By Linda CheriyanJust like many other immigrants, my family came to America in search of the “American Dream.” As a little girl growing up in India I was thrilled when I heard I would be able to come to The United States. The name “America” rang excitement to my ears. My father held his own business in India and tutored students; my mom helped my father out with his business. I realized in America my options would not be so limited; I could now have endless opportunities, dreams, and freedom. I would be in a utopia at last. I came to America on November 13th, 2003. I thought to myself, “I really can be anything in this land.” We came to America in hopes of something better, my father ended up getting a job that paid minimum wage, to give my brother and I a better life. My mom sat home and took care of things around the house because she wasn’t qualified for a job. In elementary school, I was always the odd one out because I bragged about my culture and the kids were not interested. I was considered weird because I didn’t match their personality. Kids made fun of me, and I thought things were supposed to be better. They made terrible remarks “go back to your country,” or “you better be careful of her because she probably has access to bombs.” I thought maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to go back. I had a place where I was actually allowed to call home, and soil to my name. I had friends who understood me. I had parents who were not trying to find a balance between the two cultures, and somewhere along the way forgot to parent. “How can this possibly be better?” my little mind questioned. But how did the American dream become a fantasy for so many immigrants? My last trip to India, my uncle and I debated about the “American Dream” of course living here I had a better experience of this so-called “dream.” I was told I should be grateful and from what he has been told it is something everyone dreams of. The only thing that hung around in my head in that moment was “Why?” So he explained, “When I was growing up, America was and is still known as the land where you can be anything no matter who you are and what your status is.” I understood his standpoint and where he was coming from, the grass will always seems greener on the other side for anyone looking in. The options to us seem bigger and lavishly given out because of the false portrayal through media of what America really is. I myself was once in his place where I dreamt of this American Dream, where I would be able to live a life where I was given equal opportunities, but when exactly did my dream start to fade? In high school it hit me: this “American Dream” I was chasing after, is non- existent. It’s all just a myth to keep hopes in the people’s mind and to keep us continuously working for the capitalist society for the wealthy. The “American Dream” was just that, an AMERICAN dream. For a person of color like myself, it was a fantasy that we did not fit into, yet we desired to obtain. According to Google the definition of the “American Dream” is “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The “American Dream” is something where the so-called “equal opportunities” are only created for the white man who is privileged, and has the opportunities. Race has always played a key role in the division of our country, pushing minorities farther away from attaining this dream; blinding their vision of the dream they had in mind. Placing minorities in impoverished neighborhoods and not granting the same opportunities as the rich. Our education system itself is something that makes it harder on the students to attain the dream by making them fall into unimaginable debts they will never be able to pay off. If we make a dollar more in our family income we suddenly stop receiving financial aid. We must pay out of our pockets with the job that pays less than minimum wage. On top of all of this, we have our parents constantly bickering in our ears to keep our grades up, and yelling at us that we’re not trying hard enough. They do not understand the education system, the workload, and stress we are under in college. Then when we finally get out of college we go on a scavenger hunt to find jobs. Preferably a job that fits the degree we paid thousand of dollars for, but all of the jobs ask for “minimum of 10 years of experience.” Being a woman doesn’t make it any better either, we undergo the gender wage gap, meaning we get paid less than the men sitting next to us who is doing the same job who have the same qualifications. Now we live in a time where the bachelor’s degree holds the value of a high school degree, so we have to rush to find a graduate school in hopes to find a job that will pay off all the unnecessary loans. Suddenly the dreams we had turned into nightmares that propel us into poverty, and deny us from being able to fulfill the goals we once had. The vision begins to fade. So how can one say in spite of all this the American Dream exists?
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By Joseph "Joey" ButtsRay Allen has been all over social media lately. I scroll through my Twitter feed, which is completely shrouded by sports analysts, journalists, and athletes. Most of them are talking about Ray right now. What I am seeing comes with support to the NBA’s all-time leading 3-point shooter. Recently, there was a reunion of the 2008 NBA Championship team, being the Celtics. The team was almost flawless. They had the distributer in Rondo. They had “The Truth” in Pierce. They had arguably the best power forward of all-time in Garnett. They had the two bruisers in Davis and Perkins and of course, they had the purest of shooters, in Ray. I guess I am a little bias, being that He Got Game is my all-time favorite movie. I even tried to perfect the Ray Allen jump shot, which is impossible unless you are just gifted like he is. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I watched him break Reggie Miller’s record. The rebound, hand-off to Rondo, and then the chest pass to Ray who was trailing on the wing during the fast break. The whole arena knew it was going in; they were on their feet as soon as Ray caught the ball. The explosion of the crowd was unreal after it sank. This is all coming from a Knicks fan, by the way. I hate the Celtics as much as the next Knicks fan but you cannot deny greatness. You cannot deny game. The Celtics had a special team and it was something worth watching, fan of them or not. But the NBA is a business. Players come and go. Dynasties fade in, and then they fade out. Ray decided that his time in Boston had come to an end. Ray had been subject to trade rumors ever since he arrived in Boston. Some for Tracy McGrady, and later, for OJ Mayo. He was coming off an injury which plagued his season in 2012. The chances for the original big three to stick together seemed less and less. After the swirling rumors, the Celtics decided to make Ray an offer to stay for another two years. But he decided to pack up his bags and head to Miami, in search of another ring alongside Lebron and Wade. There, he hit the most important shot of his career, which gave them the ring he came for. The bad blood left by Ray was apparent, it happens. The team didn’t necessarily need his services as much as they once did. Other players were coming in, taking his spot and changing the offense. He made his decision on business. He wanted to play, and be a vital piece of an offense. While he played less minutes in Miami than he did in the last season in Boston, he was a key part. Contributing 10.9 PPG while playing around 25 minutes, according to basketball-reference.com. He also helped out Lebron by altering his free throw routine. Making it look smooth and effective.
Ray Allen joined a rival team in the conference. That is what hurt the guys in Boston the most. But it has been 9 years since that day. How can they deny the greatness that they all had together? To not invite Ray to the reunion was just childish. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are already talking to each other again, and that breakup was far worse in my opinion, although eerily similar. Amends should be made. Ray might have to step up to the plate and be the bigger man. But maybe not? After that reunion show the other night, I would find it hard to get in touch with them. You have your legacy, you have your trophies, and you have your family. That’s all there is to it. Oh, and you were a part of the greatest sports movie of all time. By Connor Gilligan
Homo sapiens have evolved to survive and thrive in the nature. We were not made for the sedentary lifestyle that we live today. Humans have been roaming the Earth for roughly 200,000 years; it is only in the past few thousand years that humans began living indoors and it has only been in the past several decades that the inhabitants of the modern world spend much of the day inside. Some people may wonder why it matters if we spend time in nature. Well, I’ll tell you why it matters! Per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends 93% of their life indoors. Spending that much time indoors can lead to plethora of physical and mental medical maladies such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, asthma, arthritis, anxiety, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, stress and many more. The May Issue will conclude the first installment of articles for the Zine. This gives me the chance to combine the information and ideas from my previous articles with this call for a return to nature. I will demonstrate the connection between nature and overall physical and mental well-being, while recapitulating the beliefs expressed in previous articles. In a way, this article is a strategic solution to one of the gravest problems faced by our society: happiness, or, more appropriately, the lack thereof. As a society, we can improve our collective health by spending as little as 5 minutes a day in nature. I suggest making it a point to spend at least a few moments every day admiring the natural beauty of the world around you. It will not only make you a healthier person but it will make you a happier person. People needed a return to nature to clear their minds of the heavy thoughts and stresses of everyday life. In the New York Times Bestseller book Bush Craft 101, author Dave Canterbury states “thirty years of the turn of the twentieth century, folks in the United States were rediscovering what it was like to spend time in nature and finding a release from the day-to-day life.” People all over the world are still returning to nature to alleviate their stress, but with less regularity than 100 years ago. The citizens of the modern world are under a lot more pressure and have a great deal more stress than ever before. Knowing this, it would make sense to spend more time in nature, yet we are doing the opposite; we accept the notion that we lack the time to do so. I believe that we are convinced that we do not have time for certain things, and it seems to be a common excuse for participating in activities that are beneficial to our health like exercising or spending time in the great outdoors. Why do you think 8 Minute Abs is so well known? Maybe it has to do with the fact that we are not willing to spend more than a few minutes participating in one of the most physically beneficial activities possible. We can disassociate ourselves from Big Pharma by reassociating ourselves with Mother Nature. We can regain our happiness and decrease our susceptibility to a number of ailments, simply by embracing the benefits of being in nature, such as exercise, sunlight and eutierria (a term defined by professor Glenn Albrecht as “a good and positive feeling of oneness with the earth and its life forces.”) Countless studies are being conducted with this idea in mind, and each new study has the potential to educate us on the endless positive possibilities of the great outdoors. In an article written for the Berkley Greater Good Science Center, authors Kristophe Green and Dacher Keltner expound on the idea of a return to nature by claiming “Over 100 studies have shown that being in nature, living near nature, or even viewing nature in paintings and videos can have positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings, thought processes, and social interactions.” Studies are constantly proving the connection between nature, over-all wellbeing, and happiness. I write this article to encourage anyone and everyone to spend more time in the great outdoors. After doing extensive research on the benefits of spending time in nature, I believe that I would be doing a great disservice to my readers if I did not inform them of the benefits of returning to nature. Dave Canterbury gives a piece of wonderful advice in Bush Craft 101 when he says “If you fell you’re trapped in an urban environment…return to the wild, turn of your electronic devices, and escape society’s constant pressure.” As a society, we experience more stress and pressure than ever before, so why would we be spending less time outside? I believe it has to do with the path we chose to follow as a collective culture; we want instant gratification and constant entertainment, and our smartphones give us just that. I have to admit that I am guilty of walking through the park paying more attention to my phone than the flora and fauna. But after researching the benefits of embracing the beauty of the great outdoors, I will never again take nature for granted… and I hope you do the same.
by Michelle SencionLatinx is a term that has sprung up in the past couple of years. If you aren’t from the generation that uses social media actively and is “in-the-know,” then this word could be foreign to you. To many older Latino/as, it is a word that seeks to ruin the Spanish language and has a difficult pronunciation that only the kids who speak English can say. If you’ve ever taken a Spanish class you will realize that the letter X has a difficult pronunciation. For native Spanish speakers, Latinx sounds like “Latin(?)” because what sound could you make. In Spanish the x does not equal “ex” it equals confusion and frustration. So if Latinx is so difficult to pronounce, and it isn’t actually a widely accepted word (yet), so, why do people use it? That question has many answers, but we will focus on two. Latinx gives the middle finger to patriarchy. Let’s go back to Spanish class, shall we. Spanish is a rich and colorful language that has produced some of the best works of literature in the world. It is also gendered as hell. Think about it, everything in Spanish has a gender, even inanimate objects! Take, for example, the very basic word, “friends.” In English, friends can be used to describe anyone no matter what gender they are/prefer. In Spanish, however, “friends” suddenly becomes gendered, and whether you are out with your girl friends or your guy friends becomes an issue. If you are with a group of your girl friends, you have to say that you are with your “amigas, but if you are out with *just* your guy friends, you would have to say, “amigos.” The problem starts when you are out with a group of women and one man joins the group of “amigas,” you would have to describe the newly configured group as “amigos,” even if the majority is female. Masculine terms become the universal description for everyone once there is more than one gender involved. The X in Latinx is a protest against the everyday patriarchy that the Spanish language imposes upon its speakers. People are not just male and female, why should they not be able to remove themselves from the narrative of being “ella” or “él” for the rest of their lives? That brings us to our second reason. Latinx is a way to break down the gender binary. Now we’ve heard so much about the gender binary and our society is showing that two genders just don’t cut it. There is no clear line between male and female, people often float in between or are just removed completely. Latinx allows people who are transgendered to not be forced into a category based on a gender with which they don’t identify. The term was created as an act of protest, of non-conformity, and of inclusiveness. Still with me? Well you’ve made it through a lesson on Latinx and why it's important. If you are a native Spanish speaker and don’t like to use Latinx because it does not define you, that’s fine! Just because Latinx is now a thing doesn’t mean that Latino and/or Latina are suddenly wrong. It’s just a word, but words can mean a lot to people, and just like someone may be proud as hell to say they are Latino, I am proud to say I am Latinx. Interesting Pieces About Latix Why We Say Latinx: Trans & Gender Non-Conforming People Explain |
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