Blog 2 by Erika

         One thing I quite enjoy about this class is that as students, we are learning how to conduct research on our selected topics, properly speak and inform an audience during presentations, and be a part of the audience and be informed on important topics. Especially at this time, it is crucial to be informed and step out of our comfort zone. This project tackles topics such as education, the environment, immigration, and healthcare; it has helped further educate ourselves and raise awareness among our peers.

        Group one spoke about immigration and the everyday challenges they face in the United States. Besides my group, I enjoyed their presentation a lot because immigration in the United States is currently active in a negative manner. Immigrants contribute to the country, and they're a part of the reason why the country is very diverse. They contribute to jobs, establishing and further expanding cultures, and overall keeping the economy stable. 

        What is currently happening with immigrants is affecting the economy and the image of the country. Because immigrants contribute to jobs such as construction, real estate, yard work, etc., the job market has been low, leaving ongoing projects unfinished and taking longer to complete. Additionally, the United States has always been known as the country where immigrants are welcomed and can restart their lives. This is just eliminating that purpose and making people even more hesitant to even possibly visit the country in the future. ICE is taking individuals in custody who have those stereotypical Hispanic features, which consist of having tan skin, dark color hair, and possibly not knowing the English language. This further expands the unspoken racial profile. 

        Another thing group one talked about was immigration in North Korea. They mentioned how the country prohibits immigration, and the foreigners who do live there are under surveillance with little to no freedom. This is such interesting information to be aware of. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the group one presentation. It is such an important topic for me since I'm a first-generation student. 

        My group, group 2, talked about healthcare, and how it affects families and I focused on healthcare in the United States and Canada. While researching, I found it fascinating how different local citizens rely on healthcare. In America, the federal government funds public healthcare services for certain groups such as veterans and disabled people, though almost everyone uses a private healthcare provider such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, United, etc. Although, unfortunately that private healthcare has its own controversies. Controversies, as in they are most companies that have strict policies they will take advantage of them and reject patients whose life depends on them.

        On the other hand, Canada's healthcare is managed through the government tax system. Hence, their healthcare is considered free and universal. Though it has been reported that as taxes increase, so does the cost of healthcare and maintaining it free. Additionally, healthcare in both countries affects low-income families. In Canada, the universal healthcare system doesn't apply to prescribed drugs, and most must pay out of pocket which can be pricy. In America, in order to maintain your insurance, you must pay your premium, which can also be pricey. Though even with insurance, the hospital fees are still insanely high. Not to mention, most insurance plans don't approve of certain prescription drugs, and patients have to pay out of pocket. This is coming from experience since I had to pay $100 for my vitiligo cream with my pharmacy coupon. 

        Group 4 went over families and their significance throughout the centuries. This presentation also left an impact on my brain. I love how they mentioned that family isn't just being blood related, anyone can mean family to you once you build that strong, deep connection. This group interviewed a former FBI agent, which was possibly the coolest thing from this class. During the interview, he went over his personal experience with terrorism and how it affected American society. He mentioned how, after the 9/11 event, he received a lot of calls claiming an individual is a terrorist just because they're wearing a hijab. Hence, American Muslims are still going through xenophobia in their day-to-day lives and still being misjudged 24 years later. This gives off the impression that people wouldn't show basic human respect to a person's culture even if the event occurred 24 years ago. Yes, the event will never be forgotten, though this is not a correct, respectful memorial. 

        In conclusion, this project was such an eye-opener. It was interesting and a privilege to listen to my classmates speak on important topics that an ongoing issues. It was such a privilege to research my part of the project with my teammates regarding healthcare. One takeaway from this project is to definitely be more aware and keep on track of these important topics, such as immigration and healthcare. These issues will never be exactly solved, but at least there will be a time when they are almost solved and stable enough. The interviews that were in each presentation (including my group) were extremely informative with great, wise questions. 


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