A Third World Country Right in My Backyard

By Noah Lewis

Q News

As I stepped out of the van in the pitch-black darkness on a muggy summer evening, I thought I was stepping into a third-world country. 

But how could that be? Two minutes ago I was passing victorian-style homes that would run someone in the upper hundreds of thousands of dollars. More shocking than that, my own home was no more than 10 minutes away. 

Men, women, and even children started to pour out of tiny rooms and join me and about 15 others that were there to drop off supplies and provide a translated biblical sermon. 

They looked tired. Not the kind of tiredness I’m used to, this was a physically and mentally drained type of tiredness. Their faces wore exhaustion whether they wanted it to or not. One particular woman looked to be no younger than 55, yet still, she was here, a long way from home to work in order to live.

After the sermon, we opened the trailer that was hitched behind one of our trucks. Inside the trailer were boxes of necessities to hand out. This particular night, I was assigned to hand out stuffed animals. I figured most would turn them down. Boy, was I wrong. 

As I handed out the stuffed animals, my heart was full. One person after another would take their gift and I’d see their tired faces light up. Some would grab and hug their stuffed animal, while others hurried out of line to show their family members which kind of animal they received. 

One man was so overwhelmed by the experience that he looked me right in the eyes, thanking me as tears began to stream down his face.  

It hit me that maybe he’d never received a stuffed animal before. If he had, it must have been long ago. Or maybe it reminded him of his family back home that he was working so hard for.

Either way, the gratitude in his heart has touched mine ever since that day. 

Supplies handed out to lines of migrants

Children play with toys brought by mission team

***

I grew up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore peninsula in Northampton County. While known for our seafood industries, we also have many large tomato fields. From as early as March to as late as September, workers are needed to help harvest and pick these crops and are brought in from places like Mexico, Guatemala, and Haiti to do so. 

This type of work is far from easy. Most migrant workers are leaving their families during these months and helping to support them from afar. Daily, they pack buses right when the sun rises, are taken to the fields, and work until just before the sun fully sets. The physical aspect takes a major toll on the body and the extreme heat, which can feel like up to 100+ degrees on any given summer day, both make this job unthinkable for a typical American. 

With such poor working conditions and the sheer importance of this job, these men and women have to be making a fortune, right? Well, we all know better than that…

Marisa Sanchez is a Church and Community Missionary for Bridge Network of Churches and Cape Charles Baptist Church that works daily with the Eastern Shore’s migrant and Hispanic community. She came to the ESVA in 1987 as a summer missionary and eventually decided to stay, taking a role in the church in 1991. By 1995, Sanchez was brought on in her current role.

“Most of the migrants are paid by the hour which is usually whatever minimum wage is,” said Sanchez. “They get paid by the piece when they are picking which depends on what type of tomato they pick. The ugly tomato is .60 cents a bucket, the cherry tomato is paid at $2.75 per box and the grape tomato is paid at $5.00.”

In addition to the low and unfair wages, these workers are housed in camps that are tucked away and out of sight from anyone passing by. The conditions of the housing are typically so rough that I wouldn’t wish living in them on my worst enemy. In fact, I’ve seen prisons in much better shape. 

“The living conditions are provided by the growers and companies,” Sanchez said. “The migrants are docked from their pay for living expenses such as electricity and gas or what we know as room and board. The camps are usually duplex-style concrete buildings or two- story old homes. We have camps that can house 600 migrants and others that can house 20 migrants. 

“The camps differ in size and style but they all have bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. The bedrooms usually have bunk beds, some rooms have up to three sets of bunk beds and can house six young men or a family of six with children. Most rooms don’t have air conditioning. They also don’t have curtains or bed sheets and kitchens do not have pans or eating utensils.”

A major part of Sanchez’s job is working with church mission teams, like the one I’m a part of, that bring essentials such as hygiene products, toiletries, sheets, blankets, clothes, food, cooking utensils, fans, slow cookers, and much more. She will take these teams out into the camps and distribute the items, typically after translating a biblical sermon or worship service the group has planned for the workers.  

“Any church that wants to help us minister to the migrant population is welcome to do so,” Sanchez said. “I want to help to build a positive relationship between our Caucasian, Black, Korean, Chinese, and Hispanic churches. Before the eyes of God, we are all the same. They get in contact with me, I answer questions and tell them about the ministry, then set up a date and time for them to come.” 

Pastor of Cape Charles Baptist Church, Russell Goodrich, is going into his 23rd year working hand-and-hand with this ministry. Rev. Goodrich remembers a time when the camps were in even harsher shape than now. 

“When I started getting involved in migrant ministry most of the camps were deplorable,” Rev. Goodrich said. “There were no standards of living required by the owners of the camps and the workers lived in conditions where they had to cook on outdoor fires and keep their food in ice coolers. There were no bathroom facilities offered and no privacy or hot water. There were also no facilities for laundering their clothes and bedding. Roads were never maintained and dirt and mud covered the floors of the rooms they live in. Praise God that intervention eventually came as the government and health boards got involved.”

As I previously mentioned, the first time I was introduced to the migrant ministry at Cape Charles Baptist Church and visited one of these camps, I was in shock. I couldn’t believe that just minutes from the home I’d lived in for 13 years there was a multitude of rundown camps crammed with men, women, and sometimes children. Since that day, I continue to have a hard time believing that environments and work of that nature still exist in our country without more attention to its unfair wages and poor living conditions.

Without these workers, we don’t eat. How is that hard to realize? It’s that simple. 

Rev. Goodrich feels the same way.

“Truth be known, I would not know of them if it wasn’t for living in an area that houses migrant workers,” Rev. Goodrich said. “It’s sad to think that on the shelves of our grocery stores and in restaurants all over America, no one credits the callused and stained hands of those who pick the crops and make them available.” 

Callused and stained hands are exactly right. Migrant workers deal with fields that are treated with chemicals and pesticides that stain their hands and require them to keep their noses and mouths covered. The workers are responsible for prepping, planting, harvesting and cleaning up the fields. 

Rev. Goodrich acknowledged the strides that have been made in migrant work but is praying that more of the community embraces the migrants going forward.   

“I pray that migrants are not seen as people who are less educated, talented, blessed, or valued,” Rev. Goodrich said. “They are a very special segment of the population that helps keep the nation strong and healthy. They are a people group that God loves fully and I hope all other people groups will start to see them in the same way.” 

As for Sanchez, she still feels fulfilled every day serving in this ministry and assuring the needs are met. 

“This is my calling and I thank God for allowing me to serve the underprivileged migrant population,” Sanchez concluded. “I would not change my life for anything. I love what I have been called to do and I feel it has made me a better person. I am more attentive to the needs of people and more moved to help and make things better for those that struggle so much. 

“Personal experiences are what keep me going. Every day is different, with a different challenge, and a different need but all to the honor and glory of God. Everything that I do, is so that migrants will come to know Jesus. Then, I pray that they go home to where ever they come from and share Jesus.” 

***

Going forward, I will continue to help this community that works so hard for us all in any way possible. 

Currently, a few nights during the summer, after working 10-hour days as director of a children's summer camp, I assist in driving busloads of workers to and from our local medical center to be checked out or treated for any issues. This can sometimes take until after midnight. 

Also as director, we’ve now teamed up with Marisa Sanchez, who comes and teaches the kids about the migrants and how we can help them. This is important to me as I never would have known about what was going on if I hadn’t been introduced at a young age. 

I will do my best to continue spreading awareness of this important issue. I hope to help shed light on those like the man who cried after receiving a stuffed animal. There’s no doubt, he truly changed my way of thinking forever through an experience I know I’ll never forget. 

                                 Video of Women Singing & Photo Slideshow at Camps

Final Keypost: Is Tech Really Unhealthy?

As well documented in our class discussions and exploration, technology can be a beautiful thing! However, there are many downsides to modern technology as well. A few we viewed in class were things like younger suicide rates, revenge porn, and cyberbullying. With that being said, I wanted to explore how technology played a role in my life. Is it a good and healthy one, or one I should maybe reconsider?

Starting with the concept of giving technology appropriate time in my life, I would say I actually give it too much time. With a career as a sports journalist, it’s literally my job to be dialed into news that cycles throughout the day. Being late to, or missing a story can be a very big deal. Therefore, I’d say that while I do give too much time to technology, a lot of it is something I’ve felt forced to do. If I had the choice, I would be much less active on my computer and phone.

All that being said, technology is an essential tool that does make its user smarter, depending on how they use it. Because I use my technology to research, conduct business, and help grow my contacts, I would say it’s made me a smarter person. However, those that use their technology to waste time watching funny cat videos (no offense) are likely not gaining the same knowledge. Having the world at our fingertips is a powerful tool and I feel we must take full advantage of what it has to offer.

As I look to my family, friends, and even those much younger than me, I am fearful. I’ve seen firsthand how my niece, who is only a few years younger than I am, can’t stay away from updating her social life. In fact, she can’t even watch a full movie without quickly being distracted by her phone. It really bugs me.

Also, during the summer months, I work at my county’s Parks & Recreation as a summer camp counselor. At this day camp, we do allow our kids to play with their technology at certain times. It’s become so interesting and concerning to me that kids these days have no imagination because of technology’s impact. Once we “unplug them” for the day, they will sit in boredom, feeling like they have nothing to do. It appears that gone are the days children would use their imagination to play with each other, rather than pairing their Nintendo Switch’s to play Mario Kart. It’s scary that at one point, my generation was the age of upcoming technology, but now I have to call upon a six-year-old for assistance.

Overall, while I feel the use of technology in my life is too much, I have come to terms that most of it is necessary. However, as cited in my above paragraphs, I’m heavily concerned about what the future holds if we don’t teach our young the proper uses of this new tech. From an early age, they are taught to be infatuated it with. Parents handoff tablets like lollypops to limit behavioral issues. What is found in turn is the lack of basic human functions and skills. I believe we will see more and more that while this technology is certainly helpful, it will produce many dangerous consequences to our society. It already has.

Sources: http://medlawlit.blogspot.com/p/final-post-prompt.html

Research: TikTok's Diffusion of Innovations

In class, one key concept we learned about this semester was Rogers Diffusion of Innovations. The concept maps out just how ideas, that turn into successful companies, brands, etc, catch on. With new ideas coming out every day, only some of them can truly find their way to the top. 

Currently, one of the most present companies of today’s society is the social media app TikTok. TikTok’s initial presence debuted in 2014 when the app was under the name Music.ly. At the time, users could create short lip-syncing videos to TV show/movie soundbites or popular songs. The app was notable but eventually phased out of popularity rather quickly. 

I would call the users that first joined Music.ly early adopters. These users, usually from a younger demographic, hopped on the trend of using the app while it gained popularity, and most stayed as it transitioned into what it is today. I personally had a Music.ly account, but I never used the app. I honestly just didn’t understand it and it had no appeal to me. However, now I can’t imagine a day I don’t scroll through TikTok. 

Eventually, the company merged with another out of China and became TikTok. The new idea was to allow longer video lengths (up to 60 seconds) without a creativity cap. What I mean is that it was no longer just about music or soundbites, but more about whatever the user wanted to put into the 60-second time slot. This is certainly where the early majority came in. 

The app’s new algorithm tracked what the user would like, comment, and share to produce more of that particular content on its “for you” page. For instance, if you’re a supporter of Joe Biden or Donald Trump, you’ll see content related to those individuals more often. Because I’m a racing fan, I typically see a lot of content that has to do with racing.

As the popularity of this concept and app caught on, the late adopters have started to appear. TikTok truly controls the entertainment industry right now as songs that gain popularity on the app will gain wide popularity on the radio and other places. The app has helped create new stars and celebrities by its power to reach a very wide audience. Notable celebrities have run to the app in hopes to stay relevant. How wide is its reach you wonder? How about 1.29 billion users worldwide and growing.

While the popularity of TikTok doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon, there are people who refuse to join the service. Some just feel it’s not for them while others worry about their privacy. TikTok is known to track their user’s data, in what they say is to make the platform better. However, as its parent company was formerly out of China, President Trump threatened to ban the app unless sold off to an American company, as it became a security threat. 

Whichever way you look at it, you have to admit how amazing the growth of TikTok truly is. For an app that rebranded in 2018, it’s truly changed the shape of our entertainment world. Ask any college or high school student if they use the service, and I guarantee the overwhelming majority will say yes. 

Research: Invasion of Privacy

Imagine if in today’s world the use of advanced technology was taken away. No smartphones, no instant messaging, no Bluetooth, no streaming, no worldwide connection, no virtual assistant, you get the point. Some would say, “what an inconvenience!” while others would say “finally, how it should be!” I’d personally lean on the inconvenience side, as I’ve grown accustomed to these things. However, when really researching how much they’ve taken control of our lives, it does become scary.

As Dr. Andy Yen pointed out in a 2014 TedTalk, there will be kids today who never knew any difference in privacy. At the age of 19, I do remember stages of life without the use of the internet and certainly without the use of smartphones. However, I was also young enough to become very attached to them when they took off. 

With my generation being one of the early adopters of this internet at the fingertips concept, we all learned together how to use social media safely. However, I see things today that I would have never imagined we’d allow within these platforms. I also see pages and pages of terms that we so quickly scroll past and agree to because of our infatuation and in most cases, addiction to getting back in our social worlds. 

After the mentioned research, I now realize that we are agreeing to things like data storage that track our whereabouts on the internet, designed to give us advertisement’s that would be pleasing. I also notice that virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa are storing our voice recordings in hopes to “create a more user-friendly product.” How weird is that? 

The list of invasions of privacy goes on and on from phone call recordings to Bluetooth hacking. The fact that someone can easily obtain video camera footage from inside a child’s bedroom, and even talk to them is absolutely absurd and dangerous. In fact, in a TedTalk by Finn Latzow, he shows just how simple it is to hack into a child’s baby doll through Bluetooth and communicate with the child, even convincing them to “come outside and play.” 

 

So yes, while I agree that technology has proven to be exceedingly beneficial to our society and absolutely has brought along very great things, we need to start making our users much more aware of what they’re agreeing to. We also need laws in place that force companies to clearly disclose what private information the consumer is sharing. Otherwise, we’re in for a very messy future.

Key Post: EOTO on Propaganda

In today’s society, the use of propaganda is more present than ever among many different things. From the Merriam-Webster definition, propaganda is “ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause. We’ve seen this practice used all throughout history, but especially during times of war. 

In World War I, many countries, especially those of fascist and communist rule, used propaganda to help expand their power. In fact, this is the time period where the word became common and well-known. Here at home, we used propaganda within media and art to help motivated citizens to join the fight or do their part to help further our military. Everyone is familiar with famous pieces like Uncle Sam’s “I want you!” and Rosie the Riveter’s “You can do it!” posters. These were very popular ways of swaying the mind for a general-purpose that help the country. In fact, they’re still used and talked about as positive or motivating pieces today.

 

Adding to Merriam-Webster’s definition, Britannica.com says propaganda is “more or less systematic effort to manipulate other people’s beliefs, attitudes, or actions by means of symbols (words, gestures, banners, monuments, music, clothing, insignia, hairstyles, designs on coins and postage stamps, and so forth.)

In current times, Britannica’s definition is very true. With the political hatred being as intense as it is, we see propaganda used from both the left and right. Along with their extremely obvious bias, our media (network and online) is constantly displaying propaganda to support a position favorited by their organizations. ABC, NBC, CNN, etc were known for exaggerating (in some opinion’s) or showing untrue accusations about the former President Trump. 

In fact, a report recently came out that included an interview with a CNN staffer. The staffer made mention of how the network repeatedly used propaganda and bias to help sway voters in the 2020 election. "Look at what we did, we got Trump out," Charles Chester told FoxNews. "I am 100% going to say it. And I 100% believe it that if it wasn't for CNN, I don't know that Trump would have got voted out." He continued to make mention of certain instances, like the time President Trump had “shaky hands” and the network called in a medical professional to help put fear in American’s that the president was unwell and wouldn’t be fit for a second term. On the contrary, the staffer said they only showed upbeat and athletic videos of then president-elect, Biden, to push against the stance his age played a huge toll on him, even though it certainly does. In his closing remarks, he spoke on how the head of the network looks for stories that will instill fear into viewers on things they are against. A quote from Chester was “fear sells,” personally concerning me as these news organizations are forcing their own direction and agenda, not simply delivering facts. 

On the other side, organizations like FOX News and Newsmax claimed for months after President Trump’s election loss that there was obvious evidence that supported fraud activity within voting. In fact, the news organization OWN still claims President Trump won the 2020 election and has continuously refused to call Joe Biden “President Biden” or Kamala Harris “Vice President Harris.” With their own display of bias and propaganda, viewers are left to choose which side they believe.

The bottom line is propaganda isn’t going anywhere and as citizens, we need to be aware of when it’s used. Even with the pandemic, signs and ads are filled with sad-looking elderly people or doctors that say “protect us” among other phrases that medical professionals hope encourage people to follow CDC guidelines and eventually get vaccinated. While people will have differing opinions on this tactic, it’s up to us individually to decide how we understand the propaganda and what educated decisions we will make or not make because of it.  

Media Spotlight: Hattie McDaniel

 

Within media, certain people are credited for breaking down barriers and shifting change. One of these magnificent door-openers is Hattie McDaniel. As the first African American to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel was truly a trailblazer. However, her efforts weren’t always seen as successful.

McDaniel was born in Wichita, Kansas as one of 13 children.  Her parents were both formerly enslaved and her father served in the Civil War.  As McDaniel grew up, she and a few of her siblings knew a career in entertainment was for them.  Eventually, McDaniel moved to L.A., joining her brother Sam and sisters Orlena and Etta.

McDaniel first popped around from radio work to uncredited film appearances as she also worked as a maid.  Eventually, she gained notoriety and worked on many films, mostly as a maid, slave, or servant.  Becoming friends with many mainstream white actresses, McDaniel had finally made her way in as a colored woman.

When McDaniel landed her most famous and award-winning role as Mammy in Gone With The Wind, she was still met with discrimination and controversy.  In a time where the separation of race was still very prevalent, McDaniels wasn’t even allowed to attend the movie premiere in an all-white theater.  When accepting her Oscar, she was placed alone at a “colored only” table to remain separated. 

Within her own race, many African American’s did not appreciate the work of McDaniel.  While they celebrated representation within the Oscars, many, including the NAACP, condemned McDaniel for taking roles that degraded or weakened the look of colored people. As mentioned, McDaniel played mostly maid, servant, or slave roles and portrayed herself as uneducated or complacent with southern living in most films. 

When questioned about her stance on the criticism she received for not speaking out or blatantly supporting the fight for equality, McDaniel said this: "Why should I complain about making $700 a week playing a maid? If I didn't, I'd be making $7 a week being one."

Looking at McDaniel’s career as a whole, I would deem it very successful for the time period.  While she could have certainly used her platform to be more vocal about change, I think she instead decided to look out for herself.  We’re all a bit selfish at times and when success comes knocking, we sometimes surrender things to obtain it.  Hattie McDaniel did what she felt was right for her and I think we should all remember her as the trailblazer she was.

Sources:   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hattie_McDaniel, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/oscars-first-black-winner-accepted-774335

Key Post: Emojis

Throughout history, man has always found out how to make things better and evolve. For instance, a fire was originally made by the striking of stone. Now we can create fire with the flick of a lighter switch. The same process goes for the emoji. 

If you look at the technology wall in Cottrell Hall, you’ll find 1979 credited with the first emoji. However, after my research, that date is only somewhat correct. Ever since typing became available, people have found a way to insert emotion-based signs. In fact, Abraham Lincoln once added a winking face ;) to a speech.

In 1979, legendary typographer Hermann Zapf developed an emoji library that wasn’t broadly successful, but certainly notable.

“Containing over a thousand designs for signs and symbols, the font was one of 35 PostScript fonts built into Apple's Laserwriter Plus, one of the first mass-market laser printers. Credited as helping to kick off the desktop publishing craze, the addition of Zapf Dingbats to the library of fonts available on the Laserwriter allowed anyone to print out symbols and simple images in their documents as efficiently as any other text, without sending more data to the printer,” Magenta.com reported about Zapf.

The first credited emoji list was actually made by Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita in 1999. Kurita was played a role in the development team for “i-Mode,” an internet company produced by Japan’s biggest mobile carrier DOCOMO. Kurita wanted a more simple way to convey emotions and other information. One example he cited was making an emoji for weather patterns. Instead of saying “partly cloudy” in words, he envisioned programs displaying small pixeled emojis instead.

Kurita started by sketching 12-by-12 pixel images that he wanted to be selected from a keyboard grid. Sound familiar? The original character list included the sun, clouds, an umbrella, snowmen, a car, a tram, an airplane, a cell phone, TV, and GameBoy among other things, providing a variety of digital signs. 

With this new digital language established, the concept began to take off across Japan. Many developers made their own variety of emoji and by the mid-2000s, emojis were exploding globally.

In 2006, Google and Apple became increasingly interested in the emoji boom and set out to make the characters available in the USA. After a few years of working through Unicode, a universal coding platform, 625 emojis were made available for use in the states. Since then, Unicode has allowed other companies to use emojis as well due to their extreme popularity. 

While the Emoji hasn’t gotten any less popular, its change and regular updates have been the only thing keeping it relevant. Each new major iPhone update usually comes with an array of new emoticon features that are better designed than the last. Ask any teenager how often they use emojis and they’ll likely say at least once every three text messages sent. It’s a spectacular accomplishment to see the same 1979 feature of this ;) be just as popular now as this 😉. 

How many other modern technologies can you say have grown and evolved so much?