The United States And Western European Countries

Haiti is a prime example of how human needs in one area of the world are interdependent with social conditions elsewhere in the world. Haiti, for most of its history has been overwhelmed with economic

To conclude I’ve been blessed to experience two different countries, although it wasn’t easy I’ve learned from both, while daily life in America/Miami is much different than in Haiti, there are many similarities as well. Underneath all of our cultural differences, the same heart still beats. Food must be eaten, clean water must be drank. Everyone must sleep at night, and wake up to a bright new day. Spending time with family and friends is at the center of the lives of both Americans and Haitians. With all of our differences, we are all simply human beings living a life on planet

Cultures using hyphenated forms of “American,” such as Mexican-American, African-American, Asian-American, Native-American and many more is a step in the right direction for culture acceptance. With this positive move in the world, there could be a change in how cultures view themselves, leading to how others view them. The multicultural society has to take into account for this change because without their acceptance it would just be hate. Bharati Mukherjee in her essay “American Dreamer,” asserts, “WE MUST BE ALERT TO THE DANGERS OF AN ‘US’ vs. ‘THEM’ MENTALITY.” Although Mukherjee has a great point here, I have to disagree. I don’t feel that we have to be aware of the ‘US’ versus ‘THEM’ mentality with the change in cultural acceptance.

When I was little, I heard stories of Third World countries where people lived in complete poverty. I would hear of how they had dilapidated domiciles, contaminated water, deadly diseases, and shortages of food. I was always told how blessed I was to live in a country where I was free of these situations, but I always took this truth for granted. I would go along every day, not worrying about where I was going to sleep or what I was going to eat, when people all over the world were facing these situations as problems. It wasn't until I was sixteen that I realized how blessed I was, when I was given the opportunity to visit San Jose, Costa Rica.

Attention Getter: Who here has heard of the horrible plight of Haiti? Haiti has been through constant suffering everyday due to economic difficulty, lack of food, lack of clean water, hurricanes, and possibly everything that could go wrong with the world. I’m sure no one in their right mind would want to be there now but does anyone know how Haiti became as it is now. Well that’s what I’m about to tell you.

The book $2.00 a day was written to acknowledge the struggle of those who live deep under the poverty line, if you can even consider that to be a living. It's two authors, Kathryn J. Edin & H. Luke Shaefer, show current (2015) real world examples from struggling single parents, homeless families, and those who have fell into a series of unfortunate events demonstrating how those who live in the $2.00 a day poor are not lazy, but instead the opposite. Throughout the trials of trying to find a job, keeping food on the table, and raising children, these people have been working much harder to stay alive in poverty than those who are fortunate enough to be living in the middle or upper class. As the book progresses through the different stories

Misrepresentation plagues this island nation overwhelmed with endless suffering. No one sees the beauty of Haiti through a television screen. All they see is misery – natural disaster, disease and poverty—writ large on the evening news. When most Americans think of Haiti, they see problems and a stressed people. However, there is a resilience and a beauty of spirit to Haitians. Even after years upon years of being dehumanized, my people have never broken. Our culture is constantly belittled, but we smile and gather strength from the sun that shines on our island and we persevere.

Going to Haiti is an incredible adventure and it really puts in perspective how much I take for granted everyday. Most Haitians my age have no bed to sleep on, a small shack which they call home and share with their extensive families, and not a clue what they are going to do that day when they wake up. In a way, which may sound selfish, I wish to live like them to feel what it’s like to always be happy and full of spirit regardless of the food they eat or the clothes on their backs. I have many memories and experiences similar to the ones shared and I had moments like those spent with Kata and the man during village ministry every day with various Haitians. The Haitians impact my life more and more every second I am there, and even though Haiti may seem like the poorest country in the world and the mosquitos are horrible, and the heat could drive one mad, I will always choose Haiti over any other place in the world as my happy place, and there is not a place I’d rather be than

When I was able to go to Haiti for a mission trip with my church. I saw so many people on the street and they looked like they were living out of boxes. Port-Au-Prince, Haiti is one of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. They also have very bad healthcare. Not many of the people there were living the life we are. Most of them are living on about 2 dollars per day. There isn’t much we could buy in Zeeland for 2 dollars. When I would walk down the streets. I see people and kids almost wearing rags for clothes. As I would walk down the street to the market it would smell like rotten food that is 2 months old. Haiti had a earthquake in 2010 that took them down. Almost everything was destroyed. It didn’t help with their poverty stats at all.

In 2010, Haiti; a Caribbean country located on the island of Hispaniola, suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake which left the normally joyous people devastated, and the land, destroyed. Only six years after the paralyzing natural disaster, Hurricane Matthew struck the vulnerable nation plagued by poverty, leaving hundreds dead and “12.9% of the country’s population in need of humanitarian assistance”. Humanitarian assistance. As humans; ready, willing and able to help Haitians in need, public school systems fortunate enough to teach students who think of those less fortunate in the world, should not repress their desire to meet, help and experience the beautiful Haitian culture. The group of students at Wachusett Regional High School interested

Documentary in Nepal: Living on a Dollar a Day, is a documentary following three people, two from Canada and one from Nepal as they live life on only 107 rupees (which is around 1 dollar) a day. After watching “Documentary in Nepal: Living on a Dollar a Day,” I have a greater idea of how different it is to live in a wealthy country than a poor one and just how blessed we are in Canada to make and live with so much more money. The difference between our world and the poorest countries, besides wealth, is also evident in the youth. In countries like Nepal, the children are hard workers and people are happier overall. Another example of this can be found in Haiti.

Afterwards, people in Haiti had to move on, and stay positive, “Showing the world once again a stubborn insistence of living, despite all the cruelties of the earth.” Leonard Pitts

Before then I was only able to remember Haiti from my distant childhood memories but media coverage of the earthquake made the small country big news. For weeks I was bombarded by graphic images of people in Haiti hungry and in poverty that completely differed from my family’s stories. It would have been easy for me to accept the media’s view of Haiti as a country with nothing, but I was taught better. I knew that Haitians were powerful people and would be able to rebuild themselves and our country. I witnessed Haitian people resurface from the rubble and make a difference.

When looking at the history between the United States and Latin America, you see many interactions between them, all that aided the relationship that they have today. Despite that the United States and Latin America are in the same part of the world, the beliefs in which they govern may differ. This difference has often been seen playing a major role in the disputes that have occurred in past. The United States and Latin America have faced many social, economical and governing barriers in forming a strong and positive relationship in the early twentieth century, this is due to the differences that the two had between cultures and the constant demand for power. However, the two countries have found ways to meet in the middle of their cultural differences, to form an equally fair relationship.

Like Athens and Sparta, were the United States and China drawn into a war neither power wanted because of their alliances?