Human Geo Blog Recap

My favorite topic was the disease and immigration. The most interesting thing that I learned was about immigration and the immigrants experiences. My most memorable class period was the first class period because the class was so fun and it got me excited for the year to come. 

God Grew Tired of Us

1. How many people lost their lives from the civil war in Sudan?

2 million lost their lives and 4 million in Southern Sudan were displaced.

2. Who are the Lost Boys?

Displaced or orphaned boys during the second Sudanese Civil war. Roughly 20,000 boys

3. What two things started the civil war in Sudan?

Religion and oil. The religious tensions were very strong. 

4. Who was fighting in the war?

Sudan People's liberation movement and the South Sudanese government

5. What hardships did the boys face on their journey to Ethiopia?

The boys were walking for years in and out of war zones. They faced hunger, dehydration, wild animals, large rivers and even cross-firings from the war. 

6.What happened to the refugee camp at Ethiopia?

The camp was shut down and they told everyone they had to leave when the new Ethiopian government came into rule. 

7. How many years did the Lost Boys walk total after the attacks on the villages?

The Lost Boys walked for 5 years. 

8. In what ways to the boys eat differently than average Americans?

The boys were only used to eating maize or crops and were never exposed to the common processed food in Americans diets. The boys eat with their hands and make very weird recipes with them. (smashed crackers and milk)

9. What was John’s job at the age of 13?

He buried the dead children.

10. How does sleeping in America compare to sleeping at the refugee camp?

At the camp they slept on the hard ground while in America they sleep on thick, comfy mattresses. 

11. How many months of assistance does the government provide? What happens after that time?

The government provides 3 months of assistance then they have to get a job and pay the government back for the air fare. 

12. What holiday traditions do the boys want to know the meaning of?

Santa and the Christmas tree. 

13. What is John scared of doing? Why?

Ice skating because he thinks he is too tall. 

14. What are John’s jobs?

Gasket factory and McDonalds

15. What is Daniel’s job?

Processes checks at a bank. 

16. Why does Daniel think life in America is tough?

Because everyone is always working with different schedules and there is no time for family. 

17. What do the boys think of Americans?

They think they are unwelcoming and unfriendly.

18. Why do merchants file a complain with the police?

They feel intimated how the boys enter their stores in large numbers/groups. 

19. How are the lost boys feeling 1 year in America?

They feel very lonely and distant from their friends and family. 


What have you learned about Dinka culture? What markers from the film are representative of Dinka culture? Of American culture? What values do the Lost Boys hold? How do those values compare with your own?

The boys value their family and their culture. They live to bring their family to America and their loved ones. That is similar to my values because I value and love my family very much.  

What questions and fears do the Lost Boys have about life in the U.S.? What questions and fears would you have if you were moving to a new place? What differences do you see between Dinka culture and American culture? What are some of the challenges the Lost Boys encounter? How do they adapt to life in the United States (think in terms of both assimilation and acculturation? How do you think you would adapt to life in a new country?

I think the boys adapted very well to the very new living conditions because they went from eating corn and cleaning themselves in a river to working, cooking, shopping, cleaning and a whole bunch of new things. I would mostly have questions about how to do things and live in the new place. 
A benefit of this documentary lies in the opportunity to view our own (American) culture through the eyes of the Dinka. What aspects of our culture, which we may or may not take for granted, could potentially make immigrants feel marginalized or not a part of the American culture?


I think Americans take all of the little things for granted even like shopping and showering. Showering and being able to clean yourself is a big change for people that couldn't clean themselves in clean water. 

What scene(s) or ideas presented in the film stood out to you? Why?

The grocery store scene stood out to me because something like going to the grocery store is apart of our everyday lifestyle and the boys have never seen it before. They were acting different and the man in the grocery gave them a very confused face which just showed how different it is to live here. 

Was there anything that surprised you as you watched the film? Detail one thing that you took away from the film study.

I was surprised how well the boys adapted to the new country and I took away that I shouldn't take anything for granted because many people don't have the opportunities that Americans do.  

assignment nineteen

INTRODUCTION TO MIGRATION

Migration- permanent resettlement of a human population set
Immigrant- a person who comes to live permanently in a new area
Emigrant-  a person who leaves their country to move to a new area
Internal- within the same country
International- move into a new country
Forced migration- no choice
Voluntary migration- moving by choice
Push factors- negative; reasons why people leave a place
Pull factors- positive; reasons that attract people to other places

1900- flocks of German people came to America
Irish people came
Italians came
Eastern Europeans came

Why do people migrate?

• Jobs
• Poverty
• Political/religious reasons
• Education
• Health care

Immigration - emigration = grows our population and fixes our negative rate 

Family reunification - 3/4 of our immigrants

Specialized work- 1/4 of population

Diversity 

1 million people migrate to the US a year 

Mapping Asia

1. Israel
2. Jordan
3. Lebanon 
4. Syria 
5. Iraq
6. Saudi Arabia 
7. Yemen 
8. Georgia
9. Armenian 
10. Azerbaijan
11. Kuwait 
12. Bahrain
13. Qatar
14. United Arab Emirates
15. Oman
16. Iran
17. Kazakhstan 
18. Uzbekistan
19. Turkmenistan
20. Kyrgyzstan 
21. Tajikistan
22. Afghanistan
23. Pakistan
24. Russia
25. Nepal 
26. India 
27. Maldives
28. Mongolia 
29. China
30. Buthan
31. Bangladesh 
32. Myanmar 
33. Thailand 
34. Sri Lanka 
35. Singapore 
36. Laos 
37. Vietnam
38. Cambodia 
39. Brunei 
40. Malaysia
41. Indonesia
42. North Korea 
43. South Korea
44. Taiwan
45. Philippines
46. Japan
47. East Timor 

assignment eighteen

DTM- Demographic transition model- a model based on the historical trends of brith rate and death rate to suggest a country's total population growth rate cycles through stages as that country develops economically

Industrial Revolution 

NIC- Newly industrialized countries- Africa South America, and Asia
EIC- Early Industrialized countries- Western Europe, North America, Japan and Australia

Guns, Germs, and Steel Episode 3

1) According to Jared Diamond, what allowed Europeans to develop the power necessary to conquer (take over) large portions of the world? 

Geography helped them have the best animals and crops which led to the development of colonies to conquer the world. The geography also helped them develop guns, germs, and steel.

2) Why were the Europeans who settled the South African cape(tip) so successful? Describe two reasons. 

The climate and temperature made them so successful because the climate and temperature where the same as their homeland (Europe) so they knew how to grow and maintain crops and livestock.

3) How did disease allow the Europeans to conquer the native populations in the Americas and in the African cape? 

The Europeans brought germs to the native populations and the population suffered (mainly smallpox). The Europeans were immune to the disease so they did not get sick but the other populations were newly exposed so they got sick. Also, since its a new disease they didn't know how to treat it.

4)The Europeans who settled the tropical areas of the African continent introduced killer germs to the native populations. However, Europeans also suffered from the effects of germs native to Africa. Describe how native African germs worked against the European settlers. 

The Europeans were used to giving other tribes the diseases but the Europeans got the native germs instead and they were loosing livestock and their lives.

5)How did the native Africans protect themselves from the germs that caused diseases such as Smallpox and Malaria? Give specific examples cited in the film. 

The native Americans developed immunity against Smallpox because they were exposed throughout time. They also developed vaccinations and medications to prevent and cure the sickness. Malaria was spread through infection so they prevented infection. To prevent infection they lived in high, dry areas. Since Africans lived in small areas outbreaks of disease was minimal. The Europeans lived near water so they had a great exposure of Malaria. Mosquitos were the carrier of Malaria and they live in wet/ humid areas.

6)How has the colonization (European take over) of Africa created countries filled with disease? Give specific examples from the film.

The European colonists forced the Africans out of small villages and into large, crowded communities. By creating crowded towns diseases like Malaria spread easily. The disease mutated and the immunity went away and the vaccinations and medications no longer worked. Many people died from the diseases and then new diseases were introduced such as HIV/AIDS and those diseases spread easily because of the close spaces.

7)What is the number one public health problem in Zambia? Who are the people mainly affected by this? 

The number one public health problem was Malaria. It killed many children under the age of 5.

8)How has disease made poverty (poorness) worse in many African countries such as Zambia? 

Disease decreased life expectancy and reduced the average life expectancy to 35 years.The disease affected so many children that the mothers were nursing sick children instead of doing their job for money.

9)According to data from the film, how has Malaria effected the overall growth in Africa over the last 50 years? 

Malaria caused a 1% negative growth each year for the past 50 years and poverty in Africa has grew.

10)Describe how other tropical countries such as Malaysia and Singapore have developed rich economies despite having many of the same geographical and health problems faced by African nations.

The other tropical countries realized what environments the germs grow in and the governments developed their countries away from the germs limiting Malaria and other diseases. Since they weren't concerned with germs they were able to focus on their economy and become rich.

Guns, Germs, and Steel Episode 2

1. At the time that the Spanish conquistadores invaded the Inca Empire, they were armed with state of
the art weaponry. Describe this weaponry.

The weaponry consisted of guns, steel swords, horses, body armor, and steel helmets.

2. What is Jared Diamond’s explanation for why the Spanish had advanced to steel swords while
Inca’s were still making tools and weapons from bronze?

The Spanish had the head start because of their geographical location so close to the Fertile Crescent. They inherited the 7,000 years worth of metal technology information that was developed in the Fertile Crescent.

3. How did the battle tactics used by the Spanish conquistadors help the small army defeat the Inca
army that outnumbered it by the thousands?

The Spanish used that tactic of surprise and popped out of hiding riding on horses. The Incas fled the site and made it easier for the Spanish to defeat the Incas.

4. According to Jared Diamond, what made the Europeans “accidental conquerors”?

Because of their location and history, the Europeans were the first to evolve guns, germs, and steel.