the point were it is no longer human. These is what happened back in the Conquest, and its the exact same phenomenon described by Rosenblum. Therefore, I agree with Ahni's statement that the only way to keep the evolved safe was by forming the sovereign platform of New York Up. Even though it is not part of my answer, I do want to make an honorable mention to Rosenblum's inclusion of "Fake News" and mainstream social-media (named Con in the book). Con, used to spread false information on Laif among other political intrigues, greatly resembles modern-day interaction between politics and media. This book was written in 2006, when Twitter was just beginning and concepts such as "fake news" where not as colloquially used as today. So, I find it amazing that the author was able to elaborate a political world that is still relevant twelve years later. Also, I think that speaks not only about the author, but to the unchanging, common themes of world politics and domestic affairs. I want to address Corwin's post. More specifically, the conversation between Corwin and Mimi in the comment section.
Corwin says that: "neither other people nor ourselves can truly judge us to be a foreigner from our home country or culture." Yet, the phenomenon of othering members of their own home country has been present throughout history, in worst case scenarios leading to fatal consequences, such as ethnic cleansing. The idea of nationality and culture are constructions, which people tend to adopt subconsciously. These constructions can be altered to the point where the otherness is so great that a member of the community is excluded and considered a foreigner from their own nation. Despite the existing possibility of cultural alienation, I do not believe that Mimi's statement, "many times when that cultural identity is so tangled they have no other choice than to admit to having no cultural identity," can be accurate. Yes, there is a growing sense of globalization and an unprecedented mixture of cultural elements worldwide. People who experience different backgrounds might never feel identified as part of a single community. Regardless, it is impossible to assume that an individual can relinquish every sense of having a cultural identity. Instead, considering that they have felt as foreigners their whole life, they manifest mixed cultural elements that make them appear foreign to the country they are residing in. Take for example myself. My house is decorated both for Día de Muertos and Thanksgiving at the same time. My family, which has lived both in the US and Mexico, has adopted cultural elements from the two countries. On one hand, many of my friends in Mexico consider my celebration of Thanksgiving as an American tradition. On the other, living here in the US I can't feel completely identified with the culture. This middle ground, one that Maxim and Alycia have experimented in more impactful ways, does not mean that we have no cultural identity. Its the exact opposite, our cultural identities are stronger because we can understand different cultures as if they are our own. Todorov said: "without becoming an Indian, Cabeza de Vaca was no longer quite a Spaniard." Here is the middle ground. One where an individual retains subconscious cultural elements while not considering himself as part of only that country. Where someone can seem as an outsider, while still being able to understand the culture as his own. |
AlonsoI'm from Mexico City. I love cooking and eating Mexican food. Archives
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