Melissa's Proposal

I plan to address the issue of immigration in baseball. I am not sure how I will present this as a relevant issue to fellow undergraduates because it is not a pressing issue for students at this school. However, since UW is a sports-crazy campus, I think that it will be an issue that is at least interesting to other students. With popular athlete’s indiscretions often dominating the headlines, think: Kobe, A-Rod, Tiger, Michael Vick (for a nice, wide range), it is good for people to see what athletes are like before they have the opportunity to end up on either ESPN or Star Magazine.

In exploring immigration in baseball, I want to focus specifically on people. There are two sides to baseball, not offense and defense, but the numbers and the people who put them up. When scandals arise, the articles and sports news shows don’t just focus on how great of a player that athlete is, but they talk about what they know of their character. When Tiger Woods’ scandal arose, we talked about how he’s the greatest golfer on the planet, but also how surprising the incident was based on who we thought he was as a person. In this project, I want to show what the argument over immigration in baseball is through the eyes of the players who have to do it. What drives these players to work so hard to play baseball in the USA? What do they have to go through before they are throwing changeups at US Cellular Field (or Fenway, or Yankee Stadium, or [fill in the blank with your favorite team’s stadium])? What happens to the players who never get that far?

The main source that I plan on using is a documentary called “Road to the Big Leagues”. This film takes a deeper look into a country that loves baseball as much as Americans do, but does not have the resources to make their players into the superstars they can become in the MLB—The Dominican Republic. In the description of the film, baseball is described as “the pipe dream of many boys and an escape from brutal poverty”. Immigrating to the US to play baseball clearly is about more than just being able to play the game. There are social and political factors that drive these players, and this film will give me a better idea of what exactly they are. As for other sources, I have a few articles already that would be helpful in this argument. One is from “The Sports Journal” and it outlines all of the potential issues and influences on immigration and labor concerns for players coming to the United States. The other articles that I have found, so far, are more focused on Cuban immigration. I don’t know if I will do this for sure, but it could be interesting to compare and contrast the struggles of ballplayers immigrating from both of these countries

I’m honestly not positive how my argument might be a useful resource to other undergraduates here. I haven’t figured everything out yet, but I do know about a lot of the sources out there on this topic. They usually focus on the numbers and technical aspects of immigration—how many visas were given out to players, how many people came here, etc, but I want to bring these numbers to life and explain what this really means for baseball. The research could be surprising for readers because most people don’t know a lot about the issue. It’s not a huge controversial issue that’s debated all of the time, like normal immigration is, so people could be surprised at how the process is handled differently for athletes, but it also is not as easy as we think. From my early findings, I know that there are multiple categorizations of visas now, and there are quotas for how many are given out. Some players can get “exceptional athlete” visas, but that is obviously not an option for young players in the Dominican Republic who are trying to get any sort of chance. We forget about these types of athletes when overgeneralizing about how athletes are overpaid and privileged.

9/11s Effect on Immigration

For my assignement I plan on finding out how much the attack on 9/11 had to do with the immigration restrictions we have now. In doing so I plan on relating it to baseball if possible. I think my main argument would be should the government make the laws and restrictions different for athletes? Another argument could be has the event caused baseball to lose out on some very good foreign athletes? Also, has the event raised so much fear in government that they are afraid foriegn athletes will to become threats to the country.

I plan on finding out what exactly the restrictions are and find out the key determinig factors for those restrictions. After reading a few articles I came across a few that mentions 9/11 as one of the key factors. Like i said before I plan on arguing that the restrictions, due to the 9/11 event, have somewhat taking away a part of baseball history by not allowing as many players to immigrate over to play. I can expect a posing argument being that baseball is not as important as the safety of the country.

Im going about trying to get theses questions answered by reading different articles about 9/11 and immigration as a whole. I also plan to use public documents and different documents regarding the restrictions. I'm using these sources because they will have the most information and details since a fairly topic. For secondary sources I plan on using web-based articles because they are conviniant and usually contain a great deal of information.

According to CU immigration law expert looks at changes in U.S. actions since 9/11, the restrictions are made to make the country safer and protect our civil liberties. I don't think any of the research will be surprise. The main thing I'm looking forward to getting out of this assignment is how much has that one event effected so much of our society.

Guilty on 21 counts

http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/12/news/international/cuba_baseball.fortune/index.htm
Tim Arango, the author of “Agent for Cuban baseball defectors convicted”, recapped the trial and consequences baseball agent Gus Dominguez faced after smuggling in baseball players from Cuba. Dominguez smuggled in five players and was found guilty on 21 counts of smuggling and immigration violations.
There was two different arguments or sides to this story. One way the author may perceive Dominguez is “A business man trying to make a buck”, while on the hand the author may view him as “The agent as a family man and a heroic figure who helped young players flee oppression in Cuba”. Either way you look at it, whether he was trying to help or trying to make a buck, he didn’t handle the situation the right way and he is guilty of what he did. Even if he was just trying to help rid these immigrants from under Castro, there is a procedure you follow to be granted citizenship and he chose not take that route. There is a big enough problem the way it is with Immigrants illegally finding their way into this country and I feel like baseball is supporting that by doing it themselves now for their own benefit.
I understand that a lot today’s talent in Major League Baseball comes from Cuba and other foreign countries but for baseball to be their way out isn’t right. Not only are they illegal citizens, but just the fact that General Managers can get away with paying them no where near what they would have to pay an “American” player isn’t fair. Sure, Cuban’s and other foreign players are okay with being paid less because they are getting a free pass into the United States. Most illegal citizens and other immigrants would give anything to leave their home country and be able to come to the United States for free. Baseball isn’t just these guys way in, they’re also getting paid to come here. The pay may not be much but for them just being able to get smuggled in means more to them then the money I’m sure.

Not as Easy for Minors

According to Ronald Young, author of Immigration VISA Shortage Hits Minor Leagues with Player Shortages, while major league baseball players are usually easily accepted and brought over to the United States its not as easy for Minor leagues players. In Young's opening paragraph he states that minor leagues players are treated the same as summer hotel workers, seasonal timber laborers, and minor league hockey players due to the fact that they aren't able to get their H-2B temporary worker visas because there are certain restrictions enforced by the U.S. government. While major leaguers get P-1 Visas (P-1 applies to individual or team athletes, or members of an entertainment group (P-1B) that are internationally recognized. A maximum of 25,000 P visas are issued annually), on the other hand minors receive the H-2B which are usually for individuals who will be employed in non-agricultural positions which are seasonal, intermittent or that can be labelled a one time occurrence. Qualifying positions include those in the Hospitality, Restaurant, Tourism, Landscaping, Construction, and other unskilled worker categories. Obviously minor leaguers are not put on the same pedestal as there major league counter parts. For the most part of baseballs rich history there have been foreign immigrants playing without a problem. That changed drastically in March of 2004 when the government announced that there would be 13,000 fewer H-2B visas than in 2003 in which there were on 79,000 of the temporary visas. That was a huge blow fro baseball because those Visas were mostly being applied for early worker immigrants and being granted to them.
I personally believe that the author is arguing that with the restrictions and fewer visas, baseball will potentially miss out on some good foreign players. As Young mentioned there is plenty of competition for the Visas outside of baseball which will create a huge problem. I think another problem is that most of the organizations in baseball know that there is a shortage of the Visas so they all will be filing for the Visas early which create a huger problem than it already is.
I'm curious as to why there are restrictions now after it has been a breeze for baseball players to immigrate in the past. Young mentioned in the article the 9/11 incident but didn't specify if that was the cause of the restrictions or not. Is it that America wants more American players playing for our teams (I know that's something that could never be answered)? I think these questions and the details already attained will contribute to all the answers I may need for the larger research project that we have.
All in all, I think government should return the amount of Visas giving out to the normal number. They should also make it so that the rules for majors and minors be the same.

It's Not all Fun and Games

Dr. Anthony Borgese extensively analyzed the issues with immigration in professional sports. It is an important text because it provides specific information that details the labor and immigration concerns of athletes—legally, culturally, politically, and in other ways. He begins by pointing out the discrepancy between Americans’ opinions of immigrants who come to work in any available labor position and immigrants who come to play sports. “Citizens get upset because when these immigrants arrive, they have to find jobs in order to survive. Most immigrants take on menial jobs that American citizens do not want, like a bus boy, or a food delivery person. However, most citizens turn the other cheek when the immigrant is a sports star.” Instead of being concerned with whether or not they are taking jobs from other Americans, we value foreign athletes, as long as they can help our teams. Since athletes are so popular to the fans, we often do not realize the different ramifications and obstacles that they face. We think that they just come to play the game, make money, and win championships, but a great deal goes into both getting them here and keeping them here. Borgese seeks to explain and these things so that us fans truly grasp what is going on with immigration in sports.
As for the legal aspect of immigration in sports, there is a lot to deal with. Borgese explains the categories of visas that athletes can apply for. One, the “P” category, is for “athletes and entertainers” specifically, whereas an “O” visa is for “workers with extraordinary abilities”. No matter what visa a player obtains, the primary stipulation of both of them is that they do not plan on staying in the United States permanently. They play their sport for the season, however long their career may last, and then they return to the country they came from. Borgese says, “Basically, what the government wants to know is that he will return to his country once he has finished performing.” This point is worth noting because it shows that the United States is willing to allow these athletes to come into the country to play, but if they wanted to stay here it would be a whole different ballgame, so to speak. This also means that Cuban athletes, who defect from their country, would have to establish residency in a country other than the United States in order to play in the United States.
Why does all of this matter? Well, Borgese’s argument is that while US citizens don’t seem to mind when athletes come to their country to play sports, they aren’t really immigrating to the United States. They are there temporarily, and are expected to leave afterwards. His argument is more for the education of these players, so they can be successful temporary citizens—paying taxes, having their visa in order, and other contract issues. They need representation that can help them understand all of these intricacies. While it appears as though athletes get special treatment when they are trying to come to the United States, Borgese is arguing that the treatment of foreign professional athletes is completely legal because of the different categorizations. It might be easier for them to get into the country, but most other immigrants coming in want to stay permanently, so there has to be a divergence in the handling of athletes and other foreigners.
Borgese’s piece is important because it answers questions about every aspect of athletes’ immigration, even though this just focused on the legal side. This could be beneficial to the project because it gives all of the information that is hard to find elsewhere in one place. It portrays playing sports in the United States as a complicated process that is not fully understood by anyone, maybe not even the athletes who have to do it. Most news about athletes who leave their homes to play sports in the US deals with why they would want to do that. What makes them want to come to the United States? Why would they rather play here than in their home country? This article deals with what the players have to go through to get here and once they do. All of the sections of this piece, not just legal, offer essential information about the immigration process, and shed new light on what it takes to play sports here.

Facebook Ruins Relationships!!!

Facebook is a very important site in our society today. its a way to social network with people, keep in touch with friends and family, and advertise your products. one the most important parts about facebook is the relationships you keep with males or females online. this video is on how facebook can ruin and has ruined many relationships.
As a male college student i know all about how facebook is like a gift and a curse you meet girls and make friends with a bunch of different people but its not private and all your buisness is out there and will cause you to have a lot of trouble. in the video they make it pretty clear you cannot trust the other partner. i feel the audience they are talkin to is younger adults who have not yet matured enough to handle having a facebook and being in a committed realtionship. trust is a big part of a realtionship and facebook can push that to the limit, with you able to see every conversation and everything is pretty well documented you have to be careful of what you say.
I think the rhetorical situation is facebook can do a lot of things for you but does the reward really out way the risk of having a facebook and your personal life. it seems the video could be warning people before they venture into the facebook world.i think people need to be able to seperate there buisness with there personal life.

Missed Connections

Well as Valentines Day approaches us there will be many desperate attempts to find "true love". And there will be those who will just be looking for just a date for the day.

Many people find themselves going that extra step to find the person that they belong with or think they belong with. In this case true love seems to fall right into our main characters lap (At least that's what she thinks). For some odd reason she falls madly in love with this guy who has no interest in her at all. (I personally believe the dog was more interested than he was). She expresses her love for him throughout the video the same way many others would but in a more comical way.

It shows how so many desperately try to grasp on to everything as a sign of true love when in actuality it's really nothing. I don't think this video was meant to ruffle any one's feathers or hurt feelings but to open peoples eye's a little about the facts of how "love/lust" could actually be.

I believe this video was made to maybe cheer up those "hopeless romantics" as Valentines day approaches us. Also, it could be a wake up call for many who may be in the same situation as this young lady, hopefully this video catches their attention. But i think this video makes sense and really could brighten someones day.

Preach on, Ginger Brotha...

When I was born, as the nurses were cleaning me up and doing whatever it is they do, one of them called to my mother, “She has red hair!” I do not know what the normal response to this statement would be after nine months of carrying a child and an exhausting delivery, but I do know that my mom’s response was to scream. Yes, she screamed at the thought of having given birth to a redheaded child. And so begins the story of my life…

Having red hair has always made me stand out in a crowd. People who dye theirs various, hideous shades of red come up to me and ask me if my hair color is natural—since I was a few months old actually (as if I would get my hair dyed as an infant)—and it is very easy to find me in a crowd of people. Just look for the bright red illuminating from my head. It was always a good thing to be a redhead, especially with role models such as Ginger Spice to look up to (kidding…). Then, however, the show South Park came along and changed the meaning of being a red head forever. If you are unfamiliar with the episode, Cartman gives a speech about how “gingers” (red hair, pale skin, freckles…check, check, and check for me) have no souls. He had a lot to say about my particular…species, and since this episode in 2005 aired, this term and ideology has spread like wildfire.

As a “ginger”, I have learned to accept that people think that this episode of South Park is hysterically funny. I don’t really mind it, and I agree that it is hard for us to survive in the daylight. However, some of my fellow gingers take serious offense to the message of this episode. One boy in particular posted his views in a video on YouTube. The video is entitled “GINGERS DO HAVE SOULS!!” I wish that I could tell you about the poignant, well-spoken argument that he is making, but that is simply not the case.

It is understandable why this kid would use the scene and genre of YouTube in order to get his message across. After all, the video has been viewed over 2 million times. These days, using YouTube as a genre of expression/”writing” is one of the best ways for everyday people to get a message across to a large audience. Not everyone can get an article published, or form a big enough gathering of people in order to make their argument. Even genres such as blogging that could lend themselves to a larger audience are restricted. It is difficult to just stumble upon interesting blogs unless it is on a site that you check regularly. Besides that, people are much more inclined to watch a video than read a diatribe about gingers (I suppose this would be a good place to apologize for making you read a diatribe about gingers). All you have to do is press play, sit back, relax, and enjoy this unstable boy.

Aside from the fact that this focus on genre simplifies the way we consume information/arguments, it has to be interesting in some way in order to succeed. The genre of YouTube depends on word of mouth to spread in the way that this particular video has. It has been posted on my Facebook wall twice in a week. Why is it so compelling and worth so much attention? If you have to ask, then you clearly have not seen this video. This boy is yelling in the camera for 3 minutes about how he is teased at school because of the notoriety of gingers in the post-South Park episode era. His main argument is that we do, in fact, have souls. He responds to these accusations of soullessness by repeatedly yelling about how he is a Christian, and even goes so far as to mention how he has thought about killing himself. I’m telling you, you cannot make this stuff up. The fact of the matter is that this kid does not make himself appear likable to his audience, so the basic appeal of this argument/video is not really that he pulls at the heartstrings. It is compelling because he is insane. Screaming, swearing, and pointing his finger in the camera...thanks for perpetuating the “Redheads have bad tempers” stereotype, buddy.

Essentially, this kid’s argument would not be worth discussing if he had made it in any other genre. If it were written out in any form, it just would not be the same. As the audience, we need to see this kid’s, um, passion in an uncensored manner. Although his mental stability is now being questioned on the grand stage of YouTube, his genre selection was perfect because he is awkwardly speaking from the heart. If he had a delete key, it would destroy the experience of his argument, and it truly was an experience.