WW Chap 14: The Early Modern World

(Referring to last weeks post Jan/21)

During this chapter, that was focused on the Early Modern World, I found many similarities that connect our society today with that of the "Early Modern World." Such as, in the section of "In the Land of the Aztecs and the Incas," it was read that the most distinctive feature of the two colonial societies in Mexico and Peru was the beginning of a "mestizo" or mixed race population. Within this new population came about a mix between Spanish men and Indian women, which begun because of sexual imbalance among Spanish immigrants (the book goes on to give a ratio of seven men to one women). At the time, those who were Mestizo, were mainly Hispanic in culture, in which the Spaniards often looked down upon them because they were not born of "proper" marriages and regarded them as being "illegitimate." This certain topic has a great connection to our society today. Many individuals have several different backgrounds, where it is often never looked down upon. Personally, I am made up of several ethnicities; Japanese, Chinese and Hawaiian, and I have never had a problem with this. It really just shows how much our society has grown and developed nationally, as compared to the views of the older world. Another similarity or connection that I found between our society today, and the "Early Modern World" is the topic of intermarriage. Within the section of "Making China an Empire," it goes on to describing how the Qing or Manchu Dynasty conquered China, and sought to maintain their ethnic ways by forbidding intermarriage. This has a lot to do with America's history, as intermarriage was once illegal. Although, as our society is forever changing, it is no longer illegal to practice intermarriage, but instead we face a new topic of same-sex marriages. This is another point that shows how diverse and ever-changing our society is.

Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking is a horrible issue that everyone around the world needs to be better acquainted with. It is heartbreaking to read the danger women and girls face everyday, in what they understand to be work, and doing what is helpful for their family. As I have never really been aware with the issue of sex trafficking, I find that this is an issue greater than anyone can even imagine. Sex trafficking occurs all over the world, targeting any family who is desperate to make money and live a more comfortable life. It is extremely hard to read that the targeted families, are simply looking for a way out of poverty, but is instead surprised with the manipulation of abduction and sex slavery. What is even harder for me to grasp, is the reality of finding a way to prevent this issue, since many poverty stricken families are more than likely illiterate, and have a harder time becoming aware of the issue and risks of sex trafficking. Many families are unfortunately not able to read or even afford to read public announcements, like newspapers or magazines, that will help to inform them about potential risks. Lastly, what stuck to me the most from this article is the reality of it all. The families who are targeted, already have nothing. They work strenuous hours in "foul-smelling waste," struggling to have a meal day by day. These families are so poor, that they do not even know the basics of using soap, or using the restroom. It is hard for me to imagine what these families go through, and how horrible it must be to be tricked and manipulated, by simply wanting to make money to afford a little more food, or a piece of clothing. Sex trafficking is an issue that more people should become aware of, where the more a person knows about this issue, the more a person can help.