Pentecostal History Essay Example for Free

Pentecostal History Essay The largest and the most important religious movement to originate from the United States is the Pentecostal Movement. It is considered as the fourth force in Christendom alongside Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodox, and its exponential growth rate in terms of adherents is testimony to its appeal. The Charismatic Renewal Movement has some of its roots in historic Pentecostalism, and it is now deeply entrenched in most of the mainline Protestant denominations, in Catholicism, and in some Orthodox. In the 21st Century, the total adherents of Pentecostals and Charismatics probably exceed the combined numbers of Protestants and Orthodox. Pentecostal statistics show a total adherent base of 400 million in 1993,including the 200 million members designated as nominational Pentecostals and 200 million Charismatics in the main Protestant denominations and Catholicism. â€Å"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them†(Garnett 1987) The Acts of the Apostles, 2:1-3 (Cox 1995) Background History Adherents of Pentecostalism take their name from an incident recounted in Chapter two of the Acts of the Apostles. The story describes how the confused followers of a recently crucified Rabbi whom they all believed to be the messiah of the world, had gathered to mark the fiftieth day after Passover. Suddenly there was a heavenly sound like the rush of a mighty wind. The Holy Spirit filled them, tongues as of fire crowned their heads, and surprisingly they could understand each other’s language although the gathering comprised people from many different countries and different linguistic affinities. Apparently, the ancient curse of Babel had been reversed and that God was creating a new inclusive human community in which Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia could all live together. Origins of the Pentecostal Faith The first Pentecost appeared on the scene in 1901 in Topeka, Kansas in a Bible school conducted by Charles Fox Parham, a holiness teacher and former Methodist pastor. There exists considerable controversy about the origins and timings of Parham’s emphasis on glossolalia; there is general agreement amongst historians that the movement was initiated in the first days of 1901, in the beginning of the Twentieth Century. One of Parhams Bible School students Agnes Ozman , was the first person to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and she thereafter began speaking in different tongues on the very first day of the new century on January 1, 1901. According to J. Roswell Flower, the founding Secretary of the Assemblies of God, Ozmans experience was the touch felt round the world, an event which made the Pentecostal Movement of the Twentieth Century. Due to the Topeka Pentecost, Parham postulated the doctrine that tongues (glossolalia) was the biblical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and that it a was a supernatural ability endowed for the purpose of world evangelization. Glossolalia is an experiential phenomenon of an ecstatic, altered state of consciousness, in which orgiastic techniques are cultivated to achieve ecstasy in the belief that unusual psychological and physical states are synonymous with Spirit-possession. He added that since missionaries had the ability to speak in any language, they need not learn any new language for the purpose of evangelical preaching. Armed with this new theology, Parham founded a church movement which he called the Apostolic Faith and began a whirlwind revival tour of the American Middle West to promote his exciting new experience. â€Å"saw an angel coming down from heaven With the key to the abyss and a great Chain in his hand. He seized the dragon and chained him up for a thousand years So that he might not seduce the nations until the thousand years were over†. Revelation 20:1-3 â€Å"Fed by broken packing cases and discarded wrapping paper the fire quickly spread from the boarded-up Casino to the empty Music Hall. From there sparks flew through the arctic night to the roofs of the exposition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Cox 1995). Prophecy of the Pentecost Traditionally, Americans have always had a strong dose of millenium drilled in to them, covering the time the puritans landed in New England to the revival preachers who traveled the Midwest on horseback, they were continually being told that the last stages of history was unfolding and that America would play a major role in the grand finale. Going in to the 20th century, prophecies and speculations regarding a new Pentecost and a New Jerusalem were rife. And in the last days it shall be, God declares, That I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh† Acts of the Apostles 2:17-19 â€Å"The fire from heaven descended on April 9, 1906, on a small band of black domestic servants and custodial employees gathered for prayer in a wooden bungalow at 214 North Bonnie Brae Avenue in Los Angeles, California†¦. †(Cox 1995) Pastor at Azusa Street Seymour who had learned the tongues-attested baptism in a Bible school that Parham conducted in Houston, Texas in 1905 was invited to pastor a black holiness church in Los Angeles in 1906. Seymour opened the historic meeting in April, 1906 in a former African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church building at 312 Azusa Street in downtown Los Angeles. The happenings at Azusa have fascinated church historians for decades and have never been fully understood or explained (Wackman 1994). For three years thereafter, the Azusa Street Apostolic Faith Mission conducted three services a day, seven days a week, where thousands of seekers received the tongues baptism. Word of the revival was spread abroad through The Apostolic Faith, a paper that Seymour sent free of charge to some 50,000 subscribers. From Azusa Street Pentecostalism spread rapidly around the world and began its advance toward becoming a major force in Christendom. The Azusa Street movement seems to have been a merger of white American holiness religion with worship styles derived from the African-American Christian tradition which had developed since the days of chattel slavery in the South. The expressive worship and praise at Azusa Street, which included shouting and dancing, had been common among Appalachian whites as well as Southern blacks. The admixture of tongues and other charisms with black music and worship styles created a new and indigenous form of Pentecostalism that was to prove extremely attractive to disinherited and deprived people, both in America and other nations of the world(MacRoberts 1988). â€Å"Pentecost has come to Los Angeles, the American Jerusalem. Every sect, creed and doctrine under heaven as well as every nation is represented. †(Frank Bartleman,1906). The Inter racial Aspect The interracial mingling at the congregations was a stark contrast to the existing racial tensions and segregations of the times. The interracial aspects of the movement in Los Angeles were a striking exception to the racism and segregation of the times. The phenomenon of blacks and whites worshipping together under a black pastor seemed incredible to many observers. The event also cemented William Seymour’s place as not only the most influential black leader in American History, but also as a co-founder of world Pentecostalism(Deyoung et al 2003). â€Å"This is the work of God, and cannot be stopped. While our enemies scold, we pray and the fire burns† Household of God, Nov. 1907 Spread of Pentecostal The Azusa Street movement in 1906, led by the African-American preacher William Joseph Seymour provided the much needed impetus for the spread of the Pentecostal faith, which until then had not really captured popular imagination. The first wave of Azusa pilgrims journeyed throughout the United States spreading the Pentecostal fire, primarily in holiness churches, missions, and camp meetings. In America Gaston Barnabas Cashwell of North Carolina, who spoke in tongues in 1906 was one of the Azusa Pilgrims, whose six-month preaching tour of the South in 1907 resulted in major inroads among southern holiness folk. Under his ministry, Cashwell saw several holiness denominations swept into the new movement, including the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church, and the Pentecostal Free-Will Baptist Church. Also in 1906, Charles Harrison Mason ,upon his return to Memphis from Azusa Street, spread the Pentecostal fire in the Church of God in Christ. The Church he founded comprised African-Americans only one generation removed from slavery. (The parents of both Seymour and Mason had been born as southern slaves). Although tongues caused a split in the church in 1907, the Church of God in Christ experienced such explosive growth that by 1993, it was by far the largest Pentecostal denomination in North America, claiming some 5,500,000 members in 15,300 local churches. Another Azusa pilgrim was William H. Durham of Chicago. After receiving his tongues experience at Azusa Street in 1907, he returned to Chicago, where he led thousands of mid-western Americans and Canadians into the Pentecostal movement. In 1914, he established the Assemblies of God, which by 1993 had over 2,000,000 members in the U.  S. and some 25,000,000 adherents in 150 nations of the world. Conclusion The Pentecostal Movement has proved to be a major force in Christendom throughout the world with unprecedented exponential growth of adherents. By the Nineties, The Pentecostals and their charismatic brothers and sisters in the mainline Protestant and Catholic churches had turned their energy and resources to world evangelization. The future will reveal the ultimate results of this movement which has greatly impacted the world during the Twentieth Century.

The Modulation And Demodulation In Gsm Marketing Essay

The Modulation And Demodulation In Gsm Marketing Essay GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world . In GSM signaling and speech channels are digital and data communication is easy to build into the system GSM is a cellular network,and mobile phones connect to it by searching for cells in the immediate vicinity.There are five different cell sizes in a GSM network-macro, micro, pico, femto and umbrella cells. The coverage area of each cell varies according to the implementation environment. GSM networks operate in a number of different frequency ranges (separated into GSM frequency ranges for 2G and UMTS frequency bands for 3G). Most 2G GSM networks operate in the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz bands. Most 3G GSM networks in Europe operate in the 2100 MHz frequency band.900MHz GSM uses a combination of TDMA and FDMA. It uses eight time slots, hence one carrier can support eight full rate or sixteen half rate channels. Channel separation is 200kHz with mobile transmit channels in the range 890 to 915MHz and mobile receive channels in the range 935 to 960MHz. Peak output power of the transmitters depends on the class of the mobile station and can be 0.8, 2, 5, 8, or 20 watts. GSM is based on digital cellular networks which have some advantages as listed below Greater spectrum usage efficiency compared to analogue approaches. Improved service quality for users in the form of improved speech quality, improved security through inbuilt encryption (there is none at present), and higher connection reliability. Larger number of advanced user services and easier linkage to private and public ISDN networks. CHAPTER 2: GENERAL PROPERTIES OF GSM GSM uses multiple access technology like FDMA/TDMA and CDMA TDMA. With time division multiple access simultaneous conversations are supported by users transmitting in short bursts at different times or slots. FDMA. In frequency division multiple access, the total band is split into narrow frequency subbands and a channel is allocated exclusively to each user during the course of a call. One is used for transmission and one for reception. CDMA. Code division multiple access allows all users access to all frequencies with the allocated band. A single user is extracted from the mayhem by looking for each users individual code using a correlator. Although not selected for the current generation of mobile digital technologies, CDMA holds much promise as the future technology of choice for GSM replacement in the next century. †¢ GSM uses frequency division duplexing. †¢ Channel for uplink is from : 890 915 MHz †¢ Channel for downlink is from 935 960 MHz †¢ Distance b/w the frequencies used for uplink and downlink (duplex distance) is 45 MHz †¢ Frequency difference between adjacent allocations in a frequency plan(channel spacing) is 200khz. †¢ Total number of frequencies are equal to 124 †¢ Bit rate of each channel is 270.9 kbit/s †¢ Duration of data frame in GSM is 4.615 msec †¢ Number of time slots are 8 and each slot is of (4.615 / 8) 0.577 m sec Speech bit rate is 13 kbits /sec ARCHITECTURE OF GSM NETWORK The GSM network can be divided into four main parts: The Mobile Station (MS). The Base Station Subsystem (BSS). The Network and Switching Subsystem (NSS). The Operation and Support Subsystem (OSS). CHAPTER 3: BACKGROUND OF GSM The first GSM system specification was published in July 1991 and was immediately followed by several false starts. This was brought about by a combination over-optimism, difficulties in type approval testing, and inevitable changes to the GSM specification. The first terminals appeared on the market in June 1992. A combination of high demand for mobile services and a lack of capacity in the installed analogue network, has made Germany the most advanced country for GSM deployment. In the UK, Vodafone have said that they now cover 60-70% of the UK population with their GSM service and expect 90% coverage by mid 1993. GSM has also been accepted for use by over seventeen European countries and several others including New Zealand and Hong Kong ending a period of diverse and proprietary standards. Some of the problems which were faced by the Europians when implementing these brand new technology were In many countries there is no overt demand or need for GSM. Analogue services are available and under employed. GSM coverage needs to be as wide as analogue before users will swap over. The current generation of GSM hand portables are not as small or as light as analogue variants. This will limit the interest of many users, even though a better service may be provided by GSM technology. Terminal prices for digital technologies are high compared to analogue. It is likely that it will be very difficult to get users to pay higher call charges for an improved service so GSM cannot be positioned as a higher quality/higher price service. CHAPTER 4: IMPLEMENTATION Modulation scheme which is used in GSM is GMSK which is based on MSK.MSK uses linear phase changes and is spectral efficient. Block diagram of GMSK generator: Some of the properties of the GMSK are Improved spectral efficiency Power Spectral Density Reduced main lobe over MSK Requires more power to transmit data than many comparable modulation schemes Before the GMSK can be explained, some fundamentals of Minimum Shift Keying (MSK) must be known. MSK (MINIMUM SHIFT-KEYING) MSK uses changes in phase to represent 0s and 1s, but unlike most other keying schemes we have seen in class, the pulse sent to represent a 0 or a 1, not only depends on what information is being sent, but what was previously sent. Following is the pulse used in MSK Where if a 1 was sent if a 0 was sent To see how this works assume that the data being sent is 111010000, then the phase of the signal would fluctuate as seen below In order to see the signal constellation diagram consider the following equations which can be simplefied as where and Thus the equations for s1 and s2 depend only on andwith each taking one of two possible values. Therefore there are 4 different possibilities therefore the signal constellation diagram will be Advantages of MFSK MSK produces a power spectrum density that falls off much faster compared to the spectrum of QPSK. While QPSK falls off at the inverse square of the frequency, MSK falls off at the inverse fourth power of the frequency. Thus MSK can operate in a smaller bandwidth compared to QPSK GMSK(GAUSSIAN-MINIMUM SHIFT-KEYING) Even though MSKs power spectrum density falls quite fast, it does not fall fast enough so that interference between adjacent signals in the frequency band can be avoided. To take care of the problem, the original binary signal is passed through a Gaussian shaped filter before it is modulated with MSK. The principle parameter in designing an appropriate Gaussian filter is the time-bandwidth product WTb.Following figure shows the frequency response of different Gaussian filters.MSK has a time-bandwidth product of infinity As can be seen that GMSKs power spectrum drops much quicker than MSKs. Furthermore, as WTb is decreased, the roll-off is much quicker In the GSM standard a time-bandwidth product of 0.3 was chosen as a compromise between spectral efficiency and intersymbol interference. With this value of WTb, 99% of the power spectrum is within a bandwidth of 250 kHz, and since GSM spectrum is divided into 200 kHz channels for multiple access, there is very little interference between the channels The speed at which GSM can transmit at, with WTb=0.3, is 271 kb/s. It cannot go faster, since that would cause intersymbol interference CHAPTER 5: FUTURE OF GSM The strong demand for GSM is continuing. Today, GSM is used by 2.3 billion people worldwide and the strong growth is expected to be maintained. Most of the expansion occurs in high-growth markets, where the cost of mobile calls and terminals is crucial. With the success of GSM and to meet the demanding requirements of the subscribers, GPRS, HSCSD and EDGE has been introduced which offer high data rates for the transmission. 3rd Generation (3G) systems will soon be introduced in Pakistan offering new and interesting services to the users and will bring internet to new levels In future strong focus of GSM operators will be on maintaining high quality of service, increasing usage and exploring new revenue streams on value added services, market visibility through various market initiatives to fulfill subscribers satisfaction and demand and above all to increase the value of investment for the shareholders. MATLAB CODE (IMPLEMENTATION OF GMSK) clear all; close all; DRate = 1; % data rate or 1 bit in one second M = 18; % no. of sample per bit N = 36; % no. of bits for simulation [-18:18] BT = 0.5; % Bandwidth*Period (cannot change ) T = 1/DRate; % data period , i.e 1 bit in one second Ts = T/M; k=[-18:18]; % Chens values. More than needed; % only introduces a little more delay alpha = sqrt(log(2))/(2*pi*BT); % alpha calculated for the gaussian filter response h = exp(-(k*Ts).^2/(2*alpha^2*T^2))/(sqrt(2*pi)*alpha*T); % Gaussian Filter Response in time domain figure; plot(h) title(Response of Gaussian Filter); xlabel( Sample at Ts); ylabel( Normalized Magnitude); grid; bits = [zeros(1,36) 1 zeros(1,36) 1 zeros(1,36) -1 zeros(1,36) -1 zeros(1,36) 1 zeros(1,36) 1 zeros(1,36) 1 zeros(1,36)]; % Modulation m = filter(h,1,bits);% bits are passed through the all pole filter described by h, i.e bits are % shaped by gaussian filter t0=.35; % signal duration ts=0.00135; % sampling interval fc=200; % carrier frequency kf=100; % Modulation index fs=1/ts; % sampling frequency t=[0:ts:t0]; % time vector df=0.25; % required frequency resolution int_m(1)=0; for i=1:length(t)-1 % Integral of m int_m(i+1)=int_m(i)+m(i)*ts; end tx_signal=cos(2*pi*fc*t+2*pi*kf*int_m); % it is frequency modulation not the phase modulating with the integral of the signal x = cos(2*pi*fc*t); y = sin(2*pi*fc*t); figure; subplot(3,1,1) stem(bits(1:200)) title(Gaussian Filtered Pulse Train); grid; subplot(3,1,2) plot(m(1:230)) title(Gaussian Shaped train); xlim([0 225]); subplot(3,1,3) plot(tx_signal) title(Modulated signal); xlim([0 225]); % Channel Equalization %load C:CASEDigital_Communicationprojectgmskalichannel.mat load channel.mat h = channel; N1 = 700; x1 = randn(N1,1); d = filter(h,1,x1); Ord = 256; Lambda = 0.98; delta = 0.001; P = delta*eye(Ord); w = zeros(Ord,1); for n = Ord:N1 u = x1(n:-1:n-Ord+1); pi = P*u; k = Lambda + u*pi; K = pi/k; e(n) = d(n) w*u; w = w + K *e(n); PPrime = K*pi; P = (P-PPrime)/Lambda; w_err(n) = norm(h-w); end figure; subplot(3,1,1); plot(w); title(Channel Response); subplot(3,1,2); plot(h,r); title(Adaptive Channel Response); rcvd_signal = conv(h,tx_signal); subplot(3,1,3); plot(rcvd_signal); title(Received Signal); eq_signal = conv(1/w,rcvd_signal); figure; subplot(3,1,1); plot(eq_signal); title(Equalizer Output); subplot(3,1,2); plot(eq_signal); title(Equalizer Output); axis([208 500 -2 2]); subplot(3,1,3); plot(tx_signal,r); title(Modulated Signal); % Demodulation eq_signal1 = eq_signal(200:460-1); In = x.*eq_signal1; Qn = y.*eq_signal1; noiseI = awgn(In,20); noiseQ = awgn(Qn,20); I = In + noiseI; Q = Qn + noiseQ; LP = fir1(32,0.18); yI = filter(LP,1,I); yQ = filter(LP,1,Q); figure; subplot(2,1,1); plot(yI); title(Inphase Component); xlim([0 256]); subplot(2,1,2); plot(yQ); title(Quadrature Component); xlim([0 256]); Z = yI + yQ*j; demod(1:N) = imag(Z(1:N)); demod(N+1:length(Z)) = imag(Z(N+1:length(Z)).*conj(Z(1:length(Z)-N))); xt = -10*demod(1:N/2:length(demod)) xd = xt(4:2:length(xt)) figure; stem(xd) title(Demodulated Signal); OUTPUTS TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2: GENERAL PROPERTIES OF GSM CHAPTER 3: BACKGROUND OF GSM CHAPTER 4: IMPLEMENTATION MSK GMSK CHAPTER 5: FUTURE OF GSM CHAPTER 6: MATLAB IMPLEMENTATION

The Solution is More Discipline, Not Vouchers or School Choice Essay

The Solution is Discipline, Not School Choice Charlie is a problem child by any definition of the word.   He hasn't done anything horrific, like shooting another student or attacking a teacher. It's the annoying games he plays that drive everyone crazy. His favorite game is throwing scissors at the chalkboard when the teacher's back is turned.   He likes the screeching noise he can make if he throws the scissors at just the right angle.   And when he gets caught, he loves cursing at the teacher.   His biggest thrill is telling her to "mind her own f---ing business" while his classmates giggle or snicker. Charlie's teacher, Mrs. Anderson, spends her class time frustrated and powerless to stop Charlie's constant disruptive behavior.   At first, she looks him in the eye and asks him to stop.   Finally, she points her index finger toward the door and says, "Get out!" Charlie's classmates breathe a sigh of relief.   Mrs. Anderson does not.   She knows that tomorrow Charlie's father and mother will storm the principal's office demanding that she be fired or reprimanded.   Mom and Dad think that Charlie's personal rights have been violated; that he has a right to learn and not be disciplined by anyone, except by his own parents.   Due to this precedent, Charlie grows up with little educational discipline or accountability.  Ã‚   As Charlie's parents watch him grow into adulthood, they are forced to admit that their son is actually poorly educated, disrespectful and far from perfect. This story is all too familiar in America's public schools today.   Children in need of discipline have suddenly become the victims and their teachers, the oppressors.   As a result, America's school children are sorely under-educated and undiscipline... ...wer than 25 in a year. Implementing this change throughout America, especially suburbia, will not be easy.   This is where every American must recognize that in order to educate all our public school children we must deny a part of our own "self interest".  Ã‚   In order to make the change, America's parents and politicians must recognize that this "greater cause" can be public education.  Ã‚   Charlie's parents, along with many other parents, need to be encouraged to recognize that sometimes a little tough love is in their child's best interest. The next time Charlie's parents seek to confront school officials on behalf of their disruptive child, they need to be met with the empowerment of authority.   More importantly, Mrs. Anderson should be able to provide a healthy learning environment for all the children, if possible with Charlie, but if necessary, without him.

The Myth Behind La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre :: Cuban Culture

The Myth Behind La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre To many Cuban-Americans living in Miami, La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, is one of the only ties remaining that unifies them with their homeland. The Virgin is a renowned and integral part of Cuban culture and plays an important role in the Catholic heritage of Cubans exiled inside and outside of North America. The church, La Ermita de la Caridad del Cobre, is a memorial that was constructed in honor of her and is a monument to the religious and political history of the island. Since there are many different versions circulating about the sighting of the Virgin, one must discuss the most popular and the most commonly accepted. The myth behind the La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, originated in 1606. The Virgin appeared one day in the Bay of Nipe near Santiago to two brothers, Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, and to Juan Moreno,a black boy roughly ten years of age. They were out on a fishing trip in the Bay. While struggling in their storm tossed boat, they heard a voice declare, "I am the Virgin of Charity." In one hand, the Virgin carried a mulatto baby Jesus; in the other, she held a cross. She also appeared to be holding a tablet which contained the inscription, "I am the Virgin of Charity." A replica of the same tablet is now framed and displayed on the first floor of La Ermita in Santiago de Cuba. In Cuba, there is also a statue of the Virgin, approximately one meter tall, located in a small chapel on the second floor. The statue is of a pretty mulatta who wears dangling earrings and a golden robe. La Virgen's racial attributes is a mixture of black, white and Indian; essentially, it covers the entire racial makeup of Cuba. She has dark hair and carries the baby Jesus in one hand and a cross in the other. People flock to her memorial to pray to her and give her thanks. They often leave small tokens of their appreciation and gratitude. To the exile community, she represents a Catholic Cuba untouched by the religious beliefs of the communist regime of he last four decades.

My Native Language Essays -- Russian Personal Narrative Communication

My Native Language Is your native language something you take for granted? Well, for me it has been a struggle — a struggle with history, politics, society, and myself. Yet something guided me through it. I don't know what you heard about my native land — Belarus. For most of the world it is a new country, as four centuries of severe Russian assimilation devastated Belarusian culture. But some of it managed to survive, mostly in the villages. This shaped my biography. Although I was born in a city in the western part of then Byelorussian SSR1, the first six years of my life I spent in a village with my grandparents. I remember the manmade old woody gate to the orchard. I remember noises of storks on the roofs of the houses and frogs croaking in the evening. I remember the sounds of whistling "ts," "dz," tough "ch," "r," "dzh" people made while talking. "Volya..." I would hear from my great-grandparents, and I would feel proud as this word also meant "freedom." All of those sounds seemed to come from nature, creating feeling of harmony and peace. At the age of six, like thousands of other children in the 16 Republics of the Soviet Union, I entered a school in my native town, Brest. It was at school I noticed I spoke a different dialect than the other children. They said I had bad grammar and pronounced words in strange, "village" ways, ways they used to correct. I felt ashamed because of my lack of education. In those soviet 80s, for the city people "village" was almost a derogatory word. Little by little, I learned to speak correctly. But during vacations I went back to the village, and the world there worked in other sounds — in another language. I would no longer accept that language as it stood for som... ...an culture, I can afford it, because I am out of the country for most of the year. My parents use Belarusian in the city themselves when I am in Belarus. As for strangers, I chose to surprise them, sometimes meeting resistance or anger, sometimes recieveing thanks and cheers. It is a battle every time I leave my apartment in Brest. It is hard to get used to. But sometimes that what it takes to be who you are. When I visit my grandmother, she laughs: "Remember, when you were a kid you used to correct me when I said "stork" in Belarusian to "stork" in Russian, saying that now you knew how to say it correctly. Old people also know something about life." ENDNOTES: I use a different spelling of Belarus and Belarusian when I refer to the Soviet era, as before 1991 the country's name was translated to English from Russian as "Byelorussia" or "Byelorussian SSR."

Dust Bowl of the 1930s

The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s had such an antagonistic effect on the United States economy that was already plummeting. The Dust Bowl affected the U. S economy in just about every way possible ranging from agriculture to finances including government expenses to population changes. This phenomena can be considered as one of the worst natural disasters that has affected the United States. The â€Å"Dust Bowl† was the name given to the Great Plains region that was greatly affected by drought in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. The major contribution that led to the Dust Bowl was overproduction of crops however there were some natural causes. Much of the soil there had been damaged by wind and rain. The soil in this area was subjected to water and wind damage because the protective cover of vegetation was impaired through poor farming and the grazing of too many animals† (World Book Encyclopedia). The overproduction was due in part to the fact that the co untry was in the midst of World War I. â€Å"During World War I international demand for food crops like wheat and corn soared. Because of this farmers planted more crops and took out loans to buy land and equipment. But after the war demand for farm products declined and crop prices fell by fifty percent† (Danzer 651-652). In and effort to make up for the falling prices, farmers tried to plant even more crops, but this only caused lower prices. As a result of these poor land management practices and lack of precipitation the land became arid. There was little grass and few trees to hold the soil down. When the wind storms hit, dust was blown all over, making it virtually impossible for farming. When farming in the Great Plains was no longer a way of making a living many of the inhabitants left the land behind and moved west to California in search of work. â€Å"Plagued by dust storms and evictions, thousands of farmers and sharecroppers left their land behind. They packed up their families and their few belongings and headed west, following route 66 to California† (Danzer 652). The term Okies was coined to describe the migrants from Oklahoma but was later used to describe all migrants. â€Å"By the end of the 1930’s, the population of California had grown by more than one million† (Danzer 652). Those who remained in the drought regions were forced to endure severe dust storms and their health effects, diminished incomes, animal infestations, and the physical and emotional stress over their uncertain futures was unbearable (National Drought Mitigation Center, online). As the Great Depression wore on, the government took steps to intervene and try to save the nation. Led by the effort within the U. S. Department of Agriculture, newly created agencies like the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), the Resettlement Administration (RA), and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) were the loudest to publicize and deplore the Dust Bowl wracking America's heartland (Cunfer, online). Also led by the President Herbert Hoover and the United States Congress, the Federal Home Loan Bank Act was passed in 1933. This act lowered mortgage rates for homeowners and allowed farmers to refinance their farm loans and avoid foreclosure. Newly elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt succeeded Hoover in 1932 during the ongoing Depression. FDR proposed many acts to try and resolve the national issues in his program titled the â€Å"New Deal† . One of his most recognized acts that directly assisted farmers was known as the Agricultural Adjustment Act. â€Å"This act sought to raise crop prices by lowering production, which the government achieved by paying farmers to not grow† (Danzer 667). A second program that was passed was the Civilian Conservation Corps. This program put young men to work to perform public jobs including planting trees and helping soil erosion. The United States government spent unprecedented amounts of money to recover from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. â€Å"The magnitude of the droughts of the 1930s, combined with the Great Depression, led to unprecedented government relief efforts. Congressional actions in 1934 alone accounted for relief expenditures of $525 million, the total cost would be impossible to determine† (National Drought Mitigation Center, online). Despite all the negative effects of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression there were a few positives. For one thing all the government sponsored programs provided jobs and a source of income for those who were unemployed. Also the Roosevelt era marked the beginning of large-scale aid. This also ushered in some of the first long-term, proactive programs to reduce future vulnerability to drought (National Drought Mitigation Center, online). The Dust Bowl was one of the worst natural disasters that has affected the United States. This disaster along with the Great Depression had negative influences on agriculture, state populations, and finances including individual families and the government. However, in the face of all this commotion a few positive results occurred. People found jobs and a source of income and the government was able to bring the nation out of turmoil. Work Cited Danzer, Gerald A, et al. â€Å"The Depression. † The Americans. Boston: McDougal Littell, 2000. 642-676. Print. â€Å"Dust Bowl. † The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. N. p. : Field Enterprises, 1958. Print. 18 vols. Drought in the Dust Bowl Years. National Drought Mitigation Center, 2006. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. . Cunfer, Geoff. EH. Net Encyclopedia: The Dust Bowl. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. .

Ronald Takaki, a History of Multicultural America

Throughout history many ethnic cliques have experienced abuse and distrust from our American society. The people in America seem to be less understanding, and less willing to accept cultures different from their own, at least years ago. Groups such as the Indians, the African Americans, and the Immigrants, fall deeply into this category. The situations and struggles they have gone through are greatly explained in Ronald Takaki’s novel, â€Å"A Different Mirror, A History of a Multicultural America. Although they have experienced a lot, particular financial and social configuration have changed, helping change our perspective of each civilization, for better or even worse. When the New England people set off to America to, â€Å"cultivate the Lord’s garden,† [pg. 26] and farm arable land, they knew the Indian people had already inhabited the area, but did not fear them. When first viewed the Indian people were believed to be savages, living as uncivilized as the Irish.To the New England people, the Indians were in deficit of all it took to be urbane, lacking attire, writing, Christianity, and urban areas, and indulging in passion and lust beyond the New England belief. Even when the Indian population tried to help the New Englanders, by bringing, â€Å"food and rescuing the starving strangers,† [pg. 35] the New England appreciation only lasted so long. The two groups soon became hostile as the New England people tried to exploit the Indian’s food supply, and fighting broke out almost immediately.With the constant fighting the governor of Virginia, Thomas Gates, decided to have the Indian people be forced to labor for the New England people. This decision was not taken lightly, but yet powerfully and unsympathetically. Even the children were treated cruelly; they would bring them to the river where they would, â€Å"put the Children to death †¦ by throwing them overboard and shooting out their brains. †[pg. 39] Even tually a peace treaty was negotiated by Captain William Tucker, but the wine served to the Indian people was poisonous, killing around 200 instantly.This was just the beginning of what was to come to the Indian people. The leader of the Cherokee tribe personally wrote a letter to President Jackson acknowledging the fact that his people will abide by the federal law, even though they had settled on this land first and established their own set of rules. This letter was ignored by Jackson, and instead the opposite occurred. Jackson wrote a letter to Commissioner J. F. Schermerhorn, in negotiation of the removal of the Indian people.When the Indian people denied this treaty they were forcibly removed from their homes, and embarked on a journey to a new land for them to settle. â€Å"The Cherokees were nearly all prisoners,† [pg. 46] stated by Reverend Evan Jones, they had no choice but to leave their homes or be killed for not. The journey in which they set upon was a long and v ery different weather than what the Indians were used to. Many Indians became ill from the trip, as well as many died. The idea behind this was to keep America â€Å"white† and free of people who were not what the New England people believed to be civilized, out of their new found land.The Indian culture was one of which the New England people were not familiar, and their need to expand their land, in search of new areas to populate and produce food, made them willing to do anything to obtain the area. The American people had this idea of a manifest destiny, in which the ideas of expansionism were expressed. This idea was a major goal at the time, and whatever needed to be done to achieved it would be. The government was the key role in the Indian removal, and maltreatment, but did this for their own personal gain.At the time it was more important for America to achieve what they wanted to achieve than to worry about who they were hurting in the process. This falls true with other ethnicities also. The Indian people were not the only ones treated unfairly for the personal gain of Americans. The African American people also experienced this pain. The typical white male in America was always protected by the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments of the constitution. These rights included, freedom of speech, religion, petition, and press, along with right to bear arms and the right of privacy.Along with these rights was a mishap, these rights only applied to the typical white male. This allowed the white American people to enslave the African American members of its society. People often made comments about the color of an African American’s skin as, â€Å"this blackness proceedeth rather of some natural infection of man,† [pg. 49] or they were, â€Å"deeply stained with dirt,† †foul, dark, or deadly. † [pg. 50] People were often afraid of the differences in the skin color that it turned to hatred. The color white to the m represented, â€Å"purity, innocence, goodness. [pg. 50] The white Americans feared that they might lose control over themselves such as the Africans already had. This fear led to hatred, and rejection of anyone this color. As this hatred grew, colonizers started capturing African people from their homelands, and bringing them to the United States to sell as property. Most were sold first as indentured servants, people who are stuck by a contract to serve their leader for seven years in order to pay them back for the expense of them to come to America.This gathering planned on completing their time as workers, and then eventually being able to own a house of their own, since the idea of coming to America offered the possibility of hope and starting over. When the rebellion of Nathaniel Bacon occurred everyt hing was about to change. Bacon was a white indentured servant who was frustrated in the ways of society. He decided to rebel creating the † giddy multitude, † [pg . 78] a group of white and black indentured servants who had enough, due to not being able to succeed in the fantasy life people created in America.This group greatly threatened the social order of Virginia. When the group had been defeated it became obvious to Captain Thomas Grantham that they needed to reduce their dependency on white laborers and focus more on Africans of which they could capture, and exploit. This also worked out in the best interest of the people of Virginia because they could deny the Africans right to bear arms due to their race. Africa became their primary source of labor. In 1674 slaves represented only 20% of households and by 1694 slaves represented about 48% of households, nearly half the population.The American people did not see the African American people as people; rather beings that they could make plow their land, or farm their crops. It was always about them. As it was with the Indians, the American people used the African American people for thei r own personal gain. They also still believed in their theory of keeping America â€Å"white† and having people different from them served as a threat they decided to squash before any damage could be done. The Immigrants that came to America experienced much similar situations with American abuse.Although one of the main differences of these situations was that the Immigrants were still â€Å"white and therefore still had more opportunity than the Indians, and the African Americans. Still there were stereotypes of the people that came, such as the Irish were seen as savages, and as Frederick Douglas said, â€Å"our degradation. † [pg. 131] They suffered from potato famines at home, and had no choice but to move toward a land that had a promise of prosperity. Even when the Irish became laborers for the canals and railroad being built, they were still seen as much lower class.They helped build Connecticut’s Enfield Canal, Rhode Island’s Blackstone Canal, and New York’s Erie Canal, which according to Reverend Michael Buckley is, â€Å" proof of Irish talent,† [pg. 138] since the Erie Canal is seen as a very impressive piece of architecture, but back then they did not receive the credit they should have. They built thousands of rail lines, including the Western and Atlantic railroad, and the Union Pacific segment of the transcontinental railroad, in which they lived in miserable conditions and worked ridiculous amounts of hours.They could â€Å"still feel the vibrations of the sledgehammers at night. † [pg. 138] The Irish were also forced to fight for America, when America decided to take over parts of Mexico. They were treated just as badly as slaves were treated. This was only one group of immigrants, others were treated just as bad if not worse. The Chinese, Jew’s, Russians, all immigrants who came to America experienced some kind of oppression, each in their own way.The Irish people were seen to America ns as workers also, people whom they could exploit, because living in America was better than living in their homeland. It was all about money. They were â€Å"disposable† [pg. 138] to the American people. The history of ethnicity coming to America is a complex situation. Years ago people were not accepting to new cultures coming to their land, but when the price of labor was seen as much lower it became a possibility. The American people exploited the Indians, the African Americans, and the Immigrants because they knew they can.They had this idea that the land was â€Å"theirs,† when the Indian people were settled here first, but they knew they had the man power and gun power to take over such a land, and anyone who didn’t approve of it, wouldn’t be a part of it. Americans tortured and ridiculed the people that came here because they were different than them, and they were seen as a threat because the Americans didn’t know what they were capable o f. They figured they had to put them in line, before the Indians, Africans, or Immigrants, did that to them. It was all because of fear of what was different, what was unknown.The American people liked having power, and liked being able to control what was going on and they took advantage of that to the point where it hurt many cultures and newcomers, but not enough to make them stop coming. What they did here in America was no worse than what was happening in their homelands. Times eventually changed, and people eventually realized their mistakes. Although things are not one hundred percent better, the Indians, Africans, and Immigrants have made great strides to overcome the oppression and due to this have made them the people they are today.