Case Studies by Haya Abdel-Jabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases FIGS 2020: The Personal is Political en-us 2020-08-21 18:45:48 UTC 2020-09-08 21:04:06 UTC hello@padlet.com https://fthmb.tqn.com/MBQuh35UnrQ_YOcOeVQ0Y800n0s=/2121x1414/filters:fill(auto,1)/american-passport-57e932175f9b586c356bbea2.jpg 1: Clara hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692200206 Clara is an 18 year-old Puerto Rican University student, studying on the Island. She was born and raised in PR and holds a U.S. passport.

]]> 2020-08-21 18:53:23 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692200206 2: 'Ali hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692203120 'Ali is a 25 year-old non-profit worker from Yemen, currently living in NJ. Due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, he is in the U.S. with Temporary Protection Status (TPS). ]]> 2020-08-21 18:54:42 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692203120 Citizenship Status hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692285084 Having been born in Puerto Rico, Clara is technically a U.S. citizen. This is because of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (Anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen), in addition to the 14th amendment.

This amendment was added to the constitution during an extraordinary period of Black advancement, known as the Reconstruction Era, following the end of the Civil War (Source: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander).

However, because Puerto Rico is a "commonwealth" of the U.S., Clara can't legally vote in the U.S. Presidential elections and her state representative in Congress's House of Representatives is a non-voting member.

REFLECT: What message is the U.S. government sending to Clara and her community by not giving them the right to vote for the U.S. President?

How does this impact her future?]]> 2020-08-21 19:30:43 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692285084 Citizenship Status hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692322130 Different countries can be designated Temporary Protection Status (TPS) due to an ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or extraordinary conditions preventing them from returning safely to their home country. Yemen is designated TPS.

It also means that 'Ali is a non-citizen, unless he can apply for a green card (permanent residency) via a family member who is already in the U.S. or his work.

He has been in the U.S. for 12 months. Since Yemen's designation for TPS either expires or is extended on 9/20/21. The cool thing is 'Ali is staying with an Uncle of his, who is a U.S. citizen.

REFLECT: What is 'Ali's safest option to pursue before his TPS status changes?]]> 2020-08-21 19:49:03 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692322130 Socio-Economic Status hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692323972 As a full-time construction worker, 'Ali makes around $35,000 annually, which is enough to afford him rent and other necessities.

Even though he has a relatively stable job, he is doing more physical labor than he has been previously used to. He is young and relatively healthy, but the physical toll that his work has on him impacts him every day.

In addition, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has noticed a lot more of the people that have been hired by his construction company used to work in desk-jobs, similar to the work he used to do. As a result to the sudden shift in knowledge-based work employment, such as engineering, to manual-based work due to job losses in the pandemic, 'Ali has seen several of these new colleagues end up in the ER with chest pain, drinking problems, anxiety and other physical and mental ailments. 'Ali worries about being impacted by COVID-19, but also by his physical conditions worsening due to the epidemic's economic impacts. In addition, 'Ali is not getting hazard pay for working during the pandemic.

'Ali has also noticed that people walking on the street that see him tend to look away or ignore him. This is especially noticeable when he is working on projects in wealthier parts of New Jersey and in Manhattan, NYC.

REFLECT: How is health related to socio-economic status? How is politics failing 'Ali and other workers? 
What is one way that politics can work for 'Ali and his colleagues? ]]> 2020-08-21 19:50:06 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692323972 Belonging hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692406770 As a Puerto Rican, Clara's community is disenfranchised (cannot vote) and receives little support from the U.S. government.

For example, according to a factcheck.org article published on April 2, 2019, President Trump's statement about giving PR "$91 billion for Hurricane Maria" was false. "According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as of the end of 2018, Puerto Rico had actually received about $11.2 billion in disaster relief payments since 2017."

Hurricane Maria had a death toll of around 3,000 people and devastated Island communities and infrastructure. The hardest hit communities were those living near the shore, which tend to be poorer.

REFLECT: How could these realities impact Clara's sense of belonging to America?

Identify one way that politics has impacted Clara's sense of belonging, using the information above.

Lastly, when a community feels like they are counted, are they more or less likely to be involved in politics (debatable)? ]]> 2020-08-21 20:36:36 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692406770 Belonging hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692469665 With Temporary Protected Status, 'Ali cannot be deported or detained by the Department of Homeland Security based on his status, he is eligible to work via authorization, and he can travel via authorization (Immigration Forum).

Although 'Ali is safe and has work authorization, it has been difficult for him to transfer his University credentials to the U.S. Instead of working at a desk job in a non-profit, 'Ali currently has a job as a construction worker and is paying his taxes. Although 'Ali is Proficient in English, a skill he gained working in the non-profit sector, his accent often leads to work discrimination by his employer. He has noticed that his employer tends to give promotions to newer workers that are Native English speakers. This has impacted his trust in his employer and in America.

'Ali can work in the U.S. and has family here, but understandably misses his family, community, and culture back home. America has an individualistic culture, whereas Yemen has a community-based society. In addition, 'Ali still worries for his family's safety back home and is thinking about them constantly.

REFLECT: What privileges and non-privileges does 'Ali experience?

How does politics impact 'Ali's sense of belonging?
]]> 2020-08-21 21:18:46 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692469665 Final Reflection hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692485603 Citizenship status, sense of belonging, and socio-economic status all impact our experiences and our relationship with politics. Which category do you think has been most impactful on your client's life? Are there any categories that overlap or are connected to one another? *Include their name in the comments]]> 2020-08-21 21:36:40 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/692485603 Socio-Economic Status hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/696200409 Since Clara's neighborhood was devastated by Hurricane Maria, her family's socio-economic status has suffered as a result. Clara now works two jobs to help support her family and to pay for college. This has led to major exhaustion, burnout, and less focus on her educational pursuits. Clara's family is her number one priority, so she is thinking about holding off on the next semester until her family's financial status is in the clear.

Reflect: How could have politics played a role in preventing this scenario? What are some potential financial, physical, social, and emotional impacts of having a low-income status? ]]> 2020-08-25 00:09:17 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/696200409 Directions hayaabdeljabbar https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/696445737 1. Assign a timekeeper to finish by 5:00pm.
2. Skim through the cases individually for 3 minutes
3. Navigate through the stories with your group, taking turns to read
4. Discuss the reflection questions in your groups and answer prompts in comments
5. Send me your questions via Chat or Request help. I can hop on to breakout rooms to aid.]]> 2020-08-25 03:18:42 UTC https://padlet.com/hayaabdeljabbar/cases/wish/696445737