Sixty traditional folk events halted in rural Japan due to depopulation, aging

The Japan Times

January 13, 2017 | Unit 4: Culture

Synopsis

In Japan, 60 traditional folk events, that celebrate the folk culture of the country, have been put on halt. This is due to the population of the country growing older. The younger population of Japanese have migrated from the rural countryside to the big cities. Because of this, not many young people populate Japan's rural areas. This has resulted in these folk culture events being halted because the older population is not capable of  organizing the events on their own. Different communities are attempting to ensure that Japanese folk culture stays alive by trying to teach children about it in school.

Analysis

This news story ties in two of the units we learned this year, and briefly refers to another one we did. This news story shows how the aging of a population actually does have an effect on the country. In this case, Japan's folk culture events have been halted because there are not enough people to help support these events. The article discusses how the younger population has migrated from the rural areas of Japan into the large cities, for what can be inferred to be an increase in job opportunities. It was also interesting to see that the Japanese are still trying to ensure that their folk culture is not completely destroyed, by having the children be taught in school about their culture. This article relates to human geography because it discusses how a graying population is affecting Japan's celebration of its folk culture.

Hungarian Australians gather in Sydney to celebrate cultural festival

ABC

January 6, 2017 | Unit 4: Culture

Synopsis

In Australia, 500 members of the Hungarian community are gathering for the Hungarian Cultural Festival. This event takes place every four years. Included in the event is the folk culture, and in particular the folk dance. The dances are very complex and reflect what the Hungarian's ancestors had been doing for a long time. In addition, there are many other customs that are practiced at the event. However, the older generation is worried, as the younger generation are not as interested in their heritage of being Hungarian. 

Analysis

Throughout the world, places will have many gatherings of different backgrounds of people. Even Stamford has many gatherings for the certain backgrounds of its citizens. This article was interesting because I was not aware that there were about 80,000 Hungarians who lived in Australia. In addition, it was interesting to learn about the customs that were practiced at this gathering, in particular the folk culture involved, such as dance. It reminded me of the Irish dancing that I do and that I take part in as my background being Irish. This article relates to human geography because it describes how a certain ethnic group is gathering to celebrate its culture.

Trump picks retired Gen. John Kelly to lead DHS

CNN

December 16, 2016 | Unit 3: Migration

Synopsis

Donald Trump has chosen retired General John Kelly to serve as his head of the Department of Homeland Security. Gen. Kelly has served in the Marine Corps for over 40 years, where he reached the ranking of head of US Southern Command. This position part him in charge of criminal drug networks in South and Central America, an area that Trump talked much about during his campaign in regards to immigration. As director of Homeland Security, Kelly would be in charge of many of the rules and regulations of immigration, and, in Trump's case, would play a pivotal role in the building of the proposed border wall.

Analysis

Created to solve the problems of immigration into our country, the Department of Homeland Security was created under the Bush administration, meaning that John Kelly would be one of the first to serve as head of it. While he may be more qualified for the role than the man appointing him, there is still some controversy surrounding John Kelly, meaning that he is still not the perfect candidate. In addition, Kelly would also likely support Trump in his proposal of a border wall, another controversial topic itself, especially in regards to immigration and unauthorized immigrants in our country. It will be interesting to see how he serves in securing our country's borders and preventing terrorism from taking place in our country. This article relates to human geography because it discusses who the next person in charge of immigration into our country will be.

UConn Not Sanctuary Campus but Will Help Immigrant Students

ABC News

December 9, 2016 | Unit 3: Migration

Synopsis

The University of Connecticut's President Susan Herbst has said in an email that the school's police will not ask any students of their immigration status, and that the school will not detain any undocumented immigrants. While these procedures will be enacted, the school can still not become a sanctuary campus. Many of UConn's students that are undocumented immigrants fear that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which is what allows them to be students at UConn, will be reversed now that Donald Trump has been elected president. Even if a student does get deported, UConn has promised to help ensure that that student will still be able to recieve an education in the country which they are going to. In addition, other colleges across the United States have stated procedures similar to those of UConn.

Analysis

This article was chosen due to what was discussed in class about it. It does make sense that UConn, a university that is in a blue state, would adopt a liberal policy regarding how it deals with undocumented immigrant students. While the policy will not completely protect its students from deportation, it is a step in the right direction in ensuring that the students are not deported simply because their families wanted a better life. It is also good to hear that UConn will provide support for its students that do get deported, so that those students do not lose their education. This article relates to human geography because it discuss how UConn will be adopting a policy that will help in protecting its undocumented immigrant students.

Mexicans fret over coming immigration changes under Trump administration

Fox News

December 2, 2016 | Unit 3: Migration

Synopsis

With Donald Trump being elected as President of the United States, people on both sides of the US-Mexican border are preparing for what is to come under his administration. Trump has stated many proposals on immigration, and had in particular focused on Mexico. Trump has called for a mass deportation of unauthorized immigrant criminals, who would flood Mexican cities situated on the border. This would cause a problem, as these areas already have difficulty sustaining the people that live there currently.Mexican officials have begun to plan in case such actions do occur. In addition, another one of Trump's proposals, the building of a border-wall, has raised some concerns over finance, as Trump has stated that Mexico will pay for this wall.

Analysis

Similar to the last current event, this one also focuses on what a Trump administration will do to United States immigration policy. This week focuses on possible his biggest plans, which are for the deportation of unauthorized immigrant criminals and the construction of a wall. While most people can agree that we should not have criminals in this country, we cannot simply dump them into Mexico without providing support for the country. As the article discusses, such deportation would negatively affect the areas surrounding the border. The other issue, the wall, also has some problems to work around, the largest being the cost. Trump has stated that Mexico will pay for this wall, however, Mexican officials have stated multiple times that they will do no such things. This article relates to human geography because it discusses immigration and new policies being proposed by President-elect Donald Trump.

Students Walk Out in Day of Protest Against Trump Immigration Plans

NBC News

November 17, 2016 | Unit 3: Migration

Synopsis

At New York and New Jersey University, students walked out of class in protest to Trump's plans to deport illegal immigrants. At many other campuses across the country, similar demonstrations were also held. After Donald Trump was elected as the next president of the United States, many people began to take action as to how they could stop many of his proposed reforms on immigration from taking place. A large rally was also held at Yale University in response to Trump's words. Many democratic US mayors have stated that they will try to do whatever they can to ensure that their city's residents do not get deported. In Portland, protests became violent, resulting in what the police called a "riot".

Analysis

Donald Trump has never been one to shy away from making controversial statements, and his statements on immigration are no different. Trump has called for illegal immigrants to be deported, and also briefly said that he wanted to place a ban on Muslims from immigrating into the country. In response to this, many people have actually protested his actions, some of which have resulted in violence. In particular, many college students, whose liberal viewpoints tend to contradict the conservative viewpoints of Trump, have organized demonstrations to show their dissatisfaction for the president-elect. This article relates to human geography because it shows how many people have taken action against the United States new leader's plans regarding immigration and migration.

Male birth control shot found effective, but side effects cut study short

CNN
November 4, 2016 | Unit 2: Population

Synopsis

A new study, conducted by health centers around the world and co-sponsored by the United Nations, found a birth control shot for men that prevented pregnancies to women. Prior to this study, much of the responsibility for birth control was placed on the woman. This study is the first in aseries of steps to allow men to play a larger role in their responsibilities of birth control.The shot contained multiple hormones, which reduced the production of sperm in men. With a lack of sperm, the men were ineffective in causing pregnancies in their partners. However, further study has been cut short due to negative side effects, such as severe depression, muscle pains, and increased acne. 75% of the men involved stated that they would want to use the product again, which may mean that the shot will be a popular choice once the side effects are worked out and the method is made available.

Analysis

The idea that one day the responsibility of preventing pregnancies may fall upon men is quite hard to believe. However, this article shows that scientists are moving in that direction. Due to the effectiveness of the shot, the crude birth rate of many countries would decline, as many pregnancies would be prevented. In addition, the total fertility rate would also decrease, as males would not be able to get females pregnant. This article relates to human geography because it shows how the population of certain countries could continue to decline with breakthroughs such as these in preventing pregnancies. Currently, one of the ways to decrease birth rates is to educate people, in particular women, about birth control and family planning. However, this shot would allow men to also need an education in family planning, as the responsibility to prevent a pregnancy would be placed on the shoulders of men.