Spaces and Exchanges: We can ask ourselves what drives people to leave their country to live abroad?

ANGLAIS  :     Spaces and Exchanges

The notion of Spaces and Exchanges can be defined as a continuous movement or circulation. It can also mean all types of exchanges: people, trade, media… Our modern world is changing quickly and seems to be smaller with the progress in communication and transport. To illustrate this notion I would like to focus on immigration in the past and today because people have always been in continual movement.                                                                                                                                          We can ask ourselves what drives people to leave their country to live abroad?                                                    To answer this question I’m going to speak about the immigration to the USA in the past. Then we will study the immigration today with the example of Mexicans who want to reach America. Finally I will talk about the motivations of people who migrate to the USA.

Firstly the audio document we studied is about Ellis Island and the immigration of people to America between 1892 and 1924. Indeed America is a land of immigration. More than 12 million people arrived to Ellis Island to migrate to America. Most migrants were from Europe: Germany, Britain Ireland and Jews Polish Italian. They were very poor and they were looking for riches, freedom, great opportunities and better live. Unfortunately they traveled in gruesome conditions and they must have medical and legal inspections in Ellis Island and it could take a long time. The majority of migrants were allowed to start working. Despite the difficult arrival, most of this people found a better live in America where they can found a work and better conditions.

The immigration is also a topical subject. Today a lot of Mexicans want to reach USA in order to have a better live and achieve their dreams. This migration is today prohibited and these two countries are separated by a barrier known in the US as the border fence. Despite of this fact some Mexican people risk their lives to go to US. There were two ways for the Mexicans to enter the USA and there are very dangerous: they can swim across the river (wetbacks) or pay smugglers who make them cross the desert. In class we studied the case of Alejandro Perez who leaves Mexico to lives in US. It allowed him to have a better live and earns more money to support his family. He hardly believe on the American dream.

Finally, in this two examples of immigration to the USA (one on the past and the other today), the motivations of people to immigrate are the same. They want to escape the poverty, economic hardship or political oppression to find a better live. All of them believe on the American dream: if you work hard, you will succeed.

The notion of progress

The notion of progress can be defined as a forward movement, an advance, a gradual betterment of the humankind. Today with the progress on technology we can have a better life, we live in more comfortable ways and we have better condition of health. The progress of mentality has allowed a better relationship between each other as the place of women in the society has changed.

How does progress has improved our lives and who are the people who contribute to a betterment of the human condition?

Firstly I will present the women who contribute to a betterment of women condition like Rosa Parks and the suffragettes. Then I will talk about the sixties as an era of progress in technology, television, music and fashion. Finally I will question me if the progress really improves our lives and if there are jeopardy of progress.

Many women have contributed to a betterment of the condition of women in the 20th century. Firstly I will talk about Rosa Parks who is a great heroine for me. She is a courageous black woman who lived in USA and who fought for the civil right for black people. Indeed at that time (1955) the Blacks didn’t have the same right as the Whites, they were not allowed to sit in the front of the bus. One day Rosa Parks found the courage to sit in front of the bus and she refused to move despite the word of the bus driver. Rosa Parks got arrested but Black people continued the boycott. Finally the rules were changed and Black and White people could sit wherever they wanted. So Rosa Parks stood up against racism and fought for freedom. I admire her for what she did as a woman for an equal living between black and white people.

It is also important to talk about the progress in the women conditions living now. I would like to present the sixties as an era for technology, music and fashion progress. In class we have studied an interview about the memories of two people about the sixties. For the both, it was a time of progress in several fields like television, music and mode. They remember their first color television or their first radio with batteries and they were fascinated by the famous models and photographer. Both had a good memory about this era of childhood.

The progress had improved the equality between color of people and man and woman. Unfortunately, there is many areas on the world where the progress were not so fast between races and equality between man and woman but time and exchange between people on these areas help them to progress for that equality.

The progress on technology is not finish. The technology help us to live with better conditions and live longer with better health.

The progress had improved our lives with internet we can easily be in touch with people; we have access to a lot of information.

Myths and heroes

A myth can be defined as a popular belief or tradition embodying (incorporant) the ideals and institutions of a society. A hero is a person admired for his/her achievements, noble qualities. I want to focus on the notion of heroes.

How an ordinary person can make the world  better ?

To answer that question I will present some extraordinary people who are real hero for me, they contribute to a betterment of people condition. Firstly I will present two heroine Rosa Parks and Marie Curie who contribute to a betterment of humans conditions. Finally I will talk about the blue colored workers who build American country heroes.

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