Breaking The Stigma of Using Services From Planned Parenthood

Art 3170

Allison Aziz

Kara Szabadi

Civic Engagement: Planned Parenthood

Civic engagement is a very important part of our community and can be defined or viewed in a couple different ways. Thomas Ehrlich writes "Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes." The American Psychological Association writes "Civic engagement is made up of individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern." Personally, I think that civic engagement is the active effort to better a community's quality of life through education and promoting motivation within the community. That being said, I have found myself quite concerned with a number of social issues in my community, especially recently in light of the results of our 2016 Presidential election. My action for my civic engagement project is helping to break the stigma around using services from Planned Parenthood, as a step towards keeping their organization permanently funded.

Definition 1:
Excerpts from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published by Oryx Press, 2000.

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/college/collegespecial2/coll_aascu_defi.html

Definition 2:
American Psychological Association, published 2016, Washington DC.

http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/civic-engagement.aspx

When I began researching statistics about the services provided by Planned Parenthood I found a lot of important and informative information about the organization.

• Planned Parenthood is an organization "founded on the revolutionary idea that women should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams". To be more specific, "Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide." (PP.org)
• Did you know that "One in five American women has chosen Planned Parenthood for health care at least once in her life" ? That is 20% of American women, or 31,400,000 women! (PP.org)
• Many conservative opponents argue that Planned Parenthood is mainly used by women seeking abortions. The republican party stated that "abortions account for 94% of Planned Parenthood's pregnancy services" (FactCheck.org). However, "these health centers provide a wide range of safe, reliable health care — and the majority is preventive, primary care, which helps prevent unintended pregnancies through contraception, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections through testing and treatment, and screen for cervical and other cancers." (PP.org)
• Planned Parenthood also states that they "deliver comprehensive sex education that empowers all people to make informed choices and lead healthy lives." (PP.org)
• FactCheck.org wrote in response to the Republican Party's claims that "65,464 additional “family practice services” were provided to men and women, some of whom may have been expecting. Nearly 1.2 million pregnancy tests were given to women, some of whom may have been pregnant at the time. And 17,817 men and women received “other procedures,” including services for low-income pregnant women through the Women, Infants, and Children federal program."
• Planned Parenthood provides many services that are not abortion related (Factcheck.org):
• 4.5 million tests and treatment for sexually transmitted infections
• 3.6 million contraception related services
• 935,573 cancer screenings including breast exams and Pap tests
• 1.1 million pregnancy tests and prenatal services

• Furthermore, CNN writes that "27% of all women in the United States who obtain contraceptive services do so at a publicly funded health center that provides family planning services, such as Planned Parenthood" and that "it is the largest provider of reproductive health services in the United States, providing services to 2.7 million patients in 2013 alone". (Cnn.com)

After seeing all these numbers, all my feelings about the organization were confirmed if not boosted. What an incredible organization! They have saved countless lives in more ways than one, by providing a safe and rather discrete reproductive health care option for people of all ages and genders. I have a lot of feelings on the topic of women's/sexual and reproductive help, many of which stem from personal experiences. For example, when I became sexually active, I used Planned Parenthood services to regularly get STD tested. They provided a place for me to feel safe, both physically and emotionally, not being judged or ignored. I was able to be discreet as well as make sure that I am my partner(s) were healthy. I think that if it were not for Planned Parenthood that I wouldn't have been tested regularly when I was younger, which could have led to a variety of health issues. 

I personally know many people that are not able to afford their preferred from of contraceptives, and have been lucky enough to have access to a Planned Parenthood to obtain them. Similarly to that statement I made above, I am not sure that these people would be able to use contraceptives as easily and regularly as they are because of PP. 

I know the topic of abortion is touchy and the debate surrounding it is heated, but in our country (currently) women have the right to choose. Planned Parenthood provides this service to women when they are facing one of the hardest decisions of their life. Women should not have to be ashamed, and should not fear the financial burden of aborting an unintended pregnancy, and Planned Parenthood helps with just that. If a woman cannot afford to raise a child, if her or the fetus's life is in danger, if she was raped, etc, she does not have to go through with the pregnancy and have it change the course of her life as she knows it. This is something that is important to me as I have witnessed women have children when they couldn't afford to, as well as women chose to have an abortion when they were not ready to be a mother. I think that the choice should be left to the mother, and when she has made a decision that she can receive the services she needs to be healthy and safe, whether she decides to terminate the pregnancy, or have the child- Planned Parenthood helps with both options.  

Lastly, I want to discuss the organization's medical services they provide. Pap smears are absolutely vital to women's reproductive health and should be preformed annually. That being said, like many other services, a massive population of women in our country cannot afford to get this done. Planned Parenthood offers this service, and preforms it for hundreds of thousands of women. I personally did not understand the importance of getting this done annually, until I had irregular results this year. I do not need to get into the details of my medical history, but what is important to note is that my life was saved by early detection cancer screening. If I had never gotten a pap smear a couple months ago, I would not have known that there was any issue, as cervical cancer remains symptomless for a long period of time. I cannot imagine what it would be like if I could not have had this service simply because I couldn't afford it. I'm sure I would be facing much larger bills in the future to battle, as the cancer would not have been detected until a farther stage, when it is much harder to combat.

After discussing my intended action and some of my research with members of my community I found the following people who wanted to stand with me to break the stigma of using Planned Parenthood services. 

"A woman's right to choose is so important to me. The availbility of Planned Parenthood services is vital to all women is all walks of life. I strongly support Planned Parenthood." -Jamie Szabadi

Logan Drescher

Sabine Toth

 "I support the great work of Planned Parenthood"-Jack Ohringer

Zachary M Szabadi

"Planned Parenthood provides crucial services for people of both sexes and all genders to ensure everybody has access to medical services critical to the health of every, single, body. Planned Parenthood  is not a "women's health" program. Planned Parenthood is a human health provider." -Celestina Dimauro

Statistics and research were found from the following websites: 

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/09/planned-parenthoods-services/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/health/planned-parenthood-by-the-numbers/

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are

Drunk Driving by Derek Thai

Drunk Driving 

By Derek Thai

According to Intoxalock, alcohol-related traffic crashes don't only affect the impaired driver. One third of alcohol-involve traffic fatalities are passengers, occupants in other vehicles or pedestrians. This is exactly what fears me, the fact that you cannot trust another person on the road and their driving let alone being under the influence. MADD statistics state that everyday in America, another 27 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes. The same cases have happened around my neighborhood too many times just a few streets away and it is a scary thought  to think that it can happen at any moment to me or someone I know.


Drunk driving is important me because there have been so many DUI accidents which have occurred around my home. My family, friends, myself, and everyone I know are on the road at some point so I feel that this issue needs to be addressed.  I'm always cautious when it comes to driving on the road. There are so many accidents that don't have anything to do with being under the influence. I can only imagine how many accidents involve DUI's. As a college student I do attend parties and go to drink occasionally so I think there's a greater chance that someone around me is committing a DUI.  From personal experience, I've witnessed people under the influence and they get away with it. It blows my mind how many people do it and I feel that something must be done.


I believe that promoting it more and having more officers on duty to keep check of those under the influence could decrease the number of accidents. Although it would be costly, have more check points on weekdays and weekends.  It might prevent accidents and costs. Of course, it would be easier for everyone to simply stop drinking and driving and stop to think about how much danger it can cause.



Drunk Driving Facts:
- 10,076 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in 2013 - 1 every 53 minutes.

- 9,967 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in 2014.

- Drunk driving costs the United States $199 billion a year. 

- Each day, people drive drunk almost 300,000 times, but fewer than 4,000 are arrested.

- Every 90 seconds a person is injured in a drunk driving crash. 

- An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before first arrest.




Members of the community that are against drunk driving:

Sources:
Ignition interlock and drunk driving statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from https://www.intoxalock.com/ignition-interlock-devices/statistics

MADD - Drunk Driving Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/about/drunk-driving-statistics.html

Diversity in Film and Television/ Maria Castro

Diversity in Film and Television

by Maria Castro

RESEARCH:

Diversity in film and television is a constant topic that comes up when there is a hit tv show or blockbuster. If one wants to see diversity, then one has to step out of Hollywood and watch international content. According to the "2015 Diversity Report" conducted by Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, at every level, in every arena, women and minorities are under-represented in the industry (Images of Diversity, 2015). The Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA also noted that male and black characters were overrepresented, while Latino characters were notably underrepresented (Images of Diversity, 2015). Minority leads were more prominent in sitcoms, while white leads were more prominent in dramas (Images of Diversity, 2015). White actors dominated the top credits (Images of Diversity, 2015). LGBT characters were relegated to lower-credited actors (Images of Diversity, 2015). Law enforcement, professional, and student were the most prominent character occupations, and racial and gender stereotypes, though  present at times, were muted(Images of Diversity, 2015).

Although many people might think that diversity is an issue that exists in front the camera, its also an issue that affects those who work behind the camera. According to a study done by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, about 84.8 percent of directors are males and 15.2 are females (Behind the Camera, 2016). Like directors, male representation dominates the writers department as well. Whites dominate behind the camera overall, while 12.7 percent of the behind the camera workers are minorities (Behind the Camera, 2016). Unfortunately, white males dominate both behind and in front the camera. 

References:

"2015 Hollywood Diversity Report: Flipping the Script."(2015, February). Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA. Images of Diversity. Retrieved from:

http://www.bunchecenter.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2015-Hollywood-Diversity-Report-2-25-15.pdf

Smith, S. L., CHOUEITI, M., Case, A., & Tofan, A. (2016, February 22). INCLUSION or INVISIBILITY? Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity in Entertainmen [Abstract]. INCLUSION or INVISIBILITY? Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity in Entertainmen, 1-5. Retrieved from: http://annenberg.usc.edu/pages/~/media/M

PERSONAL: 

As a Chicana filmmaker, diversity in the world of film and television is an issue that affects me. Being part of the underrepresented, my action plan is to improve minorities representation in media, specifically in film and television.

A way that I would like to help improve diversity in the film industry is by stating the fact that we minorities do not want more racial stereotyped roles, and would like better treatment behind and in front the camera. Now in days when one sees a film blockbuster or just a regular film, one sees that our white counterparts get the main role, while minorities get a stereotypical role.  Although, the rise of minorities in the film industry has slowly grown, it still has not improved much. 

MEMBERS IN MY COMMUNITY ALSO AFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE:

                     

                   

                  

Sexual Advertising in Ads-Kate Tellez

Research:

There are plenty of social issues in the world, that in a very fortunate luck, many have been resolved in certain terminology, but many have not. Therefore, one of the problems that society faces is the sexualization of models in advertising. Commercial marketing “gives” what viewers are expecting, in order to please consumers in order to make their “satisfaction” hit a high mark. Consumers of brands such as, Victoria Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Calvin Klein etc. are the focus groups for consumerism. Commercial marketing has affected both males and female models to be sexualized in ads. According to the article, Magazine trends study finds increase in advertisements using sex by Tom Reichert, “advertisers use sex because it can be very effective…sex sells because it attracts attention…people are hard wired…so ads with sexual content get noticed.” This is a clear example that clearly define sexual imagery in ads is conducted in order to increase sells since it holds the viewers’ attention and wants. Not only that, but advertising is another acceptable social norm that tells the viewers tells us what sexy means, and anything that isn’t posed as such, is not.

   Another study, Researchers measure increasing sexualization of images in magazines by Saskia de Melker, “social psychologist Sarah Murnen has studied the hypersexualization of women in media for more than 25 years… “we’ve seen three trends associated with these images…it’s now common to see more parts of the body exposed…there is more emphasis on the size of women’s breasts. And east access to all these images has made it all more acceptable to us.” It seem as if now, there is a social platform constructed in order to make many feel attractive and sexy.

References: 

Melker, Saskia De. "Researchers Measure Increasing Sexualization of Images in Magazines." PBS. PBS, 21 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

Reichert, Tom. "UGA Today." Magazine Trends Study Finds Increase in Advertisements Using Sex. N.p., 5 June 2005. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

This issue is important because I know many young girls out there grow up praising models that look or act a certain way and it shouldn’t be that way.  All females should feel beautiful, pretty, sexy, and attractive. Females of all ages should feel comfortable and content with what they have and not what society says we need more or less off. The sexualizing of the body in ads has affected someone close to me and it’s hard to watch her speak of herself so negatively. The issue doesn’t target a certain age, it targets any woman out there who feel that they aren’t attractive or sexy. Teaching others to know about the kind of advertising that is being done, is part of helping others including myself be aware of the clothes we buy. I feel like in many instances, we buy clothes because it’s “pretty”, but we should be more mindful of what the clothes represent and what the company values. If we can do that, and that includes males, than we can start changing perspectives one step at a time. 

Members in My Community Also Affected By this Social Issue:

 

Body Image by Adela Campos

Adela Campos

Body Image

According to the National Eating Disorders website, body image is how one sees themselves when they look in a mirror or when they picture themselves in their minds. This encompasses how a person sees their body in terms of their height, weight, shape, memories, and generalizations. There are two types of body images, which are positive body images and negative images.

An example of a person with a positive body image of themselves is a person who has a realistic and true perceptions of their body. This type of person embraces their appearance from aspects such as their weight, height, and body type. People with a positive body image tend to be more confident with themselves and understand that appearance doesn’t determine the value of a person. People with a positive body image tend to be more "comfortable in their skin." On the contrary, people with a negative body image are on the opposite side of the spectrum. These people tend to have very distorted views of their appearance, particularly when it comes to their weight and body shape. They have very unrealistic views of their body and see themselves as an exaggerated weight compared to their realistic weight. These people tend to feel ashamed of their appearance and believe that their appearance reflects who they are as a person.

As reported by the Do Something website, 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. It is also stated that about 58% of college-aged women feel the obligation to be at a certain weight. A really astonishing fact is that only 10% of the women who have body issue concerns will seek professional help for how the feel. These are all concerning numbers when it comes to the women that are affected. Although the stigma towards body image problems seem to lean towards women, it isn't limited to only the female gender. Many men are also affected by this problem. The Breaking Muscle magazine states that 17% of men are on extreme diets. It is also mentioned that 3% of men binge eat and 4% of men purge after eating. Although the statistics aren't as alarming in comparison to the female statistics, this is still an issue that does not discriminate and affects both men and women of a variety of ages.

This issue is very important to me because I feel that a great deal of women, girls, men, and boys alike are affected by this issue. Although my personal experiences aren't near as severe as some of these cases that I've read about, I still feel personally affected by this issue to a certain extent. For the most part I am content with my body and accept myself with who I am. Granted, I would like to be a few pounds lighter and more in shape, but I don't feel like I have a distorted view. Sometimes I have days where I feel fine, but there are other days when I do feel like I should lose a little bit of weight and look more fit. It's completely normal to have days like this every now and then. When I feel this way I read uplifting articles and watch workout videos to help me feel motivated. One of the reasons I feel that this is such an important issue is because we live in a society that focuses so much on the media and appearances. I don't know any people who suffer to this extent, but there are people who truly have a negative body image and see it as a burden. Many people of both genders are afraid to speak on this issue. I believe that there should be more accessible help and resources so they have somebody to talk to. It is so important to have uplifting people and accessibility to education that teaches us to accept ourselves for who we are and that we are all beautiful in our own individual way.

These are some of the people in our community who felt that body image is an important issue in our society:

Jacqueline Robles

Kevin Morales

Alexandrea Bell

Jaime Campos

Works Cited

11 Facts About Body Image. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2016, from https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-body-image

Larsen, A. (n.d.). The Modern Male and Body Image: It's Okay to Talk About It. Retrieved November 24, 2016, from https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/the-modern-male-and-body-image-its-okay-to-talk-about-it

What is Body Image? (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2016, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/what-body-image

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence and its Effect on People by Stephanie Perez 

Introduction 

There are people in the world who suffer from domestic violence and there's some that experience it but don't realize it till it is too late. Domestic violence affects people in ways one can't imagine. Domestic Violence affected a family member therefore affecting many of us. It didn't only affect her but it affected her children tremendously. People need to be aware of the effects this can bring to someone and how it can damage that person. Such action can bring horrific consequences for those that let it happen. this occurs normally to women, whether its abuse from their husband or boyfriend, neither is correct. Not only is this issue horrible but it sets a bad example for others. In families, this can set a terrific example in children. Domestic Violence can be physical, verbal, or sexual. All affect people in many ways.

Research

People don't realize what it is like for someone who experiences domestic violence. No one will really know unless victims come forward and share their story before it is too late. According to Melissa Jeltsen a senior editor from The Huffington Post, Laura Aceves was a victim of domestic violence. She suffered from this due to the maltreatment of her ex boyfriend. A man who beat her with baseball bats and destroyed her things. She was only 21 years old, Laura had many more years of life that came short due to this issue. "According to family members and court records, Laura spent the last year of her life being terrorized by Acuna-Sanchez. He allegedly beat her with a baseball bat, dragged her behind a car, strangled her until she blacked out on the floor and told her over and over how he would kill her if she ever left him." Melissa explains by statements of family members how Laura spent her last year of life terrorized by this man. Laura was murdered in her apartment by ex boyfriend Victor Acuna-Sanchez. She tried hard to keep that man away as much as possible but it wasn't enough. This didn't only affect Laura but it affected her family. Her family now has to get accustomed to be without her due to this issue. 

Children can be some of the victims that can get affected the most. Dr. Kathryn Seifert a psychologist states that the environment one lives in sets the example to how a children would react in certain situations. If with violence they tend to solve  family issues children are going to believe that that is the right thing to do when in a reality it becomes something that can ruin their lives in the long run. "Children that grow up in violent homes (3.3 million per year in the US) are strongly impacted by the violence. Those that become healthy, non-violent adults have had at least one person give them a “safe harbor” and help them cope with the trauma of living with violence. Children that grow up in violent homes at a young age, who become violent adults have not had someone to give them sufficient support, nurturing, guidance, boundaries, and a adequately healthy environment for them to overcome their experiences." Dr. Kathryn states that children who grow up believing violence is the answer to everything has to do with the environment they live in. 

A domestic abuse project is a group of people that try and help victims. In their website they state reasons why women decide to stay with their abusive partner rather than letting go. A few of those reasons can be women being scared because their partner threatened to kill them. The partner says he'll take the children and disappear, or even him threatening to spread rumors. 

Sources

 "Home." Domestic Abuse Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2016. Retrieved from 
http://www.domesticabuseproject.com/                                               

Jeltsen, Melissa. "This Is How A Domestic Violence Victim Falls Through The Cracks." The Huffington Post. N.p., 16 June 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2016. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/16/domestic-violence_n_5474177.html

Seifert, Kathryn. "Domestic Violence Harms All Family Members." Psychology Today. N.p., 30 October 2012. Web. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stop-the-cycle/201210/domestic-violence-harms-all-family-members   

Personal

 This issue affects hundreds of people therefore it is safe to bring awareness to put an end to this issue and help victims free themselves. It is time for humans to let go of their fears and come forward with their issue so that they can get help from professionals. This issue is relevant to me because like mentioned before I have a family member that was a victim of domestic violence, it affected her tremendously that she had thought of committing suicide. This didn't only affect her but it affected her children. It affected them because they witnessed every single moment of it.

Supporters  

 

 

Children of Immigrants

Research:

      The word ‘immigrant’ is often a term thrown in a political debate or in a daily conservation between the people of the United States. It is a term that has created fear, hatred, confusion, racism, unfairness, and separation. But it is also a term that is usually used to label people who have entered the United States illegally. The numbers of immigrants in the United States has grown huge in terms of population, they are a population who have contributed and continue to contribute to the United States’ economy in many ways we, the American people can truly ever imagine. Immigrants are people who come to the United States to seek a better life for their families and the only reason they head towards the United States is because it is the county that will allow them to access an opportunity. The opportunity they get is an opportunity for a better life despite of the oppression the immigrant population suffers in the United States. Immigration is a major social issue in the United States and in my community because the problems with the immigration system in our country is not only affecting the population of immigrants, but it is truly affecting the children of immigrants whether we want to believe in it or not. We, as an American society, often forget or refuse to see that these children of immigrants or children immigrants are the ones who constantly live in fear that they would be separated from their parents and/or would be sent back to a country that they know little about. So, why is it hard to pass an immigration reform act to immigrants who have been in the United States for many years and who have contributed to the United States’ economy or to those who have U.S. born children. Immigrant parents do not wish to be separated from their U.S. born children nor do they wish to take their children back to a country they chose to abandon for a better future.
       The American society often forgets that when they label and discriminate immigrants, they are also discriminating and targeting their children as well. And a large percent of these children of immigrants are U.S. citizens. According to a journal article called “The Living Arrangements of Children of Immigrants” by Nancy S. Landale, Kevin J. A. Thomas, and Jennifer Van Hook stated that in 2007, “87 percent of the children of immigrants were citizens… [and by 2011] more than one in five U.S. children has one or more foreign-born parents” (Landale, Thomas, and Van Hook, 44). Now to give a more recent update, according to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, in 2013 of all the American children about 22.5 percent of them were born in the United States to at least one or two immigrant parents and while 3.3 percent of them are children immigrant (“Children of Immigrant Parents”).  With this point said why is it that the American society is always in favor of protecting the United States’ children, but when some refuse to support the immigration reform and discriminate against immigrants, the American society is not exactly protecting the best interest for these American children. 22.5 percent of U.S. born children were born to immigrant parents and why are we, the American people, not in favor of protecting these American children. Do the American people really assume that the best interest for these 22.5 percent of American children (and perhaps even more American children) is to be separated from their parents or even worse to be sent back to a country that is completely foreign to them. Now back to the journal article called “The Living Arrangements of Children of Immigrants” the authors also argued and explained a valuable example which states as “the major challenge facing Mexican immigrants and their children is their limited opportunity for economic integration, owing in large part to their low education, skills, and financial resources. [In which]… many scholars and policy analysts are concerned that the Mexican-origin population may remain socially marginalized and economically disadvantaged well into the future” (Landale, Thomas, and Van Hook, 50-51). This example not only applies to Mexican immigrants and their children, but it may also apply to other immigrants from different ethnicities and their children. But the most important part of this example is not how the immigrant parents are put in a disadvantage it’s the very fact that their children, who many are American born children, are in fact discriminated and are put in a economic disadvantage all because they were born to immigrant parents. Overall, children of immigrants in the United States are oppressed. This oppression they are facing makes them doubt their values and potential, which at the end many of them hideaway or shy away from the American Dream, without realizing that they could have the ability to change and improve our great American nation.

Reference:

1.      Landale, Nancy, Kevin J Thomas, and Jennifer Van Hook. “The Living Arrangements of

            Children of Immigrants.” The Future of Children, 21.1 (2011): 43-70.

2.      Maucci, Quetzal. “Children of Immigrants”. New York Times. September 21, 2014. Web.10 November 2016. <www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/21/opinion/sunday/exposures-children-immigrant.html?_r=3>

3.      “Children of Immigrant Parents”. Child Health USA 2014.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014. Web. 12 November 2016. <mchb.hrsa.gov/chusa14/population-characteristics/children-immigrant-parents.html>

Personal:

      The social issues regards to being children of immigrants is not only a nationwide or my local community’s social issue, but it is very personal social issue to me. This social issue is personal to me because I am also part of this social issue and I am neither afraid nor embarrassed to say that I am also part of the American children who were born to one or more immigrant parents. And it is also a very personal social issue to me because I am surrounded by friends and a whole community who is also affected by this labeling of children of immigrants. Children of immigrants not only suffer the disadvantages as listed above, but we, the children of immigrants are constantly struggling with this idea where we are Americans, but that label does not seem to fit with us perfectly because we struggle with our different cultures and traditions we learn from our parents (Maucci, Quetzal “Children of Immigrants”). This is what makes us different from others in the society of the United States and this put many of us in a difficult or uncomfortable position. In a New York Times, Sunday’s review titled “Children of Immigrants” by Quetzal Maucci, one of her interviewee stated something powerful that almost all the children of immigrants can relate too and that is “A lot of the time, being a child of immigrants means constantly having to defend your place as an ‘American’ ” (Maucci).  We, children of immigrants or children immigrants should not feel this way because we are Americans. It is hard, I know, and it is unfair that we have to feel that way because regardless of our family background, we are raised in an American community with American values and we grew up in the United States. We should be proud to call ourselves Americans. Throughout this civic engagement project, I noticed that as I asked members of my community if they too were affected by this social issue and many answered yes, but what I noticed was that many live in fear. The fear of losing their parents to deportation or the fear of not being able to succeed within the economic and education fields just because of their difference they have with their parents’ status in the United States. My aim for this social issue is to create awareness about how and when immigrants struggle with their social status in the United States; they are not the only ones who are being affected by it. The other group that is and will also be affected by the immigration issues in the United States is their children. Remember there is always more than one side to a story. The United States should be more aware, more understanding and have consideration that we, the children of immigrants, are here too. And that the children of immigrants are also affected by the decisions made about the immigration system in the United States.

Here are images of those affected in my community:

 “Now that my parents are residents of the U.S. I no longer feel how I used to when I was younger. When I was younger I was well aware that my parents were immigrants and I was afraid they would be taken away from me. I was always afraid that maybe my dad would go to work one morning and not come back.”

  “Having immigrant parents has affected me in many ways. I live everyday in fear that my parents will lose their jobs and we would have to move back to Mexico because of our economic struggles.”

  “Since I am a child of immigrant parents, my fear is that for some reason my parents get deported. I have a younger brother. He has a whole life to live here in the United States. I do not want him to lose that opportunity of living such a life in the United States.”

  “I have never experienced any direct racist or unfair treatment. One of the biggest hardships I have faced is not getting the best financial aid and very few loan options. Financially it has been a struggle knowing I do not have the same financial resources when paying for college. This creates a lot of pressure because I feel obligated to do well in school because I know the sacrifices my family makes in order for me to be here.”

  

“I think the biggest way that it has affected me is through financial aid for college, since I get less money than documented students do.”

“There are more financial struggles.”