The U.S. is home to an estimated 11.9 million undocumented immigrants who have entered the country without legal permission (a valid visa, green card, U.S.citizenship, etc.). Approximately 1.6 million of those undocumented immigrants are students who are currently attending public K-12 schools and roughly 65,000 of these students graduate from high school every year (Pew … [Read more...] about Including the Excluded
Politics
Illustrating the Issues
In 1876, an American man stowed on board a Spanish ship under the guise of a common seaman. His name was William Macy “Boss” Tweed, and he was reigned as the “boss” of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine which held much sway over 19th century New York politics. During his regime, he tripled the city’s bond debt to almost $90 million dollars, paid hundreds of … [Read more...] about Illustrating the Issues
Shalom Y’all
This piece was originally published in Vol. 2, Issue 1 (Spring 2012) of the Southern California International Review (SCIR), USC's Undergraduate Journal of International Relations. Peacemaking efforts in intractable conflicts rarely set high expectations for success. The conflict’s prolonged, historical nature paired with its deep psychological wounds make it nearly … [Read more...] about Shalom Y’all
Brain Fodder: Why I Chose a Gun
When Max Weber formalized his definition of state, he was asking to stir up trouble. Luckily, he wasn’t around long enough to bear the heat from peace-touting, anti-war idealists of the sixties. For a polity to be considered a state, Weber postulated, it must hold a legitimate monopoly on violence. In other words, the state must retain exclusive control over violence and its … [Read more...] about Brain Fodder: Why I Chose a Gun
Strangers in a Strange Land
By Amy Schilit You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt – Exodus 22:21 Last Passover, as I was walking in Jaffa, I passed a theatrical demonstration against the government’s treatment of plitim. Intrigued and confused about the meaning of the word, I walked through the demonstration to observe the actors as they … [Read more...] about Strangers in a Strange Land