Workingmen's

Workingmen's

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

A Personal Reflection

Before I had taken my first step into this class, I had a preconception that it would focus solely on American history, which I personally dreaded at the thought.  I've been taught in international schools my entire life; most recently in Saudi Arabia where, racism is extremely prominent, yet invisible that even I almost didn't notice. I lived in a strange Utopian-like world. The students and I at my school all lived in sniper secured compounds either owned by American, British, Italian, or Spanish companies. Everyone had similar financial backgrounds as our fathers all work at similar companies. We are all from everywhere around the world, but I have never encountered racism the way people have in America. Hence, I never thought much of this class, except the fact that I was looking forward to write again.

My presumptions were proved wrong.

Everyday in class, I find myself engrossed into our continuous heavy discussions. The class had really broaden my perspective of the massive impact racism, labour, and migration  have on the American people as well as areas internationally.  Everything that Christine talked about, my ears perked up and listened intently and my mind whirling about thinking of a thousand ideas at once.  Sometimes, I could feel her fire and energy when she would present her own analysis. Her body language and her tone of voice greatly reflects her passion on the subject, which in turn, inspired me to perhaps consider changing my major or minoring in English Literature. At the moment, I'm having trouble picking a major that is right for me, and this class certainly helped me find the right pathway to follow.

After gaining a better understanding on labour, race, and migration, I started to think analytically of these social issues in Saudi Arabia. The country is quite unique as it is one of the very few countries that is in a monarchy and owns the biggest oil company in the world. King Abdullah would allow the company to utilise cheap labour by importing workers from South-East Asia to preform the typical "dirty and dangerous work" that native Saudis wouldn't want to do anyways. This ultimately creates a hierarchy of different working and social classes dubbed by racial anomalies; with Saudis promoting themselves as managers, the American accountants and engineers, Italian contractors, Filipino salesmen, the Indian/ Pakistani custodians, and the Indonesian/Ethiopian maids.

Inspired by analyzing the proletarian novels we've read, it drove me back to my dream of being a reporter or foreign correspondent one day. I have this desire to travel around the world, taking risks reporting on war zones, and learn as much as I can of people's cultures and lifestyles. I want to help somehow by revealing truths hidden discretely by those who want to hide their real devious intentions. The people should have the universal right to know the truth and dictate their own lives. 

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