https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApERp7XgjpGrdHZkYW5WcjUzRENrdmdrQkg4d3pJbVE&pli=1#gid=0

           For this assignment the health issue that I chose to research about was Infant Deaths. I wanted to evaluate the differences in infant deaths among different races. Once again my results will come from the cities of Quincy, Ma and West Springfield, MA, and then Massachussetts as a whole. I choose four different races to look at, which were; Latino-Hispanic, White-non Hispanic, Black-non Hispanic, and Asian-non Hispanic.

          Before I started working on this assignment and looking for the information that I needed, I had no idea what to expect in my results. However the number of Infant Death surprised me because of the fact that I thought there would be more Infant Deaths then in the states of Massachusetts than 7.1. It was also surprising to see that West Springfield had no Infant Deaths because but the looks of it when I have been there it looks like a more poorer city, in which probably many people aren’t able to afford medical insurance. However, I know that my aunt once said those single mothers that move from Springfield to Boston, it is harder for them because in West Springfield it is less expensive than Boston, and so housing is cheaper, not only that they give more government help than Boston. So, that can be a reason why there was no Infant Deaths. It was also astonishing to see that in the city of Quincy the only group that had Infant Deaths was the White-non Hispanic. The only reason that could be is the there is more of a population of White-non Hispanic than any other race.

          In my results there was no major difference in between the cities that I searched, because both cities barely had any Infant Deaths; except for the city of Quincy which had the White-non Hispanic with a rate of 4.3 in Infant Deaths. However, in the city of Quincy when it came to the Asian-non Hispanic, it said NA which probably means they have no records for the Asian-non Hispanic, or they just didn’t get to calculate that group. The same thing happen in the city of West Springfield, but this time it was for the White-non Hispanic.

          In the state of Massachusetts there was no difference between Black-non Hispanic and the Latino-Hispanic, both had the highest Infant Deaths; Black-non Hispanic being the highest overall. There could be a numerous number of reasons why both these races have the highest number of Infant Death.One of the reason is both groups tend to be of low income and possibly don’t have the resources they need to get a medical attention throughout the pregnancy. Another could be that they tend to have more babies than the other races so since they have more babies there is a possibility that they have higher number of Infant Deaths than the other races. Many different reasons as to why this is. The other two races, White-non Hispanic and Asian-non Hispanic had the least rate of Infant Deaths, Asian-non Hispanic being with the least number. Once again there could be a number of different reasons as to why this is. As for White-non Hispanic, they probably have a low rate of Infant Deaths because they tend not to have so many babies, or they put first their career then later on start a family; also they are more well off financially so they have access to better resources health wise. As for Asian-non Hispanic, the reason why they are probably have a lower rate of Infant Deaths is probably because just as White-non Hispanic they tend not to have as many babies as the other races, perhaps because in Asia they are limited to have a certain amount of children. Another reason could be that they tend to be very healthy people when it comes to eating, they stick to their vegetables every time that you see them food shopping. But it could be a number of different reasons as to why this is so.

          In conclusion, it is good to see that there is not as any Infant Deaths throughout Massachusetts, it shows that we are bettering the health of Massachusetts and the people are getting the medical attention that they need. I figured with so many young teens having children the rates would be higher, but its not in this case.

As I worked on finding the information for this project I had in mind more or less what I was going to encounter. For this project I was to look up on the income and poverty within the United States, Massachusetts, and West Springfield, Ma. and a city of my choice, in which I choose Quincy. I was to look up the poverty and income in those areas within three different races, in which I choose Hispanic-Latino, White-non Hispanic, and Asian-non Hispanic. There is a reason as to why I choose Asian-non Hispanic, my first choice was Black-non Hispanic, but I did not go with it because I believe majority of the time Blacks and Hispanics get the same treatment. Also, I think that there are times in which Asians are in good conditions and sometimes where they are not, and that made me curious as to what was there situations under these categories in these areas.

My prediction were the following, I predicted that in the United States the White-non Hispanic and the Asian-non Hispanic were going to be higher in income and lower in poverty and for Hispanic-Latino, I predicted the opposite. As for Massachusetts and the city of Quincy my predictions remained the same. However, for West Springfield I predicted the Hispanic-Latino would be higher in income and lower in poverty and White-non Hispanic and Asian-non Hispanic were going to be lesser in income and higher in poverty because I have family in Springfield and I visit there a lot and every time I go all you see is mostly Hispanic, it’s like a mini Puerto Rico.

In the United States, Asian-non Hispanic and Hispanic-Latino, had higher income than White-non Hispanic, in which to me was surprising at first because I would have figured the White-non Hispanic would have the highest income. However, I then realized that the benefits that some people receive for example, unemployment checks are considered income as well. Furthermore, the poverty rate didn’t surprise me. It shows that Hispanics-Latino is in more poverty than the other races and the White-non Hispanic are less poor.

In Massachusetts, the results came out to be what I had predicted, but the numbers were that far apart. Asian-non Hispanic receives the most income, then the White-non Hispanic and then the Hispanic-Latino.
For West Springfield, Ma, my predictions were completely off. I had predicted that Hispanic-Latino would be the one that would receive more income but instead it turned out to be the White-non Hispanic that received more income. Furthermore, I didn’t understand how they receive more income but have the highest number of people in poverty. What I can probably get from that is that maybe they are more White-non Hispanic working without benefits but their salary probably still is not enough.

As for Quincy, MA, what I had predicted was right, White-non Hispanic receives the most income and then the Asian-non Hispanic and then last but not least the Hispanic-Latino. However, once again I didn’t understand how White-non Hispanic received the most income but have the most number in poverty. I think it would have to be because it is a city that is predominantly White-non Hispanic.

In conclusion some of what I had predicted was true and the rest was not, mostly because it depends on the population of the city and the benefits they get that would consider being income and more other factors that plays in this search.

The tables I used from the census were :

S0201 (poverty and income in the united states)
S0201 (poverty and income in massachusetts)
PCT155 (poverty in springfield)
QT-P33 (income in springfield)
PCT155(poverty for quincy)
QT-P33(income for quincy)

I interviewed three people of the same racial and ethnic heritage as I, to see their opinions on white privilege. I asked each person four simple questions:

1. Do you believe the white privilege exist?
2. Why or why not?
3. If you do believe that white privilege exist, how can we dismantle it? What can be
done?
4. If you don’t believe that white privilege exist, how do you explain racial disparities in
income, education, and health?

I had predicted that at least 2 out of the three that I interviewed would believe that white privilege exists. I wanted to see how that one person that didn’t believe that there is white privilege would answer question four. Instead I got the opposite, in which not one of the three that I interviewed got to question three. I wasn’t at all shocked but then again I was not expecting all three to believe that white privilege exist. The only reason I thought that the majority of the three that I interviewed were going to believe that white privilege exist was because I am part of the the Hispanic race. Most Hispanics believe that the only reason we are not making it is because there is some one stopping us, someone that has more power. We vote for those presidents, and mayors whom we hope and think that will help us “poor and middle class”, who will give back to the community, and help us Hispanic out. However, we need to also realize that we need to step up to the game, even though white privilege exist; in which they get everything handed to them.

Furthermore, when asked why they believe that white privilege exists the three main topics that were mentioned where jobs, wealth, and education. Basically the reason why they feel that white privilege exist is because “whites” because there are more affluent, they receive a better education, therefore receiving better jobs. However, to my surprise, I would expect them to have the same solution, but they did not. The first person I interviewed, of course said the obvious of offering high position jobs to their for not having the inequality we have between races. So, basically her solution veered towards economics, in which she wants our race to be more wealthy. The second person I interviewed said that we should be judge on our abilities and not our race. Basically, her goal was to end racism and stereotypes. The third and final person, said that “we are currently trying to dismantle it through different programs through such affirmative action and no child gets left behind”, he later goes on to say that it is a slow process but it is happening. So basically, instead of saying that other races should have the opportunity to better education and better jobs, he said that we are doing something to dismantle slowly but surely. Basically, you start little and then eventually it will lead to bigger things like better jobs and a better chance in education and less racism and stereotypes.

In conclusion, having interviewed people of my Hispanic race, I believe lead to them saying yes because they are of a different race. They have experience and have seen through their eyes the inequalities between races. Furthermore, it is why they believe that people of our race should be offered high positions in jobs and a higher and better education.

Are immigrants an issue?

This is a question that can go many different directions. However, for most immigrants it has not in the directions they would hope.

Alabama, a state in which falls near the boarder line of Mexico, has have received so many immigrants in search of a better life. However, they have taken it upon themselves to remove these immigrants; thinking that it will solve their economical problems. Instead they are making them worst especially for farmers, written in USA Today “ Growth Alabama hired 50 legal workers to pick tomatoes, but most quit in one or two days, and only one stuck it out for two weeks”. Although, they may think they are helping the economy, in reality they are not. Immigrants work in jobs that no other “legal worker” want to to do; bringing money to farmers and food to the rest of the world, since those tomatoes that they pick gets distributed.

In Alabama, and other states that have chosen to adapt these same law are ruining man people lives. Their laws consist on arresting anybody who they suspect to be illegal to find out if they are or not, and if they are they deport them. They are also attacking those that hire illegal immigrants and even doing background check on students to ensure that their status.

In an article I found, stated that “Meanwhile, the Obama administration has deported more than a million undocumented immigrants and in on a pace to sen home more in on term than President Bush did in two”. This really struck me and I am shocked to have found this out for two reasons. One, is that the only reason Obama was born and has made a huge change in world history by being the first African-American president, was because his father migrated here from Kenya; to go to college. The second reason as to why this was shocking to me was because, looking into his wife’s family’s background, she comes from a lineage of slaves. So, basically, if your family experience oppression and domination, in which they could not upheld to anything and weren’t allowed to have anything but their life to live and to work, why would you oppress and dominate those who are willing to work and are willing to do the labor no other legal workers want to do. Why take away their right of having a better life, of giving a better life for their children because you have the power? because you are in title to more advantageous that you already have?

This leads to another problem that immigrants face, which to continue in furthering their education. However, because they are undocumented, they are not able to continue to go on to college despite their effort and success in high school. In resistance to this one young Arianna Salgado “spoke about her dream of getting a college education” (u.s catholic magazine)., bringing in an act that can allow undocumented students who were brought the United States as a child to continue their education. The Dream act; which stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors. It still has not been active, but it has been and will continue to be re-introduced. But for now they have “created a privately funded scholarship program for undocumented students”.

If immigrants are willing to work; and not just any type of work, work that nobody else wants, work that nobody else will do or give up when attempting to do it, then why not let them? If those that have been here for so long, have done there twelve or thirteen years of school; elementary, middle and high school, why can’t they be allowed to further their education? Why because they come from another country, mostly all of us living in the United States are not originally from their so why are we choosing to strip immigrants of their rights. When it has been clearly stated over and over again “All men are created equal”. Why are families being torn apart and immigrants suffering. Salgado states “My mother and I wished things were different, but we tried to live as normal as life as possible”. What is a normal life? Living like an American would or living like a citizen would do? Adopting all of societies norms and regulations? Had she not live a normal life? had her mother not work like mostly all Americans do? Had she not gone to school, like most students do? She even excelled in school unlike most privilege white students who have the advantage of going to school regardless.

By removing the immigrants, in which they think is such a good idea in reality its creating such a mess. Farmers are having their crops rot because they have nobody to pick them; they are not allowed to hire illegals who are willing to pick them and when they hire legals they quit with in less than a months frame. More children are staying without parents because their parents are being deported. Leaving more children in foster homes. Even though there are plenty to begin with. In 2011, their was an estimate of 5,100 children in which were put into foster homes because their parents were detained or deported.

Salgado quoted from her childhood, “When I was a kid, I listen to my relatives talking about immigration and that we should never tell anybody about out status”. Why should we hide who are?

I need to get use to this !!

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