I had heard of this book before and was excited when I saw it on our book list, because it's been on my own personal list of books to read for quite some time.
As I read the book, and especially as I got near the end, I was struck with how different the tone was from the beginning of the story to the end. Before the boys are taken by the army, they are still young boys. They cry for their friend Saidu, they play soccer on the beaches....they are very much young boys going through a hell they can't even begin to rationally cope with or understand. There was an awareness as I read the first half of the book at how young these boys are. This awareness didn't necessarily go away when I got to the later chapters, but I found myself thinking that it was as if they had lost their childhood overnight. Suddenly, Ishamael went from being a young 13 year old boy on the run to a 13 year old boy killing and doing drugs. The loss of his childhood was very apparent. It also seemed necessary as a survival tactic: they had to be numb and lose their emotions to do the things they were doing. This was why they were given drugs and movies, why they wouldn't sleep. As long as there was no time to think, they could keep following orders. This was not an environment that childish boys could live in. I felt very sad that Ishamael's childhood had been torn from him like that.
The brainwashing of these children was apparent, for they began to truly identify and take pride in what they were doing. These are kids who have lost everything and finally have someone for whom to blame and take out their anger. They are too drugged up and sleep deprived and afraid to question anything. They belong to this army now. I understood their anger when they were taken away in the truck by UNICEF, for they were leaving behind a place where they felt valued and strong. I was shocked and very saddened when Ishmael announced that Mambu had gone back to the front lines after leaving the rehabilitation center because his family wouldn't take him back. It reminded me of what we learned about girls who had been forced into sex trafficking whose communities would reject them. It creates a cycle where the only way to survive is to go back to the horror they came from.
I couldn't believe that boys as young as seven and eleven would be forced to go to the front lines, when they weren't even strong enough to hold guns. That was really hard for me to read.
I can't imagine going through the amount of loss that Ishmael experienced at such a young age. He not only experienced the death of his family, but also the loss of his community, his childhood, and his friends along the way. Each time he said goodbye to someone and then mentioned that he never saw that person again, my heart broke a little more. How does someone go through that much pain and still allow themselves to love and build friendships and form attachments even when everything they've been attached to or everyone they've loved has been taken from them? It shows a real resilience and strength of character that he could keep going and not only survive, but go on to help others who have been in similar situations. I was very glad he still had an aunt and uncle to go to, a place where he could have some familial attachment.
In his Acknowledgements at the end of the book, Ishmael mentions that he is now living a "second lifetime" and after reading what he went through, that statement definitely rings true. I'm so glad that he got out and became a storyteller, that he is able to share his experience with people like myself who are so ignorant about things like this. Again, I am forced to look at my own life and realize how lucky and fortunate I am that I live in a peaceful place. So much of what Ishmael went through was completely out of his control, and it made me see how much control I have over my own life, and how I live in luxury compared to the day-to-day survival he had to go through.
What's really sad is that these were just young boys fighting young boys. The idea that "rebels are evil and must be killed" was being forced upon them so much these boys internalized those beliefs and made them their own. Those beliefs were so deep that even without the presence of their commanders in the rehabilitation center, the boys fought to the death upon finding out they were sharing the same space as rebels. And they were happy with their kills. That is a forced idea on kids who are too young to question what they are being told. But sadly, doesn't all war come down to that? The young fighting each other in wars they might not even understand?
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Sierra Leone Research
I knew A Long Way Gone was a book about a child soldier, but before reading I didn't know that this had happened in Sierra Leone. I remember hearing about child soldiers in Uganda in high school, and what I learned was heartbreaking. I knew this would be the same. In my research I found out that the movie "Blood Diamond" was set in Sierra Leone during this time period. I have seen the movie but it's been so long that I forgot where it took place. So obviously I was pretty uninformed going into this reading.
I briefly brushed up on some of the history. The civil war talked about in the book lasted eleven years, from 1991 to 2002. Over 50,000 people died during that time period. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) tried overthrowing the government. The Sierra Leone Army (SLA) fought back, and after a peace contract failed to be implemented in 1996, they kept fighting. May 1997 saw the SLA stage a coup and form a new government by taking over Freetown, but the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group came in and overtook the city on behalf of the government. In the end, after the UN's mission to help out was failing, the United Kingdom stepped in to help out and was able to help defeat the RUF and take control of Freetown.
This is obviously a very condensed version of a very complicated and long issue. I found out that the country is rich in alluvial diamonds, and this economic factor definitely played a role in the fighting. Economic factors were not the only reason why the war started, for the country had experienced many years of unjust government and oppression and were looking for a way out.
The RUF would recruit child soldiers from the displaced population fleeing the war. Over 80,000 refugees from nearby Liberia, who had their own civil war, were fleeing into Sierra Leone and many of them were children. As Sierra Leone's civil war went on, many children from that country became displaced as well. As kids were starving and homeless, it was easy for the RUF to take advantage of their situations by offering them food and shelter in return for their support, and if that failed, the RUF would force them to join anyway.
What I really took away from the research was that this war has many different sides and organizations all trying to gain power, as well as a lot of history and culture that plays into it as well. There's not really a "good side" or "bad side" in this civil war, for both had committed horrible atrocities.
I briefly brushed up on some of the history. The civil war talked about in the book lasted eleven years, from 1991 to 2002. Over 50,000 people died during that time period. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) tried overthrowing the government. The Sierra Leone Army (SLA) fought back, and after a peace contract failed to be implemented in 1996, they kept fighting. May 1997 saw the SLA stage a coup and form a new government by taking over Freetown, but the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group came in and overtook the city on behalf of the government. In the end, after the UN's mission to help out was failing, the United Kingdom stepped in to help out and was able to help defeat the RUF and take control of Freetown.
This is obviously a very condensed version of a very complicated and long issue. I found out that the country is rich in alluvial diamonds, and this economic factor definitely played a role in the fighting. Economic factors were not the only reason why the war started, for the country had experienced many years of unjust government and oppression and were looking for a way out.
The RUF would recruit child soldiers from the displaced population fleeing the war. Over 80,000 refugees from nearby Liberia, who had their own civil war, were fleeing into Sierra Leone and many of them were children. As Sierra Leone's civil war went on, many children from that country became displaced as well. As kids were starving and homeless, it was easy for the RUF to take advantage of their situations by offering them food and shelter in return for their support, and if that failed, the RUF would force them to join anyway.
What I really took away from the research was that this war has many different sides and organizations all trying to gain power, as well as a lot of history and culture that plays into it as well. There's not really a "good side" or "bad side" in this civil war, for both had committed horrible atrocities.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Revolution is Not a Dinner Party
I really enjoyed this book and I liked that it was told from Ling's point of view. She's still a young girl, so in situations like where Comrade Li was giving her origami in exchange for food, I knew that despite her joy at the origami that they were basically being stolen from. This was one of the many situations where I could tell something sinister was going on despite the fact that the main character was completely unaware of it. One example of this was the tied up cloths under the mattress. I had a hunch they were for a potential suicide even when Ling didn't know. There was a lot of unspoken things going on with her mother, where Ling assumed her mother didn't care for her, but really she was just worried and concerned for Ling's well-being and safety. Ling's parents were obviously trying to protect her from the harsh reality of their world.
Another reason I liked that the book was from her point of view was because the questions she was asking were the same ones I was asking. Like, how could Comrade Li be so cruel after being so nice? Sometimes her innocence was really jarring, like when she asked her father what freedom was. He described it as being able to say and do what you want, and it made me feel very thankful that I live in a place where I feel free to voice my opinions and choose the kind of life I want to lead.
Another reason I liked that the book was from her point of view was because the questions she was asking were the same ones I was asking. Like, how could Comrade Li be so cruel after being so nice? Sometimes her innocence was really jarring, like when she asked her father what freedom was. He described it as being able to say and do what you want, and it made me feel very thankful that I live in a place where I feel free to voice my opinions and choose the kind of life I want to lead.
I was shocked at how the Red Guards believed in the Maoist ideology so much that they were actually taking pleasure in ripping apart peoples' homes. They truly must have believed that these "upper class" people (like Ling's family who were all in the medical profession) deserved to be humiliated and torn down. It's obvious that the regime had truly succeeded in getting deep into the minds of its young followers. Even at school, Ling was taunted for being "bourgeois."
I loved how strong Ling was and how she stood up to the bullies at school. Even at the end when they're making her apologize to Gao, she turns it into something empowering by chanting it and thinking about all the things she'd really like to say. She becomes so strong by the end of the book and you really get a sense that she's coming into her own. She's also much more understanding and caring for her family by the end, especially towards her mother. I was really moved by her relationship to both parents. Really, all they have is each other. The familial relationships in this book really stood out because the one way the Red Guards were able to gain control was by threatening a person's family. I was thinking about the woman who committed suicide whose sons were punished for her crimes, and how painful that scene was. When the grandmother steps in and disowns her own daughter to save her grandsons, it's heartbreaking. These are situations nobody wants to find themselves in. The fear for one's loved ones is often much greater than the fear we have for ourselves. I can't imagine not knowing where my family members are or wondering if they're dead or alive. I feel like I'd be doing what Ling did when they came to get her father, trying to go with him just to be able to know what happens to him.
Som much of this reminded me of what I know about Nazi Germany, so it was very frightening to read about their experiences. The amount of control a government can have over its people is absolutely terrifying.
I loved how strong Ling was and how she stood up to the bullies at school. Even at the end when they're making her apologize to Gao, she turns it into something empowering by chanting it and thinking about all the things she'd really like to say. She becomes so strong by the end of the book and you really get a sense that she's coming into her own. She's also much more understanding and caring for her family by the end, especially towards her mother. I was really moved by her relationship to both parents. Really, all they have is each other. The familial relationships in this book really stood out because the one way the Red Guards were able to gain control was by threatening a person's family. I was thinking about the woman who committed suicide whose sons were punished for her crimes, and how painful that scene was. When the grandmother steps in and disowns her own daughter to save her grandsons, it's heartbreaking. These are situations nobody wants to find themselves in. The fear for one's loved ones is often much greater than the fear we have for ourselves. I can't imagine not knowing where my family members are or wondering if they're dead or alive. I feel like I'd be doing what Ling did when they came to get her father, trying to go with him just to be able to know what happens to him.
Som much of this reminded me of what I know about Nazi Germany, so it was very frightening to read about their experiences. The amount of control a government can have over its people is absolutely terrifying.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Chinese Cultural Revolution
I knew nothing about this revolution before, so all of this information was very new to me. In 1966, the Communist Party leader in China, Mao Zedong, started the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution with the help of his wife, Jiang Qing, and other radicals. He called on the youth of China to rise up against bourgeois society and to help build a better, stronger nation. The students who followed out these orders were called Red Guards, and they were the ones attacking and harassing intellectuals in the country. Anybody who was "privileged," like an educator, doctor, or business owner, was now considered an enemy. The goal here was to create a classless society, to put everyone on equal ground. However, the revolution had a drastically negative impact on the country, not a positive one.
The revolution was marked by chaos. The Red Guards would break into homes and use violence and threats. Anyone could be considered an enemy if they were not careful. Everyone was required to carry around a small red book of Mao's quotes, and it became a crime to criticize him or speak against the government. The Revolution took a huge toll on the economy as stores shut down because of empty shelves, and industrial production fell by 12% in two years. The Red Guards would also fight amongst themselves, adding further trouble. The population's postal service was disrupted, making it harder for people to communicate.
After Mao died in 1976, the Cultural Revolution was officially over, although the effects lasted for years. It's estimated that over a million people were killed (the numbers varied depending on what site I was looking at), and an entire generation was left without formal education because schools were shut down for all ten years of the revolution. Families were separated as anyone with an education had been sent to be "re-educated" among the agricultural class. Many people were sent to work camps and died there. Also, many of China's cultural artifacts were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in the attempt to get rid of anything that symbolized "old" China.
I had no idea this had happened in China, mostly because I have never had an opportunity where I really needed to learn about Chinese history, apart from learning about their art and pottery (the Terracotta Army, for example). It's scary to hear about one person having such a strong influence on an entire country, especially for so many years.
The revolution was marked by chaos. The Red Guards would break into homes and use violence and threats. Anyone could be considered an enemy if they were not careful. Everyone was required to carry around a small red book of Mao's quotes, and it became a crime to criticize him or speak against the government. The Revolution took a huge toll on the economy as stores shut down because of empty shelves, and industrial production fell by 12% in two years. The Red Guards would also fight amongst themselves, adding further trouble. The population's postal service was disrupted, making it harder for people to communicate.
After Mao died in 1976, the Cultural Revolution was officially over, although the effects lasted for years. It's estimated that over a million people were killed (the numbers varied depending on what site I was looking at), and an entire generation was left without formal education because schools were shut down for all ten years of the revolution. Families were separated as anyone with an education had been sent to be "re-educated" among the agricultural class. Many people were sent to work camps and died there. Also, many of China's cultural artifacts were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in the attempt to get rid of anything that symbolized "old" China.
I had no idea this had happened in China, mostly because I have never had an opportunity where I really needed to learn about Chinese history, apart from learning about their art and pottery (the Terracotta Army, for example). It's scary to hear about one person having such a strong influence on an entire country, especially for so many years.
Monday, May 5, 2014
US Immigration Policy Research
Listening to the guest speaker last Wednesday made me understand why people might try to get into the US illegally. The system is set up so that if an immigrant is in the States, it can take years for the rest of their family to join them. I can't imagine being separated from family for so long.
When I set about looking up information on my own, the first thing I wanted to look into was the lottery program, because I've met people trying to get into the US that way. This is a program to obtain a Green Card through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which makes 50,000 visas available each year to immigrants. People are selected randomly from countries with low immigration rates to the US. There's no cost to enter the program, and applicants who are accepted go through a multi-step process which includes a Visa application and interview. There's only a limited period of time each year that applications are accepted. This program is a good option for people who are not able to get a Green Card through family, job, or through refugee or asylum status.
This made me curious about how an unmarried college student like myself would go about trying to move to the US. I've done similar searches in trying to find out how to move to the UK and work legally (which is apparently almost impossible unless I find a job there that will sponsor me, and that employer would have to hire me before I move there. Getting married to a UK citizen or becoming a grad student would be my only other options. Is it just as hard to get into the States, I wonder?) So this was the next thing I looked up. A person moving here would have to have a sponsor through either family or employment to obtain a visa. The number of visas available each year is limited for some countries, and if your application is one of those over the limit, you're put on a waiting list. Also, someone wanting just a temporary working visa would still need their prospective employer to file a petition for their visa. Basically, if someone was wanting to move here and they didn't have immediate family in the US (grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and cousins can't sponsor relatives) or they aren't seeking asylum, they would need to be sponsored by an employer. Knowing how tough it is to find a job here even as a citizen, I can see why the lottery would be appealing.
What about someone who comes to the US on a student visa? Can they stay and work afterward? These students are permitted to work during the school year, as long as it's on campus. Off-campus jobs are allowed after the first year, but only in certain fields. After graduation, a person with a student visa has 60 days to either enroll in another college program or enroll in the Optical Practical Training (OPT) program, which would allow them to extend the student visa for a year to gain practical training in their field. Employment must be related to their field of study. After the year is up, the person can try to extend their stay by up to three years, and it seems the easiest way to do this is if you're in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math. I found that this was similar in the UK. These fields are always in demand).
All in all, trying to move to another country and work there legally is a long and difficult process. This is especially true for people coming to the US. You would have to be very patient and motivated.
When I set about looking up information on my own, the first thing I wanted to look into was the lottery program, because I've met people trying to get into the US that way. This is a program to obtain a Green Card through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which makes 50,000 visas available each year to immigrants. People are selected randomly from countries with low immigration rates to the US. There's no cost to enter the program, and applicants who are accepted go through a multi-step process which includes a Visa application and interview. There's only a limited period of time each year that applications are accepted. This program is a good option for people who are not able to get a Green Card through family, job, or through refugee or asylum status.
This made me curious about how an unmarried college student like myself would go about trying to move to the US. I've done similar searches in trying to find out how to move to the UK and work legally (which is apparently almost impossible unless I find a job there that will sponsor me, and that employer would have to hire me before I move there. Getting married to a UK citizen or becoming a grad student would be my only other options. Is it just as hard to get into the States, I wonder?) So this was the next thing I looked up. A person moving here would have to have a sponsor through either family or employment to obtain a visa. The number of visas available each year is limited for some countries, and if your application is one of those over the limit, you're put on a waiting list. Also, someone wanting just a temporary working visa would still need their prospective employer to file a petition for their visa. Basically, if someone was wanting to move here and they didn't have immediate family in the US (grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and cousins can't sponsor relatives) or they aren't seeking asylum, they would need to be sponsored by an employer. Knowing how tough it is to find a job here even as a citizen, I can see why the lottery would be appealing.
What about someone who comes to the US on a student visa? Can they stay and work afterward? These students are permitted to work during the school year, as long as it's on campus. Off-campus jobs are allowed after the first year, but only in certain fields. After graduation, a person with a student visa has 60 days to either enroll in another college program or enroll in the Optical Practical Training (OPT) program, which would allow them to extend the student visa for a year to gain practical training in their field. Employment must be related to their field of study. After the year is up, the person can try to extend their stay by up to three years, and it seems the easiest way to do this is if you're in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math. I found that this was similar in the UK. These fields are always in demand).
All in all, trying to move to another country and work there legally is a long and difficult process. This is especially true for people coming to the US. You would have to be very patient and motivated.
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