Lit Circle Post #3 / What is the What

Quote 1: The water was so cold. So fantastically cold. I could not close my eyes, I could barely swallow. I drank from the cool water and felt it flow down my throat, wetting me just under my skin, and then inside my chest and my arms and legs. It was the coldest water I had ever taster
Page 204, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response 1: This was one of the happy moments I've read in the book. Achak was shocked about how good the water was to him. It's sad to see him drink it but at the same time happy. He who has gone for so long without drinking anything healthy or eaten anything healthy. I can relate to this in the sense of being hungry. I thought it was a stupid way to relate to it but it was the first thing that came to mind. Also reminded me of when the immigrants on Ellis Island said that the bread tasted like cake. Some times when I'm hungry and I eat something simple I am shocked at how good it is.

Question 1: What come to your mind when you try to connect yourself to this?

Quote 2: While I was gone, the life in William K fell away and his flesh returned to the earth
Page 217, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response 2: I chose this because its one of many sad moments in the large number of pages that we had to read. And it seems to be said in the way that Achak knew it would happen sooner or later. It sort of shows that the deaths of many of Achak's closest friends has grown on him and he's gotten used to it. Achak has grown weaker than before, his hope is dying and I see actions hapless and without peacefulness. I feel like he is dying inside. but like the immigrants I think he will survive long enough to be reborn at the sight or opportunity and joy.

Question: What do you think he meant by saying " his flesh returned to the earth"

Lit Circle Post #2 / What is the What

Quote 1: " You are safe here boy, you are safe now," and I would sleep there and know I was not safe. The horses and guns and helicopters always came. I could not get out of this ring, this circle that was squeezing us within, and no one knew when the end would come.
Page 107, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response: I chose this because it shows that Achak's hope is dying away with the hatred that the death of the people closest to him is creating for him. Achak is killing his joy of escaping and the death, slavery, and torture is destroying his hope. The way I think this links to me it’s that sometimes when I'm stressed out about homework or something the work that I forget always come back to beat me down. Once I think I'm in the clear there is always that assignment that my mind's grasp had slipped on.
Question: How do you think that you are connected to this?

Quote 2: These boys seemed sure that their families had been killed, despite what the old man and the nursing woman had said in the light of the fire, I convinced myself that this had not happened to me.
Page 117, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response: I thought this had a lot of meaning because its telling us once again that all the death, slavery, and torture is rotting the love, hope and faith that these boys have. But Achak isn't letting all the cruelty that the devil pours into the souls of feeble men and the cruelty that they then spread get to him. Achak will keep on believing that his family is still alive with the faith that God has given him. I think that the quote connects to me in the sense that I fail to see that it’s possible for me to do or complete a project. And if I have failed in many things before or how Achak has seen what they've done to many closest to him, I believe that further on I will do better.
Question: Do you think that you in any sense would fail in believing something. Why or Why Not?

Field Trip Reflection

From Haven to Home: I thought the purpose was to learn about how much immigration has affected everyone in many ways. And also showed how all of it meant to the immigrants. I learned that the Jewish people had a huge effect with political history and the way. A thing that i found interesting was that Albert Einstein was I think a Jew and he was a genius. But there is always the sad fact that the Holocaust happened and the KKK who made many violent crimes towards people of religion and race.

Children Of Immigrants:
Photo: I chose a photo of many children of many different races and religion smiling in 1998 Walt Disney Magnet School of Chicago. And the reason i chose this one is that all these children together with no racism or discrimination is how it should always be. Instead of the racism and violence
Quote: "The greatest thing i hope for in my life is to become a successful person and to have a family and friends to support me, not to be looked at by just the color of my skin but who I am inside"
I chose this because this is what many of the discriminated people have hoped for and is a slow granted wish. And the reason of that is because of people who don't wish to change and deny the fact that we are all the same. And it spoke to me because it shows how all the immigrants are still wishing for that sign of hope.

Immigration Reflection

Julian Pina-Sanz

2/9/08

Immigration Reflection

I think that a immigrant in my sense is someone who moved from one country to another to live there. I can think of many reasons why someone would want to leave their homeland to go to another country. For example, they could be moving for more job opportunities or they could be moving because there could be gangs that are killing, drug problems, poor economy or a poor guided society. I would say that the US has more well paying jobs and a safer environment than some other places, like some parts in Africa were there is killing, child soldiers, and drugs.

Much of the US has been affected by immigration in bad ways and good ways. For example there are more cultural restaurants that a lot of people like very much and people can learn more languages in school and be able to communicate with other people who only speak that language. The bad side is that some of the immigrants move over here and spread some of the bad things that are happening in their countries.

I think that I connect to immigration a lot because I was born in London, England and the rest of my family is from Venezuela in South America except for my sister. So I can get to learn about Venezuelan culture, and American culture and even more from friends who are either immigrants themselves or have a immigrant family. And I think that immigration helps learning in that way. I have many friends and family members from different places, like some of my friends are from Mexico, Asia, Central America, and even Europe