Gating Communities

One of the main conflicts in the Tortilla Curtain, by T.C Boyle is the idea of gating a community. Delaney and his wife Kyra live in an exclusive community called Arroyo Blanco in California. Kyra is petitioning for the “wall” for safety reasons. Within the past few months a coyote came into their backyard and killed two of their dogs, then Mexican immigrants were camping out in the lawn of a home that Kyra was selling (she is in real estate). Delaney however is very against the wall. He writes passages in the local paper about nature and different animals. Without the wall, Delaney has direct access to the natural world, yet the wall would prohibit his ability to walk straight out the back door and into the woods. He also believes that it is unnecessary segregation.  The community voted for the gate and the wall enclosing the community for safety reasons. They feel threatened by the large wave of Mexican Immigrants and they feel they have the right to feel safe in their own homes. 

Follow These Instructions:

To begin your assignment, go to I Tunes and watch the pod cast called “Gated Communities; who and why?” You can find this by searching Open University Welfare, crime and society. Under this there are many different lectures about why people gate communities that you may browse through. Also, go to my delicious page where you can find links to different websites, articles, and blogs to help you. You may also use the quotes bellow to structure your own opinion and find more support for your argument. Research both sides of the argument and decide whether you are for or against the gating of communities. Once you have made your decision, please write a blog post about your opinion using different links as support. 

Quotes

Against a gated community:

“We wanted an open community, freedom to come and go- and not just for those of us privileged enough to be able to live here, but for anyone- any citizen- rich or poor.” (43)

 “It goes against my grain to live in a community that closes its streets to somebody just because they don’t have as fancy a car as mine or as big a house.” (43)

 “If there was a gate that car wouldn’t have been there, and who knew what he’d just escaped- a beating, robbery, murder?”  (64)

 “I need to be able to just walk out the door and be in the hills, in the wild- I don’t know if you noticed, but its what I do, it s how I make my living. Christ, the damn fence is bad enough- and that fucking gate on Arroyo Blanco, you know I hat that, you know it” (220)

 “It’s about exclusion, division, hate.” (220) 

For a gated community: 

“Safety. Self-protection. Prudence. You lock your car, don’t you? Your front door? (101)

“This society isn’t what it was- and it wont be until we get control of the borders”  (101)

“I’m talking the latest rash of burglaries? The three houses on Esperanze that got hit two weeks back? Well, the gate helps, no doubt about it” (188)

“I need to be able to just walk out the door and be in the hills, in the wild- I don’t know if you noticed, but its what I do, it s how I make my living. Christ, the damn fence is bad enough- and that fucking gate on Arroyo Blanco, you know I hat that, you know it” (220)

“It’s about exclusion, division, hate.” (220) 

Tortilla Curtain: Problems Hispanic immigrants are facing

In a recent study Pew Hispanic Center recorded that “there are an estimated 11.9 million undocumented immigrants in the United States” (AFP). Many of these immigrants are scared to report crimes and injuries when they are in danger, because they fear deportation. Hispanic immigrants usually come to the United States from countries where police cannot be trusted. Recently, “thieves are increasingly targeting Hispanic illegal immigrants who are reluctant to report robberies to the police,” (AFP). These robberies are usually not even reported because the Hispanics are afraid that the police will look right past the crime and focus on the fact that they are illegal immigrants. This just creates a vicious cycle. The robbers have found a way to successfully steal without any chance of being caught. These robberies usually wipe out all of the victims savings because they “are often farm workers paid in cash because they have no bank accounts due to a lack of official identification,” (AFP). This makes it very easy for the robbers to steal large sums of money, since the immigrant’s money is usually unprotected. Police departments and advocate groups are trying to inform illegal immigrants that if they report a robbery they will not face deportation. The Austin Police department has partnered with local banks to allow immigrants to open bank accounts, even if they entered the United States illegally. Therefore, the workers will be able to safely store their money away where no robber can accomplish the task of wiping out an entire life’s saving in one robbery. The problem is that even with the help of the police force and local banks, many Hispanics are still afraid of the potential repercussions of revealing their lack of legal identity. In 2008 Clearwater, Florida, “which has a large number of Mexican immigrant workers, had 55 robberies in which all victims were Hispanic males,” (APF). These victims are scared to deal with this huge problem and many immigrant lawyers, police officers, and advocate groups are afraid of it as well.

In Tortilla Curtain, by T.C Boyle, the main character ­­­­Candido deals with this same problem. While walking home from the store one day, he is hit from a car and seriously injured. ­­­­Candido suffers from a concussion, large loss of blood, many bruises, broken bones, and many scars. However, despite the large amount of pain and his possible inability to work again he will not go see a doctor. Not only will a doctor cost him a lot of money, but also he has to worry about deportation. ­­­­Candido and America illegally crossed the border and are now living in Topanga canyon. Everyday ­­­­Candido goes to work and tries to make enough money to buy food to eat. America is pregnant, which makes money even more important. Therefore, this accident is a serious problem and Candido should be trying to find medicine to heal him so he can support his family and find appropriate shelter for a child. The fear of deportation is so large that instead of going to a doctor America insists on finding work for herself. I understand how dangerous it is to expose the fact that they are illegal immigrants, however a women working in labor companies is very dangerous as well. Candido explains how dangerous it is because many of the men are desperate for women and do not have a female figure in his life. Illegal immigrants have many problems because they fear any authority. Many immigrants, like Candido and America, originally come from countries where the police can't be trusted,” (AFP). It is difficult to tell which doctor, lawyer, or cop will side with them and help them or simply turn them in for deportation. Candido and America do not have money and therefore the ability to work is what will propel their lives forward. When Candido loses his job his life is turned upside down, when the Hispanics that were robbed lose all they have worked for their lives are turned upside down as well. However, all these people do not have the ability to correct this problem. They cannot trust anyone and therefore cannot ask for help. There is also a “shortage of police patrols in Hispanic communities and a reluctance by immigration lawyers to take up cases,” (AFP). Candido along with all of the people that have been robbed have to deal with their loses without the criminals having any repercussions. This is very upsetting, however the consequence for reporting these crimes may be even more painful than dealing with the lose.

This is a serious issue and I was happy to hear that there are some advocate groups acting to help the Hispanic immigrants. However, progress is only being made in this specific situation with bank accounts. I understand that there are many groups working to help immigrants, however I believe that medically we must find a way to allow them to receive aid without serious repercussions. I know that illegal immigration is a huge problem today, but it is more important to save a life than to argue whether that life is a proper citizen of the United States.

 

Gossip Girl- Eric Van der Woodsen

Gossip girl here your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. This elite community is supposed to be the home of the wealthy, white, sophisticated and “perfect” men and women of New York City. So, what happens when someone defies the standards? The normal member of the elite fits faultlessly into the heterosexual world and displays the stereotypical and privileged lifestyle at every age. Throughout the halls of Constance (the private school) there is the usual gossip about new hook ups and new couples. However, when an old enemy (Georgina) comes back to haunt our protagonist Serena Van der Woodsen, the predictable life of Senerna’s elite family is turned upside down.  Georgina sees Serena’s brother (Eric) kissing another boy and decides to share this piece of information with her family. The evil teen decides to crash a family dinner and tell Eric’s mother that he has a new boyfriend; the problem is that Eric has yet to tell his family that he is gay. Eric’s mom and sister are shocked and speechless. Lilly (the mother) responds with tears and disappointment, while Serena comforts her brother telling him that is okay and there is nothing wrong with homosexuals. Soon enough the news breaks to everyone in his school- shockingly, no one really focuses on the fact that Eric is gay. The news actually highlights the fact that the boy, whom he is seeing, has a “girlfriend” as well. It seems that everyone younger who hears has a very open reaction, not truly caring that Eric is gay, and everyone adult who hears seems to be shocked and a little taken aback by the entire situation. I believe this highlights a stereotype in our society. Most people seem to think that the younger generation is more open to homosexuality and the older generations tend to disagree with it and view it as a sin. Being that Gossip girl is a new show on CW, Eric’s homosexuality is not exploited and is dealt with quickly and then moved passed. However, in the episodes after that he does fill many of the homosexual stereotypes. He dresses differently than the other boys, even though there is a uniform his outfits always seem a little more put together. He has a best friend who is a girl and is always there for her. He has a slightly higher voice, he does not play sports, and he lacks a close group of friends that are boys. These stereotypes, although not always true, are definitely portrayed in the one gay character on the gossip girl set. Although the show does not focus on Eric or his love affairs, they do cover the stereotypes of a gay character as the audience watches him develop.