Catalonia: The Rebel State Updated…
Catalonia: The Rebel State
This is a developing story. We will continue to update this article to provide you the most up to date information about Catalonia and its struggle for independence.
[Catalonia’s fight for Independence + historical context.]
Developing News:
In a TV address, Spain’s King Felipe VI condemned organizers of Catalonia’s independence referendum for having put themselves “outside the law;” stating that the situation in Spain was “extremely serious” and calling for unity.
Hundreds of thousands in Catalonia have been protesting since the Spanish police violence that took place during Sunday’s historic vote for independence, in which 893 people were hurt.
Meanwhile, Catalonia’s leader has told multiple news organizations that the region would declare its independence in a matter of days.
In one of his first interviews since the referendum, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said his government would “act at the end of this week or the beginning of the next.”
When probed on what he would do if the Spanish government were to intervene or try to take control of the Catalonia’s government, Mr. Puigdemont said it would be “an error which changes everything.”
As of now, there is no contact between Mr. Puigdemont and the government in Madrid. These comments were made shortly after the Kings televised speech.
Context…
Over the past few weeks the northeastern region of Spain, known as Catalonia has been fighting a great fight for independence against Spain. This is the breakdown of what is happening currently, and what brought about this dangerous split.
As of now, reports state that 893 people and 33 police officers have been hurt since Sunday, Oct 1st, as the Catalan referendum for more autonomy has been passed by the Catalan government. The protests leading to this day have been violent and without regard to human safety or democratic values. What has led to this split? Well, here’s a bit of a history lesson that will explain why Catalonia has always viewed itself as a free state.
History…
Catalonians have always believed that their state is a separate nation from the very beginning. With a population of 7.5 million people, it is the wealthiest of Spain’s 17 semi-autonomous regions. In the 12th century, its kingdom came under the rule of the neighboring Spanish kingdom of Aragon. In the 15th century, when King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile married and united their domains, it became part of a unified Spain. Throughout its history, Catalonia has always had varying degrees of autonomy protecting its distinct culture, language, law, and customs. That all came to a grinding halt when the war of the Spanish Succession took place during 1702-1714 when Catalonia fell to Felipe V’s Franco-Castillian army after a 15-month siege. As a result, the nation-state lost its charters and institutions, and Catalonia was officially abolished. With the state being heavily oppressed by the ruling class, the Catalans have had difficulty maintaining their culture and language ever since.
Fast forward to 1931, relief came in the form of new elections that brought broad autonomy to Catalonia, which again fell apart when Spain fell into civil war during the mid-1930’s and the succeeding Franco regime. Franco’s ultra-conservative rule curtailed the states autonomy and restricted the use of the Catalan language as well. After the end of the dictatorship in 1978, Spain had a democratic transition and Catalonia became one of its 17 autonomous communities. In this period of finally gaining back some control, Catalonia established its own parliament (Generalitat), Police force (Mossos d’esquadra), and education system; but calls for full independence have still continued.
The Euro economic crisis saw high unemployment among the Catalonia youth and further exposed the mass inequality between the rich and poor.
3 Reasons for the split…
Money:
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Pro-independence supporters claim that Catalonia is being robbed by Spain when the central government taxes the region. Catalans state that the gap in what they pay in taxes and what they get back in services is an insult.
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Spain’s financial crisis and the austerity that followed has only fueled this discontent. Catalans claim that Catalonia would be much more sufficient and prosperous on its own.
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The counter-argument comes from Xavier Albiol, who is the leader of the Catalan Branch of Spain’s ruling People’s party. He states that in many countries the wealthy regions prop up the poorer ones, “At the moment Spain is the country in the EU which is growing the most; more jobs are being created and that directly benefits Catalonia, all told, united we are strong.”
Language:
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Under General Franco’s dictatorship, Catalan could not be used in any official context. Since Democracy was restored in 1978, the language has rebounded, which has sparked a new surge of pride in the Catalan culture and identity.
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However, in 2010, the Spanish courts rejected a change to the constitution that would have given the Catalan language preferential status, further alienating the state’s uniqueness, which many Catalans viewed as an insult, again strengthening pro-independence feelings.
Respect:
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“First of all, we are democrats which means that when we demand to be treated a mature society, we mean this. When we demand that the opinion of the people should be taken into account, we mean this.” – Raul Romeva (Member of the Catalan parliament which favors independence)
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As you can see the Catalonia’s pro-independence leaders see the referendum as a democratic right, and Madrid’s refusal to acknowledge this infuriates them.
Do all Catalans want independence?
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Catalans seem to be divided about leaving Spain.
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With 49.4% of its population wanting to stay
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And 41.1 of its population wanting to break away from Spain.
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This break in unity within the state itself has caused mass debates to take part in towns and villages across Catalonia. Though the referendum has now gone in favor for Independence, Spanish authorities have dismissed the referendum as unconstitutional and a ‘farce’; 90% of those who came out and braved against the brutal tactics of the Spanish police voted in favor of the split. Though, protests leading after the vote have only been able to turn out about 42% of supporters due to the police crackdown.
The Catalan President stopped short of declaring independence from Spain on Monday – a move that would have further deepened the crisis, and has instead requested for an international arbiter to mediate the issue, ideally someone from the European Union. “This moment needs mediation,” Catalan President Puigdemont said, “We only received violence and repression as an answer.” Puigdemont said Catalonia did not want a “traumatic break” with Madrid. “We want a new understanding with the Spanish State,” he said.
When the governing body of a nation fails to listen to its people, regardless of how small or big the population of those said people are, unrest and calls for extreme action will take place. Spain has the opportunity to heal the pain and anger it has caused with the Catalan state by simply addressing this problem for what it is – a call to be understood and listened to by the Catalan people. Taking it for anything else will only stiffen the resolve of the pro-independence supporters and further divide the Catalan state from a peaceful resolution.
Catalonia: The Rebel State Update
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No Hate, No Walls… Are DREAMers Here to Stay?
I come from an immigrant family.
My mother lived in Montreal, Canada before she decided to come to the United States to build a better life for her family. I was one of the lucky ones who had a parent whose situation allowed her to go through the proper channels to come here. She could have easily been a refugee coming from a war-torn nation or a country that had no positive outlook for her and her family. But again, we were lucky and now I have the full rights and liberties as any other citizen of this great nation. It is because of that freedom that I express in absolute rage and disgust of Trumps new plan to scrap DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
What is DACA:
- DACA is a program that started in June 2012.
- It allows young illegal immigrants to register with the federal government and obtain a work permit as well as receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation.
- Most of the youth in this program came to the United States when they were babies, and toddlers and did not know they were illegal immigrants until they attempted to apply for a driver’s license or to go to college.
- The program does not provide lawful status or a path to citizenship, nor does it provide eligibility for federal welfare or student aid.
DACA eligibility:
- You cannot have a criminal record, which includes a felony, or misdemeanor.
- You must be enrolled in school, have a graduate degree, or be an honorable veteran.
- You must arrive in the U.S. before the age of 16.
- Be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012.
To show proof of qualification, all applicants must submit three forms –
- I-821D: Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
- I-765: Application for Employment Authorization
- I-765WS: Worksheet
This policy was created after acknowledging that the youth that came here at such tender ages were “low priority” for immigration enforcement to pursue considering their good behavior, which is why the act of terminating it is so ridiculous. Freedom… the ability to choose how to live your life, in the way you wish to live it, free from tyranny, and prosecution, should not be of question for these young people who have done everything required of them.
Earlier this week (9/5/17) I spent most of my evening at the DACA rally in Foley SQ Park, NY trying to understand the sentiment of the people and how they are handling the latest jab to our nation’s identity, and I can proudly say that I was not disappointed.
I saw people from all walks of life holding up signs such as:
- No Hate, No Fear, Democracy is here
- F*&^ Trump
- Immigrants BELONG here
- Build Bridges NOT WALLS
It was amazing to see everyone come together and stand against a common threat to what makes this country great… Immigrants.
We are all immigrants in the U.S., and watching our leaders fail again and again is the main reason our country is so divided. It isn’t the Republicans versus the Democrats, or Christians against Muslims, or anything else that is being thrown around in the media. It’s a truth that is ingrained in our very history that is being ignored, and that truth is that we all came here to make our lives, and those we care about, better. If we can’t do that, what does it even mean to be an American?
More on DACA? Trump Ends DACA, America’s Top Universities Respond
Sierra Leone Crisis = International Silence ?
Sierra Leone…
I am sick and tired of one tragedy being more noteworthy than another. I am sick of one loss gaining more awareness on social media platforms and support while another is ignored and lost in the dark.
This is my outlook on the Sierra Leone Mudslide disaster…
499 dead. Hundreds are currently missing. Where is the world’s outcry? Where are the colored filters on Facebook for Sierra’s Leone’s Mudslide victims?
All hell broke loose in the early hours of Monday (August, 14, 2017), Sierra Leoneans woke up to devastating torrential rains that caused flooding and triggered a massive mudslide. Most the damage done was in the Mortormeh, Kamayama, and Kaningo communities, which are on the outskirts of the capital Freetown.
Sierra Leone government’s initial reports have indicated that as of now, over 499 bodies have been recovered, of that number 150 were children. Search operations are still ongoing. The bodies have been brought to the central morgue in Freetown, but it is estimated that the number of victims may increase to the thousands.
People have lost property, possessions, and hundreds are now homeless with nowhere to go. Most of these people are women and children, mothers and infants that need urgent help and care.
To make matters worse, health workers have warned of an impending health crisis since corpses have been left in the open and the mass burial of bodies is still underway.
There are agencies working on the ground who are doing their best to respond to the disaster, but due to the large scale of destruction it has been described as an unprecedented tragedy for Sierra Leone.
As this all plays out, I am baffled and enraged by the lack of outcry or support from the international community. It’s now Sunday (August, 21, 2017), and I note an echoing silence by some of the international leaders and communities around the world.
The lack of support or a response even is disgusting. Sierra Leone, a country in perpetual conflict has seen its share of trials and tribulations that range from Civil War to the Ebola crisis. This latest disaster feels like the one that is meant to break the people’s will.
The only good thing I have come to find out of this disaster is that African leaders around the continent have officially expressed their support and sympathy to the people of Sierra Leone. Countries like Senegal, and Ivory Coast have made substantial financial donations and sent relief packages to aid the rescue efforts.
Citizens of Sierra Leone who live abroad have also sent back support and assistance to Sierra Leone, but little to nothing else has been said or done by countries like France, UK, Germany, or the USA.
No one tragedy is above another, or holds less severity than another. The attack on Barcelona received support and attention from all the corners of the world, but a mudslide that kills over 400 people in Sierra Leone receives nothing but a whisper?
This is the problem with the world. This is what makes us in the West isolated and unaware of what is taking place on our own planet. Our media covers only what it feels aligns with its agenda, and everything else is ignored and left in the dark.
I hope and pray that after reading this those who truly care for others will conduct some research on Sierra Leone and attempt to either help or at the very least bring attention to the situation.
We are part of this world, humanity is important, and it’s about time we actually act like it and hold others accountable for it as well.
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Terror in Barcelona
Terror in Barcelona
As the story unfolds, citizens of 24 nations were among those killed and injured in Barcelona including one Belgian national confirmed to be among the dead. This attack, the latest in a wave of vehicle “terror” across Europe in recent times, caused panic in Spain’s largest city and drew swift condemnation from leaders around the world.
“It was clearly a terror attack, intended to kill as many people as possible.” – Josep Lluis Trapero, Senior Police Official.
A few hours later, police said they had killed “four suspected terrorists” and left another injured in Cambrils, a city that is 79 miles south of Barcelona. The region’s government of Catalonia, where both Barcelona and Cambrils are located, verified the incident in the early hours of Friday, which the local authorities had earlier stated as a “possible terrorist attack.”
How it unfolded…
A white Fiat van, which was reported rented, plowed into pedestrians outside a Jewish restaurant on a busy street in Barcelona a little after 5 pm on Thursday (8/17/17). The Vehicle moved onto the promenade and charged down the busy walkway in central Barcelona for 500 meters, going back and forth as it ran pedestrians down and turned a beautiful tourist destination into a nightmare killing zone.
Eyewitness Testimonies…
Aamer Anwar a lawyer and Rector from the University of Glasglow was walking in La Ramblas when he heard screaming. He said a shopkeeper told him five or six people were badly injured and described the scene as “chaos.”
Aamer’s witness account:
“I was walking down Las Ramblas for something to eat. Part of the street was in the shade so I decided to keep walking down and literally within 10 seconds there was a crashing noise. I turned around and people were screaming – I could see a woman screaming with her kids – people started running and jumping into shops. I ran for about 50-100 meters and turned around to see what was happening.”
British tourist Keith Welling, who had come to Barcelona on Wednesday with his wife and 9-year older daughter, said they saw the van drive right past them down the avenue and took refuge in a restaurant when panic broke out and the crowd started to run.
“People were shouting and we heard a bang and someone cried that it was a gunshot. My family and I ran into the restaurant along with roughly 40 other people.”
Cambrils…
Locals of the Spanish seaside resort of Cambrils fled in terror in the early hours of Friday after five terrorists wearing suicide bomb vests launched the second vehicle attack in the country just after a few hours from the first. As of now, six people have been hurt in the second attack, when attackers drove into pedestrians before being shot and killed by the security forces. Of the six civilians caught in the Cambrils attack, two are said to be in serious condition. As of now, one has unfortunately died per an official Twitter account.
This time the Vehicle used was an Audi A3. It rammed into people on the seaside promenade of the tourist city of Cambrils. Police said the suspects in Cambrils carried bomb belts, which were detonated safely by a police bomb squad. Media reports said a car crashed into a police vehicle and nearby civilians. Police shot the attackers, one who was waving a knife around. For now, police have not said how the attack was being carried out. A police officer and five civilians have been injured, one which has now passed away due to serious injuries.
Isil claims responsibility…
According to the jihadist organization’s propaganda outlet Amaq, “Soldiers” of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have announced that they orchestrated the deadly van attack. Amaq said they had launched the attack in response to calls to target states taking part in the US-led coalition battling the jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the attack was “jihadist terrorism” which required a swift global response. At a news conference in Barcelona, Rajoy said:
“Today the fight against terrorism is the principal priority for free and open societies like ours, it is a global threat and the response has to be global.”
Isil, which once controlled a self-declared “caliphate” across large parts of Iraq and Syria, has now suffered major losses in recent months. Coalition-backed Iraqi forces recaptured its Iraqi stronghold Mosul in July.
More to come as the story develops.
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Venezuela: A Nation Divided And Why It Matters, Pt. II
(Part I includes reasons 1 and 2)
Here are reasons 3 – 5 why the crisis in Venezuela matters to not just you, but to everyone else in the world.
III. It could turn Venezuelans to hate America in the region
- Dictators in Latin America love to find sentiment to rage against the United States. From Fidel Castro’s passionate denunciations of the American “imperialists” to Venezuelans late president Hugo Chavez, who spoke out against George W. Bush at the UN in 2006.
- So it’s no surprise that Maduro is using the same rhetoric to stoke up flames of anti-American sentiment throughout the region.
- Latin Americans are cautious and sensitive to what some consider “imperialist” policies coming from Washington, making it very easy for leaders like Maduro to build up dissent for the United States.
- With this being said, it is important for the U.S. to play an active role in Latin America so that it can combat the negative remarks and false images that dictators are trying to create.
IV. It has created unimaginable suffering
- Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” There is a fundamental human reason why we should care and pay attention to what is currently taking place in Venezuela. Venezuelans are going through unimaginable suffering, and it’s unfathomable to many of us.
- High inflation, especially soaring food prices means that many people are not just skipping meals, but are not eating all together. According to a national survey conducted by three of the country’s major universities, the percentage of malnourished Venezuelans is increasing.
- Some have jokingly dubbed this the “Maduro diet” who has said that doing without “makes you tough.” WTF?
- There have also been shortages on basic goods such as toilet paper and medical supplies. Venezuela can’t pay to import goods because its government is desperately strapped for cash after years of foolish spending. The sight of people sifting through trash to find food is unfortunately a common sight.
V. This could ultimately hurt us in our pocketbook.
- This crisis in Caracas could hit American citizens where it hurts the most: The gas pump.
- The US is the main buyer of Venezuelan oil, so there’s a very intimate relationship between both governments, in that regard at least.
- If President Trump decided to actually follow through on his threat to place heavy sanctions on Venezuelan oil, or bar shipments to the U.S., Venezuela would be crippled because at this point that is their only source of income. Its humanitarian crisis would worsen. But surprisingly, the sanctions would hurt us as well, because Venezuela is third in oil exports to the U.S., right behind Saudi Arabia and Canada.
- Sanctions would force the U.S. to buy oil elsewhere, which means that it would inadvertently force you and I to shell out more money when we decide to visit our local BP or Mobil gas station.
So pay attention, this is bigger than our media is leading you to believe. This crisis in Venezuela can definitely get out of control, if it already hasn’t.
Venezuela: A Nation Divided And Why It Matters, Pt. I
As of this year, you have probably seen the news reports: The Vice specials, and AJ+’s coverage of the protests in the streets, the long lines at the stores. But you probably have not paid enough attention to the actual chaos gripping Venezuela.
How are the events taking place in a socialist nation of 30 million people, thousands of miles away, relevant to you in the U.S.?
Here are 5 reasons why the crisis in Venezuela matters to not just you, but to everyone else in the world.
I. It’s creating thousands of new refugees
- The lack of food and medicine, soaring inflation, political instability, and violence are all key ingredients of creating refugees. This has and is currently taking place in Venezuela, and has forced tens of thousands of its citizens to flee. These same refugees are now the top asylum seekers in the U.S., ahead of citizens from countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and China. This is, in fact, the first time that Venezuelans have topped the list.
- As of now, more than 21,600 Venezuelans have sought asylum so far in 2017. That number has increased by as much as four times since 2015 when 5,605 Venezuelans applied for asylum.
- What makes this all the more challenging is that with the current American political climate, a wave of new asylum-seekers would not be welcomed with open arms.
- There is currently a rise in xenophobia in the U.S., and a flood of Venezuelans from across the social strata into our country creates an opportunity for U.S. politicians to use them as pawns for their political agendas.
II. It’s an attack on democracy – which is disconcerting
- Observers of this conflict have noted that what is currently going on politically in Venezuela over the last few years is an attack on the people’s ability to choose how they wish to be governed, which is also an attack on their presumed liberties.
- President Nicolas Maduro filled the Venezuelan Supreme court with his supporters so that he would be able to block any impeachment attempts after the country’s opposition leaders won a majority of seats in the National Assembly in 2015.
- To make matters worse, the Maduro-backed Supreme court then briefly tried to deconstruct the National Assembly and grab hold of its legislative powers, which only ignited a wave of violent protests that have continued almost every day since March 2017. As many as 100 people have been killed since then.
- Last week the country held an election that was highly controversial to create a new lawmaking body, named the Constituent Assembly. The 545-seat legislative body, packed with Maduro’s supporters, would finally have the power to rewrite the country’s 1999 constitution and promptly take control of all branches of Venezuela’s government under Maduro.
- With what is currently taking place in our own country, this should make ALL Americans sit up and pay attention. Having a leader try and bend the will of the government to suit his needs is something we all have become quite accustomed to in the U.S.
Part II includes reasons 3 – 5.
Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary, OUT!
Sean Spicer Quits His Day Job
After a tumultuous 6 months of defending and fighting off droves of reporters and media outlets for President Trump, Sean Spicer has called it quits. He attributes this decision to being undermined constantly by the Presidents own public statements and for the new house communications director Anthony Saramucci. Sean believes Mr. Saramucci is not fit to be press secretary, which will leave him to carry both jobs, and that is not manageable.
My Take: Tough Role From Day One
Spicer was repeatedly pushed into a defensive position. He was urged by the President to take on the briefing room from day one to defend the Trump administration’s perspective from the coverage of the size of the crowd that attended Trump’s inauguration, to Trump’s tweets and statements that brought him and his staff under scrutiny and criticism.
This story is breaking and will be updated with new information.
Trump’s “New” Cuba Policy
During a speech given in Miami’s Little Havana” on Friday, June 16th, 2017, President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor’s Cuba policy, saying it allowed the Castro regime to benefit from increased tourism. “Effectively immediately,” Trump said, “I am canceling the last administration’s completely one-sided deal with Cuba.”
Technically, this is not the case. The real policy changes Trump is going to implement are less significant than he led everyone to believe they would be. Many of the Obama administration’s policy will remain in place. Under the new policy – Americans will no longer have the ability to plan their own private, individual “educational” trips to Cuba, and those who go as part of authorized educational group tours will be subject to stricter rules and guidelines. American companies and citizens will also be banned from doing business with companies controlled by the Cuban military or its intelligence or security services. But the relaxed rules that made it easier for US companies to do business in Cuba will stay in place. Cruises and direct flights between the US and Cuba will still be allowed, and Cuban Americans will still be able to travel freely to the island and send money to relatives there.
These actions come at an inopportune time because, towards the end of his tenure, President Obama directed his attention on the thawing of relations between the two cold war enemies. Using his executive authority, Obama relaxed some of the trade and travel restrictions in the longstanding US economic embargo on the Cuban nation. In July 2016 – The U.S. officially restored diplomatic relations with Cuba and reopened its embassy in Havana. All of which makes Trump new initiative frustrating for growing businesses in Cuba, and travelers alike. In November, then-president-elect Trump tweeted that he would “terminate” the deal unless Cuba agreed to “make a better” one, but instead of terminating the deal, it seems that Trump is content with leaving most of the important policies in place.
So why do all this?
The main reason Trump cites for opposing the Obama Administration’s deal is that it didn’t go far enough in the right direction — Trump has so far shown little commitment to promoting such values elsewhere, especially if doing so comes at the expense of US economic interests. Part of the reason Trump’s new policy doesn’t go far enough as his rhetoric suggests is that it has to do with US economic interests. Consider the direct flights between the US and Cuba, as John Kavulich, the president of the US-Cuba trade and economic council mentioned back in November 2016. The administration would face major opposition, which would include lawsuits from the airline industry if Trump were to do terminate the deal. Why, because airlines have already made large financial investments in “good faith” based on the new regulations from the Obama administration. And that’s just the airlines! A number of tourism and travel companies such as Airbnb, Carnival Cruise Line, and Starwood Hotels have also taken advantage of the Obama administration’s relaxed restrictions to expand into Cuba, hoping to cash in on what will become a hot new tourist haven. Airbnb alone (Cuba to Trump: US in no ‘condition to lecture us’ on human rights), over the past two years has been able to bring 40 million dollars back to the Cuban people who have rented out their homes for travelers.
Hilariously, this somewhat tougher stance with Cuba won’t get Trump the response he’s looking for. After all, 50 years of tough US policies toward Cuba failed to achieve the desired political, social, and economic reforms inside the island nation. The idea of what Trump wants and desires are totally out of par with what Americans want and desire. The world is continually evolving and changing, which makes decisions such as this all the more frustrating because of the impact it has on our countries relationships with our neighbors as well as with our ability to travel freely and learn from other cultures.
“A Mother’s Dream For Change: Taking the First Step Into The Unknown”
My mom hated guests, guests that came with their sons who were looking for a “good” bride to bring home so she could cook, clean, and have dozens of children. My mom could see her entire life flash before her eyes if she was to remain in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for much longer. She had shared her concerns with her father, a man who took a practical approach to life and who could clearly see his daughter’s displeasure. Knowing the severe pushback, he was about to receive from my grandmother on the course of action he was going to take, my grandfather bought a one-way ticket for my mom to London and presented it to her early one morning. “Take this and go make something of your life,” My grandfather said. My mother was shocked, she knew how big of a deal this was… for a Sikh man to give his daughter a literal key to be free and to live life on her own terms. “She hugged my grandfather thanking him for this once in a lifetime opportunity, packed her bags and took the first step to creating a life for herself. That first step brought her to London, where she studied nursing and became a LPN (licensed practical nurse).
While exploring the wonders of England my mom met my father who was also working at the same hospital. The both worked overtime and fell in love, got married, to moved to Canada where my sister was born. After 8 years they moved to America, where I was born. This journey around the world made my parents experience a lot of different systems and cultures that were the identity of each respective nation. My mother will never forget the reception she received when she first walked into New York. “It was a dream come true to finally pass the numerous tests and interviews and immigration itself to know that this is where my son will be born. This is where he will grow up and find the path he needs to take to make his own life, on his own terms.” And she never let me forget it, the hardships that she and my father had to go through to get my sister and I here.
Her one piece of great advice for me was that you are born here, but too many of you will still be considered a foreigner. You need to push harder and educate yourself as high as you can to be the best you can be, because no one is ever going to give you anything. Being Indian and following the Sikh faith has taught me that all too well within the last decade. I remember the struggles of my parents and with each day I find new ways to better myself and work with organizations that promote awareness and the importance of the diversity in America. Being part of these organizations gives people like myself the opportunity to show the nation that there is nothing to fear about immigrants. That the land of the free was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of immigrants, and that only together can WE make this nation great again.