Sunday, January 26, 2020

19th Century Colonialism and Racism

19th Century Colonialism and Racism Colonialism and Racism in the 19th Century Throughout much of the 19th century, European powers used their financial wealth and technological advancements to colonize much of Asia and almost the entire continent of Africa. Oftentimes the motivations were national pride and the acquisition of natural resources, but there was another very potent impetus behind Western imperialism in the 19th century: racism. At a time when Charles Darwin had just recently revealed his theory of evolution, and much of the previously unchartered territory of the world was becoming known, the European powers felt themselves to be the superior race, because they believed they were the most civilized, or because they had the most advanced technology. This idea, known as social Darwinism, takes the natural theory of evolution and applies it to human races, positing that the societies and races that are â€Å"superior† than others are more â€Å"fit† to exist and survive, and therefore they make take advantage of and exploit the other, i nferior peoples who are not as â€Å"fit† to survive. With this idea in mind, many Western powers sent troops and resources around to globe to set up colonies and imperialize other nations, often with no regard for the indigenous people. Although this massive wave of colonialism in the 19th century was driven by desire for material wealth and national pride, racism also played a significant role. In George Orwells Burmese Days, he chronicles the daily life of a British gentlemans club in upcountry Burma, part of the British colony of India. His account gives a very telling indication of how the British citizens viewed the local citizens of Burma, and it reveals the racism that was at the heart of the imperial system. When the club is discussing the suggestion to allow a Burmese man to join, the Secretary of the club says, â€Å"Hes asking us to break all our rules and take a dear little nigger-boy into this Club†¦That would be a treat wouldnt it? Little pot-bellied niggers breathing garlic in your face over the bridge-table. Christ, to think of it!† (Reilly, 285). The use of a derogatory racial slur clearly demonstrates the way the British gentlemen thought of the locals, clearly as inferior people. The use of the term â€Å"nigger† has long been associated with people of African descent, but here the British Club secretary uses it to refer to the local Bu rmese citizens, an obvious indication of racial hate and insult. Their hatred and racism go so far that one member of the club, a local company manager, says â€Å"Ill die in a ditch before Ill see a nigger in here† (Reilly, 286). The continuous use of racial slurs and insulting remarks indicate that the British members of the club were all highly racist towards the local people, a factor which definitely influenced the British colonization of India, and the treatment of the indigenous peoples. In a similar portrayal of life inside an imperialized nation, Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness takes a close look at a steamboat journey deep into the heart of the Congo, the captain of which was a white man. The first signs of racism come out when he refers to the African people on his boat as â€Å"cannibals†, implying that they were savage and uncivilized, although there is no other evidence that these people were in fact cannibals. These basic false assumptions are often seen in stories of imperial racism; White colonists are always quick to judge the local people as brutal savages without actually taking the time to understand their culture. However, the ship captains racism goes far deeper than that, when he comments â€Å"the men were†¦No they were no inhuman. Well, you know that was the worst of it—this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped and spun and made horrid faces, but what thrilled you was just t he thought of their humanity—like yours† (Reilly, 296). His pain at realizing that he was connected to these people, through a common humanity, hurts him because they appear so wild and savage to him that he would prefer to believe they were not human, but rather animals or beasts. His European heritage makes him regard himself as superior than the local Africans, and in turn he sees them through racist eyes, another important factor in the Western colonization of Africa. Both these excerpts of colonial life in the 19th century demonstrate that the Westerners almost always considered themselves superior to the local citizens. The European powers had convinced themselves that because they had the power and resources to create global empires, they were somehow inherently better than the people they were conquering, and this all too often lead to the exploitation and degradation of indigenous peoples around the globe. Another example of the conflict between two cultures is shown in the case of Ida Pruitt, in the book Chinas American Daughter by Marjorie King. Growing up in an American family working as missionaries in a small town in China, Ida experiences both the local Chinese culture around her and the American ways of her Christian missionary mother, who resents many things about China. As her mother constantly tried to convert Chinese people into Christians, Ida witnessed the harmful effects of such colonial interactions. King writes that â€Å"As Ida became aware of the differences between the Chinese and the Christian missionary cultures, she resented Christianitys intrusion in the Chinese culture† (King, 17). Even as a young girl, Ida is able to understand that the Western forces (her mother) are attempting to insert their own ways of life, religion, and culture into the Chinese culture because she regards them as inferior. The religious component of this is especially powerful, as many forms of Christianity believe that it is their responsibility and duty to spread their religion and convert as many people as possible, regardless of changing their previous way of life and destroying the original culture. The focus for the Westerners in colonial China was on taking advantage of the local people in order to convert them and insert western culture as a replacement for their own. Ida recognizes this, and â€Å"Ida admired her fathers adaptation to Chinese ways in order to help build genuine friendships between the Chinese and Westerners† (King, 19). Her father acts as a model for a better, more mutual exchange of culture and ideas between the Chinese and the Westerners, which is an equal interaction between the two, not the domination of one over the other as Idas Christian mother attempts to instigate. Ida Pruitts experience as an American in colonial China greatly differ from those of the Westerners in both Heart of Darkness and Burmese Days, as she actually identifies more closely with Chinese culture than she does with her original ethnic culture. Instead of approaching the local citizens as being inherently inferior or below her, Ida embraces their traditions and culture, and in many ways finds the Chinese way of life better than the American one that her mother works so hard to encourage. Especially because she lived in China at such a young age, â€Å"Growing up in the halls and courtyards of the haunted house of Song Family Village, Ida felt herself to be part of Chinese life stretching back thousands of years† (King, 6). As opposed to the British club officer who uses racial slurs to insult the Burmese people, or the steamboat captain who observes the â€Å"wild† and â€Å"inhuman† people of the Congo, Ida grows up surrounded by the Chinese culture, an d she is able to compare and contrast it with the Western tradition promoted by her mother. The racist characters in the other accounts experienced life as a Westerner, and therefore never were able to appreciate or respect any other culture. This stubborn obsession with ones own culture resulted in their imperial racism towards the local peoples. With Ida, she was able to form her own cultural and racial identity while experiencing both Western and Chinese lifestyles, and this allowed her to really respect and understand both, and in doing so she was able to remain connected to both cultures without having to racially reject or degrade one or the other. Racism is unfortunately an inherent part of human society, and it can be especially devastating when it is used to guide political and military decisions, such as during the colonization of Africa and Asia in the 19th century. Many people were killed, exploited, or left in poverty solely because of the racial hate of others. The European imperialism of the world, although based on many motivations, was in part based on racism, as demonstrated in the excerpts from Joseph Conrad and George Orwell. However, not all interactions between cultures were negative, such as the case of Ida Pruitt in China. She was able to ignore her mothers blind bias and learn to value and appreciate Chinese culture, something that indicates the importance of being open minded and experiencing other cultures for oneself before judging. Perhaps if the British officers didnt think so lowly of the locals, they would have provided better things such as schools and libraries, which in turn would result in a bette r educated country and an improved society. If the steamboat captain hadnt viewed the Africans as savages, maybe he wouldnt have been so focused on the material wealth and financial gain that was possible in Africa, but in setting up stable governments and creating better infrastructure for all people. Although things didnt turn out this way, we can learn from this past and apply that knowledge to create a better future. Ida Pruitt is a great example for overcoming racism, by experiencing a different culture for oneself and criticizing your own heritage, rather than stubbornly purporting your way as the best and only way, and hating all other cultures and societies that are different. Always racism may never go away, we can make a difference by understanding the past and learning to appreciate the value of all human societies and races. King, Marjorie.Chinas American Daughter: Ida Pruitt (1888-1985). Hong Kong: Chinese UP, 2006. Reilly, Kevin.Worlds of History: a Comparative Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

A New Turning Point in My Life

Have you ever heard someone says that life is never quiet and peaceful likes a river? And, have you ever faced a difficult challenge that influenced your life? My life has changed a lot and I have faced many complexities since I came to the United States. Like most foreign students, I have almost the same problem about adapting into a new environment while I am studying abroad due to English limitations. It is not easy for me to fully understand what everyone says at the beginning, and it is hard to adapt into American culture.Discrimination and miscommunication are the biggest issues and they always exist for people who immigrate to a new environment. Most foreign students do not get respect from others, and blend into their classmates’ society, that was my thought at first in the new community. However, after almost two years learning in America, I have discovered some valuable experiences about how to manage to be proficient in English, as well as more self-assured and I fe el at ease in my life. I always try to keep moving forward, grabbing every chance to improve myself and never give up making my dream come true.Regardless, communication and discrimination are strenuous challenges for me to integrate into the new environment. I believe that I can surmount these predicaments and achieve success through hard-work and determination. Initially, communication was one of the universal issues for me to encounter when I came to America, because that is the basic step to integrate into a new life. Language differences greatly increase communication problems, even if the speakers have some knowledge of the others' language. Language is so much more than words. As a result, accurate translation,

Friday, January 10, 2020

Why get your RN to BSN

The Need for Highly-Educated Nurses In the 21st century, the health challenges facing the nation have shifted dramatically. The American population is older†Americans 65 and older will be nearly 20 percent of the population by 2030†as well as more diverse with respect not only to race and ethnicity but also other cultural and socioeconomic factors. In addition to shifts in the nation's demographics, there also have been shifts in that nation's health care needs.Most health care today relates to chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, rthritis, cardiovascular disease, and mental health conditions, due in part to the nation's aging population and compounded by increasing obesity levels. While chronic conditions account for most of the care needed today, the U. S. health care system was primarily built around treating acute illnesses and injuries, the predominant health challenges of the early 20th century. The ways in which nurses were educated during the 20th c entury are no longer adequate for dealing with the realities of health care in the 21st century.As patient needs and care environments have become more complex, nurses need to attain equisite competencies to deliver high-quality care. These competencies include leadership, health policy, system improvement, research and evidence-based practice, and teamwork and collaboration, as well as competency in specific content areas such as community and public health and geriatrics. Nurses also are being called upon to fill expanding roles and to master technological tools and information management systems while collaborating and coordinating care across teams of health professionals.To respond to these increasing demands, the 10M committee alls for nurses to achieve higher levels of education and suggests that they be educated in new ways that better prepare them to meet the needs of the population. An Improved Education System Much of nursing education revolves around acute care rather th an community settings that include aspects of primary care, public health, and long-term care. The qualifications and level of education required for entry into the nursing profession have been widely debated by nurses and nursing organizations..Although a BSN education is not a panacea for all that is expected of nurses in the future, it does, elative to other educational pathways, introduce students to a wider range of competencies in such arenas as health policy and health care financing, community and public health, leadership, quality improvement, and systems thinking. Care within the hospital continues to grow more complex, with nurses having to make critical decisions associated with care for sicker, frailer patients and having to use more sophisticated, life-saving technology coupled with information management systems that require skills in analysis and synthesis.Care outside the hospital is ecoming more complex as well. Nurses are being called on to coordinate care among a variety of clinicians and community agencies; to help patients manage chronic illnesses, thereby preventing acute care episodes and disease progression; and to use a variety of technological tools to improve the quality and effectiveness of care. A more educated nursing workforce would be better equipped to meet the demands of an evolving health care system, and this need could be met by increasing the percentage of nurses with a BSN.An increase in the proportion of urses with a BSN also would create a workforce poised to achieve higher levels of education at the master's and doctoral levels, required for nurses to serve as primary care providers, nurse researchers, and nurse faculty† positions currently in great demand across the profession and within the health care system. The committee recommends that the proportion of nurses with baccalaureate degrees be increased to 80 percent by 2020.While it anticipates that it will take a few years to build the educational capacity n eeded to achieve this goal, the committee maintains that it is old, achievable, and necessary to move the nursing workforce to an expanded set of competencies, especially in the domains of community and public health, leadership, systems improvement and change, research, and health policy.Improving the education system and achieving a more educated workforce† specifically increasing the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees†can be accomplished through a number of different programs and educational models, including: traditional RN-to-BSN programs; traditional 4-year BSN programs at both universities and some community colleges.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

21 negocios para invertir en EE.UU. y sacar visa E2

La visa E2 permite a inversionistas de mà ¡s de medio centenar de paà ­ses obtener los papeles para vivir en Estados Unidos junto con su familia, gestionando su propio negocio. Cada aà ±o fiscal se vienen aprobando una media de entre 25.000 y 30.000 visas E2. En la actualidad, se estima que en Estados Unidos hay unos 100.000 negocios que son propiedad de inversionistas con este tipo de visados, los cuales darà ­an empleo a un millà ³n de ciudadanos americanos. Para calificar para la visa E2 los negocios pueden ser creados desde cero por el inversionista o à ©ste puede comprar negocios ya existentes, los cuales pueden estar creados conforme a cualquiera de los 10  tipos de empresas que permite la ley en Estados Unidos. Tambià ©n podrà ­a calificar  la compra de una franquicia. Requisitos de los negocios para obtener una visa E2 Antes de solicitar la visa E2, el empresario debe comprar o crear un negocio en base al cual va a pedir el visado. En realidad, es và ¡lido cualquier tipo de negocio real y legal para calificar para la visa e2 siempre y cuando se reà ºnan los requisitos de que se trate de un negocio con una inversià ³n: sustancial. Generalmente, a partir de $100.000que suponga un riesgo econà ³mico para el inversionistaque cree empleo o/y sirva para generar ingresos necesarios para mantener al inversionista y su familia. Por lo tanto, està ¡n excluidas las inversiones en cuentas bancarias, en empresas sin fin de lucro o en inversiones inmobiliarias pasivas. Las inversiones en empresas de servicios no està ¡n excluidas de calificar. Sin embargo, podrà ­a ser difà ­cil justificar que se cumple el requisito de inversià ³n sustancial ya que, con carà ¡cter general, solo requieren de un alquiler de oficina y gastos mà ­nimos de compra de computadoras para empezar a funcionar. Ejemplos de negocios reales cuyos propietarios obtuvieron la visa E2 Cafeterà ­as, salones de tà © o cafà © y pubs. Esta es una opcià ³n muy popular.Cerrajeros (locksmith)Concesionarios de autos (dealership)Construccià ³n, en sus diversas facetas. Por ejemplo, colocacià ³n de todo tipo de pisos (flooring) como Steamboat Springs en el estado de Colorado, servicio de pintura, etc.Decoracià ³n del hogar.Educacià ³n, desde academias a escuelas preescolares, guarderà ­as infantiles y entrenamiento de vuelos.Fà ¡bricas de lo mà ¡s variado, desde productos de alta tecnologà ­a a fabricantes de aspiradores, como por ejemplo Miracle Mate USA en el estado de Washington.Franquicias, que poseen grandes ventajas para las personas que carecen de experiencia gestionando negocios.Gerencia de propiedades, la cual es una opcià ³n frecuenteHoteles, posadas, bed and breakfasts.Imprenta. Por ejemplo, Minuteman Press en Anniston, Alabama.Laboratorios mà ©dicos, como Essential Diagnostics en California.Mascotas: servicios veterinarios, entrenamiento de perros como Bark Busters en Florida, peluquerà ­a animal, etc.Paqueterà ­a y mensajerà ­aParque para autocaravanas (RV) como por ejemplo Shady Acres en Mississippi.Restaurantes, esta es una opcià ³n muy comà ºn.Salones de belleza, peluquerà ­a, spa, manicura y pedicura.Servicios de limpieza, cuidado de jardines (landscaping), poda de à ¡rboles y de piscinas (albercas o piletas). Por ejemplo, Windermerepools en Florida.Servicios proveedor de empleados domà ©sticos, por ejemplo Melody Maids en Florida.Tiendas de cualquier tipo de producto. Por ejemplo, chocolates, pasteles, piezas para motos,ropa, costura, artà ­culos para baà ±os y cocina, cortinas, artà ­culos para hobbies, alquiler de muebles para eventos, floristerà ­as, antigà ¼edades, artà ­culos para golf, etc.Transporte escolar y mà ©dico. Cabe destacar que, en principio, una inversià ³n inmobiliaria no es razà ³n suficiente para que se pueda solicitar y menos obtener la visa E-2. A menos que se pueda presentar como un negocio activo y real. Visa E-2: nacionalidad, plan de negocios e impuestos El inversor debe tener un pasaporte de un paà ­s con un tratado de inversià ³n con Estados Unidos. No confundir con los tratados de libre comercio, que son otra cosa. Asà ­, en el aà ±o fiscal 2019 Mà ©xico, Espaà ±a y Colombia fueron, por este orden, los tres paà ­ses hispano parlantes cuyos inversores obtuvieron mà ¡s visas E-2. Por otra parte, paà ­ses como Venezuela no està ¡n incluidos en los listados para calificar para esta visa. Sin embargo, sus nacionales pueden obtenerla si poseen doble nacionalidad con un paà ­s que sà ­ està ¡ incluido o si son cà ³nyuges o hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os de un inversionista que sà ­ califica para la visa. Por otro lado, en el proceso de sacar la visa E2 uno de los puntos claves para obtener la aprobacià ³n es elaborar un buen plan de negocios. SelectUSA, gestionado por el gobierno federal, es un buen lugar para comenzar a recabar informacià ³n y pedir referencias sobre profesionales que pueden ayudar a elaborarlo. Finalmente, a hora de decidirse por invertir en un estado o en otro, tener en cuenta datos bà ¡sicos como los impuestos que se pagan a nivel estatal y local. Estos son los estados en los que es mà ¡s fà ¡cil hacer negocio. Sin duda va a impactar en los resultados del negocio. Otras opciones de visa para inversores Si la E-2 no es la opcià ³n adecuada, estas  son 8 posibilidades de obtener una visa y fundar un negocio en Estados Unidos.  Ademà ¡s, en el caso de emprendedores que  ya tienen en sus paà ­ses un negocio de import/export, la visa  E-1 para los comerciantes  podrà ­a ser la adecuada. Finalmente, si se està ¡ abierto a emigrar a otros paà ­ses, estos 20 permiten obtener la ciudadanà ­a (pasaporte) o/y la residencia a cambio de una inversià ³n. Las cantidades y las condiciones son muy diferentes entre sà ­. Y si la decisià ³n es intentar emigrar a Estados Unidos, estas son 10 cosas importantes que se deben conocer antes de viajar, a ser posible, o nada mà ¡s llegar.   Puntos clave de los negocios para la visa E-2 Se debe invertir en el negocio antes de solicitar la visa E-2 como inversionistaNo hay un mà ­nimo de dinero a invertir, pero se requiere que la inversià ³n se considere sustancial. No puede tratarse de una inversià ³n pasiva, como la compra de inmuebles.La inversià ³n debe generar ganancias suficientes como para mantener al inversionista y su familia y/o generar empleo. Fuente: U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics/nonimmigrant-visa-statistics/monthly-nonimmigrant-visa-issuances.html. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.