South Africa: The Power of the World Cup

           Every four years, the world convenes on a chosen city to witness one of the most celebrated and popular events: the World Cup. This summer I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa to witness this momentous occasion that brings people together, nations closer, and the world on the heels of its feet. As the world descended upon South Africa, the social and economic implications proved to be very important for a country that is trying to prove its progress since its deplorable past of Apartheid. Although many view the World Cup as an exciting event in which nations just compete for soccer superiority, its importance lies in the fact that it has the power to bring people from all over the world together and that it can significantly bolster a nation’s economy.

            Tourism can often serve as the best form of foreign relations. As the excerpt “The Ugly American” states regarding Franco-American relations Post World War II, “ tourist-class airfare inspired optimism for the future of U.S. relations with the Western Europe” (The Ugly American 1). Just as tourism between France and America was important for Franco-American relations, tourism between South Africa and the world helped people to unite to bring different nationalities together. Thirty-two nations compete in the World Cup, but over thirty-two different cultures and nationalities traveled to South Africa. Walking in Cape Town, it is not hard to notice the different ethnicities walking on the streets. Spaniards, Germans, Britons, Americans, Indians, Chinese, Dutch, and an eclectic mix of people take over Cape Town and invade its restaurants, shops, and hotels. The World Cup has the power to unite people from all over the world over one common similarity: their love for soccer. It is incumbent for one to always remain respectful of other nationalities, because you never know who you are sharing an elevator ride with, you never know who is sitting by table adjacent to yours, and you never know when a mob of a certain team marches by. One event that best exemplifies this notion of unification among many different people is when the Dutch beat Uruguay during the semi-finals in Cape Town. After the Dutch won, the city had exploded and all you could hear were loud vuvuzelas and Dutch victory chants. After the game, my brother and I had meandered to the waterside to observe the festivities. Once we had arrived, I not only saw the Dutch celebrate their win, but I saw South Africans, Britons, Americans, and other Europeans join in their celebration. It seemed that all of Cape Town had come together in order to not revel in Holland’s victory, but to celebrate the World Cup itself. It was events like these that contributed to my belief that the World Cup may be the best form of foreign relations.

            The World Cup not only shows us how tourism can lead to social respect and harmony, but it also shows us how tourism can significantly impact a nation’s economy. According to the novel Hosts and Guests, “The major stimulus for the development of tourism is economic” (Hosts and Guests 6). The World Cup serves as an effective tool to increase tourism, which benefits the economy by being a “valuable foreign exchange”, in which people can buy goods and other services and by benefitting “local businesses that are not tourism related” (Hosts and Guests 6). It did not take an economic researcher to realize the positive effects the World Cup was having on South Africa’s economy: all the flights coming into South Africa were booked, all hotels were full, shops were always busy, and the flow of foreigners into businesses districts and market places never stopped. Not only did the World Cup trigger an economic stimulus in the form of tourists, but it also created a great deal of jobs and expedited government investment in infrastructure: new airports were built, soccer stadiums were constructed from barren land, and a host of other building projects were initiated.

            Tourism can lead to many different positive impacts for a country. This summer’s World Cup proved to be a powerful medium in combining social harmony and economic growth. Tourism offers a useful outlet in which people from different backgrounds can meet each other and bond over a common theme. In this case, soccer proved to be a useful tool in bringing people together as it was ordinary to see sights such as a Dutch man hung someone who is Japanese after Holland’s semi-finals victory or to see a fan from a different country rejoice in another country’s triumph. The most powerful impact of tourism, however, is its ability to rejuvenate a nation’s economy, and through the World Cup, South Africa’s economy greatly benefitted through the capital spent by tourists and the government. 

Challenges to the Vitality of the "American Dream"

            Many people illegally flock to our nation to achieve the “American Dream”. This dream means a lot of different things to people but all would argue in the most basic sense it means to achieve safety from persecution, achieve greater economic security, and to be able to have equal opportunities and freedoms no matter what your social status and background is. They will cross borders, climb fences, and pursue any means necessary to execute their goal of coming to the States. In response to the great deal of illegal’s coming to America to achieve their “American Dream”, the Arizona legislature has passed Senate Bill 1070 that has proven to be the broadest and strongest immigration law in the country, causing a great deal of upheaval domestically and internationally. Supporters of the bill have argued that the law is necessary in order to protect economic and social interests of Arizona residents. The law has also been under fire for its broad powers that may lead to discriminatory practices such as racial profiling. The vitality of the “American Dream” continues to be as vibrant as ever and although it is important to establish comprehensive immigration reform and to combat illegal immigration, the means as to how we accomplish this goal must be done in a respectful and civilized way. 

            Under Senate Bill 1070, police officers in Arizona will be able to detain anyone who is suspect of being in the country without authorization. The bill also makes it a crime to not carry immigration papers and allows citizens to sue their government if the law is not implemented. Many have argued that a law to this is extent is necessary in order to ensure the safety of Arizona residents and to protect their economic interests, but in essence its more of a protection of a way of life that people feel has come under threat from a foreign influence. Many Arizona residents feel that their “American” life style, ideals, and values have been challenged by this sudden influx of illegal immigration.

           

            An immigration policy is needed that will limit the number of illegal aliens. A nation must have secure borders that protect its citizens, but we must also secure our borders in a way that does discriminate and treat others harshly. It would be in our best interest to protect the “American Dream” as it allows for mobility on the social and economic ladder for legal and illegal residents alike. The “American Dream” not only draws millions of people to our country, but it also draws foreign capital, trade, and businesses that benefit our country and hard working American citizens. If it were not for the notion of the “American Dream”, I would probably not be here today. It would be incumbent for us to always treat other ethnicities and cultures with the utmost respect, as we do not want to deter the immigration of hard-working, intelligent people that can contribute to our country in meaningful ways. We do not want the United States to be known as the nation that allows forms of racism and racial profiling to exist, we want to be known as the nation that practices forms of equality in the greatest sense and does not place unfair judgments on people.

            America has a reputation of being the world’s melting pot. If you go to any city, you will see an eclectic mix of cultures: Chinese, Indians, Arabs, and Hispanics. Even many Americans can trace their lineage to European ancestry so, in a sense, were a country made up of immigrants. Our families before us came here for the same reasons, whether it was escaping a form of religious persecution or going to find economic opportunities, we all came her for that same “American Dream” that has drawn so many illegal immigrants here. Although there must be measures to protect our borders, businesses, and way of life that all people, no matter what background, cherish, we must accomplish these goals in a respectful manner. The Arizona Immigration law is in fact everything that America stands against: discrimination, harsh treatment towards people, and inequality. Contrary to what some people may believe right now in light of the Arizona Immigration law, the  “American Dream” does still exist and is as vibrant as ever. We must strive to protect this dream at any cost and realize that we must be known as a nation that does not place unfair prejudices on any different cultures, ethnicities, or nationalities.  

The Displaced Person’s Diaspora

      The film The Long Way Home describes the plight of Jews during the Second World War and all of the challenges they endured during the reign of the Nazis and post World War II. In the film, many Jews are referred to as displaced persons. This notion of a displaced person often refers to someone who is forced to leave his or her home, has no home to go back to, and has no alternative place to go. Jews suffered the consequences of being categorized under this category as they had no where to go after the war: they could not return to their homes as there was too much ruin and nothing left, only a few could return to their holy land of Israel, and the United States and many other countries were limiting the number of Jewish migrants. This story of forced migration is one of the most tragic in human history but it is not unique. Many nations have had to endure the same fate such as India and Pakistan during the partition of 1947. Although there are many similarities between the forced migrations of Jews and Indian’s during the mid 20^th century, they are different in that Indians had a home to go back to whereas Jews had to fight to obtain their home.  

     There are many striking similarities between Jewish migration to Israel and Indian immigration from Pakistan during Partition. The British both played very large roles in inhibiting and allowing migration for both Indians and Jews as India and Palestine were both colonial possessions. In the case for the Jewish people, the British government did not allow Jews to travel to Palestine after the Second World War, fearing that were would be a violent backlash among Palestine’s residents. After World War II, the British began to let go of its colonial possessions and they soon drew up borders of what would be known as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Hindus from Pakistan traveled back to India as many Muslims from India traveled to both Pakistan and Bangladesh. All of these migrations triggered violent backlashes. In Palestine, Jewish resistance fighters blew up buildings and British government and army buildings. During partition, violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims broke out in various cities as both religions fought for areas they deemed to be their home. Both Jews and Indians encountered violence and aggression when they attempted to go back home but it did not deter them from establishing their homes.

      The Indian migration differed from that of the Jewish migration because Hindus had a homeland to go to while Jews worked to establish a homeland of their own through the United Nations. After World War II, there was great debate and upheaval as to how best deal with Jews left “displaced” after World War II. Many were held in camps resembling those of Nazi prison camps in order to protect them and others, many who were captured fleeing to Palestine were housed in Cyprus, and there were also some who fled to the United States. Jewish resistance leaders had to fight tooth and nail to establish a home for themselves through the United Nations by means of a member vote. This differs from what Indians living in Pakistan had to endure because their problem was not where to go but rather how to come to terms with leaving all their possessions, businesses, and personal finances to flee to India to escape death and violence. While Jews voluntarily wanted to go back to Palestine, many Indians living in Pakistan were financially successful and resented the fact that although they had a home to go back to, they would be leaving behind their lives work behind.

     Home is a place of comfort to many but above all it’s a place of security. In both the plight of the Jewish and Indian people, their sense of security was taken away from them and they had to flee to safer and more secure areas. While Jews had to fight to establish a homeland and voluntarily wanted to go to Palestine, many Indians were forced to go back to India. Although it may have been tough to come to terms of leaving one’s home and all possessions behind, ultimately both people both felt that going back to their place of origin would be more beneficial. 

The Sun Never Sets on the Google Empire

The Sun Never Sets on the Google Empire

To some extent, everyone has felt the effects of colonialism on his or her own life. Whether it is economically or otherwise, the pros and cons of colonialism have been seen all over the world. Being from India, I have been subject to not only colonialism of the British rule but I have now witnessed the colonization of India by foreign technology and manufacturing companies. Corporate colonialism has affected many developing countries and has produced many positive and negative effects. Although many would argue that colonialism in any form is detrimental to a country’s growth because foreign entities influence the government in power, I believe that colonialism and corporate colonialism in India has positively affected the country economically and socially.

                       

Many countries that colonized parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America did not realize the consequences that their actions had on their respective regions, and once they had left their colonies many of the people suffered the repercussions of their rule. The British first established a dominant presence in India during the 18^th century. The British worked with local municipalities in order to establish their control over different regions. After the British rule, British created the borders of what would be India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, with the Hindus living in India and the Muslims living in Pakistan and Bangladesh. While India was more tolerant of Muslims, all Hindus living in Pakistan were to leave all their possessions in Pakistan and move to India. The next decades would be marred by border violence and religious strife between these countries. There are still tensions between India and Pakistan in the disputed region of Kashmir. Going back to India every year, I have witnessed how colonialism has fragmented a country and how it has brought violence and ethnic tensions among its citizens. During one visit to India, I traveled to the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Although Ladakh is known for its beauty and diverse culture, it is also known for being close to the disputed border regions of India and Pakistan. It was not hard to notice the military presence in the small city of Ladakh. Machine gun turrets outside building, constant military envoys, and army barracks set up across the city. Being minutes away from the India-Pakistan border made me realize the devastating consequences colonialism can have on a nation. British colonialism enhanced tensions between Hindus and Muslims, which eventually lead to the creation of three different countries where there is still ongoing hostility and violence today.

Although the British have left India, a new type of colonialism has taken over India: Corporate colonialism. Instead of the British or Portuguese coming, Google, Microsoft, HP, Nike, and various manufacturing companies have put their flags into the ground in the form of factories, IT headquarters, and call centers. Although this influx of business has made India one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it worries me because going back every year it is not hard to notice the growing disparities between the haves and the have-nots. This conflicting scene makes me question my responsibility to my country in this never-ending cycle. Many companies, such as Nike, have established manufacturing headquarters in India. As a big fan of Nike products, I have never thought of how my purchases of their products might impact people back in India. I continually ask myself am I contributing to the possible exploitation of workers back in my home country. Although it is tough for me to ever know how my purchases in America or overseas might affect my countrymen, I cringe when I see a label on a piece of clothing labeled “Made in India”.

Although Colonialism and Corporate Colonialism has had detrimental effects on India, I also believe that they have greatly improved the state of affairs within India. One of the British Empire’s most lasting contributions to India is English language. When the British left India, they left behind an educated middle and upper class. Schools, businesses, and the government soon used English in their affairs. India is a very diverse country in which there are many different dialects and languages. Each state has its own language and I believe that English served as a good medium to unite the country linguistically. Corporate colonialism has positively affected India because it has helped to promote the country as an economic powerhouse, established a vibrant middle class, and has also improved infrastructure and health services, which benefit the whole population.

Colonialism in history has often been the catalyst for ethnic tensions, corruption, and violence in countries. After British rule, India was fragmented and relations between Hindus and Muslims were at its worst. The remnants of colonialism left behind greatly impacted and helped India become the economic power it is today. If the British did not leave their language or education systems behind, it is doubtful whether India would be as successful as it is today. Soon after the British left, foreign companies set up shop and established their presence in India. Although I worry about the plight of workers and whether I and others around the world contribute to their possible exploitation, I believe that the presence of foreign companies in India has allowed all classes to grow and will eventually lead to a stronger and more united India.