Papers B&C Immigrants

Cierra Anthony
313-358-7056
Cierra.Anthony@wayne.edu
Paper B& Paper C
 November, 24 2015 



                                                                 Immigrants
 Immigrants discuss their experience with being immigrant in America Wayne State University

students gathered around four immigration panelists with recorders and note pads, in Alicia Nails race, gender and culture class last Tuesday night.


 Filipio Mirando an immigrant from Italy, Jihad Fahs an immigrant from Lebenon, Karen Marrero a Canadian immigrant and Juan Montoya a Mexican immigrant all discussed with the class their experiences as immigrants and the processes and social issues that they had to encounter.


 “ Only the brave survive,” says Mirando “ you fly a lot and arrive tired,“ the visa process is very long,” and “it took me seven or eight months to find a job.”



 Mirando says it was harder for him than most immigrants who came to America at a young age. 



“When you and your parents move here when you are 3 years old you don’t feel it, but when you are 31 years old you have to reinvent your self,” “ you have to start at zero.”




 Fahs says he did not have to go through the samething that most immigrants had to go through, because he came to America when he was three years old, he said he had to deal with identity issues.



“My issue as an immigrant is more like with an identity issue,” says Fahs “it's probably a common thing with people immigrating at a young age.”


 “Am I American, am I Arabic, what is an a Arabic especially since post 9/11and the atmosphere that was created, says Fahs “your not really comfortable in your own skin.”



 “Even now, now that I have my own identity solidified it creates some conflict totally in me is probably the biggest issue I came across,” says Fahs. 



 Marrero talked about being a Wayne State University history professor and a Canadian immigrant and how she is not familiar with the American history because she is from Canada.


 “Because I grew up in Canada and this isn’t the history that I’ve learned I never know how much of something that I’m saying is too much of what my students have learned already,” says Marrero. 



 “ I’ll say hey I didn’t grow up with this narrative,” “I didn’t grow up with this story of American myth of the founding fathers.”



 “So I say tell me what it is you’ve learned and tell me how I can augment that,” says Marrero.



 “I find that I am speaking from a position of an outsider, but sometimes thats an ok position , I try to be honest with who I am,” says Marrero “Its an honest position it allows the students to teach me as well.”


 Montoya spoke about his experience with learning the English language.


 “ The language is the first thing you have to deal with “ “when I come here I was living with my dad and I was just working so, I didn’t get a chance to go to school,” says Montoya.


 “My English that I know I’ve been learning from the people that I work with or just maybe watching tv or something like that,” “that’s the only way that I know what I know right now.”

Papers B&C LGBT

Cierra Anthony 313-358-7056 Cierra.Anthony@wayne.edu Paper B& Paper C November, 24 2015 LGBT Panel LGBT panels discuss their experiences as being apart of the LGBT community “ When I came out to my mom she told me that I would burn in hell.” Those were the words of Kyle Taylor a public relations student at Wayne State University and a member of PRSSA, participant in the LGBT organization Affirmations. Taylor and three other LGBT panelists spoke about their experiences with coming out to their friends and family. “ When I came out to my dad he didn’t talk to me for like three months” say’s Taylor. He says once his father finally accepted him for being gay he took him to his house for Thanksgiving and told Taylor, “This is not a coming out party so I would appreciated if you didn’t tell anybody.” Taylor says he instantly felt disrespected, “If they can’t accept me for who I am then they are not my real family.” “ My coming out experience was a little bit difficult,” says computer science student at Lansing community college, Coletta Motta. “My sister Frankee outted me,” says Motta “ I remember being terrified I didn’t want to go home.” Motta says it was difficult at first, but I went back to normal after a while. The LGBT panelist also spoke about questions they dislike being asked from straight people. Tim Carroll Tim Carroll a journalism student at Wayne State and former editor of The South End says he hates “when someone asks me who is the girl and who was the boy.” “They don’t think its offensive, but it kinda is.” Carroll said “I used to freak out when someone ask me that question, but I have a thicker skin now.” Carroll says “its normal for straight people to think that something is straight and everything else is different,” he says it’s called normality, “One has to be a boy and one has to be a girl and that's just not the case at all.” Taylor says he do not like when people asked him “well if you're gay why don't you act gay,” “I do not think it's fair that people think that all gay people are flamboyant.” “There are some Flamboyant men that don’t like boys and the same goes for girls too.” Chase Herle a banquet server at The Inn at St. John's says he does not like when people asked him, “how did you know you were gay?” says Herle “ I’ll always respond with how did you know you were straight.” Motto says she dislikes when a person asks her “how do lesbians have sex,” “Does that even count as sex?” “ I used to feel so uncomfortable because I did not want to answer that question,” says Motta. They also discussed the issues of gay rights. Herle says “It’s legal in this state to fire someone for being gay, and you cant find back in the court of law for that.” “It’s also legal to deny housing to LGBT members,” says Herle. Motta says “Its really hard adopting kids or even having them because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” says Motta “ you could go to an agency and say me and my partner want to try to adopt and they can deny you.”