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EDITED BY Gabriella Weick editor@bupipedream.com
Kara Jillian Brown arts@bupipedream.com
Noah Bressner manager@bupipedream.com
Adrian Day
vpma@binghamtonsa.org
DESIGNED BY Cory Bremer
design@bupipedream.com
PHOTOS EDITED BY Kevin Paredes photo@bupipedream.com
PRISM
November 27, 2017
Welcome to PRISM Gabriella Weick & Joshua Gonzalez Thanks for picking up this year’s first issue of PRISM. PRISM began in 2013 through Isis McIntosh, the Vice President for Multicultural Affairs, but unfortunately, it was only published for three issues. However, this semester, when Pipe Dream and the VPMA’s office were brainstorming ideas to bring an inclusive, multicultural magazine back to campus to share different and distinctive viewpoints through journalism, bringing back PRISM was the obvious solution. At PRISM, you can pitch article ideas about events and ideas on campus and in your community, and share your unique perspective. We hope that you find a voice in PRISM, and feel comfortable sharing your stories with us; whether there’s an opinion on a national current event you might have, coverage of your student group’s event or a story of an experience you might have had on or off-campus, there’s space for that and more in PRISM. The goal of PRISM is to lift up the stories that multicultural Binghamton University students and faculty find important to their communities. It’s a publication for us, by us, and its purpose is to showcase the unique lives that students of different backgrounds experience on our campus. Through PRISM, we want students to learn about each other’s life experiences, so that we could further bridge gaps that exist between communities. We hope you enjoy this first issue and encourage you to contribute to the next, and remember that our voices matter.
Luz Velazquez
lvelazq2@binghamton.edu
COPY EDITED BY Shauna Bahssin copy@bupipedream.com Sarah Molano
smolano1@binghamton.edu
COVER PHOTO BY Kevin Paredes The Black Student Union’s fashion show took place Oct. 6 in the Mandela Room.
PRISM is published monthly during the fall and spring semesters, except during finals weeks and academic breaks. The content of PRISM represents the opinions of its authors, and not necessarily the views of Pipe Dream.
Darla Puerto (Top Left) Looking down from the Glenn G. Bartle Library Tower. (Bottom left and Right) Artwork on Washington St. in Downtown Binghamton.
PRISM
November 27, 2017
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Voices of Binghamton Somya Pandey Nicole Sirju-Johnson is the associate chief diversity officer and director of the Multicultural Resource Center at Binghamton University. The Brooklyn native has served as the director since 2008 and was named associate chief diversity officer in 2014. PRISM: What event or events have shaped you to be who you are today? Sirju-Johnson: I think there are a wide variety of events that have helped shape me to be who I am today. Coming from immigrant parents is big, just having a different or probably more global perspective on things is substantial. Also, my educational experience has helped in shaping me. My experiences in coming to college and just looking at the world from different lenses and being an adult altered the way I perceived them. This led me on my track professionally and shaped my interests, especially with who I wanted to help and what I wanted to do. I would say that working with historically underrepresented students or students from immigrant backgrounds and offering them assistance through the college experience was life changing.
PRISM: What are your goals as a [staff] member at Binghamton? Sirju-Johnson: Currently I wear two hats as associate chief diversity officer and director of the Multicultural Resource Center. I hope to help make the campus a more culturally diverse place with an inclusive environment. Having an inclusive environment is extremely important to me. It is important that every person feel valued, feel that this is their community, feel like this is their home. I hope they value their experiences, interactions and growth in this space. Whether it be student, faculty member or staff. I want it to feel like a great place, to learn, to grow, to do research. PRISM: Any advice for students? Sirju-Johnson: I encourage current students be as innovative as possible, think differently as it relates to strategies to reach their end goals. Also build relationships that they may not understand the immediate need of but will as time passes. And to place more of an emphasis on building relationships in youth. These relationships carry us and can carry us throughout life and even for impacting our lives.
“Voices of Binghamton� is a column crePRISM: Why did you choose Bingham- ated to provide a platform to branches ton University? of the campus that may have previously gone unheard or underrepresented. It Sirju-Johnson: That’s easy! I chose is a space that illuminates the stories Binghamton because I had a great in- of our current leaders and those who terest in political science and sociolo- intend to be our future leaders. If you gy. I was drawn to Binghamton and the know anyone who should be featured in reputation the University holds among subsequent installments, please email all state universities. spandey2@binghamton.edu.
Somya Pandey Nicole Sirju-Johnson, director of the MRC.
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PRISM
November 27, 2017
Perspectives Intersectional Zionism Why “Progressive Zionist“ is not a contradiction Nadiya Al-Noor For many of today’s mainstream progressives, opposing the Jewish state is part of a complete breakfast. In order to be progressive, we must stand against the racist Zionist agenda — at least, that’s what we have been taught. But, if you take the time to look deeper, you might be surprised to find that progressivism and Zionism are closely intertwined. I know I was. What is Zionism? At its core, Zionism is the Jewish liberation movement. It is the movement for self-determination of the Hebrews in their indigenous homeland. Self-determination, essentially, is the right of a people to sovereign statehood and self-governance. Modern Zion-
ism was developed in the 19th century, though Jewishness has always been intricately linked to Jerusalem and the surrounding land, and a Jewish community, though small, remained in the land. The Jewish state is an example for all indigenous peoples, like the Kurds: a hope of what could be. Zionism is not a monolith. It doesn’t mean you have to support a particular political party. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything the Israeli government does. It doesn’t mean you have to hate Muslims or convert to Judaism. It doesn’t mean you cannot support a twostate solution, or the Palestinian right to self-determination. It just means that you support an indigenous people’s right to self-
determination in their historical homeland. And that is an inherently progressive belief. Progressivism has a rich history of Zionism. Many civil rights and gay rights activists of the past have been Zionists. A few you may recognize are Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and black, gay advocate Bayard Rustin. None of them were Jewish, but they recognized the importance of standing with other people in support of their liberation. The NAACP and the Zionist Organization of America used to have representatives sit on each other’s boards. And contrary to recent claims, feminism and Zionism are not mutually exclusive; feminist giants like Betty Friedan, author of “The Feminine Mystique,” Alisa Chessler Pictured (left to right): Chloé Simone Valdary and Nadiya AlNoor, featured speakers at the “Declare Your Freedom” Indigenous Rights Festival, UMass Amherst, September 25, 2016.
and Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who won Roe v. Wade, were ardent Zionists. At the heart of progressivism is the concept of intersectionality, that our many identities intersect and affect our treatment by society. Increasingly, the progressive movement can exclude Jews from that conversation in the name of anti-Zionism. For example, my friend Laurie was kicked out of the Chicago Dyke March this summer for carrying a rainbow flag bearing the Star of David. According to what she was told, the flag was considered “a symbol of oppression.” Zionist feminists were deliberately obstructed when they tried to march in SlutWalk this year. It seems that Jews are only welcome in progressive circles if
they disavow their homeland. In the words of Friedan, “All human rights are indivisible,” and therefore, applying a double standard “solely to the self-determination of the Jewish people” is wrong. Zionism is not a dirty word. Supporting the liberation of one group does not mean supporting the oppression of others. Progressivism is not a zero-sum game. It is about raising up all peoples and creating a world that respects diversity and human rights. Zionism is and always has been essential to that goal. — Nadiya Al-Noor is a CAMERA on-campus fellow and a secondyear graduate student pursuing a master’s of student affairs administration and masters of public administration.
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PRISM
November 27, 2017
How could Moving past the hip-hop help? culture of “man up” Discussing the genre’s socio-political impact
Exploring mental health within the black and Latinx community
Tykeem Banini
Daquan Taylor
topics such as living conditions in their community, drug addiction, relationships with the police and being incarcerated, hiphop has given the United States a glimpse into what it means to be black. These glimpses hip-hop provides into black life, combined with hip-hop’s mainstream success, will not completely mend race relations in the United States. But what hip-hop will do is make people of non-marginalized groups think about the issues that impact the black community, and how they can help. Before hip-hop’s mainstream success, many people would give the genre the wrong type of attention, making it responsible for things such as violence and hypermasculinity. But with this newfound attention for hip-hop, more and more perspectives will be displayed through the genre. Like all music, hip-hop has its bad sides, but the foundation that the genre was built on is that of the black experience and how hard it really is to be black. Hip-hop’s presence will not be leaving anytime soon. As more and more issues come to light through it, it will continue to make people ask themselves, “What am I really doing to help those who are struggling?”
There is no question that race relations in America have improved since the times of slavery and the Jim Crow era; however, our country is far from a place of complete comradery. Events such as the white nationalist protest in Charlottesville, the shootings of black men such as Philando Castille by police officers or even derogatory imagery drawn in residential halls here at Binghamton University are all examples of the existing problems in race relations across the country and on our campus. How can we ever get closer to fixing this issue? Through hip-hop. Earlier this year, according to Forbes, hip-hop/rhythm and blues has become the No. 1 genre in the country, responsible for 25.1 percent of all music consumption in the United States. This means that hip-hop is officially the music that most people in the country are listening to. From the high-energy beats and the catchy lyrics that hip-hop provides, it’s understandable why hip-hop is in the position it is in now. But these things are not the only reason for hip-hop’s rise to prominence. Since its creation, hip-hop has provided sociopolitical commentary on the United States, and has been an outlet in describing the struggle of the — Tykeem Banini is an undeblack experience. Talking about clared freshman.
A common underrepresented topic within the African American and Latinx communities is mental health. Stigmas such as being weak when showing emotions are present within our community, and they prevent us from having open conversations about mental health. These stigmas were explored and discussed at an event called “Real Men Cry” on Wednesday, Oct. 25 in the University Union, sponsored by MALIK fraternity and the Men of Color Scholastic Society. There was a panel composed of Josué Quiñones, an Educational Opportunity Program academic counselor; Joshua Gonzalez, Student Association vice president for multicultural affairs and a senior majoring in geography; Khaleel James, president of Old Digman Hall of Dickinson Community and an undeclared freshman; Natalie Munoz, a sophomore majoring in political science; and John Jones, a counselor in the University Counseling Center (UCC). Along with the host, Ray Sukhu, vice president of MALIK and a senior majoring in biology, they created a conversation about the social norms of masculinity that impact our mental health. A popular topic discussed was how our friends and family play key roles in our mental health. “Sometimes there are things that you can’t talk about to your family
due to the culture of the household,” Munoz said. Within minority households, there’s usually not an open space for discussing your problems, and parents usually don’t sit down and try understand their children’s problems. People try to turn to their friends for guidance, but are often met with the same reaction, including sentiments like, “Bro, get over it,” or “Man up!” But these are not the things a person wants to hear. They need an outlet to let out their emotional overload. This goes for black and Latino men as well. We cry, too, and that’s okay. Crying or going to counseling doesn’t emasculate you.
We already face forces that try to tear us down, so why are we tearing each other down?
tear us down, so why are we tearing each other down? We need to start listening and reaching out to the people around us. The major takeaway point from “Real Men Cry” was that we need to continue conversations about mental health. We need to take time for ourselves and find stressreducing activities that we enjoy, such as exercising, playing sports, watching Netflix or making art. Also, don’t hesitate to go to the UCC on campus in Old O’Connor Hall of Dickinson Community; panelist Jones is a counselor of color, and according to the UCC website, his professional interests include multicultural counseling, counseling needs of African American students, racial identity development and men’s issues. Within group spaces, minority organizations on campus need to talk about mental health and have open conversations about how everyone in the room is doing; organizations like Men of Color Scholastic Society, MALIK fraternity, Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate (PULSE) and Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (JUMP Nation) have demonstrated this on campus, and we need more to follow their path. By creating these spaces and increasing awareness within our community, we can move toward a healthy mindset for everyone.
Beyond gender, being black or Latinx or from the hood doesn’t mean you have to be “hard” all the time. Our community battles with life’s conflicts every day, and crying or needing a helping hand doesn’t strip anyone of their blackness or pigmentation of their skin. — Daquan Taylor is an undeWe already face forces that try to clared freshman
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PRISM
November 27, 2017
Deportation fears lead to tragedy A modern mother’s choice parallels slavery-era incident Kara Jillian Brown Mid-October, a mother from Liberia who was afraid of being deported, was arrested on firstdegree murder charges connected to the deaths of her 3-month-old son and her 5-year-old step son. Her name is Kula Pelima. And her story is a testament to the fear of deportation that agonizes immigrants daily. Pelima’s boyfriend, Victor Epelle, a native of Nigeria, was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after a probation violation. Pelima was left alone caring for their child and Epelle’s son from a previous relationship. Both Pelima and Epelle were green-card holders. According to The News Journal, Epelle’s expired while he was in police custody, and Pelima was afraid that hers may soon expire. The News Journal reports that a Pelima legally emigrated from Liberia in 1997 when she was 10 years old, soon after the First Liberian Civil War. She left a country plagued by cutthroat warlords and their armies of drugged child soldiers, cor-
ruption, mutilation and rape. A second civil war ensued between 1999 and 2003, bringing the combined civil war death toll to over 250,000 citizens. On Oct. 13, Pelima called the police, who told The News Journal that they assured her she wasn’t at risk, and gave her the number to a hotline to call for more detailed answers. Hours later, Pelima called police again to tell them that she had drowned the two children. Officers returned to find the boys dead in the bathtub, and natural gas emanating from the stove top. Her story is eerily similar to that of Margaret Garner. Garner, whose life served as the inspiration for Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” was born into slavery. In January 1856, 22-year-old Garner, her husband and their four children attempted to escape. They lived in slaveholding Covington, Kentucky, just five miles south of free Cincinnati, Ohio. The family walked across the frozen Ohio River and found refuge at Garner’s uncle’s house. After enjoying a couple hours of
freedom, they were found by federal marshals. The idea of returning her children to bondage was more than Garner could bear. She decided to kill them instead. Once marshals broke in, they saw Garner’s daughter Mary dead on the floor with her throat slit. Her two sons were hiding in another room, bruised and bleeding. According to historian Nikki Taylor, we only have one direct quote from Garner: “I did the best that a mother could do. And I would have done better and more for the rest. I’ve done the best I could.” We don’t yet know how Pelima feels about killing the children. She may be remorseful, but she also may stand by her choice, like Garner. So many thoughts could have been thrashing through her head that morning: maybe she had flashbacks to the formative years she unwillingly surrendered to war. Maybe the pressures of potentially raising these boys without Epelle were proving themselves too strong. What we do know is that she was afraid of being deported. It
has yet to have been reported that she killed them because she was afraid of deportation, but knowing that this was on her mind mere hours before the murder makes it irresponsible to write it off as coincidence. If she was deported, the children would not have been. They were both American citizens, and the eldest wasn’t even her son. These boys had their entire lives ahead of them and Pelima unjustly robbed them of a future. I hate that these boys are dead. I also hate that Pelima was living in a reality that made her feel compelled to kill them. The fear of deportation is real. Dr. Evan Ashkan, a professor of family medicine at the University of North Carolina, told The New York Times that it’s making his patients sick. Ashkan, who said he has worked with many uninsured immigrants, has noticed an uptick in their physical manifestations of anxiety and depression (including stomach aches and dizziness), and has had patients forego medical treatment, because they’re afraid “immigration agents might be waiting.”
Provided by The Library of CHIVALRY AND EDUCATION. SOUTHERN Congress slaveholder nro etornully boasting of' Southern Margaret Garner’s story made tiieir liberality and magnanimity speaking ol tho &U Northern people are termed) a (as "Yankees" newspapers all over the country. "picayune set, who got rich by saving candle aonp fiit," Ao. and excerpt The followingendis an formIt is notorious however, that in benevolent or religious operations tlio contlio Noitli tens nf tributions the the Feb. 2, 1865 issue of there as thousands imm tlio South, nnd in nets of meanno.s tho 'chivis following The excelled. lie can alry" Anti-Slavery nowhere Bugle. Vo
a sample of such base plundering nnd injustice
us
would nut bo thought of in nny Ireo State : a Tho report of tho Colonization Board of to the LciMHlature of tliat State, exposes a fact of which every citizen of the Old Dominion should bo heartily ashamed. By nn Act passed in 1850, a capitation tux whs levied upon the free negroes of the Commonwealth, to raiso funds for the colonization to Africa, of nil who nre willing to go. Tho Board was to lie tho Instrument of tho expenditure of tho money thus raise. Fifty thousand dollars have been taken from tho frco blacks of Virginia under tho act a great sum of money to be levied upon the property of that depressed class. The whole of this has been absorbed into the State treasury nnd spent, Thoro's chivalry f ir you A great Slato of proud nnd arrogant white men robbing free negroes, under tbo gulso of public policy end philanthropy, and dividing the plunder among its office holders and recipients oi the public motley lI'iils. Dispatch. Vir-cini-
1
This fear also extends to documented immigrants. Following the travel ban issued by the Trump administration in January, NPR reported that many green-card holders (like Pelima and Epelle) were terrified of what could happen, and were “flocking” to apply for citizenship. Pelima didn’t have to kill those children. But the fear of being sent back to the war-torn nightmare that was her childhood made her feel like she had to. She felt death was a better fate for her boys than the uncertainty that lay ahead. It’s likely that similar to Garner, she did what she felt was the best she could do. Her story is extraordinary – there has not been and will not be a mass movement of immigrants murdering their children while facing the threat of deportation. But the fact that this country has created an immigratory climate so dismal that someone is this terrified, means that something has got to change. — Kara Jillian Brown is a senior majoring in English.
T From the
Gazette
Jan,
ARREST OF FUGITIVE SLAVES. A SLAVE
MOTHER MURDERS
CHILD
Great excitement
existed throughout
consqucnce of tho arrest of a party of slaves, and tho murder of her child by a sUve mother, while tho officers were in the act of waking the arrest. A party of seventeen slaves escaped from Boone and Kenton counties, in Kentucky, (about sixteen miles from the Ohio,) on Sunday night list, and taking with them two horses and a sled, drove that night to tho Ohio river, opposite to Western Row, in this city. Leaving tho horses and sled standing there, they crossed the river on loot on the ice. Five of them woro the slaves of Archibald K. Oaines, three of John Marshall, both living in lioono county, a short distanco beyond Floience, and six of Lovl F. Dnughcrty, of Kenton county. We havo not learned who claims the other three . About 7 o'clock this morning tho masters uu their agents arrived in pursuit of thoir property They swore out a warrant before J. I.. Pendery, (ho whole of yesterday, In
Fl'Riiirr Km'oratio.v to Ka
meeting wan held at Montgo which a speech was made by M ho is trying to raise a com pat the city grate to Kansas. Major Bulfor bo meant to starton the 0th of
RATHER THAN SEE IT RETURNED TO SLAVERY.
II E A NT
News of the
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of Dallas pledged that county meeting was addressed tj W otliors, and a Conunitteo was ap subscriptions, ond to procure tho route, 4.O., Uen. Clayton of resolution w hich was adopted Resolved, That we recommen the different counties in this St meetings, appoint committees, tions for the support and trans Buffi rd's company ; and forw tions to the committee on co place. F.coNOMr
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pondent of the Cincinnati Go lows "The Association of German omy by George Rapp, twenty l!..nM L...I tl.n lilt.. IUUI, I1UU II PUIUI'LCII lliu ivilli .. ,1.,.,. .;., :.. U lull l.ul3 ni.ll.c, III UUlll UIIMJWI anniversary of their settlement s
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November 27, 2017
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PRISM
International Spotlight Elaine Edmondson
tion. Spanish was once declared to be the official language, as shown on the numerous past historical documents of the Philippines, but was later on changed to English. This can be seen in modern Philippine education, government and commercial uses. English words are also integrated into the everyday language of Filipinos; it is common to hear Filipino words mixed in with English words, forming “Tanglish.” Yet, despite the influences other countries had on the Philippines, the Philippines still retains many aspects of its culture. Despite boxing star Manny Pacquiao popularizing the sport, Arnis, a Philippine martial art, remains the official sport of the country. Living situations have also maintained their cultural identity, as families in rural areas live in nipa huts (bamboo structures roofed with leaves from palm trees or corrugated metal) while families living in urban areas live in buildings made of brick and stone. One of the most impactful retentions of Philippine culture can be seen in the food. For example, many Filipinos love to eat plain rice with salted fish, chicken and meat. Other popular cultural dishes include chicken adobo, lechon (roasted pig), balut (broiled duck egg with an embryo) and halo-halo (mix of ice cream, gelatin, milk and shaved ice). People eat these delicious dishes either with forks and spoons or the native way — with their hands. If you’d like to get a taste for Filipino culture, try making the following recipe for chicken adobo. It’s a delicious yet simple dish. Want a country to be spotlighted in the next issue? If so, please email eedmond1@ binghamton.edu.
The Philippines has encountered many outside influences throughout its history, such as Spanish colonization and American interference. Yet, it still maintains a strong national identity, displayed in its range of languages, people, food and much more. This country is composed of 7,641 islands, including Luzon, where the capital, Manila, and the country’s most populous city, Quezon City, lie. Due to its location and its geography, the Philippines experienced years of isolation, producing cultural, social and linguistic diversity. For example, there are over 87 spoken dialects and social patterns including Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Waray, Bicolano, Pangasinan and Pampango. Tagalog is the official language of the Philippines; yet, just 55 percent of the citizens speak Tagalog. However, just like many other nations, the Philippines was affected by its interactions with other countries. Two major influences are the 350-plus years of Spanish colonization and years of U.S. administration. As a result, the country has a diverse range of ethnic groups: 70 percent Filipino, who are a mix of Indonesian or Malaysian and Polynesian, 10 percent being primitive Malaysian and Negritos; 10 percent Chinese; 5 percent East Indians; 3 percent Europeans and Americans; and 2 percent Arabs and others. In addition to adding different ethnicities to the Philippine population, new religions were also introduced. Due to Spanish colonization, Roman Catholicism became the most popular religion in the Philippines. It is estimated that 83 percent are Roman Catholic, with Protestants at 9 percent, Muslims at 5 percent and Buddhists and others at 3 percent. — Elaine Edmondson is a junior majoring Additionally, the official language was in economics; she is currently a marketing affected by Spanish and American coloniza- intern in the Multicultural Resource Center.
Chicken Adobo Directions 1. Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce and garlic for at least two hours. Tip: The longer you marinate meat, the stronger the flavor the meat will have. 2. Heat the oil in a pan. Once it’s hot, place the marinated chicken into the pan.Cook all sides for around Prep time: 60 min 4 Servings five minutes. Cook time: 45 min Tip: If you add a drop of batter and Total time: 1hr 45min it sizzles at the top, then the oil is hot enough. Ingredients 3. Pour in remaining marinade and water. Heat the pan until the liquid 2 pounds chicken (sliced) is boiling. 3 dried bay leaves 4. Add in the dried bay leaves and 4 tablespoons soy sauce peppercorn. Simmer for 30 minutes 3 cloves garlic (minced) or until the chicken is tender. 1-2 cups water 5. Add vinegar. Stir and cook for 10 ¼ cup cooking oil minutes. ½ teaspoon white sugar 6. Mix in the sugar and salt and turn 1 teaspoon salt the heat off. 1 teaspoon peppercorn 7. Serve hot and enjoy. Adapted from: Panlasang Pinoy, a Philippine food blog by Vanjo Merano Image also from Panlasang Pinoy blog
Luz Valazquez The Latin American Student Union (LASU) banquet, Noche de FantasĂa, took place on Saturday, Nov. 4. at American Legion Post 80. The night was filled with live music by Alex Bueno, performances by Quimbamba and cultural food.