Crossing the Wire

“Crossing the Wire” was an interesting read. In America, we hear “our” side of the story: illegal immigrants, laborers, dangerous crossing of the border, criminals. Never the other side of the story. The hard part is that these are also human beings who are desperate to make a better life for themselves and their families. The idea of a young boy leaving his family to cross the border and provide for them financially is just unthinkable, and yet instead of helping and providing refuge, we prosecute, criminalize, and degrade. Yes its illegal, but maybe if we made it easier to get documented then it wouldn’t be such a big deal. I am sure that it is costing us more money to patrol the borders and send people back across the border than it is to get these immigrants into the country and help them get the necessary documents and start a life for themselves. 

This book hit home, literally, as the boys ended up in Washington State. Its almost unimaginable that they travelled all the way from Mexico to Washington, and none of it was a for sure thing, they just went on their instincts and heart. Its interesting that we see many of these people as orchard workers and laborers, but it doesn’t really cross my mind as to whether or not they are here legally or illegally. I just think of them as people who work hard in the orchards to make some money. Its probably very true what was said in the book too, that we need them to work the orchards because we wouldn’t be willing to do the hard work for those wages. So why do we make things so hard?

This young boy had to fight his own country, the United States government border patrol, gangs from both sides, vigilantes, and the “coyotes” that were taking them across the difficult terrain. He braved these people, got sent back, and still succeeded. It breaks my heart that Victor’s best friend ended up going back, after all he had gone through, but it really makes the point that family is everything. These boys left on this dangerous journey for their families. Victor had no choice but to stay in America and work day in and day out to send money home to his family, Rico went home because he couldn’t put his family through the turmoil of his being away. Either situation is a hard decision to make, but nonetheless, had to be made. It also shows the strength of character and heart of the two boys, especially Victor, who was not one to take adventures or break the law. He did what he had to do to survive and make it through. 

I cannot even being to imagine what I would do in his situation. I don’t think I would have the guts to take the journey, but I would like to think that I would do all that I could to help my family. 

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Human Trafficking in Nepal and India

For my research on Nepal and India and the human trafficking problem, I mostly looked at statistics and facts. First, I looked up the legal definition of human trafficking as defined by the UN. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines human trafficking as "the recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or receipt of a person by such means as threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation."

Then I looked up facts and statistics regarding the number of trafficked humans. According to a conservative estimate by the International Labor Organization, around 2.4 million people—overwhelmingly women and girls—are currently in forced labor as a result of trafficking, creating a 32 billion USD industry worldwide. Around 1.2 million victims of trafficking are minors: around 43% are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation while 32% are for involuntary servitude, and 25% for a mixture of both .

Next, because of our focus on Nepal and India, I decided to narrow my search and learn about . why/how they got into the slave trade and what roles they played within the industry. Nepali victims are trafficked within Nepal, to India, the Middle East, and other areas such as Malaysia and forced to become prostitutes, domestic servants, beggars, factory workers, mine workers, circus performers, child soldiers, and others. Sex trafficking is particularly rampant within Nepal and to India, with as many as 5,000-10,000 women and girls trafficked to India alone each year.

Nepali girls are especially desirable as prostitutes in India because they are considered more attractive due to their lighter skin color, and because Nepali virgins are believed to be able to cure AIDS. Are you kidding me?!? Some of this stuff is ludicrous! 

Most victims were lured with promises of better jobs in areas such as India, Dubai, or Saudi Arabia; other tactics include false marriages and proposals, force, and approaching indebted families to sell their daughters to pay their debts, sometimes under the guise of a dowry for a marriage. The most vulnerable are women and girls who are illiterate or uneducated, involved in marginalized livelihoods, deserted by their husbands or families, victims of abuse and violence, and those from disadvantaged communities and extremely poor families. In the places of enslavement, victims are often imprisoned, followed with guards, routinely sexually and physically abused across different types of trafficking. Victims receive little or no pay for their work, work in dangerous conditions for extremely long periods of time, and are threatened physically and psychologically. Victims are often held in debt bondage by their captors, which means they are forced to pay off a debt for their families or transportation fee.

Despite efforts at legislating against trafficking, lack of enforcement remains one of the highest hurdles to combatting trafficking in Nepal. First, governments and society tend to judge the woman guilty of prostitution and minimize the trafficker's role in this crime. Secondly, government police officials are often corrupt; pimps maintain close relations with police and politicians in connection with their trafficking activities. Thirdly, few survivors press charges, reflecting that survivors have little trust towards law enforcement mechanisms or mechanisms are ineffective to bring the survivors to report.

Human trafficking in India, although illegal, is a huge problem. An estimated 20-65 million Indians are affected by human trafficking, with women and girls being targeted the most.  

India’s efforts to protect victims of trafficking varies from state to state, but remains inadequate in many places.Victims of bonded labor are entitled to INR 10,000 ($185) from the central government for rehabilitation, but this program is unevenly executed across the country. Government authorities do not proactively identify and rescue bonded laborers, so few victims receive this assistance. Although children trafficked for forced labor may be housed in government shelters and are entitled to INR 20,000 ($370), the quality of many of these homes remains poor and the disbursement of rehabilitation funds is sporadic.

This idea that one human being can take such advantage of another human being is so incredibly sad to me. These girls are being infected with numerous STDs and HIV/AIDS and literally have no choice or say in the matter. There bodies are used in whatever way their captors choose and most often face severe PTSD and emotional/psychological/physical ramifications. Some sex slaves who escape end up back in the industry because they were caught again or because they simply cannot make it in the world. This truly breaks my heart makes me wonder what would happen if this were a widespread problem in America. I know that we do actually have a significant problem in the United States but I feel like there is more hope than for those trafficked in Napal, India, and the Middle East because of our government and resources. 

Museum Display Project - Artifact Narration

Artifact: Grandma Willie’s Recipe Box

My grandmother, Wilhelmia Germann Burke, immigrated to America from Germany as a young child. Her mother instilled in her the value of a home cooked meal and a well organized/run household. My grandma, as I remember her, could always be found in the kitchen. She made everything from scratch; from huge cinnamon rolls with creamy frosting, to Swedish pancakes, to Chicken Cacciatore, to Turkey Pie. There was nothing that my grandma couldn’t make and nothing that she made that wasn’t absolutely delicious. She was a baker at heart and didn’t stop until she was 95 years old, about a year before her death. Here is her famous recipe box that my mom was lucky enough to get when she died. It holds every recipe that she ever kept, with many more that she didn’t bother to write down because they were already ingrained in her memory. Whenever a family member needs an old recipe, they know who to call! This box reminds me of where my family comes from and the traditions that we hold so dear to our hearts.



Artifact: 2013 Photo of the Burke Family Reunion/Willie’s Last Birthday

This is my extended family from my mother’s side. A huge Catholic family raised by my God fearing grandmother, Wilhelmina Burke, and my strict military Grandfather, Robert Burke (deceased). This side of my family is where my brutal honesty, sarcastic tendencies, nosiness, and loud mouth comes from. This artifact is representative of the importance of family and how big of a role they can play in your life. This side of my family, dare I say it, is a little on the judgmental side, and will see to it that you make an honest living and have a career that is worthy of their approval. If not, you can expect a lot of disapproving glares and hushed talk about how you had so much potential. Fear not, if you are on their good side, you will be treated well and will reap the benefits of having made the right life choices. Whenever there is a family gathering, you can expect at least 90% of the entire clan to show up (if not more) and a huge fight, argument, or otherwise tense situation to rear its nasty head. The Burke family, as they say, puts the FUN in dysfunctional!



Artifact: Photo from summer of 1993, Annual Family Camping Trip

This photo was taken in the summer of 1993 on one of my family’s many annual camping trips. It didn’t matter that I was barely 1 year old or that my dad had to climb a mountain with me on his back because I couldn’t yet scale rock cliffs, summer camping trips always happened, and still do to this very day. These camping trips made me appreciate nature, living in a simpler way, being outside, and spending quality time with my family. I learned to pitch a tent, cook on an open fire, protect myself from various wildlife creatures that may happen upon our campsite, and learn to be away from technology and still survive just fine. Even now, my idea of the perfect vacation is finding a small beach on a lake, getting away from cell phones and people, and sleeping under the stars.



Artifact: Aerial Photo of the Berger Family Farm in CutBank, Montana

This photo is of my ancestor’s homestead in CutBank, Montana. My Great Great Grandmother and Grandfather emigrated from Norway to America. They ended up in Colorado and eventually decided to make the move to Montana to start a farm of their own. They put their small house (yellow house pictured near the bottom center) onto railroad ties and hooked it up to a few horses and took the journey from Colorado to Montana. They were very poor and knew they would not have the funds to build themselves a new house after making the journey, so they brought their house with them. What started out as just a few acres of land and a pump house(outside shower and bathroom) turned out to be a thriving wheat and barley farm with numerous silos, granaries, and now, giant windmills. As a child, I spent many summers on the farm and learned many important lessons. I learned how to drive as soon as my feet could reach the petals, I learned how to take whatever was in the cupboard and make a hot meal, I learned the importance of working the land, and working hard to put in a long days work. The Berger/Harris side of my family were devout Lutherans from whom I learned that going to church and having a relationship with God were two completely different things. I think this is where my faith began, as my grandmother was the one to make sure that whenever I was with her, we never missed church on Sundays or the chance to have good fellowship with the community.



Artifact: Plasma Cut Calf

This is a plasma cut outline of a calf that I cut when I was 15 years old. To me, this represents the value of getting dirty and working with your hands to produce something that is a work of art. Although I do love to read and think and plan and analyze, sometimes it is nice to just use my hands to make something. Sometimes you never know what you are going to make until it is done, and other times you have an idea of what you want but there is no way to know if you are going to get the desired product. I have tried and failed many times using the plasma cutter, as is true with many other things in my life, but the important thing to remember is that you can always try again. If you stop trying, then you can never improve and maybe never create something of any value. This artifact represents my determination in life and how often times you can end up creating something better than can be bought.
***Note:  Plasma cutting is a process that is used to cut steel and other metals of different thicknesses (or sometimes other materials) using a plasma torch. In this process, an inert gas is blown at high speed out of a nozzle; at the same time an electrical arc is formed through that gas from the nozzle to the surface being cut, turning some of that gas to plasma. The plasma is sufficiently hot to melt the metal being cut and moves sufficiently fast to blow molten metal away from the cut. (Wikipedia)

Response to Kampung Boy

     Before reading this book, I don’t think I would say I had ever read a graphic novel before. Sure I had read children’s books and picture books before, but the term graphic novel was not in my vocabulary. Because of this, I decided the read this book twice. The first time, I paid attention to the words and the story, the second time I paid more attention to the illustrations and character descriptions. 

     After reading it twice, I thought about the book for a while and why Lat may have written it and what importance this book might hold. Did it explain some very different aspect of culture or a hot topic issue that is/was highly talked about? Did this text shock me with new information and/or ideas? Well, sure it did. Besides the research that I had just previously done on Malaysia, I had almost no former knowledge of the area, the people, or the lifestyle. It was merely a place on the map that I had to look up because the name was the only thing that was familiar to me. 

     While reading the book I definitely learned a few things about Malaysian education, religion, rites of passage, family structure, etc. Religious schooling starts very early, elders are highly respected, boy are circumcised at age 10, it is a privilege to pass your tests and go off to boarding school for higher education. But what really struck me was how this story was not so different from every other child in the world. The drawings and illustrations were simple and child-like, depicting the innocence of the boy and how he viewed the world. At one point in the book, when the 3 brothers take him out to their favorite swimming hole, I noticed that the boys barely even looked like humans. Sure they had a head and 2 arms and 2 legs, but their bodies were not shaped like a young boy, they were missing features such as noses and belly buttons, their hair and teeth were very exaggerated. The other aspect of this child-like view on the world was how he was facing and dealing with the same issues that all children face. First, he had to leave his family and go to school with children he did not know and a teacher who was very strict and scary. He was used to this loving mother and playful father, and had to leave and be in the care of someone else. Almost every child deals with this when going off to daycare/preschool/kindergarten. They have to try to make new friends and they long to be accepted. Lat dealt with this when the 3 Meor brothers. He so desperately hoped they would accept him as their friend, and when they did he felt joy and love. Every child wants this. No kid wants to go to school and have a hard time making friends or being accepted by his/her peers. As Lat’s schooling continues he has to worry about his grades and doing well in school. He starts to withdraw a little from his peers, maybe because he is dealing with self-confidence issues, maybe because he would rather just do what he likes to do, maybe its a little bit of both. What child doesn’t go through some sort of period where they are uncomfortable in their own skin, where they feel like they don’t quite fit in? A little later in Lat’s childhood, he faces acceptance from his own parents. He knows their love for him, yet he hears them talking about him late into the night about him growing up and acting more like an adult. He wants his parents to think he is responsible and becoming a man, but like a lot of children, goes about that in a way that backfires a little. Lat is still very young and yet has to deal with the weight and responsibility of inheriting his father’s land, being a big brother to his younger siblings, doing well in school and passing his tests, working in the community, and still having friends and having fun as a kid. This is a lot of pressure on a kid and is not uncommon for most children around the world. This is what really struck me about this novel: how relatable it was for children everywhere. Sure, not everyone goes to religious schooling like Lat did, some children don’t have siblings, some children grow up with a lot of money and privilege, some children live in the hustle and bustle of the city, but yet this book is still talking about central issues that are the same for everyone. Everyone wants and needs to feel accepted by their peers, everyone has to go through certain rites of passage, everyone has to deal with the complications of growing up and having more responsibilities. This book is not just about Lat, a young boy growing up in a small village in Malaysia, this book is about a child growing up and facing the issues that every other child in the world also has to face.