Living in America as a Non-citizen

     People always talk about the struggles coming to America or not being able to get a work permit, and sometimes people mention how hard it is to file taxes. One thing that is rarely mentioned is the process of being a US citizen. About 30 years ago a man at the age 18 left his family to move to a new country just for a better life not only for himself but for his future family. When he first arrived in Los Angeles, California he was amazed by everything he saw, things that he never before seen back in his home. At the time anyone could sign up and take a language course, in which he did and learned how to speak, read and write english. During those times he was living with his uncle and searching for a job. It took him about a year or so to land on a job. For a while, after having a job in a convenience store this man wanted to do more so went on the hunt to find ways to get his truck drivers license. During those months of training on how to drive a semi-truck and getting to understand the truck he was still holding up the job he had at the convenience store. A couple years down the road, he got his trucker drivers license, fell in love, got married and had two beautiful daughters. Once his girls were at the toddlers age he and his wife decided to be U.S citizens since they heard it everywhere from friends, neighbors, and even family that it was easy to become a U.S citizen so how hard could it be for them? For 7 years, this man was in court and every year for his case and during this time this man and his family were not allowed to leave the state. In which, no one told him until he was already in a different state and with that he and his family had no other option but to move back to California. When they moved back, his girls were already 6 and 4 and the judge wanted to see his two girls and wanted to know how they looked. He brought his girls and wife to court for the judge to see. One of the little girls was afraid of what was going on but she knew why she had to be there. She was afraid of being in there because she didn't know if that was going to be the last time she was ever going to see her father, she didn't know how that day was going to end. Yet, at the age of 6 a child should not be afraid of losing their father nor having to be there at the court. There was a situation that happened to this man that could’ve helped him become a citizen. A couple years ago before he had his first child he was doing a load in Monrovia, CA where at one point this man was being held at gunpoint only because he out of everyone who worked in the warehouse spoked English in which they confused him as a manager. Later one due to the situation that happened this man later on was diagnosed with diabetes. Because of him being a victim of a criminal activity, he would’ve qualified for the U Visa. A U Visa is a type of visa that is offered to those who are a victim of a crime whether its trafficking or any type of criminal activity. He later on was called to court by the same judge to see if he was able to receive his permanent  residence. A Lawful Permanent Residence also known as a Green Card means a person can live and work permanently in the U.S. Unfortunately, he was denied because he did not show up to court because he was not in the right state of mind to be able to go back to a certain point in his life where everything was going to end. After those 7 years the judge permanently banned his deportation, after spending so much money on permits they asked for, getting letter recommendations from people he knew stating that he and his wife are good citizens. Just for the judge to say to him “right now there is nothing for you.” He was only given a work permit and social security number and live in the U.S as a non-citizen. Back then the government was giving away social securities like they were work permits. The lawyer told him to wait until the oldest daughter turns 21 then she can help you get the citizenship. Years later he was denied again  for some sort of reason that till this day the oldest daughter still does not know why. After 33 years this man has done nothing but work, pay his bills, do his taxes and send both of girls to college because he wants them to have a better life. 

The story I told was the story of my father and what he had to go through as an immigrant in the United States and the little girl who was afraid of losing her father and is the same one who tried to help her father out once she turned 21 is also the same one who is telling the story of a side that is rarely mentioned and that is the struggles of the pathway to citizenship. 

Sources : 

https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-of-human-trafficking-and-other-crimes/victims-of-criminal-activity-u-nonimmigrant-status

https://www.usimmigration.org/faq/what-is-the-meaning-of-status-of-residence#:~:text=Status%20of%20residence%20refers%20to,work%20in%20the%20U.S.%20permanently.

Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a nursing student learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years, it has been incredibly frustrating to see that vaccine hesitancy is still a major problem even after the myth of autism being linked to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been debunked. I believe that aside from non-compliance with physical distancing and wearing masks, vaccine hesitancy plays a major role in the delay of eradicating the coronavirus. As of lately, the hospitalized patients identified to have been infected with COVID-19 are primarily the ones who are unvaccinated.

I, too, am concurrently working as a Patient Care Assistant, which is an alternative title to what most people know as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), at a hospital and I started when COVID-19 was at its second peak. When the COVID-19 vaccines rolled out for emergency-use authorization for the very first time, healthcare workers like me had the opportunity and privilege to be vaccinated. However, I have heard some of my coworkers express their concern because they claim there wasn't enough evidence in regards to the safety of the vaccine. This had led me to become initially hesitant as well, and made me want to wait until I heard more experiences from other registered nurses (RNs) and CNAs prior to becoming vaccinated myself. The truth is, the coronavirus has long existed before 2019. The virus that has led to our current pandemic is known as SARS-CoV-2, but the first one has been discovered back in 2003 and led to some people becoming diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.) I knew one month later, that getting the vaccine as soon as possible would not only protect me, but also my patients who are already immunocompromised and my family members who have medical conditions that could potentially put them at higher risk of contracting the disease. Here I am, three doses of the Pfizer vaccine later, with only complaints of muscle soreness and fatigue. Of course, side effects are temporary and will vary from person to person.

A study conducted by MacDonald and the SAGE Working Group discussed about the 3 C's model, which laid out the 3 categories that make up vaccine hesitancy overall: complacency, confidence, and convenience. A visual of these categories have been placed in a Venn diagram, as pictured to your right in MacDonald's 2015 research. (p. 4162) MacDonald defines confidence as the public's trust in the vaccine; the ability and skill of staff responsible for vaccine inventory, drawing up and administering vaccines, the pharmaceutical company that created the vaccine; how much drive that policymakers push for in the decision of which immunizations should be in demand. (2015, p. 4162) Complacency is when the public believes that there is no reason to be vaccinated because the risks supposedly aren't great enough, despite the benefits of the vaccine. (MacDonald, 2015, p. 4162) Last, but not least, convenience is variable per individual — it depends on how available, accessible, and affordable the vaccine is to the patient and what level their health literacy is at. All of these factors tie in with their proximity and travel time to the site providing the vaccine, as well as their mode of transportation. (MacDonald, 2015, p. 4163) 

One major setback to vaccine administration is the influence of celebrities and people who hold a lot of power. Back in 2020, former President Donald Trump made false claims that COVID-19 was "fake news" and continued to downplay the severity of the virus despite the number of hospitalizations increasing on a daily occurrence and having been infected with COVID-19 at one point in his life. Instead, he insisted that the rising cases were due to all the COVID testing we did. (Lovelace Jr., 2020) When misinformation like this is spread all over social media and the news, followers are more likely to be influenced and swayed. Hence, this results in vaccine hesitancy and can further delay the eradication of the disease or the pathway of going from a pandemic to endemic. 

If there has been reluctance with getting the MMR vaccine 20 years ago, and then reluctance again with the COVID-19 vaccine, what are the odds that the same cycle will occur when a new disease emerges in the near future? How can we prevent this cycle from occurring again?

Throughout nursing school, I've learned that patient education is key. It is our responsibility to provide accurate information regarding immunizations through handouts in the appropriate reading and health literacy level for patients to understand. Yes, there will be reluctance regardless of where we practice in the nursing field, and patients always have the right to refuse. After all, administering a vaccine against a patient's will is considered malpractice and a violation to the bioethical principles of nursing. However, it is still our right to educate the community with evidence-based practice...that vaccines are not meant to harm us, but to rather, benefit us and protect us from various diseases. When we provide that education, chances of achieving herd immunity, where at least 95% of the population are vaccinated, will increase. It is crucial for us nurses to ensure that patients have been provided the information they need to make INFORMED decisions. That information we provide includes the expected side effects, what to report to the provider, and signs of anaphylaxis if the patient has had a history of anaphylactic reactions to medications or food.  

Why does this matter so much to me? Here's why. With the number of COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths in the hospital setting, the number of nurses feeling burnt out and committing suicide is incredibly alarming. To see nurses having gone from being passionate for what they do in healthcare to feeling hopeless and ending their life is really worrisome. It has led me to feel that the unvaccinated population (who are not medically exempt) have neither regard nor respect for healthcare workers. I personally have seen some of my friends from the same nursing program start off as new grad nurses be sent to immediately float to COVID units instead of the units they were hired to work in. One year later, one of those nurses I knew expressed feelings of burnout and left her job and decided to pursue outpatient nursing. They have seen many patients die in isolation and loneliness without family members by their side to hold their hand. Nurses have cried over their patient's deaths, but had to pretend everything was fine after bagging the body and sending it off to the morgue before moving on to take care of their other patients. The pandemic has left nurses and many healthcare workers in turmoil and emotional distress. Seeing how burnt out nurses have felt during the pandemic has left me worried for the start of my nursing career next year. Will I have to go through the same experience next fall when I work as a full-time bedside nurse? Will I no longer want to do nursing anymore, after having been working so hard in nursing school to get to this point in my life? All I can do is just hope for the best.

References

Lovelace Jr., B. (2020, October 26). Trump claims the worsening U.S. coronavirus outbreak is a 'Fake News Media Conspiracy' even as hospitalizations rise. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/26/coronavirus-trump-claims-the-worsening-us-outbreak-is-a-fake-news-media-conspiracy-even-as-hospitalizations-rise.html

MacDonald, N. E. (2015). Vaccine hesitancy: Definition, scope and determinants. Elsevier, 33(34), 4161-4164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.04.036

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome#tab=tab_1

The consequences of anxiety among our students

     Anxiety affects all of us in numerous ways and it is important to understand the negative outcomes of anxiety. Hopefully by reading this article we can be well informed on how to cope with stress and function as a college student. 

• "According to the American College Health Association Fall 2018 National College Health Assessment, 63% of college students in the US felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year. In the same survey, 23% reported being diagnosed or treated by a mental health professional for anxiety in the past year."
  

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/anxiety-in-college-what-we-know-and-how-to-cope-2019052816729

• "The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2017, more than 18 million students were enrolled in college in the U.S. According to figures compiled by Statista, nearly three out of four of these students have experienced a sense of “overwhelming anxiety” at some time, and just under 30% report having felt overwhelming anxiety in the previous two weeks. Here are other statistics that examine the impact of anxiety on college students."
  

https://www.stress.org/anxiety-in-college-students-causes-statistics-how-universities-can-help

    As a criminal justice student anxiety has caused me stress and feeling ill almost everyday. It can be very difficult to start an assignment early on and finish it before a due date. My anxiety was at its highest peak when I began college in 2019. This was because entering a new school knowing everything is new and the pressure of succeeding without knowing what you want your career to be can be overwhelming. I chose this issue because although I do have anxiety when it comes to college and school work, I can say I am overcoming it through healthy habits. This is by having a calendar filled with due dates and post-it notes neatly over my bed reminding me of important dates in general. This helps me every day see what needs to be done and prepare for future plans. Also having a hobby helps me a lot. In order to relieve stress I either paint or do puzzles while listening to my favorite music. Coping in healthy ways to relieve stress and planning ahead knowing nothing is going to creep up helps me with my anxiety. 

    What causes anxiety? Sleep disruption by pulling "all nighters" and drinking excessive caffeine can cause anxiety. School stress and detachment from studies can also be a factor to why students have anxiety. In the article, "Anxiety In College" by Nicole J. states " A recent study in Sweden showed that anxiety levels have increased in recent years, especially among young adults. In the US, some research shows a decrease in psychological well-being among adolescents over the past several years." This means that college students are increasingly having more mental health issues that could be due to electronic communication. 

    How to cope? 

• Challenge yourself: Don't avoid class because of anxiety, take small steps everyday and push yourself out there. Email your professor if you're having difficult understanding a course, introduce yourself to a new classmate, etc. 
• Practice self-care: Maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep! Starting a new hobby could help anxiety by relieving stress. 
• Find resources: Find campus resources that can help with academic advising, peer counseling, and student mental health. 

    My community has also suffered by anxiety. I have asked three college students on their opinions of how anxiety and college has affected them. These were their responses:

" For me, anxiety didn't become a big part of my school life until recently. I started slacking in some of my classes and the thought of getting in trouble with my teachers or not being well informed to hold a conversation about a school topic with my peers triggered a fight or flight reaction in which i've been too frightened to attend class and wonder if I should just drop the class completely. Anxiety has caused a butterfly effect which has negatively affected my school mindset and has my brain fogged in all these negative thoughts to the point where I cant think straight and just the thought of school alone scares me. "

                                                                                                        - Adrian Alfaro

"Over the course of the pandemic I started to get anxiety for no apparent reason. My anxiety worsened when I found out some of my classes would be in person. Once school had started my nerves got worse, especially in class. I would only focus on how I was feeling and on whether it was time to leave, rather than focusing on what my professor was saying. Eventually my nerves subsided and I got used to being on campus. Although, I still had anxiety when completing art assignments. I began to feel like I wasn't skilled or good enough to complete the project assigned. This made me feel discouraged and nervous when having to share or submit my work. I also struggled with completing my work on time! I would spend so much time on my assignments because I didn't like the outcome or I felt anxious because I knew others would see my work. Overall, anxiety has and continues to affect my school work and focus, particularly my productivity and confidence in my academic and art abilities."

                                                                                                      - Priscilla Mendoza

"With the pandemic and transition to online classes, anxiety has started affecting my school work in different ways. Usually, with classes in-person, I got major test- anxiety during midterms and finals. However, I now struggle with procrastination and staying focus. An assignment that should take me about 30 minutes to complete now takes me over an hour. Overall, anxiety has caused this semester to be a bit stressful as it is affecting ability to complete my school work in a timely manner."

                                                                                                     - Zoey

    

Jessica Bustillo

Gang Violence and its Impact in Los Angeles

 Gang Violence 

     

  

 Gang violence is a severe and persistent issue. In addition, it is also an essential topic because gangs are a significant threat to community safety. Now it may not be as bad as it was back in the 90’s when it really first surfaced but gang violence is still a critical issue. A place where gang violence has really been an issue is none other than the state of California.

    In the previous five years, there have been more than 15,000 confirmed violent gang crimes in Los Angele areas. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), there have been 491 killings, almost 7,047 felony assaults, 5,518 robberies, and more than 100 rapes. Many people from communities, children, and youth are being affected by this issue. It is also affecting the community and economic growth. This issue is causing threats, theft, gun violence, assaults, vandalism, and drug use. According to Youth.gov, the estimated crime in the United States costs taxpayers $655 billion each year, with gang activities accounting for a significant portion. Furthermore, the state of California has spent a lot of money to rid its streets of gangs and gang-related violence. The money that is being spent is just recently starting to pay off as the city of Salinas California which sees a population of 150,000 people and 3,500 gang members had 131 shootings and 15 homicides in 2010.

    Gang violence is a huge topic and the community should be aware of it. Many kids have joined gangs and still joining. Many of these kids have lost their lives due to gang-affiliated problems Gang violence is a severe and persistent issue. In addition, it is also an essential topic because gangs are a significant threat to community safety. Now it may not be as bad as it was back in the ’90s when it really first surfaced but gang violence is still a critical issue. A place where gang violence has really been an issue is none other than the state of California.

    In the previous five years, there have been more than 15,000 confirmed violent gang crimes in Los Angele areas. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), there have been 491 killings, almost 7,047 felony assaults, 5,518 robberies, and more than 100 rapes. Many people from communities, children, and youth are being affected by this issue. It is also affecting the community and economic growth. This issue is causing threats, theft, gun violence, assaults, vandalism, and drug use. According to Youth.gov, the estimated crime in the United States costs taxpayers $655 billion each year, with gang activities accounting for a significant portion. Furthermore, the state of California has spent a lot of money to rid its streets of gangs and gang-related violence. The money that is being spent is just recently starting to pay off as the city of Salinas California which sees a population of 150,000 people and 3,500 gang members had 131 shootings and 15 homicides in 2010.

    Gang violence is a huge topic and the community should be aware of it. Many kids have joined gangs and still joining. Many of these kids have lost their lives due to gang-affiliated problems. Moreover, gang violence deserves attention is substance abuse. Gangs have been observed in major cities and numerous schools around the United States. Street gangs are one of the major distributors of illicit narcotics in the U.S according to National Drug Intelligence Center. 

Gangs are not an entirely new phenomenon and it is a huge topic and the communities need ways to fix the issues that are caused by them.  Gang violence doesn't only affect communities, but it also impacts gang members themselves. It is a topic that needs attention because many of these gang members have the ability to do something better in life but lack resources that can help and support them. Gang violence is worldwide and needs intervention. It is really important to find ways to fix or resolve the issue of gang violence for a better community. 

Work Cited: 

Author(s) D F Gates; R K Jackson. (n.d.). Gang violence in Los Angeles. GANG VIOLENCE IN LOS ANGELES | Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved November 2021, from https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/gang-violence-los-angeles.

FBI. (2010, June 25). 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. FBI. Retrieved November 2021, from https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment.

Valasik, M. (2018, July 2). Gang violence predictability: Using risk terrain modeling to study gang homicides and gang assaults in East Los Angeles. Journal of Criminal Justice. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047235218302058.

 

    

  

 

Alan To Civic Engagement Homelessness

Alan To   

ART 3170-01

Homelessness 

In my opinion civic engagement means making a difference that will not only impact you but society in a positive way by using and creating tools which are given to you or seek. The severity and impact your engagement depends on the scale of the problem in which you are trying to tackle. The bigger the problem that has been identified and targeted the bigger impact you will have on society. For my problem I've chose the problem of Homelessness. This problem is not only relevant to me but to society as homeless people are littered all over the streets of la and other cities. This is a problem because these individuals need help to become functioning members of society as well as unfortunately making the streets less safe. As a individual who has almost been homeless back when I was in middle school due to financial problems, I try my best and find what's available to me so I don't end up homeless on the street. My goal is to give and provide opportunity to the homeless population by providing them basic amenities such as new clothes, hygienic products, and a basic education. As Sabine Springer defines the homeless population as, "Houseless persons are then defined as those sleeping rough or using public or private shelters". As a result they are incredibly uncleanly which can lead to the spread diseases and various other uncleanly traits without knowing such as HIV as spoke upon by Woliski stating, "health issues that increase the risks of HIV acquisition and transmission and adversely affect the health of people living with hiv." By educating the homeless population on topics such as basic skills and providing basic amenities they can learn, improve, and be helped integrating back into society.  Helping the homeless cause will not only benefit me but will provide social reassurance to inviduals who are in need, knowing that I'll help contribute to this problem which is ongoing can be me giving back to society.

Due to the nature of my problem this is not a easy task and will require more people than just me. As there are a lot of homeless people who are in need currently, I plan to volunteer my free time to help provide a hand for an organization who are already tackling this problem such as the food bank. To help people get off the street will help the city and the citizens feel more safe as they are less inclined to cross paths with a indivudal who's high on drugs. The first citizen I interviewed is also from Cal state la that goes by the name of lily. She's a 21 year old Cal State La student finishing up her last year. I proposed to educated and provide the homeless individuals with opportunities to help them integrate into society again due to means of education, amenities, and guidance. She thought this was a great idea and would be interested in volunteering her time to help the cause by means of basic support. She doesn't have a statement but likes the vision. 

By helping out at the local food bank as well in the future founding a non profit to further help homeless individuals through what we think would would be more effective by providing them more opportunity, support, and guidance will be our thank you to society. When I was younger and my family went though financial stress I was unaware of all the financial opportunities that were easily accessible around me. By providing an education and another vision at a way of life they soon could stand on their own two feet without organizations helping them.

The New York Times. (2003, July 7). The definition of Civic Engagement. The New York Times. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/college/collegespecial2/coll_aascu_defi.html.

The Definition of Civic Engagement.” The New York Times, The New York Times,                             7 July 2003, Civic engagement. Civic Engagement | Youth.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5,               2021, from https://youth.gov/youth-topics/civic-engagement-and-volunteering.

Springer, S. (2000, June 21). Homelessness: A proposal for a global definition and classification. Habitat International. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197397500000102.

Wolitski, R. J., Kidder, D. P., & Fenton, K. A. (2007, August 4). HIV, homelessness, and Public Health: Critical Issues and a call for increased action. AIDS and Behavior. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-007-9277-9.