Cultural Diversity and Interaction Essay Example for Free

Cultural Diversity and Interaction Essay The City of Los Angeles, California, as we fondly call it â€Å"The City of Angels†, is the second most heavily populated metropolitan area in the United States of America. It is classified by my fellow Americans as a global city or a world city which means that the channel of associations binding this city has a downright actual causatum on all-encompassing global affairs. Furthermore, including myself, it has a fairly large population of 3, 844, 829 according to the U. S. Census Bureau (Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2005 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 2006). Because it is a global city, it is a world-class center of distinction in various fields such as culture, science, education, technology, trade and commerce. Moreover, it is home to world-class institutions of different cultural and socio-economic fields like our community being made up of local government, service groups, clubs, schools, and many more. The racial make-up within our city is mainly divided into whites (46. 9%), African American (12%), Asian (10%), Native American (1. 0%), and other races (31. 1%). So basically, Los Angeles City is composed of Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics or Latino (Mormon, 2007). Majority of the population in our place spoke English and Spanish while the rest spoke Korean, Tagalog, Armenian, Persian, or Chinese/Mandarin. History In the earlier periods, Native Americans such as the â€Å"Grabrielenos†, inhabited the coastal area of Los Angeles. It was then (re)discovered by a Portuguese explorer named Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho (Rapasky, 2003). Almost a century later, Europeans arrived with Franciscan priest Juan Crespi, and reached the present site of Los Angeles City (Britannica Online). The aboriginal migrants are from Spain and they are of African descent. When California attained its freedom from the sovereignty of the Spanish rule, Los Angeles then became a suburb of Mexico. However, as the Mexican rule concluded during the Mexican-American war, Americans took over California. As the years passed by, the city of Los Angeles progressed. Industries flocked into the city. Also, the World War II brought economic growth and prosperity to the city as urbanity expanded the city. Religion Due to its large population, the â€Å"City of Angels† is one of the most religiously diversified localities in the world and it is home to enthusiasts and believers of many religions and has over 100 Christian churches. Aside from these, several religious sectors and organizations representing diverse faiths includes Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Moreover, Asian immigrants formed a number of important Buddhism denominations that made the city a home to the most number of Buddhists in the world having also the biggest population of Buddhists in the United States. Roman Catholicism is expectedly the largest because of the high numbers of Hispanic and Filipino Americans and it leads the largest congregation of Roman Catholics in the United States America. The second largest population of Jews in the United States of America is also in Los Angeles and various churches of the Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox dynamisms are established in the city. Census The ratio of females to males in our country is almost equal. Notably, due to the progressively high economic status of the city, only a small portion of the population was below the minimum level of income essential for achieving an adequate standard of living. When the African Americans from the southeast part of the Unites States of America arrived in Los Angeles, the population grew 15 times. Since 1990, the population of Blacks dropped into half because the middle class relocated to the suburbs. However, despite the relocating of homes and families into other areas, the city still has the largest community of African-American residents in the United States. Los Angeles is one of the cities in the United States wherein majority of its population differs from the national majority which is the â€Å"whites† that’s why I expected that it will finally have a Latino majority for the first time. Today, the population of Latinos, Asian Americans, and Caribbeans is still flourishing at a fast rate. Los Angeles City has a large population of people from different nations. Various ethnic ascendancies like Chinatown, Korea town, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town is a sheer evidence of the multilingual and multi-cultural characteristic of the City of Los Angeles. Government The city of Los Angeles is governed by a mayor-council system or a system of governance wherein the council is headed by an elected mayor (Britannica Online). The present mayor in office is Antonio Villaraigosa, a Latino of Mexican descent. Primarily, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) protects the city from crimes, but, there are also categorically specialized police agencies: the Office of Public Safety, the Port Police, and the Airport Police. The Office of the Public Safety handles the crimes committed within the premises of the city proper such as in public places. The Port Police work together with the Harbor Department in the Ports of Los Angeles. And the Airport police are responsible for law enforcement at the four city-owned airports. Crime Since 1990, the crime rate in Los Angeles rose alarmingly with accounted exploits of violence, homicides, and property crimes. However, at least, compared to violent crimes, property crimes are more frequent. Also, for a global city with a large population, it is amazing to note that the crime rate of Los Angeles city is lower compared to that of Chicago and Atlanta. The distribution of homicides occurring in the city is somewhat concentrated to the South Los Angeles and the Harbor area while a mere quarter occurs in the Downtown. In addition to, the city is a home to hundreds of thousands of gang members and this has led to the city being referred to as the â€Å"Gang Capital of America†. Media The mass media or public media of Los Angeles serves a large population in the area. The major daily newspaper in English is The Los Angeles Times while the La Opinion is the city’s largest Spanish paper. There are also a lot of smaller regional newspapers and periodicals, and weekly magazines and journals. Indubitably, many local periodicals serve immigrant population in their â€Å"mother tongue†. The Los Angeles metropolitan area is served by different of local television stations. There are considerably numerous movies and recorded songs about Los Angeles that describe the concept of the gangs and professional criminals in the area. Also, several television programs and stations operate using the Spanish language and other Asian languages. The media tends to downplay the indiscetions of whites but really blows up the indiscretions of minorities through its use as the framework for cultural communication and expression across the globe. There are research projects that I have already read that focus on cultural interaction in the public domain and investigate issues of technology literacy, education, and politics among the dominant whites and the oppressed blacks. In my point of view, those publications must be critically assessed and that statements which tries to subjugate minorities, or actually oppressing them, should be eliminated. Work manuals, often refer to groups of different races and cultures, must also broaden their perspectives and treat both whites and blacks or minorities as one. Education There are many world-famous educational institutions in the City of Los Angeles such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC). Today, racial segregation is no longer permitted by the law; therefore, Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics have the freedom to study in whatever school that they believe is best for them. Cultural interaction is strongly exhibited in Universities and other learning institutions. As a white with a Native American heritage, I definitely observe some discrimination within our school area, eventhough there is a law under the Constitution that racist acitivities must be put to a halt. And I think, more effort must be given to effectively implement the said directives. Cultural Interaction In our city wherein numerous distinct cultures coexist, interaction is a must. Basically, there are no â€Å"pure† races, in the same sense as there are no â€Å"mixed† races. We are all equal and we all descend from one and the same race. In the ancient world, in the time of empires dominating continents, together with every small territory laid in their feet, it is not such an unknown fact that our existence in this world is entangled with each and everyone’s. Our lives are all engaged, through trade and through movements, in continuous cultural exchange of no such particular proportions, the legacies of which are still with us. Although there are three main races that live in Los Angeles, California, cultural interaction can be seen at work. In relation to the interaction between the different cultures of the Blacks, Whites, and the Hispanics, crime management is a vital thing to be considered in assessing the cultural interaction among them. It is important to note that there is neither enmity nor animosity among the Blacks, Whites, and the Hispanics. As we can all see, these three different cultural groups are living harmoniously with each other. Their interaction in the city, despite the scars left by wars, is extraordinarily peaceful that they all had exerted an astounding influence on each other. Also, they have also earned each other’s respect and trust needed to promote diplomatic relations. Respect towards individual religion, customs, and traditions are shown. Cultural interaction is an enormously complex thing. It requires the full participation and cooperation of everyone involved. It is more than just communication. Cultural interaction is understanding—understanding the fact that we all are different but equal. There is just no race that is superior from the others. Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics are all equal. No matter the complexity of such phenomenon, we should not think that it is not attainable, because it is. Truth to be told, it has already been attained. It is an all-influencing process has been happening, ever since the beginning of civilization. An observation from a community leader, like Mayor Antonio Villaragosa, with reference to the interaction between whites and other ethnic groups in the community is that he treats whites better than other ethnic groups like African Americans in the following circumstances. He once fired black activists from municipality official groups and made it his rule to in no way employ a protester to a metropolitan authority throughout his term in belief that they tend to be less reliable and more corrupt in the administration. Furthermore, he also did not act at once on the cases of Latino killings against the blacks. It is a result of thousands of years of struggles, and wars for the sole purpose of achieving equality in its purest sense. The battle has already been won. And the process of cultural interaction will not cease, as long as we human beings are still living and co-existing in the same dimension and direction. References: city. (2007). In Britannica Student Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 7, 2007, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Online: http://www. britannica. com/ebi/article-9273680 Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places over 100,000, Ranked by July 1, 2005 Population: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 [Electronic (2006). Version]. U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 2, 2007 from http://www. census. gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2005. html. Los Angeles. (2007). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 9, 2007, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Online: http://www. britannica. com/eb/article-10129 mayor and council system. (2007). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 6, 2007, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Online: http://www. britannica. com/eb/article-9051613 Mormon. (2007). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved June 8, 2007, from Encyclop? dia Britannica Online: http://www. britannica. com/eb/article-9372619 Rapasky, E. P. (2003). History Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho in San Diego Bay, CA on Sept 28 1542 [Electronic Version]. AZORES-L Archives. Retrieved June 4, 2007 from http://archiver. rootsweb. com/th/read/AZORES/2003-09/1064794270.

The Debt Crisis of the Eighties and Nineties Essay -- Economy Economic

The Debt Crisis of the Eighties and Nineties The debt crisis of the 1980s and 1990s has been one of the largest economic disasters of the 20th Century. It has caused widespread poverty, famine and starvation across many of the third world countries it has touched. The Crisis did not go by unnoticed however. Since the mid 1990s world governments have awoken to the horrible reality that such debt causes with attempts to lighten the devastating affects with such programs as the Brady plan, HIPC and eventually HIPC 2. While these plans have had only limited success the question of weather the debt crisis can be solved in the long run is still to be answered. The debt crisis as it is now called did not occur in one single event; instead it developed as a slow moving â€Å"chronic syndrome†[1]. The primary crisis, which occurred in Mexico in 1982, was centred on middle-income nations[2], while the second strain occurred in poorer African nations, with the effects from it still being well and truly felt today[3]. For these countries the need for industrialisation meant the need for large-scale borrowing. Since many of the African nations were excluded from being aloud to borrow until the early 1960s, the need to borrow a lot, quickly, was a common trend throughout the developing nations[4]. The reasons for the colossal amounts of debt cannot be simply explained for they vary from country to country. Some nations had corrupt militaristic governments who cared more for themselves than for their people[5]. While others struggled with failed projects and damaging economic decisions[6]. By the early 70’s the debt had begun to accumulate. The impoverished and debt stricken countries began to shift commodities meant for the sustenance of the people to the export sector to try and make enough money to pay off their debts. Suddenly all the indebted countries were simultaneously selling their primary commodities on the world market. The flow of coffee, coca, copper, steel, ect, had the devastating effect of lowering the commodity prices causing the developing nations to make much less than they had previously. Countries now had to sell two or three times what the used too to make the same money[7]. Combined with the rising and falling of the dollar, and the rises of interest rates in the 80s, the third world debt was now even larger than ... ...continue in the long run many of HIPC goals will be achieved. Success of HIPC and the debt cancellation plans of the 90’s are indeed difficult to judge. If success were to be measured by how much has been paid out from the forecasted amount then HIPC could be viewed as a failure. However if success were judged on the increase of social service spending then yes HIPC would be seen as a successful initiative. The one clear success of the debt cancellation plans has been public awareness. Though the cancellation process is moving slowly and only achieving a fraction of its goals[18] the general public of the world has now awoken to the horrors that debt can lead to. With public support behind the debt cancellation process the debt crisis will eventually be overcome. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] La Trobe, Assignment Manual, p.130 [2] Ibid [3] Ibid, pp.130, 131 [4] Ibid, p.133 [5] Ibid, p.131 [6] Ibid [7] Ibid, p.137 [8] Ibid [9] lecture [10] Ibid, p.144, 145 [11] Ibid [12] Ibid [13] Ibid, p.149 [14] Ibid, p.152 [15] Ibid, p.156 [16] Ibid [17] Ibid [18] Ibid, pp. 150-153

Snow White and Red Rose

There was once a poor woman who lived in an old thatched cottage . In front of the cottage grew two rose bushes. One grew flowers as white as snow, the other had flowers as red as wine. The woman had two daughters who resembled these rose bushes: one had a complexion as white as snow, the other lips as red roses. She named her daughters snow white and red rose. They were both good girls, but very different. Snow white, the elder, liked to stay with her mother and help her around the house, while her sister, Red rose, would wander the fields collecting flowers. But they loved each other dearly, and enjoyed each other’s company. This pleased there mother. ‘what one has she must share with the other. ’ The two girls liked to go walking in the woods to pick berries. Although the woods were filled with wild animals they never came to any harm-rather the reverse. The rabbits would come would come to feed from their hands and the deer would walk by their sides. If the girls were far from their home when night fell, they would make themselves a bed on the soft moss and sleep peacefully until morning. Their mother did not worry, as she knew her daughters were perfectly safe in the woods. The cottage itself was spotlessly clean, thanks to the way the two girls helped their mother. Red rose did the work housework during the summer. She would rise early, before anyone else was awake, so that she could bring her fresh flowers to put by her bed. During the winter, it was Snow white who lit the fire and set the cooking pot to boil. It was a copper cauldron, but she cleaned it so well, it shone like gold. One evening, as the snow falling softly outside, Snow white and Rose red sat by the fire as their mother read to them. A small lamb lay beside them, basking in the warmth, and a dove dozed on its perch above them. As the night drew on there came a loud knock at the door. ‘Quickly, Rose red,’ said her mother. ‘Open the door. It must be a lost traveller looking for shelter for the night. ’ Rose red opened the door, but standing there, instead of a traveller, was a enormous bear! She screamed and Snow white ran to hide behind her mother. ‘Do not be afraid,’ said the bear. ’ I mean you no harm. I am dying of cold and I am simply seeking some warmth. ‘The lamb trembled with fear and the dove flew away at the sound of the bear’s voice, but the girls’ mother was not scared. ‘Poor bear,’ she said. ‘Come, and warm yourself by the fire. Come, my daughters, do not be afraid, this bear will not harm you. ‘The girls came closer and were soon felling confident enough to brush the snow from his thick fur and tickle him with a stick. This would make the bear chuckle, but every now and again they would poke him too hard. The bear would growl softly, ‘Snow white, Rose Red, be careful. You almost spread me. ’ When it was time to go to bed, the girl’ mother suggested that the bear stay and sleep close to the fire. The next morning the two sisters woke and saw that the bear had left. Its heavy footprints in the snow led towards the wood. The next night the bear returned, and the next, and the next. All winter, the bear returned to sleep in the thatched cottage. The young girls spent the evenings playing with him, then at daybreak the bear would leave. One morning, when spring had come, the bear to Snow white, ‘I must leave now, and I will not be able to return until after summer. ’ ‘Must you go? ’ asked Snow white. ‘I’m afraid so,’ he replied. ‘I have to protect my treasure from the elves. As long as the ground is cold, the elves cannot find it, but as soon as the sun returns and heats the ground, they try to steal it. Snow white was very sad to see the bear leave, but as he passed the door, the latch caught against his skin and cut him. For a moment Snow white thought she saw a flash of gold shining through his fur, but she glimpsed it so briefly she could not be sure. Seeing snow white’s confused look, bear fled quickly into the woods. Sometime later, Rose red and Snow white were sent by their mother to collect firewood in the forest. As they approached a newly-felled tree, they spotted something hopping around the stump. It was an elf with a long white beard. The end of the beard was caught in the trunk and he pulled and tugged at his beard to try to release it. The elf glared at the girls. ‘What are you, statues? Why don’t you help me? ’ The happened here? ’ asked Red rose nicely. ‘You have a brains of a turkey! ’ the elf snapped back. ‘Can’t you tell that I was trying to chop down this tree here for firewood? It was all doing fine until my beard got caught in this cursed tree. Then you two young turkeys wandered past laughing at me! ’ To two sisters tried to free the elf, but his beard remained held fast on the tree. ‘Let’s go for help,’ suggested Rose red. You idiots! ’ he cried. ‘How dare you cut off the end of my beard? ’ Then he threw the bag on his shoulder and left without even looking at the young girls, let alone thanking them for freeing him. A few days later, Snow white and Rose red decided to go fishing. When they were close to the river, they saw something moving. It was the elf that Snow white had helped a few days earlier. A strong wind had entangled his beard with a fishing line-and at the other end of the line was a big fish. The fish was pulling so hard it threatened to drag the elf into the water. ‘Be careful! shouted Rose red. ‘You’ll fall into the water. ’ ‘I am not doing this on purpose, you fools,’ replied the elf, rudely. ‘It’s this cursed fish which wants me to fall in. ’ The young girls went to help. They hauled the elf into the bank and tried to disentangle the beard from the line. Unfortunately his beard was so twisted that Snow white was forced once again to resort to the scissors. The elf started to howl, ‘Oh, you devils! Why do you feel you have to mutilate the faces of everyone you meet? You disfigured me earlier, cutting off the point off my beard, and now you’ve cut off more! I daren’t show my face now because of you. ’ Snow white and Rose red were astonished. Then the elf added a curse. ‘I wish you only one thing-it is that you have to run without stopping until you have worn out the soles of you shoes. ’ Then he turned his back on the two girls, picked up a bag of pearls he had left on the riverbank, threw it over his shoulder and marched away. A short time afterwards, the girls’ mother sent them to town to buy some needles and thread. The path to the city crossed a moor covered with large rocks. Snow white and Rose red spotted an immense eagle circling in the sky.

Tips to Write a Great Letter to the Editor

Since the earliest days of newspaper and magazine publishing, community members  have written letters to publication  editors as a way to respond to stories theyve read. These letters could range  in topics from heartwarming human interest notes, to comments about publication design,  to the more common (and sometimes  passionate) political rants. As more and more of our publications have gone entirely online, the art of writing well-researched, well-constructed letters has dwindled. But letters to editors are still appearing in many publications, and teachers find that assigning this type of letter is useful in developing many skills. Teachers could use this exercise to encourage student participation in political discourse, or they may find this exercise valuable as a tool for developing logical  argument essays. Whether youre responding to a class requirement, or youre  motivated by a passionate point of view, you can use these guidelines to draft a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine. Difficulty: Hard Time Required: Three drafts What You Need Newspaper or magazineComputer/laptop or paper and penA strong point of view Writing a Letter to the Editor Select a topic or a publication. If you are writing because youve been instructed to do so in a class assignment, you should start by reading a publication that is likely to contain articles that interest you. It is a good idea to read your local newspaper to look for local and current events that matter to you. You may also choose to look at magazines that contain articles that interest you. Fashion magazines, science magazines, and entertainment publications all contain letters from readers.Read the instructions provided. Most publications provide guidelines for letters to the editor. Look over the first few pages of your publication for a set of suggestions and guidelines and follow them carefully.Include your name, address, email address, and phone number at the top of your letter. Editors often require this information because they will need to verify your identity. You can state that this information is not to be published. If you are responding to an article or letter, say so right away. Name the article in the first sentence of the body of your letter.Be concise and focused. Write your letter in pithy, clever statements, but remember that this is not easy to do! You will probably need to write several drafts of your letter to condense your message.Limit your writing to two or three paragraphs. Try sticking to the following format:In your first paragraph, introduce your problem and sum up your objection.In the second paragraph, include a few sentences to support your view.End with a great summary and a clever, punchy line.Proofread. Editors will ignore letters that contain bad grammar and poorly-written rants.Submit your letter by email if the publication allows it. This format enables the editor to cut and paste. Tips If youre responding to an article youve read, be prompt. Dont wait or your topic will be old news.Remember that the more popular and widely-read publications receive hundreds of letters. You have a better chance of getting your letter published in a smaller publication.If you dont want your name to be published, state so clearly. You can put any direction or request like this in a separate paragraph. For example, you can simply put Please note: I do not want my full name to be published with this letter. If you are a minor, inform the editor of this as well.Since your letter may be edited, you should get to the point early. Dont bury your point inside a lengthy argument. Dont appear to be overly emotional. You can avoid this by limiting your exclamation points. Also, avoid insulting language.Remember that short, concise letters sound confident. Long, wordy letters give the impression that youre trying too hard to make a point.