SJ Doc. Project.

I interview my mother, Marlaine, about her divorce. She is 49 years-old and has three children (my 2 brothers and I). She officially divorced in October 2007. The divorce was filed in June 2005. It was a long fight and not an easy divorce, the kind no one particulary wants.

What’s it like to be working two jobs?
It’s hard to work two jobs and maintain a normal life and keep up with other things. When I’m done with work all I want to do is relax. Sometimes I feel like I can’t do it anymore. House chores are a whole separate job. I do hope that one day all I have to do is work one job, and that’s all I can do is hope that everything works out soon.

How much do you make and how many hours do you work at each of your jobs?
My full time job at CPS [customer service] I only make $13.20 an hour which is only like $26,000 a year. That’s why I had to get a second job at Kohls; there I only make $8.33 an hour, which is $3,600 a year. At CPS I work 40 hours a week and at kohls its ranges from 10-15 hours a week.

What’s your opinion on the government and collecting child support?
It’s a vicious circle. You can’t get your child support. The fact someone can go in and lie about being unemployed it horrible. And the judges buy it. Being self employed your wages can’t be garnished. They say they support people who collect it but they don’t. I have to take of work so much just to go into court and try and get money. Meanwhile, I’m losing money by taking off work. I’ve used all my vacation days the past two years to do this.

How much money in child support have you not received?
I haven’t received over $9,000. The last payment he made was July 31st 2008, but that was a behind payment from probably November 2007. When we go to court the judge is told that he has no work supposedly. The judge believes it more recently because the economy is so bad

Do you feel a lot of stress?
Definitely, working two jobs is difficult, but I don’t have any other choice. I need to make the mortgage, even though that is still hard, even with two jobs. If I was getting child support it would be much easier. We cannot even sell the house because it’s in poor condition so fixing up the house and worrying about that puts even more stress on me.

What’s the most frustrating thing?
I seem to be the only responsible adult. It’s like I’m dealing with a child rather than another adult. Also do a lot of the paperwork myself to try and help the processes, but it still doesn’t make a difference.

Were you ever against divorce?
No, but you should try everything possible, you need an option though if everything fails, I took my vows seriously.

Did you try counseling, if so how long?
Yes, at least a year

Why didn’t it work?
Because it made me realize I cannot take ownership for someone else’s mistakes.

Why didn’t you have a fault divorce?
Because it costs too much and its more difficult, I would’ve had to proven everything he did wrong. It wouldn’t have a baring on the outcome either so it really wasn’t worth the extra time and energy.

When did it get really hard to keep the anger and tension out of the house?
After I was diagnosed with cancer and I had my surgery.

How did staying together for the children affect your health?
It makes it worse because there’s too much stress and it’s not good for you. They say it’s bad for the children to have the anger and tension, but it’s also bad for the parents.

Do you think your diagnoses with cancer had an impact on your divorce?
Yes, it made me realize life is too short and I have to live my life for me and not for someone else. I first thought that God let me live to make him better and make our marriage work. But I actually saw that it was to make me whole. I had to search for the meaning of why my life was saved. The whole situation really opened my eyes.

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Social Justice Document Project

For my social justice document I wanted to focus on how the elderly have got miss treated. So I interview my grandmother Joanne Zander. Joanne is seventy seven years old and lives in Downers Grove, Illinois. She has three adopted daughters and has been a widower for the past thirty one years. Throughout this interview I wanted to focus on the three man topic from my research paper. The topics include; Transportation, Medicare, and Nursing Home problems. Since Joanne doesn’t live in a nursing home it was hard for me to ask question about that particular topic.

 

 

Do you have a driver’s license? If not why don’t you have one?

 

Oh gosh no. I haven’t had a license for about seven years. I don’t feel like it worth going through all the exams. I just haven’t got it renewed. Plus I don’t really go out to much. We have everything you need here.

 

If you wanted to go to the store wouldn’t it be hard to get there with no license? How would you get there a bus maybe the train?

 

Yea I would be hard I guess but that’s a big reason why I don’t live in the city anymore, and I live out here. I have everything I need right down the street it’s really effortless. Plus it’s good more me to walk and get exercise. Fooling around with waiting at bus stops isn’t for me, then lugging all of your items back and forth. You have got to be kidding me!

 

What if everything is right down the block? What if there was so activity you wanted to do further away?

 

Not everything is, so sometime one of you aunts would drive me or get a ride somehow. I would never talk the bus, maybe a cab.

 

Do you ever get bored sitting around this apartment complex all day?

 

Maybe I wouldn’t be that bored if you came to visit once in a while. But it’s not too bad I have a lot of friends that live here in this retirement community. We do play a lot of bingo and gin. You know how I love my day time television too. The Cubs are starting up soon right?

 

Is Medicare a problem or a concern for you?

 

Medicare is a big problem for many people. A lot of people don’t get enough support from Medicare. For myself I pay a supplement to Blue Cross Blue Shield each month like a lot of others do. What that does is let’s say I want to go to the best doctor for my eye problem. Medicare would only pay a certain amount given the plan you have. Depending on which doctor you go to it might not be enough money to cover. So Blue Cross would pick up the money that my Medicare plan wouldn’t pick up. So to answer your question it’s not too much of a concern for me, but it is a problem for some people that I know.

What about people that don’t have supplemental coverage to Medicare. Is it fair to them to not get the best treatment possible?

 

Oh definitely not. I know what you are saying and I don’t think it’s fair at all. I don’t like paying extra money each month either sweetheart. I think that Medicare should provide the best services for you but that’s life for you. Not everything is going to be prefect. It’s just not the way how things go most of the time and it is wrong.  

 

Have you have heard of abuse or miss treatments that go on in Nursing Homes?

 

No, besides reading articles about it in newspapers some time or magazines. All the people that I talk to live here in this community and it’s not a nursing home. I know it goes on some place I guess but your asking the wrong person. I have never lived in a nursing home and I don’t plan on it. And if the next question your going to ask me is if I think it’s wrong to do to people the answer is yes of course I do.

Presentation of Social Justice Documentation Project

This document that I have created will, hopefully, act as a voice in the form of writing as history. The topic of this documentation is another view on a social issue that has been in the American culture for years; that topic is homosexuality. I chose this topic because, personally, I feel that the little information and source I can provide will help others who oppose this lifestyle see it in a different light in the sense of trying to prevent homosexuals rights to be amended or taken away; thus, creating social or political injustice. My position on this issue is pro and letting homosexual be equal as those who are heterosexual in all aspects in life and in this civilized nation legally at the most part. All else will be based on logically trying to explain, to understand and analyze why those against this lifestyle. My interview will be based on the public’s view on homosexuality and same-sex marriage, any law and or the bible, and personal beliefs from both opposing sides. The topics I will look up include: information on marriages and the law in different states and their interpretations, the bible, and how people interpret the scriptures from the bible. These topics, I feel, will help me identify the views and understanding why and what exactly a small portion of the public are looking at for interpretations and the means for justification. These are the links to the survey that was asked the public and my interviewees to answer- http://surveys.polldaddy.com/s/2F898041CE6074F7/ is part one and http://surveys.polldaddy.com/s/CE77AFA73F63520A/ is part two of my survey.

Below are the same questions on the site and asked in person.


Are you a homosexual or heterosexual?
Are you for or against homosexuality?
What is your view on homosexuality?
Are you for or against gay marriage?
What is your view on gay marriage?
WHAT religious group would you say you are a part of?
Christianity
Islam
Secular / nonreligious / Agnostic / Atheist
Hinduism
Chinese traditional religion
Buddhism
Primary indigenous
Traditional African and Diaspora
Sikhism
Juche
Spiritualism
Judaism
Baha'í
Jainism
Shinto
Cao Dai
Zoroastrianism
Tenrikyo
Neo-Paganism
Unitarian-Universalism
Rastafarianism
Scientology
ANY
Catholic
Pentecostal
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THE FIRST GAY BISHOP *
Gene Robinson, the ninth Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, became the first gay bishop in Christendom.
Do you think homosexuality is a disease or something someone is born with?
Do you think the United States or SOME STATES ARE unfair to homosexuals when it comes to their rights? *
What is/are your reason to go against/your support on homosexuality? (ie, shows the home, the crime incident, religious views, cultural beliefs, disgust, are human beings like us, as well as citizens)

Can you locate in the bible where it speaks of homosexuality? *
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO READ THE BIBLE OR HAVE QUESTIONS PLEASE GO 5 and 6 of Part II.
INDICATE IN THE BIBLE, AND THE BOOK OF VERSE.
PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU KNOW

What is your interpretation of homosexuality in the Bible?

HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? FEEL FREE TO COMMENT!

Social documentation project

I interviewed my friend who had just recently come out. i wanted to know about the feelings he had before he did and his feelings afterward. His name is Matt Wohn. This is the interview which took play on AIM.

Session Start (amkingdom19:matt): Fri April 24 02:02:45 2009
[02:02] matt: there we go
[02:03] amkingdom19: kk ready to start?
[02:03] matt: der
[02:04] amkingdom19: When did you first notice you were different from everyone else?
[02:05] matt: Well basically since i was little i always knew i was diffrent from everyone else, as early as the third grade, even before
[02:06] amkingdom19: What did you notice that was different about yourself?
[02:07] matt: that everyone around me was intersted to the opposite sex, while i try to do the same, but i really wasnt attracted to them
[02:08] amkingdom19: What feelings did this create in your self?
[02:09] matt: well i for one felt isolated from everyone else, there was always a big fear in me that someone else would notice my big secret
[02:10] matt: i lived in fear that one day people would figure out and judged me
[02:10] matt: every action was curbed lest i look too gay,
[02:10] matt: everything i did was always checked twice before i didi ti
[02:10] amkingdom19: Would you say then that you had feelings of isolation and paranoia?
[02:15] matt: yes and yes
[02:16] amkingdom19: Where there any specific times that these feelings spiked and hit a high or slightly went down?
[02:17] matt: yes i would have to say during 7 th 8th and freshman year
[02:17] matt: especially after my uncle died
[02:18] amkingdom19: Did your friends ever make these feelings worse with actions or comments?
[02:19] matt: of course, they made homophobic jokes all the time, picked on the gays, talked shit, pointing finger, the list goes on and on
[02:19] matt: but what they didnt know was that their riend was gay
[02:22] amkingdom19: Did these feelings affect your actions in more ways then you just making sure your actions didn't seem "Too gay"?
[02:23] matt: yes they hurt me, made me question my sexuality, tried to form dates and relationships with girls
[02:23] amkingdom19: Did this ever lead to bouts of depression?
[02:25] matt: yes especially during my "teenage" years
[02:25] matt: it just made me more depressed
[02:26] amkingdom19: How did you deal with this depression and did it cause thoughts of suicide? when did this specifically happen
[02:27] matt: i didnt i just got out of it... life went on
[02:27] matt: i would have to say it happened the most during freshman year
[02:28] matt: that i had thoughts of suicide
[02:28] amkingdom19: Did any specific actions or moments help to relieve these feelings or did they slowly calm down a bit?
[02:29] matt: the last thing, it just slowed down bit by bit
[02:32] amkingdom19: When you moved to a new enviroment (california from chicago) did this help with the paranoia and feelings of isolation?
[02:34] matt: actually yes
[02:34] matt: it made me feel like i can start again aknew
[02:34] matt: and i feel like people were more open to it
[02:35] amkingdom19: by open did you mean a more accepting culture and political views so to speak?
[02:37] matt: mmhm
[02:39] amkingdom19: Now when you finally came out what were your feelings?
[02:41] matt: a feeling like some burden has been lifted from me, a joyous feeling know that who i am is not wrong but beautiful, something i shouldn't be afraid of, and finally letting out all of that pent up emotion release from me
[02:43] amkingdom19: what were the details of coming out? Did you go and tell many people or was it more silent change?
[02:46] matt: no, i told my friends at college, then my family and then my immediate family... Now im no longer afraid to say im gay or to be associated with that crowd
[02:48] amkingdom19: Do you still feel residual paranoia from your experiences as a child that some is out to get you or will hurt you?
[02:49] matt: yes an inkling but that fear is long removed an out of place, i know the way to combat my fear is to face it
[02:51] amkingdom19: my point is though you will most likely still have feelings for the remainder of your life of some slight alienation and paranoia based from the fear from when you were a child
[02:51] matt: for the rest of my life? hardly, i dont feel that way anymore
[02:52] amkingdom19: maybe not feelings but some of the actions like you are more cautious then the average person
[02:54] matt: i know not to be so openly gay to offend people but i wont by bother by my sexuality anymore
[02:59] amkingdom19: you are a religious person correct?
[02:59] matt: yes
[03:00] amkingdom19: what do you believe in?
[03:01] matt: i believe in all that is good, and i am affiliated with roman catholic
[03:02] amkingdom19: what are your thoughts and feelings knowing that your sexuality and life style is condemmed by the very thing you believe in?
[03:03] matt: it hurts, but yet i still believe, it was one of the rare teachings that i took with me out of catholic school, believing even through the worst hardships, that defines my faith
[03:06] amkingdom19: when your friends make gay jokes now do you feel offended?
[03:07] matt: depends on the context and who says them, alex for u i make an exception

Don't Marginalize the Deaf !!!

We cannot hear anything at all,
Because we are deaf.

Cannot hear voices,
We only see their mouths moving.

Cannot hear our own voices,
We only feel it in our throats.

Cannot hear laughter,
We only see it in their faces.

Cannot hear the sound of playing,
We only see other people play.

Cannot hear the screams,
We only see their mouths open
or the startled reactions of people around them.

Cannot hear weeping,
We only see their tearstained cheeks.

Cannot hear the scolding,
We only see it in their scowling faces
and fingers shaking up and down in our faces.

We will never hear even if hearing people
put their mouths to our ears and scream down into them.

But we can hear one golden sound very well - SILENCE.



All poems show some kind of emotion this one in particular is dealing with deaf people and how they are the same as everyone else. Deaf people just do or respond to certain things differently but it doesn't mean they should be put out of the society. Everyone is different if we were all the same life would be boring.





We are people too

We look like you

Don’t we?

We are people with feelings

Just like you

Aren’t we?

I can see

I can smell

I can touch

But I can’t hear

I can’t speak

But it doesn’t mean I'm not the same as you

I can show affection

Just like you

Don’t put me out,

I don’t want to be marginalized do you?

This is the poem that I signed in class, for my oral history project. There was trouble uploading the video for this one.



The two types of Sign Languages used is ASL and ESL the most commonly used. ASL stands for American Sign Language. ESL stands for Exact sign language.




Some useful website to learn how to sign the alphabet >>>http://asl.gs/

Social Justice Documentation Project

This are the photos that I took of what remained standing of my house after the fire.
Also the links to the videos I wanted to show you for my presentation. I'm really sorry we were not able to see them in class. I intended to document how so many innocent people are victims of gang related violence and this case was one of them.
























http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnOGsloPtWA
(This one shows my house burning around 4:00a.m. on April 5, 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cw4Ml561tE
(This one is a cell phone video my brother recorded of how the houses looked afterwards.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNlAXAxZneQ
(Lastly, this video is the last one showing the remains of what I used to call home for over 12 years.)

Social Justice Documentation Project

I interviewed my father about what life was like for him growing up. He lived in a few neighborhoods in Chicago and I wanted to know what that was like.

What neighborhood(s) have you grown up in?

I lived in Northcenter for the first part of my childhood. Then we moved to Mozart and Byron. After living there for awhile we moved to Summerdale and Ashland for about a month, and ended up moving to Irving and Whipple while I continued to grow up. Finally, we moved to Hoyne and Addison which, as you know, is the house we live in now.

How come you moved so much growing up?

Well in our first house we were renting and it got too small for us to live there. I have two sisters and a brother and once we were all born it got too small. Than we moved to our second house and [my sister] Rita began crying because she didn’t like the schools and wanted to leave. Than the house we moved to after that got really crappy and we moved to the house on Hoyne.

What were the neighborhoods like?

They were all blue collar, white, working neighborhoods, but that was in the beginning. They weren’t rich but they weren’t poor.

What was life like while you were living in these neighborhoods?

Well, the house on Irving and Whipple was good. It was like small town/mainstream America. Everything was within 5 blocks: the butcher, the baker, the shoe repair store, Woolworth’s, the music store, the drug store, the hardware store, the cleaners, a bar on every corner. We had everything we needed.

Did you notice or remember any changes that occurred?

It started to change while we were living there. It seemed like more Mexican families were moving in but that didn’t really affect anything except that the baker’s left and there was a Jewel there but they were building bigger ones elsewhere; little by little the bigger stores started goin’.

I know you hung out a lot in Lincoln Square, what was that like?

Lincoln Square was called German Town. It was all Germans; German stores and German restaurants.

What about Prosser where you went to high school?

Prosser was Polish and Italian. There were a lot of factories and railroad yards. That area was a changing area. The African Americans were on the other side of the railroad tracks. It was changing. It was white flight at that time. A lot of the families that lived in the small houses began leaving. Now, it’s mostly African American. The factories are gone and I think most of the railroad yards are gone. It’s mostly low-income people now because it’s a low income area now.

Social Justice Documentation Project

I interviewed my mother, about her life in America since she moved here from the Philippines. I wanted to find out her experience of immigration and the trouble that she went through to find a job.

When did you move to America from the Philippines?

I moved here when I was eighteen or nineteen years old.

Who in the family decided to leave the Philippines?

Your Lolo (my grandpa) wanted to come here to give our family a better chance of succeeding in life to make more money. You see in the Philippines there weren’t many opportunities since the economy wasn’t very good.

Was it hard coming here to America?

Yes and no. The process of coming here was easier back then. Your Lolo (my grandpa) graduated as an engineer. He worked in a company that was also in America. The company in America needed people with experience since they couldn’t find anyone so they brought over applications to people in the Philippines. Your Lolo was one of the lucky ones to receive an application. The application included a petition to come to America as an immigrant. When your Lolo received the job and flew to America, he had to leave our family behind. He had to live in America alone for five years before he can petition us to come over.

When it was your turn to come here was it hard to find a job?

Sort of. I graduated into restaurant hospitality and my first job was at Burger King. It wasn’t my first choice but I couldn’t get any other job.

Why couldn’t you get another job?

I’ve been rejected from restaurants that wanted people that graduated from America rather than a school in a different country. One of the places that I applied for was at an Olive Garden and they told me straight to my face that I would never get a decent job with my diploma.

How was your experience after that interview?

I felt insecure and I actually believed him. That’s why I applied for a low paid job at Burger King. I started as a cashier then I became a manager of the store. I ended up working there for five years and then I had you.

Do you think that if you went back to apply, you would encounter the same problem?

I am happy with my job now. I worked hard for my position at Corner Bakery and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I have a great family and I am lucky to be living a life that I would’ve never of thought to have. It just took me awhile to realize that the comment that was said to me was wrong and I would never put up with someone like that again because I know I'm better than that.

Sign language alphabet (http://www.apples4theteacher.com/translate.html)

Social Justice Document- Kenji Video

This is my Social justice documentation project, the song is called "Kenji" written by Fort Minor, and most of the pictures are from the book Impounded

it didnt work on here, so i posted it on youtube. heres the video finally lol.

this is the video i attempted to show in class but i experienced technical difficulties. it is the coming out story of my best friend Devon M. hopefully it works on here.

This is my Social Justice Documentation. Its a interview of a young lady who is involved in a interracial relationship. Hope you enjoy!

SJ Project-The Undocumented Experience

I interviewed *Raul on his experience here as an undocumented worker here in the United States. He came here many years ago illegally seeking a better paying job. He is currently employed and expriences the everyday dangers that come along with being "illegal" in the United States.


Why did u decide to come to the U.S.?

I decided to come here because of the differences in the salaries. In Mexico you get paid little and there aren’t that many jobs to choose from. So why not go to a place where you can get paid 20 times more. So basically it was to earn more money.

What did you do in Mexico?

I worked as a messenger in a bank but even then the money still wasn’t enough. But I did have a job.


What kind of jobs did you find were available to you?

The jobs that one looks for when you get here are jobs like cleaning or cutting grass, you know manual labor. So the first job I got when I got here was cleaning a building as a janitor in Schaumburg. Basically these are just jobs that don’t have many opportunities to better your self, its just working for the pay.


How do you feel to be an undocumented person in the United States? And What dangers do you face everyday as an undocumented worker?

I feel sad because you know that since you are illegal in this country the people view you differently. The jobs that are offered or given to you are the ones that people who are legal don’t want. I face many dangers everyday. As soon as I come out of my house and drive, I drive with out a license because I can’t get one since I’m undocumented, so the first danger is if I have a car accident or for whatever reason a cop pulls me over, they will find out that I’m an illegal and they would deport me back to Mexico. Or at work the immigration can show up find out that you don’t have papers. You can end up with out a job or worst get deported. There are numerous fears.


If you had another choice would you have stayed in Mexico or would you have come here either way?

If things were better in Mexico I would have probably stayed over there. What would I come looking for in another country if I would have everything back home. I would have definitely stayed over there if things were in a better economic situation. In Mexico I earned about $5 a day, that I earn in a hour here, so the differences in salaries is what attracted me.


If you weren’t undocumented what other plans would you have?

I would look for a better job. A job where I could have better job positions and try to better myself over all. I would go back to school depending on the job I could find so that I could do the job better and better myself as well. Because the jobs that I have had, when I would start earning more and getting superior positions that is when they would ask for my papers and I wouldn’t have it; so then I would have to start all over again from the lowest position.


Are you hoping that your immigration status can be resolved some time soon?

Well there is much hope with the new president for things to get better or at least for an attempt to be made. Hopefully it is possible because there are many people who don’t want them (undocumented) here even though they take the jobs that others don’t want to take.


*Name was changed